Sunday, May 20, 2018

Coffee Talk: Here’s To New Beginnings (theunsubs.com)

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/8kx0k7/coffee_talk_heres_to_new_beginnings/

Coffee Talk: Here’s To New Beginnings (theunsubs.com)

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http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2018/05/20/coffee-talk-heres-to-new-beginnings/3867

Coffee Talk: Here’s To New Beginnings

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/8kw7o1/rowdie_takeaways_week_10_tbr_v_pit/

Rowdie Takeaways Week 10: TBR v PIT (self.TampaBayRowdies)

Cautiously or Recklessly Optimistic- You all know it's coming, but I'll save patting myself on the back for the next section. This is a wild time to be a Rowdies fan with the rumors swirling around ownership, the change in manager, some major lineup shakeups. There are so many talking points in and outside of this game. Let's talk about the positives and negatives in the game, and then move onto the bigger picture.

Where the Rowdies inspire confidence- I warned you. In the third minute of the game, Alex Morrell receives a short corner, takes a quick run to the outside of the box and plays a perfect ball that Rozeboom deflects into the goal. The assist was beautiful. I've been dying to see the Rowdies put the ball into the box from better positions in the attacking third and that's exactly what Morrell does. I said this before the season started, you use Morrell for 60-70 minutes and let fresh forwards pick up for him when he's out of gas. Collins subs were timely and all made sense. It seemed Collins had a plan for this game and it worked offensively. The Rowdies were unlucky not to score three or four. The Cole for Nano sub came at the right time. I still believe you have to figure out how to work Graf into the starting lineup, but that's a future issue. Collins gets an A for substitutions where Campbell would get a C or D because his subs seemed reactionary or often way too late in the game. The biggest victory in this draw was the moral victory of battling back from a first-half deficit. This Riverhounds team was fantastic with Dover and Forbes in the middle, those guys are lethal. I didn't see the Rowdies change too much in the style of play from previous home matches. We simply got better side to side passes in the attacking third which is par for the course with the Rowdies at Al Lang. We'll see if more intricacies develop in the Collins era as far as how the team attacks. What we did see was less long balls from the back for stupid turnovers. We also saw a Rowdies team that just seemed more energized and determined. Hopefully, this sentiment carries on in the upcoming weeks and the next road contest which will be Neill's first true test as a young manager of a club with three years of bad road results. Also, Flemmings passed the ball a couple times.

Where the Rowdies struggled- The turnovers were killer. Schafer's turnover led to the second goal with a bad slide by Magalhaes. Magalhaes needs to play more composed in the back line. Portillos was very shifty but his passing and lead boot touches keep making him a negative player in the attacking half while still not being polished defensively. With Collins out of the defensive lineup, the Rowdies backline has a lot of questions to answer very fast and the injuries have already piled up. It was questionable to go with Fitzgerald right out of the gate and he had the opportunity to come out and clear the first goal or cover it up. The through ball was great and the attacker had pace but the ball reaches the box and Fitzgerald backed away instead of attacking the ball and dropping on it. Mizell cleans those chances up for breakfast. Maybe I'm being harsh, but I think Fitzgerald is better off attacking that ball and forcing the issue because he allowed a straight shot at him that led to the own goal. The turnovers were the sloppiest part of the Rowdies game. There was a concerted effort to knock Rozeboom off the ball and press him because his possession is questionable. And no matter how many nice turns and moves Guenzatti makes, he's still been ineffective in the attacking third. He needs to get in a position where he can make key passes. All the criticism being levied, the Rowdies were resilient and this is the best they've played in since the Monarchs game well over a month ago.

Spectacular saves and magnificent blunders- The Rowdies were saved by the Hounds keeper Lynd who had both goals go by him within his reach. In soccer, you have to take the goals how you get them because as we saw later, Flemmings was consistently denied by Lynd. Similarly, for Fitzgerald, the own goal is partially on him with Lachowecki getting his share of the blame for torpedoing himself at the ball. I'd say the second goal Fitzgerald was dead to rights, but Fitzgerald rebounded with two spectacular second-half saves that saved the point for the Rowdies.

