Everything about the relocation of the Columbus Crew reeks of laziness and disinterested opportunism, to such an extent, that I don’t understand why MLS and USSF are letting this happen. Let’s talk about it.
USL’s Week Ahead – Teams in East, West Close on Playoff Berths
MORE THAN HALF OF FIELD FOR 2018 USL CUP PLAYOFFS COULD BE SET BY END OF WEEK
TAMPA, Fla. – Half of the positions in the field for the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs could be filled by the end of this weekend as the 2018 USL regular season enters Week 28 with numerous head-to-head matchups in each conference set to shape the race for the postseason in the coming six days. The 22-game slate of action kicks off on Tuesday night with the USL Game of the Week on ESPN3 as Nashville SC hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies at First Tennessee Park in one of the Eastern Conference’s key games this week, while plenty of eyes in the Western Conference will be focused on San Antonio FC’s two-game road trip that takes it to playoff rivals the Swope Park Rangers on Wednesday night and Saint Louis FC on Saturday night. Elsewhere there are rivalry clashes across the schedule, with Wednesday night seeing Southern Derby rivals the Charleston Battery and Charlotte Independence set to square off at MUSC Health Stadium, and Saturday night bringing the final edition this season of the Silver State Cup as Reno 1868 FC plays host to Las Vegas Lights FC at Greater Nevada Field.
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Nashville SC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
First Tennessee Park, Nashville, Tennesseee | 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN3)
Nashville SC (10-8-9, 39pts) plays host to the Tampa Bay Rowdies (9-12-7, 34pts), who arrive in the Music City for the USL Game of the Week in need of a victory to keep their playoff hopes afloat as they try to gain ground on ninth-place NSC. The Rowdies took a 1-0 victory against ATL UTD 2 on Saturday night thanks to Sebastian Guenzatti’s fourth goal in September to sit seven points out of the playoff places with six games to go in the regular season to keep their slim hopes alive. With only three road wins this season, however, Tampa Bay could find it tough going against a Nashville side that would move back into the playoff positions with a win and that has gone 8-2-0 at First Tennessee Park this year as it kicks off a stretch of five home games in its last seven to close the regular season.
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Richmond Kickers
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Florida | 7:30 p.m. ET
The Tampa Bay Rowdies return home after their midweek road trip to take on the Richmond Kickers (6-19-4, 22pts) with the hosts hoping their playoff chances will still be intact after their clash with Nashville SC. The Kickers were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this past weekend after falling 2-0 to Ottawa Fury FC, but Richmond has the chance to collect a season sweep of the Rowdies after taking a 1-0 win in the first meeting between the clubs this season on May 12 at City Stadium.
JAPANESE MIDFIELDER RECORDED FIRST HAT TRICK IN STANDOUT PERFORMANCE ON ROAD IN CINCINNATI
M – Zac Portillos, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Portillos put in a strong two-way performance down the left for Tampa Bay, recording two key passes, winning seven of eight duels and completing 35 of 42 passes in the Rowdies’ 1-0 win against ATL UTD 2.
TAMPA, Fla. – The following is the USL’s discipline report for Week 28 of the 2018 United Soccer League season:
The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Dominic Oduro has been suspended for one game after receiving his fifth caution of the season this past Saturday against ATL UTD 2. Oduro will be unavailable for Tampa Bay’s game this Tuesday against Nashville SC.
Inter Miami CF logo explained in social media video
Inter Miami CF sparked what was arguably the most passionate ornithological argument in the history of sports iconography. What kind of bird graces the front of the team’s new crest? Well, that question and more has been answered in a video post from the club.
[Jake Nutting on Twitter] Anyway, asked Bill Edwards where he is the process of the Al Lang expansion proposal. Here’s his answer. Make of that cryptic last bit what you will...
Quick text capture:
Unsubs: You've suggested you might go ahead with the Al Lang expansion regardless of what league the team plays in. Can you give any updates on where you are in that process?
Edwards: I'm gonna hold that off for future announcements. We've gone to two different architects that design stadiums. We finally came to the stadium design, between the two of them, some of this some of that. We mixed it up and before you know it we pretty much had the design we like. We really think it'll be something unique in the league and possibly in soccer. So that part we're pretty much there, but I gotta wait and make some announcements later that'll decide how that's going to turn out. And that'll be forthcoming. Probably this year.
