NASL Aspirants Albion Pros Host USL’s Phoenix Rising FC

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https://www.soccernation.com/nasl-aspirants-albion-pros-host-usls-phoenix-rising-fc/

NASL Aspirants Albion Pros Host USL’s Phoenix Rising FC

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http://www.rslsoapbox.com/2017/2/24/14720266/mls-players-union-cba-highlights

Highlights from the MLS, Players Union CBA

Do you get really excited about convoluted legal documents, too?

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http://mlsmultiplex.com/2017/02/24/mls-stars-play-host-real-madrid/

MLS All-stars to play host to Real Madrid?

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http://www.burgundywave.com/2017/2/24/14699346/puto-what-comes-next

‘Puto’: What comes next?

Part 3 in our series on a word that surfaced at DSGP in late 2016.

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http://www.beloitdailynews.com/article/20170223/AP/302239795

LA Galaxy's reserve team to hold open tryouts in England

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http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acura-named-jersey-sponsor-of-major-league-soccers-columbus-crew-sc-300413106.html

Acura Named Jersey Sponsor of Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew SC

- Sponsorship is first-of-its-kind, exclusive branding deal for Acura, and marks the largest brand activation in Crew SC history

- Acura branding on front panel of jersey for 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons

- Acura becomes Official Automotive Partner of Columbus Crew SC

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http://www.twincities.com/2017/02/24/united-soccer-theres-a-learning-curve-for-mls-expansion-teams/

United soccer: There’s a learning curve for MLS expansion teams

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http://acmilan.theoffside.com/2017/2/24/14728506/keisuke-honda-all-but-set-for-seattle-and-mls

Keisuke Honda all but set for Seattle and MLS!

Seattle seems to be the destination for Milan’s forgotten man

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https://www.orlandocitysc.com/post/2017/02/24/orlando-citys-new-stadium-receives-high-praise-guardian

Orlando City's New Stadium Receives High Praise from The Guardian

February 24, 2017   2:04PM EST

Orlando is just nine days out from the opening of City's brand new stadium versus New York City FC on March 5th. The pitch hasn't even been graced with a minute of The Beautiful Game, but that hasn't stopped The Guardian from giving the Lions' new home the top spot on their list of Major League Soccer's best stadiums.

City's Review:

Capacity 25,500

Average attendance 2016 31,324 (at Camping World Stadium)

The lowdown Take the Houston and Kansas City examples, add a dash of European savoir faire, paint it purple and, voila, the new benchmark in MLS experiences. Featuring the first standing-only section in North America (like Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall), Orlando promises to provide the most concentrated soccer stage in the US (for now).

The full rankings for all 22 stadiums in MLS can be seen here.

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http://www.kvoa.com/story/34588894/last-mls-games-in-tucson-headline-weekend-of-soccer-fun-at-kino-sports-complex

Last MLS games in Tucson headline weekend of soccer fun at Kino Sports Complex

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http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2017/02/24/32611232/in-pictures-new-mls-jerseys-for-the-2017-season

As the 2017 MLS campaign draws near, clubs across the league are introducing new kits for the upcoming season.

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http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/02/20/san-diego-mls-expansion-bid-group-reveal-full-plans-new-stadium-site

San Diego MLS expansion bid group reveal full plans for new stadium site

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http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article133904574.html

Wake County

February 20, 2017 5:09 PM

County commissioners: Bring MLS soccer to Wake

By Paul A. Specht

RALEIGH

County leaders want to formally invite Major League Soccer to Wake.

The owner of North Carolina FC, formerly known as the Carolina RailHawks, announced late last year his goal of bringing an MLS team to the Triangle. It’ll be tough, since a stadium could cost up to $150 million and owner Steve Malik is competing with groups from 11 other U.S. cities that also want to launch an MLS franchise.

With that in mind, the Wake County Board of Commissioners on Monday said they plan to write a public letter showing support for Malik’s idea.

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http://web.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/st-petersburg-art-community-divided-over-pier-project/2314368

St. Petersburg art community divided over Pier project

Waveney Ann Moore

Friday, February 24, 2017 10:47am

ST. PETERSBURG — As the quest to commission the work of acclaimed artist Janet Echelman for the Pier pushes ahead, discontent simmers in art circles.

The city's Public Arts Commission recently voted to put $37,500 toward an exploratory contract with Echelman, a step that could lead to one of her multimillion-dollar aerial sculptures soaring above the downtown waterfront.