The Scottish Experiment- Of all the sports I've watched, never have I seen anything like this. Maybe because this is a second division soccer league this sort of player becoming coach midseason thing can just occur without much buzz, but this is still lunacy in my mind. Collins went from best defender of a suspect defense to manager of a team whose status in soccer is in a weird state of limbo. I'm assuming the MLS2StPete parade is a distant memory despite starting only last year. Can we still expect a stadium rebuild? What is the future of the Rowdies? In the meantime, can Collins make the most of a team with talented players that haven't gotten the necessary chemistry yet to win on the road? Collins has some work to do in the standings as well with the Rowdies having played 10 games and sitting in 9th place. The battle for the organization is uphill. This is sports movie territory. This is also disastrous territory. I'll be here for all the action along the way.

Armchair adjustment, how can we get the striker more involved?- Behind can the defense play competently and can the Rowdies limit turnovers in future games, this question ranks third on my long list of things to look for in Rowdies games. Hristov has not had the ball at his feet very often this season and that does not bode well for the best finisher on the team. Collins HAS to find ways to get Hristov the ball in dangerous positions.

One final Morrell celebration- I need my fellow Rowdies fans to take Morrell seriously. It's not JUST the pace that makes him so dangerous. It's how Morrell attracts the defense and opens up the rest of the pitch to go on a run to the net. He was doing the exact same thing last year and Campbell inexplicably rolled with Guenzatti and Restrepo at the end of the season and not the guys who got him into the playoffs (Paterson and Morrell). Morrell's most glaring weakness is sturdy but quick defenders that can dispossess him if Morrell takes a bad touch, but Morrell is a smart player and a VAST improvement over Flemmings. Flemmings made small improvements but he's still too far into the woods to see any trees just yet.

Buying into the things- This is my favorite Rowdies storyline currently. Collins keeps saying he wants his team, wow that is weird to say, to buy into his system, his plans, his something. What is it, I guess it's better that we don't know because it's tactical. We'll find out in the coming weeks if Collins is speaking about an actual system of play or just some media jargon to keep us happy. As I said before, this looked like a Rowdies home game where the difference was the defense is crippled and turnovers were futile. Yet here I am actually excited to see what the Rowdies do on the road against that dreadful Toronto club. Toronto has 0 wins. If we lose to Toronto, then the Rowdies are legitimately cursed. Someone bring a goat to that game. What should be a layup for Collins next week will have me on the edge of my seat. The Rowdies cannot afford to even draw against the worst club in the league.

Loving these write ups, well done again! I don't want to see Flemmings on the pitch at all ever again, period. He can be sold yesterday. Definitely loved seeing Morrell start for sure, was a nice change. I too was surprised to see Akira in goal. If I remebmer correctly, we destroyed Torontwo on the road last season....so that better happen again.

I forgot to mention Collins put Leon Taylor on the subs bench, very curious to see if he gets on the pitch soon and what he brings to the table. Him vs. Flemmings could be a possibility. It’s hard for me to completely give up on Flemmings because the Red Bull’s figured out how to use him. This guy had 10 goals last year, all inside the box. I don’t think Campbell was malleable to realize he has to adjust the offense around Flemmings when he’s on the field. Collins might be more focused on how to use certain guys the right way.

TIL We have a player named Leon Taylor...

19 year old kid. He was on the subs list last night and Fernandes wasn’t so Collins must take him seriously.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/8ksv03/rowdies_home_attendance_thread_game_4_vs/

Rowdies Home Attendance Thread – Game 4 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC [5/19] (self.TampaBayRowdies)

Sales leading up to last night looked really strong from watching Ticketmaster and it ended up being our second best showing of the short season so far (6,202). The rain ended up not disturbing the game too much, but most certainly killed walkups as the worst of it was really the hour or so before the match kicked off. So far, we're at a good pace against the first 4 games of last year. Two weeks and we're back at it against Atlanta Twonited...

weather turned out to be fantastic! It rained enough to keep the temperature down, but not make it a humid swampy sauna. Unfortunately it was windy and threatening enough to stop us from hoisting a possible tifo....but (un)luckily, that moment never came......Glad to see we still broke 6k!

Bought an extra ticket to bring my friend but she was terrified of rain so didn't even up going. Sucks that from what I've heard it didn't even rain during the game all that much

Can't blame anyone for no-showing. That storm rode the coastlines from coast to coast all day. It would've been a washout on the Tampa side.

By the looks of things the loved getting muddy on the grass hill!

