Category: Soccer
Handicapping the MLS2ATX Vote Tonight
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you'd like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: Well, we're finally here. This evening, the Austin City Council will vote on the proposal to allow Precourt Sports Ventures (PSV) to construct a soccer ...
PSV and City of Austin Release Revised Term Sheet to Build Stadium at McKalla Place
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you'd like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: Since the original term sheet was released about 10 days ago, there has been much discussion over certain line-items in the proposal. Some of those concerns (including ...
Term Sheet Released Outlining Proposed Agreement Between PSV/MLS and City of Austin
A Friday news dump for the ages. The City of Austin has released a Term Sheet for discussion which outlines an agreement between PSV/MLS and the City to build a soccer stadium, and presumably relocate the Columbus Crew. I'm sitting here in a bar having a drink and trying to review a 25 page document ...
Waiver of Magnus Wolff Eikrem Won’t Impact Seattle Sounders’ Salary Budget Flexibility
The waiver of Magnus Wolff Eikrem ended a short tenure with the Sounders that never ended up being a good fit. Aside a promising start in the Concacaf Champions' League, the player never got consistent playing time, even with the Sounders decimated by injuries this spring. As it was apparent the Sounders did not see a ...
Beckham’s Day of Reckoning is Here, Again
Well, we're (almost) here. At 10:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, David Beckham and his business partner Jorge Mas will appear in front of the Miami City Commission, to try to get approval to put before Miami voters authorization to negotiate a lease for the Melrese property with the City. There are still hurdles to ...
Sounders Practice Notes [07-17-18]: Schmetzer Jabs
Back from a 5/9 (shameless plug) point road trip, the Sounders got back out on the practice field to prepare for a Cascadia clash with Vancouver this weekend. While the team is happy to get back home on an undefeated streak, they know that a win this weekend is absolutely necessary. Designated Player Raúl Ruidíaz was ...
Major League Lobbying
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you’d like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: Sometimes when you're researching a story, you see a little nugget that you originally don't pay much attention to, but when you take a closer look, ...
Austin City Council Campaign Finance Disclosure Day
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you'd like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: Some of you may recall last month that I told you to "Save the Date" for July 15, 2018. That was the date that financial disclosures ...
Legal Links: The Week in Soccer Legal News
I'll try this out and see if it gets a good reception. Hopefully it'll serve a catch-all for the news tidbits you may have missed during the week. USSF v. NASL/MLS: MLS Spared Accelerated Antitrust Trial Against Soccer League. [Paywall] The article is paywalled, but I was able to get a copy of the full entry ...
David Beckham’s MLSMiami Project Gets an Incomplete; Re-test Set for July 18
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you'd like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: If you want to check out my real-time Twitter take, you can here. I'll say this for city council meetings: they're not nearly as dull ...
Emails Provide Insight Into How USSF/MLS Used Fraser “Stipulation” to Refuse Training Compensation Payments
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you'd like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: My story on Training Compensation/Solidarity Payments got a great reception (thanks!), and aside from the issues involving the MLSPA's reluctance to agree to participate, the other focus ...
What Exactly is Preventing US Soccer and MLS from Participating in the FIFA Solidarity/Training Compensation System?
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you'd like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: (Fake?) News reports of Tottenham Hotspur tendering a $58 million offer for the services of Christian Pulisic have once again raised the issue of training ...
Austin City Council Meeting Live Blog [MLS2ATX]
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you'd like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: The Austin City Council is currently meeting to discuss and vote on various agenda items before them. Of course, this type of thing happens in city ...
Q & A with Austin Attorney Bill Aleshire Discussing MLS2ATX
Today is a big day in the process of determining the viability of the potential move of the Columbus Crew to Austin. The Austin City Council will vote on two resolutions: Item 60 would authorize the City to solicit offers from interested parties who would like to develop the McKalla Place site. Item 64 (now ...
Austin Save The Date: July 15, 2018
Note: I recently started a Patreon for those who want to help support/expand my writing content. Whatever you'd like to contribute is greatly appreciated! End plug. Become a Patron: Most interested parties following either SaveTheCrew happenings in Columbus, or the negotiations between MLS/PSV and Austin, are focused on Thursday, June 28. That is when ...
Happy U.S. Soccer Financial Disclosure Day!
Okay, that's not a real day (and let us hope it never is). But the USSF has finally released its Audited Statement for FY 2017. In that includes an "explanation" of the financials of the 2016 Copa América Centenario. It's about as clear as mud, especially if you're not an accountant (and I surely am not). ...
Enjoy Your Weekend, and a Personal Update
I'm here at CenturyLink field, and I am taking in the game from a different view: The Press Box. I've been credentialed for the rest of the year, so I'll be working some games from up above. It's been awhile since I've worked games from the media side, but things haven't changed too much from ...
FIFA’s 2026 Bid Evaluation Report: Seattle Seems to Fare Well in Comparison to Other Cities and Stadiums
The moment you've all been waiting for is here: The FIFA bid evaluation report is out, and by and large, the US does okay. More importantly for Seattle folks, CenturyLink seems to stack up well; certainly in the top half. Surprisingly, LA, New York and Toronto fare very poorly. I've cut out the relevant portions ...
Media Notes
Just a couple of personal/media notes here. First, if you're looking for a long form discussion keeping you up to date on the latest NASL/USSF/MLS legal happenings, I joined the Feuerstein's Fire podcast with Daniel and Kartik Krishnaiyer to chat about the latest. Good 45-minute discussion, so give it a listen. Second, I'll be joining SonarFeed as a regular panelist ...
Sounders Practice Notes [05-29-18]
A relatively short practice today, as the team returns from a couple of days off. Nonetheless, there were a couple of newsy notes from training. First, both Will Bruin and Victor Rodriguez were both out here for the start of practice and involved in training. Victor left a bit earlier Bruin, but Coach Schmetzer sounded ...
