March 2, 201510 yr Wait, work stoppage? http://nypost.com/2015/02/25/stoppage-time-an-mls-strike-over-free-agency-a-possibility/
March 5, 201510 yr No work stoppage! The MLS 2015 season will begin tomorrow: MLS, union reach new CBA, avoiding league’s first strike http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2015/03/04/reports-mls-union-come-together-to-avoid-calamitous-work-stoppage/ http://www.massivereport.com/2015/3/5/8153869/we-have-an-mls-season-details-of-the-leagues-new-collective
March 13, 201510 yr hmm, from the post: Metro North leaves soccer fans kicking & screaming By Lia Eustachewich March 12, 2015 | 11:04pm What a kick in the shins! Metro-North isn’t offering Connecticut and Westchester fans direct service to the New York City Football Club’s home opener Sunday at Yankee Stadium — because soccer isn’t as popular as baseball. More than 35,000 tickets — and counting — have been sold for the match against the New England Revolution, but the railroad says the demand isn’t enough to add the extra service. Soccer fans traveling on the Harlem and New Haven lines will have to transfer at the 125th Street stop and pick up a shuttle to Yankee Stadium — a switch that will tack on as much as 22 minutes to their trip. “We, at this point, don’t feel there would be enough ridership to justify running direct service from the New Haven and Harlem lines,” an MTA spokesman said, citing analysis of past soccer games played at the Stadium.
March 26, 201510 yr MLS in Minneapolis in 2018: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/03/25/major-league-soccer-awards-expansion-team-minnesota
May 19, 201510 yr Second L.A. team to join MLS in 2018. Currently called Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), it was announced yesterday they will play in a new 22,000-seat soccer stadium to be built next to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum: http://www.espnfc.us/major-league-soccer/story/2456174/mls-los-angeles-football-club-reveals-plans-for-stadium http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/05/18/lafc-announce-plan-new-soccer-specific-stadium-south-los-angeles http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/05/19/lafcs-henry-nguyen-our-stadium-will-be-one-cathedrals-soccer
May 19, 201510 yr Anyone else kinda surprised that LA is getting this second team? Perhaps it'll lead to a good LA derby!
December 3, 20159 yr Author Sacramento Republic FC reveal renderings for proposed MLS stadium USL club Sacramento Republic FC gave their fans an early holiday present on Tuesday, when the club released the first images of a proposed Major League Soccer stadium designed by architecture firm HNTB. The release of the renderings, which were launched online at a new website, BuiltForSacremento.com, complete a months-long process in which Republic FC drew information from workshops, focus groups with fans, an online survey completed by nearly 3,500 people and tours of top MLS stadiums and internationally acclaimed venues in Europe and South America. According to a statement released by the club, the proposed stadium would seat 25,000 and would feature the steepest grade of seats allowed by MLS, a continuous, closed bowl around all four sides of the field and a roof that would wrap around the entire stadium, without breaks.
March 6, 20169 yr The start of the 2016 MLS season is today. Currently, there are 20 teams. While in Columbus for the MLS Cup in December, MLS Commissioner Don Garber restated the current MLS expansion plan to 24 teams by 2020. Atlanta is set to join the league in 2017. Los Angeles is set to join in 2018. Minnesota is the next in line to join in either 2018 or 2019. And the David Beckham-led expansion team in Miami could be added by 2020 (if they can acquire a stadium site). Commissioner Garber also mentioned that he sees Sacramento as a long-term expansion location, adding it was conceivable they could be placed higher on the expansion list if efforts in Miami fell through. Beyond that, the commissioner said they would evaluate the possibility of growing MLS to 28 teams after 2020. http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/12/05/mls-announces-possible-plans-expand-league-28-teams-scheduling-updates
March 8, 20169 yr According to this article on the MLS website, it sounds like Cincinnati is in the mix for teams #25 thru 28 after 2020: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/02/16/fc-cincinnati-president-talks-mls-ambitions-turns-orlando-city-sc-model-success The trouble for Cincinnati is that the competition for new MLS teams is really heating up. The above article mentioned St. Louis, Sacramento, San Antonio, Detroit and San Diego as potential sites for future expansion after MLS meets their 24-team goal by 2020. But even beyond those cities, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Louisville already have established lower-division teams that might also interest MLS in this region of the country.
