North American Pro Soccer 2017

[Gothamite]

27 minutes ago, Bucfan56 said:

VERY good sign for Sacramento's MLS bid this morning, as the city and club said they wouldn't even think of beginning any type of construction until it was assured they were going to get their bid. This is a bit read between the lines, but it absolutely feels like we're just a few months away from the inevitable. VERY exciting times. 

 

http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/city-beat/article163854248.html

 

I'm a big supporter of their bid, but I don't think we can read this as any sign at all, much less a "VERY good" one.

 

This is Sacramento trying to look better in the eyes of MLS, not them acting on any kind of inside information from the league.

 

Quote

In an attempt to convince Major League Soccer that its expansion bid is far beyond the competition, the group leading Sacramento’s effort will announce Thursday it is beginning pre-construction activities at the site of a 19,621-seat stadium in the downtown railyard.

 

 

(emphasis mine)

 

If anything, I think this is an attempt to steal back some of the headlines currently going to bids like Cincinnati and Phoenix.  

 

It's a smart move, though.  Sacramento's bid started out so strong, as a presumed front-runner, and every other group has managed to steal away focus.  I think this is aimed squarely at the Republic's fans, to keep them from worrying as other, "sexier" bids get that national attention.  Which would mean they were hoping for exactly your reaction.

[bosrs1]

Looks like the first year San Francisco Deltas of NASL (the only team the league added after last year's disaster of an off season) are already on the ropes financially.

 

https://medium.com/@bhelmick/sf-deltas-ceo-challenge-to-fans-2801e726bb6?mc_cid=c1315a3918&mc_eid=d22af8080f

 

Their owner is already calling out their few fans to save the team by doing their job for them (ie: marketing their POS tech gimmick team playing in one of the worst locations in San Francisco that anyone who knew anything about SF could have told them was going to fail from before the outset to both other fans and potential big money investors).

[dfwabel]

21 minutes ago, bosrs1 said:

Looks like the first year San Francisco Deltas of NASL (the only team the league added after last year's disaster of an off season) are already on the ropes financially.

 

https://medium.com/@bhelmick/sf-deltas-ceo-challenge-to-fans-2801e726bb6?mc_cid=c1315a3918&mc_eid=d22af8080f

 

Their owner is already calling out their few fans to save the team by doing their job for them (ie: marketing their POS tech gimmick team playing in one of the worst locations in San Francisco that anyone who knew anything about SF could have told them was going to fail from before the outset to both other fans and potential big money investors).

The cheapest ticket with fees is $21 (bench seat), next price zone is $40 (chair back).

 

No wonder why people don't go.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

1 hour ago, bosrs1 said:

Looks like the first year San Francisco Deltas of NASL (the only team the league added after last year's disaster of an off season) are already on the ropes financially.

 

https://medium.com/@bhelmick/sf-deltas-ceo-challenge-to-fans-2801e726bb6?mc_cid=c1315a3918&mc_eid=d22af8080f

 

Their owner is already calling out their few fans to save the team by doing their job for them (ie: marketing their POS tech gimmick team playing in one of the worst locations in San Francisco that anyone who knew anything about SF could have told them was going to fail from before the outset to both other fans and potential big money investors).

 

I can't believe I read most of that. Those guys can get bent. If 88% of people go to 1 game and never again, that's a you problem.

 

And begging Joe Lacob to save them? Embarrassing.

 

I know SJ isn't SF, but there's already pro soccer in the Bay Area. And on the plus side, the Quakes have some dignity.

[Rockstar Matt]

Didn't see this posted yet, but LAFC hired their first head coach: former USMNT Head Coach, Bob Bradley. 

 

I wonder when we're going to start signing players. 

[dfwabel]

7 minutes ago, Rockstar Matt said:

Didn't see this posted yet, but LAFC hired their first head coach: former USMNT Head Coach, Bob Bradley. 

 

I wonder when we're going to start signing players. 

They already have.

[bosrs1]

4 hours ago, DG_Now said:

 

I can't believe I read most of that. Those guys can get bent. If 88% of people go to 1 game and never again, that's a you problem.

