Forbes doubles MLS club values, with Seattle at top of the pile
By Ben Nicholson
August 21 – Forbes has published estimated values of MLS teams, showing an average increase in value of around 50% since 2013.
Concacaf
Turf wars: Soccer v Football in America’s back yard
By Mark Baber
August 19 – As the NFL inches gradually towards possibly setting up a franchise in the UK with the official support of the ruling Conservative Party, a set of data-points drawn together by Texas-based data specialists UMBEL give an insight into how soccer is rapidly becoming a mainstream sport in the USA.
US Club Soccer pushes for culture change with ‘Players First’ launch
By Paul Nicholson
August 19 – US Club Soccer, one of the largest and certainly most influential youth soccer organisations in the US with more than 500,000 members, has launched an amibitious ‘Players First’ initiative that will give its members a suite of tools to better manage their soccer experience.
US prepares to host men’s and women’s 2016 Olympic qualifiers
August 18 – Focus has turned to the Olympic 2016 qualifying in the CONCACAF region, which in 2012 in London took both Gold medals with Mexico taking the men’s title and the US winning the women’s with Canada taking the bronze.
New MLS franchise Minnesota Utd switches site as deadlines missed
By Ben Nicholson
August 18 – Newly awarded MLS franchise Minnesota United looks to have stumbled on its route to securing a stadium to begin play in the 2018 season, having missed an MLS July deadline to submit a state subsidy financial package, and with confusion over whether the team will play in Minneapolis or neighbouring St Paul.
New England pull in Goldman Sachs for new stadium revolution
By Ben Nicholson
August 17 – Goldman Sachs looks set to serve as an underwriter for The New England Revolution’s desires for a soccer-specific stadium.
US shakes up youth soccer thinking in bid for national team glory
By Ben Nicholson
August 11 – Although the MLS is deep into its regular season, US youth soccer seasons are soon to start again, in line with the conventional European calendar. And as the youth teams gear up, they will be adjusting to the new player development initiatives that the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) has established.
US and Mexico line up for winner-takes-all Rose Bowl shoot-out
August 10 – It looked lined up to be the Gold Cup final in July, but it never happened once Jamaica knocked out the US in the semi-final. Now the US and local rivals Mexico will have the chance to kick a ball in competitive anger with the winners taking the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup berth.
CFU step in to fill U15 tournament gap in St Maarten and Anguilla
August 5 – The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) has picked off where regional governing body CONCACAF have left off, by launching its inaugural Boys U15 tournament which will be played August 8-16 on the islands of Anguilla and St Maartens.
U13 Champions League debuts in CONCACAF
August 4 – CONCACAF have launched an U13 Champions League tournament that kicks off today in Mexico City. The eight-team competition is the youngest official age-group tournament the confederation has ever held and will be played over four days.
Hawit to lead CONCACAF refereeing review
By Paul Nicholson
July 31 – CONCACAF has moved swiftly to set up a review of its refereeing department following the bitter and very public complaints of Panama and Costa Rica about the standard of officiating at the just completed Gold Cup.
Garber muses on video replays, All-Star revamp and the long awaited Becks franchise
By Ben Nicholson
July 31 – MLS Commissioner Don Garber took the opportunity at the recent MLS All-Star game to show that, on the league’s 20th anniversary season, the MLS is a forward thinking enterprise. His half time comments indicated the league is seeking to evolve with technological growth and its own popularity growth.
MLS old Stars beat Spurs, but where now for the maturing US league?
By Ben Nicholson
July 30 – The MLS All-Star game is a peculiarity of the US soccer calendar that is unique in world football. This years opponents for the MLS side were Premier League Tottenham Hotspur who lost 2-1 to goals by two of the older player on the pitch – Kaká and David Villa.
Is MLS taking first steps to break the NCAA development bonds?
By Ben Nicholson
July 28 – The MLS has formed a partnership with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), making the school its exclusive education partner.
Mexico secure seventh Gold Cup title as Reggae Boyz finally miss a beat
By Paul Nicholson
July 27 – Mexico won their seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup last night with a 3-1 win over the tournament’s surprise package Jamaica who made Gold Cup history by being the first team from the Caribbean to reach the final.