MLS preseason teams headed to Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain and UAE https://www.socceramerica.com/publi...season-teams-headed-to-costa-rica-mexico.html Sacramento Republic Secures Burkle as Lead Investor in MLS Expansion Quest https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/01/22/sacramento-republic-mls-expansion-ron-burkle-lead-investor Billionaire Burkle to join Sacramento Republic FC. Is a Major League Soccer spot next? https://www.sacbee.com/sports/mls/article224873330.html Kevin Gilmore takes over for Joey Saputo as president of Montreal Impact https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/ml...uto-as-president-of-montreal-impact-1.4988189 Tim Howard to retire at end of '19 MLS season http://www.espn.com/soccer/united-s...retire-from-playing-at-end-of-2019-mls-season Diego Fagundez: Revolution turn down Nacional transfer offer https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/new-england-revolution/diego-fagundez-revolution-nacional/ Carlos Vela won't say it just yet, but loan to Barcelona now appears unlikely https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-lafc-carlos-vega-20190121-story.html Exclusive: West Brom make approach to sign £5m-valued MLS attacker https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-west-brom-make-approach-to-sign-5m-valued-mls-attacker/ Chicago Fire Soccer Club Acquires Polish National Team Midfielder Przemysław Frankowski https://www.chicago-fire.com/post/2...es-polish-national-team-midfielder-przemys-aw Philadelphia Union sign former MLS Best XI defender Aurelien Collin https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...n-former-mls-best-xi-defender-aurelien-collin Vancouver Whitecaps sign midfielder Jon Erice https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/vancouver-whitecaps-jon-erice/ Toronto FC sign midfielder Noble Okello to Homegrown deal https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/01/22/toronto-fc-sign-midfielder-noble-okello-homegrown-deal Columbus Crew SC sign Homegrown UVa defender Aboubacar Keita https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...c-sign-homegrown-uva-defender-aboubacar-keita FC Cincinnati sign winger Roland Lamah after Re-Entry Draft selection https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...r-roland-lamah-after-re-entry-draft-selection NYCFC re-acquire midfielder Ebenezer Ofori on loan from Stuttgart https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/01/22/nycfc-re-acquire-ebenezer-ofori-loan Orlando City SC Waives Forward Stéfano Pinho https://www.orlandocitysc.com/post/2019/01/22/orlando-city-sc-waives-forward-st-fano-pinho Bojan Krkic set to leave Stoke City and sign for Major League Soccer side https://footballinside.net/2019/01/...e-city-and-sign-for-major-league-soccer-side/
FCC have sold almost 20,000 season tickets. https://local12.com/news/local/fc-cincinnati-gearing-up-for-major-league-soccer-debut
For all the griping I've heard over the years about frat boy Joey Saputo, this is a surprisingly mature decision, not driven by ego. The key quote from Saputo himself: "Today, with our league growing by leaps and bounds, new expansion, exciting new stadiums and unparalleled growth, we clearly need to strengthen our organization, review and refine its current structure, increase our level of professionalism and efficiency, and above all, be ready for the major transformations that are rapidly sweeping our sport," Saputo said in a statement. Kudos to Saputo for recognizing that he can't keep up with the changes in the league and sport, and the demands of the position, and appointing someone he thinks can.
GAM, TAM thank you Ma'am! Article on GAM and TAM rules with the Atlanta 4 x DP situation in mind. https://theathletic.com/780496/2019/01/22/mls-salary-budget-questions-gam-tam-dp-rule/
Agreed, I think it's needed to run a modern MLS team, but the fact that it's needed doesn't mean an owner is going to put aside his ego and recognize that.
Doc Edwards posted yesterday that Crew ownership visited KC and Minnesota yesterday, and attached this photo.(Although except for Dee Haslam and probably Tim Bezbatchenko the rest of those guys are likely with the architect) Just out of curiosity, can someone tell me which of those places is shown in the photo?
Is "put aside his ego" some kind of code for "his team is losing 10-15 million bucks a year and the Saputo family wants someone with sports business experience to run the thing and see if he can make a go of it before they give up and move it to Sacramento"? They have a lousy season ticket base that Saputo wasn't able to budge, a below-par stadium that they built on the cheap by expanding their old USL building but which is clearly not up to current standards, a terrible TV deal, dwindling corporate sponsorships, on and on. All of this with one of the lowest ticket prices in the league and among the lowest attendance which even Joey admits would be much lower if they weren't papering the house. Nothing is going right up there, they were never the kind of "whale" investors the league has now - or rather, Joey himself isn't and Grampa has never seemed eager to open up the family vaults for the idiot scion to blow - and there's very little reason to think that anything is going to change anytime soon. It's so bad that just last Spring Don Garber himself, in response to a question, uttered the death knell words: he said Montreal was way behind on all of the league "business metrics". So yeah, Joey Boy set his ego aside in order to keep it from getting run over by a bus.
I can't see the photo, but if it's the same Doc Edwards tweet posted in the Stadium Thread, that's Kansas City.
Never been. Hoping to soon. I do wonder though why they're wearing safety gear. Is there construction of some kind going on there?
Red, white and true to Chicago 🔥Welcome to the family, @MotorolaUS 💪🏽 https://t.co/ZHn6d4qnFE #cf97 pic.twitter.com/M4ydaBgxmT— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) January 23, 2019 Gotta be honest.... love these.
Make the trip Bill. I have good friends that are SKC season ticket holders. As a result of that I've been to multiple games there. It is by far the best game day experience I've had. ANYWHERE!! That organization just get's it right on all levels. Last time I took my buddy who is German American and his job allows him to attend Bundesliga matches regularly. He was a pretty committed Eurosnob and was very slow to warm up to MLS. That trip to KC made him a hardcore MLS fan. He was blown away by the stadium experience and was stunned by the new training facility. He now see's the league in an entirely new light. We are planning to meet in St. Paul for a game at MNUFC later this year. (Assuming I can secure tickets) And he's already talking about attending matches in DC, Atlanta, and LA.....
Under soil heating is being put in. https://www.sportingkc.com/post/201...renovations-world-class-children-s-mercy-park
That is Allianz field, as they are still under construction, and the man in the back has a MNUFC Hard Hat. More specifically, that is the Brew Hall and roof deck opposite of the stadium from the supporters section