MLS and Americanized Team Names vs. Int'l Leagues and Team names

There are also literally hundreds, maybe thousands, of football (aka soccer) "clubs" with the word "club" in the name.
Is there a distinction between "team" and "club" other than grammatical differences?

Here is Merriam Webster third definition of "club" (relevant portion highlighted):

a : an association of persons for some common object usually jointly supported and meeting periodically; also : a group identified by some common characteristic <nations in the nuclear club>
b : the meeting place of a club <lunch at the club>
c : an association of persons participating in a plan by which they agree to make regular payments or purchases in order to secure some advantage
d : nightclub
e : an athletic association or team
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/club

So, contrary to your point that there are NO teams that have the word "team" in its name, virtually all "teams" have the word "team" in their names, since the very definition of "club" refers to an athletic team.

Also for having "football" or "soccer" in the name, here you go, admittedly in different languages, but all have the local word for "football" in the name. There are, most likely, thousands of others.

Brazil
Guaratinguetá Futebol,
RS Futebol.

Denmark
Greve Fodbold

Italy
Ascoli Calcio 1898,
Cagliari Calcio,
Udinese Calcio,
Calcio Catania,
Livorno Calcio

Spain
Albacete Balompié,
Real Betis Balompié,
Écija Balompié

Wales
Clwb Pêl-droed Gwalchmai,
Clwb Pêl-droed Llanllyfni

 

"Club" can certainly mean "team", as a matter of fact I made a post earlier in this thread pointing that out, but they are different words. I don't think "grammatical differences" covers it, they are completely different words.

This all started because poster Chungachanga said:

And then said:

That's when I challenged him to come up with a team that actually had the word "Soccer Team" or even "Team" in its name. Obviously there are lots of sports teams that have the word "Club" in their name. No one has ever disputed that. I also provided examples of baseball and NFL teams that have "Club" in their names so it is reasonable to assume that I knew about the use of the word "Club" in team names.

I also never challenged having the words "soccer" or "football" in the name of a team. That is also widely used even here in the U.S.

Chungachanga was suggesting literally using the word "Team" in the name of a team. Not a word like club that means team but literally the words "Soccer Team".

If this was all designed by Chungachanga originally to make a joke about STDs, then I missed his meaning.

 

With the caveat that I haven't reviewed all previous postings, I'll note that four MLS teams have "American" names that have been unqualified successes - Earthquakes, Sounders, Timbers, and Whitecaps. It was a memorable day in MLS when Seattle supporters overwhelmingly voted for "Sounders" rather than just "FC". Of course there's the often made argument that those names are only successful because they have "tradition", but tradition is only earned by choosing a name and sticking with it over time.

I would suggest that "Galaxy" and to a lesser extent Revolution, Crew and Fire have now achieved a traditional status that would make name changes counter-productive.

And then there's the name issue that hits closest to me - the sudden proliferation of Uniteds in the league. I find the Minnesota supporters' position(s) the most irksome. When debating DC supporters they assert that "United" is simply another generic euro name - the more the better. But they then complain that Atlanta is stealing Minnesota's three year old "tradition".

 

You can't be serious here? If you believe this to be true than you haven't been following the Minnesota United saga.

 

Tell me what is true.

 

I don't know a Minnesota fan who has said Atlanta's stealing Minnesota's three year tradition. What we have been saying, why is MLS giving Atlanta who isn't an existing soccer team the right to have the United name and forcing Minnesota who has been using the name for three years to change their name? IMO, MLS should have said, sorry Atlanta and Minnesota you can't use the name United because D.C. is already using the name. If they would have said that I would have been fine with it.

 

Fair enough. How can I argue with an old Kicks supporter, the club that set a new standard for tailgating parties? We had some fun outside RFK before Dips games, and of course now with United, but from what I hear Kicks tailgates were a whole other level.

 

It was a major party.

 

Not-so-random thought: Atalanta Atlanta?

 

That would be confusing. Out of all of Atlanta's fans who will watch (on TV or in person) their first MLS game, what percent do you think know that there's an Atalanta club in Italy?

 

It was tongue-in-cheek.

 

Turtle Island is to North America as Albion is to England.

 

This. 10,000x this. You can't build tradition if you change things every five years.

 

I think of "club" as an ongoing entitity, where as "team" is a in the moment entitity. So a sentence might be "The club had a good team that year."

You make teams at the beginning of a pick up game, my son plays for a club that has teams in each age group.

 

Never really put that much thought into it, but it makes sense.

 

100% right.

Even though "club" has become colloquially used in reference to a club's first team, it's technical meaning is the club as a whole. Man United FC is a football club consisting of multiple teams, including the First Team, Reserves, various youth teams and so on. So technically, most people watch Manchester United Football Club's First Team.

 

That's why I come here, to over think things.

 

Why are America team names considered more unusual than British team names?

GB Albion - Ancient Greek
GB Celtic - Ancient Greek
GB Hibernian - Ancient Roman (Latin)
GB Villa - Church
GB Wednesday - Day
USA Real - European team
USA Sporting - European team
GB Heart of Midlothian - Geographical location
USA Fire* - Historical event
GB Palace - Historical event
USA Revolution* - Historical event
USA Earthquakes (1974) - Local feature
GB Forest - Local feature
USA Rapids* - Local feature
Can Whitecaps - Local feature
USA Timbers (1975) - Local industry
USA Galaxy* - Local industry (Hollywood)
GB Arsenal - Military equipment store
USA Sounders (1974) - Nickname for locals
USA Dynamo (1984) - Pre-MLS
Can Impact (1992) - Pre-MLS
GB Stanley - Pub
USA Crew* - Seafaring
GB Orient - Seafaring
USA Red Bulls - Sponsors
GB Dons - University professors
USA Alexandra - Victorian princess
GB Total Network Solutions - Works Team
GB Airbus UK Broughton - Works Team

And here are some "unusual" names

Newell's Old Boys - Argentina
River Plate - Argentina
Racing Club - Argentina
Genoa Football and Cricket Club - Genova, Italy
Go Ahead Eagles - Holland
Be Quick - Holland
PSV Eindhoven - Holland
Milan - Italy
Bayern Munich - München, Germany
Young Boys of Berne - Switzerland

 

You have the order of the sports wrong. http://www.transfermarkt.com/fc-genua-1893/datenfakten/verein/252 says their name is "Genoa Cricket and Football Club S.p.A."

 

Incidentally, Go Ahead Eagles were originally named Be Quick, but changed their name at the request of the Dutch FA. There are still at least four clubs named Be Quick in the Dutch lower leagues.

 

The original North American Soccer League had two such franchises. Team Hawaii - based in Honolulu - competed during the league's 1977 season. In 1982, Team America - based in Washington, DC - took to the NASL pitch.

 

I'd add Bayer Leverkusen to either the last "unusual" list or the main list under Red Bulls.

 

Plus, those were actually some of the few "good" names that the original MLS teams/clubs/franchises came up with. Burn, Wiz, Clash, etc... those names had to go. San Jose reaching back to NASL was genius imo. I still kinda wish Atlanta had decided to use Atlanta Apollo as their name. Great name, and great logo.

 

Good point.