Weekend links for your reading pleasure

This has been a week of intense soccer buzz on the internet. MLS is smack in the middle of their preseason training, USL is making moves and getting ready for their preseason training. Some teams already have started training. The WPS made some noise as well and we were still getting the trickle down of tired old Beckham to AC Milan stories. We had UEFA Champions league and CONCACAF Champions league. Plus a few other interesting tidbits along the way.  I thought I would give you a quick run down on some of the stories I was reading on Thursday and Friday.

My story of the week is Lilian Thuram’s off-the-pitch courage from ESPN. This is an interesting story of Thuram’s attempt to combat racism in France. Recently he traveled to the US to speak and do some investigation on how professional sports in the US combat racism. Thuram said, “We have so much to learn from America. We are so far behind you. I dream of the day there will be a French Barack Obama. I will continue to work to tackle racism, and football can help. Football has a capacity to touch so many people.”

I don’t know if the US is quite the utopia that Thuram is making it out to be, but for sure we’re ahead of a supposedly culturally advanced Europe when it comes to acknowledging and dealing with racism in sports.

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Luis Bueno says that despite recent success from USL teams in CONCACAF Champions League, Mexico is still the class of the tournament.

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One report says U-20 Vincenzo Bernardo wants to play for the US. The other says he hasn’t decided. Who do you believe , Ravi Ubha or Ives Galarcep?

WPS
The Red Stars have signed Brazilian forward Cristiane to a one-year contract. Cristiane was the Red Stars’ No. 1 pick in September’s Women’s Professional Soccer international draft.

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WPS players can “sport the skort”, but not during games.

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Marta has come a long way, takes on new challenge in U.S. – Grahame Jones of the LA Times

USL
More news from the Miami Herald on Miami FC’s attempt to save the team

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United Soccer Leagues crafts Plan B if Miami FC folds

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Rochester Rhions Ross Smith will need heart surgery

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Railhawk minority owner Bob Young is looking into starting a USL franchise in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

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The Spec.com takes a look at the Hamilton USL franchise and asks, can it succeed?

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USL tells the story of Vancouver Whitecaps heading to Tanzania for preseason training

MLS
Soccer the envy of baseball? MLS the envy of Europe? Yup.

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Europe on verge of soccer meltdown and Michel Plantini thinks UEFA should look to the US as an example.

MLS schedule for US Open Cup revealed

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Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America says MLS needs to be selling the fan experience, not the on field product. USL is also attempting to do this.

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It looks like Beckham won’t be the only player heading back from Europe to join the Galaxy–Donovan’s Bayern dream nears end.