https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/bav5zs/rowdies_home_attendance_thread_game_3_vs_hartford/
Rowdies Home Attendance Thread - Game 3 vs. Hartford Athletic [4/6]
Do you want the good news or the bad news? The good news is the game was outstanding and the crowd was pretty live. The bad news? Attendance was bad - worse than any game last year (we only dipped in the 4k range once). A couple years ago this happened as well...and in a very similar situation. We opened our season with three consecutive home games in 2017 and the second match was the worst of the three (Game 1: 7,710, Game 2: 4,326; Game 3: 5,310). Three game homestands are tough on the attendance front as there's little turnaround time to capture those sales and people tend to pick and choose if they'll miss one.
Now, want some more good news. Next week's game against Louisville has already outsold the Hartford match and seems to be ahead of pace for even the home opener (with what appears to be less than 800 reserved seats left available - no way to tell on GA). Here's hoping sales keep going strong...we need a good crowd for that one.
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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/bap2hu/highlights_tbr_40_hfd_whats_your_safe_word/
Highlights: TBR 4-0 HFD "What's Your Safe Word"
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdx37c2hxaY&feature=youtu.be
HIGHLIGHTS #TBRvsHFD | 04-06-2019
USL Championship
The Tampa Bay Rowdies played host to expansion side Hartford Athletic at Al Lang Stadium in the first meeting between the clubs.
Visit https://www.uslchampionship.com for upcoming games, live scores and match highlights.
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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/bat9md/record_crowd_of_4031_see_tropics_drop_final_home/
Record crowd of 4,031 see Tropics drop final home game 4-2 to Baltimore
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https://www.fltropics.com/news/record-crowd-can-t-root-home-tropics-to-win-as-bla
RECORD CROWD CAN'T ROOT HOME TROPICS TO WIN AS BLAST TAKE 4-2 TRIUMPH
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wbPgei4_iU
Rowdies' Jersey Numbers
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Find out how the Rowdies chose their jersey numbers.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrePD9v_mwg
Rowdies Highlights vs Hartford Athletic - April 6, 2019
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Full highlights of tonight's 4-0 win over Hartford Athletic. Sebastian Guenzatti (2), David Najem and Andrew Tinari all scored for the Rowdies and Leo Fernandes had a pair of assists.
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https://www.pinkun.com/norwich-city/norwich-city-loan-watch-marshall-millwall-oliveira-reading-1-5983815
Norwich City loan watch: Marshall helps Millwall beat Baggies, as Oliveira returns for Reading
Caleb Richards played the full 90 minutes again as Tampa Bay Rowdies continued their unbeaten start to the United Soccer League season, the second tier in the USA, beating Hartford Athletic 4-0 in the Championship Eastern Conference
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http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/mls-chicago-fire-buyout-soldier-field-return
Chicago Fire consider buyout to secure Soldier Field return
Franchise has to pay off SeatGeek Stadium lease to move back downtown.
Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise the Chicago Fire are negotiating to buy out the remainder of their SeatGeek Stadium lease in order to move back to the centre of the city, according to multiple reports.
The Fire are tied to a punitive 30-year lease at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, until 2036 but the club’s inability to attract large crowds to the 26,000-seater venue reportedly could see them take early action to move back to downtown Chicago.
The Fire moved to the purpose-built facility in 2006, touted at the time as one of the premier soccer stadiums in MLS, after spending the majority of their early years at Soldier Field – home to the National Football League’s (NFL) Chicago Bears.
However, the inaccessibility of Bridgeview, located 15 miles southwest of Downtown Chicago, has alienated current and potential supporters alike.
Since 2015 the Fire have been 18th or lower in average attendance in MLS. Last season, the average gate at SeatGeek Stadium was 14,806 with Columbus Crew the only team drawing lower crowds amid a relocation dispute.
During the Fire’s last two seasons at Soldier Field (2004 and 2005), the club averaged an announced 17,153 and 17,238 fans, respectively, per game. Those crowd numbers were not topped in Bridgeview until 2017, when Bastian Schweinsteiger arrived to boost a team that finished with the third-best record in MLS and averaged 17,383 fans per game.
Further compounding problems for the Fire following the move in 2006, Bridgeview had planned to make the stadium the centrepiece of future development in the area. But with little to show for its ambition, the town now finds itself crippled by debt, with the stadium being heavily blamed.
