• The U.S. under-20 national team had a distinctly Minnesotan flair at the Four Nations tournament in Germany, with both Minneapolis native Mukwelle Akale and Bloomington's Jackson Yueill on the roster. Akale, who is playing for Villarreal's youth teams in Spain, scored twice in a draw with Mexico and once in a draw with Scotland, giving him three of the team's six goals at the tournament. Yueill, who is having a standout freshman season at UCLA, started two of the three games.
• Toronto FC clinched an MLS playoff berth on Wednesday, the club's first ever after eight incredibly disappointing seasons. The key was probable league MVP Sebastian Giovinco, who showed his dedication this week. After playing 30 minutes for Italy against Norway on Tuesday in Rome, he flew to New York for a Wednesday game — and came on in the second half to score the eventual winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Red Bulls.
• New York Cosmos midfielder Raul announced he would retire at the end of the season. The Spanish legend has scored seven goals this year for the Cosmos.
