Angels Links: Columbus Crew SC potentially moving to Austin(!)

Columbus Crew SC Angling Toward Relocation to Austin in 2019

In a shocking turn of events, Columbus Crew SC and owner Anthony Precourt could be on their way to Austin, Texas. Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated reported that Precourt will announce today that if a downtown soccer stadium is not finalized in Columbus for the team, they will head out of one of the original MLS cities and into Austin. There are also reports the Crew would play in a temporary venue for two seasons before an urban stadium opened in Austin. This is a stunning move, as Columbus is one of the original MLS clubs, has a great supporters base, and is heading into the playoffs out of the Eastern Conference. Surely those Columbus fans will not be pleased that, in essence, the owner is holding the team hostage looking for public funds from the city.

Italy to play Sweden, Rep of Ireland to meet Denmark in World Cup playoff

The UEFA playoff draw to get into the World Cup took place this morning, and the match-ups for the second week of November are set. Italy will take on Sweden, Ireland will meet Denmark, Croatia will play Greece, and Northern Ireland are set against Switzerland. Ireland are sure to be satisfied with their draw, avoiding Italy and Croatia, while Italy are probably a bit miffed that they got Sweden. Northern Ireland taking on Switzerland is an interesting matchup, but Croatia vs. Greece is one of the most intriguing head-to-head clashes to get into the World Cup. The schedule for the matches themselves is still to be announced, but the next international break will hold plenty of intrigue, especially for the countries involved.

LEICESTER CITY SACK MANAGER SHAKESPEARE AFTER POOR START TO SEASON

In a bit of news that has flown under the radar, Leicester City have reportedly sacked Craig Shakespeare after a poor start to the season. The Foxes currently sit in 18th in the Premier League, with one win in eight matches. One of the rough stretches for Leicester was when they failed to beat Huddersfield Town, Bournemouth and West Brom, and now they are set to announce their interim coach in the next couple days.

Real Madrid not in top gear yet but should rise to Spurs' UCL visit

Lots of news has broken over the past week, and even today, which has overshadowed the fact that CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IS BACK. Real Madrid take on Tottenham in one of the premier match-ups of the day, as well as Manchester City vs. Napoli. The Champions League also features Dortmund taking on APOEL, Liverpool playing against Maribor, and Sevilla against Spartak Moscow. Two interesting games are also Besiktas playing Monaco, and Leipzig against Porto. This article is a great preview of Real Madrid’s game against Tottenham from ESPN, and enjoy the Champions League football!

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