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/8kqezw/rowdies_draw_22_with_riverhounds_in_collins/

Rowdies Draw 2-2 with Riverhounds in Collins’ Coaching Debut (theunsubs.com)

Boy did we squeak that one. If it weren't for those absolute goalkeeping howlers and some indecision by the opposition, we would be staring at a 3-0 loss. Something to be said for Akira's performance too. But really, it seems we forgot how to play this game.

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http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2018/05/19/rowdies-draw-2-2-with-riverhounds-in-collins-coaching-debut/3864

Rowdies Draw 2-2 with Riverhounds in Collins’ Coaching Debut

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https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/12/03/princess-leias-hairstyle/

Princess Leia’s revolutionary hairstyle was an homage to George Lucas’s passions

“George didn’t want a damsel in distress, didn’t want your stereotypical princess–he wanted a fighter, he wanted someone who was independent,” Fisher explained to the BBC in 1977.

In fact, the iconic hairstyle probably is the result of a historical mashup. Photos of Lucas’s references are on view in a traveling exhibit called “Star Wars and the Power of Costume,” currently at the Museum of Fine Arts, in St. Petersburg, Florida. An inspiration board shows a photo of Clara de la Rocha, a famous Mexican revolutionary who rose to rank as colonel and who was descended from landowners, with a bandolier slung across her body and wrapped around her waist. Her hair is styled with the distinctive twin buns On the photo is a yellow Post-It with Lucas’s handwriting: “Mexican—Revolution—Hairstyles—Women.” There are also sepia-toned photos of blanketed Hopi women and girls with the twirled twin buns. Together, these photos suggest Lucas’s intent was more homage than exact replication.

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http://pittsburghsportscastle.com/riverhounds-sc-fight-for-2-2-draw-against-tampa-bay/

Riverhounds SC fight for 2-2 draw against Tampa Bay

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https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wolves-neil-collins-leeds-united-14679100

Former Wolves and Leeds United ace takes his first steps into management

Neil Collins has been appointed manager of USL team Tampa Bay Rowdies

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https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2018/may/where-are-they-now--stuart-campbell/

Where Are They Now? | Stuart Campbell

What is the former Town man up to nowadays?

Former Grimsby Town midfielder, Stuart Campbell, has been plying his trade as a coach with American soccer side Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Campbell, who played 161 times for the Mariners between 2000 and 2001, has just parted company with the club that he has been with since 2011.

He initially joined North American side as a player into the role of a player/coach under manager Ricky Hill, and when Campbell retired from the pitch in 2013, he became their full-time assistant coach.

In 2015, Rowdies coach Thomas Rongen was fired after the club struggled to a 2–2–6 start to the NASL's fall season. Campbell was promoted to manager and led the team to a 3–4–4 record over their remaining games.

Former West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder, Joe Cole was one of the players working for Campbell during his reign.

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http://www.tbo.com/sports/rowdies/2018/05/19/rowdies-ties-debut-of-new-coach-neill-collins/

Rowdies tie in debut of new coach Neill Collins

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https://www.dkpittsburghsports.com/2018/05/19/hounds-rowdies-parkes-cole-draw/

Hounds, Rowdies squander chances in draw

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https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/919568-cole-s-strike-helps-rowdies-earn-draw

Cole's Strike Helps Rowdies Earn Draw

Tampa Bay rallies to earn home point in front of 6,202; Pittsburgh remains unbeaten

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM6TAGw29Js

HIGHLIGHTS - Rowdies vs Pittsburgh RiverHounds - 5/19/18

Tampa Bay Rowdies

Published on May 19, 2018

HIGHLIGHTS presented by Tampa International Airport

The Rowdies and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC played to an exciting 2-2 draw. Rozeboom and Cole scored the goals for the home team.

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998291880214441984

Tampa Bay Rowdies

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@TampaBayRowdies

Who was your Man of the Match in last night’s 2-2 draw against @RiverhoundsSC?

12:58 PM - 20 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998290444189552641

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Hear what @neillycollins3 and @LanceRozeboom had to say after last night's 2-2 draw against @RiverhoundsSC.

Post Game Recap: vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds

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12:52 PM - 20 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998279721749286912

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Tampa Bay Rowdies Retweeted tbusoccer

Amazing job by @tbusoccer U17 boys! Fantastic achievement!

