https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/8lnkad/state_of_the_rowdies_address_including_mls/
State of the Rowdies Address including MLS Bid/Coaching Change/Player Analysis (medium.com)
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https://medium.com/j-king-s-labratory-project/here-comes-the-money-the-state-of-the-present-and-future-tampa-bay-rowdies-89093796a762
Here Comes the Money: The State of the Present and Future Tampa Bay Rowdies
A State of the Rowdies address including the MLS bid, recent managerial changes, and player personnel updates
The Next Stage of the Rowdies MLS bid
Does anyone in St. Petersburg, Florida have a spare $230 million dollars lying around? Tampa Bay Rowdies owner Bill Edwards would like to enlist you to join in his ownership group to propel the Rowdies into the forefront of the upcoming MLS expansion.
The MLS plans to expand to 28 teams with Los Angeles FC becoming the 23rd club and Beckham’s upcoming Miami club expected to be the 25th. Recent USL addition, Nashville SC, is the 24th team. The Rowdies will face off against Nashville twice this season with the first bout on June 9th in Al Lang.
The Rowdies are in a race against time and other major US cities in a battle to secure a coveted MLS slot. $150 million dollars gets you in the door as an entrance fee. Topple on the need for a suitable stadium that will cost the Rowdies $80 million to expand seating in the historic Al Lang Stadium. The expansion plan would add an extra 10,000 seats to around 18,000 in total.
So there are a lot of moving parts in place and a race against time. FC Cincinnati appears to be in prime position to take an MLS slot as long as they have the money in place. The team has been successful, and they have an approved plan to build a 21,000 seat stadium while they already attract a crowd of over 20,000 per game. Detroit and Sacramento are other names that have garnered a lot of national attention ahead of Tampa Bay’s bid.
The race is to build up stadiums and ownership groups with deep pockets that will invest in a growing soccer fandom sweeping across America. The emergence of clubs like Atlanta United and Orlando City have proven that America wants more professional soccer, but there is a danger forthcoming.
As far as the MLS coming to St. Petersburg is concerned, there hasn’t been any relevant news in several months. The big news to look for on the Rowdies end is if Bill Edwards is able to find some investors to create an ownership group. A couple outlying factors still remain:
- Bill Edwards health post a double bypass heart surgery
- Investors who have eyes on the long-term and will accept the risk of building up a club not guaranteed an MLS slot that’s Edwards’ passion project
- How quickly is the privately funded Al Lang stadium expansion built?
- Could the Tampa Bay Rays leaving town positively or negatively affect the Rowdies’ future?
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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/8lmr99/world_cup_in_22_days_where_will_you_be_watching/
World Cup in 22 Days... Where will you be watching? (self.TampaBayRowdies)
I know we're all keeping an eye on what's developing at the Rowdies. Personally I have high hopes with Collins taking the reins. Hopefully we can break this streak we've been having. And yeah, I know Lightning 7 is tonight.
But if you're anything like me, you have your eye just over the horizon towards the World Cup.
So Football Fanatics, where's your go-to place to watch a world cup game? Be sure to give the nation the pub supports!
Where will the Italian, American, Dutch, Colombian, Brazillian, English, Senegal, Iceland and Moroccan supporters go to watch a game?
For instance, where's the French team supporter's bar (Go Les Bleus!)?
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https://www.local10.com/sports/soccer/has-david-beckham-settled-on-name-for-major-league-soccer-franchise
Has David Beckham settled on name for Miami's Major League Soccer franchise?
4 applications for 'Miami Freedom' filed with US Patent and Trademark Office
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https://borneobulletin.com.bn/former-liverpool-ceo-ayre-hired-by-mls-nashville-team/
Former Liverpool CEO Ayre hired by MLS’ Nashville team
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https://www.eurosport.com/football/wayne-rooney-set-to-meet-dc-united-ahead-of-possible-mls-move_sto6768100/story.shtml
Wayne Rooney set to meet DC United ahead of possible MLS move
Wayne Rooney is set to meet DC United on Thursday ahead of his potential move to Major League Soccer in the US.
Rooney finished the season as Everton's leading scorer with 11 goals, but is apparently on the verge of signing a contract worth £3.7m a season to move to the American capital.
