http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2018/10/03/mls-expansion-hopefuls-tampa-bay-rowdies-sold-mlbs-tampa-bay-rays/
MLS expansion hopefuls Tampa Bay Rowdies sold to MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays
October 3 – One of the best-known club names in US football, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who boasted English legend Rodney Marsh and Brazil’s Mirandinha on their roster in the late 1970s, have been sold to the Tampa Bay Rays Major League Baseball team.
No financial terms were given for the sale of the Rowdies, who were bought by Bill Edwards in 2013 who invested significantly in the Al Lang Stadium and expressed an ambition to move towards the MLS. The Rowdies currently play in the USL Championship, having moved over from the NASL in 2017.
Edwards bought the club when they were on the verge of bankruptcy. They are currently battling for a place in the USL play-offs.
Last year a St. Petersburg referendum voted in favour of an improvement of the Al Lang Stadium which would cost up to $80 million and increase capacity from 7,500 to 18,000. Edwards was to provide the finance and the MLS was positive about the positioning of the Rowdies as one of the MLS expansion clubs.
The sale to the MLB team will bring the Rowdies into a sports investor group with considerably more leverage in the local market. Rays presidents Matthew Silverman and Brian Auld will become vice chairmen of the Rowdies, overseeing all aspects of the club alongside Rowdies VP & COO Lee Cohen.
“We are committed to continuing the upward trajectory that the Rowdies have been experiencing under Bill’s visionary leadership,” said Silverman. “The Tampa Bay Rowdies are a legendary soccer team, and we look forward to extending their legacy and prominence.”
The Rays have long had their own plans for a $1 billion replacement of their Tropicana stadium with the site of the Al Lang Stadium having been one of the venue options suggested 20 years ago. The Rays haven’t been able to progress those plans though the expanded sports group opens up a number of possibilities and perhaps the incentive to upgrade more ambitiously.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2018/10/02/episode-177-rays-of-hope/4083
Episode 177 – Rays of Hope?
Coming off today’s announcement of the Rowdies sale to the Tampa Bay Rays, Matt and Dan are joined by Jake to unpack all the news.
In this episode:
What we know
What we think
What we hope
Evaluating the Bill Edwards Era
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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/9lkyjj/forbes_local_deal_for_tampa_bay_rays_to_buy_tampa/
[Forbes] Local Deal For Tampa Bay Rays To Buy Tampa Bay Rowdies Has Global Impact
so bad. Any article that can't get the terms right of buying ownership of the team, but only control of AL Lang isn't worth reading any further. speculation right to replacing it with another baseball stadium or something, ugh so bad. They can't fkn sell Al Lang cause they don't own it. Do your fkn job, journalists. Wow.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/leeigel/2018/10/03/local-deal-for-tampa-bay-rays-to-buy-tampa-bay-rowdies-has-global-impact/#6b10f5ae2280
Local Deal For Tampa Bay Rays To Buy Tampa Bay Rowdies Has Global Impact
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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/9m5hi6/rowdies_left_with_frustration_following/
Rowdies Left with Frustration Following Elimination (interview with Joe Cole on possible return for next year)
“We’re going to sit down with my family, probably in the next week or the week after and make a decision,” said Cole. “Wonderful place, I absolutely love it here, I love the fans, I love the people of St. Petersburg and I’ve got great friends here. It’s going to be a tough decision to make in the coming weeks and months.”
“I love this club,” said Cole. “I’m having a great time here. Nothing’s for certain either way, we’ll just wait and try and make the right decision for everyone.”
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/956593
Rowdies Left with Frustration Following Elimination
COLE SAYS HE’LL WAIT TO MAKE DECISION ON FUTURE AFTER DEFEAT TO INDEPENDENCE
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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/9m6wou/rowdies_postseason_hopes_come_to_an_end_in_home/
Rowdies Postseason Hopes Come to an End in Home Finale
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http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2018/10/07/rowdies-postseason-hopes-come-to-an-end-in-home-finale/4095
Rowdies Postseason Hopes Come to an End in Home Finale
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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/9m348j/rowdies_report_week_33_tbr_v_clt/
Rowdies Report Week 33- TBR v CLT
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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/9libuu/heres_everything_you_need_to_know_about_the_tampa/
Here’s everything you need to know about the Tampa Bay Rowdies
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https://www.draysbay.com/2018/10/4/17936244/tampa-bay-rowdies-team-details-acquisition-tampa-bay-rays
Here’s everything you need to know about the Tampa Bay Rowdies
A brief history of the Rays newly acquired soccer team.
