In addition to the stuff in the Houston Chronicle today, there is this: http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562136033 Seems to have the detail to support that it is real close. The Lone Star Derby is about to be born! You guys better get your S together! Get your SG going, get organized and be ready 'cause we're going to be all over you come our first game (mostly just because it will be awesome to have a close rivalry!) Seriously - I'm looking forward to it. BTW, feel free to come up to Dallas for games (if you don't already) - do a meet and greet, get a feel for what we do so you can use what you like and make up some of your own stuff and hit the ground running.
Man i cant wait until next year its going to be awesome MLS will finally see how much people in Houston love soccer. I cant wait until we play the Dallas in the Texas Derby thats going to be sweet. I definetely want to go to the games in Dallas that new stadium looks nice.
Yea it sucks that San Jose has to be moved it should be KC. But SJ could get an expansion team in 2007.
Well, definitely closer... One of the local news shows last night had some favorable comments from Billy Burge about using the Dome. That's a good thing. Oliver Luck is the CEO of the Houston-Harris County Sports Authority, but Burge is the Chairman of the Board. He's a heavy hitter. Anyway, it at least looks like America and Televisa are doing far more due diligence on Houston than Chivas and Vergara did during their go 'round. America is sending their facility manager from the Azteca to look at the Dome and are spending a lot of time here talking to people like the city's Parks & Rec. Dep't. about youth programs. Of course, maybe their wives just like shopping at the Galleria, so who knows. I'm cautiously optimistic, but we've been close before - probably not quite this close, but close.
Hopefully they learn from Chivas USA and see that you have to actually work to be successful in MLS - both in terms of attracting a crowd and the on-field product.
Been out of the loop for a few months.....tell me we are getting a team...tell me....Going to the gold cup anyone?......can a brother get some links please
In addition to the Soccer America article linked above, there are two pieces in the Chron from Thursday that discuss the latest. This thread in the N&A forum has lots of discussion and some links to a few other related items.
The Chilangos Imperialists and their Yellow Eagle lust to stay even with Chivas are purchasing a two time MLS Cup Champion and moving them away from Northern California and their fantastic and very loyal fans, to South Tejas for us Houstonian soccer addicts to watch the beautiful game be ruined by Cuatehmac Blanco on fuc{in' astroturf!..........yeah!!!...where can I buy tickets to the MLS version of the Tennessee Titans? Fuc{ this, fuc{ Club America! After all this wait as a major market that Garber knows is a true soccer market with very diverse and knowledgeable fans, after all the work done in San Jose to grow a fan base, have Alegria scored in that Blue jersey for those passionate fans! This is how MLS in New York is going to let AEG pull one team to relocate to Houston? Did y'all see Donovan's return to Spartan Stadium...what atmosphere, what a game to say that MLS actually has set the foundation for a legit rivalry in American sports culture! A rivalry with history, MLS Cup winners on both sides, the whole Northern Cali vs. Southern Cali thing that bleeds culture. Culture is where the beautiful game takes shape...as in other soccer nations, soccer clubs symbolize a way of being for community. Pa la gente Garber..sabes? Tino Palace hit the nail with this article.... http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20050627&content_id=34653&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp MLS is fast turning into the old NASL. If anything must have been learned from the NASL and its failed attempt to crack the crowded U.S. sports psyche is to never MOVE teams. In a sport that needs acceptance, unlike the NFL or MLB, soccer teams need to planted for good. If the business is not there, ok its business..we get it AEG! Than close shop and expand somewhere else. But for the love of Christ have the vision enough to never relocate association football teams. How can MLS ever go back to the Bay Area market...answer me that my friends. Houston appears to gain a team, but the league loses many friends and supporters somewhere else. This sloppy seconds squad from California will be as distant from my heart as the Dallas Burn ever has been and ever will be. The Chilango UHAUL Titans will never be my club. I'm going to have a lot of beer now.....later
Several leagues in several sports have moved several teams in several markets and later come back with some success. It's reasonable for MLS to believe that it can do the same thing. Moreover, MLS would likely only return to a former market if that market has a SSS plan ready to go. In those circumstances, it's even more reasonable for MLS to believe that a team playing in a new stadium will succeed. ... Yeah, I hate Cuatehmoc Blanco, too. And I hope he plays for us.
I'm all for Houston getting a team. But not the San Jose Earthquakes. I think that the Quakes have one of the better MLS stadiums. I'll be so disappointed for the Quakes fan's if they lose their team. And finally,Don Garber are you listening? No more Mexican team spinoffs. MLS is not a farm league for any league. Please let MLS teams have their own idenities. No more "Chivas USA"s"!
My friend, the stadium may be nice (I've heard otherwise), but the deal is not good. It is not a profitable stadium deal, and that simply isn't acceptable. Not when the league can find profitable venues elsewhere. SSS are the future of MLS, and if you ain't got one, you ain't got a team. I agree with you - if there is any reasonable way to keep the team in San Jose, do it. It would hurt a lot of good soccer people to move it. The hard core in San Jose is serious, and deserves a team (and by hard core, I mean the 8k that will come to a game no matter what, where, when or why - not just the active supporters.) But unless/until a viable stadium deal shows up, it has to be considered. So - pray for a SSS in SJ AND in Houston. That way we can have the best of both worlds. As for CA - if they are more international than Chivas has been, then I don't see a problem. Only if these teams don't want to be American teams for US folk (and I consider Mexican-American to in fact be *American*) is there a problem.
But think of the possibilities! He'd be the biggest head case ever to play in MLS. Blanco would be a non-stop, one-man soap opera...er...I mean telenovela. He'd come in, score some spectacular goals, set the league record for red cards, get arrested for beating up Charlie Palillo, apologize in a tear-filled interview in which he blames the media for persecuting him, get arrested again later for throwing rocks at the Chivas USA team bus when they come to town, apologize in a tear-filled interview in which he blames Vergara's OmniLife vitamin supplements for causing emotional imbalances, and then leaves town in a huff. Now, that's entertainment.
Good times, good times. If I recall that episode of the Cuauhtemoc telenovela correctly, he got into a fight with someone in a bar in Houston and the other guy filed a civil suit. I'm not sure if a warrant was ever issued for his arrest, but he didn't travel to the US for some time afterwards to avoid being served with the complaint. I don't know how that's been resolved, but he's been back since so I guess they settled or dismissed the suit. I think his most recent bust up in Houston occured at the airport after America played Toluca in the InterLiga. He apparently got into a fight with some Toluca players.
Re: Good times, good times. Anderson, you mean someone from Toluca breathed on him wrong and he went to ground. Can't wait for this hard man to wear Houston's colors with pride and grit...er...dives and complaining.
Why should Dallas have all the fun w/ Mr. Rogers? Indeed. When we have the Texas Derby, somone's gotta match Ruiz, dive for dive, roll for roll...for roll...for roll. And imagine the fun when the Galaxy come to town with Cobi, or the Rapids with Pablo.