I'm not saying you do this, but other people who argue FOR the placement of the stadium in Frisco tend to make it seem that Frisco is the only suburb of Dallas there is. When in fact, a quick look at Mapquest would show you that there are MANY other suburbs in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. Many of which are actually closer to Dallas. Just sayin. But then again, free country. Facts be damned. And Dallas Burn/FC Dallas aren't the only people who couldn't get the CoD to work with them. Apparently, from what was being said at the time, Jerry Jones wanted to put the Cowboys Stadium somewhere around Fair Park? He couldn't get traction either, so he moved to Arlington. Apparently there WAS a large parcel of land THERE that was waiting to be developed. And it wasn't at the north end of Frisco. Weird!?! I had some dork from Dallas post on a forum that he could get from the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas, to FCD Stadium in 20 mins. I called BS on him and I pointed out that FCD Stadium is 38 miles from the AAC. SO, in order to get there in the time he confessed, he would have to be travelling 120 mph.
They were only 1 of 2 that were interested, the other, only marginally so, and they went with a AA baseball team, because you know, Murica. That is an exercise in basic geography, full stop. It does not consider that none of these communities, save McKinney & Frisco responded to HSG's inquiries into assembling & rezoning parcels large enough to site the stadium. Not Plano, not Richardson, not Irving, and not even Arlington. Arlington's entire goal has been to draw the MAJOR sports out of Dallas. They would have the Stars & Mavs out there if it weren't for the a hard political push by a couple of CoD politicians to get the AA Center built, for which they were immediately ousted in the following election. Arlington wasn't interested in the Burn at the time, whatsoever. We're down the road quite a bit from 2003-2005 with regards to soccer, but what happened politically and economically that drove the location of the stadium actually happened and HSG got the best deal they could to make the club viable financially. That's all I needed to read. But you shouldn't rely on stupid comments to revise history.
As an FCD fan and part of the DBG, I think what you guys are saying is laughable. Frisco is a blossoming community with a nice, clean, low traffic tollway that leads right up to the stadium. No, it's not an inner-suburb, but it's professional soccer about 40 minutes from just about anywhere in Dallas.
So true about Frisco. There isn't any room left to grow in Dallas (city proper); however the areas in & around the Metroplex are booming which includes Ft. Worth, Arlington, Denton, McKinney, Plano & Weatherford. The only problem I see with the Dallas area is that they can't build the roads fast enough. Don't ask for directions because many of the new residents are not that familiar--thanks for the GPS devices today, it was a nightmare getting around before then. Road construction is a continuous and on-going process. When I worked at sites on Fergurson Road and Buckner Boulevard (Loop 12) traffic was a major concern. Dallas (I-635) and Fort Worth (I- 820) have provided relief, I found the access service roads (Frontage) to be a way of getting around the peak hour traffic.
OKC's USL-Pro franchise will get the first crack at penetrating the Oklahoma City soccer market: Oklahoma City Energy will play at Bishop McGuinness High School. https://twitter.com/EnergyFC
This may be a bit out of the discussion, but can someone clarify something for me please. I read somewhere that FIFA only allowed 24 teams in a Tier 1 league?? Is this correct?
No. In fact, it is perhaps the single biggest lie told on Bigsoccer. For years, the proles held onto the idea that FIFA had mandated a 20-team limit. (Never mind they had done no such thing, though a FIFA Congress passed a nonbinding resolution that was summarily ignored.) They put this canard forth as proof of the coming New World Order that would trigger promotion and relegation. Now that MLS is clearly at 21 and not stopping, do not be surprised if they alter that and try to make you think that there is a FIFA-mandated 24-team limit. It is all part of the proles putting their fingers in their ears and saying, "La la la la la la la I am not listening to you" when you try to point out their oft-repeated fallacies. So, just so you have it (and I hope you will tell as many people as you can as often as applicable): There is not, nor has there ever been, a FIFA-mandated cap on the number of clubs in a first-division league. Nor, as far as I know, in a league at any other level, either.
Nothing official yet, but that's not surprising. They didn't officially announce they were going to be in PDL till about a month, or so, before the season started it seemed.