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https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2018/10/05/need-to-know-five-things-that-happened-while-you.html
Need to know: Five things that happened while you made sense of the Rays-Rowdies deal
The Rays deal to buy the Rowdies had most of us scratching our heads. But a few other things were taking place in the Tampa Bay area.
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https://www.foxsports.com/florida/video/1335882307653?abTest=no-pin
Rays president of baseball ops Matt Silverman on acquisition of Rowdies
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https://www.abcactionnews.com/lifestyle/taste-and-see/whats-happening-in-tampa-bay-this-weekend-october-5-7
What's happening in Tampa Bay this weekend? | October 5-7
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Charlotte Independence
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Al Lang Stadium at 230 1st Street South, St. Petersburg
Cost: $25.85
Info: The Tampa Bay Rowdies will host the Charlotte Independence for a Saturday night matchup at Al Lang Stadium.
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https://www.wblzmedia.com/2018/10/03/tampa-bay-rays-the-surprise-of-the-2018-mlb-season/
TAMPA BAY RAYS: THE SURPRISE OF THE 2018 MLB SEASON
It is now the fans turn to make things happen. The Rays are looking to build a new stadium in Tampa.
Ownership made an exciting move yesterday. Rays ownership purchased the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Now the why would they do that? The answer is simple. Now they can put two teams in the new stadium. They also want to take the current stadium the Rowdies play in and bring the Rays back to St. Petersburg for spring training. This would now have St. Petersburg and Tampa be a part of the Tampa Bay Rays moving forward.
Things are looking bright for the Tampa Bay Rays, and Rowdies and my article seems pretty wrong.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tbo.com/things-to-do/music/Rays-Rowdies-deal-Concerts-at-Al-Lang-Stadium-will-expand-in-2019_172310343
MUSIC NEWS, CONCERT REVIEWS
Rays-Rowdies deal: Concerts at Al Lang Stadium will expand in 2019
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https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/City-says-the-stone-has-to-go-at-St-Pete-s-new-Oak-Stone-restaurant_172400720
City says the stone has to go at St. Pete’s new Oak & Stone restaurant
The city of St. Petersburg wants Oak & Stone to remove the stone facade on the pillars near the restaurant's main entrance at 199 Central Ave, St. Petersburg. [SCOTT KEELER | Times]
ST. PETERSBURG — It will still be "Oak & Stone" but the stone will soon be gone.
The owners of a popular new restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg have agreed — reluctantly — to strip the stone veneer from three columns that the city says are currently incompatible with the rest of the building, a Hyatt Place hotel.
"We are disappointed to have to remove the beautiful stonework and part of our namesake from the exterior of our downtown St. Pete location," owners Brett Decklever and Joe Seidensticker said in a statement Friday. ‘‘We feel it is inviting and attractive and also part of our brand name."
The Hyatt, which opened a year ago at 25 2nd St. N, is built in a sleek modern style with white-stuccoed walls and large aluminum-trimmed windows. An area on the southwest corner of the building was set aside for Oak & Stone.
In March, an architect for the restaurant emailed the city’s urban design chief, Corey Malyszka, about adding stone veneer to the existing columns. Malyszka told him that wouldn’t be allowed because design regulations in the downtown area require any modifications to "complement or match the architectural style of the building."
Nonetheless, the restaurant opened in July with columns encased in chunks of stone to a height of about eight feet. After receiving a notice of violation, the restaurant applied for an after-the fact variance.
"We’re so proud to be part of the downtown St. Petersburg community," the owners’ statement said. "As a new community member, we’ve already hired 125 local staff." The restaurant also supports the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Academy Prep St. Pete, a middle school for low-income students.
St. Petersburg is the second location for Oak & Stone. The other is in Sarasota — and it will keep its stone columns.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Ryu-to-start-Game-1-for-Dodgers-13276952.php
Ryu to start Game 1 for Dodgers
Left-hander will oppose Braves' Foltynewicz
Rays: Tampa Bay is getting into the soccer business. The team announced the purchase of the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League, who play their home games at Al Lang Stadium, the onetime waterfront spring training home of the Rays.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.sportstalkflorida.com/mlb/joe-maddon-eliminated-from-playoffs/
Joe Maddon Eliminated From Playoffs, Do Tampa Fans Care?
Tyler Bradley and Timothy Mallard bring you Tampa Bay Sports This Morning! The Show that covers all of the local sports scenes in Tampa Bay. After the NL Wild Card Game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago Cubs, Joe Maddon is out of the playoffs. What do the people of Tampa have to say about it? The Rays have bought the Tampa Bay Rowdies what are the plans for the team going forward? USF travels to take on UMass this Saturday what do they need to do to finally crack the Top 25? Florida State takes on Miami in a heated rivalry matchup what do Tyler and Tim think about the latest installment in a heated rivalry?
Steve Kinsella with Sports Talk Florida joins to discuss the Rays purchase of the Rowdies and the playoff picture going forward. Who does Steve see in the World Series?
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.pressherald.com/2018/10/02/tuesdays-major-league-notebook-molitor-out-as-twins-manager/
Tuesday’s major league notebook: Molitor out as Twins manager
Paul Molitor was AL Manager of the Year in 2017.
RAYS: The team is getting into the soccer business with the purchase of the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United Soccer League, who play their home games at Al Lang Stadium, the onetime waterfront spring training home of the Rays. The sale price was not disclosed.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2018/10/03/Franchises/Rays-Rowdies.aspx
Jump To MLS Not A Priority For Rays After Deal For USL Rowdies
Some operations of the Rowdies and Rays could be combined, but both will keep separate front offices Photo: ROWDIES Rays President Matt Silverman, whose team just bought the USL Tampa Bay Rowdies , said that a "jump to MLS is not a top priority" for th...
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https://www.sounderatheart.com/2018/10/3/17930814/major-link-soccer-rays-buy-rowdies
Major Link Soccer: Rays buy Rowdies
Also: We’re getting an NHL team (almost certainly); St Louis trying to sneak back in expansion race;
MLS
Zions Bank Real Academy to Host GA Cup Fall Regional | Real Salt Lake
Sporting KC signs Tyler Freeman to Homegrown contract - The Blue Testament
Freeman becomes the tenth Homegrown Player in club history
An update on the LA Galaxy playoff picture - LAG Confidential
A path exists for LA to rise above the playoff line
Expansion/relocation
City said to seek new option for soccer stadium land - St. Louis Business Journal
Austin Initiative Aims to Rein in City Council, Expand Public Disclosure (Plus an Update on the PSV Lease Development Agreement) – SOCCERESQ
NWSL
USL and other pro leagues in US/Canada
USL Assignments: Week 30 – Professional Referee Organization
Owner of USL’s Rowdies selling club, touts team’s possible future in MLS
Bill Edwards: Rowdies will stay in St. Petersburg ‘for at least five years’ under deal with Rays
Tampa Bay's baseball team will soon be the proud owner of Tampa Bay's soccer team.
Romano: Rays? Rowdies? Let the conspiracy theories begin!
Is this what a midlife crisis looks like for a baseball owner? Instead of an expensive sports car or a hip new tattoo, you buy the keys to the waterfront stadium that was once the ballpark of your dreams?
Rays-Rowdies deal: Concerts at Al Lang Stadium will expand in 2019
The concerts will continue at Al Lang Stadium. Even more of them, actually.
The Rowdies news that made this super fan’s day
The first question at Tuesday morning's press conference came from a woman draped in Rowdies green and gold. Would they keep the stadium a soccer field, Mary Karnstedt, 70, asked.
Other US soccer
Seven arrests made at Cal Poly-UCSB men's soccer game | KSBY.com
World soccer
Liverpool's Alisson cried considered rejecting move for Roma stay
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson said he considered staying at Roma and cried when it was time to leave for the Premier League.
It's time to fix the Champions League or start a European mega-league
ESPN+ and ESPN Acquire Rights to Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana - ESPN MediaZone U.S.
European football’s mascot war is upon us – The Athletic ($)
Recent actions by anti-mascot forces have turned the pitches of Europe into battlegrounds.
I Spent My Saturday Watching People Watch Soccer. And I'd Do It Again. | Washingtonian
A first-person report from the English Premier League fanfest in DC.
We like soccer and life around Puget Sound
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2018/10/02/the-rowdies-news-that-made-this-super-fans-day/
The Rowdies news that made this super fan’s day
ST. PETERSBURG — The first question at Tuesday morning's press conference came from a woman draped in Rowdies green and gold. Would they keep the stadium a soccer field, Mary Karnstedt, 70, asked, a slight waiver in her voice, or would a pitcher's mound replace her beloved Rowdies?
She held a tissue close as she awaited the answer. The Rowdies aren't just an occasional hobby for Karnstedt. They're a family. She and her husband are season ticket holders. She remembers learning the Rowdies song — "they're a kick in the grass" — more than 40 years ago. She's crocheted scarves to award players when they score their first goal.
Edwards wore one during Monday's announcement. He wore another in New York City when pitching MLS to come to St. Petersburg.
So when the answer came quickly from Edwards — "The Rowdies will play at Al Lang" — the tears came quickly to Karnstedt.
"Oh, I am definitely so reassured," she told the Times. "The Rowdies are so family oriented. We all feel like we know them.
"We didn't want to lose Al Lang to a baseball team."
On the field
Rowdies players and coaches were also relieved after hearing the Rays would buy their club. The team is nearing the end of another long season and is fighting for a playoff spot. Head coach Neill Collins not only had to worry about the standings, but about the future of his club as well.
"You have to go into this with an open mind," Collins said. "Bill (Edwards) said it would be good for the club and you have to take him at his word. I think it's exciting times around here."
St. Petersburg is a soccer town?
The Rays said all kinds of nice things Tuesday about investing to make the soccer team more successful in downtown St. Petersburg while at the same time working to move the baseball team to Tampa because it can't make it there.
Team president Matt Silverman said it is not as contradictory and convoluted as it might seem.
"Each franchise needs to be able to stand on its own two feet,'' Silverman told the Times. "We believe that the Rowdies can excel at Al Lang in that venue with the number of games it plays and the cadence of its schedule.
"And we believe that the Rays have a great chance to thrive in Ybor City with the ballpark plan that we've presented there. The goal with Ybor has always been to put the Rays in the best chance to succeed and we're pursuing that plan, and it's full speed ahead on that as we work towards the year-end deadline.''
More events at Al Lang
Edwards will retain control of booking concerts at Al Lang which has been a relatively new and growing business, and Silverman said the Rays will seek to bring in other events, public, private, corporate. For example, he said there are requests they can't accommodate at the Trop that could work at Al Lang, such as corporate parties.
"Any opportunity we can get to bring people into downtown St. Pete, whether it's Tropicana Field or Al Lang Stadium is important to the city and it adds commerce and activity and vitality to the area,'' he said. "It's one of the great things that sports teams and venues can do for a city.''
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/music/Rays-Rowdies-deal-Concerts-at-Al-Lang-Stadium-will-expand-in-2019_172310343
Rays-Rowdies deal: Concerts at Al Lang Stadium will expand in 2019
The concerts will continue at Al Lang Stadium. Even more of them, actually.
In announcing Tuesday that the Rays are purchasing the Rowdies from St. Petersburg business and entertainment magnate Bill Edwards, officials on both sides said Edwards will continue booking live music at the Rowdies’ city-owned home stadium, including an expanded slate of concerts in 2019 under the moniker "Al Lang Live."
"The whole goal is to get eight or 10 a year, maybe 11," said Edwards, whose company Big3 Entertainment also programs the adjacent Mahaffey Theater. "This is the most perfect place, Al Lang, to have a concert."
Edwards’ management contract with the city has required him to book at least 10 nonsoccer events there throughout each year. This summer, he teamed up with promotions giant Live Nation on three outdoor concerts — Poison, 3 Doors Down and Counting Crows — that drew in total more than 15,000 fans to the soccer pitch at Al Lang. (A planned fourth, Lauryn Hill, was canceled due to production issues.)
Edwards said his group and Live Nation are already discussing possible Al Lang shows for 2019.
"They’re a huge company, and they have all the great acts," he said. "We are so happy to have them in our theater and in our ballpark."
