Soccer update

[Snaxx]

The Major League Soccer draft this year was in Philly just a few blocks from where I work. After work I stopped by and they were in the third of the four rounds. A small crowd of Union supporters as well as a few for other clubs, especially Red Bull NY, remained.

Here are a handful of pictures I took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacorbett7 ... 088136483/

Here is a link to the draft result:
http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/events/superd ... racker.jsp

[andrewjackson]

The Major League Soccer draft this year was in Philly just a few blocks from where I work. After work I stopped by and they were in the third of the four rounds. A small crowd of Union supporters as well as a few for other clubs, especially Red Bull NY, remained.

Here are a handful of pictures I took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacorbett7 ... 088136483/

Here is a link to the draft result:
http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/events/superd ... racker.jsp

Good pictures. 3rd and 4th rounds? Just in time for the Dynamo picks. We never seem to have any picks earlier than that. Dom always trades them away.

[Appa23]

Darn! In my mock draft, I had Watson-Siriboe going to the Revs in the 3rd round, and then Sinovic going woth the next pick.

[Snaxx]

The Major League Soccer draft this year was in Philly just a few blocks from where I work. After work I stopped by and they were in the third of the four rounds. A small crowd of Union supporters as well as a few for other clubs, especially Red Bull NY, remained.

Here are a handful of pictures I took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jacorbett7 ... 088136483/

Here is a link to the draft result:
http://web.mlsnet.com/mls/events/superd ... racker.jsp

Good pictures. 3rd and 4th rounds? Just in time for the Dynamo picks. We never seem to have any picks earlier than that. Dom always trades them away.

I only stood around for a few picks. Philly (got a good cheer from home crowd), Red Bulls, Chivas. The Red Bull crowd left after their pick although there was still a 4th round pick left. One of them was the guy who shows up at games with horns and face painted red; he was in full costume.

[andrewjackson]

Another Soccer Specific Stadium is approved.

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp ... &fext=.jsp

Kansas City Wizards ownership group OnGoal, LLC announced Tuesday that approval has been granted for a state-of-the-art soccer-centric stadium for the Wizards and a nearby youth-soccer complex. Construction is set to begin tomorrow at the stadium site, located across from Nebraska Furniture Mart and The Legends in the Village West district of Kansas City, Kansas. The Wizards, a founding member of Major League Soccer (MLS), will become the first Major League professional sports team to play its home games in the State of Kansas and the 12th MLS team to play in a venue built for specifically for soccer. Kansas City is preparing for its 15th MLS season, with the League expanding to include 16 teams.

The Wizard used to play at Arrowhead Stadium but have played the last couple of seasons at a minor league baseball stadium in Kansas City, KS near where the new stadium will be built.

The stadium should be ready for the 2012 season. This year New York and Philadelphia open their new soccer stadiums to join the ones built in the last 10 years in Columbus, LA, Dallas, Chicago, Colorado, Toronto, and Salt Lake City. Houston and San Jose are also close to final approval of their soccer stadium plans.

[Appa23]

Another Soccer Specific Stadium is approved.

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp ... &fext=.jsp

Kansas City Wizards ownership group OnGoal, LLC announced Tuesday that approval has been granted for a state-of-the-art soccer-centric stadium for the Wizards and a nearby youth-soccer complex. Construction is set to begin tomorrow at the stadium site, located across from Nebraska Furniture Mart and The Legends in the Village West district of Kansas City, Kansas. The Wizards, a founding member of Major League Soccer (MLS), will become the first Major League professional sports team to play its home games in the State of Kansas and the 12th MLS team to play in a venue built for specifically for soccer. Kansas City is preparing for its 15th MLS season, with the League expanding to include 16 teams.

The Wizard used to play at Arrowhead Stadium but have played the last couple of seasons at a minor league baseball stadium in Kansas City, KS near where the new stadium will be built.

The stadium should be ready for the 2012 season. This year New York and Philadelphia open their new soccer stadiums to join the ones built in the last 10 years in Columbus, LA, Dallas, Chicago, Colorado, Toronto, and Salt Lake City. Houston and San Jose are also close to final approval of their soccer stadium plans.

If you are a NASCAR fan, this also is the same area as the Kansas Speedway, right off of the Interstate.

It has been a major issue in Kansas City that all of the professional teams play in Missouri, but seem to be financially supported more by Kansas dollars (Kansas fans). (They have a Bi-State tax that has been used to build and upgrade facilities in KCMO, if I recall the newspaper articles correctly.)

