VIDEO: MLS Commissioner Don Garber's State Of The League 2008 All Star Game Address and Q&A

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REPORT: Tuzos USA???

The show Futbol de Primera on XM Satellite Radio's XM Deportivo had a report with an interview withPachuca president Jesus Martinez in which he asserted that Pachuca is working closely with both MLS and USL with the posibility of bringing the franchise to the United States and put a team in one of the above mentioned leagues. You can listen to it on the fdpradio.com website under "Jesus Ramirez y los proyectos de Pachuca" (in Spanish: Jesus Martinez and the Pachuca Projects). This is reminiscent of our report about CD America looking to do the same thing with MLS. More on this report to follow as we dig for further confirmation. In the meantime, this is something we found when searching Tuzos USA. It's a non-profit organization looking to tap on youth systems in California.

EXPANSION: Portland. Rose City Raises Its Profile

We were cent the following Press Release early this morning:

Portlanders Launch Grassroots Effort to Bring Major League Soccer to the Rose City
New website features essay contest with $111 cash prize

PORTLAND, July 24th 2008 – On the eve of the 2008 Major League Soccer Allstar Game, a loosely assembled group of Portland residents, writers and sports fans today launched MLStoPDX.com, a grassroots-oriented website designed as a resource to educate, discuss and influence plans to bring Major League Soccer to Portland Oregon.

Yesterday, Don Garber of Major League Soccer confirmed the league’s intentions to expand to 18 teams in the next couple of years. Currently, nine cities are vying for the two remaining expansion slots, with Portland considered to be a serious contender.

Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson has indicated that he is willing to contribute $40million as a private investment to help Portland secure one of the expansion slots.

Fully independent from official expansion efforts by the City of Portland, Major League Soccer and Merritt Paulson, MLStoPDX.com consists solely of content generated by the primary stakeholders – the citizens of Portland.

“Portland is a very independently minded city and unique in its support of both soccer and the use of public investment to improve our quality of life” said Perry Adair, one of the site’s initial contributors. “Portlanders will demand a significant role in any effort that impacts either public money or a Portland institution like the Timbers. We want to help the public determine how we would want to bring MLS to Portland” Adair added.

With nine cities competing for only a couple of expansion slots and announcements expected as early this fall, time is short for the city and Portland to decide if they will support an MLS bid.

Early indications are that MLS will impact much more than soccer in Portland. Merritt Paulson is expected to propose upgrading PGE Park to better support both PSU Football and Major League Soccer, while giving the Portland Beavers baseball team a brand new facility.

For this reason, MLStoPDX focuses on all three sports as well as the economic development and other non-sports aspects of the plan.

True to its grassroots charter, the site is committed to giving a voice to both sides of the argument. “Even in Soccer City, USA, there are people who just don’t like the sport, while others may love soccer, football or baseball but not like the idea of public investment. We’re considering all sides of the discussion.” Adair noted.

In order to encourage high-quality publicly-generated content, the website features a contest with a $111 cash award that will be decided by a public vote.

“We’re going to try to accommodate any and all types of contest submission. Whether it’s a well researched persuasive essay, original photo, artwork, or even a home brew – as long as it makes some statement about MLS in Portland and we can show it on the site for people to vote for it, it’s in the running.”

Additional site features include an ‘expansion dashboard’ designed to keep Portlanders up-to date on the city’s expansion prospects as well as well as a letter writing campaign aimed at public officials and MLS decision makers.

Also known as Soccer City, USA, Portland has become a favorite of MLS expansion watchers across the country due to its passionate fan base, team history and century-old downtown stadium. The city owes much of its recent acclaim to the Timbers Army, a local fan group recognized both for its European-style support of the team as well as financial contributions to local Habitat for Humanity projects and the Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

###

Media Contact
Perry Adair
editorial@mlstopdx.com

EXPANSION: Beckham Bucks May Mean Miami Gets MLS Fast Track?