Impressive as her billowing, net-like sculptures may be, some in the city's art community question the wooing of Echelman, a talent far beyond the public art budget of $488,000 allocated for the $66 million Pier District. And critics accuse Mayor Rick Kriseman — who presented Echelman with a key to the city in October — of interfering with the job of the committee charged with selecting artistic works for the 26-acre waterfront attraction.

Kriseman dropped in on a meeting of the Pier public art committee in mid-January. He spoke of the opportunity "to have a world class artist" like Tampa-born Echelman create a piece that would draw visitors from far and wide to the very end of the Pier.

"I am really down here — and I know there's been some talk a little bit about Echelman — but I'm down here to ask you all to seriously consider going in this direction, and if you're supportive of it, to authorize some expenditures of some funds to get that process started," he said, mentioning engineering and other issues that would come into play to install an Echelman sculpture over Tampa Bay.

"We are at a point in the project, where, if this is something that we want to pursue ... if this is something that you all as a committee want to pursue, it's a decision that really, kind of needs to be made now," the mayor said.

At its next meeting, the committee voted to pursue Echelman — whose studio is in Massachusetts — with an initial $75,000 contract that could be broken at the half-way point of $37,500, if the project was infeasible.

Some perceived Kriseman's input as meddling.

"I think it was inappropriate for the mayor to go before the committee and endorse one particular artist and encourage the committee to arrange an exploratory agreement with Janet Echelman," said Ken Rollins, a retired art museum director who owns an art consulting company.

Former City Council member Leslie Curran, owner of the ARTicles and Leslie Curran galleries, said she was concerned that Kriseman had told the committee he could raise funds to get an Echelman piece.

"I love her work, but that's not the process," she said. "For one person to come in and say, 'This is what I want and this is what we're going to do,' really diminishes the process we have worked so long to maintain."

Kriseman's visit to the committee came at a point when members were winding down their months-long search for artists to invite to submit proposals for art in the Pier District. The effort continues, with plans to also post information on the city's website for interested artists to submit their qualifications.

"I think it is a little confusing to do it that way," said Curran, "and it doesn't send any real positive message to any artists that may submit a proposal."

"The problem is, the process is completely backward," said Council member Steve Kornell, who sits on the Public Arts Commission. "It's been very sloppy, very messy and it's going to create some very hard feelings. ... I think it could have been a smoother process. Maybe a more open and fair process."

The question of fairness was raised by artist and instructor Douglas Land in a letter to the committee. The correspondence prompted Ya Levy La'ford, an artist and committee member, to tell her colleagues she wanted "to make sure we're being fair to our community."

She asked: "Do you think it might be useful to look at other artists with respect to Janet and the money that we're suggesting to give to her?. .. I love Janet Echelman too, but maybe there are some points that (Land) made where we should consider looking at other artists."

"We are," said committee chair Laura Bryant.

Internationally known sculptor Jon Hair, who opened his St. Pete Sculpture Museum and studio in the city about a year ago, would like to be considered. He claimed that during a visit to his museum months ago, Kriseman and Chris Steinocher, president and CEO of the Greater St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, asked him to create a concept for the Pier.

"We want something that would draw people from around the country," Hair recalled them saying. "They said, 'Think in terms of $3 to $5 million.'"

"My concept is for a monumental sculpture which would be produced by St. Pete artists, right here in St. Pete, creating 30 to 40 jobs for local artists, for a three-year period," he said in a letter to the Tampa Bay Times.

The $6 million sculpture — a bronze, 108-foot-long, 30-foot-high blue whale surrounded by life-size marine creatures — would pay for itself and make $9 million for the city from visitors coming to see it being created, he said.

Hair said the mayor has not responded to his idea and believes local artists are being overlooked.

Not everyone is concerned.

Mark Aeling, another internationally known sculptor and president of the board of the Warehouse Arts District Association, said there is "a lot of misunderstanding about the process" and the work of the Pier public art committee.

"They haven't made any conclusive decisions," said Aeling, who owns MGA Sculpture Studio. They are all good people. ... They are still assessing what would be best."

That could mean working with the official budget of $348,000 for art on the Pier itself. Consider that an Echelman sculpture installed in a Phoenix park in 2016 cost about $2.6 million. The mayor had envisioned an Echelman piece at the Pier head, but permitting issues may rule that out, forcing a sculpture further west.

Meanwhile, Wayne Atherholt, the city's director of cultural affairs, says Kriseman has a commitment of $650,000 from two donors for an Echelman piece. Art also is being planned for the Pier approach and Bryant said she will try to raise private donations to boost its current $140,000 budget.

