Rowdies Sign Defender Forrest Lasso

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/ec49pi/rowdies_sign_defender_forrest_lasso/

Rowdies Sign Defender Forrest Lasso

That's a wild signing...I kind of thought he might be low tier MLS. As a big man he definitely gives more of an imposing presence in the middle of that back 3.

(Also, I hated this guy, right up until today.)

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https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news_article/show/1072304

ROWDIES SIGN DEFENDER FORREST LASSO

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (December 17, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies have signed one of the USL Championship’s best defenders as the first defender on their 2020 roster, welcoming Forrest Lasso to Tampa Bay on a two-year contract, pending league approval. Per club policy, further contract details were not disclosed.

Lasso is a three-time USL All-League First Team selection, having earned the recognition each of the last three seasons. He was the 2018 USL Championship Defender of the Year with FC Cincinnati.

His three All-League First Team selections came with three different clubs, earning the honors with the Charleston Battery in 2017, FC Cincinnati in 2018 and Nashville SC last season.

“The qualities Forrest brings to our team are pretty obvious to anyone that has seen him play with his fantastic aerial ability and the huge presence he brings to the heart of our defense,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “On top of that he has a real hunger and desire to succeed that I think will help improve us as a team. I think the best way to sum up signing Forrest is I am glad we do not have to play against him next season.”

At 26 years old, Lasso brings more than 100 matches of USL Championship experience and plenty of leadership to Tampa Bay’s roster. He played three seasons with Charleston from 2015-2017 before moving to Cincinnati for that club’s final season in the USL Championship. He transitioned to MLS with FC Cincinnati in 2019, but was loaned to Nashville SC in late July.

Despite joining Nashville late in the season, Lasso made a big enough impact to be awarded the captain’s armband and earn his spot in the All-League First Team.

“To say I’m excited would not come close to doing it justice," Lasso said. "I’ve been able to witness first hand the quality of football the Rowdies have produced throughout the years and to be given the opportunity to be a part of that legacy... well let’s just say it’s time to go to work! History isn’t going to write itself!”

Lasso is the first defender announced for Tampa Bay’s 2020 roster, but more signings will be announced in the coming days.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/ebxfic/rowdies_sign_midfielder_lewis_hilton/

Rowdies Sign Midfielder Lewis Hilton

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https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news_article/show/1072114

ROWDIES SIGN MIDFIELDER LEWIS HILTON

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (December 17, 2019) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies have signed midfielder Lewis Hilton to a two-year contract, the club announced Tuesday, welcoming Hilton as the first new member of the Rowdies 2020 USL Championship roster. Per club policy, further contract details were not disclosed.

“I’m delighted to be joining this fantastic club for the next two years,” Hilton said. “I have been really impressed with the Rowdies organization as an opposing player and it was something I wanted to be part of. They have some top players and play an exciting style. I’m an extremely ambitious player and after conversations with Coach Neill, I felt like the Rowdies will provide a great environment for success. I cannot wait to get to work with my new teammates in 2020.”

Hilton, 26, played the last two seasons with Saint Louis FC and two before that with the Charlotte Independence. He brings 126 matches and nearly 9,000 minutes worth of USL Championship experience to the Rowdies midfield.

Hilton joins a central midfield corps that also includes Yann Ekra, Dom Oduro and Zach Steinberger. Hilton and Ekra were teammates with the Independence in 2016 and 2017.

“Lewis is a player that we have pursued for a long time and I am delighted to finally secure,” Rowdies Head Coach Neill Collins said. “While Lewis has many technical attributes that will improve our team, namely his range of passing and dead ball expertise, it is his will to win and professionalism that make him such an important signing for next year.”

Hilton began his career in his native England in the academies of Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City before moving to the United States to play at Young Harris College and for USL League Two side Ocala Stampede before turning professional with Charlotte.

