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[Football] America's true soccr city



Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 6, 2016
19,657
Indiana, USA
They have been wanting an MLS contingent for many years running. St Louis has finally gained an entry in MLS and their team is 5-0-0. Granted they were playing other recent expansion teams in the beginning but St Louis City SC beat Real Salt Lake in Salt Lake City last Saturday evening 4 - 0 and captured their 5th win on the trot. Their goal differential is +7 and they have scored 3+ goals in all but one match. Which was a 2-1 win over Portland at the Oregon city. Talk about having a fast start in a major American soccer city.



One reason that MLS’s decision to grant St Louis an expansion franchise was so celebrated was because of the city’s sporting history. Of the starting 11 who played for the US in their famous 1-0 victory over England in the 1950 Fifa World Cup, five hailed from The Hill neighbourhood in the Missouri city. League legends such as Brad Davis, Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman are also from St Louis, highlighting the city’s connection to soccer.
One of the features that sets the club apart from other teams in men’s sports is its women-led ownership group.

Headed up by the club’s president and chief executive, Carolyn Kindle, the make-up of the expansion club’s leadership is groundbreaking in MLS. Only a handful of women hold ownership stakes at other franchises, including Meg Whitman, a minority owner at FC Cincinnati, and Columbus Crew co-owner Dee Haslam.

Moore calls the group’s presence “authentic”, noting that the Taylor family comprises “a majority of very strong and powerful women who have had incredible business success”.

“Nothing can provide any organisation commercial success better than a dynamic leader,” he continues. “We have that in Carolyn. She’s with us every day and guiding that ship. That’s the most critical thing that we have.”


I actually was in St Louis the first home match weekend but couldn't go to the game because tickets were over $300 in the upper sections. I watched it in a pub which was part of a group of bars having "watch parties." The one I was at had over 400 over flowing in their good sized bar.
 






Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
25,922
The problem with franchise soccer is that you might support a team and they bugger off to another city.

If MK Dons caused such antipathy I dread to think how it would work out here.
 


Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 6, 2016
19,657
Indiana, USA
The problem with franchise soccer is that you might support a team and they bugger off to another city.

If MK Dons caused such antipathy I dread to think how it would work out here.

I won't deny that does happen with American sports but I don't think it will happen in St Louis with City SC. It's more common for a team to drop several levels in the EFL and the fans lose interest than a franchise gets moved in MLS/other North American leagues.
 






Change at Barnham

Well-known member
Aug 6, 2011
5,467
Bognor Regis
MLS fans just seem so cringe to me, it's nearly as bad as Palace "ultras"
That's no reason not to encourage the development of football in new markets.
If it helps encourage young people to follow football and become actively involved it must be a good thing.

I'm sure there are many things that make people cringe at Premier League games, including our own.
 


Green Cross Code Man

Wunt be druv
Mar 30, 2006
20,748
Eastbourne
MLS fans just seem so cringe to me, it's nearly as bad as Palace "ultras"
I don't think the Americans are 'putting anything on' though. Love it or hate it, it's a part of their culture. The Always Ultras though? They are totally fabricated and out of line with traditional fans. Watch their famous atmosphere and one will see a group behind the goal doing something unrelated to the game and usually all the other fans around the ground ignoring them - famous atmosphere, you must be joking.
 


Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,952
Surrey
The problem with franchise soccer is that you might support a team and they bugger off to another city.

If MK Dons caused such antipathy I dread to think how it would work out here.
They did this once, by moving San Jose to Houston. The outcry was so loud that San Jose were granted thei next expansion franchise two years later and took back all their history in the same way Wimbledon did off Milton Keynes.

It may happen again but I doubt it will be any time soon.

MLS fans just seem so cringe to me, it's nearly as bad as Palace "ultras"
This seems an odd thing to say. Places like St Louis and Portland have their own soccer cultures going back decades.
 
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ozzygull

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2003
4,165
Reading
They have been wanting an MLS contingent for many years running. St Louis has finally gained an entry in MLS and their team is 5-0-0. Granted they were playing other recent expansion teams in the beginning but St Louis City SC beat Real Salt Lake in Salt Lake City last Saturday evening 4 - 0 and captured their 5th win on the trot. Their goal differential is +7 and they have scored 3+ goals in all but one match. Which was a 2-1 win over Portland at the Oregon city. Talk about having a fast start in a major American soccer city.



One reason that MLS’s decision to grant St Louis an expansion franchise was so celebrated was because of the city’s sporting history. Of the starting 11 who played for the US in their famous 1-0 victory over England in the 1950 Fifa World Cup, five hailed from The Hill neighbourhood in the Missouri city. League legends such as Brad Davis, Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman are also from St Louis, highlighting the city’s connection to soccer.
One of the features that sets the club apart from other teams in men’s sports is its women-led ownership group.

Headed up by the club’s president and chief executive, Carolyn Kindle, the make-up of the expansion club’s leadership is groundbreaking in MLS. Only a handful of women hold ownership stakes at other franchises, including Meg Whitman, a minority owner at FC Cincinnati, and Columbus Crew co-owner Dee Haslam.

Moore calls the group’s presence “authentic”, noting that the Taylor family comprises “a majority of very strong and powerful women who have had incredible business success”.

“Nothing can provide any organisation commercial success better than a dynamic leader,” he continues. “We have that in Carolyn. She’s with us every day and guiding that ship. That’s the most critical thing that we have.”


