http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2017/03/16/12227/miami-officials-to-beckham-build-stadium-or-get-off-the-pot-already/
Miami officials to Beckham: Build stadium or get off the pot already
Posted on March 16, 2017 by Neil deMause
No, David Beckham still hasn’t figured out who’s going to finance his proposed new MLS arena in Miami yet. And yes, Miami officials have noticed, and are starting to wonder how long they should be expected to wait on this stadium plan:
“How long are we going to negotiate for the use of that [county-owned land] before we decide that maybe that ought to be made available for some affordable housing?” Commissioner Xavier Suarez asked Monday during a meeting of the county’s Housing and Social Services committee. “Are we going to wait for these folks forever before we use that property for something more?”
He’s got a point! As does commissioner Audrey Edmonson, whose district includes the proposed stadium site, and who griped that the commission has gone months since last hearing from Beckham’s ownership group: “Are they bringing a stadium there? I haven’t heard anything.” Team Becks, meanwhile, has resorted to having their PR firm defensively tweet that they hope to have a team in place someday, maybe:
Schwartz Media PR @SchwartzMedia
Miami Beckham United is 100% committed to Miami:
2:23 PM - 28 Feb 2017
It’s not entirely clear what the holdup is, but “no banks think that investing in a soccer stadium in Miami just because a famous guy would run the team is a hot idea” is a likely candidate. There’s no reason this standoff can’t continue forever — or at least until Beckham loses interest or MLS runs out of expansion franchises to dole out, and the latter seems likely to happen never — so gird yourself for more of these headlines for the foreseeable future.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/770614
2017 USL Preview: Tampa Bay Rowdies
By NICHOLAS MURRAY
03/16/17, 1:51PM EDT
Historic club arrives with star-powered squad for first USL season
The Tampa Bay Rowdies join the USL for the new season and bring with them both one of the most historic names in American soccer history. They also bring a strong squad that on paper should be a contender in the Eastern Conference. Led by former England international Joe Cole, a contingent of players with MLS experience, and former Bundesliga champion Marcel Schäfer, the expectations for the Rowdies going into the new season are to be in contention for a championship at the end of the year.
Head Coach: Stuart Campbell
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium
2016 results: N/A
2016 postseason: N/A
Goalkeeper: Matt Pickens enters his fourth season with the Rowdies after being named the club’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, and the veteran brings more than 200 professional games of experience, including more than 150 for the Chicago Fire and Colorado Rapids in MLS. The Rowdies added experience with the signing of Akira Fitzgerald, formerly of North Carolina FC, while Nico Campbell was one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier Development League last season for the Des Moines Menace and enters his first professional season with major potential.
Defense: The experienced duo of Neill Collins and Tam Mkandawire return to the squad, and are joined in the center back ranks by Jamaican international Damion Lowe, who arrives from Seattle Sounders FC. Another big addition is Luke Boden, who makes the move down I-4 from Orlando City SC after winning two USL championships with the Lions and making more than 100 appearances across the club’s USL and MLS history. Boden and former D.C. United player Kyle Porter join returnees Darnell King and Zac Portillos in the fullback options for Head Coach Stuart Campbell.
Midfield: The signing of Joe Cole last May put the Rowdies in the international spotlight, and the former Premier League and England international didn’t disappoint as he recorded nine goals and seven assists in 24 appearances for the club. Cole was joined this offseason by another big European name in Marcel Schäfer, VfL Wolfsburg’s all-time appearance leader and a former Bundesliga champion. The club has also made some other solid additions such as as Leo Fernandes from the Philadelphia Union and Darwin Jones from Seattle Sounders FC to join returning veteran Keith Savage and Michael Nanchoff.
Forward: Georgi Hristov has been a talisman for Tampa Bay since joining the club before the 2013 season, and last year recorded his 100th appearance for the side. His 34 goals are a modern-era record for the Rowdies, and he is looking to record another season with double-digit goals after scoring 11 goals and adding four assists a season ago. He is joined by Deshorn Brown, who had 20 goals in two seasons for the Colorado Rapids before overseas stints in Scandinavia and most recently in the Chinese Super League, and former Northern Ireland international Martin Paterson, who scored 29 goals in 130 games for Burnley in addition to English Championship experience with Stoke City and Huddersfield Town.
