This week in NYC soccer: the USMNT Poet Leureate signs with NYCFC, the Red Bulls fan insurrection comes to a head, the very questionably named MLS SuperDraft took place, and everyone's getting excited about reserve teams.

MIX DISKERUD JOINS NYCFC

The great American exodus from Europe continues. Following in the footsteps of Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley (and preceding the move of Jozy Altidore by just days), Norwegian-American Mikkel "Mix" Diskerud was signed to NYCFC on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Diskerud has spent all of his career in Norway to date, with stints at Stabœk and Rosenborg. His dual citizenship allowed him to be selected for the USMNT, where he has 25 caps and five goals.

Other fun facts about Mix: he loves NYC and the Yankees. He also has a penchant for his really cryptic Twitter game, where he occasionally spits out transfer drama poetry:

By Xolos impressed by Pushkins caressed Tjernen falsely second-guessed MLS-fans' ambitions stressed Qatarsis? - yet not at all depressed — Mix Diskerud (@MixDiskerud) December 22, 2014

Reporters say I am close to... What does that mean... What did they come close to... Since I was in Brazil... — Mix Diskerud (@MixDiskerud) January 8, 2015

Kevin Brown from Fusion TV's "The Soccer Gods" offered Mix some helpful advice about where he should set up shop within the five boroughs:

DESPITE NAME, SUPERDRAFT NOT ACTUALLY SUPER

Thursday brought occasion for high-ranking soccer people from all over the country to visit Philadelphia. The 2015 edition of the MLS SuperDraft saw a relatively weak crop of talent, but both NYC-area clubs made some interesting picks.



NYCFC sporting director Claudio Reyna and head coach Jason Kreis discuss possible picks at the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. (Pablo Maurer)

NYCFC had high picks in the draft - 2nd and 23rd overall - and used their first round pick on Khiry Shelton from Oregon State. The 6-foot-3 forward battled injury through most of his college career but was considered a top five talent by most draft observers. With NYCFC already pretty stacked in the attack (Shelton will be the sixth forward on the roster), he'll have to fight for a starting role.

NYCFC also picked midfielder Connor Brandy out of San Diego, who can bring some speed and talent to the left side of the field.



RBNY head coach Jesse Marsch deep in thought at the draft table. (Pablo Maurer)

For the Red Bulls, their first pick at 18th overall was a bit of a coup. Jesse Marsch pulled the trigger on Leo Stolz, a German midfielder out of UCLA who earned the Hermann Award for best college player in 2014. How had the best college player fallen so far? Reports had been swirling that Stolz wasn't necessarily committed to playing professionally. Many teams didn't want to take the chance on having a first round pick vanish, but Jesse Marsch did the legwork in advance of the draft. With Stolz already on-board to join RBNY, it took only until Saturday for the club to sign him to a contract. The constant cries for creativity in the Red Bulls midfield may finally have their answer.

Marsch used his second pick on Italian-American forward Stefano Bonomo from University of California. Both clubs will get to make third and fourth round picks on the upcoming Supplemental Draft via conference call this coming week.

RED BULLS HOLD TOWN HALL, GOES AS WELL AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT

We can think of better ways to spend a Friday night than facing a crowd of angry soccer fans, but that's what the Red Bulls front office opted to do. A cold night in Harrison saw 300 season ticket holders demanding answers of the club in light of Mike Petke's firing.

While media were not invited, the club helpfully put full audio from the event on their SoundCloud account. If you need 90 cringe-tastic minutes of people shouting profanities at a sports executive who has difficulty answering questions in a straightforward manner, then you're in luck!

If there were winners from the contentious event, it was Jesse Marsch, who was able to distance himself from the mess of Petke's firing with some straight talk, and goalkeeper Luis Robles, who said that he volunteered to come to the event (presumably to act as a human shield).

But Sporting Director Ali Curtis (and to an extent, GM Marc de Grandpre) did little to change perceptions that he's the villain in the front office. Fans mocked Curtis' 300 page plan (one decrying it as "corporate bullshit arrogance"), and despite repeated claims he was taking responsibility for the decision, a clear and obvious rationale for Petke's firing was still not given.

The Town Hall occurred on the same day as the "Red Bull Out" movement made its first formal moves, paying for a billboard near the Lincoln Tunnel.

RESERVE TEAM FEVER

All three area professional soccer teams had announcements related to their plans for reserve squads: