11.5.14
ASN Morning Read: A New Road for Altidore?
Are you not entertained? The United States forward seems to be exploring options as he searches for playing time; Major League Soccer gets marginally better ratings; Danny Williams gets healthy.
BY
Noah Davis
Posted
November 05, 2014
8:25 AM
Jozy Altidore's agent will meet with Sunderland next week, which seems like a non-story but hey, we'll take it. "There's a lot of interest in Jozy. I've been approached by many clubs and we're going to evaluate everything in the next two months," Lyle Yorks told ESPN.com.
MLS on television: "Both ESPN and NBCSN experienced a big jump in viewers for their 2014 MLS regular-season broadcasts as compared to those during the 2013 season. Average viewers were up 9 percent for ESPN and ESPN2 combined, while the jump on NBCSN was 27 percent."
Getting healthy:
Can Sacramento FC join MLS?: Making California a four-team state while other parts of the country remain underrepresented by MLS may draw criticism, but the region has largely proven its support. North of Sacramento, soccer hubs Portland, Seattle and Vancouver are shining examples of the success MLS had during its last round of expansion. Nearby, the Earthquakes are moving into a new stadium next season and would provide a built-in rivalry for Republic FC in addition to rivalries with the Galaxy and the second LA team scheduled to relaunch in 2017. “First and foremost, we’re ready. We have the ticket base, we have the season ticket holders, we will have a stadium in three years. We’ve got phenomenal staff, we’ve got the coach, we’ve got everything we need.” Sacramento faces its own challenges to expansion, but the path the team is following—lower-league success with great fan support and committed local owners—is a proven method. Orlando City won two championships during its four years in USL Pro. It’s now headed to MLS as a 2015 expansion team. In its bid for the league’s 24th franchise, Sacramento is joined by competition from a nearby group in Elk Grove, Calif., Minnesota, San Antonio and Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, here's a love letter to the NASL's Indy XI: The story of Indy Eleven—or “Racing Indy”, to prick the ears of the long-term backers of the push for professional soccer in the city—was not always one of thousands of fans, flares and banners aloft, chanting European-style songs and rattling terraces. It was, in fact, the keyboards of a few such fans (believed to be just eight) that started the push for professional soccer to return to Indianapolis. “I think the way this team came together was completely unique,” said Derek Richey, one of Indy’s fans who has been with the club since it was merely a virtual reality. “Maybe it is a future model for other teams to come … the power of social media has been amazing.”
Would you like to know more about Tim Ream? Check it out.
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