March 8, 20169 yr Author ^Cincinnati's biggest selling point is the ownership of the new FC Cincinnati team. It's owned by the billionaire Lindner family who has connections with MLS higher-ups. According to people within the club, the Lindners were approached by MLS in the past to pursue an MLS club, and they declined because MLS wasn't fond of a team in Cincinnati due to the proximity of Columbus. That seems to have changed, which is one of the main reason FC Cincinnati exists today. The biggest competition for Cincinnati (IMO) are cities without MLB teams. That's pretty much the only summer sport outside of MLB, and Indianapolis doesn't have a summer team currently (outside of racing, I guess). I don't see San Diego getting a team. I think Sacramento is a lock for an MLS club, and St. Louis is in a similar position to Cincinnati minus the billionaire owners. St. Louis gets good crowds at games. If FC Cincinnati can draw a good crowd (it looks like they will) I would say there's a decent chance we get an MLS club.
June 19, 20168 yr http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/06/18/orlando-citys-emotional-tribute-shooting-victims-match-vs-san-jose Orlando City SC tribute to the Orlando shooting victims during last night's MLS match in the above linked video: - Both teams wearing #OrlandoUnited shirts during the pre-game ceremony and walking out to The Beatles "All You Need Is Love"; - The crowd singing the National Anthem a cappella; - Match stopped in the 49th minute for a moment of silence.
July 27, 20168 yr http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/07/26/seattle-sounders-and-head-coach-sigi-schmid-agree-mutually-part-ways Seattle Sounders and Sigi Schmid parted ways yesterday. Schmid had previously won the MLS Cup in 2002 with the L.A. Galaxy and in 2008 with the Columbus Crew. After winning the 2008 MLS Cup with Columbus, Schmid left to join Seattle as a 2009 expansion team. Schmid guided the Sounders to the playoffs in each of the club’s first seven MLS seasons, but was never able to return to the MLS Cup at Seattle.
September 8, 20168 yr It was originally reported that Atlanta would be joining MLS for the 2017 season and a Minnesota team might join in 2018 or 2019. Well, MLS announced last month that both Atlanta and Minnesota will enter the league together in 2017. MLS further announced that Atlanta and Minnesota will be joining MLS in separate conferences. Atlanta United FC will be in the Eastern Conference and Minnesota United FC will be in the Western Conference: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/08/19/atlanta-join-eastern-conference-2017-minnesota-compete-west
September 8, 20168 yr More about the expansion Atlanta team: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/08/19/atlanta-united-fc-set-new-season-ticket-record-expansion-teams As the above article reports, Atlanta has sold more than 22,000 season tickets for their inaugural 2017 season. And they'll be playing it in a new retractable-roof stadium being built for the Falcons in downtown Atlanta. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank also owns the Atlanta United FC team. The new stadium is currently under construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2017. This new stadium would be configured for MLS games by using retractable curtains to close off the upper-deck and reduce seating capacity to just under 30,000. Below is a rendering of the stadium in its MLS configuration:
September 8, 20168 yr More about the expansion Minnesota team: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/08/19/minnesota-united-fc-will-join-mls-2017-and-keep-their-name-mls-now Minnesota's team was thought to be a year or two away from joining MLS since they don't have a completed stadium deal in place yet. But apparently they're close enough to starting construction on a 25,000-seat stadium in Saint Paul that MLS is letting them play at the University of Minnesota's football stadium until their soccer specific stadium is ready. MLS is also letting the Minnesota team keep the name of their current NASL team - Minnesota United FC.
September 8, 20168 yr Atlanta couldn't even get 25 years out of the Georgia Dome? They only got 20 years out of Turner Field.
September 9, 20168 yr Landon Donovan is ending his nearly 2-year retirement to return to the L.A. Galaxy: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/09/08/landon-donovan-officially-comes-out-retirement-signs-la-galaxy
September 9, 20168 yr Atlanta couldn't even get 25 years out of the Georgia Dome? They only got 20 years out of Turner Field. Great asset management! Very Stable Genius
October 10, 20168 yr The Atlanta Falcons' Mercedes-Benz Stadium won't be ready for the beginning of the Atlanta United FC 2017 MLS season. So until the new stadium is ready in the summer, Atlanta United FC will play their first MLS games at Georgia Tech's football stadium: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/10/05/atlanta-united-open-2017-season-georgia-techs-bobby-dodd-stadium
October 10, 20168 yr Does anyone have any idea what the expansion draft process will look like? Very Stable Genius
October 10, 20168 yr ^ Here's the full set of rules: http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/2016-expansion-draft-rules-and-regulations From the Crew SC fan perspective (or for any other MLS team fan too), the biggest takeaways are that 11 players can be protected on the current roster and only one player can be lost.
