On the one hand, what this means is that MLS is not, by any reasonable definition of the word, a professional soccer league while Messi is playing in it. It is Messi’s version of the Eras Tour, where he goes from city to city playing the hits to rapturous crowds.

As promised, The Post is back with part two of its review of the collective bargaining agreement between MLS referees and Professional Referee Organization, Inc., the company that employs those referees.

One of the main questions people have been asking is also one that has persisted over the course of the last three seasons – why doesn’t the FC have a backup for Lucho Acosta?

The first step is figuring out what we’re supposed to do with his roster spot. The FC will have an open Young Designated Player spot, as well as a chunk of change. How to use those resources will have a great impact on the rest of the FC’s season.

It’s a pretty good time to be a fan of the local NFL team.

So you can’t blame people in Cincinnati for being a bit enthusiastic.

Well, actually, if you’re WVXU columnist John Kiesewetter, you can.

If you’re anything like Knifey Lion Radio’s Jonah – who learned on the latest PostCast that, to his surprise, Geoff Cameron is currently out of contract – you’ve probably been too busy motorboating the twin distractions of the World Cup and the Bengals’ playoff push to lift your head up and look at the MLS transfer tracker.

This article is the genuine product of a clear-eyed close reading of a film, and not at all induced by sublimated energy from avoiding Gio Reyna discourse.

For the first time in its MLS history, the FC is relevant not just in the playoff race, but also for some end-of-year awards.

Another week, another game where the refs blatantly steal points from The FC. This time, the theft came in the form of a goal by Derrick Etienne Jr. that was allowed to stand despite the fact that it was clearly and obviously offside.

Like it or not, the identity of a source is absolutely part of the story. By knowing the identity of the source, the reader can weigh the speaker’s credibility against the other participants in the story.

It all begins with an idea.

News broke late Sunday that the FC is on the verge of signing USMNTplayer and QPR captain and defender Geoff Cameron. Now, there are some valid concerns about Cameron’s age and cost. But a lot of fans have raised questions about Cameron’s personal and political beliefs.

The FC is nearly ready to open its first soccer-specific stadium, the West End Stadium in the West End Presented to You by TBA [Litigation Pending], and the excitement is uncontainable for those of us dealing with COVID by mixing uppers and downers.

A few weeks ago, FC Cincinnati previewed the signing of Brazilian "starlet" (this is a soccer blog that knows all the soccer words) Brenner by alluding to reports linking him to a number of bigger clubs. The tweet was corny to some, charming to others, but really interesting only to the extent you kind of can see in the background the Tinder profile of an individual who may or may be an FC employee.