Tag: MLS
Sounders Practice Notes [01-22-19]: Welcome Back
Welcome back everyone. After one of the longest offseason for the Seattle Sounders in recent memory, the team stepped out on the field at a chilly Starfire for the first practice of 2019. The obituaries for 2018 have been done Ad nauseam, so it's time to look forward. There were 40-some odd 1st team, draft ...
The Socceresq Podcast: Out of the Frying Pan
On this episode, I discuss the ongoing issues involving the Chicago Fire. At war with their supporters, they are now under threat of a lawsuit stemming from an incident from May of last year, which ultimately resulted in the banning of an entire supporter group. I go through the suit, and the off-field problems of ...
Analysis: No Winners in the Lawsuit Involving Bridgeview and the Chicago Fire
Hopefully you've had the chance to check out my Athletic piece on the lawsuit that was filed by a Chicago Fire supporter against the Village of Bridgeview and Chicago Fire President/GM Nelson Rodriguez, among others. It's a wild ride to be sure. I had the chance to speak with James Vlahakis, the attorney who filed ...
My Latest for The Athletic: A Hot Time in Bridgeview
Check out my latest story for The Athletic: A Chicago Fire supporter has sued the Village of Bridgeview and a number of individuals including Chicago Fire President Nelson Rodriguez, alleging conspiracy, malicious prosecution and violation of civil rights related to an incident which occurred in May of 2018. It's a pretty wild story, so take ...
The Socceresq Podcast: Happy New Year
The Socceresq Podcast: Happy New Year. In this episode, I talk about my plans for the next couple of months (heading to Arizona for the USSF AGM conference), the status of SaveTheCrew (hint: 98% saved) and AustinFC (hint: mostly done), what's going on in Miami (hint: Who knows) and I tease a story about the ...
Transfer of Christian Pulisic Again Raises Specter of Solidarity Payments
Shortly after Borussia Dortmund confirmed the transfer of Christian Pulisic to Chelsea for a fee of €64 million, Will Parchman noted in a tweet that PA Classics, the youth development club that in part developed the starlet, stands to lose about $740k in solidarity payments. Setting aside the fact that there is just about no ...
2018 Winner For Worst Take In The World: Alexi Lalas [Soccer Category]
2018 is just hours away from being in the rearview (or already gone if you're out in Australia), so it's probably safe to close the voting on awards. Sure, there is still time for truly awful commentary in the world of soccer to emerge as the clock strikes midnight (as long as The Sun exists, ...
UPDATE: With Sale Agreed to in Principle, and Dismissal of the Modell Lawsuit, SaveTheCrew Enters Final Stages
UPDATE: As expected, an agreement in principle to "sell" the Columbus Crew to the Haslam/Edwards group was announced today. The official "sale" is expected to be finalized in January, with the new owners taking control of the team at the beginning of the year. The end is almost here. The announced dismissal of the Modell ...
Finish Line
When the announcement came that MLS was negotiating with the Haslam/Edwards group, I reported that a source had told me that the deal was "largely done." And that was true, inasmuch as a buyer had been identified, and potential land located (and essentially approved by MLS). But with deals of this nature, it's the fine ...
City of Austin, MLS Execute Lease Development Agreement
Big news out of Austin, Texas. As I mentioned in a Patreon report, the imminent finalization of the lease agreement between The City of Austin and MLS has occurred, with the City executing the lease development agreement, which clears the way for MLS to announce the long awaited franchise in the city. The Term Sheet ...
The Year in Soccer Jurisprudence w/Steven Bank and Neil Morris
The Year in Soccer Jurisprudence w/Steven Bank and Neil Morris. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a20FPXPrn50 Myself with Steven Bank and Neil Morris If you'd like to listen in SoundCloud form, I've got you covered as well. Same through the website.
Memorandum of Understanding Released in Advance of Pivotal Columbus City Council Vote
Tonight sometime between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time, the Columbus City Council will take up a vote to ratify the proposal to renovate Mapfre Stadium. This is but one piece of the puzzle to ultimately Save The Crew. The final piece involves the construction of a new stadium to house the team. The prospective ...
SaveTheCrew Announcement Live-Blog
Might as well do it live (!) and cover the announcement! Reports are we'll see an announcement on new stadium plans and training facilities, among other things. As I reported last night, Austin looks to have the lease agreement to be done this week, with an announcement next week if all goes well. This isn't ...
Judge Brown Denies Motion to Dismiss; Stays Lawsuit Proceedings Until Further Notice [Updated]
Updates: I just did a Periscope talking about the ruling. Check it out! Read the entire ruling.Download Read MLS' reaction to the decision. The shoes continue to drop. Alongside the question of when there may be an announcement that the Crew have been sold to local ownership, there is still the question of how the ...
SaveDTheCrew Smoke Signals
Serious rumblings that we could get a formal SaveDTheCrew announcement this week. After the chaos on October 12, I reported the deal was "largely done." Of course, that didn't mean all of the signatures have been affixed to the proper documents, or that MLS was planning one of their customary events to announce the sale. ...
MLS Allowing More Charter Flights Seems Overdue, but Would Teams Actually Use Them?
Photo used with permission from Max Aquino Photography Eagle-eyed readers who read my story on the tentative changes to the MLS schedule, noticed a little tidbit related to the implications from additional midweek games. The long and short of it was: Additional mid-week games will put additional stresses on players, which may require MLS loosening ...
Happy Holidays
Wow, it’s been a crazy year for me personally. Started out a year ago tweeting about lawsuits and writing stories on Reddit. Then I wrote a couple of features for SounderAtHeart. In February, I started a blog covering all things legal soccer in the U.S., with a side of Seattle Sounders (and cigars). Now I’m ...
Seattle Sounders Wrap Up 2018; Look Ahead to 2019 Season
The Seattle Sounders held their end-of-the-year press conference to put a bow on the 2018 season, and look forward to 2019. It was a fairly casual affair, as Coach Brian Schmetzer, General Manager and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey, and Sporting Director Chris Henderson held court for the assembled media. There were several notable bits ...
Ch-Ch-Changes
My next story is up at The Athletic, and it's a doozy. Big changes are in store for MLS as they prepare for the 2019 season. Per the story, we can expect that the date of MLS Cup is moved from December to October, and some additional midweek games. There is (way) more in the ...
Sure Looks Like the Columbus Crew are All But Official for 2019
H/t to DrDeckle on Reddit. Some people just can't keep secrets. The offseason planning for 2019 is well under way, with MLS releasing their offseason calendar, and teams who have been eliminated from the playoffs planning for next year. Part of the planning for the 2019 season includes preseason camps. These days, teams usually escape ...