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https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/05/23/reports-rooney-flying-to-dc-to-finalize-mls-move/
Reports: Rooney flying to DC to finalize MLS move
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https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/rooney-to-meet-dc-united-bosses-to-discuss-mls-move-reports-10263010
Rooney to meet DC United bosses to discuss MLS move: Reports
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https://www.calciomercato.com/en/news/everton-s-wayne-rooney-to-join-mls-side-dc-united-84865
Everton's Wayne Rooney to join MLS side DC United
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http://www.teamtalk.com/news/club-chief-confirms-wayne-rooney-set-for-talks-over-mls-move
Club chief confirms Wayne Rooney set for talks over MLS move
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/football-rooney-to-meet-dc-united-bosses-over-potential-mls-move
Football: Rooney to meet DC United bosses over potential MLS move
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/23/zlatan-ibrahimovics-red-card-la-galaxy-mls
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's stunning MLS debut is starting to look like an exception
The Swede’s LA Galaxy career is still in its infancy but his red card this week came as his new team continues to struggle
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https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/transfers/england-wayne-rooney-dc-united-mls-transfer-a8365836.html
Former England captain Wayne Rooney in talks with DC United over MLS transfer
The Everton forward broke off from a holiday in Barbados for transfer talks
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http://www.cityam.com/286333/former-england-captain-wayne-rooney-jets-america-talks-dc
Former England captain Wayne Rooney jets in to America for talks with DC United
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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/05/23/cole-excited-prospect-playing-former-england-teammate-rooney-mls
Cole excited by prospect of playing former England teammate Rooney in MLS
CARSON, Calif. – Count Ashley Cole among those hoping to see Wayne Rooney playing in Major League Soccer.
The LA Galaxy captain, for a decade a teammate of Rooney's on England's national team for a decade and a rival even longer in the English Premier League, said he'd like to match wits again with the 32-year-old forward.
Rooney arrived Wednesday in the US for talks later this week with D.C. United as the club's bid to acquire the goalscorer from Everton takes a step forward.
“I think it's good,” Cole said following the Galaxy training session Wednesday morning at StubHub Center. “I think it shows the improvement of the league. Yeah, he's a little bit older, but to attract these kind of players is great for the league. ... I'm excited if he does come to play against him again.”
Rooney had “agreed in principle” to an MLS deal two weeks ago, according to reports in England, and the BBC reported that the trip was “understood to be a fact-finding mission.” He has another year on his contract with Everton.
Cole, 37, is in his third season as the Galaxy's left back. If Rooney makes the move, he'll be the fifth player from England's 2006 World Cup team to play in MLS. David Beckham and Steven Gerrard preceded Cole with LA, and Frank Lampard played for New York City FC.
Cole heard the forward was likely bound for D.C. United and said he'd “love him here” with the Galaxy and thinks Rooney would be a valuable pickup for any side.
“It's always different to the Premier League,” said Cole, who played in the EPL with Arsenal and Chelsea. “We're getting older when we leave [England for MLS], so he's not going to be the 18-year-old Wayne Rooney. But I think he's still got enough quality for this league.”
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https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/wayne-rooney-lands-in-washington-dc-to-meet-with-d-c-united-officials/
Wayne Rooney lands in Washington D.C. to meet with D.C. United officials
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http://thenationonlineng.net/rooney-set-for-medical-with-dc-united/
Rooney set for medical with DC United
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https://patch.com/florida/stpete/5th-tampa-bay-burger-21-open-st-pete-june-4
5th Tampa Bay Burger 21 To Open In St. Pete June 4
Burger 21, a fast-casual, "better burger" chain, will open its fifth Tampa Bay restaurant June 4 at 3201 4th St. N., St. Petersburg.
ST. PETERBURG, FL -- Burger 21, a fast-casual, "better burger" chain, will open its fifth Tampa Bay restaurant June 4 at 3201 4th St. N., St. Petersburg.
Fans of Tampa-based Burger 21 can expect to see many of the classic Burger 21 burgers and shakes, and some new items that will only be available at the St. Petersburg location.
Chef Mike Remes has developed a menu that sets itself apart from the competition with it's unique, chef-crafted 100 percent-certified Angus beef, seafood, chicken and gluten-friendly gourmet burger creations; along with hand-crafted signature shakes, hand-breaded buttermilk chicken tenders and fresh salads.
Highlights on the St. Petersburg menu include the all-new Chili Cheese Crunch burger, the Spicy Tuna burger and the vegan plant-based Impossible Burger.
The St. Petersburg Burger 21 will also offer a full sauce bar with Burger 21's original, house-made signature sauces.
The restaurant's beverage options will include freshly squeezed lemonade, Kahwa cold-brew coffee, Kombucha tea, hand-crafted flavored teas, fountain and non-carbonated drinks, plus a selection of craft beer and wine.
"We are excited to be in St. Petersburg, and its amazing food scene," said Mark Johnston, founder and owner of Burger 21. "The Northeast neighborhood is a great community and we are looking forward to being a part of it. Everyone has been very helpful and positive during our construction phase, and we are looking forward to paying that back with some great hospitality, burgers and shakes."
Everyone in the neighborhood is invited to the official grand opening of Burger 21 on Monday, June 4. The doors will open at 11 a.m. with a ribbon cutting by the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, and the first 50 guests to eat lunch with Burger 21 will receive Burger 21 giveaways. Burger 21 will also celebrate its opening on social media where Facebook fans will have the chance to win $21 gift cards.