This comes to us from a very credible source within US soccer journalism who wishes to be anonymous:

Obviously keep my name out of this but I'm hearing MLS is seeking investors for Miami. I'm not sure if this means Beckham/Fuller or they are looking for a backup plan. MLS I have heard thinks on reflection they rushed to pull the plug on the Fusion because of a non-soccer fan investor who owned that club (Horrowitz) who didn't know it would take time to build. I've heard much talk recently of the Fusion's success in the last season where attendance went up by nearly 4,000 on average over the previous season. The other piece of this is that Tampa Bay will NOT be considered for a new team and will have to stick with USL which begins in 2010 for good. MLS does not regret the decision to leave the Tampa market, but does regret the decision to leave Miami but wants to make sure a new Miami team is run the right way unlike the Fusion which was run poorly.

The other aspect of what I heard this week is that Montreal and Portland are also likely sometime not to far in the future. So by my count that's 19 cities almost assured. To get to 20 one more needed. St Louis? Makes sense but I haven't heard anything on that front in months.

You can print the speculation but as always leave my name out of it!

BTW, on the Chivas front that GK was loaned to Tigres and Guadalajara now lost Michel for the season so I'm hearing they are likely stuck with Kennedy and Parker and need to focus on keeping Kljestan from leaving for Europe.

EDITORIAL: Why MLS WILL Probably Eventually Adopt Promotion and Relegation

This is in response to the editorial below. We at MLSR are not of uniform opinion on this and this writer strongly disagrees. Here is why.

Today MLS Commissioner Don Garber is expected to announce a firm expansion plan which would include 20-24 clubs.

The question is this: Once MLS has 24 clubs what does it do with the other investors who might want in?

The conventional wisdom is further expansion.

Just let 'em in right?

Wrong.

If MLS does decide to go to a single table as has been rumored then expanding beyond 20 or 24 would make the schedule too long.

One needs to understand the reasons promotion and relegation happened in other countries to understand why it is inevitable here.

Promotion and relgation were a solution to a problem that has not existed in the US. The problem of having too many suitable clubs and not enough spots in the league to accomodate them.


Once demand for entry into MLS outstrips supply of spots in the top flight then the solution of pro/rel becomes relevant.

The conventional wisdom that it wouldn't happen is based on a league that 10 years ago had to go begging for investment. We are no longer that league. Just a few short years ago the idea that new clubs would come into the league selling out the capacity of their stadiums and there would be billionairs clamoring for MLS clubs would have been considered at best, extremely optomistic.

Now is a new day.

Evidence?

LA Galaxy jerseys outsell every other team and sport in this country.

Toronto FC has a waiting list of for people wanting season tickets

Seattle has already sold 16,000 season tickets and likely to also have a waiting list come 2009

DC United ratings on local TV higher than the baseball, Washington Nationals

All this leads to new investors wanting in MLS.

Indeed, should a limit of 24 clubs be imposed then the natural and most logical thing for MLS to do would be to open up a 2nd division within its business structure (rather than try to absorb the USL) in order to let in new investors. An MLS2 if you will with similar but less lucrative TV and sponsorship deals.

Buying into MLS at that point would mean buying into the possibility rather than the certainty that you could be in the top flight and thus give these new clubs something to work hard to achieve: MLS1 status.

MLS is not the NFL. It is not baseball, nor basketball either. It is a soccer league. As such its system should conform to the standard way soccer leagues are run around the world.

One of the reasons MANY of us are fans of this game is due to its international nature. The fact that it is played the same way all over the world.

The reason so many pine for promotion and relegation in MLS is precisely because promotion and relegation are part of the game EVERYWHERE in the world, not just in Europe.

Soccer is a game which has international standards and rules governing it. However it is also one with shared international themes.

We all eye the passionate fans of the sports in other countries and wish we saw more of that here but let's be honest. There is not a lot on the line for missing the playoffs.

The passion of fans week to week all around the world is partly due to the fact that every game matters. Every point counts on whether your club stays up in or goes down from the top flight.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber is aware of this, as is Deputy Commissioner and Garber's likely successor, Ivan Gazidis.

They also are keenly aware that this is an issue which has kept fans of soccer in the US from becoming MLS fans. Imagine for a moment if those who passionately and monetarily support clubs like Manchester United, Boca Juniors, or even Everton and Tigres, in the USA decided to support their MLS clubs.

That is the dream. And that is a dream that will only come about from a raise in the credibility of MLS amongst those fans according to the statements made by Don Garber in yesterday's State of the League Address.

MLS is one of only two leagues in the world without promotion and relegation. The other one, the far younger, Australian A-League recently discussed plans for a promotion and relegation system.


