Also below, an Orlando take on the Miami and Tampa Bay MLS bids.
"Multiple reports say Beckham is close to working everything out and the team may begin playing in 2019." Who? Where are these sources? What reports? All I hear is Don Garber saying that MLS in Miami is real close to happening any time now; no specifics. There's your "multiple reports": multiple people repeating what Garber said. Not actual reports from multiple primary source; one primary source only.
And out of Miami Beckham United: nothing. Not a word. Last November Tim Leiweke said that MBU would have a big announcement by the end of the year; November and December came and went: nothing. Now we are getting this line from Garber that Miami will put something together real soon. I don't believe it.
This coming February 5th will be MBU's three year anniversary. Three years and nothing to show for it. Garber had better not delay approval of new MLS expansion sides while waiting on MBU to get its act together. Time to give up on Miami for now and give its spot to another market that has its act together. Like the Tampa Bay Rowdies for instance.
This comment is beyond absurd:
“Tampa so far, is very premature,” Lions CEO Alex Leitão told the Orlando Sentinel. “I mean, this whole expansion conversation you always try to defer to the league. It’s a lot of information here and there, but I think it’s very premature. Do I have any problem with there being a team in Tampa? Maybe not, but of course we have some protections and then if the moment comes, we’ll have to sit down and discuss those protections and see how that goes.”Yeah, "premature", and "defer to the league" and "information here and there" and "premature" again. Translation: "we don't know what's going on, we can't stop it, but you can be sure we'll have something to say about our 'rights' if the Tampa Bay Rowdies get into MLS". It's all bluster. The decision is in the hands of Don Garber and the MLS expansion committee. Phil Rawlins is on the MLS expansion committee, but he's effectively been kicked out of Orlando City SC. He's got no reason to shill for the current Orlando City majority ownership and its officials.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-city-lions/os-sp-mls-expansion-0128-story.html
Orlando, Miami and Tampa in different stages of MLS expansion
By Alicia DelGallo
A quick Google search of keywords like “MLS bid” or “MLS expansion” brings up pages of articles about various cities vying for a Major League Soccer franchise.
It also shows headlines such as “Charlotte’s MLS bid in limbo” or “St. Louis’ bid for soccer team back in play.”
While it seems nearly every major city without a top-tier soccer team wants to land a spot in the league, the path to meeting MLS’ requirements and fully realizing a franchise can be filled with dead ends, political push back, financial snags and unforeseen diversions.
Orlando navigated those setbacks fairly quickly. About 16 months after MLS commissioner Don Garber awarded Orlando City an MLS franchise in November 2013, the Lions played their inaugural game against NYCFC in Camping World Stadium (then the Citrus Bowl).
Now entering its third season, Orlando City is a model of success as competition to join the league spikes and markets across the country, including Miami and Tampa Bay, vie to become MLS ready.
“Orlando has exceeded all expectations,” Garber said of the club and market shortly after announcing a timeline for expansion in December. This new growth will eventually will bring the league to 28 teams.
Minnesota United FC and Atlanta United FC begin play this year for a total of 22 teams. Los Angeles FC will take the field in 2018.
Miami, backed by David Beckham’s ownership group, was supposed to enter at the same time as LAFC as team No. 24, but there have been three failed stadium sites since announcing the franchise in 2014 and now Miami Beckham United group is stalled trying to secure additional equity partners.
Meanwhile, Garber’s Jan. 31 deadline for others to submit expansion applications is two days away. Cities with ownership groups that have publicly expressed interest include Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego, Tampa/St. Petersburg and, recently, Phoenix.
They must provide a business plan with projections, commitment letters for naming rights, potential sponsors, an overview of community support, an outline of the ownership structure and plans for a soccer-specific stadium, according to Garber.
The plan is to select the next two expansion teams by the end of 2017, have them start playing by 2020 and then craft a timeline for the final expansion round of teams No. 27 and 28.
“We need to resolve the Miami situation so we can go forward with our expansion plans and 25 through 28,” Garber said. “And if they're not going to be 24, then there are going to be things that need to move around.”
Orlando’s pitch
When first approached with the idea of bringing a MLS team to Orlando, Mayor Buddy Dyer thought it made business sense. The City of Orlando only had one professional sports team at the time, the NBA’s Orlando Magic. But, he was more of a baseball and football kind of guy. It took the vision and enthusiasm of Orlando City founder Phil Rawlins to make Dyer a true believer that the beautiful game could thrive in the City Beautiful.