Tampa Bay Rowdies added,

tbusoccer

@tbusoccer

The TBU Rowdies U17B are the Florida State Champs! This is their 2nd state championship in a row. The boys are also the current regional and national Champions. Great win today! Well played!

12:10 PM - 20 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998240878836711424

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Take a look at the Rowdies Save of the Game presented by @TechVacations.

@akirafitzgerald made a fantastic save late in the game to keep the Rowdies and @RiverhoundsSC tied 2-2.

9:35 AM - 20 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/RalphsMob/status/998034902682611712

Ralph's Mob

@RalphsMob

When @JDL_87 shows us love! 🙏🏽🙏🏽 #TeamTampaBay #lfg @TampaBayRowdies @RaysBaseball

7:57 PM - 19 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/jochengraf/status/998224148508954624

Jochen Graf

@jochengraf

It was great to be 🏡 at Al Lang.

Not happy with a draw, but excited to get back to work this week preparing for Toronto next weekend.

#COYR

8:29 AM - 20 May 2018 from St Petersburg, FL

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998216949837393920

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.@LanceRozeboom on his first goal for the Rowdies🎙️

"Neill made it a point, especially in the first few minutes, to play quick off the corners."

Lance Rozeboom on his goal against Pittsburgh Riverhounds

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8:00 AM - 20 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998203107040411649

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Head Coach @neillycollins3 on his first match at the helm:

"Those lads tonight tried to do everything I asked. At times it worked. At times it did not work. But the most important thing was they were trying to implement specific things that I had asked."

Neill Collins - Postgame Comments

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7:05 AM - 20 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998190907701817344

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Home💚💛💚

😍

6:17 AM - 20 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/Jimmerz4Jjmac/status/998045041389076480

JJ McCabe

@Jimmerz4Jjmac

Come on you Rowdies!! #AlLangStadium #DTSP #StPeteSunset @TampaBayRowdies

8:37 PM - 19 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/RalphsMob/status/998028577995153409

Ralph's Mob

@RalphsMob

Home 🏡😍💚💛⚽️🙌🏽💪🏽

7:32 PM - 19 May 2018 from Tampa Bay Rowdies

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https://twitter.com/JDL_87/status/997979907694256130

@JDL_87

Jose De León Retweeted Tampa Bay Rowdies

Thanks for having us!!! Let’s GO @TampaBayRowdies

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Shoutout to @RaysBaseball’s @JDL_87 for coming out to support the Rowdies!

#TeamTampaBay

4:18 PM - 19 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998030100384841728

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Thank you to everyone who came out and supported us tonight!

We missed playing in front of the best fans in the league💚💛

7:38 PM - 19 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998025782705442816

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Rowdies Snap Losing Streak In Collins' Coaching Debut

Match recap: http://bit.ly/2rSinvM

7:21 PM - 19 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/KodyAllenson/status/998004546952712192

Kody Allenson

@KodyAllenson

Joe Cole. @TampaBayRowdies.
5 Hole.

#TBRvPGH

5:56 PM - 19 May 2018 from Tampa Bay Rowdies

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998023780243931136

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HIGHLIGHTS presented by @FlyTPA

The Rowdies and @RiverhoundsSC play to an exciting 2-2 draw. Rozeboom and Cole scored the goals for the home team.

#TBRvPGH

7:13 PM - 19 May 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/998012412681949185

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FINAL The Rowdies draw their first match of the season with a 2-2 score against @RiverhoundsSC.

6:27 PM - 19 May 2018

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/05/20/impact-originals-reflect-start-club-ahead-25th-anniversary-match

Impact originals reflect on start of club ahead of 25th anniversary match

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Impact made their humble home debut as a fledgling member of the American Professional Soccer League on May 21, 1993.

Thanks to the vision and backing of the Saputo family, the Impact were born in the soccer void in the city after the Montreal Supra were left without a league when the Canadian Soccer League folded in 1992, six years after it was created.

The Montreal Canadiens were in the midst of a run to their record 24th Stanley Cup title as National Hockey League champions when the Impact took to the pitch at Centre Claude Robillard for the first time on that Friday evening 25 years ago.

