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***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter Ramsay Hunt Experience
- Start date
Norman Paperman
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
AAABatteries
Footballguy
roadkill1292
Footballguy
The U.S. role in FIFA corruption prosecutions had completely slipped my mind. Interesting piece.
Sammy3469
Footballguy
Here's more info. The WP is for England which he can't get, so he's spending the year in NY.
https://twitter.com/City_Watch/status/942367892556959746
In other news Akinola sign a HGP with Toronto
Ned
Footballguy
I had to rewind it twice at the 0:40 mark to make sure I really saw that dude carrying a rifle.
Then not a single person flinches when he shoots in the air.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
Haven't been following this thread, but Mjolnirs PM'd me that he made it back home to SC safe and sound after his ordeal in Munich.
Welcome back, buddy. I bet you never thought you'd want to leave Munich so desperately...
Welcome back, buddy. I bet you never thought you'd want to leave Munich so desperately...
The Z Machine
Footballguy
The Z Machine
Footballguy
Sounds like it is going about as well as it can. Doctor said the German surgeons did what he would have done.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
The Barco transfer continues to roller coaster.
After this past weekend when it was said top teams from England and Spain have entered the negotiations, this tweet came out today, which translated roughly says Barco wants to go to Atlanta and is asking Independiente to accept the deal. The assumption is Atlanta is offering a better salary than anyone else, and Barco's family is extremely poor. I doubt Atlanta is offering a better transfer fee though which is likely what the hold up is.
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Leandro Pachielat
@LPpachielat
Ezequiel Barco le comunicó a Ariel Holan y a Hugo Moyano que quiere irse de #Independiente. Le pidió a la CD que acepten la oferta del #AtlantaUnited.
After this past weekend when it was said top teams from England and Spain have entered the negotiations, this tweet came out today, which translated roughly says Barco wants to go to Atlanta and is asking Independiente to accept the deal. The assumption is Atlanta is offering a better salary than anyone else, and Barco's family is extremely poor. I doubt Atlanta is offering a better transfer fee though which is likely what the hold up is.
============
Leandro Pachielat
@LPpachielatEzequiel Barco le comunicó a Ariel Holan y a Hugo Moyano que quiere irse de #Independiente. Le pidió a la CD que acepten la oferta del #AtlantaUnited.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
This is a nice signing by Portland. He is very well respected in US Soccer
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PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers have named Giovanni Savarese as the club’s head coach entering the 2018 MLS season, it was announced today. Savarese, the third head coach in the club’s MLS history, brings over 25 years of professional experience as a player and coach to the Timbers organization, most recently serving as the head coach and sporting director of the New York Cosmos where he led the club to three Soccer Bowl championships in five seasons in the North American Soccer League (NASL).
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PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers have named Giovanni Savarese as the club’s head coach entering the 2018 MLS season, it was announced today. Savarese, the third head coach in the club’s MLS history, brings over 25 years of professional experience as a player and coach to the Timbers organization, most recently serving as the head coach and sporting director of the New York Cosmos where he led the club to three Soccer Bowl championships in five seasons in the North American Soccer League (NASL).
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
This was the last open question about Memphis.
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Joey Garrison @joeygarrison
NEW: Nashville judge dismisses MLS stadium lawsuit, a win for expansion hopes
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Joey Garrison @joeygarrison
NEW: Nashville judge dismisses MLS stadium lawsuit, a win for expansion hopes
El Floppo
Footballguy
I genuinely wish him the best. he's a standup guy, who has put blood sweat and tears into soccer in the area here for a long time. I haven't seen his cosmos team play enough to say he's a great coach- but the results certainly seem to back that up. was a really good player as well. got to meet him a few times- good dude.
even though andy mentioned his contract was up and who knows what's happening with NASL, I'm still sorry to see him leave the cosmos.