“When Orlando City came to us and said, ‘We have a window of time, a window of opportunity that we need to make an MLS franchise happen,’ we all got together and worked off the same page,” Dyer said. “I think we have a good history of working together in partnership and collaboration, and we’ve cultivated that through the course of the last decade, whether it was working to bring the UCF medical school here, SunRail, the original community venues agreement... So we’ve kind of got this template where we bring the tourism community, we bring the development community and local governments together.”
Those partnerships helped when Orlando City hit road blocks in its planning process. One of the first was finding land for the stadium. The current plot downtown in the Parramore neighborhood was selected amid community concerns, and there also was a church on the proposed lot that didn’t want to move. So, the stadium was moved slightly, over a retention area the city owned.
There also were hiccups with the original funding plan, which included Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties, along with some state funding and money from the team. Orlando City’s majority owner quickly decided to privately fund the stadium so they could move things along as quickly as possible.
“Every time there seemed to be a road block, we were able to come together and overcome that,” Dyer said.
Moving swiftly was beneficial for Orlando City, which paid a $70 million expansion fee. The fee for new teams joining will be $150 million now and reportedly could increase to $200 million, another reason the Miami situation needs to be worked out.
Waiting on Beckham
Beckham received a massive discount on his entry fee, $25 million, an option that was included in his playing contract when he was with the LA Galaxy.
MLS has been understanding and lenient with the Beckham ownership group, which includes American Idol creator Simon Fuller and Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, the past three years as its struggled with similar issues.
The group failed to secure land for a 25,000-seat stadium at the Port of Miami because of push back from the cruise lines, at an unused boat slip near AmericanAirlines Stadium because it would have needed to use a portion of a park owned by the city, and a lot near Marlins Park because private land needed at the site could not be secured.
Finally, Miami Beckham United purchased six acres of private land in the Overtown neighborhood, northwest of downtown Miami, for $19 million, according to the Miami Herald. Miami-Dade County agreed to sell an adjoining three acres, but the deal is stalled while Beckham and Co. interview other potential investors.
Garber said there is a deadline on the deal but will not disclose when that is.
“We are very focused on Miami being our 24th team. And we’ll continue to work with them to try to achieve that,” Garber said. “I remain a big believer in the importance of Miami to extending MLS’s reach to south of the border and to connect with a very diverse and culturally important city in our country.”
“We have a lot invested in it because of the amount of time we’ve spent on it. Everybody needs to understand, including David and his partners, that we’ve worked hard, and it’s time for us to reach a conclusion.”
Multiple reports say Beckham is close to working everything out and the team may begin playing in 2019.
According to Tadd Schwartz a Miami-based spokesman for the Miami Beckham United group, the team is committed to South Florida and working hard to get the deal done.
"Home to a diverse population including many who came to Florida from places where soccer is the national sport, direct access to Europe and Latin America, a passionate fan base, and the highest rates of TV soccer viewership in the U.S., Florida is prime territory for MLS expansion,” Schwartz said, adding the group looks forward to creating rivalries with other clubs in Florida.
Tampa Bay makes a play
With Miami under a ticking deadline, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have stepped into the discussion. The Rowdies just moved from the North American Soccer League to the United Soccer League, which recently surpassed the NASL as the second-tier soccer league in the United States.
The Rowdies have a rich history and large fan base. Majority owner Bill Edwards has been very vocal the last few months about his desire to bring the Rowdies into MLS and the club created a social media campaign #MLS2StPete.
The path for the Rowdies may be even more convoluted than Miami, however, because Orlando City owns the MLS and television rights for Central and North Florida.
Representatives for the Tampa Bay Rowdies were not immediately available for comment.
“Tampa so far, is very premature,” Lions CEO Alex Leitão told the Orlando Sentinel. “I mean, this whole expansion conversation you always try to defer to the league. It’s a lot of information here and there, but I think it’s very premature. Do I have any problem with there being a team in Tampa? Maybe not, but of course we have some protections and then if the moment comes, we’ll have to sit down and discuss those protections and see how that goes.”
As fees and competition rise, the benefits of Orlando City’s timeliness in entering the league continue to show. And though there were detours, it seems inevitable the Lions will soon have an in-state rival. The only question is where?
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2017/01/29/saint-leos-keith-fulk-to-lead-rowdies-tampa-bay-united-u-s-soccer-development-academy-teams/2546
Saint Leo’s Keith Fulk to Lead Rowdies, Tampa Bay United U.S. Soccer Development Academy Teams
by JAKE NUTTING
Another facet of the Tampa Bay Rowdies bid to win an expansion spot in Major League Soccer was made public recently.
