2.4.14
ASN Morning Read: Taking His Talents to South Beach
Miami prepares for a "significant announcement" from David Beckham; Everybody is going to party in the USA before they go Brazil; Two U.S. players help make FIFA 15; An absent El Tri star will stay absent.
BY
Jesse Yomtov
Posted
February 04, 2014
8:23 AM
David Beckham is set to return to Major League Soccer as an owner, and is expected to announce the awarding of a new team at a press conference Wednesday in Miami. An MLS VP wouldn’t give specifics on the press conference, but confirmed that it would be a "significant announcement impacting the Miami community,” and that Don Garber will be in attendance. The league’s 22nd team wouldn’t start MLS play until at least 2016, a year after New York City FC and Orlando City FC join the league.
MLS will organize a series of ”Road to Brazil” friendlies in the U.S. between May 27 and June 10 featuring eight teams, six of which will play in the World Cup. Additional teams may be added later, but for now it’s Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, El Salvador, Greece, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Spain.
Eddie Johnson and Omar Gonzalez did some motion capture for FIFA 15. When you’re beating your friends with powerful headers and incessant stepovers come September, thank EJ.
Michael Parkhurst told MLSsoccer.com that if it wasn’t for a chance at making the World Cup roster, he would have stayed in Germany, despite his lack of games. “The family was happy, the level [of play] was good. I wasn't getting the games, but financially it was the best contract of my career,” Parkhurst said.
It’s been nearly three years since his last appearance for Mexico, but it’s now official that Carlos Vela won’t be with the team for the World Cup. After meeting with the 24-year-old, manager Miguel Herrera says Vela "did not show the kind of dedication" required to play for El Tri. Alrighty then.
Steve Goff wrote a great story on American soccer pioneer Hicabi “Turk” Emekli, who was just inducted into the Virginia-D.C. Soccer Hall of Fame.
Toronto FC’s preseason training in Florida featured a soccer tennis tournament Monday. Michael Bradley’s team, which also featured Gale Agbossoumonde and Dwayne De Rosario made it to the final, ultimately losing. DeRo’s grunting serve is fantastic.
