Soccer thread 08/09 (will have spoilers!)

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 9:37 pm

f*** the cubans

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:52 am

Thought both legs of the U21 playoff between England and Wales was great stuff. I'm sure Dave will come on here and totally discount anything technical, but it was a fun game to watch.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:07 am

Rio slams the WAG circus under the old England managers:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... 10&cc=5901

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:28 am

What kind of an English name is Rio Ferdinand?

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:05 pm

wco81 wrote:What kind of an English name is Rio Ferdinand?

In olde English it translates to "Annoying d*****bag".

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:32 pm

Macca00 wrote:
wco81 wrote:What kind of an English name is Rio Ferdinand?
In olde English it translates to "Annoying d*****bag".

Or "yes, I'm the guy who received a long ban because my number came up on the random drug test, and I was ripped to the tits on the old bolivian talc, so i ducked it."

Strange character to suddenly be positioning himself as 'Mr Sensible'.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:33 pm

fsquid wrote:Thought both legs of the U21 playoff between England and Wales was great stuff. I'm sure Dave will come on here and totally discount anything technical, but it was a fun game to watch.

Not at all - I always enjoy watching the u-21s. Hart and Wheater were called up to the full squad as cover so jetted off afterwards, which I thought was a little odd as neither played particularly well.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:49 am

Please god make this happen.

Football superpower FC Barcelona has partnered with Marcelo Claure, the Bolivian founder of Miami-based Brightstar, in a bid to bring back an MLS team to Miami.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/socce ... 27684.html

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:49 am

Rodster wrote:Please god make this happen.

Football superpower FC Barcelona has partnered with Marcelo Claure, the Bolivian founder of Miami-based Brightstar, in a bid to bring back an MLS team to Miami.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/socce ... 27684.html

Mmm, soccer in Miami in July. That'll be fun LOL

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:57 am

RobVarak wrote:
Mmm, soccer in Miami in July. That'll be fun LOL

I forgot about that.

I saw a Dolphins inter team scrimmage in July and that was brutal.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:20 am

I really hope the MLS team in Miami does not happen.

Miami has always been a shitty market for pro sports. The Panthers and Marlins play to empty buildings, and MLS has already had one failed franchise there. Not too mention Rob's point of the brutal soccer conditions there in the summer.

Also, I am pretty strongly opposed to bigger foreign teams buying MLS teams as a marketing vehicle to promote the 'brand' of the real team.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:23 am

Naples39 wrote:I really hope the MLS team in Miami does not happen.

Miami has always been a shitty market for pro sports. The Panthers and Marlins play to empty buildings, and MLS has already had one failed franchise there. Not too mention Rob's point of the brutal soccer conditions there in the summer.

Also, I am pretty strongly opposed to bigger foreign teams buying MLS teams as a marketing vehicle to promote the 'brand' of the real team.

Read the article Naples as it makes a good case for why it will probably happen. The Miami Fusion actually had good support until the owner moved the team to Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale. I've been there and it's a dump. The team still managed to pull 11K per game in attendance at Lockhart.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:36 am

Naples39 wrote:I really hope the MLS team in Miami does not happen.

Miami has always been a shitty market for pro sports. The Panthers and Marlins play to empty buildings, and MLS has already had one failed franchise there. Not too mention Rob's point of the brutal soccer conditions there in the summer.

Also, I am pretty strongly opposed to bigger foreign teams buying MLS teams as a marketing vehicle to promote the 'brand' of the real team.

I hardly think that FC Barcelona need to buy a team in a mediocre league to 'promote the brand'.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:49 am

I find no comfort in the article.

The ownership group and Florida International University have signed a three-year deal with a two-year option for the team to play its games at FIU's new stadium, built to accommodate pro soccer as well as college football.

The word around MLS has been that concrete plans to build your own SSS is requisite bid component. I'm not sure how Miami is getting around this requirement. Even if FIU's stadium is decent for soccer, the real point of having your own stadium is so you can control match dates, and more importantly, get concession sales and parking revenue. The latter is an absolutely critical component to team profitability. Also, I do not look forward to watching more games with football lines all over the field.

Miami seems the perfect home for professional soccer because of its immigrant population, huge World Cup TV ratings, location and weather.

Umm, no. Unless is MLS has plans to switch to being a winter league that I am not aware of.

Furthermore, this quote flies in the face of the evidence. Miami already has a USL-1 team, but the immigrant population and huge World Cup ratings have done nothing for them. Obviously USL is not the same as having a MLS team, but it's worth pointing out that Miami's USL-1 team is dead last in attendance league-wide (averaging 916 fans a game, MTL led with 11k a game). http://kenn.com/blog/?p=145

The main reason for confidence is the partnership with Barcelona, home of such players as Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry. The club boasts 1,782 official supporter groups around the world. The brand should lure top players from Latin America and elsewhere and give the club instant credibility.

I disagree with every single thing in this paragraph. There are millions of Mexicans living in SoCal, yet Chivas USA is at the bottom of the league in home attendance. I would also be shocked it latin america players are more likely to sign with Miami because of the Barcelona affiliation. Being branded after a big foreign club is more a gimmick than anything, with the positive effects dying out after a few years when the buzz has gone. FC Barcelona is involved to use the MLS team as a marketing tool to build brand familiarity in the US for the real team they care about. I don't like that one bit.

Sorry Rodster. I understand your excitement for a local team, and ideally soccer fans all over the country should have a chance to support a local club, but I don't think this a very good bid to grow MLS.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:58 am

davet010 wrote:I hardly think that FC Barcelona need to buy a team in a mediocre league to 'promote the brand'.

I respectfully disagree.

Barcelona getting into MLS has been long rumored, as well as many other foreign teams. Nearly every time we hear of the interest, it is always about building name recognition and promoting the brand.