While the Rays will now assume management of Al Lang, they have contracted Edwards to continue booking shows there. The goal is "to keep bringing thousands and thousands of people here throughout the calendar year," said Matt Silverman, the Rays’ president for baseball operations.
"I know he has big plans to grow the Al Lang Live concert series, and we’ll be there to assist him along the way," Silverman said. "Together we’re going to add a deeper slate of events and activities at Al Lang, and contribute even more to the vitality of downtown St. Pete."
The Rays have their own history with live music, hosting postgame concerts at Tropicana Field for more than a decade until this year. But Joe Jimenez, managing director of the Edwards Group, which encompasses Big3, doesn’t anticipate getting involved with reviving live music there. Midsize, boutique spaces like Al Lang have in recent years grown more enticing to national promoters, and it’s a venue size the Tampa Bay area has long lacked.
"This is the pocket: 4,000 to 7,000 (fans), intimate, up close, downtown, with this as a backdrop," said Jimenez said, gesturing to St. Petersburg’s sunny South Yacht Basin out the window. "The people that went to the shows, the reviews, were just incredible."
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/Romano-Rays-Rowdies-Let-the-conspiracy-theories-begin-_172291483
Romano: Rays? Rowdies? Let the conspiracy theories begin!
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/2018/10/02/bill-edwards-rowdies-will-stay-in-st-petersburg-for-at-least-five-years-under-deal-with-rays/
Bill Edwards: Rowdies will stay in St. Petersburg ‘for at least five years’ under deal with Rays
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https://www.gwinnettprepsports.com/sportsxchange/tampa-bay-rays-purchase-usl-rowdies/article_d0da917b-80cc-53f2-8c54-997092c17c9c.html
Tampa Bay Rays purchase USL Rowdies
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2018/02/12/Franchises/Rowdies.aspx
Owner of USL’s Rowdies selling club, touts team’s possible future in MLS
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https://theathletic.com/564737/2018/10/03/anthony-precourt-is-testing-the-compatibility-of-mlss-dual-visions-to-be-a-world-class-soccer-league-and-a-major-north-american-sports-business/
Anthony Precourt is testing the compatibility of MLS’s dual visions: to be a world-class soccer league and a major North American sports business
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https://socceresq.com/2018/10/02/austin-initiative-aims-to-reign-in-sports-stadiums-expand-public-disclosure-plus-an-update-on-the-austin-lease-development-agreement/
Austin Initiative Aims to Rein in City Council, Expand Public Disclosure (Plus an Update on the PSV Lease Development Agreement)
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https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2018/10/02/city-said-to-seek-new-option-for-soccer-stadium.html
City said to seek new option for soccer stadium land
The city of St. Louis is working to obtain a new option to buy property owned by the Missouri Department of Transportation for a Major League Soccer stadium.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/10/05/beckham-meets-luis-suarez-speculation-inter-miami-cf-move-heats
Beckham meets Luis Suarez, as speculation of Inter Miami CF move heats up
(Follow link for full article.)
https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/10/06/who-are-the-key-contenders-for-usmnt-job/
Who are the key contenders for USMNT job?
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2018/10/5/17940832/potential-superstar-signings-for-david-beckhams-inter-miami-mls-soccer-cristiano-ronaldo-juventus
Around the Forest: Who are some of the potential superstar signings for David Beckham’s Inter Miami
Welcome to a finally Friday!
(Follow link for full article.)
https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/10/05/us-soccer-begins-interviewing-candidates-for-head-coach/
US Soccer begins interviewing candidates for head coach
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/charleston-battery-owner-says-relegation-promotion-would-be-great-for/article_dce775d2-c10b-11e8-87b0-e71535f840fa.html
Charleston Battery owner says relegation-promotion would be ‘great’ for U.S. soccer
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.postandcourier.com/sports/charleston-battery-owner-says-relegation-promotion-would-be-great-for/article_dce775d2-c10b-11e8-87b0-e71535f840fa.html
Charleston Battery owner says relegation-promotion would be ‘great’ for U.S. soccer
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2018/10/04/fc-cincinnati-leaders-give-mls-attendance-outlook.html
FC Cincinnati leaders give MLS attendance outlook
(Follow link for full article.)