Bit of context and my own speculation...
Edwards is near the end of a sweetheart 5-year deal for Al Lang that came at a cost of $3-4M in capital improvements, but granted nearly full control of the city asset and revenue including parking, etc. (Small exception with naming rights, where the city gets the first x% of a deal for those).
A couple of city politics notes:
All construction on the waterfront needs to be voted on and approved by the City Council, even if privately funded (especially so for this city asset)
Leases on waterfront city property are limited to 5 years. That can be overridden by a public referendum. The recent Al Lang referendum was conditional on getting an MLS team, so another one would have to be conducted in order to get a longer term lease. The city council needs to vote and approve whether to send something to referendum.
I believe that lease ends at the end of this year (though it's somewhat unclear on when the 5 years is up), so a new deal is going to have to be struck either this year or next.
Speculation time:
My guess is that Edwards is going to try to strike a new deal similar to the last. It works for both parties. The city gets a quality tenant (the last tenant ran international college/amateur baseball tournaments there with mixed success and left the stadium in awful shape).
If he's going to drop lots of capital on the expansion, he's going to want a guarantee of a longer term lease. That means a higher level of negotiations to get that referendum, but long-term control of the venue with full revenue control and the possibility of a real concert venue for a growing St. Pete is going to increase the valuation of the team substantially. (Context: 4,000 units of condos/apartments are currently under construction or in the planning phase in downtown St. Pete around the stadium. This is absent of the redevelopment of Tropicana Field. That 85 acre redevelopment alone is the largest urban redevelopment, size-wise, in the Southeastern US).
So, there's a little bit of a chicken and the egg of added investors here. There's a lot to make this attractive as an investment - but it gets more valuable if deals can be made regarding venue.
All of this to say - I'm pretty bullish on the viable future potential of the team and stadium (even with no MLS in the future), but there are a few dominos that have to be played before we see the full outcome here. And that's what I think this quote is referring to:
So that part we're pretty much there, but I gotta wait and make some announcements later that'll decide how that's going to turn out. And that'll be forthcoming. Probably this year.
The struggle to find cities with the right stuff to join Major League Soccer continues but league owners should be happy with some of the latest developments. Nashville elected officials have finally greenlighted a more than quarter of a billion-dollar handout to help build a soccer facility in the city that is now scheduled to open in 2021. The expenditure was initially approved last November, the MLS granted the city a team in December but there was opposition, and still is opposition to the stadium, however politicians did get the money needed to help finance the project and Nashville now has a team that will more than likely start play in 2020.
The MLS was looking for four cities that had the right stuff to land an expansion franchise. So far, the MLS got half a loaf. Cincinnati area politicians eventually were able to deliver a way to build a stadium for a team. But 10 other potential markets were unable to land a team for various reasons. St. Louis voters said no to funding a soccer stadium, other cities such as Charlotte could not get political support, Sacramento had ownership problems, Detroit had a stadium location problem. Meanwhile, the owner of the Columbus Crew, Anthony Precourt, has a deal to move his franchise to a city that never applied for an MLS team, Austin, Texas. But there could be a court case that ultimately will decide if Austin gets the team or if it has to remain in Columbus. Meanwhile, David Beckham’s Miami franchise has a name but Beckham is still looking for a stadium site. Beckham is seeking a part of a Miami golf course as his site for his business and is awaiting the results of a November referendum to see if voters’ hand over the land for the team. Major League Soccer has major growing pains.
Sebastián Guenzatti lifts Rowdies 1-0 over Atlanta United 2
ST. PETERSBURG — The last time the Rowdies played Atlanta United 2, they were shut out at home for the first time in almost two years, despite almost doubling Atlanta’s shot total. Early in Saturday’s rematch at Al Lang Stadium, it appeared forward S...
