Royal Roundup: Andy Williams drops a bombshell on RSL fans

It’s the very last news roundup for the month of February! That’s 1/6th of the year gone already, MLS preseason is about to start, and we still don’t have any hints about a new owner yet.

One item of news did come out that will be of concern to fans of Real Salt Lake; Andy Williams, former player and most recently the team’s prolific scout made a stunning announcement.

If the front office lets him slip away we’ll be losing not only another team legend, but also a scout with a lot of talent and contacts! We hoped RSL had learned a lesson on valuing players from Javi Morales debacle - evidently not!

INTERNATIONAL

• Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola spoke out about Aston Villa’s investigation on player Fantasy Leagues. Says the leaks are unprofessional and unethical. [Goal]
• Concacaf and CBS have announced a new multi-year broadcast partnership to stream matches on the new Paramount+ network. [Concacaf] The new network is planning to challenge Peacock as the best choice for live sports online. [FOS]
• Costa Rica will host the Concacaf Beach Soccer World Cup qualifying tournament in May. [FRS]
• PRO referees Jair Marrufo and Asst. Referee Frank Anderson have been selected by Concacaf to officiate during the Olympic Qualifiers in March. [Concacaf]

USA

• The USWNT beat Argentina 6-0 to win their 4th overall, and second consecutive She Believes Cup. [SBI]
• A new Anti-Racist Project has formed with a plan to take action against racism and inequality in US Soccer. Chicago Fire (MLS), Angel City FC (NWSL), Oakland Roots (USL), and the American Outlaws have all announced their support. [SSF][GOAL][Guardian]
• Former USMNT interim head coach Dave Sarachan has been named as the head coach for Puerto Rico. [SBI]
• How an analytical chemist became one of the top referees for US Soccer. [FIFA]
• Rising US youth prospect Matthew Hoppe says he plans to stay with Schalke even if they get relegated from the Bundesliga. [SBI]

Photo by Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

US LEAGUES

• MLS: CF Montreal head coach Thierry Henry resigns unexpectedly, cites COVID restrictions which cause separation from family as the reason. [MLS] Montreal now starts the search for a new coach with little time left before the season starts. [MLS]
• RSL academy grad, and US Youth player Taylor Booth made a strong debut for Austria’s St. Polten after being loaned from Bayern Munich. [ASN]
• USL: Betsy Haugh named director of women’s operations for USL. [SSD]
• MLS: More clubs have unveiled their new kits for 2021 - FC Cincinnati new home kit [MLS], and Chicago with both home and away kits. [MLS] Here’s a gallery of all the team kits revealed so far. [SBI]
• NWSL: The US and Canadian National Team players allocation list has been announced with 32 players participating. [NSWL]
• MLS: Expansion team Charlotte FC and the NFL team Carolina Panthers begin $50 million renovations on Bank of America Stadium as they prepare to join MLS in 2022. [MLS]
• MLS: The state of Ohio may allow up to 30% capacity for home games in 2021. [SSD]
• MLS: Which new coaches face the biggest hurdles for 2021? [MLS]
• USL League 2: Schedule announced for 2021, the games will kick off May 1st. [FRS]

FLASHBACK

• In the Desert Diamond Cup, RSL had 2 players sent off after the 70th minute on questionable calls and lost as the LA Galaxy score 2 goals in the final 10 minutes. [2/26/12]
• What we learned from RSL’s preseason - hint, some of them we still struggle with. [2/27/13]
• Alvaro Saborio scored a brace in a 3-1 romp over FC Tucson in the Desert Diamond Cup. [2/27/14]
• MLS fined Dell Loy Hansen $150,000 for comments he made on ESPN 700 radio over Free Agency and the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. [2/27/15]
• Some thoughts on RSL’s Rocky Mountain rivals, the Colorado Rapids (including some about our new Asst. Coach Pablo Mastroeni). [2/29/16]
• Five things we learned about RSL’s preseason. [2/27/17]

VIDEO

A canine pitch invader in Bolivia has been adopted by the player that caught him.