US to host 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship with eyes on France 2019
March 27 – The US will host the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, to be played October 4-17. Venue for the 8-team championship have still to be decided.
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CFU launches Women’s Challenge Series 2018 with 20 teams
March 20 – The Caribbean Football Union (CFU), emaciated by the withdrawal of financial support by CONCACAF and FIFA, has shown that it still has some teeth left with the announcement of a new women’s competition, the CFU Women’s Challenge Series.
Friends with benefits. Liga MX and MLS agree new Campeones Cup format
March 14 – The three-way co-operation between Canada, Mexico and the US in the bid for the 2026 World Cup, is seeing new alliances formed at the top end of club football in their countries. Liga MX and Major League Soccer have agreed a long-term partnership that will see new club competition between the countries.
CONCACAF unleashes Nations League, promotion, relegation and expanded Gold Cup
By Paul Nicholson
March 8 – CONCACAF have announced the structure and completed the first draw for their new tiered Nations League men’s national team competition that will ultimately include all 41 confederation members.
Mexico top new CONCACAF ranking system in advance of first Nations League draw
March 6 – CONCACAF has unveiled its first ranking of national teams in the North, Central America and Caribbean region. Mexico are ranked top, the USA, despite not qualifying for Russia 2018, are second, and Costa Rica third.
CONCACAF unveils new ranking system in advance of first Nations League draw
March 6 – CONCACAF has unveiled its first ranking of national teams in the North, Central America and Caribbean region. Mexico are ranked top, the USA, despite not qualifying for Russia 2018, are second, and Costa Rica third.
De Maria to step down at Mexican federation, de Luisa to step up
March 5 – Mexico’s football federation (FMF) president Decio de Maria (pictured) has resigned and will leave his post after the 2018 World Cup. Yon de Luisa will take his place.
NASL cancels 2018 season but continues with law suits against USSF
February 28 – The North American Soccer League (NASL) has cancelled its 2018 season with three of its six clubs shifting to the National Premier Soccer League which kicks off this April.
Verizon grow North American OTT content with CONCACAF deal
February 28 – CONCACAF, who on Monday announced an expansion of their blue riband Gold Cup national team tournament, have followed up with the unveiling of a multi-platform digital media rights deal with Verizon for all its competitions.
Gold Cup to expand to 16 teams as CONCACAF opens up hosting to member nations
February 27 – The next edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the confederation’s blue riband national team tournament held every two years, will be expanded from 12 to 16 teams in 2019.
What next for the Cosmos and the NASL as court kills off their bid to keep D2 status?
By Paul Nicholson
February 26 – The already precarious future of the North American Soccer League (NASL) now looks even more uncertain after the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit denied the NASL’s appeal to obtain a preliminary injunction that would have reinstated its status as a Division 2 league for the 2018 season.
Caribbean Club Shield heads for Dominican Republic as top tier comp gets underway
February 21 – The Dominican Republic will host the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield this April 13-21. The 12-team championship provides a pathway for the region’s smaller football nations towards the newly formed 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF League.
Cordeiro beats off big names and better fancied challengers for US Soccer presidency
By Paul Nicholson
February 12 – It took three rounds of voting before Carlos Cordeiro emerged triumphant in the ballot for the US Soccer Federation presidency. Cordeiro, who has been the US federation’s vice president for the last two years and an independent board member for nine years, fought off eight challengers for the post in what proved to be a canny campaign that appealed to the broader base of US soccer’s community.
Gulati’s gone but will Cordeiro allow US youth clubs to receive training compensation fees
By Paul Nicholson
February 12 – Sunil Gulati may now have left the presidency of the US Soccer Federation but he leaves behind one huge legacy issue in the shape of training compensation for youth players and whether the US is going to abide by FIFA rules and conventions or go it alone and continue to refuse the training payment solidarity principles.
FC Tuscon and South Georgia Tormenta are first franchises for USL’s new Division III
By Paul Nicholson
February 7 – The fledgling third tier professional division of US football – USL Division III has named FC Tucson as the second fanchise, following the announcement last week of South Georgia Tormenta FC as the first founder member of the league scheduled to kick off in 2019.