When my kids were younger, one of the teammate families had an unused horse arena behind their house (they were between horses), about the size of an indoor soccer field. And it had lights! They grew some grass and offered it as a team practice site. It took less than a week to get it registered with Cal South as the _____ Family Soccer Field so that it was covered by the same insurance as the city parks.
Wall Street Journal article: "American Soccer Needs More Players" (ugh)
- Thread starter oh canada
- Start date
When my kids were younger, one of the teammate families had an unused horse arena behind their house (they were between horses), about the size of an indoor soccer field. And it had lights! They grew some grass and offered it as a team practice site. It took less than a week to get it registered with Cal South as the _____ Family Soccer Field so that it was covered by the same insurance as the city parks.
LA84 Foundation still has money left for supporting youth sports. It is leftover profits from the 1984 LA Olympics.
https://la84.org/
I'm a big fan of LA84. I use it as an example when people say the Olympics are money losers. They are losers if poorly run, or run by a country that can't afford it in the first place. Salt Lake 2002 is another good example that has a very positive Olympic legacy. I'm fortunate to have attended LA84 and SLC2002...awesome memories.
jpeter
PREMIER
U.S. Soccer Invites South American Teams for Rich New Tournament in 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/sports/us-soccer-copa-america-conmebol.html
"U.S. Soccer has invited South America’s 10 soccer federations to bring their national teams to the United States in 2020 for a new intercontinental championship that would run concurrently with that summer’s European Championship.
The offer, a package that includes almost $200 million in guarantees to the invited teams and their governing bodies, was made Tuesday in a letter from U.S. Soccer’s president, Carlos Cordeiro, to his counterparts at the 10 South American federations. For the past year, soccer officials across the Americas have held discussions about creating a quadrennial tournament involving national teams from both hemispheres, but with no agreement in sight, U.S. Soccer, eager to fill a gap in the global soccer calendar and bearing an enticing nine-figure offer, is now proposing to establish its own.
In the letter, Cordeiro said U.S. Soccer was offering to underwrite the new event and guarantee each nation — and both confederations — millions of dollars in appearance fees, subsidized travel and bonuses for each point earned. The champions could take home a prize of more than $11 million. Cordeiro has invited the South Americans to a meeting to discuss the proposal next week in Miami"
Underwriting tournments to entice other nations in showing up? Seems like a strange gamble given the needs elsewhere but if it makes money?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/sports/us-soccer-copa-america-conmebol.html
"U.S. Soccer has invited South America’s 10 soccer federations to bring their national teams to the United States in 2020 for a new intercontinental championship that would run concurrently with that summer’s European Championship.
The offer, a package that includes almost $200 million in guarantees to the invited teams and their governing bodies, was made Tuesday in a letter from U.S. Soccer’s president, Carlos Cordeiro, to his counterparts at the 10 South American federations. For the past year, soccer officials across the Americas have held discussions about creating a quadrennial tournament involving national teams from both hemispheres, but with no agreement in sight, U.S. Soccer, eager to fill a gap in the global soccer calendar and bearing an enticing nine-figure offer, is now proposing to establish its own.
In the letter, Cordeiro said U.S. Soccer was offering to underwrite the new event and guarantee each nation — and both confederations — millions of dollars in appearance fees, subsidized travel and bonuses for each point earned. The champions could take home a prize of more than $11 million. Cordeiro has invited the South Americans to a meeting to discuss the proposal next week in Miami"
Underwriting tournments to entice other nations in showing up? Seems like a strange gamble given the needs elsewhere but if it makes money?
Dump FIFA.
First of all, US Soccer isn't stupid. You can bet they have all their TV rights and sponsors lined up under letters of intent and know exactly what the anticipated "rights" revenues are going to be, before agreeing to underwrite anything. They probably have about $300M in rights tentatively wrapped up, but whatever the number its north of $200M.
Second, its smart of US Soccer and its World Cup organizing committee to throw this mini World Cup event and they will likely use the same venues as they intend to use come 2026, so consider this a money-making dry run, which represents a good learning opportunity.
Agree, this is a great idea. Glad to read Canada and other Concacaf nations included. BTW, World Cup 2026 Finals should be held in Toronto, not LA!!!! More central location, better global food, better beer, and legal cannabis
There are something we can joke about and some things we cannot. Toronto? Central? The Brazilians probably are objecting and voting for Miami. Better global food? Possibly, but unlikely when you look at Los Angeles due to the fact that more fresh ingrediants are available year round (heck, ask a Korean in Soul who has the best Korean food and they answer its in LA). Legal cannabis? Fine.
But you have crossed a line, CROSSED IT I SAY!!!! Best beer? This is precisely why we need a freaking wall on our northern border too and probably some sort of "firewall" (or icewall) for the internet. Way too many canucks with their misinformed commie rhetoric ... better beer my butt (unless we are talking about that piss-water colored swill sold by Bud, Miller and Coors ... then I agree)
Since the collective wisdom on this Forum likes comparing the stats of 7 year old girls teams and arguing over what Pre-DA, Pre-ECNL, PREpubescent 7v7 team could beat some other prepubescent 7v7 team from North Carolina, I bring you the Beer Advocate's beer stats:
'Merica has no beer in the top 100 with a score lower than 4.5. None lower. https://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/us/
As we move up to visit our so-called-friends in Canada the beer situation get's worse, much worse. https://www.beeradvocate.com/lists/ca/ Please make note of the fact that the Highest Ranking Canadian beer has a score of 4.45 (style is American Imperial Stout, which was really put on the map by Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan), the first 10 beers all are styles defined here in the States, Belgium and Russia. Does Canada even have their own style of beer?