El Floppo
Footballguy
& 
gianmarco
Footballguy
Combine that with Brazil penalty kicks and it might look like a firing squad.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
The new Concacaf Champions League draw was tonight. There is one MLS match up (TFC vs Colorado, which is a great draw for Toronto I think)
This is a home and home leg. Teams listed first in this list host the second game.
MLS teams involved are NYR, TFC, Colorado, Dallas and Seattle. As always, the first games for MLS will be in the off season. I think the Red Bulls pulled the toughest first game outside of Club America
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRXsIm7W0AAfCkF.jpg:large
This is a home and home leg. Teams listed first in this list host the second game.
MLS teams involved are NYR, TFC, Colorado, Dallas and Seattle. As always, the first games for MLS will be in the off season. I think the Red Bulls pulled the toughest first game outside of Club America
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DRXsIm7W0AAfCkF.jpg:large
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NewlyRetired
Footballguy
I am unsure if or how this might affect soccer coverage but as you guys probably have heard by now, John Skipper (ESPN President) resigned from ESPN today due to an drug addiction issue he is fighting.
Skipper was the biggest proponents of soccer on ESPN over the years and carried a ton of clout.
Skipper was the biggest proponents of soccer on ESPN over the years and carried a ton of clout.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
bentley
Footballguy
All seems to be quiet on the Austin MLS soccer front for now. Council vote postponed until early Feb, but apparently PSV was ok with the timeline. Still one primo location (that the neighbors are up in arms about), one pretty good location (that will need a lot of work) and a couple cruddy locations that seem like they don't fit what ownership wants in the mix.
El Floppo
Footballguy
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
finally, at least one will be announced. Looks like it is tomorrow the press conference.
I have to say, I still don't understand how they are leaving out one of Cincy and Sac......
Sammy3469
Footballguy
My going assumption is Cincy isn't getting in until Columbus moves. You can't have two teams serving 2 million people that are an hour and a half apart. There's a reason all the other major leagues are either in one (NHL in Columbus) or the other (MLB, NFL in Cincy), but not both.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
I hope Cincy does not lose this momentum they built up. Outside of Atlanta, they are one of the best stories in US Soccer for what they have done off the field.
With Columbus entering lame duck territory there is a chance that if they reject Cincy now, they could pollute both markets.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
I am reading some online theories that the MLS ownership group has some questions about Sacramento's ownership group which is making their decision much more difficult than they thought.
I assume this concern must relate to Meg Whitman, who seems to be in flux. Here is the rough timeline
*Team announces she will join ownership group earlier this year. Whitman has a net worth of $3 billion according to Forbes
*No formal announcement ever came
*Last month she stepped down as CEO of HP and decided she was not going to join the ownership group
*Then shortly after, she changed her mind and on the day of the final pitch to MLS, and said she was going to join. This became public after their meeting.
If MLS is comparing her roller coaster dedication in Sac to the Landry's incredibly focused dedication in Cincy, I can see why this might be tricky for them.
I assume this concern must relate to Meg Whitman, who seems to be in flux. Here is the rough timeline
*Team announces she will join ownership group earlier this year. Whitman has a net worth of $3 billion according to Forbes
*No formal announcement ever came
*Last month she stepped down as CEO of HP and decided she was not going to join the ownership group
*Then shortly after, she changed her mind and on the day of the final pitch to MLS, and said she was going to join. This became public after their meeting.
If MLS is comparing her roller coaster dedication in Sac to the Landry's incredibly focused dedication in Cincy, I can see why this might be tricky for them.
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NewlyRetired
Footballguy
looks like this theory might have some legs:I am reading some online theories that the MLS ownership group has some questions about Sacramento's ownership group which is making their decision much more difficult than they thought.
I assume this concern must relate to Meg Whitman, who seems to be in flux. Here is the rough timeline
*Team announces she will join ownership group earlier this year. Whitman has a net worth of $3 billion according to Forbes
*No formal announcement ever came
*Last month she stepped down as CEO of HP and decided she was not going to join the ownership group
*Then shortly after, she changed her mind and on the day of the final pitch to MLS, and said she was going to join. This became public after their meeting.