December 1, 20168 yr Toronto and Montreal just finished up the first all-Canadian Eastern Conference Final in MLS history. The two cities have a well-known long-time sports rivalry in the NHL - and that rivalry has translated over to soccer in MLS. This two-game final turned out to be an instant classic: VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2016-11-30-toronto-fc-vs-montreal-impact/recap The first game of this two-game final started in Montreal. Playing indoors at venerable Olympic Stadium, Montreal jumped out to a 3-0 lead at halftime. Toronto fought back with two second half goals to end this first game down 3-2. The second game was last night, outdoors at newly expanded BMO Field in Toronto. The temperature was tolerable for the last day of November, but as the match wore on a driving rain storm picked up steam. Despite the heavy rain, it was an explosive final game. Montreal scored first at 24' to go up 4-2 on the aggregate score. But then Toronto fought back with two goals before halftime to even up the agg score 4-4. Montreal retoke the agg lead with a goal early in the second half. Toronto retied the agg score 5-5 with a goal at the 68' mark. The agg score stayed tied through the remainder of the 90-minute regular time. With the aggregate score tied 5-5, the Eastern Conference Final went to a 30-minute extra time period. Early in extra time, Toronto's MVP Sebastian Giovinco cramped up and needed to be subbed out. Then his replacement scored the go-ahead goal in the 98th minute and Toronto took a 6-5 lead! Two minutes later at 100', USMNT player Jozy Altidore set up the final goal of this wild game and Toronto wins this epic series 7-5!! --- The Eastern Conference Champion Toronto FC will host the Western Conference Champion Seattle Sounders for the 2016 MLS Cup on Saturday, December 10.
December 1, 20168 yr Author That was a great match. I was sort of rooting for Montreal, but didn't have strong feelings either way. Cincinnati native Nick Hagglund scored (assisted by Cleveland native Justin Morrow). Three Jozy Altidore points (goal and assist) pushed Toronto over Montreal as well, so it was good for the USMNT.
December 1, 20168 yr Toronto and Montreal just finished up the first all-Canadian Eastern Conference Final in MLS history. The two cities have a well-known long-time sports rivalry in the NHL - and that rivalry has translated over to soccer in MLS. Found it interesting that the MLS uniforms for TOR (red) and MON (blue) are the exact opposite for the NHL teams. p.s. I felt bad for the players, that cold rain looked absolutely brutal.
December 2, 20168 yr Found it interesting that the MLS uniforms for TOR (red) and MON (blue) are the exact opposite for the NHL teams. That is an odd coincidence. Unless it was intentional.
December 13, 20168 yr Guess I should get this MLS Cup post in (since the MLS Expansion Draft is currently taking place). Seattle won 5-4 on PK's after a frigid 120+ minutes at Toronto that saw a 0-0 regulation and overtime period. This was Seattle first MLS Cup title. But they did it without Sigi Schmid (their only head coach since joining MLS in 2009). Schmid joined Seattle as their head coach in 2009 after winning the 2008 MLS Cup with Columbus. Though he had some very good seasons, he couldn't bring them a title. And with the Sounders in a mid-season slump, Schimd was replaced as Seattle's head coach. Sigi Schmid breaks down Sounders' MLS Cup win: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/12/11/stefan-frei-saves-day-leads-seattle-sounders-mls-cup-win-mls-now?autoplay=true Sounders reflect on wild end to historic season: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/12/11/seattle-sounders-react-winning-2016-mls-cup-mls-now?autoplay=true
December 16, 20168 yr One more 2016 MLS Cup story. A nice commentary from the Dispatch's Michael Arace about the huge role former Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid played in Seattle's MLS Cup quest. And it is quite the story. Schmid departed Columbus after the Crew won the 2008 MLS Cup to join Seattle, as Seattle was joining MLS in 2009. He had much success with Seattle, until this season, when he was replaced mid-season. Then his longtime assistant led the Sounders on an unexpected run into the playoffs and to the title match that Schmid had long sought in Seattle: Sounders' title bittersweet for Sigi Schmid To the chronicle of crazy stuff that went down in 2016, there has to be a story about Sigi Schmid in the sports section. His picture should be under the Cubs winning the World Series, Leicester City winning the English Premier League and, of course, the Seattle Sounders’ surprising run to an MLS Cup championship. About that picture: If Sigi grew out his thick, gray hair and quit shaving, he’d look something like the German Moses, which fits. What happened to him is beyond old school — it’s Old Testament. He led the Sounders over their first seven-plus years of existence and won just about everything but the big one. He got them across the Sinai, within sight of the Promised Land. He got fired on Mount Nebo. ( . . . ) The Big Man is 63 years old now. He has coached more than 500 Major League Soccer games. He won a league title with the Crew. He has twice won the Supporters’ Shield. He led the Sounders to seven consecutive playoff appearances and four U.S. Open Cup titles. He went into the National Soccer Hall of Fame last year. --- What is next? “I don’t know,” Schmid said. “The TV part was fun and I think MLS, unlike some other sports, doesn’t have any ex-coaches working as analysts. I think there’s a niche there. And GM is a possibility. Right now, though, the desire to coach is still very strong.” --- German Moses needs a new scarf. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2016/12/15/michael-arace-column--sounders-title-bittersweet-for-sigi-schmid.html
