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4.16.14

ASN Morning Read: Expansion Concerns Mount

Everyone freak out about the new Major League Soccer teams in three, two, oh wait, what's that? It's already happening? Great. In other news, the U-20s play again and you can watch.
BY Noah Davis Posted
April 16, 2014
8:39 AM
  • One of MLS's biggest strengths in recent years has been its smart expansion into cities with existing fanbases. Yeah, not so much anymore. "But as the next growth spurt approaches, one can’t help but wonder whether blind ambition, not to mention lucrative expansion fees, have clouded MLS’s judgement," Steven Goff writes. "Of the four arrivals, only Orlando makes perfect sense: an organically grown fan base and a certain stadium project in a city with only one other pro sports team." Meanwhile, here's a slideshow of players with tenuous connections to Atlanta, a team that's expansion will be announced later today.

  • The United States U-20 squad plays Tigres at 8:30pm in the Dallas Cup. Tab Ramos' squad is 2-0 and features plenty of young talent.
  • Clint Irwin, everyone's favorite thinking man's goalkeeper, goes psychological on referees and the value of a grey area. "I was in earshot when one referee carded a member of the opposite team and when the captain came to ask, "What for?" the referee responded, "It's the same [stuff] he does every week. What this means though, is that the referee has developed an inevitable bias based on previous experiences. He has lost the tabula rasa desired in the legal courts and, I would argue, on the pitch."

  • Being on the World Cup bubble sounds miserable. But this is a heck of a piece about the realities: “That was probably the most stressful day. We were both in the elevator, and I was like, ‘What do you think, dude? Are we going to the World Cup?’"

  • Late push for a World Cup spot?
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