Around the Forest: Merritt talks Rooney?

From the Wide World of Soccer:

Atlanta FC sets a record for ticket sales for an expansion club. [Fox Sports]

How does NASL see its identity when successful teams like Minnesota are making the jump to MLS? [FourFourTwo]

ESPN pokes fun at Stephen Gerrard and Frank Lampard for being old and English. [ESPN]

Looking at MLS expansion from the player’s perspective. [US Soccer Players]

Video has come out of Neymar losing his cool with fans after winning the gold in Brazil. [Deadspin]

A look at the awful tifo the Sounders put up during Sunday’s match. It seriously appeared to be written on some kind of giant roll of toilet paper. [SportsJoe]

How can women’s sports turn the excitement from Rio into a post-Olympics ratings bump. [LA Times]

Right in Stumptown:

Merritt makes the case for Wayne Rooney to come to MLS; now you don’t have to wake up early to see him shank kicks all over the place! [Daily Mail]

Jamie B. pokes around the strange issue of Adi missing the team flight to Seattle. [Oregon Live]

It’s not been a great run for the Timbers as of late. So let’s all feel better about ourselves by looking at this photo of Nat with this baby: