By Mark Baber
September 24 – U.S. Soccer is standing by its decision to allow women’s national team goalkeeper Hope Solo to continue to play in the period up to her November 4 trial on domestic violence charges. Nike have also said they will stick by the player.
By Ben Nicholson
September 22 – The upcoming MLS expansion team NYC FC has targeted a new site for its soccer-specific stadium in the parking lot south of the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. Manchester City owned NYC FC will play its inaugural season, 2015, inside The Yankee Stadium – a baseball arena owned by the New York Yankees, who also own a fraction of NYC FC.
September 22 – The MLS has unveiled a new logo ahead of its twentieth season, to go along with its rebranding and rejuvenated aspirations to become a leading league in world soccer. Discarding the old boot and ball in black and white, the league has gone for the classic crest template normally seen as club logos.
September 22 – When Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a North American Soccer League (NASL) club, announced on its website that a major announcement was to be made on September 19, rumors started flying that David Beckham, whose group had suggested they had some announcements to make shortly too, may have had a change in strategy. However, the truth is that three Brazilians are the ones rocking this boat.
By Ben Nicholson
September 17 – Carlos Treviño, a Mexican politician, who was Secretary of Social Development in Querétaro from 2006-2009, has successfully damaged his hopes as a spokesperson for the people by making racist comments about Ronaldinho via Twitter. Feeling aggrieved about sitting in traffic that was caused by the hysteria surrounding Ronaldinho’s presentation to the fans at his new Mexican club, Quarétero, he expressed his malcontent by referring to Ronaldinho as an ape.
By Ben Nicholson
September 17 – The MLS is making progress with the sale of Chivas USA, but likely at the expense of the team’s absence in the 2015 season. The parties involved have been kept discrete, but it is thought that a combination of a wealthy American executive and a Mexican businessman will form the ownership structure of the LA-based club.
By Paul Nicholson in Los Angeles
September 15 – A piece of Central America came to Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night with the finals of the Central American Cup played out in front of a passionate and vocal Latino crowd approaching 50,000.
By Ben Nicholson
September 12 – Don Garber has signed a contract to continue on as MLS Commissioner for another five years. The deal will keep him as the head of US’s premier professional league until 2018, which would mark his twentieth year in the job.
September 11 – The race is hotting up in the Caribbean for qualifying places at the CFU Caribbean Cup finals in Jamaica this November. The finals will not only crown the Caribbean champions but will also provide the region’s qualifiers for the CONCACAF 2015 Gold Cup and the 2016 Copa America Centennario, both to be played in the US.
By Paul Nicholson
September 11 – Betting industry integrity body ESSA has signed an information sharing agreement with CONCACAF, the only hook-up for the online sportsbook organisation with a football confederation. ESSA already has agreements with FIFA and a number of national federations including the English FA and Germany’s DFB.
September 9 – FIFA has contacted Cayman Islander Canover Watson for more information regarding his arrest in connection with an alleged corruption and money laundering investigation.
September 9 – MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps are still in the process of discussing plans for a USL Pro team with the local community, despite their intention to start play in the 2015 season. The club signed a memorandum of understanding with New Westminster (part of the Greater Vancouver district) in July but have yet to finalise stadium plans.
By Paul Nicholson in Miami
December 8 – CONCACAF has completed the final draw for the CONCACAF Women’s Championship 2014. The eight team finals, to be played this October, will not only crown a CONCACAF champion but will also qualify three teams for the finals next year in Canada (Canada qualify automatically as hosts) with a fourth team getting a play-off against the third-placed CONMEBOL team.
By Ben Nicholson
September 5 – MLS executive officials have set a September 18-19 date to visit Sacramento to assess their potential as an expansion team, according to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. MLS Commissioner Don Garber is expected to be on the trip.
September 5 – The Jamaican Premier League launched this week with the announcement that Red Stripe has committed to the sponsorship of the competition for the next five seasons.