The fact that Barcelona has millions of fans across the world doesn't change the fact that your average American sports fan wouldn't have the faintest idea who they are even if Lionel Messi personally greeted them on the street wearing a Barca kit. Paying a small chunk of a $40m expansion fee is nothing if Barcelona things it can lead to hundreds of thousands of new american fans and potentially tens of millions of dollars in jersey sales in the future.

If you still don't believe me, maybe the fact that Barcelona already has signed a 5 year marketing agreement with MLS in May will convince you.
http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp ... &fext=.jsp

The new, five-year partnership between MLS and FCBarcelona - the first-ever European club to establish a long-term agreement with MLS and SUM in the United States - includes the organization of a minimum of six international matches throughout the term. The management of all commercial and sponsorship sales on behalf of the club, as well as marketing and PR in the United States, will be managed by Major League Soccer's marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing.
...
"FCB is a world-renowned brand for its great history of special players, entertaining play and success. In addition, FCB has proven itself to be more than just a club as witnessed by its commitment to worthy causes around the world," said MLS Commissioner, Don Garber. "MLS is excited to help expand the story of FCB and its efforts by showcasing its breathtaking soccer and further developing its brand in North America."

Post by **Jared** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:41 am

Miami fans will support a team if it is winning or has a big name or big stars. Otherwise, they won't even think of showing up. I think the ONLY way an MLS team would succeed in Miami is if it had a brand name like Barcelona. Have Barcelona loan a few of its players, get an old star or two, and people might come out.

However, looking at the expansion list, I think that Portland, Montreal, St. Louis and Vancouver would all be better markets than Miami. I'd love to see Portland and Montreal, or maybe Portland and St. Louis get franchises.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:45 am

Thanks for bringing me down Naples.

Hey keep in mind that while the MLS is not the EPL or SPL it has been gaining traction. Also as I mentioned way back in this thread is that both the NFL and European Football are both looking to expand outside of their markets.

Each league or Sport has it's start, and growth. Look at Nascar and what it achieved since it's start. It'll take sometime but hopefully the MLS will continue to grow. My problem is that I prefer this brand of football over the NFL. So having a chance to see a Miami FC is pretty cool. I'd definitely check them out.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:48 am

Jared wrote:Miami fans will support a team if it is winning or has a big name or big stars. Otherwise, they won't even think of showing up. I think the ONLY way an MLS team would succeed in Miami is if it had a brand name like Barcelona. Have Barcelona loan a few of its players, get an old star or two, and people might come out.

However, looking at the expansion list, I think that Portland, Montreal, St. Louis and Vancouver would all be better markets than Miami. I'd love to see Portland and Montreal, or maybe Portland and St. Louis get franchises.

Hopefully that is the plan Jared. I've been noticing that some of our MLS players are now going to Europe like Howard. Hopefully they can loan some of their young talent to the FC Miami.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:48 am

Rodster wrote:Thanks for bringing me down Naples.

Hey keep in mind that while the MLS is not the EPL or SPL it has been gaining traction. Also as I mentioned way back in this thread is that both the NFL and European Football are both looking to expand outside of their markets.

Each league or Sport has it's start, and growth. Look at Nascar and what it achieved since it's start. It'll take sometime but hopefully the MLS will continue to grow. My problem is that I prefer this brand of football over the NFL. So having a chance to see a Miami FC is pretty cool. I'd definitely check them out.

Well Rodster, you never know what will happen with this bid, and I'm glad to see a Miami club already has 1 fan. It just comes down to the fact that I think other applicants for this round of expansion are more desirable for MLS as a league. If MLS continues to grow there may be many more rounds of expansion to come.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:43 am

The fact that St. Louis doesn't have a team is an absolutel travesty.

I'm no fan of the city, but it's position as one of the cradles of American soccer is unassailable.

Post by **Jared** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:57 am

Yeah...I think this round of expansion is going to be tough, because I think St. Louis, Portland, and Montreal are all equally deserving, and there are only two slots. St. Louis is the cradle as you said Rob, Portland and Montreal already have great fan bases and natural rivalries (Seattle, Toronto). My only question w/St. Louis is that since they don't even have a USL team, will the fans come out? I'm afraid of another Kansas City...

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:26 pm

Vancouver Whitecaps just won the USL and would love to get into the MLS. While my interest on MLS is mediocre at best, adding another Canadian team would definitely get my blood flow going. Ottawa is also known to have interest as well as Montreal which includes the combined bids of J. Saputo and G. Gillette who already owns the Habs. While I don't see two Canadian teams added to the league, I think Vancouver has the best chance whose bid is headed by none other than Steve Nash.

I also wish that Miami doesn't happen, I rather see Portland or St. Louis.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:29 pm

10spro wrote:
I also wish that Miami doesn't happen, I rather see Portland or St. Louis.

Thanks fellas for your support.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:01 pm

A rundown of the candidates; http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/st ... ls&cc=5901

I'll predict Portland and Montreal get picked. They are the teams that are most 'ready to go' with stadiums and fans. Of course neither will help American TV contracts either.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:55 pm

davet010 wrote:
Naples39 wrote:I really hope the MLS team in Miami does not happen.

Miami has always been a shitty market for pro sports. The Panthers and Marlins play to empty buildings, and MLS has already had one failed franchise there. Not too mention Rob's point of the brutal soccer conditions there in the summer.

Also, I am pretty strongly opposed to bigger foreign teams buying MLS teams as a marketing vehicle to promote the 'brand' of the real team.
I hardly think that FC Barcelona need to buy a team in a mediocre league to 'promote the brand'.

They don't need more foreign fans supporting Barcelona and buying their merchandise, but they want them.