[andrewjackson]

If you are a NASCAR fan, this also is the same area as the Kansas Speedway, right off of the Interstate.

It has been a major issue in Kansas City that all of the professional teams play in Missouri, but seem to be financially supported more by Kansas dollars (Kansas fans). (They have a Bi-State tax that has been used to build and upgrade facilities in KCMO, if I recall the newspaper articles correctly.)

It would seem strange that there would be more Kansas dollars going to support the teams since about twice as many people live on the Missouri side. Maybe so.

This stadium deal was originally going to be over on the Missouri side at the site of an old shopping mall but Wyandotte County on the Kansas side and Kansas City, KS came through with a bunch of incentive money aimed mostly at the office park that comes with the stadium.

[Appa23]

If you are a NASCAR fan, this also is the same area as the Kansas Speedway, right off of the Interstate.

It has been a major issue in Kansas City that all of the professional teams play in Missouri, but seem to be financially supported more by Kansas dollars (Kansas fans). (They have a Bi-State tax that has been used to build and upgrade facilities in KCMO, if I recall the newspaper articles correctly.)

It would seem strange that there would be more Kansas dollars going to support the teams since about twice as many people live on the Missouri side. Maybe so.

This stadium deal was originally going to be over on the Missouri side at the site of an old shopping mall but Wyandotte County on the Kansas side and Kansas City, KS came through with a bunch of incentive money aimed mostly at the office park that comes with the stadium.

If you go to a Chiefs or Royals game, you will see a huge number of Johnson County, KS, license plates. Generally speaking, the money of the Kansas City area is found in the Kansas suburbs.

(As far as who is paying the majority of the Bi-State tax, I am not sure if anyone has looked at it. I beleive that it simply is an additional sales tax.)

[o-man]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100131/tv_ ... television

[andrewjackson]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100131/tv_ ... television

Not surprised but it won't change the mind of any soccer haters. Or the pointy-ball haters on the other side of the divide.

[andrewjackson]

USA taking on the Netherlands in Amsterdam in just about 15 minutes on ESPN2.

USA starting lineup:

1-Tim Howard; 2-Jonathan Spector, 15-Jay DeMerit, 3-Carlos Bocanegra (capt.), 13-Jonathan Bornstein; 22-Stuart Holden, 14-José Torres, 4-Michael Bradley, 10-Landon Donovan; 12-Jozy Altidore, 19-Robbie Findley

Most of these are players that will be going to South Africa this summer. Holden is a former Houston Dynamo now playing for Bolton Wanderers in England.

[andrewjackson]

Game is final:

Spoiler

NED 2-1 USA

Holden got hurt in the first half. Shin contusion but they X-rayed as a precaution. Hope he is OK. Bolton has a game on Saturday against West Ham on Fox Soccer Channel. I was hoping to see Holden play.

[o-man]

Game is final:

Spoiler

NED 2-1 USA

Holden got hurt in the first half. Shin contusion but they X-rayed as a precaution. Hope he is OK. Bolton has a game on Saturday against West Ham on Fox Soccer Channel. I was hoping to see Holden play.

Nice fightback by the Amurricans. It looked like one-way traffic (in favor of Holland) for most of the second half, but that last 10-15 mins. saw the visitors' consolation, and it was not that far off from ending in a draw.

Looking forward to 'Gooch and Dempsey to be back in the squad again.

(P.S. Landycakes was no factor. As obama is to sss, so landycakes is to me!)

[Bob78164]

(P.S. Landycakes was no factor. As obama is to sss, so landycakes is to me!)

You'd rather see Hillary on the team? --Bob

[o-man]

(P.S. Landycakes was no factor. As obama is to sss, so landycakes is to me!)

You'd rather see Hillary on the team? --Bob

Nah...we all know she can't go to her right

(Who din't see that one comin'!)

[o-man]

To be fair, Landycakes had a fantastic super-sub performance at the weekend for his temporary club, Everton.

It must be a massive letdown for him to go from the heights of the EPL to the depths of MLS, as he must later this month when he rejoins the Galaxianz.

[andrewjackson]

To be fair, Landycakes had a fantastic super-sub performance at the weekend for his temporary club, Everton.

It must be a massive letdown for him to go from the heights of the EPL to the depths of MLS, as he must later this month when he rejoins the Galaxianz.

Well, he is being well compensated to return to the "depths of MLS". After the reception that Beckham got last year for skipping out on a good part of the season I don't think Landy will be slow in returning.

And, apparently playing in MLS didn't degrade his skills all that much.