The location will be run by General Manager Jonniene Moritz, who has been with the brand for three years and believes the St. Petersburg location will allow Burger 21 to further immerse itself in the Tampa Bay area as a local favorite.
Highlights of Burger 21® St. Petersburg include:
- 50 new team members hired in St. Petersburg
- Approximately 1,950 square feet
- Seating for 48 customers inside the restaurant
- Patio with seating for 35 customers
- Exclusive Burger 21® menu items
Recognition for Burger 21 includes being named one of the 10 best franchises to buy in 2017, winning the "Better Burger" category of the Franchise Times Zor Awards. The brand has also been named Entrepreneur Magazine's Top New Franchises and Restaurant Business' 50 Fastest-Growing Small Restaurant Chains of 2016.
Additionally, the company has been ranked on Fast Casual's Top 100 "Movers and Shakers" for the last five consecutive years, while Burger 21 founder Johnston was acknowledged as one of Fast Casual's "Top 25 People" of 2014 for his strategic leadership in the brand's growth and development. Burger 21 also was named one of QSR's "Best Franchise Deals" of 2014.
For more information, visit Burger 21's website.
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http://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/05/prweb15491020.htm
Burger 21® Opens 5th Bay Area Location in St. Petersburg
The 5th Burger 21® Bay Area restaurant location opens in Saint Petersburg, Florida on Monday June 4th, 2018.
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https://www.813area.com/tampa/downtown-tampa/events/295577/burger-21-st.pete-grand-opening.htm
Burger 21 St.pete Grand Opening
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https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/prnewswire/press_releases/Florida/2018/05/16/UN97158
Burger 21® Opens 5th Bay Area Location in St. Petersburg
The 5th Burger 21® Bay Area restaurant location opens in Saint Petersburg, Florida on Monday June 4th, 2018.
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https://www.news18.com/news/football/david-beckhams-miami-mls-club-could-have-name-soon-report-1758233.html
David Beckham's Miami MLS Club Could Have Name Soon: Report
David Beckham's Major League Soccer expansion club isn't expected to debut until at least 2020, but it could soon have a name, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/beckham-s-miami-mls-club-could-have-name-soon-report
Beckham's Miami MLS club could have name soon: report
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http://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/football/2018/may/24/david-beckhams-miami-mls-club-could-have-name-soon-report-1818885.html
David Beckham's Miami MLS club could have name soon: Report
The Beckham group has now secured land on which to build a privately developed 25,000-seat stadium in the heart of Miami.
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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/05/23/cole-excited-prospect-playing-former-england-teammate-rooney-mls
Cole excited by prospect of playing former England teammate Rooney in MLS
CARSON, Calif. – Count Ashley Cole among those hoping to see Wayne Rooney playing in Major League Soccer.
The LA Galaxy captain, for a decade a teammate of Rooney's on England's national team for a decade and a rival even longer in the English Premier League, said he'd like to match wits again with the 32-year-old forwar
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https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/05/23/report-earnie-stewart-in-negotiations-for-u-s-soccer-gm-job/
Report: Earnie Stewart in negotiations for U.S. Soccer GM job
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https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/soccer-team-atlanta-united-fc-beats-yankees-in-average-game-attendance
Soccer team Atlanta United FC beats Yankees in average game attendance
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http://www.beinsports.com/th-en/major-league-soccer/news/cole-hoping-to-see-rooney-in-mls-amid-dc-un-5/882454
Cole hoping to see Rooney in MLS amid DC United links
LA Galaxy captain Ashley Cole is excited by the prospect of playing against former England team-mate Wayne Rooney in MLS.
Everton veteran Rooney, 32, is believed to be closing in on a move to DC United after being pictured in Washington on Wednesday.
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https://www.sport24.co.za/Soccer/International/beckhams-miami-mls-club-could-have-name-soon-20180524
Beckham's Miami MLS club could have name soon
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https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/may/24/10000-flights-and-personal-credit-how-the-us-open-cup-cripples-smaller-clubs
$10,000 flights and personal credit: How the US Open Cup cripples smaller clubs
Smaller teams dream of taking on an MLS club in the US Open Cup. But that dream can come at a steep cost
For the US Open Cup, 2017 was the year of the underdog. The hype started early when Christos FC – an amateur club out of Maryland named after a local liquor store – upset two fourth-division sides and a USL team before going out to MLS’s DC United. Upsets continued to prevail, as the USL’s FC Cincinnati beat the Columbus Crew and Bastian Schweinsteiger’s Chicago Fire en route to a quarter-final showdown with then-NASL side Miami FC. Cincinnati won, serving as the tournament’s first non-MLS semi-finalist since 2009.