Saint Leo University has announced that Keith Fulk has stepped down after six seasons in charge of the school’s men’s team to accept a new role in youth development with the Rowdies. Fulk will serve as the director of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy teams under the umbrella of a new partnership between the Rowdies and Tampa Bay United (TBU).
Neither the Rowdies nor Tampa Bay United have made the deal official, but an independent source has confirmed the news to be true.
“It’s definitely something different and it’s a change. It’s a chance to coach coaches in addition to coaching players,” Fulk said of his position with the Rowdies.
“I want to thank Fran (Reidy) and the Saint Leo administration for giving me the opportunity to build a great soccer program and touch young peoples’ lives,” Fulk added. “I feel this program is a lot stronger than when I started. I want to thank my alumni and my current players, who left an impression on me and from whom I learned a lot; I hope they learned as much from me as learned from them. I’m grateful for the opportunity to coach them.”
A native of Pennsylvania, Fulk has been a prominent figure in the Tampa Bay soccer scene for over 30 years. In his freshman year at the University of Tampa, Fulk and his teammates claimed the school’s first national title. After eight years of playing professional indoor soccer, Fulk returned to the Spartans as an assistant coach. Eventually Fulk advanced to the head coaching position at UT, leading his alma mater to three Sunshine State Conference titles and three NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. During his final season with the Spartans in 2001, the school posted an unbeaten record of 19W-0L-2D and claimed the national championship, earning Fulk Coach of the Year honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
After a brief stint with the West Virginia University Mountaineers, Fulk joined U.S. Soccer as an assistant for the U-17 national team. Following eight years with U.S. Soccer, Fulk returned to coaching in the Bay Area with the IMG Academy in 2010. The next year he landed at Saint Leo, where he captured two Sunshine State Conference titles and made three NCAA tournament appearances.
The Rowdies making moves to organize some type of player development program is almost certainly an effort to strengthen the team’s bid for a spot in MLS. Owner Bill Edwards has pledged to privately finance the necessary stadium expansion at Al Lang and pay the league’s $150 million expansion fee, but MLS Commissioner Don Garber outlined in December that bidders should also show a commitment toward investing in several other areas. Player development would be a prime example of one such area.
It’s not the first time the Rowdies have dipped their toes into the waters of youth development. In Edwards’ first year as owner, the team formed a partnership with another prominent program in the region, Charges SC. The deal was meant to give the Rowdies an advisory role in technical aspects of the Chargers Development Academy. Apart from a few soccer clinics and discounted tickets for kids in the program, though, the partnership has not appeared particularly active over the last three years.
At this time it’s unclear what the nature of the relationship between the Rowdies and TBU will be. TBU currently fields Development Academy teams at the U-12, U-13 and U-14 levels. In contrast, Chargers SC cover every age group from U-12 to U-17/18.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/growth-development/sd-fi-mikestone-20170126-story.html
San Diego's new white knight? Mike Stone and pro soccer
By Roger Showley
If San Diego needs a white knight after losing the Chargers, Mike Stone might be the one.
He and his fellow investors have proposed replacing the NFL with the MLS, making soccer, not football, San Diego’s rally-around, civic-spirit-raising sport. The plan includes demolishing Qualcomm Stadium and replacing it with a 30,000-seat facility for both soccer and college football.
With the Bolts gone, the city faces a roughly $13 million annual upkeep cost and a mounting list of deferred maintenance items nearing $100 million. Also, there are annual payments for another decade on $28 million in bonds and 166 acres of a prime nonperforming city asset with a major trolley line running through it.
The existential question for Mission Valley, the city, the region and the voters is should they spend years planning, marketing and hoping somebody takes the site off their hands and makes something of it or anoint Stone as the knight-errant to save a city in distress.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.marca.com/en/football/international-football/2017/01/29/588e2236268e3e592a8b4637.html
Europe under constant siege from new and exotic leagues
Through the financial power its clubs have displayed over the last couple years, the Chinese Super League has undoubtedly become the biggest menace against the dominance asserted by the best European football leagues.
However, this is not the first time LaLiga, the Premier League, the Bundesliga, et al. have had to deal with an emerging competitor.
. . .
North Americans take note
In 1975, the New York Cosmos signed an aging Pele, who had never left the Brazilian Serie A, in a smart move to attract better talent towards the newly funded NASL (North American Soccer League).
Singer Elton John convinced his friend George Best to join the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1976, where Johan Cruyff also showcased his skills after leaving Barcelona.
Portugal legend Eusebio also had brief stints with the Boston Minutemen, Las Vegas Quicksilvers and New Jersey Americans.
