Miami-Dade commissioner: How much longer are we going to wait for David Beckham?

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http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article138297438.html

Miami-Dade County

March 13, 2017 6:22 PM

Miami-Dade commissioner: How much longer are we going to wait for David Beckham?

Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez suggests that county land slated for a David Beckham soccer stadium be used to provide affordable housing instead.

By Douglas Hanks

As soccer fans continue to wait for David Beckham to announce a stadium deal, one Miami-Dade commissioner floated the idea Monday of using the county’s portion of the arena site for affordable housing instead.

“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?”

Suarez’s comments may constitute a high-water mark of public frustration from a Miami-Dade official as Beckham’s local lobbying team tries to reassure leaders that a stadium deal remains within reach. Launched to global fanfare in early 2014, Beckham’s quest for a Major League Soccer stadium has churned through various sites and would-be partners before settling on Miami’s Overtown neighborhood.

While Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez says he’s ready to negotiate the sale of a three-acre vehicle depot for the stadium complex there, county officials say they haven’t heard from Beckham’s team for months.

“Are they bringing a stadium there?” asked Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, whose district includes the proposed stadium site. “I haven’t heard anything.”

[Read about how David Beckham’s Miami reps privately insist a deal really (really) is near.]

Edmonson’s icy take on the Beckham situation reflects the political fatigue facing his lobbying and media operation should they ultimately reveal a deal. His representatives have sketched out a lobbying blitz to win county support of a land sale and Miami’s approval of the street closures and zoning changes needed to build the 25,000-seat facility.

As Overtown’s county commissioner, Edmonson would hold significant sway on the amount of resistance and horse-trading the Beckham group might face when trying to purchase the county’s three-acre site.

“They would have to get the residents in that area to agree to it,” Edmonson said in an interview. “I’m going to follow the lead of my Overtown residents.”

Miami Beckham United, the placeholder name of the soccer star’s franchise, paid nearly $19 million for six acres of private land in Overtown in March 2016, after its bids to secure stadium sites at PortMiami, Miami’s Museum Park and across from Marlins Park in Little Havana failed. The private land would make up the bulk of the stadium site, with Miami-Dade’s parcel filling in the rest.

And while the political push was well under way by the time the private deal closed — team representatives held a town hall in Overtown about the stadium’s economic benefits a few months earlier — the Beckham organization hasn’t found the investor dollars needed to build a facility expected to cost more than $200 million to develop.

The delays have roiled the official MLS expansion schedule, with Commissioner Don Garber confirming over the weekend that 2018 will see only one team debut instead of two. The second MLS franchise in Los Angeles — where Beckham used to play — will be the league’s only new team next year, Garber told the soccer-news site Fifty Five One. The site said the solo debut would give MLS its first odd-numbered roster of teams since 2014, creating something of a scheduling headache.

There was a time when Miami was expected to join the league in 2018, too, as the 24th team on the MLS roster. But Beckham’s delays rendered that scenario all but impossible. Sports Illustrated reported in November that MLS had scratched Miami for 2018 in favor of a hoped-for opening in 2019, and Miami Beckham United confirmed the new timetable in a statement last month.

“We’re making progress toward our goal of fielding a team in 2019,” the Feb. 28 statement read, “and we appreciate the strong support of our fans as our kick-off draws closer.”

A Beckham spokesman declined to address Suarez’s comments Monday about affordable housing. The remarks came during a broader discussion about Miami’s widening housing gap and the need to contribute county-owned land to projects catering to middle-income buyers.

“All of us here are well aware of the problem,” Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava said at the meeting. “There have been many efforts to try and address it. But they are totally insufficient … We have to be more aggressive.”

The county-owned land at 678 NW Seventh St. that Beckham wants currently houses low-slung buildings run by the Water and Sewer Department, which uses it mainly for vehicle storage. It sits next to the Tuscan Place towers, a 199-unit apartment tower that caters to low-income residents.