There's a chance for even more money. The mayor would like to tap into $14 million in tax increment financing funds set aside for a transportation hub that will no longer be built. He hopes to use at least $1.3 million for what is being described as "signature art" for the new Pier.

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http://midfieldpress.com/2017/02/23/exclusive-orange-county-group-closes-in-on-nasl-expansion/
   
Exclusive: Orange County Group Closes In On NASL Expansion

by Chris Kivlehan - February 23, 2017

The North American Soccer League makes its debut on the West Coast on March 25th, when the San Francisco Deltas host Indy Eleven for their inaugural match at Kezar Stadium.  This season, the Deltas will be the league’s lone club in the Pacific Time Zone, giving them one of the more arduous travel schedules in pro sports.  SF Deltas owner Brian Andres Helmick knew what he was getting into with the decision to be NASL’s anchor tenant in the West, but the potential of Orange County and San Diego teams joining for 2018 is surely a welcome prospect for San Francisco and all of NASL.

The Orange County bid would expand NASL’s presence into greater Los Angeles, the second largest metropolitan area in the country.  You can trace the roots of the OC group to an existing club, the L.A. Wolves of the United Premier Soccer League.  The Wolves, owned by UPSL commissioner Yan Skwara, made a strong U.S. Open Cup run last year, defeating the USL’s Orange County Blues in the tournament’s second round before falling to fellow UPSL club La Maquina in the third round.  La Maquina subsequently lost to the LA Galaxy in extra time of the fourth round, a testament to the quality in the UPSL.  L.A. Wolves Sporting Director Michael Collins will take on the same role with the Orange County NASL club, and Pete Capriotti, the top sponsor of the Wolves, is the lead investor behind the OC NASL effort.

The connection to the Wolves and UPSL may also give the team an inside track on quality talent in Southern California.  Former LA Galaxy midfielder Paolo Cardozo currently stars for the Wolves.  NASL standouts such as Christian Ramirez and Miguel Ibarra got their start in SoCal semi-pro leagues.  Eric Wynalda put together the famous 2012 Cal FC US Open Cup squad from local SoCal players who have gone on to distinguished pro careers such as Richard Menjivar, Derby Carrillo, Beto Navarro, Mike Randolph, Pablo Cruz, Danny Barrera, Diego Barrera, Paulo Mendes and Pedro Mendes.

The OC NASL group is working with Peter Wilt and Club 9 Sports to prepare for its launch next season.  Midfield Press was able to catch up with Peter Wilt and Michael Collins to discuss Orange County NASL.

1. Why bring a NASL team to Orange County?

PW: It’s the one of the largest markets in the country.  The demographics are fantastic.  The three core audiences of youth soccer, Latinos and young adults are well represented.  It is far enough from L.A. that it is its own market.  If not geographically, it is far enough away from a drive time point of view and from identity point of view.  It is one of the best soccer markets in the country.  There is a large corporate base with a good amount of Fortune 1000 companies.  There is a passionate owner and investor who has the resources to be successful.

MC: Number one, both Pete Capriotti and I live here.  It is an absolutely incredible hotbed of soccer.  I don’t think it has ever been done correctly here in this area.  I’d like the opportunity to a stamp on professional soccer in Southern California.  I’ve been waiting for this opportunity my whole life.  My father, Peter C. Collins, ran the Long Island Junior Soccer League for many years.  I’ve known Pete Capriotti for 17 years.  I think our club will be wonderful and very different from what has been done in this area before.

2. What is the present status of the bid.  Has Orange County presented to the Board of Governors or expansion committee?  Has it been accepted by NASL yet?

MC: Peter Wilt, Pete Capriotti and myself did a presentation in November of 2016.  Since then we have had Peter Wilt and Club 9 walking us through everything we need to do to be accepted into the NASL for 2018.

3. Michael is the Sporting Director of the L.A. Wolves.  Are the Wolves connected to this NASL bid?

PW: Pete Capriotti is the largest sponsor of the Wolves.  Michael Collins had been the head coach of the Wolves is going to be the Sporting Director of the NASL team.

MC: The Wolves are connected mainly to do with player personnel.   The Wolves would serve as our reserve team continuing to play in the UPSL.

4. Can you share some details about the investor group that is behind this effort?

PW: Pete Capriotti is the lead investor and a successful Orange County based businessman.  Pete is the CEO of Cotti Foods. He is one of the largest franchisees of Taco Bell in California. Pete has over 130 quick service restaurants. He is a large franchisee of Wendy’s as well as Pieology restaurants.  He well surpasses the net worth requirements for the NASL.

