MLS Expansion $500 million for $45 million, the Philadelphia agrument

With MLS just weeks away from announcing which city will be their 16th, the Philadelphia idea has come down to a simple question, will the state invest $45 million of public money in a soccer stadium to move forward a $500 million waterfront development project?

It really is that simple as those involved say that without the stadium, the full waterfront development idea in Chester is pretty much off the table and MLS will turn to St. Louis as their newest team.

The state has a history of investing in sports stadiums (Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, Heinz Field and PNC Park), so it is not without precedent, however soccer is a bit of a tougher sell, even if it will lead to a larger retail, residential and office development. However, the state legislative session ended last week without funding, so it is up to Governor Rendell to find a way to make this happen.

Meanwhile, St. Louis is waiting quietly with everything lined up to go. Well everything except the final vote by MLS.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Liverpool might be MLS All-Star opposition; is owner also looking at Montreal MLS expansion team?

Liverpool has been asked to be the opposition for the 2008 MLS All-Star Game in Toronto as part of their American tour. The game seems to be designed perfectly for the club, as they will play in a very red stadium that normally hosts a team sponsored by Carlsberg.

But the interest in soccer in Canada might not end at this one off match as Liverpool co-owner George Gillett Jr. seems to be interested in a Montreal MLS expansion side. Gillett already owns the Montreal Canadiens (hockey), so he has contacts in the city.

This is all speculation at the moment, but if someone like Gillett (billionaire with soccer knowledge) is truly interested in making a team happen, it could probably work out. I mean, imagine how much fun Don Garber would have talking about Liverpool FC being tied in with MLS.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Fabio Capello is England's manager

It is official, Fabio Capello will manage England. This news is of no surprise as Capello had agreed in principle 48-hours ago to head the team.

He will begin work on 7 January as part of a four and a half year contract that will take him through Euro 2012. His first match will be against Switzerland on 6 February.

Capello replaces Steve McClaren, who has been thrown into a pit somewhere in Dorking. His contract is for 6.5million annually, which is about 2.5million more then Sven-Goran Eriksson earned.

This is an excellent move by the English FA. Capello might not push the envelope as much as some of the other contenders would have, but he knows how to form a team. He brings with him an excellent staff and a vision that McClaren never had.

One last note, Franco Tancredi (goalkeeping coach) has his work cut out for him.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

MLS Expansion - Is a team in Miami just a few votes away

The idea of moving back into Florida might make a few MLS fans a bit squeamish as it didn't go so well the first time around, but if a few votes workout, it might just happen.

The City of Miami is looking into funding a new soccer and baseball stadium on the current sight of the historic Orange Bowl (which will be torn down) as part of a multibillion-dollar proposal put forth by Mayor Manny Diaz.

As far as the soccer stadium, it would cost $100 million and seat 25,000. The proposal calls for the cost to be divided between the city and MLS (or whomever owns a new Miami team). However, the main reason the city is interested in building the soccer stadium is to provide an additional funding source for a 6,000-car parking garage they will need to build for a baseball stadium as Diaz said they need 25 additional events annually for the garage to break even.

This whole proposal, which includes many, many things not related to these stadiums, faces its first vote today as the Miami commissioners decide whether to move the multilayered plan forward. If they do, they will begin to review major pieces of the plan next Tuesday. As part of the funding plan, the city will not float bonds to pay for any of this, so it will not face voter approval (how happy is Don Garber to hear that?).

If this does happen and the city votes for a soccer stadium, it is pretty safe to say MLS will show up soon after and that might not be a frightening as it sounds.

Back when the Miami Fusion were in the league (1998-2001) they had some weak attendance numbers, but was in large part due to them playing at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, some 26-miles away. If a new team went into the Orange Bowl site, they would be in the heart of the city, about a mile from downtown. This does not mean they will be a success, but it does provide them with a better chance then playing in Ft. Lauderdale.

As with any proposal that involves public money, who knows what might happen, but it does seem like the mayor is pushing hard for this. I don't have a clue if this is a good thing in the long run for the people of Miami, but if you are a soccer fan in the area, you are probably happy to see this taking place.

But how does this influence the possible expansion of the league into St. Louis or Philadelphia? I don't think it has any affect on the league in the next couple months as no ownership group has officially stepped forward and a final decision on the funding might not be known for some time. However, Miami would provide a very temping pick for the next round of expansion, especailly if the league put in $50 million towards building the facility, which makes the competition for the 17th and 18th teams that much more intense.

One final thing, some people have suggested calling the new soccer stadium the Orange Bowl, which seems like a fantastic idea to me.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

MLS 2008 Season - First two weekend fixtures

The 2007 season might only be three weeks past, but it is time to look forward to 2008. MLS released most of the fixtures for the first two weeks. The year will begin with a bit of a return to tradition, as the two MLS Cup finalists will face off when Houston travels to New England. Here is the full schedule:
March 29-30
LA Galaxy at Colorado
Houston at New England
Toronto at Columbus
Chicago at Salt Lake
DC at KC
NY-San Jose (match might change)
Chivas at FC Dallas (March 30)

April 3-6
New England at Chicago @ 8pm CT(April 3)
San Jose at LA @ 6:30pm PT (April 3)
Salt Lake at Chivas (April 5)
Columbus at New York (April 5)
Toronto at DC (April 5)
Dallas at Houston (April 6)
KC-Colorado (No exact information on this one)

So in case you missed it, there are two matches taking place on the first Thursday of the season (April 3). The times work out to make it look like there will be two matches on ESPN2 that night. Will this be a one time event designed to attract attention or will we see more of this in the future?

Interesting note about the first week of games, four of the five teams with the lowest 2007 attendance numbers open at home (KC, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas) while only one of the top six gets to play host (New England). Guess they are hoping a first week kickoff to get their numbers up.

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]

Red Bull Park - The way US soccer stadiums should be

Yesterday the Red Bulls of New York released drawings of their new stadium design and all I can say is marvelous. A stadium for the team from NY has been one of the best jokes in MLS history, however if this concept comes into reality, all those will be forgotten. Simply put, this is exactly the type of stadium the league and the sport needs to go to the next level.

The strange thing about most MLS soccer specific stadiums is how much they are not designed specifically for soccer. Yes, the pitch is the proper size and the seats are aligned more for the game, but the presence of a stage tells you the real story. Teams will make some money on soccer games but the big dollars come in from other ventures. Perhaps calling them soccer owned stadiums would be a bit more exact.

So that's why Red Bull Park impresses me so much as everything about is to make the soccer experience better. The first row of seats is only 21 feet away from the touchline while seats in general are compact (on a sharper incline) to allow fans to be closer to the pitch. Plus the roof covers every seat, which will not only help with weather issues, but will also mean the place is going to echo the noise. And then there is the other nice touch of having a media section located in the lower bowl right behind the player benches. This might not seem like much, but having media in the middle of the fans will let the atmosphere of the place seep into their reporting.

I'm sure other events will take place at this stadium, but from the design it is obvious that priorities 1,2 and 3 are soccer and the fans that come out to watch it. Anything else they hold there is an extra topping.

The opening of Crew Stadium in 1999 was all about respect, while Red Bull Parks opening in 2009 will be about proof that this game is alive and well in the USA. Now, will the team that plays there be able to live up to the greatness of the stadium?

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[Source: My Soccer Blog]