Edmonson, the Overtown commissioner, said she wasn’t ready to advocate for a future use of the planned stadium site, which Beckham’s team has pitched as an economic boon for the neighborhood.

“I like the sound of affordable housing,” she said. “However, I also like the sound of bringing jobs to that area.”

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http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2017/03/13/how-tampa-bay-wins-with-a-mls-team.html

How Tampa Bay wins with a MLS team

Mar 13, 2017

The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ bid to become one of Major League Soccer’s new expansion teams is reverberating throughout our area. Dedicated fans of professional soccer – and that’s an ever-increasing number – understand that when the sports spotlight shines on the Tampa Bay area, the whole world will be watching.

And the Rowdies will be ready. Rowdies principal owner Bill Edwards, whose company leases Al Lang Stadium from city of St. Petersburg, has a proposal to expand the stadium on its existing site to 18,000 seats. Edwards’ proposed improvements to Al Lang, consistent with the city’s Downtown Waterfront Master Plan, will be privately financed.

At present, a sold-out Rowdies game means 7,000-plus fans in the stands. Becoming an MLS expansion team will bring: great soccer players to our area, unlimited prestige, massive global exposure and a boost in excitement about soccer.

That takes care of the fans – if you build it, they will come. But how will the Tampa Bay business community benefit from the introduction of Major League Soccer?

Before the Orlando City club came under the MLS umbrella, the team was averaging 5,200 fans per game. In its initial match as part of MLS, in 2015, Orlando City played before a crowd of 62,510. Since then, average attendance is around 30,000. Season tickets – capped at 18,000 – have sold out and the team has begun a waiting list for the 2018 season.

In 2014, Atlanta United FC was announced as an MLS expansion team, starting in 2017. By February 2017, Atlanta United had sold more than 30,000 season tickets. And on March 5, they played their first match in front of 55,297 fans – the fourth-largest attendance of any soccer match in the world that weekend.

The numbers don’t lie. How many people attending Orlando City or Atlanta United games use area hotels, restaurants, retail stores and more?

That’s the kind of stimulation numbers Edwards, the Rowdies and the city of St. Petersburg want for downtown and Bay Area businesses. Great sports, great people, great business – it’s a win-win for everyone.

“We are committed to keeping and expanding soccer right here,” Edwards explains. “We’ve examined the criteria, retained the best stadium architects and have put together a plan to move forward.

“Now we need the people of St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater and our entire region to get behind this effort. We need you to show MLS leadership that we are the next great MLS town by coming to the games.”

Since 2011, the Rowdies’ home has been in downtown St. Petersburg, which has undergone a remarkable business and cultural renaissance, making it an attractive MLS location.

Along with an MLS team, the region would gain a U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The organization is a partnership between U.S. Soccer and top-level clubs across the country.

D.A. is considered the top tier of youth soccer in the United States. Most of the clubs are associated with professional teams. The professional teams cover most of the fees, while the academies offer a pipeline of talent to the professional club.

The St. Petersburg City Council has approved and set the Al Lang Stadium special election for May 2, allowing residents of St. Petersburg to vote on giving the council authority to negotiate a long-term use agreement for the facility.

Major League Soccer will announce its latest expansion teams in late summer or early fall.

The Rowdies open their 2017 season on Saturday, March 25 against Orlando City B. For more information visit rowdiessoccer.com.

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https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/03/13/People-and-Pop-Culture/Faces-and-Places.aspx

Faces and Places

Published March 13, 2017, Page 27

Purple power in Orlando At Orlando City SC’s season opener March 5 at Orlando City Stadium: Team majority owner Flavio Augusto da Silva and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

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https://ussoccerplayers.com/2017/03/whats-the-mls-metric-soccer-tv-ratings-business.html

What’s the MLS metric?

