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MLS Ticker: D.C. United hires Populus for stadium design; Impact sign Costa Rican Venegas; and more

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By DAN KARELL

D.C. United has hired one of the top sports-stadium architecs to build and design their new home.

The Washington Post reported that in late July, D.C. United hired Populus, formerly known as HOK Sport, to design their future MLS stadium.

“This stadium should be transformative not just for the soccer fans but for the neighborhood,” Joe Spear, a Populus senior principal told the Post. “This should make that the place to be.”

Populus was the designed behind many of the world’s biggest and best stadiums, including the Arena Das Dunas World Cup stadium, the Emirates Stadium and Olympic Stadium in London, and MLS venues in Houston, Kansas City, Commerce City, Colorado, and the future Orlando City SC stadium.

Last June, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. United came to an agreement over a stadium deal, with the city providing approximately $150 million to acquire land on Buzzard Point for D.C. United to build their stadium, of which the construction would be privately financed.

D.C. council has until Sept. 30 to finalize the land swap agreements with various property owners, including real estate company Akridge.

Here are some more stories to catch you up around MLS:

IMPACT SIGN COSTA RICAN INTERNATIONAL VENEGAS

Days after adding Didier Drogba, the Montreal Impact made another international signing, though one with a little less glitz and glamor.

The Impact announced on Monday that they have signed Costa Rican midfielder Johan Venegas in a transfer from Costa Rican club LD Alajuelense. The Impact said that target allocation money was used in this transfer.

“We are very happy to have completed the transfer and signing of Johan Venegas,” said Impact technical director Adam Braz. “He is a quality player with international experience who can play in multiple positions. He will be a very good addition to the team.”

Venegas played four times for the Costa Rican National Team at the 2015 Gold Cup, and has scored four goals in 14 international appearances.

D.C. UNITED, IMPACT YOUTH TEAMS INVITED TO CONCACAF TOURNAMENT

For the first time, CONCACAF is hosting an under-13 international tournament.

CONCACAF announced the creation of the CONCACAF Under-13 Champions League Invitational, which will see the Montreal Impact and D.C. United head to Mexico City for the tournament, which will take place at Cruz Azul’s training ground.

The Impact and D.C. United are two of the eight teams involved, which includes Mexican club Toluca.

“We are very excited about the kickoff of this inaugural Under-13 Champions League Invitational — our youngest category to date to compete in a CONCACAF-sanctioned tournament,” CONCACAF Acting General Secretary Ted Howard said in a statement. “This is a great initiative for youth across the Confederation.”

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What do you think of these developments? What do you think of the latest D.C. United stadium renderings? Do you see Venegas entering the Impact starting lineup this month? What do you think of a CONCACAF U-13 tournament?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m very excited about the decision to bring in HOK Sport/Populous. They’re the same folks who created Camden Yards for the Orioles….very much in to creating iconic stadia that are great for the fans, capture some classic elements while bringing in updated features….”timeless” is the best way to describe their MO vision as architects.

    Reply
      • I disagree. It’s basic. Really basic. But I like the sight lines. Love that it’s up the hill from two train stops.

        RBA, it ain’t. But hey, my local MLS team plays at RFK…

        When I took my ten year old daughter to Saputo a couple months ago she started in with the “RFK is such a dump” stuff again. What am I gonna do, tell her she’s wrong when she’s right?

      • you could tell her the same thing i tell my daughter: “yeah, but it’s *our* dump.” also, mine’s young enough to think the stands were purposefully installed to be bounced on.

    • Not at all extreme. The more often youth players are exposed to equal or higher levels of competition the better it is for their development. This is a good starting point. Hopefully it gets expanded to include more teams.

      Reply
    • Two problems with a U13 focus
      You can’t identify players that will develope into full pro athletes at that age.
      You will destroy kids perspective. Freddy Adu.

      Reply
      • It’s true that generally speaking identifying talent is harder the younger the player but I don’t see anything wrong with it per se.

    • Definitely extreme.

      I don’t see them teaching. I see them trying to win.
      I don’t see them moving guys around to mulitple positions, I see them trying to win.

      Reply
  2. Another open-ended stadium that looks to be a carbon copy of the generic stadiums MLS is building around the league.

    Underwhelmed, but at least it would be an upgrade over the rat-infested RFK.

    Reply
  3. Just don’t do another stub hub or MLS 1.0 stadium please.
    Make it better than Houston’s and san joses 🙂
    I would steal Liverpool’s new stadium design, they ain’t gonna make it so steal the design 🙂
    Another design is Philadelphia unions that never happen,that’s nice.

    Reply
      • Houston stadium design flaw is the 3 part roof that does nothing. Should’ve been a fully enclosed stadium with heat.

        Also the location is weak. Looks like squeezed in a stadium that was too small for the plot of land.

    • not sure the issue with SJ Stadium? I’ve been to every bay stadium and quite a few around the country and it is, after AT&T the second best in the Bay, and yes better than Levi’s for a couple reasons, it cost $1.3b to have people bake in the sun, have crappy parking and have a terrible field? Avaya is a beauty..

      Reply
    • DC brass is so damn cheap…They could bring in a DP and contend for the title also. They have a good team, but not elite.

      Reply
      • I don’t think they are cheap. I think they are waiting for their rebirth before they start throwing money away. They have been bleeding money as is due to their stadium situation. Once they are playing in their new digs I bet you will see an SKC type of revitalization at the club. Fans will be invigorated, and once the owners start making money they will open the pocket books. Patience is the enemy of the fan. But for the owners? I think they are doing it right. Oh yeah, and cheap ass DCU are top of the league sans high profile DP’s so there is that.

      • Yeah. My assumption is that their going to try and play moneyball and do the best they can with cheap players (which they’re pretty damn good at this season), and then they’ll throw some cash around for the opening of their new stadium.
        So: stadium gets all the landswap finalized and designed by the end of 2015…ground broken and site prep/clean up in 2016…constructed in 2017…open for 2018 season??? Is that a realistic and reasonable timeline. I’m not a DC resident but my understanding is that the site might have some environmental challenges for cleanup, and that construction is rarely as fast as you’d get in other cities. Is that fair to say?

      • DCU has told season ticket holders we will get at least one game in the new stadium during the 2017 season.

        On the stadium quality front, I’m afraid that the cheapness of the ownership group will continue for the forseseable future. The stadium is basically a discount version of Avaya. It doesn’t even approach the quality of KC. See renderings here. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2015/08/03/united-hires-nationals-park-architects-to-design-stadium/

      • DC is in first ( and you are getting a new stadium )

        Start crying when you lose 7 out of the last 9 games.

    • Red, I still have my doubts. I’ll really let my defenses down and start to believe it when they break ground…

      When I can drive past the site and see progress with my own two eyes, I’ll start to believe it. This isn’t our first time to the rodeo, ya feel me?

      Reply
  4. In another announcement, the New England Revolution have not signed anybody today. While the Revolution have multiple needs, GM Mike Burns was heard to say “It’s very hard to find quality players on a free transfer that are willing to play for 50K or less but we are still looking.”

    Reply
    • Venegas was soooo good for Costa Rica during the gold cup. I really hoped a team in MLS would pick him up. Glad to see MLS bringing solid talent into the league.

      Reply

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