By Ben Nicholson
August 21 – MLS’ Atlanta expansion team has received more than 14,000 season ticket applications, three years in advance. The team is yet to possess a squad, manager, even a name, and won’t play a game until 2017. However, this has not prevented the local community showing their excitement.
By Paul Nicholson
August 20 – With just two weeks to go before the start of the Central American Cup 2014, telecoms group Tigo have stepped up as title sponsors for the championship which is being played in the US for the first time.
August 15 – MLS side FC Dallas has decided to delay creating their own USL team until 2016, and are instead seeking an affiliate for 2015. The USL is the second tier of professional soccer in the US.
By Paul Nicholson
August 13 – The debut of a team from Belize in the CONCACAF Champions League will have to wait for at least another season after confederation inspectors ruled that their pitch was unplayable. Belize Premier League champions Belmopan Bandits will be replaced in the competition by Costa Rica’s Club Sport Herediano.
August 12 – Premier League club Sunderland and D.C. United from the MLS have announced a business partnership. Both clubs have agreed to promote one another in their respective markets, whilst sharing coaching and business expertise.
By Ben Nicholson
August 8 – The mid-week MLS All-Star game set another high mark for this summer of US soccer that has seen all records being broken. Bayern Munich were defeated 2-1 in the 19th All-Star game in front 21,733 spectators at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, sponsored by AT&T.
By Paul Nicholson
August 6 – In the fight against match-fixing CONCACAF has extended its agreements with sports betting monitoring companies Sportradar and FIFA EWS for the 2014-15 competition period.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 6 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in what appeared to be a unilateral stance not sanctioned by US soccer officials, says the MLS is to change its calendar to fall into line with Europe and much of the rest of world football.
By Ben Nicholson
August 6 – The speculation surrounding the future of Chivas USA continued this week as the MLS community was gathered in Portland for the MLS All-Star game activities. Deputy commissioner Mark Abbott stressed that the league wants to keep Chivas USA in Los Angeles, suggesting a possible stadium location in downtown LA.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 5 – The World Cup may be a month old but surprise quarterfinalists Costa Rica, with just 4.3 million inhabitants, are far from resting on their laurels after disproving more than a few myths about being one of the underdogs in Brazil.
By Ben Nicholson
August 5 – This past weekend saw a major breakthrough for soccer in the USA. Average attendance figures for the ten professional soccer matches of the weekend was higher than the average attendance figures for the 15 Major League Baseball games over the same period.
By Ben Nicholson
August 5 – The bidding war for the final expansion team spots in the MLS has intensified further as the previously thought long shot Sacramento has raised eyebrows with a big money investor.
August 4 – A regional club Futsal championship will make its debut in CONCACAF at the end of this month in Guatemala. The draw for the inaugural CONCACAF Futsal Club Championship was held last week with six clubs representing their member associations.
July 31 – Honduras is to host the CONCACAF U17 boys championship in February next year. Meanwhile the confederation has announce that the crucial 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, the regional qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada next year will be played in four host cities in the United States: Chicago, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
July 31 – New York City FC has announced that Hays, a British company providing recruitment and human resources services, will be its official recruitment partner for at least the next three years. According to NYC FC, Hays will help “recruit the off-pitch talent [NYC FC] need”.