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https://www.kcci.com/article/city-council-vote-brings-soccer-stadium-one-step-closer-to-des-moines/30249769#

City Council vote brings soccer stadium one step closer to Des Moines

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https://stpetecatalyst.com/shuffle/brian-johnson/

The Tampa Bay United Rowdies (TBUR), the youth affiliate soccer program for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, today announced the selection of the Director of Technical Development for the soccer club’s boys teams. Brian Johnson will lead the club in this new position and will oversee the boy’s competitive development programs. Johnson will be responsible for developing the curriculum for a technical standard of shared vision and philosophy, establishing coaching implementation, and creating player development methodology that will further enhance and develop the TBU playing style. Johnson brings significant United States National Team, NCAA Division I, and MLS coaching experience, a passionate commitment to player achievement, and a track record of success at technical development for youth athletes.

“The hiring of Brian Johnson marks a new day for TBU as we strive to become the best soccer club in the country,” said Anthony Latronica, Sporting Director of TBU. “Brian has demonstrated a commitment to inspiring teams to achieve excellence in a way that provides young athletes the opportunities to take their play to the next level. We are excited to have him aboard and look forward to his positive influence in our soccer community.”

Johnson comes to TBUR most recently from the Indiana Fire Juniors in Westfield, IN, where he was responsible for the selection and management of technical staff & the execution of all technical areas: Recreational, Youth, Travel, ECNL & DA. In the role, Johnson collaborated with the Chicago Fire Director of Player Development & Academy Director to develop synergies and objectives between MLS and IFJ affiliates. He was also the Technical Advisor for the Mid-America Division and U-14 Youth National Team Head Coach for U.S. SOCCER in Carmel, IN, responsible for all technical elements of the clubs in the Mid-America Division of the U.S. Development Academy League, player identification for the US U-14, U-15, U-17, U-18 & U-20 National Teams and scouting for the U.S. Men’s National Team.

He coached for five years in the MLS for Real Salt Lake and has NCAA Div 1 coaching experience. He was the Assistant Men’s Soccer Coach for two NCAA DIV 1 schools, West Virginia University and Ohio State University, leading to an NCAA 2nd round and an NCAA quarterfinals run under his leadership. Johnson contributed to the development of the student-athletes, including 8 of which were selected in the MLS draft from his NCAA Div 1 team.

While his experience as a coach is immense, Johnson also achieved recognition as an elite soccer player and has played the sport since he was a youth. He was on the United States National Team: U-23 National Team (1994-1996) Full-time resident, Pan American Games-Argentina, U-20 National Team (1992-1994) CONCACAF Qualifier- Canada, U-20 Youth World Cup-Australia, U-18 National Team (1990-1992), Other international matches played in: Belgium, France, England, Holland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Bolivia, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and Egypt. He played in NCAA Division 1 school, California State University Fresno, and was a four-year starter and team captain. He was a first-round draft pick in 1996 for the Kansas City Wizards and a member of the Wizards MLS Cup Championship team in 2001.

Johnson holds coaching licensures in the United States Soccer Federation- National ‘A’ License and the United States Soccer Federation- Technical Director License.

Says Johnson, “I couldn’t be happier to be joining Tampa Bay United as Director of Technical Development. This is an exciting time at TBUR and I am looking forward to providing the support and guidance to develop a player-enhanced environment where the game understanding improves and on-field decision making gets even better. The technical development of players and coaching helps young athletes achieve their aspirations and goals. In my prior position, 99% of our elite players went on to play collegiate soccer. I look forward to helping these teams unlock their potential for achieving great things and working with such a stellar soccer club.”

Johnson will begin the position in January of 2020, leading the organization's' broad depth of competitive boys’ soccer teams in three areas: Developmental Academy, Elite Competitive National League, and Competitive teams in the U13-U19 age ranges.

“Tampa Bay United has the potential to become one of the best clubs in the country with our depth of programming in Elite, Competitive, and Recreational sides of the sport. With the addition of Johnson’s technical expertise, we are looking forward to taking this club to the next level in 2020,” says Latronica.

“We would like to thank our newest sponsor. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Florida Properties Group, for taking care of Brian and his family’s relocation needs as they transition here to Tampa.

The organization makes quarterly contributions to our Play It Forward Campaign helping players and families in need of financial assistance.”