If MLS is comparing her roller coaster dedication in Sac to the Landry's incredibly focused dedication in Cincy, I can see why this might be tricky for them.
Evan Ream
According to two sources with knowledge of the situation, if Sac doesn’t get an MLS franchise it will likely be because ownership doesn’t have deep enough pockets. That’s the current fear among the group right now
Sammy3469
Footballguy
Pardon the NYCFC link, but here are the home openers for everyone:
https://www.nycfc.com/post/2017/12/19/nycfc-host-la-galaxy-2018-home-opener
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
some interesting one's there.
I like the troll of giving Atlanta DC as their home opener
Gio showing up for NYR as Portland's is going to be fun as well.
Strange that they give DC a date and yet no one seems to know where they are going to play their home opener yet.
Sammy3469
Footballguy
DC asked to backload their home schedule and were shot down, so I'm not sure where they stand besides having to play some home games somewhere else.some interesting one's there.
I like the troll of giving Atlanta DC as their home opener
Gio showing up for NYR as Portland's is going to be fun as well.
Strange that they give DC a date and yet no one seems to know where they are going to play their home opener yet.
In other non-stadium news, the Belmont site is going to the Islanders as expected. So NYCFC can focus on Willet's Point now.
Ned
Footballguy
Sammy3469
Footballguy
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NewlyRetired
Footballguy
it is a really nice start.
Zimmerman and Ciman are a really solid CB duo and Gaber is likely going to be going to the WC with Egypt so he must be fairly decent as a RB.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
yikes, what a cluster ####. Why did MLS allow Sacramento to get this far is they had these issues? Everything seems to be pointing to ownership now in Sacramento. Did Nagle make a fool of himself at the main presentation?
From what I can derive, Nagle does not have the capital needed to be a player in a venture this size and does not want to give up control (which is I assume how Whitman got involved).
==========================
Kartik Krishnaiyer @kkfla737
Being told by a well-connected source that wishes to remain anonymous that Nagle IS the problem with the Sacramento bid. "His ego has cost Sacramento a place in MLS," a quote from my source.
From what I can derive, Nagle does not have the capital needed to be a player in a venture this size and does not want to give up control (which is I assume how Whitman got involved).
==========================
Kartik Krishnaiyer @kkfla737
Being told by a well-connected source that wishes to remain anonymous that Nagle IS the problem with the Sacramento bid. "His ego has cost Sacramento a place in MLS," a quote from my source.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
oh jesus I should have read more instead of asking the bold above. I think Nagle may have done something at the presentation itself.........
Kartik Krishnaiyer @kkfla737
My source also states that much of this happened recently so #MLS is not to blame for moving Sacramento into the finalist category. Based on the support for the Republic, market size, stadium plans, etc they were a logical finalist. Says Negle has created the problems.
NewlyRetired
Footballguy
This is a pretty good wrap up of the issues facing the last 3 bids for MLS expansion from ESPN. The running theme today is that the bids will be delayed, possibly allowing for Sacramento to fix/improve its ownership issues. Some are saying the announcement may not come until after the holidays.
This possible delay/indecision also likely indicated that Memphis had a much more complete and attractive bid.
This possible delay/indecision also likely indicated that Memphis had a much more complete and attractive bid.
Will Cincinnati, Sacramento or Detroit join Nashville as an MLS newcomer?
With an expected announcement on Wednesday that MLS has granted Nashville an expansion franchise, focus now shifts to the cities in contention for the second spot. Cincinnati, Detroit and Sacramento are still in the running but that the league is waiting to announce -- perhaps until after the New Year -- is telling in terms of how close the contest is.
The reality is that each of the bids is compelling, but has its their flaws. Cincinnati is trying to convince that its stadium deal is done, except it isn't. Yes, FC Cincinnati was able to acquire $51 million from the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County to be applied towards infrastructure costs. And FCC has stated it is moving forward with a site in the Oakley neighborhood. But final buy-in hasn't yet been secured. There has also been talk of pivoting to another site in the West End neighborhood.
