Brotherly Game Daily Links: Greg Vanney named head coach of the LA Galaxy

MLS News

LA Galaxy hire Greg Vanney as next head coach
Vanney joins the Galaxy after a successful six-plus year tenure as Toronto FC head coach, where he won a treble, including the first Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup wins in club history, two additional Canadian Championships, and a run to the final of the 2018 Concacaf Champions League final.

Brian Schmetzer agrees to new contract, report says
Asked about the report, Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey stopped short of confirming it but said, “I have never had any doubt that Brian would eventually sign.”

Third kits likely returning for some MLS teams
MLS did away with third kits following the 2017 season due to a lack of sales, but it appears as though they’re coming back for some clubs. A “leak” on Footy Headlines points to Atlanta United being among the clubs to get a third kit, while Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson indicates that the threshold for teams is 100,000 jersey sales to be eligible for a third kit.

Austin FC signs 10-year MLS veteran free agent Diego Fagundez
At 25, Fagundez is the youngest free agent signing in Major League Soccer history, and will bring plenty of experience from 10 seasons with the New England Revolution. He’ll also provide an example at a club that has plans to produce its own homegrown talent.

Loons ink Wil Trapp
From 2013-2019 Trapp played for his hometown club making 185 regular season appearances along with another 15 playoff appearances in his run with the Crew. Wil was acquired by Inter Miami CF prior to the 2020 season for $100,000 in GAM.

MLS offers to back off player pay cuts in exchange for 2-year extension of CBA
MLS presented its revised labor agreement to the MLS Players Association on Tuesday, a week after the league invoked its force majeure clause that obligates the league and the MLSPA to negotiate modifications to the existing CBA in good faith for 30 days.

RSL names Pablo Mastroeni one of Juarez’s assistants
In what is one of the more puzzling moves of 2020, Real Salt Lake has announced that Pablo Mastroeni, former Colorado Rapids player and coach, has joined the organization as an assistant coach.

U.S. Soccer News

U.S. Soccer announces USMNT, U-23 January Camp rosters
As they have done in previous years, the U-23s will also join them in a camp. The two teams will train together until January 24th, when several U-23 players will be elevated to the USMNT roster in advance of a planned match. The U-23s have a big year as well, with Olympic qualifying set to take place in March with the hopes of qualifying for this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.