https://kmox.radio.com/articles/st-louis-county-could-help-pay-downtown-soccer-stadium
St. Louis County in Discussions to Help Pay for a Downtown Soccer Stadium
The St. Louis mayor and county executive confirm, there's a revived push for MLS to STL.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2799034-breaking-down-potential-superstar-signings-for-david-beckham-at-inter-miami
Breaking Down Potential Superstar Signings for David Beckham at Inter Miami
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.sportbible.com/football/news-la-galaxys-zlatan-ibrahimovic-thinks-hes-bigger-than-all-of-mls-20181005
LA Galaxy's Zlatan Ibrahimovic Thinks He's 'Bigger Than All Of MLS'
Zlatan Ibrahimovic thinks he's bigger than Major League Soccer.
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http://www.sportspromedia.com/news/lafc-banc-california-stadium-vr-app
LAFC’s Banc of California Stadium gets new VR app
Users can tour MLS club’s home through ROK360-backed portal.
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https://www.soccerwire.com/news/clubs/youth-boys/mls-newcomer-fc-cincinnati-announces-plans-for-academy-program/?loc=psw
MLS newcomer FC Cincinnati announces plans for Academy program
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https://www.wralsportsfan.com/seis-a-cero-uswnt-rout-mexico-6-0-to-open-world-cup-qualifying/17894204/
Seis a cero- USWNT rout Mexico, 6-0, to open World Cup qualifying
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6238629/Monaco-captain-Radamel-Falcao-emerges-target-David-Beckhams-MLS-franchise-Inter-Miami.html
Monaco captain Radamel Falcao a target for David Beckham's MLS franchise Inter Miami
David Bekcham's MLS franchise Inter Miami will take flight in 2020
They are already beginning to earmark some potential players
Radamel Falcao has become the latest name linked with a move to the club
His record in England is poor but his talent elsewhere in Europe is undoubted
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.sportbusiness.com/sport-news/new-pro-rel-soccer-league-formulated-us
New pro-rel soccer league formulated in the US
A new proposed soccer league system incorporating promotion and relegation has been formulated in the United States.
The National Soccer League (NSL) is a proposed open system that will, according to a business plan acquired by SportBusiness, provide access and opportunity to every independent club beginning with local and state leagues administered by state associations all the way up to a professional national league.
Sources indicate to SportBusiness that the league system will look to engage existing clubs and leagues that are currently outside Major League Soccer, a single-entity league that is sanctioned as the top-tier division by the US Soccer Federation. The NSL does plan to be officially sanctioned by either the USSF or one of its affiliate associations.
Under the proposed rules to govern the structure, the individual leagues are owned by participating clubs for governance purposes and revenue distribution. The proposal indicates the NSL will bring revenue to the system of connected leagues through sponsorships, media rights, and other commercial partnerships.
The league system also plans to have a youth league, the NYSL. The NYSL plans to create regional youth leagues based on metro markets and population density to minimize operating costs and travel.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/10/02/monacos-falcao-linked-with-mls-move/
Monaco’s Falcao linked with MLS move
So Radamel Falcao‘s being linked with a move to Major League Soccer again.
The Columbus Crew is named as a suitor (again, though the move could mean Austin (#SaveTheCrew)), while Inter Miami is the other name tipped as a landing spot for the Colombian striker.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.dreamteamfc.com/c/news-gossip/425910/david-beckham-lines-up-star-striker-signing-new-mls-side-inter-miami/
YOU'RE MI MAN David Beckham lines up star striker signing for new MLS side Inter Miami
The former Manchester United and Chelsea forward, 32, has scored three times this season for the Ligue 1 side but his contract expires at the end of next season
MONACO star Radamel Falcao has been linked with a move to David Beckham’s new MLS side Inter Miami.
The former Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea forward, 32, has scored three times this season for the Ligue 1 side.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/radamel-falcao-emerges-top-target-13359708
Radamel Falcao 'emerges as top target' for David Beckham's MLS franchise Inter Miami
The Colombian has rediscovered his form at Monaco after a disastrous spell in the Premier League, which saw him score just five times
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.calciomercato.com/en/news/beckham-wants-ac-milan-target-in-the-mls-48999
Beckham wants AC Milan target in the MLS
Football icon David Beckham is reportedly in talks to sign Monaco star and AC Milan target Radamel Falcao to sign the Colombian at Inter Miami FC.