[andrewjackson]

OK, MLS and the players' union settled on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for 5 more years so no strike and the season can get started this week as scheduled. This the 15th season of MLS and this year there are 16 teams. The league will be going to 18 teams next year with the additions of Portland and Vancouver.

The MLS regular season is 30 games so this year every team will play every other team twice (once home and once away) before the top 8 teams go into the playoffs in late October. There will a two-week break in league play this year in June to avoid conflicting with the World Cup group stage.

Opening Kick schedule starts off with the first game ever for Philadelphia Union when they visit Seattle. The Sounders will have around 36,000 for every home game this year. Times are Eastern. This has the national TV schedule but all the games are on local TV if they aren't on the national channels. Check out a game!

Thursday, March 25, 2010
Seattle Sounders FC v. Philadelphia Union 9:30 p.m. ESPN2/Deportes

Friday, March 26, 2010
Chivas USA v. Colorado Rapids 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 27, 2010
Columbus Crew v. Toronto FC 4:00 p.m.
FC Dallas v. Houston Dynamo 4:00 p.m. Telefutura
New York Red Bulls v. Chicago Fire 7:00 p.m. ESPN/Deportes
Kansas City Wizards v. D.C. United 8:30 p.m.
San Jose Earthquakes v. Real Salt Lake 9:00 p.m. FSC/FSE
LA Galaxy v. New England Revolution 11:00 p.m. FSC/FSE

I'll be on a bus heading to Frisco, TX early on Saturday with 50 other hooligans for the Houston @ FCD game.

[andrewjackson]

BTW, a lot of soccer fans in the U.S. and other parts of the world want MLS to switch to a more traditional season of playing fall-to-spring.

This was the scene last Saturday in Frisco, TX for a preseason game between FC Dallas and Columbus. I don't see winter soccer any time soon in the U.S. when it's like this on the first day of Spring in Texas.

[andrewjackson]

Even better than the start of the season:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/spo ... 26390.html

The city of Houston and Harris County have struck a potential deal on a new stadium for the Houston Dynamo and Texas Southern University's football team, agreeing to jointly pay for $20 million in infrastructure upgrades if the soccer team follows through with a commitment to foot the bill for the $60 million stadium construction costs.

March 25 - Harris County-Houston Sports Authority vote
March 31 - City of Houston council vote
April 13 - Harris County commissioners vote
October 1 - Break ground
April 1, 2012 - Stadium opens at Texas and Dowling streets in east downtown Houston



They have been working on this deal since January of 2008. And it looks like it will finally happen!

Did I mention that this site is right outside my window? I live right at the "c" in Hutchins on that map. Wooooo Hooooooo.

[andrewjackson]

Houston City Council just voted in favor of an ordinance to join the County in funding the public portion of the Dynamo Stadium project.

The vote was supposed to be last week but a Council member tagged it for a week. It passed unanimously this morning.

Next step is County Commissioners vote next Tuesday.

Step by step but it is looking like the end is near.

[andrewjackson]

Harris County Commissioners Court just voted unanimously in favor of the Dynamo stadium project. That's it, no more votes.

A few contracts and agreements this summer and then construction starts this fall.

We first heard about this site near downtown Houston in October of 2007 and it looks like it is finally going to happen!

Dale, dale, dale Dynamo! Daleeeeeeeeeeeeeee, DY-NA-MO!

Another picture of the possible stadium. We haven't seen official rendering other than this which seems to have some murky origins. MinuteMaid Park, the home of the Astros, is on Texas a couple of blocks west of here.

[o-man]

Harris County Commissioners Court just voted unanimously in favor of the Dynamo stadium project. That's it, no more votes.

A few contracts and agreements this summer and then construction starts this fall.

We first heard about this site near downtown Houston in October of 2007 and it looks like it is finally going to happen!

Dale, dale, dale Dynamo! Daleeeeeeeeeeeeeee, DY-NA-MO!

Another picture of the possible stadium. We haven't seen official rendering other than this which seems to have some murky origins. MinuteMaid Park, the home of the Astros, is on Texas a couple of blocks west of here.

gratz!

populous is HOK, which is the firm behind the wave of retro-style ballparks. at least you know you're in good hands.

[o-man]

Good catechism on World Cup basics here...

World Cup Q&A

[macrae1234]

I was in PUERTO vALLARTA during the 1998 world cup. One of the most harrowing experiences of my life was riding in the front seat of a beat up taxi with a driver who was paying more attention to the small portable with the soccer game then the road ahead