FC Dallas-River Plate discuss partnership

[walkingcity]

http://americansoccerreader.com/2008/07/03/fc-dallas-river-plate-partnership/
"According FC Dallas’ blog River Plate VP Mario Israel and GM Alredo Wodke flew to Dallas to meet with FC Dallas GM Michael Hitchcock to continue discussing a possible partnership between the two clubs. The two River Plate reps will spend the next few days in Dallas attending Fridays match with Kansas City. A partnership between the two clubs would be a great thing for FC Dallas and Major League Soccer..."

Would be an interesting move, what do you think?

[El Mandrake]

What does that mean exactly? Of course it would be awesome. Any move to promote the growth of the game in USA is a welcomed one. And of course River Plate to have a presence in the USA would a dream come true.

[chazsoccer]

In the past, we have partnered with one Mexican club (Tigres) and one Brazilian Club (Clube Atletico Paranaense). We play a home and away match each year, share business models on developing youth players, marketing ideas, ways to make money without selling players, share practice facilities for pre-season, etc.

[locoxriver]

What ever happened with this? Did it go through? Did it fall? Are the negociations still in progress?

If it ever goes through and River come to the states to play a friendly match, I just might have to take a trip over to Dallas.

[chazsoccer]

It is still in process.

FC Dallas Coaches will be visiting River Plate in December to do some scouting.

Two of our youth team: FCD Juniors U-18 are began training with River Plate youth in October:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_K6GPv8xcGQE/SOOPdF-L5lI/AAAAAAAACXs/8Tw3UyOkL2w/s1600-h/1001FunesBrothers(VanegasPhoto).JPG
The Fuenes brothers - Ramiro and Gabriel Funes
Gabriel won the MLS Sueño contest with FC Dallas this year.

FCD Jrs. U-18 brothers Gabriel and Ramiro Funes are currently training with River Plate's U-18s in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They'll be training there while their documents are finalized to return to school here in the Metroplex. River Plate GM Alfredo Wodke, who traveled to Frisco in July and took care of us in August during our visit to River, welcomed the pair to the complex on Monday.

Gabriel sent us the following note last night:

"We're here at River Plate - its awesome! Being here is such a great experience, because you live with other kids, and more importantly, because the soccer is very competitive. We are living in the River Plate dorm, which is inside what is the stadium complex. We train inside the club, and at Villa Martelli, which is a complex with many fields. We are training with the River Plate U-18s, which so far we've been working a lot with the ball. When we're not at practice, we're at the dorm with the other player, and also go out to mall. We'll try to send some photos. Thanks and hello to everyone."
http://worldcupway.blogspot.com/2008/10/funes-brothers-at-river-plate.html

[chazsoccer]

FC Dallas GM, Michael Hitchcock, hinted at a partnership with River Plate again when discussing the youth development programs at FC Dallas.

"We’ve learned a lot from our international partner clubs - Tigres (Mexico) and Atletico Paranaense (Brazil) and (soon to be partner) River Plate (Argentina), who all have great youth development programs. We're at the stage of finalizing the "FC Dallas way," which will be a single methodology/philosophy and curriculum for maximum development of youth soccer players."

http://worldcupway.blogspot.com/2008/12/hitchcock-season-review-youth-system.html

[aerez]

Wow, MLS will be a force in decades if they go this route. They are doing all the right things. This will benefit the America's and start contending against Europe who usually leech all the glory. Not that will ever change, but it's nice to see quality picking up in this region and structure.