You can bet MLS suits are watching this closely for if the A-League, a far less stable league financially than MLS, in as competitive sports market as Australia can adopt promotion and relegation then MLS with it's billionaire owners can as well.

In Australia soccer is behind much bigger sports such as Aussie Rules Football, Cricket, two codes of Rugby and motorsports in terms of popularly. In other words it is a market not unlike the US and the A-league has far less well heeled investors queuing up to invest.

American investors understand promotion/relegation.

One need only look at the amount of American investors involved in owning, operating or investing in clubs in England.

Indeed MLS or "would be" MLS investors such as Jorge Vegara, Stan Kronke, Dietrich Mateschitz, Paul Allen, George Gillett, and David Beckham already understand it.

More importantly, American soccer fans understand promotion and relegation and it is one reason many are fans of the game overseas.

It is the reason that 60-80,000 turn our to watch storied teams from other leagues where it exists. It is also why many have stayed away from MLS.

Don Garber has explained that the league is going to be aggressive in pursuing and converting these fans, many of which are unfairly dubbed "Eurosnobs" to MLS fans.

The reason is simple. They already get the game, their dollars are currently supporting the sport, albeit overseas and they are an easier convert than Joe Six Pack American Sports fan who takes what Jim Rome has to say as gospel.

For MLS to gain new fans in America it will have to become as Garber suggested, more credible and relevant in the eyes of these fans.

Expansion makes the league more relevant to those currently without a team.

Promotion and relegation makes the league more credible to those who are fans of the international game.

The day when a Fire jersey is as revered among these fans as a Celtic or Club America one is when MLS has arrived. And that will only happen when MLS becomes a meritocratic league like every other one in the world and adopts promotion and relegation.

The Australian A-League knows this. And MLS knows this. When they will be prepared to implement it is the only question.



--RK for MLS-Rumors.net

Disagree? Then have at it below in the comments.

EDITORIAL: Why Promotion/Relegation Will Probably Never Be A Part of MLS

As MLS Expansion Fever continues to sweep the nation, there is a significant minority of American fans who consider this the best time to start calling for a European style Promotion/Relegation system to be imposed if/when MLS hits 24 teams. Let me remind you all why promotion/relegation will never be part of MLS.

-- None of the big money investors currently throwing money at MLS are willing to pay tens of millions of dollars to play in anything but the top league. To American fans, weaned on the franchise model, it'd be like asking a new expansion baseball team to play in AAA and earn their way up.

-- Protection of key markets. There are some teams that could drop out of MLS right now, and it wouldn't be too much of a loss to the league's media footprint. However, I remind you that despite having David Beckham, the Los Angeles Galaxy had the 3rd worst record in the league in 2007. Do you think ESPN would be as interested in showing MLS games in 2008 if "The Golden One" was playing in the 2nd division?

-- In smaller nations such as England, or Scotland, driving between cities is measured in hours, not days, so, not playing in a top league isn't as big a deal, travel wise. Let's see what the travel costs are like between Miami and Seattle, for example. And with a 2nd division without MLS's media contracts, or salaries, such as they are? You'd have to be a financial masochist to absorb those costs.

-- The American public has never been brought up on promotion/relegation. Instead, in America, the operative word is PARITY. This may sound ironic, but America, the bastion of capitalism, as the most un-capitalistic sports system where last place teams get a lot of help. (remember the extra allocations for teams that missed out on the playoffs that MLS offers?). In Europe and elsewhere, last place teams don't get much help. They get a "So Long, and good luck!" kick in the butt down to a lower league. In the English Premier League, smaller teams like Fulham are romantic, and you can root for them as a story, and enjoy their local support.. However, in America, they have a name for a team playing in a too-small stadium without any amenities. That word? Relocation Candidates.

--The draft system and allocation system would have to be completely re-done.

So I can understand why people who pine for all things foreign would want MLS's league system to mimic that found elsewhere. However, its not going to happen. Not in 2010, not ever. And to those who can't see that promotion/relegation could never work in America, and say that somehow makes MLS a "lesser" league? Careful. Your Eurosnob is showing.

Disagree? How would you make it work?


