Short takes
• National Women's Soccer League strugglers Sky Blue FC had two of the top six picks in January's draft but, as it turns out, the team's reputation for treating players poorly means those picks won't help. Both Hailie Mace, the No. 2 pick, and Julia Ashley, the sixth selection, have officially signed with Swedish clubs for 2019. Sky Blue had one victory in 24 games last year. Right now, another similar season looms.
• MLS announced that Don Garber will remain as commissioner through the 2023 season, giving him a quarter-century in the league's top job. Garber can be credited with navigating MLS out of its darkest days and into a period of explosive growth. Now he must figure out how to continue to grow the league without regular adrenaline shots in the form of expansion teams.
• FC Barcelona President Josep Bartomeu told the BBC that he wants his club to play three La Liga matches per season in foreign countries to bring the team closer to its worldwide fans. Given that Barcelona's scheduled game in Florida, set for January, had to be scrapped due to near-universal opposition from anyone besides La Liga officials, it's hard to see how three games abroad could work.
