English Soccer Rules Boxing Day — How MLS Could Make Its Own Version

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianquillen/2019/12/26/english-soccer-rules-boxing-day---how-mls-could-make-its-own-version/#531f19f9160d

English Soccer Rules Boxing Day — How MLS Could Make Its Own Version

The holiday season is synonymous with soccer in England. In particular, almost every pro team plays ... [+]GETTY IMAGES

The origins of Boxing Day, celebrated on Dec. 26 in the United Kingdom and most the lands that formerly comprised the British Empire, are widely disupted. But in modern England and Scotland, the meaning for many is simple: soccer, soccer and more soccer.

In a custom that dates back to the early years of the English Football League, the day after Christmas features a full program of matches. In 2019, 88 of the 92 teams in England’s top four divisions will be playing on Dec. 26, including a huge clash between Premier League leaders Liverpool and second-place Leicester City.

In short, Boxing Day day serves as an unofficial midpoint to the season and a day-long showcase for the game.

In North America, the closest equivalent in any sport used to be New Year’s Day, when all of College football’s biggest bowl games were played. (That’s no longer the case, of course).

But perhaps no North American sport — with its continued expansion and slowly but steadily growing popularity — is better positioned to establish new traditions than Major League Soccer. And although MLS doesnt play matches in December, perhaps the league brass should look at another holiday that could be turned into a showcase for the best the sport has to offer in the United States and Canada.

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/12/27/david-beckham-everything-schedule-inter-miami-cfs-inaugural-season

David Beckham: "Everything is on schedule" with Inter Miami CF's inaugural season

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7834177/David-Beckham-set-appoint-former-Monterrey-boss-Diego-Alonso-Inter-Miami-manager.html

David Beckham 'set to appoint former Monterrey boss Diego Alonso as his first Inter Miami manager' despite being linked with high-profile names

Former Monterrey manager Diego Alonso is set to be Inter Miami's first coach

He is relatively unknown but has won two CONCACAF Champions League titles

Miami owner David Beckham had been linked to big names like Carlo Ancelotti

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https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2019/12/29/key-tampa-bay-issues-for-2020-editorial/

Key Tampa Bay issues for 2020 | Editorial

From the new St. Pete Pier to redeveloping east Tampa, here are five key issues around Tampa Bay that should progress this year.

1. Tampa Bay Rays stadium

A view of Tropicana Field, the current home of the Tampa Bay Rays. [SHADD, DIRK | Tampa Bay Times]

The Rays will play another season in outdated Tropicana Field, and there...

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https://magiccity.soccer/2019/12/29/miami-soccer-in-review-the-miami-fc-struggles-on-the-pitch-in-its-2016-debut/

A DECADE OF MIAMI SOCCER IN REVIEW THE MIAMI FC

Miami Soccer in Review: The Miami FC struggles on the pitch in its 2016 debut

Magic City Soccer will take the last 10 days of 2019 to review the last 10 years of Miami-Dade County soccer. Today in Miami Soccer in Review, we take a look back at 2016. The Miami FC debuts less than a year after being announced, and struggles to find its footing.

The Miami FC took the field for the first time in 2016, led by Italian giant Alessandro Nesta. In the club’s first match against Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Darío Cvitanich would score the first goal thanks to a penalty and a 10-man side saw out a 1-1 draw at Lockhart Stadium in Broward County. The Strikers, who qualified for the NASL playoffs the prior season, offered a measuring stick with which to compare Miami FC. The next week, the Blues again saw out a 1-1 draw, this time against Tampa Bay Rowdies, a team that came two points behind Fort Lauderdale the previous season.

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https://theathletic.com/1474405/2019/12/26/how-wasserman-agents-found-success-repping-first-rounders-in-all-6-major-north-american-league-drafts-in-2019/

How Wasserman agents found success repping first-rounders in all 6 major North American league drafts in 2019

The battle that sports agents experience to build their businesses can be described by the laws of supply and demand: a low supply of professional athletes needing representation mixed with a high demand to represent them creates fierce competition.

In this competitive climate, certain agencies have thrived, gaining large percentages of the market share. In 2019 Wasserman earned over $200 million in maximum possible commissions, making it the second most-profitable sport agency, after CAA. Wasserman achieved another distinction this year when it became the first agency to have a client selected in the first round of all six major North American team sport drafts.