RIVERHOUNDS SC'S RALLY EARNS 2-2 DRAW WITH LOUISVILLE; STLFC DEFEATS RANGERS, SAFC FALLS, RENO WINS IN WESTERN RACE
TAMPA BAY ROWDIES (1), ATL UTD 2 (0)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies kept their USL Cup Playoffs hopes alive with a 1-0 victory against ATL UTD 2 at Al Lang Stadium before a crowd of 6,045. Tampa Bay had an early chance as Martin Vingaard had a low effort saved by Atlanta goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt in just the fourth minute, while Atlanta’s first good chance arrived in the 25th minute when Laurent Kissiedou found space for a shot from 20 yards that went wide of the right post. The Rowdies had a golden chance to take the lead in the 28th minute when Sebastian Guenzatti blazed over from the top of the six-yard area, but two minutes later Guenzatti made up for his miss as he fired home a turning shot into the bottom-left corner to put the hosts ahead. Tampa Bay was denied a second in the final minute of the first half as Hildebrandt made a low save on a drive from 25 yards by Kwadko Poku, while Pape Diakhite went close early in the second half but was unable to direct Taku’s corner kick on goal. Atlanta tried to level in the 73rd minute when Kissiedou fired a low shot to the right corner that was saved by Rowdies goalkeeper Daniel Vega, while Guenzatti had a chance to add a second for the hosts on a near-post finish off a low cross from the right with five minutes to go that went wide of the near-post, but the first-half goal stood as the winner as the Rowdies claimed all three points.
USLSoccer.com Man of the Match
Zac Portillos, Tampa Bay Rowdies – Portillos put in a good two-way performance as he recorded two key passes, won seven of nine duels and made three clearances and two tackles for the hosts.
OVERSEAS ARRIVALS MAKING AN IMPACT IS NOTHING NEW IN THE USL, HERE ARE FIVE OF THE BEST IN PREVIOUS YEARS
2017 – MARCEL SCHAFER, TAMPA BAY ROWDIES
The Tampa Bay Rowdies had previously dipped into the overseas market, making a major splash when former England international midfielder Joe Cole joined the club, but the offseason addition of Bundesliga veteran Marcel Schäfer helped the side scale great heights in its first season in the USL. A legend at VfL Wolfburg – where he had made more than 250 appearances for the club – Schäfer had also made eight appearances for the German national team over the course of his career before arriving in St. Petersburgh, Florida.
Schäfer brought the desired impact to the Rowdies’ midfield, helping the side shift play quickly and retain possession with an 85.9 percent accuracy rate on 48 passes per 90 minutes. His ability to strike the ball from distance also paid major dividends for the Rowdies’ attack as five of his seven goals throughout the regular season and USL Cup Playoffs came from outside the penalty area, but it was his vision and ability to create that shone most as he finished tied for second in the league with 11 assists. Schäfer claimed USL All-League First Team honors for his stellar year with the Rowdies, leading the club to the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2017 USL Cup Playoffs.
J.J. Adams: MLS expansion no longer a flight of fancy for commissioner Garber
“I think the time is coming where we do need to start having to look at charters, specifically for clubs that are geographically further away from their regular competitors. But it needs to happen in the right way."
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber got a true taste of the player’s experience on Thursday, when his flight into Vancouver was delayed until the middle of the night, throwing off his personal and professional schedule for the following day.
His league’s players — especially the well-travelled Vancouver Whitecaps — are used to the delays that plague the commercial carriers, as league rules dictate a cap on charter flights. But in a league that covers more kilometres of travel than any of its international peers, it’s an issue that has simmered for years.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber: League ‘probably done expanding in the southeast for a little while’
MLS is still reportedly looking to expand to 28 total teams. Cities such as Phoenix, Detroit, San Diego and Sacramento are in the running. The Tampa Bay Rowdies, currently in the United Soccer League, also submitted a bid to become an MLS expansion team. They were one of 12 ownership groups to submit bids. FC Cincinnati was the most recent club to join MLS and is expected to begin play next season. The league is expected to announce two additional expansion by the end of the year. The expansion process has been fluid, with flexibility on deadlines and frequent adjustments.
The league has history in the southeast. The Miami Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny both folded in 2001, though the league was far less stable back then.
Inter Miami, backed by superstar David Beckham, recently unveiled its crest and colors.
LAKELAND — For Lucas Teixeira, the news further showed how much the Tropics Soccer Club is becoming more a part of the Polk County sports landscape.
