• Last week, the Los Angeles Galaxy ended up in the strange position of announcing another big-name signing, forward Giovanni Dos Santos, in the same week that starting goalkeeper Jaime Penedo abruptly quit the club over his contract. It was a stark reminder of the two-class system in MLS — big money for big names, little for the rest. With barely half a season gone in the first year of the five-year collective bargaining agreement, player discontent is growing, especially as the league continues to announce new sponsorships and TV deals from around the world. I'm not sure this labor situation ends well.
• Minnesota United's Christian Ramirez was named the NASL Player of the Month for July, his fourth such award in just two seasons in the league. Ramirez scored four times in four games in July, and added another goal on Wednesday against New York and still, arguably, wasn't even the best Loons offensive player, with both Ibson and Kalif Alhassan making cases as well. That said, scoring talent is one of the most difficult things to find in the American second division, and Ramirez is now just two goals away from the 2015 league lead.
Premier League Predicted Top 10
1Chelsea
2Manchester United
3Manchester City
4Arsenal
5Tottenham Hotspur
6Crystal Palace
7Liverpool
8Southampton
9Swansea City
10Stoke City
To be relegated: Leicester City, West Ham, Watford