December 16, 20168 yr MLS chief Don Garber outlines criteria for next round of league expansion Major League Soccer has announced its plans for the next round of expansion, with the process, timeline, and expansion fee detailed by MLS commissioner Don Garber. ... At present, there are 22 teams in the league, including Minnesota United and Atlanta United, which will start play next season. Los Angeles FC will start play in 2018, while expansion plans in Miami are "making progress" according to MLS, which would bring the total to 24 teams. The plans outline the process for adding teams 25 through 28. Prospective cities will need to submit applications by Jan. 31, 2017. Following a review of each prospective market, which will take place in the first six months of 2017, teams 25 and 26 will be selected during the second or third quarter of 2017. The teams selected will be expected to begin play in 2020, and the expansion fee for those teams is $150 million. ... The timeline for teams 27 and 28 will be determined at a later date, as will the expansion fee for those teams. At this time, ownership groups from 10 markets have expressed interest in acquiring an MLS expansion franchise. They are: Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa/St. Petersburg. --- Out of those 10, Sacramento and St. Louis appear to be the furthest along in satisfying the league's criteria, but more will be known in the coming months. MORE: http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/3020615/mls-commissioner-don-garber-details-next-round-of-expansion
December 17, 20168 yr Sacramento look pretty ready. I'm guessing St. Louis will get a spot, but I honestly don't get the fuss, outside of the Cards they aren't the best in terms of fan support and during the summer you will be competing directly against the Cardinals for people's money. I suppose its the corporate money behind them and the likelihood of the stadium generated from the pain of losing the Rams that will drive this through. The other two are anyone's guess. I think Detroit and Dan Gilbert will get something sorted and its the biggest market now without so they will get one, maybe in the next round. Perhaps also Cincy. I think they would be wise though to go the NBA route and avoiding cities without much direct competition from other leagues, which means picking cities without MLB teams, but I don't see them being too heavily influenced by that.
February 3, 20178 yr MLS received 12 applications for expansion teams: - Charlotte - Cincinnati - Detroit - Indianapolis - Nashville - Phoenix - Raleigh-Durham - Sacramento - San Antonio - San Diego - St. Louis - Tampa-St. Petersburg MLS launched with 10 teams in 1996, and will have 22 teams this year following the addition of Atlanta and Minnesota. A second Los Angeles team is scheduled to open next year and David Beckham has rights to start a Miami team - but has been unable to finalize a stadium plan. The league plans to add four more teams in the coming years to get to 28. An expansion committee will review the 12 applications, and may narrow the field in the next few months, with plans to announce its first two selections by the end of the year. Here's a couple of rundowns on the applications received by MLS: http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/01/31/mls-expansion-deadline-12-teams-cities http://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/mls-expansion-heres-what-to-know-about-the-12-cities-to-submit-franchise-bids/
February 3, 20178 yr Author ^They're supposed to announce sometime in 2017 who the winners are, but who knows if they will stick to their timeline. US Soccer is really bad at keeping deadlines. A lot of people were expecting Sacramento to be at the top, but they've had some turbulence and the investor who submitted an application was not submitting on behalf of Sacramento Republic.
February 3, 20178 yr I'd like FC Cincinnati to get in, but Detroit and Indianapolis make me nervous. There are already teams in Chicago and Columbus. I can't see MLS allowing there to be teams in Cincy, Indy, Detroit, Columbus, and Chicago. Cincy probably beats out Indy, but Detroit is a huge market. On the other hand, having several teams in such close proximity would allow fanbases to travel well. Pro teams keep trying their luck in the sun belt because of booming population (despite anemic interest in pro sports), so Florida, Arizona, Texas, and California are sure to get 2, possibly 3 of the 4 spots. North Carolina was really on the rise until the whole bathroom bill debacle, so hopefully MLS will dismiss those two bids out of hand. If so, the timing of this is lucky for the other cities with bids. I'm still hoping for the best.
