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Expansion news never stops. There is always something happening and I can't get enough of it. The New York Times reported that NYCFC will play at Yankee Stadium for their first three years. First, can't wait to hear Yankees fans complain, music to my ears. Second of all, the new rules of MLS expansion are money trumps all. The Don always said stadium plans were vital but with Beckham, Blank and Man City, it is clear a lot of money can overcome that. Some people may complain but I think these new ownership groups are the type that can push the league forward and it's worth waiting for their own stadiums to get these owners in the league.
[ED: Counterpoint to this opinion is provided, in this case, by Steve Goff of the Washington Post:
At this point, NYCFC and Miami Beckhams may as well cohabitate with Atlanta Blanks in Falcons new stadium #ExpansionRemorse
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) April 15, 2014
[Here's to hoping #ExpansionRemorse is a hash-tag that doesn't need routine use going forward.]
Academy in Dallas Cup
The Fire Academy opened up Dallas Cup play yesterday. The U'17's tied Montreal 2-2 and the U-13's won 2-0 in their opening game. The U.S. U-20's beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 also. The Dallas Cup is the premier youth soccer tournament in the country and it's nice to see the kids doing well and earning valuable experience.
Win Michael Bradley's Cleats
Jesse Bignami, the USMNT kitman was given a pair of cleats by Michael Bradley after a camp a little while back. Now the two have decided to sell raffle tickets to the give cleats away and donate the money to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in New Jersey where Bradley is originally from. This is great and I applaud both of them.
USMNT Players Excel in Return to MLS
SB Nation MLS master Jeremiah Oshan looks at the success of USMNT players returning to MLS. Bradley, Dempsey, Edu and Parkhurst have all been excellent this year. It's great to see these players come back to improve the league and play well too. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more guys join the league this summer.
Andrea Pirlo Autobiography
It's not MLS news but Andrea Pirlo is releasing an autobiography. The bearded wizard who have been destroying Italy with free kicks all year pulls back the curtain on his career. In this excerpt, he talks about how Pep Guardiola tried to sign him. We all know these two met in a dimly lit room with a fine bottle of wine and a guy playing piano in the background as they wore tailored suits, ate expensive cheese and discussed their favorite classical composers.