 

And begging Joe Lacob to save them? Embarrassing.

 

I know SJ isn't SF, but there's already pro soccer in the Bay Area. And on the plus side, the Quakes have some dignity.

 

You think that's bad, read his direct responses to the two people that comment on his blog telling him exactly why they d

havent come back (the high ticket cost)

 

Quote

Additionally, studies I’ve seen say that people who pay less for tickets or get free tickets end up spending less on average on concessions/merchandise. Also, we make very little from concessions and merchandise in order to be able to have lower prices for fans.

 

[dfwabel]

18 minutes ago, bosrs1 said:

 

You think that's bad, read his direct responses to the two people that comment on his blog telling him exactly why they d

havent come back (the high ticket cost)

 

 

The owner had to have seen the Colombian version of this 80's as before penning his letter.

 

 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Oh :censored:. Wayne's World jokes explained 20 years later!

[Gothamite]

 

[MJWalker45]

11 hours ago, DG_Now said:

Oh :censored:. Wayne's World jokes explained 20 years later!

Now I'll have to rewatch Wayne's World. 

[bosrs1]

14 hours ago, dfwabel said:

The owner had to have seen the Colombian version of this 80's as before penning his letter.

 

 

 

That or he's fond of pyramid schemes.

[MJWalker45]

1 hour ago, bosrs1 said:

 

That or he's fond of pyramid schemes.

Little from column A . . . Little from column B . . . 

[Viper]

Not only do the Loons finally get win #6 tonight, they manage to bring their July goal differential back up to zero (a 4-0 win, after 1-0 and 3-0 losses and a 0-0 draw, not to mention a 1-1 draw in a friendly vs. Atlas FC of Mexico).

[TheRicSlick]

Poor Brazil.

[Kevin W.]

Why does Jill Ellis still have a job? If the USSF was competent, they would have fired her after the Olympic debacle.

[MJWalker45]

10 hours ago, CRichardson said:

Why does Jill Ellis still have a job? If the USSF was competent, they would have fired her after the Olympic debacle.

I think the only reason she hasn't been fired is that the US doesn't have a truly meaningful competition until World Cup qualifiers next year. The first goal yesterday was horrible, I have no idea what that goalie was doing. I almost said, "Put Solo in"! None of the goalies that came in when she was dropped have been ready to be the top goalie yet. There's been a lot of experimentation with this team that you wouldn't see if this were qualifiers or a World Cup. That being said, I think for the final match of the tournament the US should go with what they think is their starting lineup, not worry about getting the younger players blended into the squad.

[crashcarson15]

Jill Ellis probably has a job because, uhh, she won a World Cup?

[MJWalker45]

1 hour ago, crashcarson15 said:

Jill Ellis probably has a job because, uhh, she won a World Cup?

This too, who would be a good replacement? I don't think there's anyone out there that can handle all the drama that comes with being the USWNT coach. Maybe Sampson, but he's building up a pretty good England squad into world beaters and I think he'd be treated like a national hero if they win the Euros then turn around and win the World Cup. I think this is the biggest problem womens soccer has in CONCACAF. They don't have their own version of the Gold Cup, heck I think Europe is the only continent that has a womens equivalent of the mens championships at all levels of soccer. This means the USWNT have to play teams at the top if the world rankings or somewhere closer to the bottom if they only played CONCACAF teams. It's still only the USA, Canada and occasionally Mexico. I think if CONMEBOL and CONCACAF did a Womens Copa America with the top 4 teams in CONCACAF and top 4 in CONMBOL and 4 other teams from throughout the world. 

[Digby]

http://m.newsok.com/article/5558393

 

Interesting read on the state of MLS2 clubs in USL.

 

Perhaps I'm wrong, but it does seem like minor-league sports remains a decent business opportunity, and having so many clubs operate as reserve-league clubs with no effort put into marketing seems like a missed opportunity. A lot of clubs have tried to follow the European model, with a reserve team even named as such (gosh those "Portland Timbers 2" type names are so cringey) right in the same city, which makes sense for a player training perspective. But this is one of those things where the North American minor-league model does not align with the European pyramid of independents model, in terms of serving more communities with teams.