Strengths: The Rowdies had some standout performers in the 2016 season, led by Joe Cole and Georgi Hristov, and have added some notable names that should provide the chance for greater consistency throughout this season. The addition of Deshorn Brown, in particular, should provide greater attacking punch, while Marcel Schäfer’s experience should be a big plus for younger signings like former Chicago Fire Homegrown Player Alex Morrell, another new addition to the midfield.
Weaknesses: The Rowdies were consistently competitive a year ago, but too often were forced to settle for draws instead of taking victories as they won only six games and drew seven out of 16 regular-season home games at Al Lang Stadium. The additions to the attack should help this. Cole and Hristov accounted for half the team’s goals a season ago (20 of 40 in 32 regular-season games), so boosting the side’s secondary scoring was a focus this offseason.
Key number: 112 – The Rowdies’ squad has combined for 112 full international appearances, giving the side a depth of experience that should provide the leadership the team will need to find success in the upcoming season.
Noteworthy matchups: The Rowdies will get an early test of their aspirations when they face two of last season’s top three in the Eastern Conference in April. Tampa Bay visits Louisville City FC on April 15, and follows that with a visit to FC Cincinnati on April 19 in a fascinating early-season road trip. A late-season New York Red Bulls II matchup at Al Lang Stadium on October 4 could also be big for both teams, while the Rowdies end the season with a visit to I-4 Derby rivals Orlando City B on October 12.
Coach’s view: “I’ve been really happy with how things have gone so far. … We’ve got some real speed and real quality outside and when you pair that with Joe Cole as your playmaker, it’s going to be really exciting to watch.” – Tampa Bay Rowdies Head Coach Stuart Campbell
Current roster (updated: March 15, 2017):
Goalkeepers: Matt Pickens, Nico Campbell, Akira Fitzgerald
Defenders: Neill Collins, Luke Boden, Darnell King, Damion Lowe, Tam Mkandawire, Zac Portillos, Kyle Porter
Midfielders: Justin Chavez, Joe Cole, Leo Fernandes, Darwin Jones, Alex Morrell, Michael Nanchoff, Keith Savage, Marcel Schäfer, Martin Vingaard
Forwards: Deshorn Brown, Georgi Hristov, Martin Paterson
(Follow link for full article.)
http://flbusinessdaily.com/stories/511092265-leadership-tampa-tours-local-sports-arenas
Leadership Tampa tours local sports arenas
Florida Business Daily Reports | Mar 16, 2017
Tampa sports fans are dedicated to their teams win or lose. That’s why Leadership Tampa dressed up in their favorite local team jerseys on sports day to visit the homes of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Tampa Bay Rays and the training facility for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The day was sponsored by Troy Atlas of Raymond James and chaired by Scott Garlick of Cushman Wakefield, a a posting by Josh Bomstein on Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce website said.
The first visit was to Amelie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, where the group heard from Jared Dillon, executive vice president of the Lightning, and Rob Higgins, the executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, the post said.
From there, the group went to the home of the Tampa Rowdies soccer team, Al Lang Field, where they toured the facility with Chief Operating Officer Lee Cohen.
During the trip to Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays, the group was able to get a picture on the field and a tour of the facility with Vice President of Corporate Partnerships Josh Bullock, who spoke on the importance of putting employees first, the post said.
The tour wrapped up with a stop at One Buc Place for a tour of the facilities where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team trains and where Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford acknowledged Tampa’s love of sports.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/former-port-vale-and-stoke-striker-martin-paterson-joins-tampa-bay-rowdies/story-30208107-detail/story.html
Former Port Vale and Stoke striker Martin Paterson joins Tampa Bay Rowdies
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/770033
Rowdies Sign Trio, Finalize Roster
Paterson, Fitzgerald and Porter join Tampa Bay for new season
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.investopedia.com/news/twitter-inks-deal-national-lacrosse-league/
Twitter Inks Deal With National Lacrosse League
By Donna Fuscaldo
March 16, 2017 — 9:44 AM EDT
Need more evidence that Twitter Inc. (TWTR) is playing second fiddle to Facebook Inc. (FB) when it comes to live video? A few days after Facebook announced it would live stream Major League Soccer games, Twitter announced a partnership with the National Lacrosse League.
On Wednesday, Twitter said it will broadcast one game a week during this year’s season as well as next year. The first game kicks off on Friday when the Colorado Mammoth plays the Toronto Rock. Twitter also said it will live stream the National Lacrosse League’s playoffs as well as show highlights of the game. The games will also air on NLLTV.com, which is the National Lacrosse League’s subscription video service. “We are thrilled to partner with the NLL as Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in North America,” said Anthony Noto, COO at Twitter in a statement announcing the partnership, which runs for two years. “Our collaboration will allow the highly passionate lacrosse community to watch live NLL games and join the conversation all on Twitter.” (See more: Facebook Getting Ad Dollars at Twitter's Expense.)
