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

R

RBH

Member
BobbyDoddStadium.jpg


Citing the franchise’s promise to be as competitive as possible from Day 1, Atlanta United announced today the team will begin its inaugural campaign in 2017 playing a normalized schedule with a balanced slate of home games across the MLS season. To that end, the club will open play in the spring of 2017 at Georgia Tech’s historic Bobby Dodd Stadium, with home matches played there until Mercedes-Benz Stadium is ready for play in the summer of 2017. Previously, the club had planned to play its first three months entirely on the road.

“Our aim is to build a championship caliber soccer club and to be as competitive as we can from the start,” said Darren Eales, president of Atlanta United. “With the amount of excitement we’ve seen for the club, especially over the past few months as our season ticket sales have continued to rise, it was evident that playing at home for the first part of the season was in the best interest of our fans and our players. We’re very pleased that we are able to open the 2017 MLS season at Bobby Dodd Stadium.”

Last week, Atlanta United named Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino the club’s first head coach. Martino was briefed on the decision to play a balanced schedule by Eales during contract negotiations and the former Argentina national team coach endorsed opening home play at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Record-setting interest in the team from fans across metro Atlanta was a key factor in the decision. The club recently announced MLS-record ticket sales for an expansion team when it crossed the 22,000 threshold. Atlanta United has also staked claim to having one of the largest supporters sections in MLS, with just over 3,000 tickets sold to date.
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http://www.atlutd.com/post/2016/10/...march-2017-georgia-tech-s-historic-bobby-dodd
 
D

Dr Campino

Member
http://www.espnfc.us/story/2970386/toronto-fcs-michael-bradley-to-discuss-future-after-mls-season
Bradley previously played in Italy with Chievo and Roma from 2011-2014 before joining Toronto, and last week Sports Illustrated reported that Bologna and AC Milan had interest in signing the 29-year-old this winter.

Bradley says he's focused on helping Toronto in the MLS playoffs and the U.S. preparing for a World Cup qualifier against Mexico in November, but he left the door open for a possible move despite having multiple years left on his contract.
Click to expand...

I'd have mixed feelings about Bradley moving on, as we're likely to also see Cheyrou retire soon, but please not Bologna. He'll just get loaned out to Montreal.
 
C

Cystm

Member
I am going to be in NY in a few days, and would love to grab a drink with any of you Metro dudes if you are available. 16th-22nd.
 
M

Meier

Member
NOOOOOOO!! I didn't set my fantasy lineup or make any transfers. Villa and Piatti on my bench. FUCK! I had cut the lead to 2. :******(
 
C

Cystm

Member
That TFC/IMFC game was nuts. Seattle/FCD was too. If Frei would've scored on that header, man.

David Villa and BWP are still scoring. BWP and the Redbulls are in form though. BWP is most likely to take the golden boot.

Speaking of the Redbulls, that PK from Sacha was painful to watch. Adi's second PK was too. Dude channeled Kei Kamara on that rebound.

Hoping PTFC can still get in.
 
B

B-Dubs

No Scrubs
Dartastic said:
Diaz has a fucked Achilles. Not gonna happen.

I never want to see Adi take a penalty again. Dude always takes a soft shot. Too easy to save, too predictable.
Click to expand...

Colorado has to get through LA to win the shield and NYRB got eliminated from contention with Dallas's win today. They've basically got it wrapped up, unless LA folds that is.
 
G

GRW810

Member
I'm fine with the Shield situation in regards to the Red Bulls. Last few seasons we've been chasing it until the very end and burning out by post-season. We're in an ideal situation with one game to go - wrapped up top spot in the east and a bye without needing to battle for further points.

Next week we could - and should - rest a whole bunch of guys without consequence, allowing starters to recuperate for the play-offs.
 
R

RBH

Member
Cu8nBa2WgAA6gCh.jpg:large


Atlanta United won the coin flip with Minnesota United in Major League Soccer’s Expansion Priority Draft on Sunday and selected the top pick in the expansion draft.

Atlanta United and Minnesota United will begin play in MLS in 2017.

The Expansion Priority Draft is a six-part mechanism that helps determine how the expansion teams build their rosters.

The expansion draft will be held on Dec. 13. Each of the league’s 20 MLS teams will be allowed to protect 11 players. Atlanta United will get the first pick of those players that aren’t protected. Once a team loses a player, its remaining players can’t be picked in the draft. Each of the expansion teams will get to select five players.