German standouts Gerd Muller (Fort Lauderdale Strikers) and Franz Beckenbauer (NY Cosmos) opted to play overseas in the later stages of their careers too.
Despite all these high-profile signings, the NASL was shut down in 1984 due to lack of interest and sponsorships.
. . .
In 2007, the arrival of David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy paved the way for bona fide stars like David Villa, Didier Drogba, Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, Kaka, and Sebastian Giovinco to play in the MLS (Major League Soccer).
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/sd-sp-mls-20170129-story.html
Soccer fans seem hungry for MLS in San Diego
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/01/29/nashville-embraces-underdog-label-major-league-soccer-pursuit/96112638/
Nashville embraces ‘underdog’ label in Major League Soccer pursuit
(Follow link for full article.)
http://azbigmedia.com/ab/phoenix-home-mls-expansion-team
Phoenix could be home for MLS expansion team
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http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/751106
VISTA, USL Productions Form Cutting-Edge Initiative
Partnership with global production company provides strong multimedia launchpad
DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Walking through the offices and studios of VISTA Worldlink, the worldwide organization the United Soccer League partnered with last year to create USL Productions, the scope of possibility the multimedia company brings to the league quickly becomes apparent.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tbreporter.com/sports-and-recreation/major-league-soccer-returns-st-pete-rowdies-suncoast-invitational/
Major League Soccer Returns to St. Pete with Rowdies Suncoast Invitational
The second annual Rowdies Suncoast Invitational is set to return to the sunshine of St. Petersburg this February, with five Major League Soccer clubs set to compete alongside the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/749696
Burke, Lowe Lead USL Players in Jamaica Squad
Nine players with USL ties to meet United States on Friday in exhibition
Bethlehem Steel FC forward Cory Burke and Tampa Bay Rowdies defender Damion Lowe were among nine current and former USL players named to the Jamaica National Team squad that will face the United States on Friday, Feb. 3 at Finlay Stadium.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.satprnews.com/2017/01/27/phoenix-on-consideration-list-for-mls-expansion-team/
Phoenix on Consideration List for MLS Expansion Team
PHOENIX, Jan. 27, 2017 — Phoenix Rising FC will be submitting an application for a Major League Soccer (MLS) Expansion Team franchise following a meeting between MLS executives and Phoenix Rising FC owners last Friday in New York City.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/2017/1/28/14422144/lowcounty-united-npsl-expansion-charleston
Lowcounty United playing the long-game when it comes to NPSL expansion
The Charleston-area club is looking to establish roots in the community before launching a bid to join NPSL
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tbreporter.com/sports-and-recreation/kriseman-meets-baseball-commissioner/
Kriseman Meets with Baseball Commissioner
The St. Petersburg mayor updated the commissioner on the city’s Baseball Forever campaign.
ST. PETERSBURG – Mayor Rick Kriseman met with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred at the commissioner’s office in New York City this past week.
Kriseman updated the commissioner about St. Petersburg’s Baseball Forever Campaign and shared the community’s vision for the Tropicana Field site – a vision that includes a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.themaneland.com/2017/1/28/14420710/lion-links-1-28-17
Lion Links: 1/28/17
Orlando trades for a new keeper, OCB to take on the Rowdies in the season opener, Bruce Arena names his squad, and more.
USL Announces Home Openers
It will be a miniature version of the I-4 Derby to start the United Soccer League season as OCB is slated to travel to St. Petersburg and open the year in Al Lang Stadium on March 25 against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. It will be weird to see Luke Boden wearing the green and gold hoops of the Rowdies for the first time. They’ll finally get to play a match in the new downtown digs on March 30 as the young Lions welcome former Lion James O’Connor and Louisville City FC. It’s unfortunate that they have to open the home schedule on a Thursday but I suppose that’s a drawback of having three teams sharing the same stadium. But I think the trade-off of centralizing the first and second teams is probably worth it. The rest of the schedule for OCB’s second season should drop soon.
City Players Excited for New Stadium
There’s been a lot of talk about what Orlando City’s new downtown stadium will mean for the fans. The parking and tailgating changes, the safe standing section, and the march from Church Street just two blocks to the ground have all been talked about at length. But Jason Kreis has been adamant about how the new atmosphere will push the players, and as Simon Veness of MLSSoccer.com says, the players are just as excited as the fans.
“We shouldn’t lose any home game there,” said Cyle Larin. “The fans deserve it and I think it will create a great atmosphere when we play there.”And even more important than the atmosphere could be the grass. The turf at Camping World Stadium has claimed several ligaments over the past two years so hopefully we can keep people healthy for the whole year.