MLS has been through enough stadium gymnastics in other locales -- lately it's been Miami -- to know that a deal isn't done until the ink is dry and the litigation options of opponents have been exhausted. So as impressive as Cincinnati's USL attendance has been -- over 21,000 this season -- and, even though it has a billionaire lead investor in American Financial Group co-CEO Carl Lindner III and a jersey sponsor lined up with Mercy Health, MLS is still mulling things over.
Sacramento's stadium solution is completely done, so much so that it has begun preparing the site. It also has over 10,000 season-ticket deposits and a jersey-sponsor deal with UC Davis Health. Its problems focus more on the investor side and it's beginning to look like Sacramento has been caught in a game where the value of certain criteria changed.
MLS has stated that the viability of an expansion bid was basically a three-legged chair comprised of ownership group, market and stadium. That last criteria has long been viewed as the most important, given the drawn-out process that accompanies getting approval and ultimately building a facility. It was a finalized stadium plan that made Sacramento's bid so compelling, along with its record of crowd support.
There has been a shift, however. If this expansion process -- one that has seen fees reach $150 million -- has proven anything, it is that the financial strength of the ownership group has taken on more importance and, if you don't have a billionaire as a lead investor, then MLS will require a higher threshold of proof in order to let a city in the door. And this is what Sacramento is up against.
Just prior to its Dec. 6 presentation before the Expansion Committee, Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman and her husband Dr. Griff Harsh officially joined the investor group, one that also includes lead investor Kevin Nagle, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York and Fulcrum Property Group president Mark Friedman. The addition of Whitman was seen as the final piece in the puzzle but, now, it appears as though there are a few more pieces to slide in.
The fact remains that Nagle doesn't have the same financial heft as the three bids he's competing against. In February 2015, he sold pharmaceutical company EnvisionRx to RiteAid Corp. for $2 billion but, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee, the share that he and other investors held amounted to 35 percent. Nagle is wealthy but not in the same stratosphere as the competition and it's worth noting that, out of York, Friedman, Whitman and Harsh, none of that quartet was brought in to be the lead investor.
Meanwhile, Sacramento's long, methodical path towards expansion, once thought to be beneficial in terms of time, has also worked against it in some ways. When this journey began in 2014, expansion fees were around $70 million and its proposed stadium was set to cost $180 million. Now the fee has more than doubled and stadium construction costs are set to go up by $70 million, making for a $150 million increase.
The extent to which this is hampering Sacramento is unclear, though it was enough for it lose out to Nashville. It is also worth noting that the $51 million FC Cincinnati received for stadium infrastructure costs was $19-24 million less than what it asked for.
Detroit's situation shows that, while strength of ownership has become more significant, a stadium plan remains critical. The city had no such problems on the financial end, given that it is backed by two billionaires: Cleveland Cavaliers owner and Quicken Loans CEO Dan Gilbert and Detroit Pistons owner and Platinum Equity CEO Tom Gores.
However, the investor group's decision to designate Ford Field as its home venue instead of building a smaller, more soccer-centric stadium pushed it further down the expansion pecking order.
So yes, the stadium still matters but, like most things in MLS, when everything else is more or less equal, money conquers all. That's why at present, Cincinnati has its nose in front of Sacramento, though it's by no means a done deal.
With an expected announcement on Wednesday that MLS has granted Nashville an expansion franchise, focus now shifts to the cities in contention for the second spot. Cincinnati, Detroit and Sacramento are still in the running but that the league is waiting to announce -- perhaps until after the New Year -- is telling in terms of how close the contest is.
The reality is that each of the bids is compelling, but has its their flaws. Cincinnati is trying to convince that its stadium deal is done, except it isn't. Yes, FC Cincinnati was able to acquire $51 million from the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County to be applied towards infrastructure costs. And FCC has stated it is moving forward with a site in the Oakley neighborhood. But final buy-in hasn't yet been secured. There has also been talk of pivoting to another site in the West End neighborhood.
