USA

In the early days of Major League Soccer, it wasn’t uncommon for players to take up part-time jobs in the offseason to supplement what was often meager pay. While many players made a comfortable living, rookies and squad players often struggled to make ends meet. 

These days, every MLS player makes at least $54,000 — a livable wage to be sure, but nothing spectacular. Minnesota United center back Brent Kallman recently made more than that playing another — far less physically demanding — game.

As if Kansas City hadn’t fallen hard enough for Patrick Mahomes — what with his absurd 37 touchdowns and 330 yards passing per game as a sophomore in the NFL — the Chiefs quarterback gained even more fans on Thursday night by turning out in support of Sporting KC during the MLS playoffs.

Jermaine Jones was a pretty stellar USMNT midfielder for a while. The sound of his strike against Portugal swooshing into the back of the net in the 2014 World Cup ranks as one of my favorite noises of all time, right up there with Fry trying to gnaw his arms off to reach super Slurm and my cat’s purring. 

But Jermaine Jones has been known to have a bit of a temper, and it may have gotten him in trouble with authorities.

While MLS has grown leaps and bounds over the past two decades, that doesn't correlate to each of the respective clubs. In 1998 the Chicago Fire were an expansion side that won the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. The club captured another three Open Cups and the 2003 Supporters' Shield. A solid first decade of action in the Windy City was headlined by the construction of a new 20,000-seat, soccer-specific stadium.