From mlssoccer.com Sacramento Republic GM Todd Dunivant lays out sporting plan with MLS future confirmed Not much newsworthy here. Emphasis on developing players through the academy and that our academy is further along than the other expansion teams. Of course, they'll try to attract players who will be MLS ready in 2022, but Dunivant says they've been doing that for the last two years and the results were - 7th place. But, hey, now that the franchise has been won, maybe this off-season will be different. However, right now the focus is on the stadium. Work on the technical side, coaches, front-office, etc. will come.
Good, in-depth article in the Bee on the expansion saga: Inside the high-stakes deal that got Sacramento a Major League Soccer team
For anyone who can't get past the paywall, here's a summary. The idea for a soccer team was Joe Wagoner's and that he'd pitched it to Warren along with an idea for a sandwich shop. Smith liked the sandwich shop idea. Fast forward 5+ years Garber says the Dec. 2017 bid presentation was "not complete. So they were out." No York, no Whitman, stadium plan incomplete. DOOM!! Garber even discouraged Mayor Steinberg from taking the lead to pull everything together and not risk the potential "political peril." Even after Burkle and Alvarez joined many board members wanted to wait for a larger city to strengthen its bid. (GASP! Stringing us along?) Garber pointed out that Sacramento had all the necessary boxes checked plus had a great soccer base and is a city with a promising future. The increase in the expansion fee to $200M almost killed the deal. As late as July there was no progress being made and Burkle was not in constant contact with the league. The additional $27M upfront loan from the city for site preparation got the ball rolling again. In Aug Burkle met with Garber to work out the final details. Overall, the article is super-complimentary of Steinberg, leaving the impression that the franchise would never have been awarded without his leadership.
Charlotte was just announced. Will begin play before us, in 2021. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/12/17/major-league-soccer-awards-expansion-team-charlotte
The Bee reports that Tepper paid a franchise fee of $300-$325M. "David really wanted the club," Garber said. “It’s a little bit bittersweet, because this is likely our last expansion team of Major League Soccer, at least in its modern era, and we wanted to be sure that we got it right..." Bitter$weet. Ye$, I'll bet. No more $ucking major $$ from new owner$hip group$. (I know, I know, it's a free market). Charlotte Observer reported that trademarks have been submitted for eight possible team names. The names are: Charlotte FC, Charlotte Crown FC, Charlotte Fortune FC, Charlotte Monarchs FC, Charlotte Athletic FC, Charlotte Town FC, Carolina Gliders FC and All Carolina FC.
Big mistake. They should have reserved Good Charlotte FC, Charlotte Sometimes Athletic, and Charlotte's Soccer Web too. Good thing Tepper is the money-man, cuz he sucks at picking marketable names. The city deserves a more inspiring moniker, as i think the attendence numbers and energy there will raise eyebrows in MLS.
One of the reasons Charlotte is paying so much more in an expansion fee is twofold: 1) They are coming in without any sort of USL site and fanbase preparation, so MLS wants to make sure that the "price of failure" is enough to sting. 2) FC Charlotte United SC is not planned to be playing anywhere but Bank of America Stadium, so Tepper will not have the stadium construction cost that caused MLS to look askance at Nagle's group for almost three years. Funny part is, when all is said and done, Tepper will probably end up paying less than Nashville or Cincy or Sacramento. In fact, the NC State Guvmint and City of Charlotte/Davidson County are going to pony up somewhere north of $100M worth of improvements to the Bank to make it better for soccer - something that neither Nashville or Cincy or Sacramento are going to receive.
Doesn't surprise me. I had a friend there tell me Charlotte is a hotbed of soccer fans right now. Judging by the last few International exhibition games and national team games there, i'd say he was right.
I'm actually surprised MLS waited this long to put a team in North Carolina. It's been a soccer hotbed for as long as I can remember, possibly because of the ACC dominating both men's and women's college soccer for decades.
True, but from about the mid-1980s until 2009, the ACC as a conference was more successful than any other, and it was not unusual to have half of the conference ranked in the top 10 at any given time.
The latest presentation hype video... Gotta say, whoever puts together Republic videos does a pretty nice job.
Ouch. Saw this quote from Javier Hernandez (Chicarito) talking about his move to Galaxy. “I’m leaving the European dream,” Hernández, 31, said through a speakerphone from his house in Seville, Spain, where he had been playing for four disappointing months. “That’s what’s making me cry: It’s not so much that I couldn’t make it. It’s more about saying goodbye,” he added, cradling his infant son on his couch and getting hugs from his wife and his life coach. “Now that the Los Angeles deal is closed, everything is perfect,” Hernández said, breaking down even more. “It is the beginning of my retirement.” For a league that does not want to be seen as a retirement league, this is not an ideal quote and only reinforces the image to others who are critical of MLS. However, maybe it's a truth we'll have to swallow for a few more months.
Report: Sacramento Republic stadium project still on track https://www.indomitablecitysoccer.c...mento-republic-stadium-project-still-on-track
so the expansion team will be the Sacramento Republic FC? https://www.mlssoccer.com/meta/club/sacramento