Miami is still ‘slated to be our 24th team,’ says MLS Commish

This story is getting very old, stale, and annoying. IMO, Garber has to say this for political/legal reasons; but he can't keep saying it indefinitely. An undisclosed deadline approaches. 

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http://miami.curbed.com/2017/3/7/14842986/miami-beckham-mls-franchise-2019

Miami is still ‘slated to be our 24th team,’ says MLS Commish

The progress for David Beckham’s Miami MLS franchise remains at a crawl

by Josh Baumgard Mar 7, 2017, 12:04pm EST

Over three years since David Beckham announced his intent to bring an MLS franchise to Miami, and it would appear Miami Beckham United is making progress toward finalizing an investment to help fund their 25,000-seat stadium in Overtown expected to cost $150 million.

By all means, do not hold your breath, as this project has faced more hurdles than an olympic track meet. They’re still targeting the 2019 season, per the Miami Herald, and Miami is still expected to be the league’s 24th team, according to MLS Commissioner Don Garber in an interview with CNN during Atlanta United’s inaugural game over the weekend.

“Miami is slated to be our 24th team,” Garber said when pressed about whether Miami was still in the fold (towards the end of the video down below). “We’re going to continue to work with David Beckham and see if we can make some progress there.”

However the prenatal franchise continues to whiff on expected timetables despite already securing six acres of land for the stadium, which the MLS approved in the fourth quarter of 2015.

First, they were expected to make the “major announcement” regarding funding by the end of 2016. That didn’t happen. Then it was supposed to occur yesterday, per the Herald, and—huge surprise—there was no announcement.

Another MLS season has launched and while Beckham’s group remains “100 percent committed to Miami,” according to the group’s publicist, Schwartz Media, it still continues to be a case of a lot of talk and very little action.

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http://www.eightysixforever.com/2017/3/7/14846204/mls-2017-the-year-of-financial-transparency-vancouver-whitecaps

MLS 2017: The Year of Financial Transparency?

Major League Soccer has put in efforts to be more transparent in team finances and rosters

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http://dunk360.com/making-major-league-soccer-great-again/

Making Major League Soccer Great (Again)

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https://www.fanragsports.com/news/landon-donovan-joins-ownership-group-pushing-bring-mls-san-diego/

Landon Donovan joins ownership group pushing to bring MLS to San Diego

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http://www.fmfstateofmind.com/2017/3/7/14845528/liga-mx-promotion-relegation-fmf-major-league-soccer-don-garber-charles-altchek

Mexico wants to end pro/rel, looks to MLS for advice

An MLS vice-president lets slip about meeting with Liga MX in New York today

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https://sntimes.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/new-mls-season-brings-lots-of-change/

New MLS Season Brings Lots of Change

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http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20170308_MLS_commissioner_Don_Garber_applauds_the_Union.html

MLS commissioner Don Garber applauds the Union

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https://www.philadelphiaunion.com/post/2017/03/07/photos-don-garber-spends-day-union

PHOTOS: Don Garber spends the day with the Union

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http://www.usatsimg.com/setImages/202516

MLS: MLS Commissioner Don Garber Press Conference (31 Images)

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http://www.delcotimes.com/sports/20170307/mls-commish-gives-unions-youth-development-program-seal-of-approval

MLS commish gives Union’s youth development program seal of approval

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http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/766386?referrer_id=2364194-news-archive

Rowdies Sign Jamaican Forward Brown

By USLSoccer.com Staff, 03/07/17, 2:00PM EST

Former Colorado Rapids striker bolsters Tampa Bay’s attack

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Tuesday the club had signed forward Deshorn Brown pending ITC clearance, league and federation approval. Per club and league policy, further contract details were not disclosed.

A PDL All-League selection in 2012 for Reading United AC, when he shared the league’s Golden Boot with 13 goals in 13 games, Brown most recently played for Shenzen in China League One, where he scored seven goals in 14 matches.

A Major League Soccer veteran, Brown scored 20 goals in 62 appearances for the Colorado Rapids from 2013-2015 before departing for Vålerenga in Norway’s Tippeligaen, where he played from 2015-2016. He scored 13 goals in 37 appearances for Vålerenga.

“Everyone saw the impact Deshorn made on our team in recent matches, scoring a goal and adding an assist,” Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell said. “As a coaching staff, we’ve seen much more of him in training and he’s been impressive throughout. He brings a lot of quality and experience to our front line and we’re excited to sign him. He’s another veteran voice in our locker room to guide younger players.”

“I am excited to join the Rowdies,” said Brown. “The environment and the setup at the club is really professional, which is one of the reasons why I decided to sign here. I like to work hard and help the team, with the main goal of doing my job, which is scoring goals.”

