ICYMI: Last Week in Soccer July 3-July 9

Each week, Keith Buderus will catch us up on our Rapids, the USMNT, and anything else that might be going on in the soccer world.

USA Draws 1-1 with Panama in Gold Cup Opener

The 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup began this past week, drawing large crowds in Harrison, Nashville, and San Diego. The Gold Cup is the continental championship of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. For those who want to know more, Charles Boehm wrote a solid preview of the tournament.

Shout out to fellow SBNation blogger, Parker Cleveland for his review of the USA v Panama match. For me, underwhelming and disinterested is how I’d describe that match in a nutshell for the USMNT.

Brian Sciaretta is someone who knows more about this stuff than I do but his four thoughts on the draw are very similar to my own. After a lackluster performance to start the tournament, supporters will want to see a dominant performance in Tampa on Wednesday night vs Martinique.

Nashville Emerges as Strong MLS Expansion Candidate

The soccer faithful in Nashville came out in swarms on Saturday afternoon to witness the USMNT’s opening match of the Gold Cup. In a match that called for hydration breaks for the players, 47,622 fans showed up to battle the heat at Nissan Stadium. After the match, Steven Goff wrote about how that impressive crowd could be the start of the city’s MLS expansion plans.

Tim Howard Named to MLS Starting XI

The MLS All-Star Game at Soldier Field in Chicago will feature the best players in the MLS facing UEFA Champions League winners, Real Madrid. Supporters of Colorado Rapids will be excited to see Tim Howard voted by the fans as one of the goalkeepers. The fans choose 11 players on the roster, and the MLS All-Star Head Coach (Veljko Paunovic) and MLS Commissioner Don Garber’s two selections will fill out the rest of the roster. In order to properly compete against the world’s best team, the MLS is going to have to bring in reinforcements beyond the first list of 11 names.

The Second Half of the Colorado Rapids Season is Upon Us

Marco Cummings writes how the team is taking advantage of the break to get healthy and hang on to what little hope may remain.

That being said, supporters are frustrated, but perhaps no other supporter is as frustrated as the TV voice of the club, Richard Fleming. With almost too much of the “Mr. Nice Guy,” he dives in to the season so far and what awaits the team in their remaining 16 matches. “Going back to the basics” is not exactly a good quote to hear from the head coach at this point.

MLS Mid-Term Grades and Awards

While there are a few clubs clearly playing better than the rest (Chicago Fire and FC Dallas), the parity in MLS is alive and well in 2017. Matt Pentz takes an in-depth look at each club and gives out grades and awards.

USWNT is Coming Back to Denver

The U.S. Women’s National Team is set to meet New Zealand in a two-game friendly set on September 15 in Commerce City and September 19 in Cincinnati. The women last played in Colorado on June 2, 2016 where they played a rematch of the World Cup Final with Japan, ending in a wild 3-3 draw. Tickets go on sale to Rapids STH on Thursday, July 13, and to the public on Friday, July 14.

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Wayne Rooney Signs with Everton

The captain of Manchester United has called it a career at Old Trafford and is now headed back to Everton, where it all began for him. After the news became official, Rooney sent out his thanks for the memories in Manchester.

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

European Transfer Market

Here is one for our fans of the English Premier League: ESPN takes a look at the biggest questions surrounding the EPL’s biggest clubs. And did you see Paul Pogba and Odell Beckham Jr. grooving to the camera before they take off on a roller coaster? Tough life!