@oh canada, aside from being world leaders in Zamboni technology, I think we can add one more reason to the list:
outside!
DA
Canada hosted the Women's World Cup on turf. They never deserve another chance.Agree, this is a great idea. Glad to read Canada and other Concacaf nations included. BTW, World Cup 2026 Finals should be held in Toronto, not LA!!!! More central location, better global food, better beer, and legal cannabis
jpeter
PREMIER
Well Conmebol Rejects U.S. Soccer’s Offer for New Tournament
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/sports/conmebol-us-soccer-copa-america.html
"South America’s top soccer official on Thursday rejected an invitation to take part in a proposed intercontinental tournament hosted and financed by U.S. Soccer in the summer of 2020, saying the continent’s governing body preferred to maintain the primacy of its own continental championship, the Copa América.
U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro had made the offer for a combined tournament featuring South America’s 10 teams and six from the region comprising North and Central America and the Caribbean in a letter earlier this week. U.S. Soccer’s offer would have been worth tens of millions of dollars for the South American teams, their regional rivals who took part, and the two confederations governing soccer in the Americas.
But in a letter to Cordeiro dated Wednesday, first reported by the Brazilian news outlet Globo, the president of the South American federation, Alejandro Dominguez, categorically rejected the invitation to a proposed Continental Cup in 2020. Dominguez’s letter cited a lack of FIFA approval for the new event, but also a preference to prioritize the Copa América, which is the oldest international soccer championship in the world.
why is the USSF in the soccer tournament promotion business anyway? Don't see that in the charter or anything like that and they have more pressing things to spend resouces on like hiring some coaches for the YNT or something that acutally helps soccer in the usa? Giving away millions in incentives to play in promotional tournments seems like a profit for business.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/sports/conmebol-us-soccer-copa-america.html
"South America’s top soccer official on Thursday rejected an invitation to take part in a proposed intercontinental tournament hosted and financed by U.S. Soccer in the summer of 2020, saying the continent’s governing body preferred to maintain the primacy of its own continental championship, the Copa América.
U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro had made the offer for a combined tournament featuring South America’s 10 teams and six from the region comprising North and Central America and the Caribbean in a letter earlier this week. U.S. Soccer’s offer would have been worth tens of millions of dollars for the South American teams, their regional rivals who took part, and the two confederations governing soccer in the Americas.
But in a letter to Cordeiro dated Wednesday, first reported by the Brazilian news outlet Globo, the president of the South American federation, Alejandro Dominguez, categorically rejected the invitation to a proposed Continental Cup in 2020. Dominguez’s letter cited a lack of FIFA approval for the new event, but also a preference to prioritize the Copa América, which is the oldest international soccer championship in the world.
why is the USSF in the soccer tournament promotion business anyway? Don't see that in the charter or anything like that and they have more pressing things to spend resouces on like hiring some coaches for the YNT or something that acutally helps soccer in the usa? Giving away millions in incentives to play in promotional tournments seems like a profit for business.
oh canada
GOLD
LOVE this post MWN! And agree, it's a topic that actually matters vs. who is going to win State/National Cup...yawn.
Us Canadiens or Canadians as Americans spell, are common folk with no regard for foofy clothes, metrosexual beauty products, plastic surgery, nor high-maintenance beer. So, when claiming to have the best, I'm talking about the brands available to the masses, in the bars and at the local liquor stores. The brands that matter. Those that we drink after shooting moose, fishing the lake or skating home from work (it's really a thing in cities like Ottawa). Not those unknown beers that some guy wearing only his underwear and a handlebar moustache concocted in his Portland basement, entered a contest and won. So yes, I'm talking about Molson vs. Budweiser et al. No contest. I'm thirsty.
Sheriff Joe
DA
Build the Wall.
USSF obviously did it because it made $50 million off the Copa Centenario (a one off event), which is the primary source of USSF's current surplus. It was presumptuous of the USSF to think Conmebol would be interested in a tournament that effectively copies Copa America (even with the offer of healthy financial incentives). The fact that USSF didn't even have FIFA approval smacks of a desperate attempt to make US Soccer relevant after missing the World Cup. I'm not opposed to USSF hosting a profitable international tournament but this one was not well conceived.
From what I have heard, US Soccer floated the idea to a few of the other South American federations (CBF, etc.) who were in favor (money was good). The response was, yes, we would be interested, however, why don't you offer it to Conmebol first. US Soccer did, and got a response that may have been expected. No problem, US Soccer will just switch gears and invite various federations, skipping Conmebol altogether. We will still likely see the Brazilians and other higher level countries interested and as long as no conflict with their regional tournament, participation should be good.