Day Two PNC (post new crest): it’s still pretty loud out there in crest discussion land. We’ve written two missives on it now, ourselves, and your tireless but yet very tired editor is ready to move on and discuss soccer instead of #branding. MARCHONS!

There isn’t much news to discuss from a club or league perspective, which is probably while the crest signal is still so strong. That said, what news there is is worth digesting:

First, Des Moines is moving a little closer to their USL Championship dreams. Those dreams include a downtown stadium, of course, and that’s where the friction point lies. The owners of the USL rights, the Krause Group, will soon own land that they believe is optimal for a new soccer stadium, would like to fund the stadium construction project in a public-private partnership. The city, by contrast, isn’t interested in “a major commitment of [city] funds” to the project. We’ll see what happens, but I do hope Des Moines joins the league soon.

Second, US Soccer changed some of the scheduling for the US Open Cup this year. One change is good, another is not good. The good: some MLS teams will enter the tournament earlier than usual, during the third round. The bad: the earlier start date for the opening rounds probably (and in fact, does) prevents USL League 2 and NPSL clubs that rely heavily or exclusively on college players to fill out their rosters from playing in the tournament at all. That sucks. What’s more, there’s no way US Soccer didn’t know that would be a consequence of their decision. A potential silver lining could be that NCAA teams might be able to enter the tournament in the future, but there are a lot of ways that might not work, too. We’ll see how all that pans out, but for now, RIP to League 2 and NPSL teams in the Open Cup.

Finally, Charlotte is getting an MLS team for the low, low price of $325 million. That probably spells the end for Charlotte Independence, who never really found solid ground in the area unless the new group buys them and their massive youth league. I’m guessing that contingency will happen, though.

Have a great Wednesday and VAMOS MORADOS!