Short takes
• It's hard to imagine three of the biggest stars in a league swapping teams in a single trade, but that's precisely what happened in the NWSL this week. Top scorer Sam Kerr went from Sky Blue (New Jersey) to Chicago; all-everything striker Christen Press went from Chicago to Houston; and former World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd went from Houston to Sky Blue. "Blockbuster" seems to hardly do it justice.
• A Gallup poll found that more American adults list soccer as their favorite sport to watch than hockey, 7 percent to 4 percent. Among those under the age of 55, soccer is the favorite of more people than baseball is. Among the younger, under-35 crowd, soccer is tied for second place with basketball.
• U.S. Soccer officially granted the USL status as the country's second-division league. For many years, the NASL was the second division and USL the third, but USL's continuing growth — and the NASL's continuing problems — have caused big changes. Given that MLS and USL currently have a good relationship, there are plenty of people who think that this could be a step toward an American soccer pyramid that would include promotion and relegation.