Thursday evening, under a light drizzle outside downtown Lakeland’s Swan Brewing, Teixeira -- a defender for the Florida Tropics SC indoor professional soccer team -- listened as Tropics Soccer Club (TSC) officials described the growth of the organization in the area through recent affiliations with other soccer clubs and organizations.
According to team officials, the TSC’s “soccer umbrella” now represents about 5,000 youth and 1,000 adult players from across the I-4 corridor -- Polk, Pinellas and Osceola counties.
From Lakeland, the TSC operates the professional Florida Tropics of the Major Arena Soccer League United, the Lakeland Tropics outdoor team of the United Soccer League’s Premiere Development League, the Florida Tropics Women’s Premiere Soccer League franchise and most recently, affiliates with the St. Petersburg Kickers FC.
On a stage, Dr. Panos Iakovidis spoke about the partnerships now represent under the “umbrella” of soccer from Tampa to Orlando and in between.
During the 20-minute presentation, Iakovidis highlighted recent developments in the spread the TSC’s professional soccer lead in Lakeland. Joining him were Chris Economides, TSC chief operating officer and Andrew Ross, general manager and vice president of operations.
Most recently, the TSC announced a new partnership with one of the premiere amateur teams in the United States – The St. Petersburg Kickers FC. That team, founded in 1958, is a seven-time United States Adult Soccer Association national champion, has won 30 Florida Suncoast Soccer League championships and 25 Florida State Soccer Association State Championships between three teams.
And in the past 11 months, the Tropics partnered with three youth soccer programs, created the Florida Lady Tropics with Pinellas County United (PCU) soccer and last week announced an affiliation with the Lakeland Adult Soccer Association creating the Lakeland Tropics Adult Soccer Organization.
Additionally, a TSC merger with the Lakeland FC youth soccer organization created Lakeland Tropics FC youth, with 2,500 players. The PCU merger resulted in the PCU Tropics, representing 2,000 players and a similar deal with Celebration Youth Soccer in Osceola County has become Celebration Tropics.
“Everything has been going very well; we’re very pleased with the support we have from the community and we’re accomplishing all of our goals,” said Iakovidis, prior to the announcements. “It makes me feel like what we’re doing is something the community needed and we’ll be part of it for decades to come.”
Besides focusing on growth and mergers, TSC officials also hinted at other future plans, including buying an abandoned building in Auburndale to turn into an indoor soccer complex for Polk County and creating an expanded soccer facility in central Polk County. If that is done, it would offer the possibility of having a Major League Soccer team use Lakeland for preseason training and bring in MLS teams for local tournaments.
Teixeira, a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in his third season with the Tropics, said the TSC’s announcements showed a stabilization of professional and amateur soccer in Polk County and Central Florida.
“It gives everyone a chance to play and experience what having professional soccer in the area is – it’s a full a structure of youth, amateur and professional soccer, which is good for the public and good for us as players,” he said.
Tuesday's regional sports roundup: Bustamante's winning goal in OT caps Tribe's comeback from late two-goal deficit vs. Longwood
PRO SOCCER:
The Richmond Kickers announced they'll be a founding member of the United Soccer League's Division III next season.
The Kickers, who have competed since 1993, have made the playoffs 22 times and won the USL Second Division in 2006 and '09. But they have struggled in recent years against higher-salaried opposition. This season, they're 6-18-4.
They will be dropping one level into a new group that so far includes teams in Statesboro, Ga.; Tucson, Ariz.; Greenville, S.C.; Madison, Wis.; Toronto; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Orlando, Fla.
On the first Friday of every month, the heart of downtown becomes St. Pete’s biggest block party. First Friday St. Pete is a showcase for the great bands, great drinks, and great food that make us Florida’s most exciting city.
Did you know Tampa's flag is a 'monstrosity'? No one else does, either
Tampa has a flag.
It's flying over Old City Hall and Water Works Park and Tampa Police headquarters, and it was there hanging limp behind Mayor Bob Buckhorn as cameras rolled during his recent State of the City Address.
And yet, despite having been around for 77 years, that news — that Tampa even has a flag — often surprises locals.
Show it to a fourth-generation Tampa native and they might say, "Oh, that's what it looks like?" Show it to a professional graphic designer, and you may get a sneer.
