Don Garber hints at retirement during D.C. United stadium groundbreaking

This is a misleading headline: properly parsed, it actually means "Garber hints that he isn't going to be retiring as MLS commissioner any time soon". 

Because the New England Revolution are very close to getting their own soccer specific stadium (SSS), always have been, and always will be. 

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http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/don-garber-hints-at-retirement-during-d-c-united-stadium-groundbreaking-022817

Don Garber hints at retirement during D.C. United stadium groundbreaking

WASHINGTON D.C. — For MLS Commissioner Don Garber, the groundbreaking for new D.C. United stadium Audi Field on Monday was a relief … and puts him one step closer to being able to walk away from the job with a legacy he feels good about.

On a cloudy, chilly day on Buzzard Point, the spot on D.C.’s southwest riverfront where United hopes to open its new stadium in summer 2018, hundreds of fans, media members, and city employees gathered to break ground on the site that will become Audi Field. Moments after putting shovel to dirt, Garber spoke about the club needing to finally get its own home.

“Our league needed one of its most historic — if not its most historic team — to be a frontrunner as opposed to being one of those teams that just couldn’t get it done,” Garber said.

“So we have one more to do in New England,” Garber said, smiling. “I think that’s the one where I might hang up the cleats, at that groundbreaking.”

Garber turns 60 this year, and has been serving as MLS Commissioner since 1999, a tenure of 18 years.

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http://wtar.com/don-garber-hints-at-retirement-during-d-c-united-stadium-groundbreaking/

Don Garber hints at retirement during D.C. United stadium groundbreaking

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https://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2017/02/28/mls-commissioner-don-garber-speaks-cnbc-about-league-growth-ahead-2017-season

MLS Commissioner Don Garber speaks to CNBC about league growth ahead of 2017 season | INSIDER

CARSON, Calif. -- MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke to CNBC about the league's growth ahead of the 2017 MLS Regular Season.

In an interview with the financial news network, Garber discussed his previously stated goals to have MLS be among the top leagues in the world. Garber also notes that he hopes that the league becomes a league for "a new America."

Check out the video above.

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http://www.thebentmusket.com/2017/2/28/14767544/fox-soccer-rob-stone-blasts-new-england-revolution-kraft-sirius-xm

FOX Soccer’s Rob Stone Blasts Revolution

Stone is mad as hell and just can’t take it anymore, he’s probably not alone.

Opening week of the MLS season is upon us and there is excitement all around the league. DC United is getting a new stadium, expansion sides Atlanta United and Minnesota United are joining the league and Rob Stone is putting the New England Revolution on full blast.

In an appearance on SiriusXM Radio, the Fox Soccer host didn’t hold back when discussing the Revs, in particular citing ownership for lack of commitment to the current MLS side while the NFL Patriots win Super Bowls. Below is a transcript of the rant that can also be found in the above link:

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https://buffalonews.com/2017/02/28/npsl-releases-fc-buffalos-2017-schedule/

NPSL releases FC Buffalo's 2017 schedule

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https://www.orlandocitysc.com/post/2017/02/27/pros-peter-walton-reveals-four-new-points-emphasis-2017-mls-season 

PRO's Peter Walton reveals four new points of emphasis for 2017 MLS season

MLS officials will focus on four new points of emphasis in the 2017 season, Professional Referee Organization general manager Peter Walton said in a conference call with reporters Friday.

Walton said that MLS referees have been instructed to pay closer attention to holding and pushing in the penalty area on set pieces, acts of visual dissent, deliberate delaying of restarts, and persistent infringement.

He also outlined the changes to the Laws of the Game that will take effect in MLS for the first time this season. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body that decides on changes to the Laws of the Game, changed several of the sport’s rules last May.

The major changes include no longer automatically giving red cards for denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity in the penalty area, kickoffs now being permitted to be played in any direction, and players who were injured by a yellow or red card foul now being able to briefly receive treatment on the field without having to come off.

The amended rules were in effect at international tournaments last summer and are currently in place in European leagues that began their seasons in August, but were not put into effect in MLS in 2016, as the season had already begun by the time the changes were ratified.

A full rundown of the IFAB rule changes can be found here. Details on the new points of emphasis are below:

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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/sports/soccer/atlanta-united-fc-major-league-soccer-team.html?_r=0

Atlanta Has Fan Clubs. Now It’s Going to Play Some M.L.S. Games, Too.

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/3070576/major-league-soccer-encouraging-investment-in-homegrown-players

Major League Soccer encouraging investment in homegrown players

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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/major-league-soccers-eight-pressing-questions-going-into-the-2017-season-113703409.html

Major League Soccer's eight pressing questions going into the 2017 season

3. What does the next round of expansion look like?

The line for the two next teams goes out the door and around the block. With LAFC already announced as the 23rd franchise and the 24th still being held for David Beckham’s forever-stalled plans in Miami, there will be two more teams starting in a few years, and two more a while after that to take the league to 28 teams.

There are no fewer than 12 markets under consideration for those four spots – or five, should Miami fall through. Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis and Tampa/St. Petersburg. The process of the league sifting through the pile and trying to pick the right ones will be captivating.

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http://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/orlando-city-sc-new-stadium-mls-2017-preview

New stadium, new fortunes? What to expect from Orlando City in 2017

MLS' newest facility will arguably be the league's best. But what will the soccer be like from the home team?