February 3, 20178 yr Author I think Cincinnati's greatest threats are Detroit and Indianapolis. I could see both teams getting in at some point. Indy has no baseball team, which should be a huge boost for them. If they got an MLS team, I imagine people would gravitate to it since there's no competing sports team (outside of minor league baseball). That's why I don't see the draw for MLS to move into St. Louis. They will be fans of the Cardinals before any other team. Having a team with an overlapping season that's so popular would really cut into people's attention and dollars for a potential MLS franchise.
February 3, 20178 yr http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/news/2015/04/09/market36.html I saw this a couple of years ago. I thought it was concerning about Cincy's ability to attract a team. However, it did not take into account the Dayton market too. I wonder how much that market consolidation will help Cincy.
February 4, 20178 yr cosmos are moving from long island to coney island: New York Cosmos moving to MCU Park this season By Ivan Pereira [email protected] February 2, 2017 Brooklyn’s about to get its kicks this spring. The New York Cosmos announced Thursday that it will be trading its Long Island digs for MCU Park for the 2017 season. Cosmos Chairman Rocco B. Commisso said the move was a long time coming for the team and fans who have been yearning for the Cosmos to return to its New York roots. “Adding the excitement of Cosmos’ games to Coney Island’s already vibrant atmosphere will be a win-win for our club and soccer enthusiasts throughout the metropolitan area,” he said in a statement. The original incarnation of the Cosmos, which played between 1970 and 1985, originally played at Yankee Stadium, and then moved to the Meadowlands. The current team, which was established in 2010 and won the last two North American Soccer League championships, played their matches at Hofstra University and tried to establish a new stadium in Elmont. Sixteen home games will be played in Coney Island and the season opener is set for April 1. Tickets will go on sale Friday. http://www.amny.com/news/new-york-cosmos-moving-to-mcu-park-this-season-1.13054877
February 4, 20178 yr http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/news/2015/04/09/market36.html I saw this a couple of years ago. I thought it was concerning about Cincy's ability to attract a team. However, it did not take into account the Dayton market too. I wonder how much that market consolidation will help Cincy. Dayton is a separate market than Cincinnati and has loyalty to the Columbus Crew (Dutch Lions affiliation and all). I don't see how Cincinnati or Indianapolis attracting a team would pull from this market. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 6, 20178 yr What is the metric for figuring out when there are "too many" teams? 28 seems like a smart target for the next round of expansion (don't want to grow too fast), but I don't think it should be the last round of expansion. NBA has 30, NHL has 30, NFL has 32, MLB has 30. If the next few years continue to show growth, I'd like to see a target of 30-32 MLS teams.
February 7, 20178 yr What is the metric for figuring out when there are "too many" teams? 28 seems like a smart target for the next round of expansion (don't want to grow too fast), but I don't think it should be the last round of expansion. NBA has 30, NHL has 30, NFL has 32, MLB has 30. If the next few years continue to show growth, I'd like to see a target of 30-32 MLS teams. I'd like to see every metro area in America represented by at a team. Whether that's due to an expansive MLS or an increase in other pro leagues. Actually, if a super team can be assembled, for instance in NASL, soccer in USA suddenly gets more interesting.
February 7, 20178 yr I live in Centerville (10 miles south of Dayton) and ColDayMan's analysis is far from accurate. There is little to no Crew presense in the Dayton market. When the Crew played in the championship game last year, I had to specifically request the match at a Kettering sports bar - 20 min. after kickoff. Forget about a regular season Crew game getting any attention here. The local TV sports show no Crew highlights. While the FCC friendly vs. Palace got highlights and DDN coverage. Dayton is far, far more linked to Cincinnati than Columbus and that extends to FCC. I saw FCC shirts in Centerville on match days hours before kickoff. The Rally House at the Dayton Mall carries FCC gear. Not to mention, most of the hotbeds of soccer in the Miami Valley, namely Centerville, Springboro, Bellbrook and Miamisburg, are all well south of Dayton and, in Springboro's case, already considered part of the Cincy metro. We're already used to driving the quick 40 minutes to Cincy for the Reds, Bengals, the zoo, the airport and plenty of other things in the city on a routine basis. Driving to north of Columbus is just not a regular thing. If/when FCC joins MLS, Dayton (which should officially be linked to Cincy by the 2020 federal census) will be there. Zero doubt.