“It speaks to our commitment to be elite in sport – and not just the ‘big four’ North American sports leagues,” Wasserman COO and talent division executive vice president Jason Ranne said. “The world of sport is much bigger than that, and we value the diversity of thought and...

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https://www.breitbart.com/news/inter-miami-signs-d-denso-ulysse-g-drake-callender/

Inter Miami signs D Denso Ulysse, G Drake Callender

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https://magiccity.soccer/2019/12/27/miami-soccer-in-review-2014-officially-starts-the-mls-madness-that-would-become-inter-miami-cf/

A DECADE OF MIAMI SOCCER IN REVIEW INTER MIAMI CF

Miami Soccer in Review: 2014 officially starts the MLS madness that would become Inter Miami CF

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https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/lights/las-vegas-fight-for-mls-should-escalate-in-2020-1922756/

Las Vegas fight for MLS should escalate in 2020

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https://magiccity.soccer/2019/12/28/miami-soccer-in-review-silva-the-miami-fc-offer-direct-challenge-to-mls-beckham-in-2015/

A DECADE OF MIAMI SOCCER IN REVIEW THE MIAMI FC 2

Miami Soccer in Review: Silva, The Miami FC offer direct challenge to MLS, Beckham in 2015

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2019/12/28/a-new-challenge-inter-miami-acquires-ex-red-bull-agudelo-from-toronto/

A NEW CHALLENGE: Inter Miami acquires ex-Red Bull Agudelo from Toronto

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/12/28/reports-diego-alonso-expected-be-named-inter-miami-coach-monday

Reports: Diego Alonso expected to be named Inter Miami coach on Monday

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https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2019/12/29/jeff-vinik-bought-the-lightning-then-his-influence-spread-over-tampa-bay/

Jeff Vinik bought the Lightning. Then his influence spread over Tampa Bay.

Vinik and his family have left a mark on development, transportation, and tech, among other things.

Left to right, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Cissy Proctor, Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson and Strategic Property Partners CEO James Nozar break ground on the new JW Marriott Hotel at Water Street in Tampa, FL Tuesday, April 24, 2018. [JAMES BORCHUCK | Times (2018)]

Editor’s note: This story is part of “A Decade Defined By,” a series that examines how Tampa Bay has changed in the past decade. We will publish one story a day until Dec. 31. Read the whole package h...

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https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2019/12/26/top-stories-of-2019-from-mls-expansion-team-to.html

Top Stories of 2019: From MLS expansion team to Truist HQ, these events promise to reshape Charlotte's future

MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and Mayor Vi Lyles officially announced that Charlotte will get an MLS team on Dec. 17 at the Mint Museum uptown.

Many of the big events of 2019 promise to reshape the region’s future. Read more about them here.

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https://www.espn.com/soccer/major-league-soccer/story/4022373/reports-david-beckhams-inter-miami-to-make-diego-alonso-first-boss

Reports: David Beckham's Inter Miami to make Diego Alonso first boss

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https://twitter.com/jeremy_handler/status/1211352537607155714

Jeremy Handler
@Jeremy_Handler
In the U.S., the city of Wolverhampton would have a single A baseball team or something. In Europe, they have a Premier League team capable of going toe to toe with the best. And we wonder why we’re bad. We handicap ourselves in favor of biz metrics and protecting billionaires
1:25 PM · Dec 29, 2019·Twitter for iPhone

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https://talksport.com/football/648501/david-beckham-inter-miami-who-when-diego-alonso-new-inter-miami-manager-patrick-vieira-carlo-ancelotti/

THE BECKS FACTOR David Beckham set to announce Diego Alonso as new Inter Miami manager – after links to Carlo Ancelotti, David Moyes and Patrick Vieira

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2019/12/29/remembering-wolfie-wolfgang-suhnholz-an-appreciation/

REMEMBERING WOLFIE: Wolfgang Suhnholz, an appreciation

Eusebio and Wolfgang Suhnholz during the Toronto Metros-Croatia’s champagne celebration after winning Soccer Bowl ’76. (Photo courtesy of the 1970s Soccer USA Facebook page)

After polishing off the Cosmos in the quarterfinals of the 1976 North American Soccer League playoffs, the defending champion Tampa Bay Rowdies were starting to count some proverbial chickens before they hatched prior to meeting the Toronto Metros-Croatia in the semifinals.

“We were basically told to be ready to leave home the next morning at 6:30 in case we won — and expected — so we can go onto to Seattle to the Soccer Bowl,” former Rowdies executive Francisco Marcos recalled Saturday.