With current Impact executive Nick De Santis in the starting XI, Montreal defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies 4-2 before an overflow crowd of 5,380.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/8kg7nl/dc_united_introduces_fam_fan_allocation_money/

DC United Introduces "FAM"... Fan Allocation Money. (self.MLS)

Just got an email from DCU for Fan Allocation Money, or FAM. Targeted towards season ticket holders (which I am not, so I don't know why I got the email...), DCU is allegedly giving STHs flexibility in using their unused season tickets.

FAM is a digital currency redeemed through the DC United app that can be used for buying additional seats, upgrading your own seats, and buying VIP experiences (field-side seats).

Some other features of FAM:
  • Cannot be redeemed for cash
  • If you trade in your tickets less than 48 hours before a match, you only get 60% of the face value of the ticket
  • Does not roll over into a new season
  • Cannot be used for playoff tickets (like that's gonna be a problem anytime soon...)
  • Can't be used for concession or gift shop purchases
I'm trying to be as neutral as possible here, but I just can't see how DCU season ticket holders can be happy about this. Taking away the ability to get cash for tickets to games you can't attend seems to bone ticket holders pretty hard. I'd be interested to see what DCU ticket holders think, but with the uproar over the supporter groups this seems to be another bone-headed move by the FO. Thoughts?

*Edit: As I'm not a season ticket holder to any team and never have been, I didn't know that you couldn't sell your tickets for cash. I thought that season ticket holders could sell their tickets to games they can't attend either through Ticketmaster/StubHub, or through an official exchange from which you could get cash for those tickets. I did not think that ticket holders could sell their tickets back to the team. My apologies for my ignorance and confusion.

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Youth Transfer Fund MLS is about to introduce “YTF,” a new pool of money to... (theathletic.com)

https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/8kebht/mls_is_about_to_introduce_ytf_a_new_pool_of_money/

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https://theathletic.com/359370/2018/05/18/mls-is-about-to-introduce-ytf-a-new-pool-of-money-to-purchase-young-international-players/

MLS is about to introduce “YTF,” a new pool of money to purchase young players

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/8kespu/satire_major_league_soccer_is_about_to_introduce/

[Satire] Major League Soccer Is About To Introduce, "WTF," A New Pool Of Money For, "Whatever" (thenutmegnews.com)

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https://www.thenutmegnews.com/current/2018/5/18/major-league-soccer-is-about-to-introduce-wtf-a-new-pool-of-money-for-whatever

Major League Soccer Is About To Introduce, "WTF," A New Pool Of Money For, "Whatever"

NEW YORK - Insiders with Major League Soccer indicate that the league will soon introduce, "WTF," an acronym that stands for "Whatever The Fuck," which will be a new pool of money for, "Whatever the fuck you want to spend it on that might increase the profile of the league in some small way."

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https://www.sportstalkflorida.com/soccer/miami-beckham-united/waiting-for-beckham/

Waiting For Beckham

Where is the Miami MLS team?

In a perfect world, David Beckham’s Miami Major League Soccer franchise would be playing in a brand new stadium. But nothing is ever perfect and the MLS is still looking at David Beckham and asking where is your stadium? On February 5, 2014, the league gave Beckham a discounted rate to buy an expansion team and place the franchise in Miami. The league is still waiting for some sign of life more than four years later from Beckham’s soccer team. Beckham added new business partners in mid-December 2017 but the stadium is still in limbo although the MLS thinks Beckham will eventually have a soccer stadium opened but it appears that it will not happen before 2021 at the earliest. Officially Beckham still does not have an MLS team although he has owners and a team name and possibly a stadium.

The latest snag is that Beckham’s new partners didn’t care much for the Overton location for a stadium.  Overton is not out of the picture but there is tire kicking going on elsewhere within Miami and a city owned golf course property may be the apple of the Beckham group’s eye. There was a hope that Beckham’s group could get a question before voters in August about taking over the property. That may not happen and a vote could be pushed back to November. The Beckham’s group’s initiative has to be placed on the ballot by June 8 to get before voters in August.  It has been a struggle for Beckham and his advisers to land a stadium with a planned seaport stadium blocked by various interests. Beckham and his group were steered to land near the Miami Marlins baseball park but securing the land needed for the project is became a problem and Beckham abandoned the plan.  Beckham eventually decided on Overton but it appears he has been overruled. Beckham’s group wants Miami but there is a bigger question. Does Miami want them?