The list of available players will come out on Dec. 11, giving Atlanta United roughly 48 hours to decide who it wants.

Atlanta United President Darren Eales said he chose the expansion draft over the SuperDraft because he felt that signing players with MLS experience will be the hardest to get a hold of as the team builds its 28-man roster. The team has already signed two players, Andrew Carleton and Chris Goslin, from its academy in a nod to potential.

Eales said he doesn’t yet know if Atlanta United will prioritize a position over a player in the expansion draft. That may be determined by the players the team agrees to terms with between now and the expansion draft.

With the next selection in the Expansion Priority Draft, Minnesota United chose the top pick in the SuperDraft, which will be held in January in Los Angeles.

Atlanta United then selected the top pick in the allocation order, giving the team priority on claims of U.S. men’s national team players, select U.S. youth national team players, and former MLS players who are no longer in the league and were sold for more than $500,000. For example, that pool could include Geoff Cameron, Tim Ream and Brad Guzan, who are playing in England.

Eales said the top picks in the expansion draft as well as the allocation order are valuable because they can also be used in trades. For example, to move up to No. 1 in the allocation order to sign U.S. men’s national team player Alejandro Bedoya, Philadelphia traded to Chicago general allocation money, targeted allocation money, the club’s natural first round pick in the SuperDraft and Discovery Priority on a player to be named later.

Minnesota United followed by selecting priority on NASL/USL players should it and Atlanta United try to claim the same player in one of the other leagues in the U.S.

Atlanta United followed by selecting priority in the waiver/re-entry pool, with Minnesota finishing the Expansion Priority Draft with top claims in Discovery.

Atlanta United will play its home games at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium in March, part of April and May while construction on $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium continues. The team will train at its $60 million headquarters that are under construction in Marietta. The team has eight players on its roster and will be coached by Gerardo Martino.

The last expansion draft, held for Orlando City and NYCFC in 2014, featured 10 rounds. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was taken by the Lions with the first selection.
Click to expand...
http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/atlanta-united-will-get-top-pick-in-mls-expansion-/nsrd9/
 
B

B-Dubs

No Scrubs
Dartastic said:
Ah, I thought you were talking about the treble.
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I honestly don't think we'll see a treble until someone can clinch the shield by the end of August or the salary cap goes away. There just isn't enough depth on any team to pull it off unless something changes or a god-killing team shows up.
 
C

Cystm

Member
B-Dubs said:
I honestly don't think we'll see a treble until someone can clinch the shield by the end of August or the salary cap goes away. There just isn't enough depth on any team to pull it off unless something changes or a god-killing team shows up.
Click to expand...

The Sounders had a decent shot in 2014, until they got bounced out of the playoffs.
 
C

Cornballer

Member
Pulisic starting for Dortmund in the CL today.

Also, this note from Grant Wahl re Nagbe:
As ESPN’s Taylor Twellman reported last week, Darlington Nagbe did turn down a call-up for the U.S. national team’s recent friendlies against Cuba and New Zealand. I’m told that “family time” wasn’t the only reason Nagbe decided not to come, though.

Part of the reason was a lack of playing time, but there were other ways in which Nagbe didn’t feel valued by Klinsmann. Sources in Portland and with U.S. Soccer say that Nagbe had conversations with Klinsmann and the national team staff, and those sources now think it’s possible that Nagbe may not get called back in to the team moving forward.

The Liberia-born Nagbe earned his first cap with the U.S. national team last November, after securing his U.S. citizenship. He has a goal and five assists in 26 games (all starts) with Portland this season in MLS. He has 10 caps and one goal with the U.S.
Click to expand...
:/
 
D

Dartastic

Member
Cornballer said:
Pulisic starting for Dortmund in the CL today.

Also, this note from Grant Wahl re Nagbe::/
Click to expand...
Goddamnit. I always thought that the family thing was very likely; he's definitely a family man and has two very young children.

I also can see why he could be insulted/pissed by the lack of playing time. When we saw him get on the pitch he was excellent for the USA, and JK didn't see any reason to give him additional minutes which was insane. He was riding pine, and he probably felt his time may be better spent with his family and with his club who need him. It's really fucking unfortunate.
 
Z

zroid

Banned
is the first tiebreaker head to head or goal difference?

wondering if a NYC loss and TFC draw is enough to get the bye
 
D

Dartastic

Member
At this point I'm almost glad the season will probably be over. No road wins. Melano has been a complete mess and is gone next year. Center backs are shit. Can't win the ball without Chara. Sigh.
 
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