Commentary: Atlanta United gives soccer a cool factor early teams lacked

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https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2018/09/04/commentary-atlanta-united-gives-soccer-a-cool-factor-early-teams-lacked/

Commentary: Atlanta United gives soccer a cool factor early teams lacked

The Atlanta Chiefs

Since Atlanta has emerged as a true international city in recent years, the profile of soccer has grown in the area. The largest impact from this early era — the late 1960s to early 1980s — came from the Atlanta Chiefs, Atlanta’s NASL team, which won the league championship in 1968 and were runners-up in 1969 and 1971.

The NASL was the first soccer league to have national impact, having famous foreign players come over and ply their trade in the U.S. Other notable teams such as the New York Cosmos, Los Angeles Aztecs and Tampa Bay Rowdies all helped to push soccer forward. The Chiefs were early champions in the league and the best league commissioner, Phil Woosnam, was their former manager.

Perhaps the best memory of the team is that they beat Manchester City twice in international club friendlies. According to ussoccerplayers.com, “The team even went as far as to use a woman on horseback around the city’s streets declaring, ‘The British are coming! The British are coming!’” The team “gained unprecedented coverage in the sports pages.”

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https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/946909

USL Race for the Playoffs – Sept. 5-9

SIX-POINTER MATCHUPS AROUND PLAYOFF LINE HIGHLIGHT WEEK’S ACTION

4. Charleston Battery
Current Record: 11-4-12, 45pts
Maximum Points Available: 66
Points Needed to Clinch: 15
SportsClubStats.com Avg. Finishing Position: 3.8
FiveThirtyEight.com USL Cup Odds: 4%
Last Game: D 2-2 at Louisville City FC
Next Game: 9/8 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, 7 p.m. ET
Charleston twice was unable to hold its lead against Louisville City FC but will have been delighted by results elsewhere around the conference that saw Bethlehem, Indy and Nashville all drop points, raising the Battery’s average finishing position to a solid top-four spot. There’s a strong test coming to MUSC Health Stadium this Saturday night, however, with the Tampa Bay Rowdies eager to build on their big road victory last weekend as they try to make one final push for the playoffs, and the Battery will be without big gun Ataulla Guerra and solid defender Neveal Hackshaw due to international duty to try and counter it.

10. North Carolina FC
Current Record: 9-10-7, 34pts
Maximum Points Available: 58
Points Needed to Clinch: 26
SportsClubStats.com Avg. Finishing Position: 9.9
FiveThirtyEight.com USL Cup Odds: <1%
Last Game: L 3-0 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Next Game: 9/8 vs. Nashville SC, 5 p.m. ET
As it looked at results elsewhere on Saturday night, North Carolina FC will have realized it missed out on a big opportunity in its loss to the Tampa Bay Rowdies with Nashville SC having fallen across the state against the Charlotte Independence. But, NCFC still has a chance to move within a point of eighth place as Nashville comes to visit this weekend, a chance Head Coach Colin Clarke’s side can’t afford to squander.

13. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Current Record: 8-11-7, 31pts
Maximum Points Available: 55
Points Needed to Clinch: 29
SportsClubStats.com Avg. Finishing Position: 11.4
FiveThirtyEight.com USL Cup Odds: <1%
Last Game: W 3-0 at North Carolina FC
Next Game: 9/8 at Charleston Battery, 7 p.m. ET
The Rowdies got pretty close to an ideal weekend of results after its 3-0 win on the road against North Carolina got the side back in the win column but is still in must-win mode as it heads to face the Charleston Battery this weekend. Charleston won’t have two key players in Ataulla Guerra and Neveal Hackshaw due to international duty, but the Battery at home are a tough proposition no matter who’s lined up for Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser.

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http://carycitizen.com/2018/09/04/ncfc-falls-to-tampa-bay-first-home-loss-since-june/

NCFC Falls to Tampa Bay, First Home Loss Since June

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2018/09/04/usl-honors-current-rowdie-ex-cosmos-guenzatti-named-player-of-the-week/

USL HONORS: Current Rowdie, Ex-Cosmos Guenzatti named player of the week

TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa Bay Rowdies forward and former Cosmos midfielder Sebastian Guenzatti has been voted the United Soccer League player of the week, it was announced Tuesday.

Guenzatti recorded a hat-trick to lead the Rowdies to a 3-0 victory over North Carolina FC at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park Saturday to help keep Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes alive.

He received 33 percent of the poll conducted by a national panel of independent media representing every USL market, narrowly edging out Toronto FC II’s Tsubasa Endoh on 29 percent after his standout display in TFC II’s 4-1 victory against Louisville City FC last Tuesday night.

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https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/09/04/nashville-mls-ownership-group-finalizes-community-benefits-agreement-ahead-decisive-stadium-vote/1189105002/

Nashville MLS ownership finalizes community benefits agreement ahead of decisive stadium vote

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http://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/news/2018/09/04/ohio-judge-could-decide-mls-future-in-austin

Ohio judge could decide MLS future in Austin

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https://www.90min.com/posts/6162062-9-lesser-known-stars-than-wayne-rooney-setting-major-league-soccer-alight-in-2018

9 Lesser Known Stars Than Wayne Rooney Setting Major League Soccer Alight in 2018

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http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20180904/hearing-regarding-crews-move-set-for-tuesday

Hearing regarding Crew’s move set for Tuesday

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https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2018/09/04/save-our-fairgrounds-lawsuit-block-mls-stadium/1196684002/

Ahead of vote, Save Our Fairgrounds files lawsuit to block MLS stadium — again

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https://www.mystatesman.com/sports/judge-doesn-rule-columbus-crew-lawsuit-after-hearing-arguments/xQueoJZSf6QWm4ScYRCFJM/

Judge doesn’t rule on Columbus Crew lawsuit after hearing arguments

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https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2018/09/04/judge-promises-ruling-soon-after-crew-lawsuit.html

Judge promises ruling ASAP after Crew lawsuit hearing

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https://fox17.com/news/local/mls-community-benefits-agreement-not-enforceable-by-the-city

MLS community benefits agreement not enforceable by the city

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https://www.wfla.com/sports/rowdies-player-wins-usl-player-of-the-week-honor/1417814868

Rowdies player wins USL Player of the Week honor

(WFLA) - Tampa Bay Rowdies' Sebastian Guenzatti was voted the USL's Player of the Week for his hat trick in the Rowdies 3-0 win over North Carolina FC on Saturday.

The victory improved the Rowdies point total to 31 points, seven behind the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Guenzatti becomes the second member of the Rowdies win Player of the Week honors. Forward Junior Flemmings also won the award.

With goals in the 23rd, 43rd and 56th minute against North Carolina FC, Guenzatti joins Georgi Hristov as the only Rowdies players in the club's modern day history to record a hat trick during a game.

The Rowdies are back on the road Saturday against Charleston Battery.

They return home Sept. 15 to take on Atlanta United 2.