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MLS News & Notes: D.C. United unveils shirt sponsor, Pickens released and Kreis not happy with MLS refs

Here are some MLS-related stories making the rounds today:

D.C. United unveils Volkswagen as new shirt sponsor

Dcvwjerseys_dc_united

After spending the first month of the new MLS season playing with a big empty space on the front of its jersey, D.C. United announced that Volkswagen’s logo will fill that space as the German automaker is set to pay more than $14 million over five years to be D.C. United’s sponsor.

Also, MLS announced that Volkswagen will be the official automotive partner of Major League Soccer, filling the void left by Honda, which ended its sponsorship of the league last summer after 12 years as a league sponsor.

D.C. United is set to unveil its new uniform on Thursday night when D.C. plays host to the Chicago Fire. For more photos and some video of the new uniforms you can find them on the D.C. United blog, Behind the Badge.

Pickens released by QPR

Matt Pickens first stint in European soccer has ended early. The former Chicago Fire goalkeeper has been released by Queens Park Rangers after spending the second half of the season with them. Pickens failed to make a first-team appearance with the club. His contract with the club expired at season’s end and QPR declined to re-sign him (so no, he wasn’t released in the classic American sense, his contract expired and QPR declined to offer him a new deal).

What will Pickens do now? A return to MLS is not in the cards and his status as an EU passport holder means he will be free to seek out a new job in Europe this summer.

Kreis cries foul over MLS officiating

Jason Kreis is mad as heck and he’s not going to take it anymore.

No, Kreis isn’t doing a remake of Network. He’s upset with the officiating in MLS and went on an extended rant about all the calls he feels unjustly went against Real Salt Lake.

The gist of Kreis’ rant? The refs in MLS are bad. No, really, they’re not that good. Glad Kreis let us know.

In all seriousness, ranting about how bad the refs are in MLS is a better way to go than the whole, "I smell a plot to keep RSL down" overtones in Kreis’ diatribe. That conspiracy must have kicked in after last year, when RSL benefited from some suspect calls that turned a 3-1 deficit in the 90th minute into a 3-3 tie against the Red Bulls almost exactly a year ago (it’s not like it wasn’t his first match as RSL head coach).

Bad calls happen, even moreso in MLS. They balance out over time. Save yourself the fine money next time (though I have a feeling RSL will be picking up the tab for Kreis’ rant.)

What do you think of the stories (and what do you think of those new D.C. uniforms)? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m very glad about the VW sponsorship. This is the kind of company that the MLS needs to be associated with. I was a bit troubled by Red Bull buying the NY team, but they seem to be doing a good job. What really bothers me are the kit sponsors HerbaLife and XanGo. These Multi Level Marketing companies (like Amway) are just 21st century snake oil salesmen that use cult-like techniques to move their products. The MLS should end their association with them as soon as possible.

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  2. The oft-heard notion that bad calls even out in the end is statistically dubious and certainly not proven true.

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  3. damn, i like VW… o well, i just gotta keep thinking “They’re an MLS sponsor” and forget about the DC part…

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  4. Wah!!! I’m a North American soccer fan and when MLS doesn’t do things like Europe I cry and complain! Now that they do I’m going to cry ang complain anyway. Wah!!!

    What the heck do people want? Its a single color logo on the front of a jersey no different than Arsenal, Milan, Real Madrid, etc…

    Get over yourselves and be thankful for the $3+ mil that come with it. MLS needs it since people won’t pay in numbers to go see the games.

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  5. Kreis crying about the refereeing? Say it ain’t so… Same ol’ Kreis, just on the other side of the line.

    Lets figure out why it’s really worth so much for VW to be on DCU’s shirt. Is VW trying to get a bigger market share in Argentina? Bolivia? They already own the soccer yuppy market in the US. Hey maybe now DCU will sell shirts for the same reason the hippy kids in college used to own the VFL Wolfsburg shirts despite having no clue who or what the soccer team was.

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  6. As a Rapids fan I have no love for RSL, but they really did get screwed out of 2 points by the refs.

    I don’t see any anti-RSL conspiracy, but I’ve noticed that LA (particularly at the end of last season) gets an awful lot of suspicious PK’s and other calls in their favor.

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  7. I’m a DC fan, and I’m not terribly bothered by the corporate branding. At least, it’s just a commercial on the shirt and not more.

    I haven’t seen mention here about the fact that VW is picking up the tab for all parking for Thursday’s game at RFK. Which is an appreciated move. They’ll also be giving free parking at RFK to the first 50 VWs for the rest of the season. And they are giving players and staff at United employee discounts if they want to purchase a VW. Pretty cool moves.

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  8. FWIW – VW is the 4th or 5th biggest carmaker in the world. It’s behind Toyota, GM, and Ford, and now that DiamlerChrysler split, I think it’s in the 4-spot. It’s much bigger than Honda and the others.

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  9. So this will turn into a VW blog?! I think any way we can get caught up with the rest of the world is magic. Yeah sure, the car isn’t the Opal of the world… but does any of the rest of the world really know what Herbalife is??

    In the end DC is the most progressive team in the league and it’s proven in their success over the years. Who else can change more than half their starting lineup and stay respectable?

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