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http://mlsmultiplex.com/2017/03/12/north-carolina-fc-announces-us-largest-youth-academy/

North Carolina FC announces the US’ largest youth academy

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http://www.wdio.com/sports/minnesota-untied-fc-to-make-mls-home-debut-sunday/4423604/

Minnesota United FC Fans Celebrate 1st MLS Home Match

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https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/03/13/photos-snow-cant-stop-major-league-soccer-launch-or-its-fans

Photos: Snow can't stop Major League Soccer launch -- or its fans

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http://torontoobserver.ca/2017/03/13/tampa-bay-rowdies-forward-took-the-road-less-traveled/

Tampa Bay Rowdies forward Jones took the road less traveled

Late start never held Chicago native back from achieving soccer dreams

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http://torontoobserver.ca/2017/03/13/rowdies-brown-sets-sights-on-joe-cole-partnership/

Rowdies’ Brown sets sights on Joe Cole partnership

Tampa's marquee signing learning with former England international

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http://torontoobserver.ca/2017/03/13/nico-campbell-eyes-spot-on-jamaican-national-team/

Nico Campbell eyes spot on Jamaican national team

After representing country at U-17, now aiming for senior spot

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http://www.tribune242.com/news/2017/mar/13/bahamas-bid-united-soccer-league-team/

Bahamas Bid For United Soccer League Team

By RENALDO DORSETT

A PROFESSIONAL soccer franchise could be heading to the Bahamas as one of the leading leagues in North America looks to continue its expansion effort, The Tribune can reveal.

Local businessman Burton Rodgers is leading the bidding process for his group that seeks to establish a United Soccer League (USL) team based in the Bahamas.

Should the bid receive approval and plans follow through accordingly, the Thomas A Robinson Stadium would become the home of the first professional Bahamian franchise to play in a North American league.

“The conversation about this has been going for a while and we have been undertaking the lengthy process of trying to make this happen,” Rodgers told The Tribune yesterday. “The planning is still in the very early stages and there is much left to be done, but all of the project’s stakeholders are very excited to be involved in this process. I’m a sports fanatic and I’m attracted to everything in the sports world. I attended several of the major soccer matches at the stadium - Totteham versus Jamaica and the Bahamas against the US Olympic team - and I realised firsthand the potential the sport could have here. It’s the number one sport in the world of course but the growth recently in North America has also been tremendous.”

Rodgers is working in conjunction with Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), one of the world’s leading sports and entertainment presenters, the government, the National Sports Authority and the Bahamas Football Association on the project. In May, 2015, the government of the Bahamas signed a consultancy and management services agreement with AEG.

Rodgers said the vision for the franchise began with a meeting between himself and Alan Kates, Managing Director of AEG Bahamas.

“I approached Alan and the conversation started. When the suggestion came about, everyone was responsive to the idea. You have an elite place to play in; the facility is the biggest concern for any venture of this magnitude. It’s obviously the first time I’ve been involved in something like this so it takes having a team of people that have been involved in the process with something like this. There is no guarantee that it will happen but you go through the process, through the checks and balances, hope for the best and thus far it has been going extremely well. If we can land it it would be one of the biggest sporting milestones in the history of the Bahamas.

“We have never had a North American sports team based here in the Bahamas and owned by a Bahamian. AEG was one of the co-founders and lead investors in Major League Soccer (MLS), so to have them as a consultant and adviser is a golden opportunity for a local Bahamian investor. It’s like parterning with Bill Gates and Microsoft in the information technology industry; you’re working with the leaders of a specific field.”

Rodgers has been involved in developing major real estate projects domestically and internationally. In late 2013, he founded a company called Out Island Resorts Company Ltd with the objective of managing and acquiring hotel properties in the Family Islands of the Bahamas and creating an outstanding atmosphere for tourists travelling to the archipelago. He currently serves as an executive of the February Point Development in Exuma.

“This is much bigger than what happens on the field, there are opportunities all around this,” he said. “Furthermore, this team is here in the Bahamas but we want to get the entire region involved with this. Everyone in the Bahamas will have to be involved because it won’t be my team, the franchise will belong to the country. The Lakers represent Los Angeles, the Knicks represent New York so this team so in that same regard, has an opportunity to represent the Bahamas.