Falcao has rejuvenated his career at Monaco following failed loan spells at Manchester United and Chelsea. This season, the striker has appeared in 7 Ligue 1 games for Monaco and has already scored thrice.
The Sun in England state that Beckham wants Falcao at his new MLS franchise and the talks for a possible move have already started.
Falcao has been linked with a move to AC Milan as well over the past few months, but Beckham's new MLS franchise won't be in action till 2020 as that's when they will open their club. And that is months before Falcao's contract at Monaco expires.
Fellow MLS side Colombus Crew are also said to be interested in bringing Falcao to the US and he could be tempted to move to Miami because of the big Hispanic population in the city, say the Sun.
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https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/7408751/radamel-falcao-david-beckham-mls-inter-miami/
YOU'RE MI MAN Monaco star Radamel Falcao linked with switch to David Beckham’s new MLS side Inter Miami
The former Manchester United and Chelsea forward, 32, has scored three times this season for the Ligue 1 side but his contract expires at the end of next season
MONACO star Radamel Falcao has been linked with a move to David Beckham's new MLS side Inter Miami.
The former Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea forward, 32, has scored three times this season for the Ligue 1 side.
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https://phillysoccerpage.net/2018/10/03/baseball-diamonds-as-soccer-pitches/
The Philly Soccer Page
Baseball diamonds as soccer pitches
The United Soccer League is expanding its freshly-renamed USL Championship aggressively for 2019, and will add another baseball diamond to the stadiums used in Bethlehem Steel’s conference.
Seven new teams enter the league all together, with four of them east of the Mississippi. The east has three known departures, Toronto, Richmond, and Cincinnati, and none play home games on an infield with a pitcher’s mound. One fourth of the teams in the east used such as home fields this season.
Stadiums
The governing federation’s sanctioning criteria require Division Two teams to have stadia of 5,000 seats. Minor league baseball provides that.
New stadiums are slow and expensive to build, and that’s after real estate acquisition. USL’s announced Chicago franchise is building one and will enter the league in 2020. MLS’s most recent additions, Banc of California Stadium and Audi Field, further illustrate the time and money involved.
Owners moving more quickly and wanting revenues at speed must use stadia already built.
Baseball and professional soccer share the summer. So playing the beautiful game on active diamonds requires repeated, rapid conversions from skinned infields and mounds to flat pitches and back again.
Bethlehem Steel FC head coach Brendan Burke has already coached on the four 2018 examples below, and will do so on a fifth next season.
1. Penn FC’s FNB Field in Harrisburg, PA.
2. Louisville City FC’s Louisville Slugger Field.
3. Atlanta United 2’s The Proving Ground at Coolray Field in Gwinnett, GA.
4. Nashville SC’s First Tennessee Park.
5. Memphis 901 FC’s Auto Zone Park.
That would be 29% of his regular season away games next season, without allowing for the extra games needed to make a 34 game regular season work. Burke is on record that playing soccer on a baseball diamond “is not good for the game.”
Not good for the game: Water
Anyone who watched Nashville SC host Charleston Battery at First Tennessee Park in a downpour Saturday night September 22 agrees without reservation.
The temporary grass superimposed on the infield dirt drained more slowly than the permanent grass of the infield and the outfield.
The patches over the infield dirt, the pitcher’s mound, and the third-base line accumulated water. By the second half the water badly distorted passes along the ground. They threw rooster tails and sometimes slowed almost to a stop. And the water affected traction.
One goal mouth was two-thirds covered by the mess, as was much of the penalty area rectangle directly in front of goal and the irregular shape beyond to the outfield arc 30 and 40 yards away from the net. Every other converted diamond has one of its goal mouths affected in similar fashion.
The only thing missing In Nashville’s rain was churned, grassless, rutted mud and mirrors of standing water.
Eleven days earlier, F.C. Cincinnati fans were agreeing with Burke, too. At Louisville Slugger field in a comparable rainstorm, Corben Bone’s winning goal for the Blue and Orange was almost stopped short of the goal line by water saturating that temporary surface.
The puddle was just behind the keeper’s late dive and just in front of his goal. The initial rocket struck water, trickled softly to the post, and gently kissed across the line. Not good for the game indeed.
