MLS Commissioner Don Garber will dispense his wisdom on “the state of Major League Soccer by highlighting key accomplishments and challenges to date, as well provide insight as to where he sees the league headed in the years to come” at the USC Marshall School of Business Thursday Nov. 20 in the run-up to MLS Cup in Carson.

Cost is $50. Details here.

But Garber is an NFL guy; the jury is out on whether he truly understands the other football at the global level and is capable of getting American soccer in tune with the rest of the world. That’s essentially my column Tuesday (not-so-coincidentally) after last weekend’s World Cup qualifying debacle.

The college season has begun; so have the awards;
*Cal State Dominguez Hills senior midfielder Kyle Holland of Anchorage, Alaska was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week Monday after three goals and an assist in three games.
*LMU junior goalkeeper Patrick Sampson has been named the West Coast Conference
Player of the Week after shutting out 24th-ranked Cal Poly in a 1-0 Lions victory.