“You can’t always sit back and wait for things to happen, sometimes you have to create your opportunity and you seize the moment. I want to be successful and run a profitable business of course, but I also want to do something great for the country, something that the country can be proud of. When you’re in business you can’t be afraid of risk and I’m willing to take that risk. You eliminate a lot of that risk by putting the right team together. There is support from the government, the private sector and as time goes by we will continue to pursue even more support in a unified effort.”

The USL is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that kicked off in 2011. USL is sanctioned as a Division II Professional League by the United States Soccer Federation, placing it under Major League Soccer and equal to the North American Soccer League (also Division II) in the hierarchy.

The league was formed to consolidate USL’s position within the American professional soccer landscape and focus on stability, commercial growth and the professional development of soccer in four main regions throughout the United States and Canada.

Based in Tampa, Florida, it has 30 teams, mostly US-based but three in Canada, and continues seeking expansion franchises. The USL is the feeder league to the MLS and is split in tow conferences, Eastern and Western, with Tampa and Orlando the closest to the Bahamas. The 30-week season runs from March to October.

An average team roster would have 22 or 23 players governed by a salary cap and teams would play an equal number of home and away games over the regular season, in the Bahamas probably in the evenings. The name and colours of the team would have to be decided.

While no immediate timeline has been set, the bidding process has been on schedule and according to Kates, is wholly supported by AEG. However, a kick off in 2019 could be considered a realistic target.

“Mr Rodgers is in the midst of preparing a bid to attain a pro franchise for the Bahamas and AEG is fully committed to assisting him in ensuring that he has the best means and support to bring a said franchise to the Bahamas and we are very excited to assist in that regard,” he told The Tribune. “I would say that there are numerous hurdles to cross and I know that Mr Rodgers is preparing with the assistance of some wonderful global supporters to ensure that the best possible presentation is made to the USL and to ensure that he has the best bid to see.

“He is in the beginning stages of this. I would safely say that the Thomas A Robinson Stadium would be a premier venue for a professional soccer team. Of course, AEG has connections in the soccer world and sports and entertainment business, so we are more than confident in putting this forward with the support of the Bahamas Football Association and the government of the Bahamas. Realistically it is in the very early stages, but there is rapid progress being made in taking it to the next level.”

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http://www.marketingdive.com/news/facebook-adds-major-league-soccer-to-streaming-roster/437936/

Facebook adds Major League Soccer to streaming roster

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http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/03/13/jh-picture-wenger-out-campaign-reaches-major-league-soccer/

Picture: 'Wenger Out' campaign reaches Major League Soccer

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http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/gallery/mls-review-analysis-highlights-recap-giovinco-howard-cubo-torres-031317

The 10 top stories and takeaways of Week 2 in MLS, as the stars took over

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http://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/minnesota-united-historically-bad-start-mls-analysis-11-goals-against

Minnesota United is out of its league: Why everyone in MLS saw this coming

Eleven goals conceded in two matches is an MLS record, and it was all predictable heading into the season.

Months ago, league sources told SI’s Grant Wahl that they believed Minnesota could be historically bad. The reason was that Minnesota was so far behind in preparing for its move to MLS. It’s tough enough to bring 30 players together in one offseason, but so much of this team was put together last-minute and without a clear plan. The coach was hired in November. Players were joining preseason as it went on. International spots were acquired on the fly. There simply wasn’t time for a group that lacked individual quality to form any sort of cohesion.

Minnesota may not have had the extended timeline of Atlanta, but it did have a year to go and prepare, even if it was during the NASL season. Instead, Minnesota had just two players under contract in mid-December.

The results of the rush job are clear, especially on the back line. Several of the goals scored against Minnesota have been glaring individual mistakes.

