March 20 – CONCACAF is holding referee development symposium for its international referees drawn from across the confederation. The four-day Florida event, presented by Comex/Futline, is hosting 50 officials from the FIFA international list.
October 27 – CONCACAF completed its first Women’s football development summit yesterday with 39 of its 41 member associations present in Philadelphia, coinciding with the finals of the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship at PPL Park in nearby Chester, Pennsylvania.
October 10 – CONCACAF has announced it will host a two-day women’s football seminar October 25-26, in Philadelphia, coinciding with the semi-finals and final of the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
September 4 – A Female Coaches Advocacy Group has been launched in the US to encourage and promote women into coaching the game. The group is to start at the state level in Colorado and in Southern California with Cal South to create a state network of women in coaching to start dialogue with mentor college women to get involved in coaching.
By Ben Nicholson
July 29 – The noise is increasing for change in the USA’s college soccer system from a three-month stint to a year-long calendar season. The proposal recommends splitting the season between the fall and spring semesters. The proposal is for a 25-game season with conference championships being played in May, and the NCAA College Cup happening in June.
April 17 – The MLS has added a 22nd franchise in Atlanta. The team will play its first season in 2017 in a 29,000 capacity stadium it will share with NFL team the Atlanta Falcons, Both franchises are owned by Arthur Blank.
April 17 – David Beckham’s dreams of starting a new football franchise in the United States have suffered their first wobble.
By Paul Nicholson
April 15 – CONCACAF’s Club Licensing Department has published its first Case Study to showcase and promote best practice in the region. The study looks at the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) which is about to start its second season.
April 7 – CONCACAF is holding its first ever Beach Soccer coaching course starting this week in Fort Lauderdale, Miami. The course is the next extension of the confederation’s development programme led by CONCACAF’s director of development Hugo Salcedo.
February 25 – The CONCACAF grassroots programme continues to roll out across the Caribbean Islands. St.Vincent and the Grenadines were the latest to host the programme which concluded on Saturday at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown.
By Paul Nicholson
January 29 – The first diversity training sessions have been held in St Lucia as part of the CONCACAF grassroots development programme. The confederation plan is to include similar sessions in future grassroots and similar development courses.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – David Beckham will not receive any preferential treatment over his ambition to move into ownership by setting up a new team in Miami, according to MLS chief Don Garber. Garber says that while the charismatic former England captain and global superstar’s idea is welcomed, it is by no means a fait accompli and that a stadium deal must be in place before any franchise is awarded.
By Paul Nicholson
November 20 – While David Beckham and his people discuss whether to open up shop in the MLS in Miami or not, Orlando has stolen a lead with MLS commissioner Don Garber unveiling Orlando City Soccer as the next expansion franchise yesterday. Garber made the announcement at a community celebration near the site where a new downtown stadium will be constructed.
By Paul Nicholson
15 November – The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and Major League Soccer (MLS) have signed a partnership agreement in Antigua that will showcase young Caribbean football talent to the MLS and give the players the opportunity to progress towards professional football in the US. “This provides an opportunity to get our best young players on to the professional ladder. It is the start of an initiative to develop the standard of football across the region,”
November 4 – Former England captain David Beckham is reported to have lined up fellow internationals Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard to play for him once his new Major League Soccer franchise has been completed.