Once A Metro - All Posts

Red Bulls Set to Take on Reading United in Open Cup Third Round

2013-05-23T01:59:12Z

The Open Cup game between the Harrisburg City Islanders and Reading United, while practically a Philadelphia Union prospects game, also happened to determine who moves on to face the Red Bulls in the tournament's third round next week.

Anyway, Reading United, a PDL side made up primarily of college players, pulled off the upset, 1-0 over the USL City Islanders.

Thankfully, the third round match-up is an order of magnitude less tricky than last year's. No trip to Central Pennsylvania. No Jock Jams soundtrack. No crappy field. Still, there probably will be horrible refs, but, hey, you can't have everything.

The winner will go on the road to play either the New England Revolution or the Rochester Rhinos in the tournament's fourth round.

Mike Petke Throws Down the Gauntlet to NYCFC

2013-05-23T01:46:08Z

Alright, so the team's official statement on our new neighbors was tame. Too tame.

Enter Mike Petke. Speaking to Soccer By Ives, he threw down the gauntlet as only he could...

"It's good to have a true derby, a true rivalry," Petke said. "I think it's good for the league to grow and all that.

"In the flip-side of that, we have a history here," Petke added. "They're the new guys coming in and I'm looking forward to smashing them in 2015 to be honest with you."

You can read his comments, in their entirety, here.

Red Bulls' Statement on NYCFC

2013-05-21T18:40:51Z

There was a time when Jerome de Bontin -- maybe it was brashness brought on by his new post as Red Bulls General Manager, maybe it was before he went through league mandated re-education -- openly questioned the league's burning desire to shoehorn another team into New York.

The financier and former U.S. Soccer board member questioned the New York market's "maturity" and noted there were other markets the league could expand into back in November, shortly after taking the post in New York.

League Commissioner Don Garber said during one of his state of the league addresses that de Bontin just didn't get it.

Well, it looks like he gets it now.

De Bontin issued the below statement this afternoon in reaction to the league's big announcement this morning. It's just about as dangerous as you'd expect. As in, it isn't. At all.

"We are supportive of MLS expansion, as it illustrates the growing interest of soccer in North America. We also want to congratulate MLS and the League's new ownership group, which is injecting additional resources to help develop our sport across the country. Today's announcement is one of many steps in the exciting and challenging process of building a competitive MLS club.

Our club's energy is focused on winning a championship for the League's most loyal and passionate fans, many of whom have steadfastly backed this organization and MLS since its inception and come from all over the tri-state area. We are committed to continue to build an organization that is the flagship club for Major League Soccer around the world and a club that soccer fans across the region can be proud to support."

Say Hello To Our Crosstown Rivals: New York City Football Club to be 20th Expansion Team

2013-05-21T16:43:01Z

Starting in 2015 (probably), we'll have a crosstown rival.

New York City Football Club, owned by Manchester City with investment from the New York Yankees, will enter the league two years from now and will play in a temporary home stadium.

The press release is below, but it's kind of funny the league won't even wait until the Man City-Chelsea friendly at Yankee Stadium to make the big announcement. Instead, we get a noon-ish press release.

Anyway, it's pretty much all our worst fears realized: The team is going to be owned by Manchester City, not by the owner of Manchester City, making the team more Chivas USA and less Colorado Rapids. The 2015 start date is expected, according to the press release, not a concrete date. They don't have a stadium, as the press release notes the team will start play in an interim home.

Now that we have details, if this isn't a headlong rush to shoehorn another team in the New York area, I don't know what is.

The press release, in full, after the break.

- - -

NEW YORK (May 21, 2013) - Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced today that a partnership of global sports powers, Manchester City Football Club and the New York Yankees, has acquired the League's 20th expansion club. The new team will be named New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and expects to begin play in 2015.

"We proudly welcome two of the most prestigious professional global sports organizations to Major League Soccer," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "This is a transformational development that will elevate the league to new heights in this country. The New York area is home to more than 19 million people, and we look forward to an intense crosstown rivalry between New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls that will captivate this great city."

