The perfect start ends; opponents challenge the Rowdies

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http://www.cltampa.com/arts-entertainment/sports/article/20859307/tampa-bay-rowdies-lose-after-perfect-start-to-season

The perfect start ends; opponents challenge the Rowdies

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http://thesoccertour.com/2017/04/my-take-on-soccer-in-new-england-and-a-rant-on-mls-attendance/

My take on soccer in New England and a rant on MLS attendance

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/67hq5c/the_soccer_tour_my_take_on_soccer_in_new_england/

The Soccer Tour: My take on soccer in New England and a rant on MLS attendance [OC] (thesoccertour.com)

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http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2014/03/25/bob-kraft-worst-owner-new-england-revolution/

The Krafts Are the Worst Owners in the League

And that league is MLS. Bob and Jonathan Kraft might have the best reputations of any owners in American professional sports. So why don’t they seem to care about the New England Revolution?

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http://www.royalgazette.com/soccer/article/20170425/bermuda-set-to-gain-from-league-of-nations

Bermuda set to gain from ‘League of Nations’

One vision: Montagliani, the special guest at the BFA awards ceremony at CedarBridge Academy at the weekend, hopes to boost the quality of the teams in the Concacaf region (Photograph by Akil Simmons)

The Bermuda football team could play up to 36 international matches over the course of a four-year cycle as part of Concacaf’s proposed “League of Nations”.

Concacaf hope to launch the competition for its 41-member associations by the end of the year, which would represent a seismic shift for Bermuda, who have historically struggled for games.

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http://thesefootballtimes.co/2017/04/25/canada-at-world-cup-1986-an-era-of-great-talent-that-amounted-to-nothing/

Canada at World Cup 1986: an era of great talent that amounted to nothing

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http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/04/24/zlatan-ibrahimovics-injury-may-be-good-news-for-his-mls-suitors/

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's injury may be good news for his MLS suitors

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http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/didier-drogba-transfer-phoenix-rising-manager-resigns-a7700781.html

Manager of American club Phoenix Rising resigns just one day after signing Chelsea legend Didier Drogba

Drogba joined the American second-tier side Phoenix Rising and pledged to help lead the club into the MLS, only for the club's manager to unexpectedly resign the very next day

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https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/3407014/zlatan-ibrahimovics-manchester-united-mls-los-angeles-fc/

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Manchester United career could be over with the Swede knowing he can pick up in next season’s MLS with Los Angeles FC after getting over knee injury

According to reports, the 35-year-old has emerged as a target for Los Angeles FC after hyper-extending his knee in Manchester United's Europa League quarter-final

Swede to undergo surgery in Pittsburgh as he looks to visit Dr Freddie Fu in the United States

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http://www.espnfc.com/story/3112124/zlatan-ibrahimovic-should-make-the-move-to-mls-bastian-schweinsteiger

Zlatan Ibrahimovic should make the move to MLS - Bastian Schweinsteiger

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mls/2017/04/25/kaka-tops-mls-salaries-for-3rd-straight-year-giovinco-next/100901168/

Orlando City's Kaka is highest-paid player in MLS for third straight year

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3112526/major-league-soccer-pumping-money-into-salaries-causes-ripple-effect-throughout-league

MLS pumping money into salaries causes ripple effect throughout league

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http://ghanasoccernet.com/exclusive-experienced-ghanaian-defender-john-boye-linked-with-portland-timbers-move

EXCLUSIVE: MLS side Portland Timbers to swoop for Ghana defender John Boye

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http://www.massivereport.com/2017/4/25/15425828/players-columbus-crew-sc-most-bang-for-buck-mls-salaries-spending-value-money-financial

Which players are giving Crew SC the most bang for the buck?

A look at MLS player salaries released on Tuesday

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https://www.joe.co.uk/sport/heres-what-the-highest-earning-players-in-the-mls-are-making-123151

Here's what the highest earning players in the MLS are making

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http://www.startribune.com/mls-players-union-releases-2017-salary-information/420406003/

MLS Players Union releases 2017 salary information

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https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/mls-player-salaries-released-200k-and-under-all-star-team-analysis

Pay the man! Major League Soccer's $200K-and-under all-star team

You've seen all the MLS salaries for 2017. Let us tell you about the best bargains in the league.

