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* Americas * March 30, 2008
MLS Commissioner Sees More Expansion, with St. Louis Probably Next
MLS Commissioner Don Garber implied that the 17th MLS’s team will be St. Louis. "The 18th team will either be a second team in New York, it could be Montreal, it could be Vancouver, it could be Atlanta, it could be Las Vegas," Garber said, adding that there are other possibilities as well. He also commented to suggestions that the league could expand to 24 in the foreseeable future. "It certainly will be more than 18. The question is when and how do we insure that player quality continues to remain strong and we're able to manage it." Source: the LA Times
MLS Defends Trend Toward Signing Foreigners
MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis attempted to allay fears that the league-wide trend toward signing foreign players, especially South Americans. is going to hamper the development of American players. He pointed out that the league has invested heavily in youth academies, and added, "If we feel that (the league) is not developing U.S. players the way that we want … we would look at that. I don't think we see that yet. There are more jobs for U.S. players than ever before and more opportunities for them to compete." As of Monday, U.S.-born players still account for more than 64% of MLS players, not counting those who were born elsewhere but have lived in the U.S. since high school, and the number is more than 75% if Canada, Central America and the Caribbean are added. South America accounts for more than 11%, far more than the 6% from Europe. The league has almost as many players born in Argentina (19) as it has players born in Europe (21). Source: USA Today
Philly Season Ticket Sales Booming
Philadelphia's has taken deposits for 3,400 season tickets in just 1 month, even though the MLS expansion team is still 2 years away from playing its 1st game and has not spent a dime on advertising. CEO and co-owner Nick Sakiewicz predicted the expansion club would become the 2nd club to sell out its home games. Last-placed Toronto FC accomplished that feat last season and expects to do this season as well. Source: the Philadelphia Inquirer
MLS Urges DC United to Consider Leaving DC
MLS commissioner Don Garber used the occasion of DC United’s kickoff luncheon to express dissatisfaction about the lack of progress in negotiations between the club and the city regarding a new soccer stadium. “We either resolve it here, or we’re going to push this ownership group to move out of the District. I say that with a heavy heart because this is a community that has really supported this team.” Garber also said he has toured two potential stadium sites in Prince George’s County, Maryland, calling them “great” and “accessible.” On a more positive note, the club announced that its non-profit arm, United for D.C. will partner with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to expand United Soccer Club over the next three years to 7, 10 and 12 sites successively, in the hope of promoting youth soccer in economically disadvantaged urban communities. Source: the Washington Examiner
Dick’s Sporting Goods Strengthens Ties With MLS
Dick's Sporting Goods signed new 5-year deal with Soccer United Marketing, making it the official sporting goods retailer of MLS as well as of 10 of the league's 14 teams, and the deal will cover all MLS teams by 2011. The American retailer will also serve in that role for U.S. Soccer, including the men's and women's national teams. Dick's already sponsors televised soccer coverage and has its name on the complex where the Colorado Rapids play. Source: the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Fans Will Choose Name for New MLS Franchise
MLS’s expansion franchise in Seattle is allowing fans to vote online to name the team. The winning name will be revealed at an April 7 news conference, and the club's logo may also be unveiled at that time. The listed choices are Seattle FC, Seattle Alliance and Seattle Republic, but there will also be a write-in option, opening up the possibility that the fans will choose Seattle Sounders, which is what the USL franchise is named. Source: Seattle PI
Red Bulls Secure Sponsorship with eMazzanti Technologies
eMazzanti Technologies, which specializes in developing computer technology to drive business growth, announced that it will sponsor MLS’s New York Red Bulls for the 2008 MLS season. As part of the agreement, eMazzanti will utilize Red Bull matches for customer events, eMazzanti company information will be included in the GameDay Magazine alongside a prominent Red Bull player, and an on-field presentation of a signed Red Bull player jersey will be presented to an eMazzanti at a customer event. Source: eMediaWire
Gillett Acknowledges Rift with Hicks
