I am listening to espn 101.1 online at their website and Bernie Miklasz just made a comment that the Mayor is going to make an announcement tomorrow that has to do with soccer and St. Louis. Was wondering if anyone else heard this? Or does anyone know what the announcement might be about? Guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow and find out.
It'll be on facebook first, I saw... My guess? The official home-and-home series with the Wiz will be announced... (possibly even jerseys?????)
The Fastlane on 101.1 even said they would have Eric Wynalda as a guest on the show. That and the announcement coming from the mayor (not just Cooper) tells me it's a little bigger than scheduling a home/away preseason with KC. In the past I would have said Stadium Plan, but since we already have our team I can't possibly guess what it is.
I certainly am. I read about this on Twitter last night...that something was coming, but I didn't know that Francis Slay had anything to do with it...or is it the mayor of Fenton? lol. I know I'm all gloom and doom sometimes...but it's a few things really...I'm very excited for this team and it's been pretty quiet...I get worried about minor league sports when it's quiet..etc.... We were supposed to have gotten a Single A hockey team 2 years ago...did you know that? The whole league folded before it started...lol.
probably what it is, but wouldn't it be great if it was an announcement that the Soccer Hall of Fame was moving here!?
Yep, it's an exhibition at the EJ Dome on Aug. 6. A South America team coached by Carlos Alberto Torres vs. a "Rest of the World" team coached by Eric Wynalda. It's held under the auspices of the UN Players for Peace program, and proceeds will benefit "sports and education programs in Haiti and in the St. Louis community". No word on players, but Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi will be at some kind of awards ceremony the night before the game, so maybe they're playing. The press release: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest¬e_id=321286743030&id=198599807185 Seems like it could be a fun thing. Not sure if it's really that HUGE a deal, but since every other city in North America has seen plenty of international friendlies and exhibitions, it'll be cool to finally get a piece of that action. Although ACStL doesn't seem to be officially sponsoring the game, it'd be interesting to know to what extent Cooper's international connections (Filho, Barcellos, Anelka) helped make it happen.
It says it will be the first of 3 games held annually. I can't help but wonder if this is partly designed to try and showcase St. Louis as a big-time soccer market for MLS, just in time for their next round of expansion decisions. Also, if ACSTL worked with Slay on this, that could be the start of a very useful relationship for getting a stadium deal in the city. If Messi and Ronaldinho play, and Pele comes, could they sell out the Dome?
The Rest of the World vs South America on Saturday August 7th at the Edward Jones Dome. Tickets only offered by AC St. Louis and Athletica through April 6th, your chance to get the best seats before the public. Only offered with Season Ticket Packages, call 1-888-STL-GOAL.
Bonus question: if Pele plays up front and scores, does he get to count the goal towards his lifetime total, Romario-style?
There is more information about the game on the AC St Louis Fanatic blog,and on ACSTL's facebook page.
Does anybody know what tickets are going to cost for this? If there's any chance of it being a deal for helping STL getting an MLS team, I want to be in.
As nice of an event this is, we're NOT getting an MLS team.....period. It's over. We have a D-2 team. That's it. Having said that, I hope this event sells out. But it will depend on who plays.
That's it for now. MLS has a track record of being very hard to predict on their future expansion plans. I'm going to support our D2 team, but I'm definitely not going to use absolutes when talking about the future.
To get an MLS team, we have to have an ownership group with major DEEP pockets. We don't have that now. I thought we did, because what all was published in the paper and stated on the radio in the past. But when the organization is seeking local families to house players from AC STL and Athletica, it really makes me wonder WHERE all the money is at?
First of all, home stays for young players are not at all unusual in non-major-league sports. Your comments say more about your ignorance than about AC StL's bank account. Second, what you mean "we", kemosabe? You pretend like you're an AC StL fan, but every comment you make here and on StlToday (yeah, Redhawk1/Ambush2010, it's not hard to figure out when you use so many of the same dumb phrases, like "create a supply and demand") is some fact-free insinuation about how the team can't succeed, they won't sell out the Soccer Park, Cooper lied about his ability to land an MLS team, MLS will never come here, St. Louis isn't a real soccer city, Athletica's attendance was pathetic, etc. Gosh, if I didn't know any better, I'd think maybe you wanted our pro outdoor St. Louis teams to fail. Could it maybe have something to do with your employment by the other pro team in Missouri - the one that would love to draw more fans from St. Louis because they can't draw flies at home? I'm sure whatever minor support the Wiz draws from St. Louis would be hurt by a successful outdoor team here. Pretty sad that the Wiz has to send an errand boy on trolling missions, in the hopes of selling a few more tickets. Pretty sad, too, to see a St. Louisan turning against his own hometown because a Kansas City team signs his paychecks. Or maybe it has something to do with your other pet theme: the return of indoor soccer to St. Louis. Could it be, maybe, that you want AC StL to fail because you're working for, or otherwise involved in, that effort? You used to work for the Ambush, right? And then there's your StL Today username. Hmmm... Have whatever opinions you want. Say whatever you want. But lay your damn cards on the table: you're a Wizards flack right now, and apparently angling for a job with this imaginary indoor team. Whatever else you may be, you're definitely NOT an AC St. Louis supporter. Everybody here should know to take your comments with that in mind (or better yet, take them to the ignore list).
Not even. St. Louis could very well get another shot in the next year or so. The league is going to want another team to accompany Montreal.
JT: There are only 2 PRO soccer teams in Missouri - AC STL and Athletica. And for your information, the only group that could even consider the possibility of bringing back indoor soccer in St. Louis would be another team owner in St. Louis.
I'm not sure if that is considered a straw man or a red herring. Either way, you totally ignored the point of his post, which makes you look even guiltier.
I've been a STL fan all of my life and still am today. I've also been a Wizards fan since Day 1 of MLS. I just think it's ridiculous that our pro soccer teams in STL can't even house their own players. With the Ambush, Dr. Hawatmeh always paid for his players' housing, by trade or by cash. He never had to ask the public to help out with housing his players.
If AC St. Louis had a residency program with dorms and on-site staff, these young players would stay there. Of course, AC St. Louis does not have those facilities, so home stays are the next best thing. You'll find that European clubs do this sort of thing all the time.