“Playing on grass is totally different. It’s much better,” said Antonio Nocerino. “The speed and bounce of the ball; a player’s movement, directions, timing; everything is different. It is more natural and normal for us to play on grass again. Now we need to turn this stadium into the definition of a home advantage. We want to make teams coming in uncomfortable and make each home game feel like a cup final.”It will be great to finally see it all put together on March 5.
Phoenix Joins Race for MLS Expansion
MLS likes the idea of filling holes in the map. So to fill the giant gap between Los Angeles and Dallas, as well as get involved in one of the largest media markets in the country, the league has invited Phoenix Rising FC to enter the expansion coversation. Fans of Orlando City during its USL days will remember the club as Arizona United SC, which at one point had City legends Rob Valentino, Dennis Chin, and Long Tan under contract at the same time.
The league has considered Phoenix for the last 13 years, ever since officials toured potential stadium sites. They join Detroit, Sacramento, San Diego, and Cincinnati, among others, who could potentially submit expansion bids for the next four teams allowed in. Having land for a stadium gives them a leg up over some outfits if the league wants to avoid another situation like Beckham’s Miami franchise. The deadline for submissions for places 25 and 26 is Tuesday.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.wralsportsfan.com/nasl-commissioner-sehgal-remains-bullish-about-2017-and-beyond/16474717/
NASL Commissioner Sehgal remains 'bullish' about 2017 and beyond
Three days after receiving provisional Division II sanctioning for 2017 from the U.S. Soccer Federation, the North American Soccer League (NASL) parted ways with Commissioner Bill Peterson following a four-year tenure. The league’s owners tapped Rishi Sehgal as its interim commissioner. The 37-year-old Sehgal earned his J.D. in 2005 from American University, and he joined the NASL in 2010 as its Director of Business Development and Legal Affairs, a position he held until earlier this month.
Commissioner Sehgal spoke with WRALSportsFan by telephone Thursday on a wide range of NASL issues, beginning with his post-mortem of the recent grueling sanctioning process before segueing into the league’s short- and long-range aims:
(Follow link for full article.)
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/01/27/new-york-red-bulls-jesse-marsch-new-york-cosmos-mls-nasl/
Schwartz: With Drama Subsiding, Red Bulls, Cosmos Focus On Preseason
Defending MLS Regular Season Champs, Reigning NASL Kingpins Can Finally Focus Entirely On The Pitch
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/01/27/mls-expansion-city-raleigh-north-carolina-fc-steve-malik
MLS expansion city profile: Raleigh
Market Analysis
The Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill, NC Combined Statistical Area (CSA), as it’s known officially by the U.S. government, is a relative newcomer to the big-market, big-league scene and it remains in search of a consistent identity. Different constituencies call it by different names (but please, don’t say “Raleigh-Durham”) and its only major pro sports team plays a game that’s hardly traditional in the Southeast or Piedmont or whatever part of the country you think that area of North Carolina occupies.
The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006, but the franchise still hasn’t found much traction. It’s dead last in average NHL attendance this season, and the Hartford Whalers logo it used to wear is still more recognizable than the current swirling red-and-black puck storm thing. Thanks to Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon, the same probably could be said of the AAA Durham Bulls.
The region’s most significant sporting traditions occur outside the “big four.” College basketball is king. The sport unites not-Raleigh-Durham, while the rivalries divide it. The universities in the Research Triangle (there’s another name) play along Tobacco Road (and another). UNC (Chapel Hill), Duke (Durham) and NC State (Raleigh) have won a combined 12 NCAA titles. They don’t field national championship-contending football teams, but the ACC is a competitive, high-profile league and the two state schools averaged more than 50,000 fans last season (Duke came in just under 30,000).
Then there’s soccer. One doesn’t necessarily think of the Research Triangle as a place with deep soccer roots, but Steve Malik thinks you should. And if you dig beneath the hardwood-covered portion of Tobacco Road, you’ll see he’s got a point.
“We’re a soccer city,” said the healthcare IT entrepreneur, who was raised in eastern North Carolina and is a proud UNC alumnus. “What great women’s player hasn’t played at WakeMed Soccer Park? We’ve got that history of youth soccer, tremendous numbers and a history of success. North Carolina FC has all the relationships with the academies and deep ties to the community, and you’ll see us doing the same kind of thing on the women’s side. Anson Dorrance and North Carolina, what more can you say? More than 20 national championships. And on the men’s side, [UNC] were in the final four [in December] and came close to winning it all, and they have won it all.”
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