North American Pro Soccer 2021

[Lana_del_Bae 90]

45 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

 

Las Vegas.

No way.

 

If Messi does come over it's certainly to play for Inter Beckham United.  Outside chance for New York or LAFC

[GDAWG 1,804]

46 minutes ago, Lana_del_Bae said:

No way.

 

If Messi does come over it's certainly to play for Inter Beckham United.  Outside chance for New York or LAFC

 

I was referring to the location to where FC Barcelona would place an MLS team if they were to buy one. 

[sportsfan7 427]

It appears the Sacramento Republic MLS expansion might be coming to an end and the Sacramento NWSL expansion team might move to the Bay Area.

 

 

[_J_ 2,056]

Ahh, so nice that Liga MX is back. Too long between seasons imo.

[FiddySicks 11,201]

13 hours ago, sportsfan7 said:

It appears the Sacramento Republic MLS expansion might be coming to an end and the Sacramento NWSL expansion team might move to the Bay Area.

 

 

Yeah, this is VERY bad news. Despite the fact that they attracted a few big money guys and won a MLS bid, that ownership group is still about as mom and pop as it’s gets for a pro sports organization. I had the opportunity to work for them full time (which was a pretty big career goal of mine), but I turned it down and decided to just stay on part time while maintaining my primary job. They decided to let me go two weeks later. I was pretty upset about it, but there was always part of me that was fine with it because I just KNEW, that even with the MLS bid, something about the entire situation just felt untenable. 

I’m devastated by this news, and feel just terrible for everyone I worked with in the front office. That being said, this doesn’t stun me. It’s not that I don’t believe in them. I do. If anyone can pull this off despite the constraints, it’s the people who work in that front office. They’re the hardest working, most dedicated, and most focused group of people I’ve ever worked with. Problem is, I’m not sure anyone could pull this off considering the constraints they have to work with, especially after last year. 

 

[GDAWG 1,804]

So if the Sacramento expansion is voided, do they add another team?  Or keep it at 29 for a while?  Also what is the status of their stadium?

[QCS 2,583]

If Sacramento is pulled, FC Barcelona might get their MLS team after all...

[GDAWG 1,804]

Just now, QCS said:

If Sacramento is pulled, FC Barcelona might get their MLS team after all...

 

And it wouldn't be Real Salt Lake either.  I think that their new owner will be Ryan Smith, who just bought the Utah Jazz.  He will be involved somehow.  

[Brian in Boston 2,689]

1 hour ago, QCS said:

If Sacramento is pulled, FC Barcelona might get their MLS team after all...

The odds of FC Barcelona securing a Major League Soccer franchise are not at all good.

For starters, the Spanish club - and their then-partner in such a venture, Bolivian entrepreneur Marcelo Claure - first kicked the tires on buying a team in MLS back in October of 2008. They ultimately walked away from closing the deal. That was a little over a year after Lew Woolff and John Fisher had secured the operating rights to the league's 14th franchise - a relaunch of the San Jose Earthquakes - for $20 million. Cost of MLS entry today? Well, in December of 2019, David Tepper ponied-up a reported $325 million expansion fee to land the investor/operator rights to a Major League Soccer expansion side in Charlotte.

Does anyone honestly think that the suits at MLS are going to offer Barcelona discounted entry into the league? No, that isn't happening. Which begs the question, where is FC Barcelona going to find the money to keep Lionel Messi in a Barça kit, surround him with talent capable of returning the club to both La Liga and European glory, and finance the purchase, staffing, and operation of a Major League Soccer team?