In February 2018, Bloomberg reported Bridgeview had amassed approximately US$260 million of general obligation debt. It added that property taxes had doubled for its 17,000 residents and the town took on added debt to help cover revenue shortfalls from the stadium.
If the Fire are to return to the city limits a buyout is the only option as the stadium agreement was deliberately drawn up to prevent the franchise from exiting Bridgeview early.
All Fire home games must be played in Bridgeview unless the local authority is compensated or the expected attendance is not sufficient for making the stadium a cost-effective venue. Additionally, there is a clause that states any potential second MLS team in the Chicago market would have to play in Bridgeview. Even if the Fire folded and a new MLS franchise took its place, that team would still be bound to play at SeatGeek Stadium.
Speculation was fuelled earlier this year by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who suggested the league was pursuing a solution to finding an appropriate stadium in the Chicago market.
In 2018, Joe Mansueto, founder of Morningstar, bought a 49 per cent stake in Chicago Fire. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, he is the driving force behind the potential move back to Soccer Field.
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https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/08/new-indy-eleven-stadium-prospects-improve-lawmakers-scrap-major-league-soccer-franchise-requirement/3399401002/
New Indy Eleven stadium prospects improve as lawmakers scrap Major League Soccer franchise requirement
The Indy Eleven's hopes for a new stadium just got a lot better.
The Indiana House Ways and Means Committee voted unanimously Monday to allow the soccer team to negotiate with Indianapolis to build a $150 million soccer stadium without first attracting a Major League Soccer franchise.
That means the current incarnation of the Indy Eleven could play in the stadium.
As part of the proposal, Indianapolis would have to approve a special taxing district centered around the stadium to fund construction. The state's budget committee also would have to sign off.
Todd Huston, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, said the project may need to get started for MLS to take it seriously. Republicans and Democrats have increasingly emerged as united in the decision to create a way to make a deal happen.
"I think a lot of people see the excitement around the current team and see the momentum that soccer has in our society," Huston said. "Our committee has felt like it’s an exciting new opportunity. There's a general belief and excitement that professional soccer has got a lot of momentum and people want Indianapolis to be a part of it."
Still, it's not a done deal. The legislation now heads to the House floor, where more changes are possible. It's likely a House-Senate committee will negotiate a final version in the closing days of the legislature at month's end.
"Today’s vote is just the latest step in the legislative process and is a result of all sides working together to achieve a positive result," said Tim Phelps, a spokesman for Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir. "We will continue to work directly with legislators and all stakeholders as Senate Bill 7 continues to move through the Statehouse."
Senate Bill 7 has involved three proposals: a 25-year lease extension for the Indiana Pacers, a $120 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center and a $150 million soccer stadium.
Scrapping the MLS franchise requirement is a big change for lawmakers, who earlier this year required the team to enter into a 25-year agreement with MLS by 2022 as part of any stadium deal. The Senate approved the bill with that stipulation, 48-1.
It's a big opening for the Indy Eleven, which now doesn't need to worry about signing an elusive MLS franchise or paying the hefty expansion fee that has recently been as high as $150 million.
In December 2017, MLS announced it would expand from 24 to 28 teams. Three of those slots have been filled, and one remains open. Though future expansions are possible, MLS commissioner Don Garber recently discussed such plans that didn't include Indianapolis.
The city applied but was not chosen, in part because it did not have funding for a stadium.
The House committee that voted Monday left in one hefty stipulation the Senate added: The team must pay 20 percent of the construction cost before receiving taxpayer funds, either up front or in annual payments.
To fund the remaining cost of the stadium, the legislation would allow the Indy Eleven to use cash from a special taxing district around the team's proposed development.
Ozdemir, who runs the development company Keystone Group, has proposed the $550 million development called Eleven Park, which would include $400 million in private investment in restaurants, shops, offices and apartments at a to-be-decided location, as well as the $150 million stadium and other public investments.
Ozdemir, who expanded team ownership to seven new investors this year, has said he's considering three locations in the city and sent a letter to Indianapolis Public Schools offering to purchase Broad Ripple High School.
He has pledged that his six-year-old franchise would pay for any shortfalls if the development does not generate enough taxes to cover the cost of the stadium.
Still, some lawmakers are concerned the state ultimately may have to bail Ozdemir out if he can't afford to pay back the debt.