The transition from the NASL to MLS is as difficult as it has ever been, yet, Minnesota’s front office waited to look for competition at key spots. At the MLS Combine, there was surprise in league circles that Minnesota was going to stay put at fullback despite reservations from many in the league about the quality of players. Eventually, the Loons caught up to the consensus, but it wasn’t until a week before the regular season that they added Jerome Thiessen, who immediately stepped into a starting role this week. Now, Minnesota is on the market for a starting left back, too.

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/03/13/frosted-footy-more-what-you-might-have-missed-week-2-mls-2017

Frosted footy & more: What you might have missed in Week 2 of MLS 2017

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3081454/arsene-wenger-protest-makes-it-to-minnesota-united-vs-atlanta-united

Arsene Wenger protest makes it to Minnesota United vs. Atlanta United

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http://www.espnfc.com/story/3081725/juventus-sami-khedira-says-i-will-go-to-america,-but-not-just-yet

Juventus' Sami Khedira says 'I will go to America,' but not just yet

Sami Khedira says he plans to play in Major League Soccer one day, though a move is not likely to happen in the immediate future.

The Juventus midfielder has been linked with a move to MLS as soon as the summer, but the 29-year-old believes he has a few years at the very top to go before he thinks about winding down his career in the United States.

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http://www.mailtribune.com/news/20170313/timbers-and-thorns-president-guest-speaker-at-chamber-forum

Timbers and Thorns president talks nicknames

Timbers and Thorns president guest speaker at Chamber Forum

Sports nicknames are both celebrated and cause celebre in America.

Mike Golub, business president for Portland's Timbers and Thorns soccer franchises, spoke about his organization's relationship with its fandom Monday at the monthly Chamber Forum.

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http://www.kens5.com/sports/facebook-set-to-live-stream-soccer-games/422025054

Facebook set to live stream soccer games

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https://www.vavel.com/en-us/soccer/765446-mls-week-two-review-atlanta-united-shines.html

MLS Week Two Review: Atlanta United FC wins the battle of the newcomers

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https://www.fredericknewspost.com/sports/level/high_school/local-roundup-hoops-all-star-games-slated-for-march/article_9c771178-6d52-5629-84e3-56c22eae61d6.html

Local Roundup: Hoops all-star games slated for March 24

FC Frederick releases schedule

FC Frederick will begin its third National Premier Soccer League season May 25 with a home match against DC United's under-23 team.

The location and time for the season-opening match haven't been determined. Ironically, the DC United under-23 team's departure from the NPSL before the 2015 season opened the door for FC Frederick to join the league.

FC Frederick, a member of the four-team NPSL Mid-Atlantic Division, plays league rivals Virginia Legacy, Fredericksburg FC and Virginia Beach City FC twice each, in addition to a home-and-home series with a Harrisburg City Islanders under-23 team. Harrisburg City is a member of the United Soccer League (USL).

FC Frederick finished fifth in the six-team NPSL Mid-Atlantic Division in 2016 after placing fourth in 2015 and narrowly missed the playoffs.

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http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/13732/extra-time/2017/03/14/33617592/what-is-david-beckhams-net-worth-and-what-endorsements-does

What is David Beckham's net worth and what endorsements does he have?

Mar 14, 2017 4:00:00 AM

The former Manchester United star and England captain still outstrips the top Premier League earners, despite hanging up his boots four years ago

Retirement from football has done nothing to weaken David Beckham's brand - if anything, the former England captain has grown even more popular since he hung up his boots and began to focus solely on his life off the pitch.

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/3081980/andrea-pirlo-major-league-soccer-must-change-to-compete-with-china

Andrea Pirlo: Major League Soccer must change to compete with China

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http://www.ubergizmo.com/2017/03/facebook-live-stream-major-league-soccer/

Facebook Will Now Live Stream Major League Soccer Games

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http://futebolcidade.com/tigres-vs-vancouver-champions-league/

Tigres vs Vancouver Whitecaps – CONCACAF Champions League Preview

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http://futebolcidade.com/dallas-vs-pachuca-champions-league/

Dallas vs Pachuca – CONCACAF Champions League Preview