Investors Aren't Excited About Deal
The deal is huge for the National Lacrosse League, which doesn’t have a broadcast TV partner and is hoping to reach younger viewers through Twitter. Twitter won’t see a bump on the partnership, however, with investors preferring high-profile professional sports deals. It’s not like Twitter doesn’t know live sports. It has streamed NFL, NHL, professional boxing and eSport games, but the timing of this one underscores the difference between Twitter and Facebook.
Late last week, Facebook announced a deal with Major League Soccer and Univision. Under the deal, Facebook will live stream regular-season games and unique digital content from the teams. The companies will stream at least 22 matches during the 2017 MLS regular season. Those games will be broadcast in Spanish on Univision and in English on the Univision Deportes Facebook page. The matches, which will be produced to be viewed on mobile devices, will also include Facebook commentators, interactive graphics and the ability for fans to ask questions and take polls during the matches. Facebook is keen to include more live streaming of sporting events due to its popularity among its user base. Around 35% of its monthly user base, which amounts to 650 million people, have one or more sports pages in their network, according to MarketWatch.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3083693/player-scouting-at-the-forefront-of-major-league-soccer-rapid-evolution
Player scouting at the forefront of Major League Soccer's rapid evolution
(Follow link for full article.)
https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/back-home-and-booth
Alumni
Back home and up in the booth
March 16, 2017
In the early 2000s, Kyndra de St. Aubin was playing soccer for the Golden Gophers and studying broadcast journalism. She had no idea at the time that fifteen years later two of her greatest passions would come together in a serendipitous marriage.
After traveling and climbing the broadcasting ranks, de St. Aubin was chosen to be the television color commentator for Minnesota United FC, the local soccer franchise that has moved up to Major League Soccer. She’ll join play-by-play announcer Callum Williams.
“Literally, it’s like a dream come true,” says de St. Aubin. “It could not be any better of an opportunity for me to be back home in Minnesota on a broadcast for a team [close to me].” She grew up in Stillwater and was a big fan of the Minnesota Thunder, even coaching Thunder soccer camps in the summer.
After playing one year of soccer for the University of Wisconsin, de St. Aubin transferred to Minnesota to play for the Gophers for two seasons, and then entered the broadcast profession. She worked in radio locally and in Scottsdale, Ariz., before landing at the newly created Big Ten Network. She’s also worked for the PAC-12 Network and for FOX, and has covered international soccer teams including at the Women’s World Cup in 2015.
She’s ecstatic to be returning to the Twin Cities, where she has a large family (husband Bobby also played soccer and was drafted by the Thunder), and putting her vast soccer knowledge to use at the highest tier. And de St. Aubin becomes the only female announcer in the booth for Major League Soccer.
“For it to be MLS and to be a female analyst and to know that they thought enough of me to even consider me for the job, it could not have been more perfect,” she says.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://milehighsports.com/rapids-youth-development-academy-paves-path-success/
Rapids Youth Development Academy paves the path to success
(Follow link for full article.)
http://racerxonline.com/2017/03/16/the-word-on
The Word On...
MLS Going Facebook
Social media giant Facebook continues to gobble up rights to sporting events to stream on their Facebook Live platform. Facebook, which already has deals with the World Surf League, Liga MX, and the NBA D-League, will stream 22 games of MLS (Major League Soccer) this year. The first game will be streamed on March 18. Per MLS, “at least 22 matches during the 2017 MLS regular season that are being broadcast on Univision networks in Spanish will now be available in the U.S. for live streaming in English via the Univision Deportes Facebook page.” Apparently the matches will only be available in the U.S. and will feature Facebook-specific commentators. More from the announcement:
Additionally, MLS will produce 40 exclusive “Matchday Live” shows on Facebook on MLS game days, which will feature highlights and analysis from around the League and a preview of the day’s upcoming matches. These shows will be produced specifically for Facebook and available on the MLS Facebook page. The pilot episode of “Matchday Live” ran on MLS Opening Weekend, and the next episode will happen this weekend, starting at 4 pm ET.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/hotshot-english-striker-looks-poised-to-play-international-football-for-the-united-states-117534
Hotshot English striker looks poised to play international football for the United States
On the same day that Gareth Southgate named an England squad with just three natural strikers, one of the most consistent England-eligible frontmen playing overseas has moved a step closer to representing another country.