“For these lower-division clubs, the Open Cup is a one-off opportunity to prove themselves,” according to Peter Wilt, who launched Chicago Fire, NWSL’s Chicago Red Stars, and NASL/USL’s Indy Eleven. “That dream of beating the bigger clubs is very fleeting. It’s the one opportunity that you have whenever you qualify, and it’s usually gone after two or three matches.”
But that dream can cripple smaller clubs. While the US Open Cup is often compared to England’s famous FA Cup, America’s vast spaces make it a much different proposition. A non-league English club’s away trip may involve a coach trip of a few hours. Teams in the US Open Cup, however, may have to pay for flights across a continent.
Meet Minneapolis City SC, known colloquially as the Crows. The team operates on a very small budget (the club spent $46,000 in 2017) and relies entirely on sponsorships and memberships all over the globe at $50 a share. Most of its players are college kids back home for the summer, able to retain amateur status in the offseason. During qualification for the 2018 tournament they played under their club operations name of Stegman’s Soccer Club. In qualification, the team was drawn to Kansas’ Santa Fe Wanderers, a $6,000 trip for Minneapolis. When Santa Fe forfeited, the draw pitted Minneapolis against Aurora Borealis Soccer Club in Illinois, another $4,000 trip via flights to Chicago. When the team won that round, they were in for an even longer trip.
“It was a surprise when we were drawn to Rochester, New York” Minneapolis City chairman Dan Hoedeman told the Guardian. “It required a multi-leg flight [it would take 16 hours to drive between from Minneapolis to Rochester non-stop] and they had an awful middle school stadium with limited availability. A lot of our players work 9-5 jobs on weekdays, and Rochester only offered to play on that Sunday afternoon. We were at the point where if our game in Rochester had made it to penalties, we would’ve had to leave to catch our flight.”
Stegman’s ended up losing 2-1, conceding deep into the second half. It was a tough result to swallow, and was only made more difficult by the logistics.
“If we hadn’t gotten $12,000 in donations, we would’ve had nothing,” club business director Sarah Schreier remarked. “The Rochester flights alone were $10,000 for 20 players. We could barely make it happen, and we both put club expenses on our personal credit cards. We still spent $3,000 on top of the donations.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's stunning MLS debut is starting to look like an exception
Read more
It’s a regular plight for amateur teams in the States. For those looking to get a crack at the national spotlight – Hoedeman referenced Harpos FC and Christos FC’s magical runs – it requires funding beyond the usual operating budget. Minneapolis City nearly had to stop streaming its games this year to cut costs, but a recent sponsorship allowed those funds to resurface.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/football-david-beckhams-miami-mls-club-could-have-name-soon-says-report
Football: David Beckham's Miami MLS club could have name soon, says report
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http://www.ibtimes.com/mls-wayne-rooney-washington-discuss-dc-united-move-2684090
MLS: Wayne Rooney In Washington To Discuss DC United Move
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https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/soccer/fc-cincinnati/2018/05/24/fc-cincinnati-mls-expansion-don-garber-announcement-nashville-sacramento-detroit-miami/635835002/
Cincinnati's MLS expansion bid: FC Cincinnati announcement imminent
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https://talksport.com/football/wayne-rooney-mls-latest-confirmed-everton-star-hold-talks-dc-united
Wayne Rooney to MLS latest: Spokesperson confirms Everton star is in Washington to hold talks with DC United
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-cosmos/soccer-cosmos-shooting-for-stars-with-500-million-plan-idUSKCN1IP009
Soccer: Cosmos shooting for stars with $500 million plan
(Reuters) - Once one of the most glamorous names in North American sport, the New York Cosmos are today living on soccer’s Skid Row, a fourth division club playing on school grounds left behind, largely unwanted and forgotten.
On April 29, the team that lured soccer royalty like Pele and Franz Beckenbauer opened their National Premier Soccer League season with a 4-0 win over Boston City FC in front of a handful of spectators at Malden Catholic High School.
It marked a low ebb for a team that routinely played in front of roaring crowds of 70,000 in the 1970s and brought global attention to the original North American Soccer League in its heyday.
Yet cable television billionaire Rocco Commisso saw enough residual value in the Cosmos to buy a majority stake in 2017 and has ambitions of not only resurrecting a dead league and its flagship franchise but also rattling the establishment with the introduction of promotion and relegation.
“There’s no team in North America that’s got the historical reputation the New York Cosmos has,” Commisso told Reuters.
“We’ve won more than anyone else, we’ve been in more countries than anybody else.
“There is no name in Europe or anywhere else that is as recognized on the American landscape as the Cosmos and that’s what they wanted to destroy.”
Commisso was referring to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the sport’s national governing body, which stripped the second division sanctioning of the modern North American Soccer League (NASL) last year.
The NASL have in turn launched lawsuits against USSF, casting doubt on whether the parties can come together for the common good of North American soccer.
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