There is one hanging over a cooler at Cigar City Brewing, but nobody who picked up the phone seemed to know what it was. Guillermo Perez brings his to every Tampa Bay Rowdies home game. People often ask him what country it's from.
Its bizarre shape makes it expensive to produce. Its complicated design makes it forgettable.
It does, however, have an active life on the internet. Over the years, the flag has resurfaced as an object of ridicule on Reddit and Facebook where it's called a "monstrosity." In April, after the Times started reporting on the flag's web subculture, a change.org petition titled "Redesign Tampa's Flag" appeared on tampaflag.com, a site promoting a re-design.
A night of drinking a lifetime ago spared the flag's creator from a watery grave. Sparing the city from the current flag depends on who wants it enough.
Georgi Hristov and Hunter Gorskie teamed up with Amelia to design a one-of-a-kind sock that the Rowdies will wear at home this September to show their support for Gold Together for Childhood Cancer Awareness.
There are only 50 for sale in our team stores so make sure to get yours before they are gone!
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.”
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.
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.
(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.
How’s this for a 9-01 day? At 9:01 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1, Memphis’ expansion United Soccer League franchise rolled out its logo and identity as Memphis 901 FC on social media.
By 12:01 p.m., fans were already snatching up gear in the team’s AutoZone Park store – seven months before 901 FC plays its first game in March.
Attendance Thread Rowdies Home Attendance Thread - Game 14 vs. FC Cincinnati [8/25]
Well, advance ticket sales looked pretty strong for this one, but obviously the storm and the delay did not help at all. Virtually no opportunity for walk-ups. Though much few showed up for the actual game, 5,963 were sold for this one.
With 3 games remaining, there's quite a bit of work to do to close the season on a positive number.
North Carolina FC (9-9-7, 34pts) will try to add to its biggest win of the season when it hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies (7-11-7, 28pts) for the third meeting between the clubs this year.
Atlanta United Vs Orlando City: The death of a rivalry
Atlanta United and Orlando City always give an exciting show to watch for fans, but perhaps MLS is facing the death of a rivalry. Here’s why.
Besides Nashville SC joining the league, there is another expansion team that is sure to cause the Atlanta-Orlando matchup to possibly lose significance. Joining MLS in 2020 will be the team from Miami, owned by David Beckham.
Similar to Nashville-Atlanta, the matchup between the two Florida clubs will be a much more realistic away trip for supporters to make. Rather than making the long commute North, the Orlando faithful’s trip will almost be cut in half when traveling to Miami.
The potential rivalry between Orlando and Miami serves as the only realistic chance the newest Florida club has at a rivalry. Due to Miami being located so far south of the United States, Beckham’s club seemingly has no other city to take on as a rival.
Football crest believed to be for David Beckham's Miami club
A trademark application made earlier this month has given a clue to name and crest of David Beckham's new Miami football team, and the year they aim to start playing.
An application was submitted for a round pink and black badge by MIPH, a company that has registered several names for a Miami football club, on 10 August.
The badge features two back-to-back cranes – a bird native to Miami – on a central crest, with their legs entwined to form an M. The colour scheme fits with the pastel art-deco palette found on many Miami buildings.
At the base of the badge are the Roman numerals MMXX, meaning 2020, which would suggest that the team plans to be playing in two years time.
Club could be called Internacional Club de Fútbol Miami
The badge also hints that the team will likely be called Internacional Club de Fútbol Miami, which could be shortened to Inter Miami.
On 29 January 2018, the Miami Beckham United Group was awarded the twenty-fifth franchise in Major League Soccer, an American men's professional soccer league sanctioned by US Soccer.
The league currently comprises 23 teams, including LA Galaxy, where Beckham played between 2007 and 2012.
The logo was trademarked by MIPH, the same Delaware-based company that earlier this year trademarked a series of potential names for the club, including Miami Freedom, which is now considered to be the proposed name for the club's new ground.
Residents to vote on location of club
The latest plan is for a 28,000-seat stadium on the former site of Melreese Country Club next to Miami International Airport. The proposals include a 23 hectare park, a hotel, shopping precinct and public football grounds.
Residents will vote in November to decide whether to authorise the city to negotiate an agreement to develop the park.
