12/04/24
May 21, 2013
MLS announces expansion team New York City FC: Manchester City and the Yankees partner to pip Cosmos to the NYC MLS franchise, which will play in a purpose-built stadium in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens, starting in the 2015 season.
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 12:31 PM - 8 comments
This sounds cool, but I'm bummed that there are two teams in New York City and still none in the southeastern U.S. The closest MLS team to Florida is DC United.
posted by rcade at 02:34 PM on May 21, 2013
The "feeder" club concept (as with Watford) concerns me, but I believe MLS has a limit on foreign players? Also, I realize there is the cap (with exceptions); does that mean a ton of money (as in profits) will head back to England as opposed to benefiting this club (since it likely would have reserves, academies, community projects)?
posted by jjzucal at 03:02 PM on May 21, 2013
Well damn, I'll be able to walk to games!
posted by Hugh Janus at 06:58 PM on May 21, 2013
MLS requires a certain number of home nationals. As for profits, considering they'll need to pay off the stadium I doubt there'll be that much for a number of years. Plus, teams are allowed up to three Designated Players; for the DPs only $400k of salary counts towards the cap, which is how LA Galaxy had Beckham and have Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane.
Remember too that MLS is a single owner entity. That is, the league owns 51% of each of the teams and all the players sign contracts with the league. Owners own 49% of the team and a proportional share of the league. When players are sold to teams in say Europe, that fee goes to MLS, with the team getting a small share.
posted by billsaysthis at 11:36 AM on May 22, 2013
And by doing so, will further privatize Flushing-Meadows Corona Park. Bloomberg actually has three major projects cooking right now that will steal parkland from Queens residents for the benefit of private interests.
http://www.savefmcp.org/
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:39 AM on May 22, 2013
The stadium in Queens is not a done deal.
As a RBNY supporter, I've been against NY2 for a number a reasons. When the rumors started that MCFC would be involved, that jumped to the top of my list. The hypocrisy of MLS doing business with Sheikh Mansour after rolling out their 'Don't Cross the Line' campaign two months ago is almost laughable.
posted by goddam at 02:09 PM on May 22, 2013
posted by goddam at 04:30 PM on May 22, 2013
One
wonders whetherhopes that Sheik Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has understood the MLS salary cap and spending limits.