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American Soccer |OT2| Party Like It's 1999.

R

RBH

Member
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Atlanta United unveiled its plans for a $60-million “world-class” training complex on Franklin Gateway in Cobb County on Monday. Team owner Arthur Blank said the complex, in combination with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will make Atlanta the soccer capital of the southeast and nation.

Construction on the 30,000-square foot center will be completed by April 2017. The six fields — three grass and three artificial — are scheduled to be finished by January 2017. The team’s training camp for its inaugural season will start near the end of January. Because of the construction schedule, the team will likely attend MLS preseason training camps out of town until things are finished.

“I’m really excited about what we will build,” team president Darren Eales said.

The training center will house the team, the academy and the front office. It won’t be as large as what was proposed when the center was going to be constructed in DeKalb. The footprint in Cobb isn’t as big and the topography is slightly different. However, the philosophy behind the training center will be similar.

“Everyone feels connected to the team the whole way through,” Eales said.

That goes for the supporters as well. Blank said that training and practices will be open to the public.

The rooms in the center will be interconnected so that focus should be on what’s happening on the fields. One of the artificial fields, described by Eales as the show field, will have the same dimensions and same turf as what will be at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It will be sunk into the ground with berms on the side so the team’s supporters can watch select practices and any games that are hosted there. There will also be an observation deck from which people can watch.

The first team will practice on the grass fields that will face the southeast side of the building, which will be composed of glass. The front of the building will also be made of glass so that people walking in can see the training grounds. There is one door through which everyone, from those who work in the cafeteria to the players on the first-team, must walk through to enter the center. Eales said he and technical director Carlos Bocanegra thought that one door will help foster the unity the club wants.

The first-team locker room will be round, centrally located and with a high ceiling that will allow natural light. The Atlanta United logo will feature in the center of the room.

The academy will be in a wing, with the size of the locker rooms increasing by age group as the players are promoted and get a step closer to the first team. A first-team player will mentor a U18 player, with that cascading through the ranks.

“We want the kids to get glimpses of their first-team heroes,” Eales said. “We want everyone to prepare to be professionals. It’s about getting academy players to the first team and the matches.”

Continuing with the goal of the focus being on the fields, there will be a gym with a large door on one side of the building that can be raised to allow indoor/outdoor practice possibilities. Also facing the fields will be the tactics room and the physical therapy room.

“The idea is it’s a football training ground,” Eales said. “You want it to be about the pitch and the training.”

Because soccer players have the whole world as a marketplace, Blank said they tried very hard to listen to players, coaches and learn from other team’s best practices when the complex was being designed.

Eales said the training center and Mercedes-Benz Stadium should help he and Bocanegra as they recruit players for their first team.

“‘You’d have to be made of stone to not be impressed,” Eales said.
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http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/pro-sports/atlanta-united-shares-plan-for-world-class-trainin/nq68S/
 
M

Meier

Member
Very impressive for an American club. Not nearly at the level of the City Football Academy, but I think this probably compares favorably with Spurs' new training ground facility and would definitely be one of the most impressive in the world.
 
C

Cystm

Member
Apparently I did not save my changes last week for Fantasy Soccer. Three players with zero points in a double game week.

q1ruaHmmYYr60.gif
 
K

kIdMuScLe

Member
God.... That's a million times better than what I got from Galaxy. Just a ticket book and a pair of flip flops in the near future. :-/
 
C

Cornballer

Member
Quick note that MLS security and bag rules are changing, effective this weekend.
Major League Soccer announced on Tuesday that it will bring security measures at MLS events in line with those of other North American professional sports leagues, with new guest screening methods upon stadium entry beginning Saturday, April 23 at all Major League Soccer matches, Soccer United Marketing games, or United Soccer League matches played at MLS venues.

Under the new policy, all guests will be fully screened by use of a pat-down, wand or magnetometer.. Each venue will make its own decisions regarding what protocols will be used at events to reach this standard of security.

Additionally, all bags will be searched, and the league will now prohibit fans from bringing in large purses, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, luggage of any kind, computer bags, camera bags and any bag larger than 14-by-14-by-6 inches.

“Public safety is a top priority and the enhanced security measures will ensure that fans are able to continue to enjoy MLS and SUM events in a safe environment,’’ MLS President and Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott said in a league statement.

“The updated security measures bring us in line with professional sports leagues around the United States and Canada while maintaining the unique sports experience that is MLS,” said Ray Whitworth, Senior VP of Security and Operations.

“The safety of our fans, players and staff is paramount."

Individual venues may have additional restrictions on bags and other items entering the stadium. The increased security policy was unanimously supported by the MLS Board of Governors and involved input from all 20 MLS clubs.
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D

Dartastic

Member
Cornballer said:
Quick note that MLS security and bag rules are changing, effective this weekend.
Click to expand...
I fucking hate this rule. Especially in Portland, we NEED our bags sometimes to carry bike gear, rain gear, etc. This is a bullshit rule, and it's definitely not for "safety."

Sigh. Anyway, anyone want a ticket to Haiti v. Peru in Seattle for the Copa America? I'm not going to be able to make it to that game and i bought a venue pass. Got a seat somewhere low in the area that's traditionally the Seattle supporters section. Selling it for face value which is somewhere around $100.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
ZZMitch said:
So it looks like we have a friendly against Puerto Rico as a tune-up game for Copa America

... why?
Click to expand...
It's before the MLS players are released, so speculation is that it'll be mostly a U20/U23 roster at that point.

EDIT: Doug MacIntyre:
The USMNT will travel to Puerto Rico with only European- and Mexican-based players, including several youngsters who will not be on the squad for Copa America.
Click to expand...
 
A

Arials

Member
Meier said:
Very impressive for an American club. Not nearly at the level of the City Football Academy, but I think this probably compares favorably with Spurs' new training ground facility and would definitely be one of the most impressive in the world.
Click to expand...

I've just looked up the spec for Spurs' training ground and Atlanta's proposed facility is no where near the same level. Tottenham have an indoor artificial pitch, 15 outdoor grass pitches (vs 3 grass, 3 artificial for Atlanta), an altitude room, a swimming pool, a hydrotherapy complex, specialist sports rehabilitation suites... They even have an orchard and a small nature reserve.

The term "world class" always gets bandied around too easily in MLS press releases.
 
A

Azuran

Banned
Dr Campino said:
5 goals against in 6 games. Last week I heard a stat that they had 11 or 13 goals against in this many games last season.
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I'm still afraid this is all a good dream and we'll eventually go back to the embarrassing shenanigans of previous seasons. It feels weird not being terrified or expecting the absolute worse everytime opposing teams are in our half.
 
Z

zroid

Banned
That was a hand ball

let's say that's half way to even for those two hand ball non-calls in the penalty area which went against us earlier
 
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