-D.Y. for MLS-Rumors.net

EXPANSION: MLS Expansion Plan May Be More Ambitious Than First Thought

EDITORS NOTE: Special thanks to all who wrote in referring us to this article. As luck would have it we were wrapped up in meetings all day so could not get around to posting it until now. Feel free to discuss at length.


According to this article MLS may add as many as 6 new clubs by 2011. This would seem to confirm something Shep Messing said a year ago on Glenn Davis's radio show where he claimed MLS was preparing to grow to 20 club by 2010. It should also be noted that Messing mentioned at the very end that the second NYC will be likely owned and operated by the NY Mets organization, headed by Fred Wilpon.

Here is the audio of that converstion:


As for today's article and perhaps tomorrow's announcement:

Here's an excerpt:

"According to a Vancouver radio station, Toronto FC may soon be getting some Canadian company in the MLS.

The TEAM 1040 is reporting that MLS Comissioner Don Garber will lift the original ceiling of 18 franchises and announce Thursday a new expansion plan of not less than 20 and up to 24 franchises by 2013-2014.

The current 14-team loop will expand to 16 teams by 2010 (Seattle in 2009 and Philadelphia in 2010) and then add up to four teams in 2011 and at least two more by 2013-2014."

We are not sure what (if any) effect this might have on the rumors of MLS going to a single-table in 2010.

REPORT: (BlancoGate) Is Major League Soccer Sending False DMCA Takedown Notices?

Blancogate has moved into a new dimension and possibly into a court of law.

As you remember, after Blanco went bezerk we posted a video from a local TV news segment on the game which was subsequently removed from Youtube by MLS under false assumptions. The video was later reinstated but it raised serious issues.

Now it seems the wider electronic freedom, tech world is looking at the incident.

According to this story...

Is Major League Soccer Sending False DMCA Takedown Notices?
from the maybe-so dept

Dave writes in with an interesting story suggesting that Major League Soccer is potentially violating the DMCA by issuing a takedown of footage for which it does not own the copyright. The details are a little confusing, and some parts aren't entirely clear -- but from the account at the link, two Major League Soccer teams participated in a separate tournament, called the U.S. Open Cup. The event was not televised at all, despite efforts among fans to provide a streaming webcast. Apparently, at the soccer match, a fight broke out, and the local news covered it, using footage from the game. Following this, some bloggers posted the news stations' story about the fight on YouTube -- at which point MLS sent a DMCA takedown notice. The question is whether or not MLS has copyright over the footage (MLS's trademarks are meaningless here, as the DMCA only refers to copyright).

What is not clear is who took the footage. Considering that the game was not televised and the event itself was not an MLS event, it's difficult to believe that it's MLS's footage, and thus, MLS wouldn't hold the copyright over it. However, even if it is MLS coverage, the fact that it was a newsworthy event, and the footage was used in a news report, it would suggest that this particular snippet was actually fair use as used in commenting on it for news purposes. And, if anything, the copyright on the overall clip of the newscast belonged not to MLS, but to the news company. Overall, it seems quite likely that this attempt to censor the clip from YouTube was illegal, as MLS is probably asserting copyright over content for which it does not hold the copyright. But, these days, that's just all in a day's work of misusing the DMCA.

EXPANSION: #17 - All Star Game Announcement: Steve Nash to Bring The Whitecaps to MLS

According to this article on Goal the NY Times Goal blog....



“I’ve been a fan of the team since I was six,” Nash said of the Whitecaps. “I haven’t invested money yet, more like human capital. It’s a spectacular city. We’re really optimistic and we’re hoping to have some good news at the M.L.S. All-Star game in Toronto.”

Steve Nash's brother Martin plays for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

REPORT: More on Club America de Mexico's MLS Expansion

More on the story we first brought you yesterday. This time we have the following thanks to Goal.com and SI.com


Club América interested in sister team in MLS

Is Club América on the verge of following Chivas into Major League Soccer? Three years ago, Chivas de Guadalajara began an intriguing experiment by starting a sister team north of the border. Chivas USA joined MLS in 2005, and three years later is one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Although there have been rumors that Chivas' fiercest rivals, Club América, have been looked into purchasing an MLS team of its own, those rumors usually proved to be just hearsay. In truth, América's owner, Emilio Azcárraga was watching from Mexico City, waiting to see how Chivas's experiment went.