FC Barcelona is financially in a world of hurt right now. The club says that it's debt sits at 488 million euros. That's $596 million of debt. There are those who claim that the club is underreporting its debt and that the figure is actually closer to 700 million euros ($855.5 million). The club's revenue declined more than 200 million euros ($244.5 million) in 2020 due to the COVID crisis. The pandemic problem simply exacerbated the financial quagmire that had already begun to develop as a result of reckless spending on underperforming players. Entering the pandemic, the percentage of FC Barcelona's player salary relative to the club's revenue was between 69 and 70%. Things are so bad that club management is scrambling to try and put together a plan to spin-off its worldwide academies, digital assets, merchandising arm, and "sports knowledge group" into a subsidiary that it would then sell up to a 49% share in to outside investors. Of course, given that Barça is currently wholly-owned by its members, club officials would have to get said membership to sign-off any such deal. Which is on top of getting said membership to elect a new club president.

As for Barça presidential candidate Xavi Vilajoana, the guy proposing the purchase of a Major League Soccer franchise, he's not even considered a front-runner to win election to the post.                 

[BryanSmalls 111]

From the end of this Fox40 article regarding Sacramento Republic FC.

"The Athletic also said their sources don’t expect the developments to jeopardize the club’s entry into MLS"

[Dilbert 936]

Kinda surprised at this one. North Carolina FC will drop down to League One. To think this team was looking to join MLS at one point.

https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1140077

[BC985 1,406]

I’d really like to see some major reorganization in the USL. Make the MLS II clubs into League 2 academy development only and have 20-24 clubs in the Championship and League 1 with a promotion/relegation system. Currently I think the Championship is too bloated, and I’m not sure how League 1 remains relevant with so few clubs. 

[MJWalker45 5,753]

On 1/10/2021 at 8:45 PM, Dilbert said:

Kinda surprised at this one. North Carolina FC will drop down to League One. To think this team was looking to join MLS at one point.

https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1140077

I thought they opted out of the season?

[Brian in Boston 2,689]

Jeff Katofsky - attorney, real estate developer, and owner of the Pioneer League's Northern Colorado Owlz - has acquired another professional sports franchise that  will be joining said  minor league baseball team in his business portfolio.

Northern Colorado FC will play out of a multi-use stadium being built as part of the 118-acre Future Legends Complex sports and entertainment facility in Windsor, Colorado. Currently under construction, the complex is set to open in the spring of 2022, which is when the soccer club - alongside fellow expansion side Central Valley Fuego FC - is set to begin competing in  USL League One.

United Soccer League Welcomes Northern Colorado FC to League One
 

[gosioux76 2,381]

1 hour ago, Brian in Boston said:

Jeff Katofsky - attorney, real estate developer, and owner of the Pioneer League's Northern Colorado Owlz - has acquired another professional sports franchise that  will be joining said  minor league baseball team in his business portfolio.

Northern Colorado FC will play out of a multi-use stadium being built as part of the 118-acre Future Legends Complex sports and entertainment facility in Windsor, Colorado. Currently under construction, the complex is set to open in the spring of 2022, which is when the soccer club - alongside fellow expansion side Central Valley Fuego FC - is set to begin competing in  USL League One.

United Soccer League Welcomes Northern Colorado FC to League One
 

 

The Northern Colorado Kickerz

[schlim 712]

KC's NWSL team announced their new, temporary logo today. It will only be used for their first season until they decide on a full name/brand.

 

 

[Dilbert 936]

Leak of possible new FC Montreal logo. Appearing to be arrows of the Montreal Metro forming a snowflake

[Brian in Boston 2,689]

Meet Tempo the Coyote.

Nashville SC Introduces Official Team Mascot

 

[schlim 712]

"It was on Jan. 13, 2019 that a coyote roamed through the streets of Nashville and ultimately found its way into an exhibit hall at the Music City Center."

 

Between this and the Sabre tooth tiger skull, Nashville really gets excited about naming teams and mascots after animals that have wandered around downtown. I'm completely expecting a baseball team named the Rats, Raccoons, or Bachelorettes.

[GDAWG 1,804]

3 hours ago, Brian in Boston said:

Meet Tempo the Coyote.

Nashville SC Introduces Official Team Mascot

 

 

Excited to see Austin FC announce their Mascot: Anthony Precourt.