Brown trained with the Rowdies as a guest player in February and March, playing in three matches, including Rowdies’ Suncoast Invitational matches. Brown tallied a goal and an assist in the 2-1 win over the Montreal Impact on February 25.

Factoring in his amateur career with the Des Moines Menace (nine goals in 10 appearances) and Reading United (13 goals in 13 appearances), Brown has averaged 0.32 goals-per-game or better at every club he’s played for.

Brown attended the University of Central Florida and has made 14 appearances for the Jamaican National Team.

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http://www.phillysoccerpage.net/2017/03/07/usl-hybrids-profits-and-imitating-baseball/comment-page-1/

USL - Bethlehem Steel FC   

USL hybrids, profits and imitating baseball

Posted by Tim Jones on March 7, 2017 at 10:00 am

Devotees of professional soccer in the Lehigh Valley have noticed “hybrid” as a new term describing United Soccer League-Major League Soccer affiliations.

The term does NOT describe the relationship between Bethlehem Steel FC and the Philadelphia Union.

“Wholly-owned” would be more appropriate.

The Union have full control of both the soccer and business operations of the Steel.  They also have full responsibility for the income and expenditures.

Control and responsibility allows the Union to place player development at the apex of the pyramid of goals for the Steel project. We firmly learned the fact last July and September, when key veterans were sold off to clear opportunities for evaluation of Philadelphia Union Academy prospects.

The first of those sales triggered the playoff-killing swoon that saw Bethlehem go winless the rest of the season.

But those sales also laid the groundwork for an Academy senior invited to Clearwater to play the first ever significant minutes by an academy boy in multiple preseason events.

Anthony Fontana played 30 minutes in a closed scrimmage against Chicago on Feb. 9.  And he played 30 minutes against Tampa Bay and 17 against Montreal in two official exhibition games of the Suncoast Invitational Tournament on Feb. 18 and Feb 22.

Player development affiliates can also win. New York Red Bulls 2 won the USL double last season.
Something borrowed

The USL hybrid affiliate concept is borrowed directly from the National Basketball Association’s D-League. The basketball version began between the NBA’s Houston Rockets and the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The Rockets controlled and were responsible for the Vipers basketball operations, but Lone Star LLC, a sports entertainment company based just north of the Rio Grande whose controlling owner is Alonzo Cantu, controlled and benefited from the business operation.Vipers’ basketball has been a business success.

A major difference between the sports entertainment market in south Texas and the Lehigh valley is that, before the Vipers, south Texas had nothing professional. The Lehigh Valley had professional ice hockey and baseball before it got soccer.
Something new

Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo asked Cantu to partner in the expansion Rio Grande Valley FC Toros of the United Soccer League precisely because of the success of his business model with the Vipers, according to ScratchthePitch.com.

Lone Star made the divided responsibilities model work in professional basketball. The idea was to transfer it to soccer.

Who provides the dollars to pay for the player signings made by the USL team? The MLS team could pay the entire cost of the technical program, or the minor league ownership might do so. But there is a  balance, and it has to be right.

Upon the devil of those dollar details hung both profitability and the cost effectiveness of player development for the Dynamo.

The MLS side wanted to unload responsibility for running the business and making it profitable, while getting exactly what it desired from player development.

The USL side hoped to make money.

In south Texas, balls in nets have resulted in butts in seats and dollars in banks, whether the net hangs on a hoop or a goal.

Rio Grande Valley FC will open its own new 9,400-seat H-E-B Park on Mar. 22 against CF Monterrey “Rayados” from Liga MX.
Imitation…

The San Jose Earthquakes have ended their independent affiliation with Sacramento Republic FC and substituted a hybrid one with expansion team Reno 1868 for the 2017 season.

Montreal Impact owner Joey Saputo negotiated a hybrid affiliation with new USL entrant Ottawa Fury and has closed down his former wholly-owned affiliate, FC Montreal.

Ottawa has commented that it no longer has to scout players and negotiate contracts.

And Saputo does not have to develop and sell to a second market. In his case, his USL sales were direct competition for his MLS ones, a problem still faced by the nine other MLS wholly-owned affiliates located in the same markets as their first teams.
… may become the sincerest form of flattery

Baseball fans may also notice that, while professional soccer reinvents its wheel and learns from doing it, it is evolving toward the structure of America’s original national sport.

Agreements between the Philadelphia Phillies, Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, Reading Fightin’ Phils, Clearwater Threshers, and Lakewood Blue Claws address exactly the same division of control and responsibility, whatever their details.

Someday, might an MLS club’s soccer roster of, say, 35 allow 28 or 31 to be eligible for only MLS games, while the other four to seven move between the USL and MLS as needed? Baseball players shuttle between the Iron Pigs and Phillies on options all the time.