Co-owner George Gillett claimed that he would not sell his share of Liverpool to partner Tom Hicks, and added that, "This partnership has been unworkable for some time. We were very fair. We gave our partner a long period of time to try to make arrangements to buy us out. We didn't put pressure on him but he ultimately did not get to the finish line. In the meantime, because of the things he said, the fans' reaction has been so negative towards him - and towards us if we sold to him - that has now made that an untenable alternative for us. When your public persona is more important than the facts, it's tough to have a rational relationship." Source: BBC
* Europe *
Gretna Releases Players And is on Verge Of Extinction
Gretna moved a step closer to extinction after the club's administrators issued redundancy notices to 9 1st-team players, 13 youth players, 1 scout and the 6-strong community coaching team. The administrators took the dramatic course of action to keep the Scottish Premier League club alive but the players only have until Monday to find new clubs or face unemployment until the summer. Administrators announced last week that finance had been secured from the SPL club to fulfil their remaining fixtures, but this announcement leaves the club with a skeleton staff as they prepare for a match against St Mirren that could confirm relegation. Source: the Herald
PFA Chief Claims Players and Managers Must Clean-Up Behaviour
In the wake of last week’s incidents involving Chelsea defender Ashley Cole's and Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor believes referees have to become a `no-go area' in order for the game to clean up its act. “As a general rule we should treat referees as no-go areas and learn from other sports. It is time managers and players did accept a responsibility because what happens at the top level happens lower down. It is the bad points that get highlighted and the game has to be very much aware and do all it can to eradicate it.” Source: ESPNsoccernet
ITV Renew Champions League Rights Contract
British broadcaster ITV has retained the rights to show Uefa Champions League matches for 2009-2012 seasons. They will broadcast the 1st pick of Wednesday night games, including the final and Uefa Super Cup Final, and BSkyB will cover live matches and highlights on a Tuesday, plus matches other than the 1st choice on Wednesdays. Contrary to previous reports, the BBC announced that they did not bid for live Champions League rights. Source: BBC
QPR Sign Huge Kit Deal
Mid-table Championship team Queen Park Rangers' announcement that Lotto Sport Italia would become their kit supplier in a deal worth $40m. The west London side attracted attention in November when it was taken over by Flavio Briatore, owner of the Renault F1 team, and Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1 Management's chief executive. After clearing a $26m debt, they attracted investment from Lakshmi Mittal, the billionaire steel magnate, and have now persuaded one of Italy's biggest sports clothing retailers to sign on. Source: the Financial Times
West Ham To Play Host To American Prospects
The 12 players selected from the USL’s American Super Y-League Olympic Development Project National Camps, held earlier this year, embarked on a 9-day visit to West Ham Youth Academy today. The 10 field players and 2 goalkeepers will watch an EPL match, train at West Ham’s youth academy, be formally evaluated, and they will join the West Ham Academy as they travel to Leicester, England to face Leicester City and face the Under-14 and Under-15 from Ipswich Town 2 days later. Source: USLsoccer.com
Norwegian Club Director Convicted Of Forging Mikel Contract
Morgan Andersen, former director of the Norwegian club Lyn, has been convicted of forging a contract with Jon Obi Mikel, the player who became embroiled in a transfer row between Manchester United and Chelsea. The court case has attracted a lot of attention in Norway because it shines a light on the often mysterious ways in which young African players end up in Europe, but very little in England despite the fact that it included testimony by Rune Hauge, the well-known Norwegian agent, who claimed Chelsea were behind the placing of four young Nigerians, including Mikel, in Norway waiting for them to turn 18. Source: BBC
* Comment: Simple Solutions to Address Player Conduct *
The unseemly incidents that occurred last week involving Chelsea’s Ashley Cole and Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano could easily be avoided in the future. Rules could be instituted that prohibit any player who is not directly involved in an incident, besides the captain, from even speaking to an official. Or the referee could be given the right to force a team to substitute a player, as already happens in non-competitive matches. Giving the referee an option between tolerating intolerable dissent or severely damaging the match by forcing a team play shorthanded could easily be explored.
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* The information contained herein is believed to be correct, but should not be relied upon as such. All financial figures should be seen as indicative only as they may have been converted from another currency.