MC:  We anticipate there will be two other investors.    Pete will be the majority and controlling ownership.  He will be making the important decisions about the club.

5. Will Eric Wynalda, who recently took over from Michael as head coach of the Wolves, be the manager of OC NASL team?

PW: I would characterize Eric as the leading candidate.  He is interested in the position and the club is interested in him, but nothing has been finalized.  

MC: Our full intention is to have Eric be part of the team for a long period of time.  We’re excited to have someone of Eric’s caliber as part of the NASL effort.

6. Will the team be called the L.A. Wolves?  If not – is there a name or a process planned to get to a name?

MC:  We will consider the Wolves name among others. We are going to have the community involved in naming the club.  We will consider names featuring Orange County, SoCal and Southern California.

7. Peter tweeted about Titan Stadium recently.  Will that be the home of the OC NASL team?

PW: Titan Stadium is the leading candidate.  We are working with Cal State Fullerton’s athletic department to secure a long term lease.

MC: We came to an agreement with Titan Stadium last week and we are working on a Memorandum of Understanding this week.  We had a lot of positive discussions.  We’re looking to do a long term project with Cal State Fullerton and would be looking at how we can help their soccer program as well.

8. The USL team in Orange County failed to gain any real traction while playing out of Titan Stadium – how will this be different?

PW: The resources behind this team are significant.  The business plan is well thought out.

MC: I think you have to learn from the mistakes of the past.  We’re going to do things differently than it has been done in the past.  I think that Southern California is a market where you can carve out a niche and build a club that the community can rally behind.  No one has really ever accomplished that before.  There are 3.1 million people in Orange County. Titan Stadium holds up to 9600 and we have the ability to expand the stadium to 12-14,000 in the next three to five years.

9. Why Titan Stadium – and what other locations were considered?

PW: Santa Ana Stadium was considered. Santa Ana is a good location.  I love the community.  It is similar to Titan Stadium as it is intimate, quaint and offers good sight lines.  The width of the field and the field itself at Santa Ana were not suitable for pro soccer, however.  It would have cost millions of dollars and required working through a potentially lengthy governmental approval process to fix it.  Even then it would have been a synthetic surface, whereas Titan has a 72 yard wide beautiful grass field.  Titan is ready to go.

MC: The number one thing for myself and Pete Capriotti is the grass field at Titan Stadium.  It’s a unique field and stadium. The crowd is right there.  It’s similar to the San Jose Earthquakes old stadium in the early days where you could almost touch the guy who is taking a corner kick.  It is a unique set up.  I absolutely love the stadium and the way it is set up.  I think we could be creative in making it a little more of a unique experience.  The sky is the limit there.  I love the location.  It’s literally up the road from where the Angels play, and it is very accessible from the freeways.  There is good parking available for fans.

Santa Ana was also fantastic.  That was a very difficult decision for us.  You are right there in the heart of the city of Santa Ana.  It is a very old stadium, though.  It doesn’t have a lot of the state of the art stuff that Titan has, and it would have been a lot of work to get that in place to start for 2018.  Starting a team is challenging enough as it is.  We really wanted to be able to focus on launching the team and making the best possible first impression with the club without also having to worry about getting the stadium finished on time.

10. With Michael’s connections to the UPSL, and potentially Eric Wynalda’s track record of drawing on lower league SoCal talent with Cal FC, do you think you will be able to find NASL quality players among the best of the UPSL?

PW: The club  plans to give several players from the current L.A. Wolves team the opportunity to make the NASL team.  They are also recruiting players for the Open Cup run that could help.

MC:  We plan on bringing 6-8 of the starting players that are presently on the Wolves into the NASL squad.  We would continue to look at the UPSL as place to recruit players from.

We’re also going to look into the college ranks, at PDL and NPSL rosters.  I am very well connected into a lot of the local college programs, as is Eric.    Between Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, USD, San Diego State and others, I am very confident that we will be able to get a lot of quality local players.  California is bigger than a lot of European countries.  I believe we can find a lot of quality players here in the state.  It won’t be easy, but it is a great resource.

We know that the NASL is a very high level of competition.  Local recruiting is in addition to bringing in high caliber players, at least one or two from Liga MX.  Eric played down there and speaks Spanish fluently and German fluently in addition to speaking English pretty well.  We will need to have 4-5 players who have played at the MLS, Liga MX or NASL level.