"New York is a legendary sports town, as well as a thriving global city with a rapidly expanding soccer fan-base," said Ferran Soriano, CEO of Manchester City Football Club, who will oversee the process of filling top New York City FC leadership positions in the weeks to come. "We are thrilled to contribute to the energy and growth of New York City Soccer. In the Yankees, we have found the absolute best partner for developing a world-class sports organization and a winning team that will carry the New York City Football Club name with pride."

Manchester City will be the majority owner of the new Club. As an investor, the Yankees will be an active member of the ownership group. The New York Yankees and Manchester City Football Club have an existing commercial relationship through Legends Hospitality, LLC, an international entertainment, hospitality and marketing organization. Yankee Stadium is pleased to be hosting Manchester City on Saturday, May 25 for a "friendly" match against Chelsea FC, giving New York area fans a rare opportunity to see two outstanding English Premier League clubs up close.

"We are pleased to be associated with this major move by MLS to increase its presence in the New York market and to enhance the opportunity for New York soccer fans to enjoy high-level play in their own city. We look forward to the opportunity to work with Manchester City to create something very special for the soccer fans of New York -- and to bringing another terrific team to this city for all sports fans to enjoy," said Hal Steinbrenner, managing general partner of the New York Yankees. "Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, will be the point person in leading the effort to launch and establish the team on behalf of the organization," Mr. Steinbrenner added.

With millions of residents watching soccer every week and nearly two million people actively playing the game, the New York/New Jersey area is one of North America's most vibrant and proud soccer communities. The region has filled stadiums for countless marquee soccer events including the 1994 FIFA Men's World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, three MLS All-Star Games and numerous international exhibition matches. NYCFC becomes the first MLS club whose home will be located within the five boroughs, joining the Red Bulls as the second MLS club in the metropolitan area.

"Soccer is one of the world's most exciting and popular sports, and it should be played on the world's biggest stage -- in New York City," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "New Yorkers are the greatest sports fans in the world, and they will welcome a Major League Soccer franchise with the full-throated and loyal support they are famous for. Manchester City has a great reputation for both winning teams and serious community investment, and that will help them fit in well with the excellent leadership of New York City's other professional sports teams. Increasingly, sports events and activities -- from the NHL playoffs to the MLB All-Star game to the SuperBowl -- are spurring economic growth, as our investments in new arenas and infrastructure are paying off."

Future: A Home Field for NYC's Newest Team

New York City FC is committed to seeking a new permanent stadium in New York. Until that time, the new team is arranging to play in an interim home beginning in its inaugural MLS season in 2015. Over the past year, MLS began discussions with the City of New York and other stakeholders about the possibility of constructing a new stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park (FMCP) in Queens. The Club's new management will continue these discussions with local government officials, community residents and businesses, soccer leagues, and MLS. The Club will continue to review other potential sites as well.

"New York City FC will have a permanent home in the City in the great traditions of New York sports and world soccer -- a home that must be a sports, commercial and civic success," Soriano said. "But in considering any stadium site, we will listen first. This is what we have always done in Manchester and what we will do in New York. Only in this way, can the Club truly represent the City whose name it will carry."

"City Soccer in the Community": NYC FC's Commitment to Youth Soccer in NYC

Manchester City is a leader among sports organizations in its charitable efforts, with one-sixth of its staff fully dedicated full-time to community outreach. Building on this tradition of community outreach, New York City FC will expand and enhance the grassroots youth soccer program "City Soccer in the Community," which it has been running in New York since 2010. The program, now headquartered at PS 72 (Lexington Academy) in East Harlem, which boasts New York City's only rooftop soccer field, provides quality soccer instruction and programming to thousands of children in 20 NYC public schools each year. New York City FC looks forward to expanding its community outreach to bring soccer to thousands of more kids throughout the five boroughs.

