Today’s News, Thursday , Dec.11

[denime]

No TFC News for now.



MLS commissioner visits BC Place

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced that Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber and MLS President Mark Abbott visited BC Place Stadium on Tuesday, to tour the facility as part of the league's due diligence in evaluating six potential MLS expansion markets.

"We're pleased to have had the opportunity to host Commissioner Garber and Mr. Abbott," said Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi. "The tour of BC Place was positive and I believe it will go a long way to supporting our bid to bring MLS to Vancouver."

Read more (http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2008/12/10/mls_vancouver_visit/)


Impact draw Mexican team
The Canadian Press

MONTREAL — The Montreal Impact will play three-time Mexican champion Santos Laguna in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League after a draw held Wednesday in New York.
The Impact, which had three wins, two draws and a loss in group stage play, will host the first leg between Feb. 24 and Feb. 26, then travel to Torreon for the second leg March 3-5.
Montreal has yet to set a precise date for its match and is still negotiating to play indoors at 55,000-seat Olympic Stadium.
Playing outdoors in the snow and cold at their home ground Saputo Stadium is hardly an option. But the team needs approval of three public bodies to use Olympic Stadium, which has been closed in winter in recent years due to concerns about the safety of its roof.

Read more (http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081210.wsptimpact1210/GSStory/GlobeSportsSoccer/home)


SUNSHINE (http://www.torontosun.com/sunshinegirl/)

[BuSaPuNk]

Morning D! Looks like the Impact has got a big road to go down in this next round. Hopefully they can pull it out. Be nice to see a Canadian team do well, even though it's not TFC. :(

[Cashcleaner]

Yanked from the article concerning Garber at BC Place:


"We were impressed with BC Place Stadium during yesterday's tour and believe that the downtown location in the heart of Vancouver's sports and entertainment district could provide a world-class environment for an MLS expansion team," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "Seeing the stadium helped to bring the renderings of the proposed renovations to life and confirmed that the renovations are on track to create an intimate soccer atmosphere."

I think this is possibly the strongest aspect of Vancouver's bid. Yes, you can criticise BC Place for having an artificial turf and the complications that can arise due to the very design of the building, but its location is akin to Toronto FC's - it's right downtown and easily accessible. Few other bidders can make the same boast.

[Oldtimer]

Commissioner Don Garber visited Portland this week and touched base with perhaps the most passionate fans any club team has north of the Mexican border. The fans of the Portland Timbers dating back to the initial NASL entry in 1974 have been more reminiscent of the die in the wool fans of European football than the casual “soccer mom” support MLS has typically courted. As football grows from a niche sport that is marketed to suburbanites to a game that resembles football outside the cocoon of American professional sporting life, Portland is the most natural place for MLS to grow.http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/portland-should-be-a-slam-dunk-for-mls/609


Don Garber, Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner, pleaded with the city of Portland, Oregon, to agree to development proposals submitted by Merrit Paulson, owner of the Portland Timbers, according to the Portland Business Journal.http://www.eufootball.biz/Clubs/6491-mls_commissioner_portland.html

If the stadium gets the nod, Portland and Miami will be the next two franchises, I would expect. The demographics for Portland sound promising.

[canadian_bhoy]

Check out the link for MLS news feed
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/World+Leagues/US+Major+League+Soccer

Looks like the SJ earthquakes are going on a field trip to London!

[rocker]

i wonder if in this economy the stadium will get funding in Portland though.
they are looking for a lot from the gov there.

[werewolf]

Check out the link for MLS news feed
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/World+Leagues/US+Major+League+Soccer

Looks like the SJ earthquakes are going on a field trip to London!

Guess they don't have any ambitions to get out of the basement of the league!

;)

[canadian_bhoy]

Red Bull Park also coming along quite nicely.

Easily will be the nicest stadium in the league next to Home Depot Centre
http://i36.tinypic.com/25grtow.jpg

[werewolf]

You can build a toilet made out of solid gold, but it still ends up with shite in it on a regular basis.

[TFC Cityboy]

^^^superb quote!

[Pigfynn]

You can build a toilet made out of solid gold, but it still ends up with shite in it on a regular basis.

Bwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!
:smilielol5:

[Shaughno]

Personally I think it'll be better than HDC... but Ravis, that is comedic genious right there. It's a shame you're a useless soul otherwise. ;)

[Steve]

Yeah, what do you mean next to? RBA will far surpass HDC. It will be the best stadium in the league, and hopefully inspiration for MLSE to put more than new seats into the BMO expansion (like, perhaps, some form of design element, something to cover up the aluminum stands perhaps).

[Mrs. Workie]

You can build a toilet made out of solid gold, but it still ends up with shite in it on a regular basis.


LOL, man, if we had signatures, that would be mine!

[jloome]

Wolf, you've given the Red Bulls stadium its new nickname: The Golden Toilet.

[denime]

Ibrahim faces Chelsea reserves

Reds striker plays for 54 minutes in defeat

Toronto FC striker Ibee Ibrahim played for 54 minutes in the second game of the Generation adidas European tour Wednesday. The MLS team fell 4-0 to Chelsea reserves. Earlier in the week, Ibrahim played the full game as Generation adidas lost 1-0 to Reading reserves. The team also watched Chelsea's Champions League match against CFR Cluj on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge.

Read more (http://toronto.fc.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081211&content_id=208612&vkey=news_t280&fext=.jsp&team=t280)

[JonO]

Oh no - another striker that can't score :eek: ;)

[Roogsy]

Wolf, you've given the Red Bulls stadium its new nickname: The Golden Toilet.

I like!