ΒΕΤΤΙΝG NEWSLETTERS: Kick Off: Tim Cahill, Robbie Keane still going strong l Will USMNT miss out on Diego Fagundez?

Forward To A Friend

Kick Off: Tim Cahill, Robbie Keane still going strong l Will USMNT miss out on Diego Fagundez?

Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about today:

1. CAHILL CONTINUES

As expected, Tim Cahill has been named to Australia's 23-man squad for the upcoming Asian Cup. Cahill recently turned 35, but the Designated Player, who has a year left on his New York Red Bulls contract, has insisted he has no plans to retire any time soon. And beginning Tuesday he'll be dealing with a new sporting director at RBNY: Find out who he is here.

2. IS FAGUNDEZ SLIPPING AWAY?

Despite falling out of the New England Revolution first team toward the end of the 2014 season, Diego Fagundez is still one of the brightest prospects in MLS. Yet are chances of seeing him play for the US national team slipping further and further away? Meanwhile, AJ Soares may be heading to Italy, but the Revolution have made a move to retain his rights in MLS.

3. THIS ONE'S A 'KEEPER

New York City FC continue to flesh out their coaching staff, adding former Philadelphia Union technical director Rob Vartughian to their staff as an assistant coach. A former goalkeeper himself, Vartughian revealed his primary role will be working with the club's 'keepers.

4. HENRY GETS A PERMIT

That story about Doneil Henry moving to English Premier League side West Ham United could be a step closer to becoming a reality after it was officially announced on Monday that the Canadian defender has received his work permit.

5. DYNAMO CHANGE AFFILIATES

The Houston Dynamo have signed a new, one-year affiliation deal with USL PRO outfit Charleston Battery for the 2015 season as the Texan side continue to work on securing their own USL PRO franchise for 2016. This move also means the Dynamo will not be associating with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

6. MORE THAN ONE MAN

So, is Uruguayan striker Octavio Rivero on his way to the Vancouver Whitecaps? It's widely accepted that the club needs a new goal-scorer but, whoever the club ends up signing,Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi doesn't want them coming in for undue pressure: "One guy is not the answer."

7. THE TWO ROBBIES

Robbie Rogers was something of a revelation at left back this year but will his performance in his new position help him return to the US national team fold? Meanwhile, teammate Robbie Keane has revealed he's turned down loan offers from Premier League clubs in order to take a well-earned rest this offseason.

8. THE FIRE'S LATEST HOMEGROWN

The Chicago Fire have added more depth to their squad, signing 22-year-old defender Patrick Doody to a Homegrown Player contract. Doody, an Indiana standout in 2014, becomes the sixth HomeGrown Player in the Fire's history and the fourth on the current roster.

9. REAL REBUILDING

In an offseason that has already seen plenty of changes for Real Salt Lake both on and off the field, the real question in 2015 will be how the team rebuilds itself following a large number of key departures, with team President Bill Manning suggesting the team is still in a relatively strong position.

10. CHARTING THE GROWTH

Darren Eales is president of Atlanta's new MLS franchise and, as he starts to put things in place for the club's 2017 launch date, Eales has been impressed with how much soccer has grown in the US over the years.

11. TIME TO TRAIN

Montreal Impact goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau is the latest MLS player heading to Europe for an offseason training spell, with the Canadian 'keeper set to work with Bundesliga 2 side Fortuna Dusseldorf for 10 days ahead of the Impact's January training camp.

12. DROPPING DOWN

During his two seasons in MLS, Gale Agbossoumonde made a grand total of just 13 appearances and now, having been cut by the Colorado Rapids, the defender has dropped down a division to join the Tampa Bay Rowdies and reunite with his former US Under-20 coach Thomas Rongen.

13. ADU NOT SACKED, BUT STILL WITHOUT A CLUB

Turns out that talk of Freddy Adu being offloaded by another European club may not have been correct. While the former US prodigy's time in Serbia has indeed come to an end, Adu took to twitter to clarify that he was only on a six-month contract.

14. CONSISTENT CAMERON

There was no early Christmas present for US international Geoff Cameron as his Stoke City side lost 2-0 to Chelsea on Monday. But despite the loss, Cameron's consistent play has him ranked among the top US players in Europe right now.

15. CLYDE SIMMS NEEDS HELP

Former New England Revolution midfielder Clyde Simms recently underwent a kidney transplant to help him combat a rare kidney disease. Unfortunately, complications with the operation mean that Simms now needs a second transplant and maybe you can help the former US international.

MLSsoccer.com Musts

Retiring Red Bulls star Thierry Henry reflects on NY experience

ExtraTime Radio: The Referee Special

Top 5 goals of 2014: Chips