It seems now that they think it went very well, as Azcárraga, and América's new president Michel Bauer, say that the club is seriously interested in a sister club of its own in the United States.

Bauer was speaking with the press in Mexico City about his plans to reshape the organization following Club América's bottom finish last season, its worst-ever finish in the Mexican Primera. One of the most popular and successful Mexican clubs, América has won the Mexican championship 10 times and in '08 reached the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores for the third time in six tournament participations.

"For the international project, we are looking to bring competitive games to our fans in the United States and the international expansion of the brand, also in the United States," Bauer said. "We also look for constant participation of the team in important competitions at the worldwide level, and agreements of collaboration with the world's best teams."

Bauer also introduced the América's new coach, Ramon "Pelado" Diaz, who recently signed the most lucrative coaching contract in North America, reportedly $3.5 million a year. Bauer expects Diaz's side to play "balanced, attractive soccer, and in the end also to get results. Obviously, the results [of last season] demonstrated that we needed a change in the team," he said.

-- Goal.com

REPORT: Club America de Mexico interested in expanding into MLS

XM Satellite Radio's XM Deportivo Deportes De Primera radio show reported that Club America de Mexico is looking to "reach out" to its considerable following in the United States and also look for partnerships with MLS. You can listen to the president of the club, Michael Bauer (in Spanish) here. He discusses Ramon Diaz (new head coach), players, fans, and MLS. Part of the story is here.
As to whether this is an exploratory partnership a-la-Bundesliga or a rebranding of one of the MLS teams or acquiring a new team remains to be seen.

EXPANSION: Miami? Nice! Expansion Brought About By Beckham Boost?

People take note, never count out Miami.

Miami Ultras rejoice, just when it looked like Miami was as good as dead as an expansion candidate it is thrown a lifeline.

Remember way back when we told you that David Beckham had the option to buy a club and speculated he would buy one in New York or Miami rather than add a 3rd one to Southern California?

Well it now appears that, according to this report, Beckham has been looking into the possibility of becoming the owner/investor of a Miami based MLS Club.


Here is an excerpt:

"Becks has an option to buy a US club as part of his £127m contract to join LA Galaxy, which ends in 2011.
Becks, 34, and his manager, music mogul Simon Fuller, 48, have been researching various opportunities - including setting up a new team in New York, where there is now just one.
But the pair are now concentrating their efforts on Miami - one of the few big American cities not to have a Major League team.
A source said: "Beckham does not want to go into management when his playing career ends and is now focused on owning a club. Simon Fuller is a clever man and believes there is a lot of money to be made as football continues to expand in the US.
"They have concluded Miami is ripe for a new team and stadium. There is a big Latino population who love their football and there is also a large expatriate British community.
"Plus, it is a great place to live - very sunny and on the coast. They are now starting to look for the right financial partners and sponsors."
Major League Soccer bosses are expanding the league each year as the sport becomes more popular."

And then remember there is always this..

AUDIO: MLS Will Eventually Go To A Single Table

Sean Wheelock on BBC's World Football Phone In stated that he talked with inside sources at MLS and that the league will eventually move to a single table. Your thoughts?



FLASHBACK: Someone leaked that MLS was going to go to a single table this year in October 2007.So it is definately being discussed. The question now only seems to be when.

REPORT: MLS Select Side To Take On Swaziland?

According to this report, some MLS players may be off to the southern Africa country to play the Swaziland national team. Here is an excerpt:

"The national team is scheduled to play an international friendly match against a United States of America (USA) pick team comprising of mostly players plying their trade in that country’s Major Soccer League (MSL). This game, if finalised, is to be played at the Somhlolo Stadium. Mngomezulu declined to reveals details regarding the game, stressing that, “we will issue those details regarding the friendly games as soon as we have finalised them.”

HISTORY: Flashback Fridays - The Road to MLS Cup 2005

In continuing our series of historical MLS footage from the archives we turn our attention to the 2005 MLS Cup featuring two videos produced by MLS Pictures (whatever happened to them?) in association with Adidas.


The first is on the Eastern and Western Conference Final, the second is on the Cup itself. These originally aired on Fox Soccer Channel. Do you think MLS should produce some specials like this in the run up to MLS Cup 2008?