Nashville SC have reportedly added a pair of MLS veterans to their roster in separate trades.

According to The Athletic, Dax McCarty and Dave Romney are heading to Nashville from the Chicago Fire and L.A. Galaxy respectively.

McCarty, 32, has amassed over 350 appearances with FC Dallas, the Chicago Fire, New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire. He won two Supporters’ Shields with the Red Bulls before eventually being traded to Chicago for $400,000 in General Allocation Money. McCarty made 32 starts for Chicago this season.

The 26-year-old Romney has spent the last five seasons with the Galaxy. He has made 84 appearances over the years, including 12 this season helping the team reach the MLS Cup Playoffs.

McCarty and Romney will join Nashville’s inaugural roster alongside the likes of former MLSers Hany Mukhtar, Anibal Godoy, Randall Leal, David Accam and others.

Atlanta United top Forbes’ MLS valuation list for 2019

For the second-consecutive year Atlanta United topped Forbes’ team valuation list.

Forbes announced their list on Monday which sees the 2018 MLS Cup Champs retain its top spot with a value of $500 million. The Five Stripes moved up $330 million from 2018.

The L.A. Galaxy remained in second at $480 million, while local rivals LAFC jumped to third at $475 million.

Current MLS Cup finalists Seattle Sounders and Toronto FC rounded out the top five. The Sounders valued at $405 million, while TFC are fifth at $395 million, narrowly edging out sixth-place Portland Timbers at $390 million.

The average MLS club is now worth $313 million, which is a 30% growth from 2018. The year-over-year growth outpaces rising team values in the NBA (13%), NFL (11%), MLB (8%) and NHL (6%).

Namazi, Mastroeni added to Dynamo coaching staff under new head coach Tab Ramos

Tab Ramos has added a pair of coaches to his staff for the 2020 MLS season.

The club announced Monday that U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team assistant coach Omid Namazi and former U.S. Men’s National Team player Pablo Mastroeni have joined Ramos’ staff.

Namazi brings a lengthy coaching background to Ramos’ staff and currently  holds a USSF PRO License. Namazi began his career as a manager in the Major Indoor Soccer League, earning two-time Coach of the Year honors in 2005 and 2006. He began his international managerial career in 2011 when he became the assistant coach of the Iranian National Team. In 2013, he helped lead Iran to qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Namazi was an assistant coach on Ramos’ U.S. U-20 MNT staff from 2014 to 2017, and also served as an assistant with the USWNT.

“I am very excited to announce that two such experienced coaches, who are even better human beings, are joining the club to continue to build the family that is the Houston Dynamo,” Ramos said. “Omid and I have worked together for many years, his defensive expertise and attention to detail make him a tremendous asset in completing our staff. Pablo needs no introduction to the highest level of the game. He has already been an MLS head coach and his experience on-and-off the field with the players will be invaluable.”

The 43-year-old Mastroeni joins after serving as the head coach of the Colorado Rapids from 2013-17. As a head coach in MLS, Mastroeni led the Rapids to their best regular season record of all-time with a franchise record of 58 points in 2016.

Pepi, Cerrillo among four FC Dallas players to train with Bayern Munich

FC Dallas will see four of their players begin a two-week training program with German giants Bayern Munich.

The club announced Monday that Ricardo Pepi, Thomas Roberts, Edwin Cerrillo, and Bryan Reynolds will join FC Bayern Munich U-19 and U-23 teams for a two-week training period running from Nov. 11-25 in Munich, Germany through the clubs’ Elite Player Development Partnership. In addition, David Rodriguez of Dallas’ USL affiliate North Texas Soccer Club will also train with Bayern.

Pepi, 16, finished as USL League One’s fifth-leading scorer with nine goals in 12 appearances and helped North Texas SC reach the final. He also recently appeared in two group stage matches for the U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team during the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.

The 19-year-old Cerrillo appeared in 12 matches for FC Dallas this season, recording one assist. He also started five matches for North Texas SC.

Reynolds, 18, is the youngest player in FC Dallas history to sign a Homegrown contract at 15 years, 147 days old. He recorded one assist in 10 matches for FC Dallas this season and made his MLS debut back in May.

The 18-year-old Roberts made three starts in six appearances for FC Dallas this season, totaling just over 200 minutes. He also appeared in 13 matches for North Texas SC where he scored two goals and recorded two assists in 1,119 minutes played. This marks Roberts’ second training stint with Bayern, after training in 2018 with former FC Dallas homegrown and current Bayern II defender Chris Richards.

Rodriguez, 17, scored two goals and added an assist in 19 USL League One games. He has been called up by the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team in the past, but has yet to consistently crack the squad.

Chapman returns as lead referee for MLS Cup Final

2017 MLS Referee of the Year Allen Chapman has been assigned to referee this Sunday’s 2019 MLS Cup Final, PRO announced Monday.

Sunday will mark the second final in the last three years that Chapman will oversee. Chapman officiated the last title bout between these two familiar rivals, the 2017 edition won 2-0 by TFC at BMO Field. He was also the fourth official in the 2016 final, won by Seattle at the same venue.

Chapman will be joined by MLS Assistant Referee of the Year Brian Dunn and FIFA official Corey Rockwell, while 2019 MLS Referee of the Year nominee Rubiel Vazquez has been named as the fourth official. Brian Poeschel is the reserve assistant referee. Edvin Jurisevic will be the VAR, supported by AVAR Cameron Blanchard.

Here’s a full list of the refereeing crew:

REF: Allen Chapman
AR1: Brian Dunn
AR2: Corey Rockwell
4TH: Rubiel Vazquez
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
AVAR: Cameron Blanchard
RAR: Brian Poeschel