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http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2017/04/25/34935392/kaka-giovinco-top-mls-salary-list

Kaka, Giovinco top MLS salary list

The designated players lead a rising number of millionaires in the North American circuit

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https://theringer.com/us-soccer-header-ban-concussions-4805684f63ca

What Happens When Soccer Bans Heading?

If the rules of the game were being written today, making head-to-ball contact would be outlawed — but they were written 150 years ago. Backed by research and growing concussion awareness, U.S. Soccer is trying to reframe how we think about such an ingrained and dangerous part of the sport.

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http://www.hortidaily.com/article/34154/Germany-Innovative-roof-design-for-crystal-clear-ETFE-installation

Germany: Innovative roof design for crystal clear ETFE installation

German companies Rabensteiner, Franz Schumann and Novavert have recently teamed up for the installation of a remarkable retractable greenhouse at a grower in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The greenhouse builder, screen installer and screen system manufacturer worked on a innovative design that makes use of the superior ETFE material.

As a result of this, the customers of the German garden center Blumen Beier in Mannheim can now shop for their outdoorplants any time of the year. Thanks to the installation of the innovative 3,000 square meter retractable roof greenhouse, both plants, staff and customers are year round protected against dark, cold and wet weather conditions.

Blumen Beier contacted German turnkey garden center builder Rabensteiner with the question to design a retractable roof greenhouse for their outdoor plants area. Together with Novavert and installer Franz Schumann GmbH, a special system was designed that allowed the use of the unique crystal clear HS Maxilux ETFE film in the HS2 roof system. High transmission of visible light and UV as well as flame-retardant properties are important pros of this material.

Karl Bärlin of Rabensteiner explained that the use of the ETFE film is very unique for a retractable system. "The owner has choosen for this material due to its extreme long lifespan and clarity. While the film is much more expensive than a regular plastic film or even more expensive than glass, it will last for a minimum of 10 to 15 years. The grower doesn't need to change the material for the next decade."

The project measures 3000 square meters and is reinforced with 4 meters of glass at both ends, in order to provide resistance against strong winds. Novavert's Niclas Heescher explained that a special design was incorporated in order to retract the panels partly underneath each I-beam.

"We have used 32mm push-pull tubes which are directly going through the I-beams. next to this we also designed a special profile to hold the wire bed and guide the wires properly through the pre-drilled profiles."

Thanks to the new clear retractable structure, the outdoor selling area at Blumen Beier is now more comfortable for plants, customers and the staff. On cold, wet and windy days, the roof can be closed and the staff can continue their work in a comfortable setting. The plants are kept in a better shape and the customer is nice and comfortable, with better sales as a result.

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https://sports.yahoo.com/news/lets-now-assess-millionaires-club-among-major-league-soccer-players-014009526.html

Let's now assess the millionaires' club among Major League Soccer players

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http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-fire/boosted-bastian-schweinsteigers-big-salary-fire-rank-fourth-mls-payroll

Boosted by Bastian Schweinsteiger's big salary, Fire rank fourth in MLS payroll

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http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/Philadelphia-Union-2017-salaries-Jay-Simpson-Haris-Medunjanin.html

Philadelphia Union 2017 player salaries as of April 15

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http://www.themalaymailonline.com/sports/article/orlandos-kaka-tops-mls-salaries-list

Orlando’s Kaka tops MLS salaries list

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t_e3IobcGk

Rowdies Front Row - Charleston Battery - April 22, 2017

Tampa Bay Rowdies

Published on Apr 25, 2017

"We take the positives from it and bounce back next week."

RowdiesSoccer.com

Facebook.com/TampaBayRowdies

727-222-2000

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3112570/major-league-soccers-2017-best-value-for-money-starting-xi

MLS' 2017 best value-for-money, highest-paid starting XIs

After Tuesday's release of 2017 Major League Soccer player salaries, Jason Davis pieced together the league's best value-for-money XI, as well as its highest-paid XI and a starting lineup composed of the best-compensated Americans.

Best value-for-money XI

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http://www.iol.co.za/sport/soccer/world-leagues/kaka-still-the-top-money-dog-in-us-soccer-8821344

Kaka still the top money dog in US soccer

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http://www.14news.com/story/35248125/former-mls-player-helping-tri-state-youth-soccer-players-develop-skills

Former MLS player helping Tri-State youth soccer players develop skills

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http://www.twincities.com/2017/04/25/minnesota-united-fc-how-much-money-do-the-loons-make/

Minnesota United FC: How much money do the Loons make?