Some bridges would have to be crossed by MLS, USL and the U.S. Soccer Federation for Union-Steel players to truly drive the baseball commute.

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http://thenationonlineng.net/opanuga-helps-sgfc-make-historic-promotion-pro-league/

Opanuga helps SGFC make historic promotion to pro league

Super Green Football Club of Maryland, United States have made history by becoming the first team to be promoted to the professional American Soccer League, ASL.

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http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/etihad-renews-with-major-league-soccer

Etihad renews with Major League Soccer

Airline will continue as the official airline of US league.

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http://cjme.com/article/1183088/jamie-nye-mls-momentum-challenging-cfl

Jamie Nye: MLS momentum challenging CFL

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http://www.tradearabia.com/news/TTN_321629.html

Etihad renews partnership with Major League Soccer

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http://awfulannouncing.com/ratings/mls-2017-debut-gets-off-slow-start-fs1.html

MLS 2017 debut gets off to a slow start on FS1

Portland-Minnesota draws a lower average audience from 2016   

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/3072985/mls-players-weigh-in-on-expansion-promotion-relegation-beckham-in-miami-and-playoff-structure

MLS players weigh in on expansion, pro/rel, Beckham and playoff structure

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http://www.thebluetestament.com/2017/3/7/14831042/mls-expansion-update-detroit-san-diego-st-louis-miami-and-more

MLS Expansion Update: Detroit, San Diego, St. Louis,Miami and more

We have the latest Major League Soccer expansion updates for Detroit, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, Phoenix Rising, Miami, FC Cincinnati, Indy Eleven and updates to our expansion power rankings.

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http://www.digitalsignageconnection.com/orlando-city-stadium-opens-panasonic-official-technology-solutions-provider-partner

Orlando City Stadium Opens with Panasonic as Official Technology Solutions Provider and Partner

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http://mlsmultiplex.com/2017/03/07/zlatan-ibrahimovic-want-join-league/

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is Who MLS Players Want to Join the League the Most

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http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2017/03/07/report-premier-league-teams-to-play-at-nissan.html

Report: Premier League teams to play at Nissan Stadium

It appears Nashville will host a match between some of international soccer’s most prominent teams this summer, yet another opportunity to boost Music City’s soccer credibility as the city vies for a Major League Soccer expansion team.

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3073497/2017-mls-anonymous-player-survey

MLS Confidential: Players polled on pro/rel, Beckham Miami team, salaries, Donovan return, Giovinco snub, more

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http://www.financial-news.co.uk/40053/2017/03/etihad-airways-renews-soccer-league-partnership-2017030/

Etihad Airways renews soccer league partnership

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3067965/can-los-angeles-and-major-league-soccer-handle-the-celebrity-expansion-team-lafc

Can L.A., Major League Soccer handle LAFC's celeb-heavy arrival in 2018?

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http://www.mtexpress.com/sports/san-jose-goalkeeper-joe-cannon-is-a-hall-of-famer/article_51099698-0344-11e7-8d5d-ef5696b2a1c9.html

San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon is a Hall of Famer

Major League Soccer veteran keeper

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/03/07/toyota-stadium-will-be-mecca-soccer-after-39-million-renovation

Toyota Stadium will be "mecca of soccer" after $39 million renovation

Amid all the hype and hubbub about the arrival of Minnesota United FC and Atlanta United FC into the league and the unveiling of Orlando City’s gorgeous new stadium, MLS fans could be forgiven for overlooking the major facelift underway at the home of FC Dallas.

Regular visitors to Toyota Stadium may be doing some double-takes this season, however.

The 12-year-old venue is currently undergoing a multi-faceted renovation that will run to more than $39 million when all is said and done. FCD supporters will get to experience the fruits of the first phase when the home team host the New England Revolution in their home opener on March 18 (8 pm ET | MLS LIVE).

“We get one shot to really get this right,” FCD president Dan Hunt told The Dallas Morning News during a recent behind-the-scenes tour of the upgrades. “It's going to feel like a brand-new stadium.”

FCD have installed a new audio system and two 13mm high-definition video screens, four new private suites, a new club suite and a new private club, the Winners Club by WinStar World Casino and Resort. Meanwhile, the existing River Club is being dramatically remodeled. Both club areas will be reserved for suite and club seat holders in the first half of Dallas’ games, and opened to all fans after halftime.

Down at field level, the Budweiser Beer Garden will feature a new truck offering craft beers and – via its triumph in a fan survey – turkey legs, a delicacy made famous by the Texas State Fair in downtown Dallas.

“We want this to be the best soccer fan experience in North America,” said Hunt. “This will be the mecca of soccer.”