Dom Dwyer, who was released by Norwich City as a teenager, has scored 50 goals in the last three Major League Soccer seasons, winning three domestic trophies with Sporting Kansas City.
And the 26-year-old, whose wife Sydney Leroux is a 75-cap United States women's soccer international, is now officially a United States citizen in his own right.
Dwyer is now eligible to play internationally for Bruce Arena's United States Men's National Team, who are playing catch-up in their bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Defeats at home to Mexico and away to Costa Rica leave the US bottom in the final stage of qualifying, with a crucial double-header against Honduras and Panama coming up.
“This country has given me a lot over the past five years, and I look forward to giving back as much as possible," Dwyer said.
"This was a very meaningful day for me, and I’m excited to start the next chapter of my life as a U.S. citizen.”
While Dwyer is unavailable to play in the upcoming games, former Premier League regular Clint Dempsey has returned to the US national setup after missing the end of last season with an irregular heartbeat.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/16/earthquakes-david-bingham-added-to-u-s-roster-for-world-cup-qualifiers/
Earthquakes’ David Bingham added to U.S. roster for World Cup qualifiers
SAN JOSE — Goalkeeper David Bingham, who has started the past 70 games for the Earthquakes, has been added to the U.S. roster for the Americans’ World Cup qualifying showdown against Honduras, the team announced Thursday.
Bingham, 27, replaces starter Brad Guzan, who isn’t available because of personal reasons that don’t involve an injury.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.90min.com/posts/4726738-zlatan-ibrahimovic-s-agent-reportedly-holding-talks-with-la-galaxy-over-lucrative-summer-switch
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's Agent Reportedly Holding Talks With LA Galaxy Over Lucrative Summer Switch
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/770117
USL Ignites Fans' Passion with 'Raise Your Game' Campaign
2017 marketing initiative to drive awareness, engagement and excitement all season
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.sporttechie.com/2017/03/16/sports/soccer/why-mls-commissioner-don-garber-collaborated-with-facebook-to-stream-live-matches/
Why MLS Commissioner Don Garber Collaborated With Facebook To Stream Live Matches
March 16, 2017
Diamond Leung
AUSTIN, Texas — The Atlanta United host the Chicago Fire on Saturday to kick off a slate of regular season MLS matches that will be live streamed on Facebook. Spanish language broadcasts on Univision Deportes will now be available on Facebook Live in English. To get an idea of why the MLS is going in this direction with a social networking site, commissioner Don Garber noted the disruptive forces he has seen — even in his hotel gym.
“I was working out this morning here at the hotel on a Lifecycle,” Garber said at the South by Southwest Conference. “I tried to get ESPN or FOX on I like to do when I work out in the morning. And before I got there, there was a button for Netflix and for Hulu, and there was a button for ESPN. When I pressed it, it didn’t go to the channel. It went to the homepage.
“When you turn on your television, it’s as easy for me to go on my Smart TV to go to Netflix as it is to go to my cable system.”
The point is, the way content is being consumed is changing rapidly. The MLS wants to get in front of this issue of cord-cutting.
So when the MLS All-Star Game was held in San Jose last year, Garber used the trip to Silicon Valley to spend some time at Facebook with Dan Reed, the company’s head of global sports partnerships. Facebook has been striking deals with sports properties to be able to bring them to Facebook Live, and the MLS is the latest league to participate with a package of games.
“All the leagues are sort of trying to figure out how can we continue to have our games available on as many platforms as possible,” Garber said. “We were able to find a very unique way to extend Univision’s relationship with us and provide those games on Facebook in English language.
“It gives us an opportunity to really see how all these new platforms…can work for us, what will the quality of the broadcast be, will more people engage with Facebook than perhaps would engage — at least in this case — the SAP function on their traditional televisions or whatever platform they’re watching those games? And I also think it’s also a good way for Facebook to put their toe deeper in the water which as a sports league we are in the business of selling our rights.”
The MLS will keep experimenting with ways to deliver content to fans, as the league’s eight-year broadcasting deal ends in 2022. Garber said he believes that “absolutely” companies like Facebook, Google and Apple will be active bidders for sports rights at that time.
“As all this shifts and evolves, as the cable model changes, as broadcasters start thinking about what are their revenue models are going to like, where does subscription and ad revenue come together or go apart, how platforms come into play — you’ve got to be in the business,” Garber said.
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