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http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report-soccer-kaka-is-top-paid-mls-player-for-third-straight-year-2416423

Soccer-Kaka is top-paid MLS player for third straight year

Orlando City midfielder Kaka is the highest-paid Major League Soccer player for a third consecutive year with over $7 million in annual earnings, according to figures released by the MLS Players Union on Tuesday.

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http://sport.iafrica.com/soccer/1048537.html

Kaka tops MLS salaries list

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http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mls-player-salaries-kaka-tops-10296769

MLS player salaries: Kaka tops the pile but Ashley Cole earns 'just' £5,000-a-week

Eighty-four players are paid the league minimum yearly salary of $65,000 (£50,000)

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http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/revealed-what-ex-aston-villa-12944998

Revealed: What ex-Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Brom defender earns in MLS

The latest list of salaries has been published by the MLS players' union

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https://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/kevin-doyle-mls-121568

Kevin Doyle is earning three times more than a Champions League winner in the MLS

Kevin Doyle is a fan favourite over in Colorado and flying the Irish flag.

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http://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/carlton-a-ferry-between-our-cities-making-a-small-option-into-something/2321594

Carlton: A ferry between our cities? Making a small option into something bigger

Sue Carlton, Times Columnist

Wednesday, April 26, 2017 5:00am

The Tampa Bay area's biggest failure of the moment has to be our utter inability to get traction for a meaningful and necessary transportation plan to take us into the future.

Reasonable referendums to pay for roads and transit fail, and fail again. Elected officials fear political kneecapping if they dare even speak the word "rail" — heck, even if they talk up "transportation improvements" beyond patching the latest pothole.

So we sit, stuck in traffic, literally and otherwise.

Now here comes the Cross-Bay Ferry. We do have a penchant for the piecemeal, a way of doing things backward around here.

For months now, the sleek 98-foot boat has shuttled locals, fun-seekers and, yes, maybe even a few actual commuters, across the waters between the downtowns of Tampa and St. Petersburg.

If you have not taken the 50-minute journey and are so inclined, get going — the six-month pilot program, underwritten by Tampa, St. Petersburg and Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, ends Sunday.

It was one interesting experiment.

An intriguing one, even.

I took the maiden voyage in November, packed in with a bunch of politicians, boosters and business types. I'm pretty sure HMS Ferries paid extra for the perfect weather.

But seriously: The ease of the ride, the comfort of the boat, the charming views of each city and the waters in between — it's the real deal. You could easily imagine people tapping away on their laptops on the way to work someday, on-the-water partying before a Rays or Lightning game, just enjoying the birds and the clouds. You could drink hot chocolate or a Green Bench beer. You could bring your bike.

Most important: You were one fewer car.

Rick Kriseman, St. Petersburg mayor and big ferry fan, reported earlier this month that ridership hit more than 36,000. Already, Hillsborough commissioners are looking for money in next year's budget to contribute to a seasonal ferry service.

Kriseman's Tampa mayoral counterpart, Bob Buckhorn, has sounded more measured, saying the service can't be subsidized by government forever and eventually must float on its own. Both mayors are right.

It's pretty great, and it needs to find ways to support itself.

Key points going forward?

Ten bucks a ride is too much for any kind of real commuter option, less problematic if the ferry is for fun. The pilot project featured free ride days and tickets slashed to a more reasonable $5. And hey, nothing wrong with a recreational option if people use it enough. We do like our recreation around here, and also our water — not to mention the dollars they tend to bring in.

Frequency — as in, enough ride times offered to be able to get there and back when you want to — is also a big consideration, along with transportation options once we get off the boat.

No question about it. The ferry turned heads. And for the right reasons.

And if it works, regular ferry service could be but one small jigsaw piece in a regional transportation puzzle roughly the size of an I-275 billboard.

You know, one you have plenty of time to memorize when you're stuck in traffic.

 (Follow link for full article.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NdfiYcQHVU

Alton Brown's Tampa Cuban Sandwich Blind Taste Test

Alton Brown

Published on Apr 21, 2017

Watch as Alton Brown pits four of Tampa's most-popular Cuban sandwiches against each other to find who's got the best in a blind taste test.