Not good for the game: Playing surface
When diamonds are dry or only moderately wet, Burke makes three criticisms.
1. Playing surfaces are not uniform by height. There are hazards at the lips of the infield dirt that bounce balls crossing them. And the different surface heights distort pass weighting.
2. The ball’s playing characteristics differ between varying types of surface, whether both are natural or one is artificial.
3. The traction provided by the two different surfaces is not equally secure.
Consider six-yard kicks. On such a field when taking one, the goal keeper always moves the ball to a place in the permanent grass. Uniformly, referees acknowledge the traction problem by allowing the adjustment they would otherwise always forbid had it been made on a uniform surface.
No minor-league club has the resources necessary to do what NYCFC does to make its temporary and permanent Yankee Stadium playing surfaces safely compatible.
But current conditions on eastern conference USL baseball diamonds seem hazardous, and are definitely game-altering.
Not good for the game: Pitch size
Coach Burke has not discussed the pitch-size limits imposed on play by a stadium built for a baseball club.
Peter Vermes’ feet have. Once on an early SKC visit to Yankee Stadium, pre-game television showed the Sporting KC head coach pacing off the touchline distance from midfield to the end line. Yankee Stadium is about 20 yards short and 10 yards narrow.
Temporary? Hopefully.
Other USL Championship owners may follow the example of Louisville City FC and take on the necessary time and expense to build soccer specific stadiums.
In the Nashville-Charleston downpour, the massive water-logged area in front of one goal was unfortunate.
Thank goodness that game’s injured were not harmed long-term.
There is an empty baseball stadium in Camden. A defunct minor league team. That stadium would be perfect to host a ‘minor’ league footy team. At least, it wouldn’t be a dual purpose stadium.
I have heard that the stadium will be removed from future dorms. Not that it will happen. And that place would be an awesome venue!
Atlantic City has an empty stadium as well, just waiting for a tenant that can draw more than the series of low level minor league baseball teams that have failed to draw there. And the old AC racetrack would provide enough room for a world class pitch. Not much farther than Chester with better parking. Just sayin.
Forgot about the Sandcastle. And the grass would grow really well on an old horse track. Pre fertilized!
From your front page on this article-“Not so much, not even with the oil billions in the Bronx.”
The Steinbrenners own the stadium, not City Football Group. Unless you were just being pithy and facts were secondary.
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https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/orlando-city-sc/orlando-city-b-announces-head-coach/
Orlando City B announces Fernando Jose De Argila Irurita as head coach
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https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/soccer/fc-cincinnati/2018/10/03/if-fc-cincinnati-makes-usl-cup-championship-match-scheduled-nov-8-espn-2/1513024002/
If FC Cincinnati makes it, USL Cup championship match scheduled for Nov. 8 on ESPN2
(Follow link for full article.)
https://queenseagle.com/all/2018/10/3/is-queens-getting-a-pro-soccer-team
Is Queens Getting a Pro Soccer Team?
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https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/955520
2018 USL Cup Scheduled for Nov. 8
LEAGUE’S NEW CHAMPION WILL BE CROWNED IN PRIME TIME ON ESPN2
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https://www.denverpost.com/2018/10/02/tampa-bay-rays-purchase-rowdies/
MLB’s Rays purchase USL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies
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https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2018/10/07/sound-off-readers-voice-their-opinions-on-the-rays.html
Sound off: Readers voice their opinions on the Rays-Rowdies deal
"It could be the positive news, but if the Rays only want Al Lang for themselves they're on dangerous ground," one reader said.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKsDODMav5w
HIGHLIGHTS #ATLvTBR | 10-03-2018
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Published on Oct 3, 2018
HIGHLIGHTS pres. by Tampa International Airport
With the Rowdies just minutes away from the win, ATL UTD 2 found a late equalizer to even the match at 1-1. The fight for a playoff spot continues this Saturday at home.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7URF3tHnFc
HIGHLIGHTS: Rowdies vs. Charlotte Independence - 10/06/18
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Published on Oct 7, 2018
HIGHLIGHTS pres. by Tampa International Airport
Despite a late push, the Rowdies fell just short on Saturday night, losing 2-1 to Charlotte Independence.
#TBRvCLT