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https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/12/17/see-where-tampa-ranks-among-best-beer-cities-in.html

See where Tampa ranks among best beer cities in the US

Tampa is among the best beer cities in the U.S., according to a new report from SmartAssets.

Beer lovers may be adding Tampa to their list of places to visit after a recent report by SmartAsset ranked the city among the best beer cities in the nation along with the best in Florida.

To compile the ranking, SmartAsset looked at a few factors including the total number of breweries each city has, the average number of beers per brewery, number of bars per 100,000 residents and the average price per pint.

The Big Guava ranked as the 37th best beer city among 50, coming in seven spots ahead of Orlando, the only other Florida city on the list. Tampa’s position was helped by its 21 breweries, which average 128.5 beers. The city’s $4 average pint price was also among the cheapest on the list.

Tampa Bay's best breweries

Here Tampa Bay's best breweries, according to Yelp.

The top 10 beer cities include:

Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Louis
Portland, Oregon
Asheville, North Carolina
Pittsburgh
Denver
Bend, Oregon
Madison, Wisconsin
Missoula, Montana
Cleveland

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https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/12/17/tampa-pinpointed-as-a-housing-market-expected-to.html

Tampa pinpointed as a housing market expected to 'outperform' in coming years

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https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/12/17/miami-developer-pitches-ambitious-mixed-use-tower.html

Miami developer pitches ambitious mixed-use tower on city-owned property in downtown St. Pete

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https://stpetecatalyst.com/real-estate-developer-proposes-massive-downtown-st-pete-project/

Real estate developer proposes massive downtown St. Pete project

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https://www.wbtv.com/video/2019/12/18/mls-announcement-doesnt-come-with-details-taxpayer-dollars-soccer-project/

MLS announcement doesn’t come with details of taxpayer dollars for soccer project

Even after the official announcement awarding Charlotte with Major League Soccer’s 30th team, details about how taxpayer money will be used to move the project forward remain sparse.

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https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/new-england-revolution/new-england-revolution-sign-veteran-left-back-seth-sinovic/

New England Revolution sign veteran left back Seth Sinovic

The veteran left back re-joins the Revolution as a free agent after nine seasons with Sporting Kansas City.

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/12/17/report-atlanta-uniteds-pity-martinez-targeted-gremio-brazil

Report: Atlanta United's Pity Martinez targeted by Gremio in Brazil

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https://berksweekly.com/sports/reading-united-issues-statement-on-declining-u-s-open-cup-invitation/

READING UNITED ISSUES STATEMENT ON DECLINING U.S. OPEN CUP INVITATION

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https://dentondaily.com/what-ron-burkles-success-star-power-mean-for-sacramentos-major-league-soccer-bid/

What Ron Burkle’s success, star power mean for Sacramento’s Major League Soccer bid

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https://www.mlb.com/news/rays-two-city-plan-update

Sternberg 'excited,' still exploring two-city plan

SAN DIEGO -- While St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman ended talks with the Rays last week about a potential sister city agreement between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal, Rays majority owner Stuart Sternberg remains confident in the idea.

"I'm more excited about the plan now than I was a month ago. I'm more excited than I was a month before that, and I'm more excited than when we made the announcement in June," Sternberg said. "Most people we've spoken to in small gatherings and stuff like that, they get what we're trying to do."

Sternberg said he believes both areas would benefit from the idea, despite Kriseman and St. Petersburg not wanting to build a new stadium for a part-time team. Sternberg, however, understands that there are still things that need to be resolved over the next couple of years in order to fully execute the plan that he envisions.

On Tuesday, Sternberg met with a group of reporters and provided an update on the situation, while also answering some of the questions surrounding the plan.

What's the updated timeline?

With mayor Kriseman ending talks last week, the Rays will need to stay at Tropicana Field for the duration of their lease, which ends after the 2027 season. After that, Sternberg is able to continue exploring possibilities for the franchise.

"We're targeting 2028 Opening Day. To this point, there's no way around it," Sternberg said. "We would have to do it with a 2028 start as opposed to a 2024 or 2025 start date. That was clear to us four, five weeks ago. We're moving forward like that."