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3071154/mls-embrace-of-young-dps-has-league-shedding-retirement-league-image

Embrace of young DPs has MLS shedding 'retirement league' image

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https://www.soundersfc.com/post/2017/02/28/major-league-soccer-increases-available-roster-spots-homegrown-players

Major League Soccer increases available roster spots to incentivize more Homegrown signings

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http://www.freep.com/story/sports/2017/02/28/mls-expansion-committee-meeting-with-detroit/98554502/

MLS expansion committee could meet with Detroit in May or June

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-mls-is-growing-in-teamsjust-not-profits-1488311645

The MLS Is Growing in Teams—Just Not Profits

Despite uneven attendance and middling TV ratings, investors view the soccer league as a long-term investment and are eager to get in on its expansion

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http://talksport.com/football/every-2017-mls-primary-jersey-ranked-worst-first-170301229501

Every 2017 MLS primary jersey ranked - from worst to first!

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http://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/2017-mls-season-preview-stories-to-watch

Four under-the-radar stories to watch during the 2017 MLS season

Champions, contenders, big-picture growth. The headlines are the same this time of the season, but here are the other stories to watch as 2017 unfolds.

The ongoing evolution of MLS marketing

We’ve written about this before, but a certain balance is increasingly being tipped – and 2017 will see the conversation slant further still.

There’s “old MLS marketing” and newer MLS marketing. The “old” is focused more on selling games as “events” and creating soccer fans. You see it more in the older markets. The new way is about selling “love of the club,” about convincing young soccer fans to become local supporters, impassioned partisans who will march to matches even in the old mailman’s misery: rain, snow, gloom of night, etc.

Orlando’s new $155 million stadium has a standing section. It may not immediately match Dortmund’s famed Westfalenstadion for pep and punch, but what says “passionate supporters” like an area where folks stand and howl for two solid hours?

Atlanta is racing past 30,000 season tickets sold, and you can bet the majority aren’t families looking for something fun on a few Saturday nights. North of there, Minnesota United’s supporters group – the spectacularly named Dark Clouds – seem energized and active and primed to keep growing.

We know all about the teeming scenes around Seattle, Portland, Kansas City and MLS destinations that look increasingly Seattle- and Portland-esque. Committing to the conversion in overall marketing strategy will become more palatable as a bigger bulk of clubs demonstrate the “hows” and “whys” of it – along with those impressive, bottom line final results.

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/3071581/scheduling-issues-holding-up-vaunted-liga-mx-versus-mls-tournament

Scheduling issues holding up vaunted Liga MX, MLS tournament

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http://www.soccerwire.com/notes/new-york-sc-joins-womens-premier-soccer-league/

New York SC joins Women’s Premier Soccer League

"He signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL in 2015, but after a promising first season with the club, Adu was left on the bench in favor of Joe Cole for the 2016 season."

Ah, no. That is not what happened. 

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http://www.goal.com/en-ke/news/4539/transfer-zone/2017/02/28/33152102/source-former-prodigy-freddy-adu-receives-offers-from-poland-and-

Source: Former prodigy Freddy Adu receives offers from Poland and Asia

Ives Galarcep

Feb 28, 2017 17:52:30

Amid reports from Poland of an imminent move for the former U.S. international, a source tells Goal that Adu is also weighing offers from Asia.

Freddy Adu’s soccer odyssey appears set to take him abroad once again.

The former prodigy, fresh off an unsuccessful trial with the Portland Timbers, is weighing an offer from Polish second-division club Sandecja Nowy Sacz, a source close to Adu confirmed to Goal. Reports surfaced on Tuesday suggesting Adu is close to signing, but Goal's source says Adu only received the offer on Tuesday, and has not accepted it. He has yet to travel to Poland to finalize it, contrary to reports in Poland.

Martino leaving his mark on Atlanta

The club had released a statement on Monday indicating it held talks with Adu, but that it had balked at the financial demands.

Sources also tell Goal that Adu is also considering offers from Asia. Adu seriously considered a move to South Korea prior to his move to Brazilian side Bahia in 2013.

The former U.S. international, who began his professional career at age 14 with MLS side D.C. United, has struggled to find playing time at any level recently. He signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL in 2015, but after a promising first season with the club, Adu was left on the bench in favor of Joe Cole for the 2016 season. He left the Rowdies having just played 13 league matches for the club. Prior to that he found himself in Finland, where he played just five games for KuPS, and also had a brief spell with Serbian club FK Jagodina.

The last time Adu played with any regularity for a first-division team was in 2012, when he suited up for the Philadelphia Union after a brief resurgence that saw him play a part in the U.S. run to the 2011 Gold Cup final. He fell out of favor with the Union though, precipitating a departure after two seasons, with Adu leaving for Bahia.

Adu spent a few weeks on trial with the Timbers at the end of January, but the team elected not to sign him to a contract. 

"It isn't easy getting into our squad when you look at players like (Darlington) Nagbe, (Diego) Valeri, (Fanendo) Adi, (Darren) Mattocks and (Sebastian) Blanco," Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson told Goal at the time. "It was always going to be tough for Freddy, however we felt he deserved the opportunity."

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http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/article135502003.html

MLS increases rosters from 28 to 30 for homegrown players

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http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/02/27/dc-united-stadium-groundbreaking-buzzard-point-audi-field

It finally happened: D.C. United breaks ground on new, own stadium

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http://www.tampaspartans.com/sports/msoc/2016-17/releases/20170227fw78rr

UT Set to Host Tampa Bay Rowdies for 13th Annual Fitz Fest