The Indy Eleven plays its home matches at Lucas Oil Stadium. Ozdemir has for years been pushing the state help to build a stadium for the team, but lawmakers have balked at providing public subsidies.
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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2019/04/07/offside-remarks-when-metro-soccer-goes-from-boom-to-bust/
OFFSIDE REMARKS: When metro soccer goes from boom to bust
HARRISON, N.J. — Just a few years ago, we enjoyed a soccer boom in the metropolitan area.
In 2015, New York City FC took its first competitive kick in Major League Soccer behind the likes of David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard. The new team did not fare that well in its maiden season, but certainly generated a lot of excitement. The Red Bulls captured the Supporters Shield and the Cosmos, buoyed by the legendary Raul, won the North American Soccer League title.
It got even better in 2016. An improved NYCFC squad, under the guidance of Patrick Vieira, gave the Red Bulls a run for their money for Supporters Shield glory, but the latter prevailed. And the Cosmos won their second consecutive NASL title.
Let’s speed forward to 2019 and take the professional soccer temperature of the metropolitan area as of April 7.
Let’s see, the ninth-place Red Bulls, the 2018 Supporters Shield winners, have stumbled out to a poor 1-3-1 start. They have lost three successive matches under Chris Armas, the most recent being a 2-1 home loss to Minnesota United Saturday night.
With Dome Torrent in charge, 11th-place NYCFC has been a nothing short of a disaster, accruing but four points in five games while struggling to a 0-1-4 mark. That includes a pair of scoreless draws on an atrocious Yankee Stadium field, including Saturday’s result.
As for the Cosmos, we won’t know their early-season prognosis until August, when they embark to play in their next professional league, the National Premier Soccer League Founders Cup. Before then they will play in the semi-pro NPSL starting April 27.
The Red Bulls’ and NYCFC’s records are a combined and an abysmal 1-4-5 start, with eight points out of a possible 30.
At the moment, we are going through a soccer recession. If their fall from grace continues, we could call it a depression. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
The slow starts for the Red Bulls and City are worrisome.
NYCFC, which had trouble winning even when Torrent took over last summer, can’t kick itself out of a paper bag these days. The team hasn’t been able to score goals, especially after the departure of star striker David Villa to Japan.
A good portion of City’s results this season have taken similar paths. They will outplay the opposition, outshoot their foes, but cannot find the net.
Brazilian forward Heber, who made his debut as a late-match substitute Saturday, showed promise in limited minutes. But then again, there have been dozens of other foreign forwards who were high on potential but low on goal-scoring celebrations.
There have been some rumblings out of the NYCFC camp that Torrent has lost the team. If that is true, expect some of thoses T’s to turn into L’s. And, if that occurs, don’t be surprised if the powers that be in Manchester give him the hook. It might sound like an internal transfer back to the English Premier League team or to another team in the Manchester City empire.
The Red Bulls have their own problems. They scored four times in their 4-1 triumph over the lowly San Jose Earthquakes but have struggled against the rest of the league with only two goals in their four other matches.
Bradley Wright-Phillips has gotten off to a rotten start with one goal as the Red Bulls have had their problems setting up the striker in dangerous positions. It remains to be seen how Kaku’s offseason disappointment of not being transferred to Club America in Mexico has hurt his performances, but it looks like it hasn’t help. The other theory impeding Wright-Phillips’ goal-scoring prowess is his age. BWP is 34, a precarious age for forwards. Losing a little speed here or some quickness there could be devastating for a high-scoring forward. Perhaps he can find his finishing touch.
Both teams’ problems have one common denominator — they are without young holding/defensive midfielders who made a difference in the past couple of years.
That would be Yangel Herrera, who was a dynamic force during his short NYCFC tenure before ManCity decided to pull back his MLS loan and lend him to Huesca in Spain. He broke up plays and helped initiate attacks. NYCFC has not found anyone else to replace him.
Ditto for the Red Bulls and Tyler Adams, who is turning heads in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig. Adams had/has the speed and work ethic to be part of the attack and then recover back on defense. Hardly the last word in attacking soccer, the Wappingers Falls, N.Y. native certainly found time to impact an impact. During a seven-pass scoring sequence against Columbus Crew SC in the Eastern Conference semifinals series last year, Adams touched the ball three times.
And here’s a crazy number to throw into the mix:
Pro soccer teams in the New York area just don’t fare well or come close to reaching their potential in years ending with nine.