Work on the crown jewel of the project – the installation of a new National Soccer Hall of Fame in the stadium’s south end – will run until 2018, while most of the other remodeling is scheduled to wrap in December. The south end will also feature new locker rooms, a new team store and a new club seating section with a patio.

Beyond FCD action, the new-look Toyota Stadium will also host a Gold Cup Group A doubleheader on July 14, featuring Costa Rica vs. French Guiana and Canada vs. Honduras.

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https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/nasl-expansion-team-san-francisco-210003589.html

NASL expansion team in San Francisco has plenty of Canadian content

The Canadian PressMar 6, 2017, 4:00 PM

A new soccer team is taking shape in the Bay Area, with a distinctly Canadian feel.

Marc Dos Santos, whose coaching resume includes Ottawa Fury FC and the Montreal Impact, has called on several Canadian players as well as talent from Canadian teams to bring the San Francisco Deltas to life.

The North American Soccer League squad features Canadian defenders Nana Attakora (Toronto FC, San Jose, D.C. United) and Karl W. Ouimette (Montreal Impact, New York Red Bulls) and midfielder Kyle Bekker (Toronto, Montreal).

"It's important to say this has to do with my Canadian connections and at the same time it doesn't," said Dos Santos. "Because building a team, you want to win and when you want to win, you try to bring the best player possible that your budget allows you to.

"I think Karl, Nana and Kyle, in a different way, they all bring an important piece to the roster and are going to play an important role. So I'm happy to have them with us."

French goalkeeper Romuald Peiser and U.S. forward Tommy Heinemann played for Dos Santos in Ottawa. Assistant coach Andrea Di Pietrantonio worked with him in Montreal.

Pablo Dyego spent time in Ottawa while fellow Brazilian winger Jackson played six seasons in MLS, including two with Toronto FC.

Michael Stephens (Los Angeles Galaxy, Chicago Fire) and Devon Sandoval (Real Salt Lake) also have MLS experience. Others like Peiser, Cristian Portilla and Kenny Teijsse have European credentials.

The Deltas beat the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 in February in a closed-door match,

"I think there's enough experience in our roster on any given day to beat an MLS roster," Dos Santos said. "So I wasn't surprised by the result."

He has been pleasantly surprised by how quickly his team, is coming together.

San Francisco opens the season March 25 when it hosts Indy Eleven at Kezar Stadium, which was the 49ers’ home until 1970 and housed the Oakland Raiders for one year. Reduced in size, it now accommodates 10,000.

"A lot of history ... This stadium is special," said Dos Santos.

While no stranger to helping build teams from the ground floor from his time in Ottawa and Kansas City, where he ran the MLS side's fledgling USL squad, the 39-year-old Dos Santos says San Francisco is a different challenge.

The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, which owns the Fury, also runs teams in the CFL and OHL. The Swope Park Rangers, Sporting Kansas City's USL team, come under the umbrella of the MLS franchise.

"The Deltas are just one team and it's in a city incredibly challenging when it comes to preparing for housing for the players, training facility ... I think that the mission we have ahead is much more difficult than any other before," said Dos Santos.

The Deltas train on city-owned fields and have found themselves shifting via vans from grass to artificial turf 15 minutes away at short notice if the elements don't co-operate at their normal training ground.

The team is owned by a group of Silicon Valley and Brazilian entrepreneurs with CEO Brian Andres Helmick already making himself readily available to fans through Q-and-As and social media.

"He wants to make sure that we're here to stay, so he feels he that the club — to work in a city like San Francisco — has to be accessible to the community ... He leads by example."

The fans are already into it, with the official supporters' group called Delta Force.

Dos Santos took over as Montreal coach in May 2009 in the Impact's pre-MLS days. He left in 2011 for Brazil where he coached youth teams at FC Primeira Camisa and SE Palmeiras before taking over Desportivo Brasil.

He returned in 2013 to coach Ottawa, winning coach of the year honours and leading the Fury to the NASL championship game in 2015.

Dos Santos spent 2016 as head coach of the Swope Park Rangers. He says he loved Sporting Kansas City's organization and vision, but nevertheless found the job limiting.

"The only thing that I felt that was holding me back as a coach is not being able to have full control of the roster," he said. "When you're a reserve team coach, there's a lot of little things that you don't control ... it's just a different dynamic that I think limited myself where I wanted to be as a coach. I think you have to have a very specific DNA to coach a reserve team."

A Canada-Portugal dual citizen, Dos Santos speaks English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

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http://www.rustourismnews.com/2017/03/07/etihad-partners-with-major-league-soccer-for-north-american-outreach/

Etihad partners with Major League Soccer for North American outreach

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http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2017/03/08/mls-season-takes-off-record-tv-viewing-crowds-etihad-airways-renewal/

MLS season takes off with record TV viewing, crowds and Etihad Airways renewal