Miami hasn't had a soccer team in the league since Miami Fusion ceased playing in 2001. Beckham's team will be the first to be based in the city itself, as Miami Fusion played in Fort Lauderdale, 30 miles to the north of the city.
The rebrand of football badges has often been controversial, from the update of Leeds United's badge being dropped, to comparisons of the Premier League's rebrand for the 2016/2017 season to the logo for the UK Independence Party.
Image courtesy of the US Trademark and Patent Office.
Atlanta United's McDonough Leaves For Role With Miami MLS Franchise
McDonough had been with Atlanta United for two and a half years after being hired away from Orlando Photo: atlanta united DAVID BECKHAM 's yet-to-be-named Miami MLS franchise has added Atlanta United VP/Soccer Operations PAUL MCDONOUGH , "one of the t...
Miami needs International Champions Cup more than MLS
When it comes to soccer, the International Champions Cup takes the crown as the preeminent club soccer game that’s played on U.S. soil every year.
The tournament has become the annual spectacle featuring matches between the world’s biggest clubs. Every summer, the International Champions Cup completely overshadows the MLS All-Star Game. This year, for example, take your pick from last Saturday’s North West Derby between Manchester United-Liverpool played in front of 101,254 fans in Michigan, or Tuesday night’s Real Madrid-Manchester United match attended by 64,141 supporters in Miami.
Speaking of Miami, David Beckham has been trying to launch a MLS team since 2014. In that time, not a single ball has been kicked nor a brick has been laid by MLS. But with the International Champions Cup, Miami has hosted Manchester United-Liverpool (2014), el Clásico Miami between Barcelona-Real Madrid (2017), Bayern Munich-Manchester City (2014) and Real Madrid-Manchester United (2018) — all matches played at the world-class Hard Rock Stadium that’s one of the best venues for soccer in the entire country.
At the end of the day, whether David Beckham is able to get his MLS Miami team off the ground or not is largely insignificant to soccer fans in South Florida. The annual International Champions Cup is ideal for the Miami market, serving up many of the world’s greatest soccer clubs every summer while, for the remainder of the year, South Florida often hosts international friendlies featuring nations such as Colombia, Brazil, Peru or Croatia, all of whom have played here recently.
That abundance of high quality teams satisfies the appetite of the Miami market. While it’d be great to have a MLS club that the city can call its own, there’s no doubt that the quality of football on display would be a turnoff for many of the soccer-savvy fans in the area who have grown up watching the highest level of the game from around the world.
Does Miami need a MLS team? Not necessarily. But MLS certainly needs to be in the city in order to boost TV ratings and offer advertisers and sponsors an opportunity to reach the bi-lingual audience in South Florida.
Currently, the annual schedule of International Champions Cup games is exactly what Miami wants and gets.
David Beckham’s Ambitious Plan To Bring MLS To Miami In Progress
Former international football star David Beckham embarks on a new endeavor in his already impressive career: owning a Major League Soccer team here in Miami. Beckham also plans to build a state-of-the-art stadium near Miami International Airport.
Player updates for Orlando City at Columbus, Uri and Mueller featured on BTW, SIMA Aguilas through to conference finals, and more.
Free Kicks
A former Orlando City GM might have a new job a few hours south.
Paul Tenorio
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@PaulTenorio
Sources: Atlanta United's Paul McDonough is lead candidate to become general manager of Beckham's Miami franchise: http://bit.ly/2Lxp9P3 @TheAthleticSCCR
12:33 PM - Jul 20, 2018
Sources: Atlanta United's vice president of soccer...
McDonough signed a four-year extension with Atlanta in October 2017
Beckham’s bid for a Miami MLS stadium will go to voters
Miami commission approved allowing voters to decide on the proposal for Miami Freedom Park to completely revamp Melreese into a mixed-use complex designed by Arquitectonica
Major League Soccer coach Peter Vermes: MLS is 'on the precipice of something great'
Major League Soccer has been around since 1996, but after two decades, its popularity is seeing hockey-stick growth.
Average MLS game attendance was 22,106 in 2017, third behind the NFL and MLB. (Yes, higher than the NBA.) Expansion team Atlanta United FC, in its first season of existence, had the highest average attendance (52,409) of any U.S. sports team other than NFL teams.
