USA

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Jonathan dos Santos is set to undergo a hernia operation that will keep him from competing in the upcoming MLS is Back Tournament near Orlando.

The team captain will have what the club termed a "minimally invasive" operation, with the expectation being that he will miss six weeks.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the procedure will be performed Thursday at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Santa Monica, Calif.

Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela, the reigning Major League Soccer MVP, likely will skip the MLS is Back Tournament that is set to kick off next week, ESPN reported Wednesday.

However, his decision was "not 100 certain," according to ESPN's Jeff Carlisle.

Vela's wife is pregnant with the couple's second child, Vela announced in April. Should he participate in the event at the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, he could be away from his family for more than a month.

FC Cincinnati banned a fan from attending any and all future matches because of a racist tweet directed at two players, the club announced late Tuesday night.

Jürgen Damm, one of the fastest footballers in the world, is coming to America. The Mexican winger signed a deal to join Atlanta United after Damm’s contract with Tigres UANL expires at the end of the 2019-20 season, the Five Stripes announced Wednesday.

More importantly, Damm announced his move with the best dance moves I’ve ever seen. I cannot stop watching this video with a goofy-ass grin on my face.

NEW YORK — Six FC Dallas players have tested positive for COVID-19, Major League Soccer (MLS) said on Wednesday, a week ahead of the kickoff of the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida.

Two of the positive tests came "immediately" after the players arrived at the host hotel in Florida on June 27, while another four players tested positive within the last two days.

"Every member of the FC Dallas traveling party had tested negative for COVID-19 through an MLS-mandated testing service prior to the club's departure on Saturday morning," the team said.

Professional team sports returned to the U.S. on Saturday with the start of the NWSL Challenge Cup. America was watching, if the latest NWSL viewership numbers are anything to go by.

The NWSL Challenge Cup started with a bang on multiple fronts. Along with the amazing soccer played, the teams made an impressive stance in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

The U.S. National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has said players can choose to remain in the locker room or express their individual views on the pitch while the national anthem is being played at the Challenge Cup.

The NWSL said the decision to provide additional flexibility by revising pregame ceremonies followed discussions with players, club officials and other stakeholders.

Lauren Holiday, a retired Olympic and World Cup soccer star for the USWNT and the wife of New Orleans Pelicans basketball player Jrue Holiday, broke her silence regarding her husband’s experiences being racially profiled. Her open letter to The Player’s Tribune discussed how her white privilege allowed her to live a less complicated life than her husband. Throughout her experiences and comments about being an inter-racial couple, she always chose not to make her life public and remained silent about encounters both her and her husband had faced. 

The NWSL Challenge Cup started off on a high note and definitely has everyone talking.