Friday 7 Oct 2022

Al-Bashair from Oman. While Islamic caligraphy is really beautiful it doesn't show as well here.

 

Mr. Dwayne De Rosario or as us in Houston nicknamed him, "El Brujo" De Rosario, he was just a pleasure to watch. A magician on free kicks and yet also this man would attack relentlesslyfor all 90 minutes, looking to set up his teammates, then sprint back to recover the ball and help out on his midfield cover duties. Just a class footballer as North America has ever produced.
Glad he was honored up in his native Canada.

 

I agree 100%, he was immensely talented and seemed always to play his best in big games against the Galaxy, whom I support, so I saw him frequently. He deserves any honor, I recently saw his name in consideration of the US Soccer hall of fame balloting, based on his contributions in MLS.

 

Home stadium uncertainty is holding back NYCFC
https://www.hudsonriverblue.com/202...stadium-uncertainty-is-holding-nycfc-back-mls



So what is the status or the outlook for NYCFC to build their own stadium?
I haven't heard any mention of it for about 3 years.

Also, has something changed in their arrangement at Yankee Stadium?
It seems like they play many more games offsite now / recently than in past seasons.

 

I think NYCFC was close to a Bronx stadium until some parking garage bond issue blew that up. What I don't get is it seemed the two sides were arguing over a few million dollars in bond revenue restructuring. Aren't NYCFC's owners multi-billionaires? They couldn't have paid the difference (or eaten the cost) and got the deal done?

Instead, here we are, years after the club's start, with no clear plan for a real home for the team.

 

NYCFC is expected to build in Queens by 2025. They've got the mayor on their side for a stadium at Willets Point.

 

Is there some irony that RSL vs. Portland is for a playoff spot this Sunday?

 

Apologies if this one was posted before. I happened across it and it seems like an excellent review of the situation. And while not directly MLS related, from everyone's discussions, it seems noteworthy. It at least did a good job catching me up to speed.

The U.S. Soccer misconduct investigation focused on just three coaches. The problem goes way beyond them.
https://www.grid.news/story/politic...ree-coaches-the-problem-goes-way-beyond-them/

 

THANKS

 

MLB instituted a new rule that limits how many times a stadium can be used outside of baseball. I can't find a link for it beyond this regarding Tacoma Defiance and their usage of Cheney Stadium which was affected by the change.
https://www.sounderatheart.com/thef...stadium-not-dead-rainiers-president-interview

its not just for Minor league teams as it clearly is effecting NYCFC as well.

 

The Lake Oswego based loan company, Directors Mortgage, has announced ending their sponsorship for the Portland Thorns/Timbers due to the behavior described in the Yates Report. #BAONPDX #NWSL pic.twitter.com/T4Zb4SWIOC

— Taylor Vincent (@tayvincent6) October 7, 2022

Thorns/Timbers Sponsor ending their agreement with the teams.

 

More

Pelican Brewing#BAONPDX #RCTID #PTFC pic.twitter.com/DBb1OJN8Ko

— John Acerbi (@JFAcerbi) October 8, 2022

 

Losing sponsors at this rate IMO will result in one of two outcomes:

1.) Merritt Paulson takes a huge step back from the Timbers (i.e. a silent owner, minority owner)

2.) Hank buys out his son's shares of the team and eventually sells a minority stake to someone in the Northwest.

 

I wouldn't want to say anything against the NYCFC organization as a team or their fans.

If anything, I commend them as they became MLS Champions champions in only their 7th season as opposed to the NY Red Bulls who still haven't won anything after 26 years.

Still I heard from a number of players that playing in Yankee Stadium isn't great at all.

You would think they will have had a stadium in place by now as Don Garber seems to require plans for new grounds or at least stadium deals for most new , expansion clubs.

 

3 Supporter's Shields isn't exactly nothing....

David Tepper and Charlotte didn't seem to need one......neither did Seattle (yes I know) or Vancouver.......

 

I read Seattle's pitch was replaced a few years back because coach Sigi Schmid kept complaining about the old hard plastic surface.

I don't know if it is better or not now though.

I never heard or read anything about BC Place in Vancouver but Yankee Stadium is not ideal at all for soccer as it's just too narrow.

 

People keep making this claim, but that's not what MLS requires (and even "requires" is too strong a word).

What MLS wants is an owner controlled venue. Technically, with the Yankees being part of NYCFC's ownership they have an owner-controlled stadium. Just like when Seattle entered the league having Paul Allen as part of the ownership group meant that they had an owner-controlled stadium.

Now in Seattle they established themselves well enough that Paul Allen was bought out but a good enough deal had been reached that the Sounders don't struggle (much) with scheduling and costs despite not controlling their stadium. the same doesn't seem to be the case in NYC despite the Yankees still being part owners.

 

Ok but still, Don Garber has gone on record and been quoted many times that the key to getting an MLS expansion team is to have a viable facilty or stadium plan in place.

He even said it about awarding a second NY team way back in 2011, which was 11 years ago.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber: If we can build the stadium, we will have the 20th team in New York City (yahoo.com)

 

Garber has ZERO say in what groups/cities are awarded expansion franchises, nor does he have any say in the criteria prospective ownership groups need to meet in order to be awarded an expansion franchise. Don Garber works for the owners, and is their spokesperson and public face.

 

Whether it means anything or not, Garber has used the same song and dance and/or rhetoric since he has been named commissioner.

 

The OWNERS will change the criteria for potential expansion groups as they see fit. Expansion groups are not created equally. Garber is the messenger for the owners. He's not the4 one calling the expansion shots, but keep ignoring this important fact.

 

Sure but my point remains, if this is the case, then why has he kept saying the same thing for over 2 decades?

“Build it and they will come”!

That has always been his slogan since the Crew first built their park in 1999.

If what he says doesn’t mean anything then he should stop repeating it.

I mean , why bother if it’s all BS , don’t use the same phrase.

If anything, he is showing how useless his words are.

 

11 years ago is a long time. Find that quote in the last 5 years. Or the last 6 months. Things change, being pedantic about what is essentially ancient history is a bad look.