I actually was in St Louis the first home match weekend but couldn't go to the game because tickets were over $300 in the upper sections. I watched it in a pub which was part of a group of bars having "watch parties." The one I was at had over 400 over flowing in their good sized bar.
I started following Toronto FC (TFC) ( Subcribed to Youtube Channel, Check out their results) they are in the Eastern Conference. The reason for this is I work for a Canadian Company, my boss is in Toronto (originally from Portugal) so has a big interest in football. I strangley found a TFC scarf in a charity shop in Reading, it only cost a pound. Gives me something to discuss on meetings other then Firewall issues ;-)

Their manager Bob Bradley used to be the manager of Swansea when they were in the Premier League.

They drawn a lot of games. The one I watched which was streamed free on Apple Player was against Phil Neville's Inter Miami which TFC won 2-0



1680012031380.png
 


Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 6, 2016
19,657
Indiana, USA
I started following Toronto FC (TFC) ( Subcribed to Youtube Channel, Check out their results) they are in the Eastern Conference. The reason for this is I work for a Canadian Company, my boss is in Toronto (originally from Portugal) so has a big interest in football. I strangley found a TFC scarf in a charity shop in Reading, it only cost a pound. Gives me something to discuss on meetings other then Firewall issues ;-)

Their manager Bob Bradley used to be the manager of Swansea when they were in the Premier League.

They drawn a lot of games. The one I watched which was streamed free on Apple Player was against Phil Neville's Inter Miami which TFC won 2-0


View attachment 158930


Bob Bradley's son, Michael Bradley is Toronto's CM.



1680013822349.png


They also have similar hair styles.
 






StonehamPark

#Brighton-Nil
Oct 30, 2010
10,133
BC, Canada
Soccer is already growing at a good pace in North America, with more and more parents leaning towards this as a sport as opposed to padded egg chase throwing.

The World Cup here will do wonders for the sport here too.

Some chants still very much cringe though, but it’ll improve over time.
 


Fignon's Ponytail

Well-known member
Jun 29, 2012
4,478
On the Beach
Surprises me that San Diego dont have an MLS team at all tbh, considering the large population of Latinos down that way, & a complete lack of NFL, NBA, and NHL teams in the city. Soccer is very popular, but they still only have a USL team with the San Diego Loyal (founded by Landon Donovan) playing in a uni stadium with a capacity of 6k.

https://www.sdloyal.com/

web.Starting-XI.jpg


Maybe one day...
 
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Marty McFly

Seagulls Over Canada
Aug 19, 2006
3,655
La Pêche, Quebec
I started following Toronto FC (TFC) ( Subcribed to Youtube Channel, Check out their results) they are in the Eastern Conference. The reason for this is I work for a Canadian Company, my boss is in Toronto (originally from Portugal) so has a big interest in football. I strangley found a TFC scarf in a charity shop in Reading, it only cost a pound. Gives me something to discuss on meetings other then Firewall issues ;-)

Their manager Bob Bradley used to be the manager of Swansea when they were in the Premier League.

They drawn a lot of games. The one I watched which was streamed free on Apple Player was against Phil Neville's Inter Miami which TFC won 2-0



View attachment 158930
After 10 years out here, 5 of which being roughly half-way between Montreal and Toronto, I still haven't decided on which of TFC or Montreal should be 'my' Canadian team.
 


Whoislloydy

Well-known member
May 2, 2016
2,495
Vancouver, British Columbia
I got tickets for Vancouver Whitecaps v LA Galaxy in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter final next week, should be a relatively good turnout for the Whitecaps!

I've stopped comparing it to European football a long time ago, the support is just different. North American sports have their own way of doing things. It's all about the matchday experience, an abundance of food choices, 50 different beers, halftime shows, pre-game shows, lottery draws etc etc etc.

Not looking forward to paying $30 a beer though.
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,289
Back in Sussex
MLS fans just seem so cringe to me, it's nearly as bad as Palace "ultras"
I had a fantastic time at Orlando City when I was there on a solo holiday a few years back.

I snagged a re-sale ticket in the safe standing area directly behind the goal, right in the middle of the "Ruckus". It was very latino-influenced and I'd not say it was fake or cringey in any way at all. I wouldn't say it was better or worse than my usual experience at the Amex, but it was certainly different and I had a great time.

 
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ozzygull

Well-known member
Oct 6, 2003
4,165
Reading
After 10 years out here, 5 of which being roughly half-way between Montreal and Toronto, I still haven't decided on which of TFC or Montreal should be 'my' Canadian team.
I used to work a bit in Montreal so looked out for them when they were Montreal Impact. But like any remote supporting plastic I have swapped to TFC because of a scarf 😊
 




Whoislloydy

Well-known member
May 2, 2016
2,495
Vancouver, British Columbia
After watching Vancouver Whitecaps get battered 3-0 at home by LAFC last night, I'm convinced your average MLS player would struggle in most league 1 teams.

The quality is genuinely awful in the MLS, I remember know why I don't bother going. And the fact that they had some seats in the middle sections that were $90 is a joke.

$18 a beer too, just shy of 11 quid.
 


Comrade Sam

Comrade Sam
Jan 31, 2013
1,922
Walthamstow
Just noticed the thread title, surely the America's true soccer city would be Buenos Aires or Rio. I don't want to appear a pedant, but this thread was about the USA and now Canada has been drawn in it should encompass the whole continent.
My cousins regularly watched the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 70s and my cousin would sing 'Go, go Johnny Lenadouzie!'
 


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