MLS has been through enough stadium gymnastics in other locales -- lately it's been Miami -- to know that a deal isn't done until the ink is dry and the litigation options of opponents have been exhausted. So as impressive as Cincinnati's USL attendance has been -- over 21,000 this season -- and, even though it has a billionaire lead investor in American Financial Group co-CEO Carl Lindner III and a jersey sponsor lined up with Mercy Health, MLS is still mulling things over.
Sacramento's stadium solution is completely done, so much so that it has begun preparing the site. It also has over 10,000 season-ticket deposits and a jersey-sponsor deal with UC Davis Health. Its problems focus more on the investor side and it's beginning to look like Sacramento has been caught in a game where the value of certain criteria changed.
MLS has stated that the viability of an expansion bid was basically a three-legged chair comprised of ownership group, market and stadium. That last criteria has long been viewed as the most important, given the drawn-out process that accompanies getting approval and ultimately building a facility. It was a finalized stadium plan that made Sacramento's bid so compelling, along with its record of crowd support.
There has been a shift, however. If this expansion process -- one that has seen fees reach $150 million -- has proven anything, it is that the financial strength of the ownership group has taken on more importance and, if you don't have a billionaire as a lead investor, then MLS will require a higher threshold of proof in order to let a city in the door. And this is what Sacramento is up against.
Just prior to its Dec. 6 presentation before the Expansion Committee, Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman and her husband Dr. Griff Harsh officially joined the investor group, one that also includes lead investor Kevin Nagle, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York and Fulcrum Property Group president Mark Friedman. The addition of Whitman was seen as the final piece in the puzzle but, now, it appears as though there are a few more pieces to slide in.
The fact remains that Nagle doesn't have the same financial heft as the three bids he's competing against. In February 2015, he sold pharmaceutical company EnvisionRx to RiteAid Corp. for $2 billion but, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee, the share that he and other investors held amounted to 35 percent. Nagle is wealthy but not in the same stratosphere as the competition and it's worth noting that, out of York, Friedman, Whitman and Harsh, none of that quartet was brought in to be the lead investor.
Meanwhile, Sacramento's long, methodical path towards expansion, once thought to be beneficial in terms of time, has also worked against it in some ways. When this journey began in 2014, expansion fees were around $70 million and its proposed stadium was set to cost $180 million. Now the fee has more than doubled and stadium construction costs are set to go up by $70 million, making for a $150 million increase.
The extent to which this is hampering Sacramento is unclear, though it was enough for it lose out to Nashville. It is also worth noting that the $51 million FC Cincinnati received for stadium infrastructure costs was $19-24 million less than what it asked for.
Detroit's situation shows that, while strength of ownership has become more significant, a stadium plan remains critical. The city had no such problems on the financial end, given that it is backed by two billionaires: Cleveland Cavaliers owner and Quicken Loans CEO Dan Gilbert and Detroit Pistons owner and Platinum Equity CEO Tom Gores.
However, the investor group's decision to designate Ford Field as its home venue instead of building a smaller, more soccer-centric stadium pushed it further down the expansion pecking order.
So yes, the stadium still matters but, like most things in MLS, when everything else is more or less equal, money conquers all. That's why at present, Cincinnati has its nose in front of Sacramento, though it's by no means a done deal.
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The Z Machine
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
roadkill1292
Footballguy
New test for the roadkill begins today. The young lady who had been sharing my office for six years moved on a few weeks ago and I was just notified that Slovakian John will be moving in. Every day now I will be hearing a litany of like dis, like dis, like dis and dat one dere, none of it related to footy (which John doesn't follow). John is a genuinely nice guy and it would be exceptionally ungracious of me to laugh, even if I explained it all to him.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
Marek Hamsik is Slovakian! I believe he just drew even with Diego Maradona on the all-time goals scored list for Napoli.
