This link has a lot of good info on the league and FC Dallas. Their town hall meetings are incredible compared to what we have here in Denver, a sales rep calling me once a week. Look for the roster/reserve league announcements at the cup.
In order of likelihood. Adidas deal Reserve clubs New International rules Two team expansion targetted for 2007 S. Jose decision for 2006 will be finalized in June 2005 Metro Stadium aproved Real Madrid playing in MLS All Star game for 2005
Here's hoping announcements are coming on: Reserve Squads Expanded Rosters Increased Salary Cap and Real Bona-Fide Owners for Quakes and A Happy Ending for Harrison Stadium
What is the official word on when the bond vote may take place? It would be in character for them to lie about this too and sneak the vote in early, just to get the satisfaction one more lie.
I predict that Garber will announce the sale of the MetroStars to Club America and their impending move to Houston.
1. Adidas Deal (I'd expect the marketing director or even overall head of North American operations for Adidas to be present and speak too) 2. Realignment 3. Dallas, Chicago, Colorado stadium situations 4. "We continue to work on the San Jose and MetroStars issues and will comment further on those in due course..." 5. Increased sponsorship money, TV ratings, attendance (whether these have actually increased I don't know, but MLS will try to spin as best as they can) 6. Reserve Teams/Project 40 7. Maybe something else that I couldn't possibly guess about at this point.
Perfect, Garber should use this as his outline. These are the issues. Perhaps a little blurb in number 7 about expansion after 2005. Now that we've added two teams, what's the next goal for expansion. Maybe he'll tell us the goal is to add two more teams in 2007. Just a little something to get us big soccer junkies speculating endlessly for a few months until the next season starts.
What I would like to hear: 1) Sunil Gulati is no longer involved with MLS or US Soccer in any way 2) Nick Sakewicz has resigned due to pressure from the former New Jersey Governor. 3) Clint Mathis is returning to MLS - Real Salt Lake. 4) Revolution moving to Hartford. okay that's my wish list...
1) Adidas Deal 2) Attendance Up 3) TV ratings among 24-35 male age group is up 4) San Jose Staying 5) Frisco Opening in '05 6) Chicago Stadium in '06 7) Colorado Stadium in '07 8) Real and Chivas in '05 9) Expansion coming again, but no deadline on when 10) DC stuff 11) KC stuff 12) HDC sold out for Final Probably a few other small things. Don't expect ground-breaking stuff on rules, divisions, reserve teams, etc. If that stuff is being discussed in league meetings on Thurs. or Fri., then it is highly unlikely that anything final will make the speech that was prepared sometime in the last two weeks.
All this stuff, plus 9) Expansion coming again, but I'm going to go out on a limb (even though I fully expect myself to be wrong) and guess he'll hint at expansion in '06 and '07, and name San Antonio as the frontrunner. I've heard/read than Garza is offering an SSS as a bone to bring a team in, and if MLS has any interest San Antonio (which is an urban market with a large hispanic population offering an SSS) they will want to make interest known while Garza is still in office. Anyway, it's a thought.
LMAO!!!! Congrats ElJefe... you have just been honored with the BigSoccer Boards quote of the year! That's the funniest thing I've ever seen on here. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has already been mentioned this week,but I think Garber will tout this even more. This is a big deal not only for the players, but for potential investors who can now calculate the going cost of salaries, benefits, etc. and not have uncertainty. I also think Club America will be going in somewhere in 2006, and maybe Seattle, too.
When is Garber's State of the Union...its usually sometime today right? Is there an audio or video link?
It was a little funnier when he said it last year. Since then it's repeated usage has dulled down the humor a little bit...
You should watch tv or listen to the radio. You can hear this tired joke 17-45 times every single day, told exactly the same way.
At first I was thinking next expansion would probably be in '07, but the more I think about it, the more I agree we're likely to see more expansion in 2006. Not saying I'm for or against it, but I think there's a good chance we're going to see it, and I think Garber will mention it. So many markets/groups were interested in expansion '05 that just couldnt get everything together in time - with a year to get their stuff together these same groups will be knocking at the door. Club America will really want in in '06 in S.A. or Houston, and MLS won't expand to an odd number so Garber may mention Seattle/Rochester or a darkhorse of some sort. Wouldn't surprise me to hear '06 discussed in the announcements.
What would really be a surprise and very wise for the ABC braodcast is DMB's CL goal for PSV. Show the PSV supporters climbing the fence in joy as a Chicago product of this 9 season old league has delivered the alegria. Then Garber could elaborate that because of MLS, more moments like this are sure to come from future generations. He should sound off in ALL CONFIDENCE that MLS is here to stay. Challenge the nation's youth to get serious about the game. For sure now, our small wage domestic league is being scouted and it CAN lead you to playing in large wage Europe. IMHO, the youth talent in our nation need to be hungrier. DMB's goal, the noise and the fans reactions needs to be the poster child of the MLS/Addidas/Garber marketing approach. The youth talent will filter themselves as they can truely believe MLS is the first step to whatever dreams they have. Iron sharpens iron!
True. And the only reason I posted it is because I knew that someone would eventually, so I just wanted to get it out of the way.
Well there will be a coin toss at MLS cup to decide who goes first in the expansion draft, RSL or Chivas. Then whoever goes first in the expansion draft will get the second pick in the super draft. I don't know if that counts as an announcement, but that is something that will occur at MLS Cup.