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Tag: NASL
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NASL Power Rankings 2016: Week Nine
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: NASL Power Rankings 2016: Week NineThe NASL continues to confound as the spring season appears to be wrapping up. On any given week, anyone can beat anyone else, it seems. For those of us who predicted this year would be more lopsided than the one before (and seemed vindicated four or five weeks in), recent results have pushed against that…
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US Open Cup Interleague Play: How do they Fare Head to Head?
Categories: MediaContinue Reading: US Open Cup Interleague Play: How do they Fare Head to Head?This coming Wednesday, June 1st, we’ll reach the third round of the 104th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup – the round where we see the first interleague clashes of the upper professional divisions of US Soccer. While slowly growing in awareness and importance, the tournament still lags far behind England’s FA Cup and other domestic cup competetions. In…
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NASL Power Rankings 2016: Week Eight
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: NASL Power Rankings 2016: Week EightIt’s times like this that I think I owe readers (all five of you) a brief explanation of my perspective. I generally believe (in more than just sports) that three things influence results: fundamentals, systems, and luck. Fundamentals are simple—some rosters are better than others, some coaches are more prepared than others. Systems are more…
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Can Professional Soccer be Successful in Minnesota?
Categories: The AngleContinue Reading: Can Professional Soccer be Successful in Minnesota?The Minnesota State Legislature will soon decide the fate of a Minnesota United soccer-specific stadium at the Midway bus barn site in St. Paul, Minnesota. Just this weekend the Star Tribune editorial staff wrote a piece that warned legislatures not to squander the opportunity to bring MLS to our state. They correctly pointed out there…
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Stunning Strike from Venegas Leads Minnesota United in Win
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Stunning Strike from Venegas Leads Minnesota United in WinFirst half goals by Kevin Venegas and Stefan Pinho gave Minnesota United a 2-0 win that left the Jacksonville Armada still searching for their club’s first win away from home while Minnesota enjoyed its 13th straight undefeated game at the NSC. Minnesota found their rhythm quickly in Saturday nights match up against the Armada. In…
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Richie Ryan Sold to Miami FC for Record-Breaking Transfer Fee
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Richie Ryan Sold to Miami FC for Record-Breaking Transfer Fee2015 NASL Best XI midfielder Richie Ryan has been sold by Jacksonville Armada to expansion franchise Miami FC. Ryan was purchased for a $750k transfer fee according to a source with knowledge of the deal who wished to remain anonymous. The deal runs through the end of the 2018 season. Salary figures were not given.…
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A League of Their Own: the Cosmos, the NASL, and TV Deals
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: A League of Their Own: the Cosmos, the NASL, and TV DealsJust before the 2016 NASL season, the league announced several landmark broadcasting deals. They snagged four separate national broadcast deals with BeIn Sports and CBS Sports Network joining the existing ESPN3 and ONE World Sports (OWS) deals. Notably absent from these new broadcasts schedules, however, was the league’s flagship team, the New York Cosmos. On…
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NASL Power Rankings 2016: Week Two
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: NASL Power Rankings 2016: Week TwoThere was a moment on Saturday when Ottawa, Miami, and Rayo OKC were all winning and the creaky scaffolding of last week’s power ranking was poised to crash down. The former two are teams I’ve ranked among the worst in the league, and while I think more highly of Rayo, they were beating Carolina, a…
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Miami FC’s Marketing Goes Full Spring Break
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: Miami FC’s Marketing Goes Full Spring BreakMiami FC have their debut home opener coming up this weekend at FIU Stadium on Florida International University’s campus. And by the looks of it, they have opted for a marketing campaign that is essentially: “Look, hot college girls!” In the week leading up to their home opener, Miami FC have unabashedly used young women,…
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NASL Power Rankings 2016: Week One
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: NASL Power Rankings 2016: Week OneBasically nothing was learned in week one of the NASL, as three of the five matches were fought to tepid draws that seemed to indicate, above all, that no team was well prepared for the start of the campaign. Oh, and there were some terrible tackles. *** Can I say it? They are what we…
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2016 NASL Preseason Power Rankings
Categories: NewsContinue Reading: 2016 NASL Preseason Power RankingsAnother NASL season is just a week away, and that means it’s time for another season of NASL Power Rankings! They are very popular. As was the case last year, the plan is for the PR to run each week on Monday. This week’s preseason rankings will be followed by in-depth interviews with fans of…
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How the Deal Got Done: A look at St. Paul’s Minnesota United Stadium Coup
Categories: The AngleContinue Reading: How the Deal Got Done: A look at St. Paul’s Minnesota United Stadium CoupAt the beginning of 2015, Minneapolis looked a lock for Major League Soccer. Whether it would be in the ZygiDome or a Minnesota United stadium on the Farmer’s Market site, it was not going to St. Paul. Almost a year after MLS announced Minnesota United FC as a new franchise, Dr. Bill McGuire will be…
