Short takes
• Cristiano Ronaldo kicked off the summer transfer silly season by forcing his way out of Real Madrid, the club that made him a world superstar, to Juventus, a club that has won seven consecutive Serie A titles in Italy. Ronaldo, 33, has nothing left to win at club level; all that's left to do is make a ton of money playing for the Italian team that needs him least.
• Speaking of Ronaldo, Juventus paid Real Madrid 100 million euros for his signature. Every club in Europe should be on the lookout for Real Madrid to spend that money, and more, to replace his goal-scoring ability. Harry Kane, with Tottenham, or Paris Saint-Germain stars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are the three most commonly mentioned potential replacements.
• The NWSL has endured a number of franchise moves and foldings over the past few years, and now, the plight of Sky Blue FC (based in New Jersey) is worrisome. This year, the team acquired U.S. superstar Carli Lloyd, a New Jersey native — and is still winless, with just three points in 14 games, and last in league attendance.
