Yeah, and I'm honestly not sure why they can't aim for an NWSL team anyway whether they get the MLS bid or not. The main stadium at Soccer Park is basically the same size and quality of the main stadium at the MD Soccerplex, it's not like it wouldn't fit in perfectly well with other current NWSL venues. Of course, if NWSL is aiming to grow, we'd want new teams to be in stadia at least the size of WakeMed. Interestingly (humorously?) enough, Fire & Ice SC of WPSL has thrown their hat into the ring of jumping on board with STLFC in the attempt to get an NWSL team in STL: This is great news! My question is...what if you don't get a MLS team? Would you still pursue a NWSL team? I'd help ya! @jimpkavanaugh https://t.co/TUq3Y95pCI— Fire & Ice WPSL (@fireandicewpsl) March 31, 2017 Reminds me of the time when Don Garber said most MLS teams will have an NWSL team soon and the Laval Comets (after being denied entry into UWS by the CSA) immediately pestered the Montreal Impact about teaming up to get one of those NWSL teams.
Let's wait to see how well North Carolina does before latching onto another MLS hopeful. Doubt they would get an expansion team, but they could do what North Carolina has done, try and buy one of the existing ones.
I think partnering with an MLS hopeful is perfectly fine, but a team like NCFC is much preferable to a team like STLFC with the established stability and stronger ownership.
Not to be pessimistic, but I'm guessing their interest in a NWSL team is more in regards to getting their public financing approved rather than an independent interest in the league. Similar to Indy Eleven's (former?) interest in a NWSL team (not sure what the status of that is).
Sure! Opening paragraphs of http://equalizersoccer.com/2016/04/21/don-garber-half-mls-nwsl-expansion-partnership/ Of course, "soon" in MLS-speak is incredibly nebulous, as you certainly know... This roundtable was about a year ago, at a time when Jeff Plush said he had a dozen interested expansion groups talking to NWSL, and nothing major has come from it since. Point is, back a year ago when Garber said that, one WPSL in Montreal Tweeted at its respective local pro men's team to try getting interest, and I saw the recent thing in STL as similar. Probably will bear just as much fruit as the earlier situation, too.
Awfully quiet here on this board after FC Barcelona's stated they wanted a NWSL franchise for 2018. If true the mystery is where will it be
Has there been a new announcement, or is this the same rumors/talk that was happening last fall that pretty much fell through (and was discussed here several pages ago)?
There was a tweet about it today that got everyone all aflutter. Especially since there was also this: 862787507943034882 is not a valid tweet id
They sound very serious and want it to happen in 2018. http://www.excellesports.com/news/fc-barcelona-nwsl-team-women/
Chivas USA anyone? Rayo OKC? California Victory? Foreign club branded clubs in the U.S. do not have a positive history - depending on whether you consider New York Red Bulls as being branded by the parent company (and sister clubs) or somewhere below Red Bull Salzburg and/or Red Bull Leipzig. In the end, what limited the effectiveness of Chivas USA was the fact that they couldn't make the club a farm club for Club Deportivo de Guadalajara, but instead had to sign a bunch of Americans who could never play for the parent club. I assume the NWSL does have foreign player limits. In the end you end up with a generic NWSL club with a couple/few Spanish players, maybe a couple American players with Spanish parents/grandparents, and probably a Spanish coach or three. I'm willing to be proven wrong, but it just screams "gimmick". I wish them well, but I'd be much more excited to hear about more MLS ownership groups coming on board. Especially with MLS teams moving heavily into youth player development and long term locally sustainable businesses. I'm looking at you FC Dallas and LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls.
While FC Barcelona women's team has made leaps and bounds, I'm not quite sure they're at the level to need a farm team in another country. Red Bulls are unlikely unless Sky Blue sells out right. Apparently they looked into Red Bull arena a few years ago but NYRB wouldn't allow a team to reside without an ownership stake. Not to say that isn't a possibility and we could see a change of ownership ala WNY/NC, just that there already has been a history of that. FC Dallas at least has a women's team in the lower division, I guess. I think most want LAFC to have the women's team in LA not just because of Hamm's involvement but also because AEG already did the whole LA womens team thing that many from WPS days still have a sour taste from.
I thought Barcelona already had a youth setup in the US somewhere. On top of that, this doesn't have the look of a farm team for their own team. This looks more like an investment in the US market for future $$$.
This has literally no new information versus what was floated around last fall, aside from sounding like Barca has internally finalized a plan - and still haven't actually had any real discussion with NWSL. Move along.
https://www.socceramerica.com/artic...s-plan-to-launch-womens-te.html?edition=17200 Barcelona has aggressively promoted itself in the United States, opening offices in New York and youth academies in major cities. It is not clear if it would field its own team, hook up with a current team or buy a team in a current market.
Yeah, NWSL has a limit on non-subsidized non-US players, currently four slots per team but can be traded. If Spain decided to subsidize players, though, you could theoretically have unlimited Spaniards in NWSL, or at least as many as the RFEF is willing to subsidize. That said, while I agree the concept of foreign-run clubs in the US doesn't seem to be a great idea, (NYCFC apparently being the exception to the rule,) I don't think the Chivas comparison is entirely appropriate in this context. Barca Women aren't yet at the level to even really consider having farm clubs in the first place, and if anything I'd bet the Barca organization would probably view an NWSL club as being the "bigger" club than the actual one they have in their domestic league, especially if they can land it in a major city. [end direct response to Andy, general response now:] That said, the "major city" landscape is limited and shrinking fast. Both LAFC and LAG seem primed to take the LA market, Sky Blue currently covers the NY market and would probably sell to one of the NY MLS teams before sharing the market with Barca, Chicago is clearly taken, Dallas has FCD Women in WPSL already, Houston and Washington are clearly taken... Miami might be Barca's best bet unless they want to partner with FCD or the PHI Union or something (in the same vein that MCFC partnered with the Yankees to make NYCFC happen). Of all those options, Barca currently has academies in NYC, CHI, FTL, SD, Austin, Charlotte, and NoVA. So maybe FTL-Miami after all? Unless they want to hit SD and encroach on the recent efforts from Tijuana to branch into WoSo.
My money is on San Diego. Reason is the city of San Diego will be the host of a permanent Youth Academy, the FCBEscola branch, the first on the West Coast of the United States. This just recently happened, too. Plus they have set up a program with San Diego Unified School District to help disadvantage children which is also a first. Statement from Barca official:“This is the first official FC Barcelona program in California and the first one to ever partner with the public schools,” said Segarra. The other reason is the exit of the Chargers, leaving only one major sports franchise, the San Padres baseball team. Certainly provides the opportunity to get more media attention then they would in LA.
The presence or absence of an NFL team should have no effect on the media attention paid to an NWSL club. Completely different universes.
Really just a matter of getting everything together in time for the 2018 season and getting announced by October '17. Hope it happens and hopefully Real Salt Lake comes through as well.
I keep saying, don't hold your breath on RSL. They didn't get the stadium they want and are seemingly happy in UWS for now.
Maybe Barcelona adds their team in 2018(San Diego? Dallas? NYC?). And then we get Los Angeles in 2019?
Yes they specifically said their plan is for 2018. But it won't be Dallas unless they partner with FCD. And it's won't be NYC. And I'm still skeptical they'll get in at all. See above posts.