Beckham was at the royal wedding but he still does not have a Miami MLS team on the pitch.

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180520/michael-arace--crew-sc-supporters-score-again-with-ticket-pledge

Michael Arace | Crew SC supporters score again with ticket pledge

There is a host of reasons why Anthony Precourt had a secret Austin exit clause written into the purchase agreement when he bought the Crew five years ago. Some of the reasons are even legitimate.

Precourt loves Austin because he has a weakness for queso, he said. Precourt loves Austin because that’s where he had his bachelor party; so said Dave Greeley, president of Precourt Sports Ventures. Precourt loves Austin because Major League Soccer needs to gouge new money from new markets.

Melted cheese, fond bachelor memories and pyramid schemes — these are all legitimate reasons to respect their ambition.

But the “Columbus is a failed market” story that has been peddled for months by MLS commissioner Don Garber, Greeley and Precourt is a whole lot of hooey. I mean, come on.

It is clear now that Precourt never tapped into the power of his greatest constituency. Oh, he hung out with Frankie Hejduk, sloshed around soccer bars and ran his or his father’s credit card. Yet, he and Greeley never truly engaged with the supporter groups — not like they should have. They only did enough to shield their grift.

Let us revisit September 2011, when the Crew business people set a goal of selling 10,000 season tickets. They didn’t quite hit their mark in 2012, but they got a 30 percent bump.

In 2013, Precourt bought the operation, and he included the secret exit clause. Four years later, he blamed Columbus and its fans and its business leaders for the failures of his administration and announced he was exploring a move to Austin. Garber went, “Yeah!”

If you’ve ever stolen a horse, or even if you haven’t, you have to know this was all a load of manure. Last week, #SaveTheCrew punched another hole in the con job.

Thursday morning, the Community Outreach subcommittee launched #STCProject2019 with a campaign they’re calling “Take the Pledge.” They used social-media platforms to direct interested parties to savethecrew.com, where they could pledge to buy season tickets “following the sale of Columbus Crew SC to a new local investor/operator.”

There were more than 1,000 responses by midnight Thursday. There were more than 5,000 pledges to buy tickets by midnight Friday. Remember, Precourt had more than 43,000 hours to try to sell 10,000 tickets. #SaveTheCrew got half that in pledges in 48 hours.

Thousands of locals re-upped and/or added to their packages. Hundreds of new fans also took the pledge, which in Columbus trended on Twitter. Scores of folks — from Pittsburgh to Memphis to islands in the Caribbean to Europe — pledged to buy and donate. Some of these are Columbus ex-pats. Others are simply soccer fans who are disgusted with the brazenness of Precourt and MLS. They want to believe in soccer’s special supporter/club relationship.

One of 18 subcommittees of a grassroots movement accomplished this without a whit of paid advertising or professional marketing. Among the volunteers was the crew who manned the #SaveTheCrew tent at the Taco Festival at Genoa Park on Saturday. I walked by after the thunderstorms and it was mobbed.

Understand: Project 2019 is only just getting started. Look out.

The “Art Modell Law” suit is paused in a Franklin County Court, ostensibly to give local investors time to make their pitch to buy the Crew. The Pledge, as it says at savethecrew.com, is not designed “to pad a bunch of stats, but to give a fresh, local investor/operator the chance to get a running start on success.”

In this context, a Massive Rolodex is a brilliant idea. And it is being compiled under the aegis of having Precourt out of the picture, which also is brilliant.

Precourt never wanted anything to do with Columbus. He was an absentee owner, a negligent landlord and, it turns out, a feckless con man. Now, the community that he abused is responding in kind. Have a nice day.

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http://www.realclearlife.com/sports/american-soccer-doesnt-second-class/

American Soccer Doesn’t Have to Be Second Class

We have the money to make MLS genuinely major league—here's why we haven't been spending it.

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/concacaf-us-venues-2018-gold-cup

Concacaf announces 15 US venues for 2018 Gold Cup

Details unveiled for expanded national team soccer tournament.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/21/why-the-us-men-will-never-win-the-world-cup-and-thats-ok

Why the US men will never win the World Cup (and that's OK)

The dream of USA dominating world football has been a dream for years. But structural and cultural issues ensure it won’t happen anytime soon

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