However, Sternberg indicated that in order to make a potential sister city plan work between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal, they would need to have a concrete plan in place by 2022 or 2023 in order to give potential free agents and team employees an opportunity to plan accordingly.

What has been the reaction from players or Major League Baseball's Players Association?

Sternberg said that he understands some of the difficulties about a sister city plan in terms of housing and planning, but he also believes there are some benefits to the idea. Ideally, the Rays would move their Spring Training facility to the Tampa Bay area, which would allow the players a couple more months in the area before moving to Montreal in late June for the summer.

"I would envision something where they would be more apt to live year-round, because if they have Spring Training [in Tampa Bay] and they have a good chunk of the season [in Montreal], and it's only those 12 weeks -- which by the way, is not the worst place to be in the summer, or 12 weeks -- and I think we'd get even more year-round residences from our ballplayers."

Sternberg said early conversations with players haven't given him enough of an indication of how negotiations would be affected, but he doesn't believe it would be an issue with the players or the MLBPA.

In a proposed plan, which city would get postseason baseball?

This has been a popular topic of discussion regarding the sister city idea, and Sternberg said they would still need to sort out the plan in the case that the team makes the postseason.

Sternberg said there are a couple different ways that the team can approach the situation, with alternating cities in the postseason being the most likely, according to Sternberg. In a perfect situation for the proposed plan, the team would play one postseason series in one city before moving on to play the next series in the other city.

"In baseball, you don't even know [where you're going to play] until sometimes the night before," Sternberg said. "It's possible that you just choose to play the first series in Montreal, the second series in Tampa Bay, or you play them on through. One thing I do know, we couldn't play the same series in both [cities]."

Sternberg admitted that they would need to sort those things out if a sister city plan is ever agreed upon, and it would also need to run through the MLBPA.

So, what are the remaining hurdles?

In order for the plan to work, both cities would need to agree to build a new stadium in their respective areas. Sternberg believes that Montreal is already in position to do so, but the Tampa Bay area remains hesitant in building a new stadium for a part-time team. The area and Sternberg have already had issues trying to find a full-time home for the Rays.

"Oddly enough Montreal is sort of a place already -- we don't know where we are going to be in Tampa Bay -- but Montreal's like, 'Oh yeah, we got a spot.' They don't have it under lock and key yet but I can get that done pretty easy."

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https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/charlotte-will-reportedly-become-30th-mls-franchise-for-record-325-m-twothirds-more-than-recent-expansions-212710659.html

Charlotte's MLS expansion fee reportedly a record $325M — two-thirds more than recent expansions

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https://www.tampabay.com/arts-entertainment/food/2019/12/17/tampa-bay-restaurants-open-on-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day/

Tampa Bay restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Just in case you’re dreaming of a no-cook Christmas.

Isabelle's at the Historic Peninsula Inn in Gulfport will do Christmas Eve dinner, plus lunch and dinner on Christmas Day.

Dash out of your kitchen and in to the dining rooms of these Tampa Bay restaurants serving up festive menus for the night before Christmas and the holiday itself. As always, most strongly encourage...

Columbia Restaurant: In addition to the full dinner menu, the iconic Spanish eatery's local outposts in Ybor City, Clearwater and Sarasota put roast ...

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https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2019/12/17/in-zion-cemeterys-lost-history-a-glimpse-of-the-memorial-park-it-could-become-again/

In Zion Cemetery’s lost history, a glimpse of the memorial park it could become again

Times reporting spurred action, brought change to Tampa public housing complex.

For some, the lost Zion Cemetery, here in the foreground, and the old Robles Park Village speak to the same issue: a lack of power and respect for black residents.

By late November, life in one corner of the faded cinder-block sprawl of Robles Park Village had quieted. Families were on their way to new homes. They left behind mold-streaked walls, shuttered...

The Tampa Times called it “greatly used,” one of the city's “most prominent” burial grounds. Still, as Tampa swelled, white suburbs crept nearer, and in ...