Photo by USA Today Sports
There are plenty of teams gambling on their odds of securing a Major League Soccer expansion slot — and a Las Vegas group is hoping city support will help their cause. A potential ownership group released Wednesday a non-binding agreement to fund a new stadium through both public and private financing to be voted on by the Las Vegas city council.
Meanwhile, Jermaine Jones’ new teammates told SBI that, after doing their part to land the U.S. Men’s National Team star in New England, they are thrilled the Revs made a bold statement by chasing down the deal.
And Bradley Wright-Phillips is on the cusp of setting a new MLS single-season scoring record — but he isn’t worried about it. In fact, even as his teammates teased him about whether he has set a new record, he told SBI he didn’t know what the overall record is.
Here is a rundown of all the stories featured on SBI Wednesday:
U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
The SBI Show: Episode 160 (Talking Landon Donovan’s USMNT farewell, Jermaine Jones, and more)
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Las Vegas takes next step towards securing soccer stadium
Revs Notes: Players react to Jones signing; Rowe plays winger; and more
With Red Bulls record in the bag, Wright-Phillips has MLS goal mark in range
Crew’s Gall shows promise in pro debut
SBI MLS Goal of the Week: Obafemi Martins
SBI MLS Save of the Week: Jon Busch
Galaxy vs. D.C. United: A look ahead
NATIONAL WOMEN’S SOCCER LEAGUE
NWSL to extend season, add World Cup break to weather loss of USWNT stars
INTERNATIONAL SOCCER
Evening Ticker: Arsenal advance; Ludogorets win shootout with defender in goal; and more
Mid-Day Ticker: Alonso ends Spain career; Balotelli set for Liverpool debut; and more
Americans Abroad: Tuesday Rewind
Soccer Wednesday: Your Running Commentary
Calling any and all cities. Step right up. Franchises for sale. Only 70-100 million buckaroos buys you D1 status, due to our exclusive business arrangement with the federation that is supposed to be governing us. Get your franchise now. Includes profitable ownership shares in SUM, our joint biz venture with the federation to cash in on meaningless international friendlies. That’s where make the real cash.
All cities welcome (as long as you have a feudalistic sports baron with buckets of bling). Plans to expand indefinitely. FIFA guidelines on number of clubs in D1 won’t apply, cause ‘MERICA. Whoo hooo!
I’m starting to wonder if this guy is REALLY Don Garber
Something’s fishy
Hmmm
Not really funny…at all…even if someone was on your side of US Soccer staying small, really just not very funny.
It’s sad because it’s true… ;(
Quit Whining About Soccer in the US is an…
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Good to see the Revs brought all the fans out for Jones’ photo shoot in Gillette.
Ha! I was wondering if that was taken during halftime of one of their games this past week.
Disappointing that all these MLS expansion teams keep wanting a 20,000 seat stadium.
Sacramento needs to come in the game with a 40,000 seat stadium at the old railyard and set the standard.
Seriously Las Vegas, Knock down that piece of $%^& hotel Excalibur and build a stadium attached to a hotel. And by the way it needs to be 40,000 at a minimum with a retractible roof
Why? So they can be like Houston, Dallas, Colombus, etc. who don’t fill their stadiums regularly?
I agree 100%
The will regret building these mini stadiums VERY quickly.
+1 I agree completely
What MLS team is currently experiencing the high-class problem of a stadium that is just too small? The primary condition of the SSS is that it should ALWAYS be near capacity. RIGHT NOW… not in 20 years. This is critical to the in-person experience, but also influences perception to TV viewers. If nothing else this has been the key takeway of the SSS buildout. Better to buy a suit that makes you look like a million bucks today… if you outgrow it, that’s a high class problem that will hardly kill you to solve.
Understand this is NOT a revenue limiting item in the short or even medium term. If a team starts selling out its 20,000 seater week-after week, it can simiply raise the ticket price to match demand to supply. If interest is this hot, that means you are doing things right, and those who can’t afford to buy their way in will not walk away but simply be pushed to television — which is where we desperately want to be growing the fanbase,anyway. Stadium attendance is going just fine.
Take comfort from the Red Sox, guys. A tiny stadium is really not embarrassing or competitively limiting. An empty one is.