In 1979, the Cosmos failed to reach Soccer Bowl, the only time during a six-year period in which they won four NASL titles. They were eliminated in the semifinals.
For the Red Bulls, it has been disastrous. They were horrendous in 1999 during the reign of error of Bora Milutinovic and were just as hopeless in 2009, a season after reaching MLS Cup during a Cinderella-like run during the playoffs.
Can both teams bounce back and break the “nine curse?”
Of course they can. There is plenty of time left in the season. Red Bulls captain Luis Robles reminded the media how the Red Bulls rebounded from that nightmare 1-6 start in 2016 to win the Eastern Conference crown with the third-best record in the league.
While Torrent has a fabulous background coaching in Europe and as Pep Guardiola’s first lieutenant, we all know of the problems many foreign coaches have faced trying to cope with soccer, American- and MLS-style (with his countless rules and regulations).
Quite frankly, unless NYCFC turns it around quickly, I just don’t see Torrent surviving the season. If that is the case, then we could say that City is in a real soccer depression.
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https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2019/04/08/lloyd-scores-twice-in-uswnts-rout-of-belgium/
Lloyd scores twice in USWNT’s rout of Belgium
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https://www.independent.ng/arjen-robben-interested-more-in-mls-than-inter-milan/
Arjen Robben Interested More In MLS Than Inter Milan
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http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/sacramento-republic-mls-expansion-252m-stadium
Sacramento up MLS expansion stakes with $252m stadium plan
City and investor Ron Burkle agree various packages to attract new franchise.
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https://www.ibj.com/articles/73228-update-lawmakers-drop-mls-requirement-for-indy-eleven-stadium
UPDATE: Lawmakers drop MLS requirement for Indy Eleven stadium
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https://sbcamericas.com/2019/04/08/betting-on-sports-america-hits-major-leagues-with-sporting-delegates/
Betting on Sports America hits major leagues with sporting delegates
Teams from all of the major professional sports leagues across the US are flocking to Betting on Sports America, the biggest dedicated sports betting trade show in the country taking place at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey from 23-25 April.
Representatives from teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS, as well as from international leagues such as La Liga will be attending Betting on Sports America, including the Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76-ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Jersey Devils, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Union and New York Red Bulls.
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http://www.sportspromedia.com/announcements/betting-on-sports-america-hits-major-leagues-with-sporting-delegates
Betting on Sports America hits major leagues with sporting delegates
Teams from all of the major professional sports leagues across the US are flocking to Betting on Sports America, the biggest dedicated sports betting trade show in the country taking place at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in New Jersey from 23-25 April.
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https://www.foxsports.com.my/football/transfer-buzz/71548/reports-manchester-united-star-all-set-to-join-wayne-rooney-at-d-c-united/
Reports: Manchester United star all set to join Wayne Rooney at D.C. United
After David Beckham, Bastian Schweinstiger, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney, a fifth Manchester United star is all set for a move to the Major League Soccer (MLS) – and it is none other than Antonio Valencia.
The Equadorian defender had not extended his current contract with the club that is set to end in 2019 June, and it was hence understood that he will leave the club in the upcoming summer.
A latest update on the player’s situation reveals that he will be joining his former teammate Wayne Rooney at D.C United in the MLS, as per SportBible‘s reports.
The agency reports that the United captain’s father, Luis, recently revealed to radio station Area Deportiva that the 33-year old has a two-year offer from an MLS club who were not named.
Immediately afterwards, the star himself gave rise to further talks by liking a tweet which indicated that he will be making a switch to D.C and reuniting with Rooney:
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https://mlsmultiplex.com/2019/04/08/toronto-fc-arjen-robben-can-take-reds-new-level/
Toronto FC: Arjen Robben can take Reds to new level
The latest star player to be linked to a possible MLS move is Bayern Munich’s, Arjen Robben, who has been named as a possible target for Toronto FC. The Dutch superstar would take the Reds to a new level.
Bundesliga legend Arjen Robben appears to be making a move to Major League Soccer at the conclusion of the 2018-19 European season. Reports have linked the Dutch winger to Toronto FC as the Reds look to land another star player.
Robben would be joining whichever club he ends up at on a free transfer, with his contract expiring this summer. This would be mean he could join Toronto at the end of Bayern Munich’s season without a transfer fee needing to be paid.
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