The league began with 10 clubs and is now up to 23; it will have 26 by 2020 after it adds teams in Cincinnati, Miami, and Nashville. (Former Daily News sports columnist Filip Bondy, writing at Forbes, says the MLS might even be “growing too rapidly for its own good.”)
It’s easy to see why Adidas re-upped its MLS sponsorship for another six years at a price tag of $700 million.
If you ask Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes, a former member of the US Men’s National Team, the growth starts with the gameplay on the field.
“At end of the day, it comes down to entertainment, and the product has gotten better on the field,” he told Yahoo Finance in a live show appearance just before the 2018 World Cup Final. “Over the next six or seven years, we’re probably going to get to 30 teams. And with that growth, sponsors come. And then our TV contract is coming up in a year or two, and I think that’s another aspect that’s going to grow. I think we’re on the precipice of something great.”
But MLS also owes a lot to two off-the-field factors that Vermes cites.
Merchandise and savvy branding
The MLS team in Kansas City was called the Wizards, until it rebranded in 2010. Vermes, who has coached the team since 2009, recalls, “There were people that thought it was going to be the worst decision ever.” At that time, the Wizards were dead-last in the league for merchandise sales, even behind All-Star Game gear and generic MLS gear.
But after the team got a new name (Sporting Kansas City) and a new arena (now called Children’s Mercy Park) it shot up to No. 1 for merchandise sales the next season. The story is commonly cited as an example of a hugely successful rebrand.
Many other MLS teams have rebranded over the years, like the Dallas Burn becoming FC Dallas and the San Jose Clash becoming the Earthquakes. In 2014, MLS did an official rebrand at the league level, changing its logo to a more European style crest. It’s all part of an obvious effort to make MLS teams look and feel more like top-tier international clubs, and it has worked.
To be sure, the US Men’s National Team missing the 2018 World Cup was an embarrassing failure for American soccer, one that caused negative business effects. As Vermes acknowledges, “Obviously it has a negative impact no matter what, in so many respects. We missed the boat… Our objective has to be more than just qualifying for the World Cup, we need to win a World Cup.”
But the burden to improve America’s national team is mostly on the U.S. Soccer Federation, says Vermes: “It’s not the responsibility of MLS.”
The David Beckham effect
Vermes says that MLS Commissioner Don Garber has “been very specific and particular about who are the ownership groups that he brings in.”
One key example is with the Miami MLS franchise, as yet unnamed, set to begin playing in 2020. The ownership group, Miami Beckham United, is led by international star David Beckham, who played in MLS for the LA Galaxy from 2007 to 2012. There are other big business names in the ownership group, including former Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure and Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, but none compares to the star power of Beckham.
“It was a master stroke in bringing him to the league,” Vermes raves. “He is tremendous for the league itself. His popularity is going to lend itself to that city, but more importantly, that ownership group. I think you’re going to be amazed at the players that they bring in from overseas. I would not be surprised if you saw a Ronaldo or a Messi one day playing in Miami. The two of those guys, I bet you, at some point may be playing together in Miami, which they could never have done in Spain.”
Of course, international stars have always come to MLS to play out the twilight of their careers. Wayne Rooney just signed on with DC United, Steven Gerrard played for the LA Galaxy, Frank Lampard played for NYCFC, and David Villa still plays for NYCFC. But Beckham is taking it a step further, as an international star who played in MLS, then played a season in Ligue 1 for Paris Saint-Germain—and now returns to MLS as an owner.
Expect Beckham’s Miami MLS team to sell a lot of merchandise, backing up the argument Vermes makes about combining savvy branding with star power.
Miami MLS Name Agreed Upon With Unique Announcement Imminent
Mas said that the team's name, colors and shield will not be revealed in a traditional press conference Photo: GETTY IMAGES MLS owners have "agreed on a name for David Beckham's Miami team," and it will be "revealed 'very soon' in an unconventional way,...
[Slater] JUST IN: Construction for Miami soccer stadium must start by Oct. 2019. If not, Jorge Mas defaults and would lose MLS team, he tells @MiamiHerald editorial board.
MLS agrees on a name for the Beckham Miami team (Atletico Miami and Inter Miami are the two top choices, according to sources), also A “very high profile” player from the World Cup finalist Croatian team wants to play for Miami’s team.