Manchester City has funded the construction of soccer facilities for youth in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington D.C. For more on City Soccer, click here. In addition, the "City in the Community," foundation focuses on similar initiatives worldwide.

About Manchester City
Since new ownership took over five years ago, Manchester City has gained its place as one of England's most successful football clubs and one of the fastest growing clubs in the world, on and off the field. Last spring, Manchester City won the 2012 Barclay's Premier League Championship. This year it finished second in the League and was the FA Cup runner up. Manchester City FC is wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group.

New York Yankees
Established in 1903, the New York Yankees are Major League Baseball's most storied franchise with 27 World Championships and 40 American League pennants.

About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. MLS features many stars from the U.S., Canada, and around the world. Major League Soccer's 18th season features 19 clubs each playing 34 regular-season matches. Those clubs include the Chicago Fire; Chivas USA; Colorado Rapids; Columbus Crew; D.C. United; FC Dallas; Houston Dynamo; 2012 MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy; Montreal Impact; New York Red Bulls; New England Revolution; Philadelphia Union; Portland Timbers; Real Salt Lake; San Jose Earthquakes; Seattle Sounders FC; Sporting Kansas City; Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. New York City FC, was unveiled May 21, 2013.

Week 12: Red Bulls-Galaxy Review

2013-05-21T00:01:31Z

The Red Bulls keep streaking with a win over the Galaxy.

The Open Cup Draw: How It Happened

2013-05-17T15:44:27Z

So, as we noted earlier this week, the Red Bulls will face off with either the Harrisburg City Islanders or Reading United May 29 at Red Bull Arena. It's a familiar match-up, as both those teams were hovering around the Red Bulls as a potential third round game in last year's tournament.

But, as many have noted before, the draw isn't exactly transparent. Maybe to remedy that, or maybe just because it's a cool story Jeff Crandall from the Chicago Fire's official site was this year's draw observer and has a nice write-up on it. How they found out the Red Bulls opponent is especially interesting...

Further down there was a breakdown of potential Mid-Atlantic matchups broken into two distinctions...

This is where things began to get interesting as the Philadelphia Union were barred from being paired with the Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-Pro) / Reading United (USL PDL) winner. This is not because of their in-state affiliations with the two clubs but because Union assistant coach Brendan Burke is also the head coach of Reading United.

Because of that, there was a coin flip between the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United to see who would be paired with that match up. Red Bull won and also won the subsequent flip to host either team.

The rest of the story is worth a read. Check out the 2013 bracket here.

It Took Beckham to Fill Giants Stadium

2013-05-17T13:20:41Z

David Beckham's first MLS start was against our own New York Red Bulls.

Red Bulls' Open Cup Match-Up Set (Featuring Some Familiar Faces)

2013-05-16T00:30:39Z

When the Red Bulls enter the U.S. Open Cup in the third round May 29, they'll face off against either the Harrisburg City Islanders or the PDL's Reading United at Red Bull Arena.

If those teams sound familiar, it's because Reading United lost to the USL Charleston Battery for the right to play the Red Bulls in last year's third round. After knocking out the Battery, the Red Bulls played the Harrisburg City Islanders, who beat the New England Revolution in a crazy, crazy game for passage into the tournament's quarterfinals.

That fourth round match-up, the Red Bulls against the City Islanders, was one we'd all rather forget. Harrisburg's first goal was possibly offside. The Red Bulls pulled one back thanks to Connor Lade. In extra time, there was an obvious hand ball in the box that went uncalled. At the end of 120 minutes, the Red Bulls' Open Cup run was over with a 2-1 loss.

Thankfully, the match will be at home, giving the Red Bulls something of an advantage. As in, in addition to the usual, the field will be well maintained and there won't be obnoxious Jock Jams-style music blaring during stoppages in play.

Then again, this is the Open Cup, and sometimes crazy things happen (see above Revs-City Islanders game). Even when the team takes the tournament serious, as they did last year.

We'll see if the team can reverse its Open Cup fortunes in two weeks time.