February 7, 20178 yr I live in Centerville (10 miles south of Dayton) and ColDayMan's analysis is far from accurate. There is little to no Crew presense in the Dayton market. When the Crew played in the championship game last year, I had to specifically request the match at a Kettering sports bar - 20 min. after kickoff. Forget about a regular season Crew game getting any attention here. The local TV sports show no Crew highlights. While the FCC friendly vs. Palace got highlights and DDN coverage. Dayton is far, far more linked to Cincinnati than Columbus and that extends to FCC. I saw FCC shirts in Centerville on match days hours before kickoff. The Rally House at the Dayton Mall carries FCC gear. Not to mention, most of the hotbeds of soccer in the Miami Valley, namely Centerville, Springboro, Bellbrook and Miamisburg, are all well south of Dayton and, in Springboro's case, already considered part of the Cincy metro. We're already used to driving the quick 40 minutes to Cincy for the Reds, Bengals, the zoo, the airport and plenty of other things in the city on a routine basis. Driving to north of Columbus is just not a regular thing. If/when FCC joins MLS, Dayton (which should officially be linked to Cincy by the 2020 federal census) will be there. Zero doubt. Uh...what? The metro's own soccer team is a farm team for the Crew. There are plenty of Crew flags all over the area bars during soccer season. I never said there weren't people in the Miami Valley that weren't supportive of FC Cincinnati but it's certainly not true that it isn't supportive of the Crew. As far as actual statistics, back in 2012, SW Ohio in general made up 10% of Crew tickets sold. http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/print-edition/2012/03/30/columbus-crew-eyes-dayton-fans.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 14, 20178 yr Cincinnati and Dayton are tied together tighter than Columbus and Dayton are. There are greater synergies in economic and association between Cincy and Dayton. When I lived in Dayton, it was a huge Ohio State town but it felt removed from Columbus. You felt a strong pull to Cincy with Reds/Bengals and even UC and other synergies. UD being the institution it is, has a pull toward cincy with Xavier being a big rival. People follow the Crew in SW Ohio, but I think a Cincy tam would pull more from Dayton than the Crew does.
March 22, 20178 yr MLS had two expansion teams join the league this season: Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC. Bringing the total number of teams using "United" in their name from one to three! #progress!!! - Atlanta played their first MLS home match on opening weekend on March 5th. Until the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium (that they will share with the Atlanta Falcons) is finished later this year, Atlanta United FC will play their home games at Georgia Tech's football stadium. Beautiful weather for their MLS debut and over 55,000 fans saw Atlanta get edged by NYRB 2-1: - Minnesota played their first MLS home match the following weekend on March 12th against Atlanta. Until their new soccer stadium is finished, Minnesota United FC will play their home games in the University of Minnesota's football stadium. Unfortunately for Minnesota, their opening home game coincided with a late winter snowstorm. So the MLS Expansion Team Showdown turned into a Snow Soccer Showdown: Atlanta trounced Minnesota 6-1 in the Snow Soccer Showdown. This is after Minnesota had their MLS debut at Portland the previous weekend and lost 5-1! Atlanta got their first MLS point last weekend at Colorado with a 2-2 draw. Minnesota is now 0-2-1 with a -9 GD after three games. However, Atlanta is 2-1-0 with a +8 GD after their first three games. Atlanta spent heavily on three offensive DP's and MLS veterans to round out their roster (like former Crew captain Michael Parkhurst at central defense) and is seeing early success. Minnesota largely kept their USL roster intact for the jump to MLS and is paying the price on the pitch.
March 22, 20178 yr It's a field, not a pitch. About 10 years ago soccer writers started going full-Brit. The same sort of guys who started writing beer reviews like wine reviews. It's pretentious as hell.
March 22, 20178 yr Author It's a field, not a pitch. About 10 years ago soccer writers started going full-Brit. The same sort of guys who started writing beer reviews like wine reviews. It's pretentious as hell. Who cares what word you use? I use them interchangeably with soccer. The entire argument is stupid whichever way you are trying to argue it.
March 22, 20178 yr It's about class and the pretentiousness that soccer has projected for the past 30 years. It was always a soccer field until about 2005, when suddenly it became a "pitch". It would be like if we suddenly changed hockey terminology to French.
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