11. Do you plan to start in Spring 2018 for Orange County and San Diego?

PW: Spring 2018 is the goal for both.

Check back on Monday for Part II of my interview with Peter Wilt where we talk about San Diego, Chicago and other potential expansion groups.

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http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/02/24/changing-league-calendar-make-us-great-asia/

Changing the A-League calendar to make us great in Asia

Currently, the A-League’s premiers and champions gain automatic entry to the Asian Champions League, but with those trophies being awarded in April and May, our best clubs must wait nine months before they are tested in Asia.

If the old cliché that ‘a week is a long time in football’ is true, then nine months is an eternity.

In the English Premier League, Leicester City were champions in May 2016, and nine months later they’re set to be relegated.

At home, Adelaide United were premiers and champions in May 2016. Nine months later they’re at the bottom of the table and likely to finish the season last.

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/02/24/pros-peter-walton-reveals-four-new-points-emphasis-2017-mls-season

PRO's Peter Walton reveals four new points of emphasis for 2017 MLS season

MLS officials will focus on four new points of emphasis in the 2017 season, Professional Referee Organization general manager Peter Walton said in a conference call with reporters Friday.

Walton said that MLS referees have been instructed to pay closer attention to holding and pushing in the penalty area on set pieces, acts of visual dissent, deliberate delaying of restarts, and persistent infringement.

He also outlined the changes to the Laws of the Game that will take effect in MLS for the first time this season. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that decides on changes to the Laws of the Game, changed several of the sport’s rules last May.

The major changes include no longer automatically giving red cards for denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity in the penalty area, kickoffs now being permitted to be played in any direction, and players who were injured by a yellow or red card foul now being able to briefly receive treatment on the field without having to come off.

The amended rules were in effect at international tournaments last summer and are currently in place in European leagues that began their seasons in August, but were not put into effect in MLS in 2016, as the season had already begun by the time the changes were ratified.

A full rundown of the IFAB rule changes can be found here. Details on the new points of emphasis are below:

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http://worldsoccertalk.com/2017/02/24/turner-sports-univision-acquire-uefa-champions-league-tv-rights-usa/

Turner Sports and Univision acquire UEFA Champions League TV rights in USA

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http://www.yakimaherald.com/sports/professional_sports/sounders/mls-allows-sounders-to-add-championship-stars-to-replica-gear/article_d54c9c14-fb12-11e6-99c3-ef0cc33618f0.html

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

MLS allows Sounders to add championship stars to replica gear

In past, stars were only allowed on authentic jerseys sold by teams

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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/feb/24/ranking-mls-stadiums-soccer-orlando-city

MLS stadiums ranked: why Orlando City's new home comes out on top

Almost three-quarters of teams in the league now have soccer-specific stadiums. Simon Veness runs down the great and the not-so-good

The new 25,500 Orlando City Stadium opens on Friday – and it promises to set a new benchmark in the MLS experience. Photograph: Mark Thorstenson/Orlando City

The MLS commissioner, Don Garber, recently visited the new Orlando City stadium and hailed it as “a blueprint for the future.” That blueprint may not last for long, however, as a stream of new MLS franchises are rapidly queuing up to make it obsolete.

The Orlando venue will be officially opened on Friday, but Atlanta, Minnesota, DC United and Los Angeles FC will all unveil their own stadiums in the next 12 months, and it marks a watershed in the development of American soccer, a high tide for soccer-specific arenas.

Go back but 11 years, and onlyfour of the 12 teams played in a stadium specifically designed for their sport. This year, it will be 15 of the 22 teams and, in 2018, 18 of 23.

Now, with 73% of teams committed to soccer-specific stadiums it raises the question: who has the best MLS venue?

We’ll do it on a points basis, with marks out of 30 for how enjoyable it is from the fan perspective, five bonus points for a soccer-specific venue and minus-five for having artificial turf. That means the highest possible score is 35, and the lowest -5. Let the countdown begin.

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http://www.90min.com/posts/4624963-major-league-soccer-clubs-register-interest-in-signing-manchester-united-captain-wayne-rooney

Major League Soccer Clubs Register Interest in Signing Manchester United Captain Wayne Rooney

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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/02/25/soccer/mls-club-seattle-eyes-honda-report/

MLS club Seattle eyes Honda: report

LONDON – Japan international Keisuke Honda is reportedly set for a move to Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders, but Italian club AC Milan said Friday the 30-year-old attacker will be going nowhere until his contract expires in June.