25 Stories That Made MLS

How four American stars were developed in MLS, got sold to Europe, had success and then returned to have more success and money than could've been imagined.

SOURCES:

How Seattle’s Stunning Clint Dempsey Deal Got Done by Grant Wahl

https://www.si.com/soccer/2013/08/05/clint-dempsey-seattle-sounders-mls

Beasley Angered by MLS Decision by Rupert Lowe for Daily Echo

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/5571343.beasley-angered-by-mls-decision/

Texas Tough:  Dempsey’s Upbringing in Naco-Nowhere Led to US Dream by Melissa Segura

https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/06/09/dempsey

Transfer of Power For Revolution by Frank Del’Appa for Boston Globe

https://web.archive.org/web/20131207055126/http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/articles/2007/02/27/transfer_of_power_for_revolution/

The Michael Bradley Project by Simon Borg

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2014/03/15/michael-bradley-project-can-toronto-fc-star-become-best-american-player-all-time

Beasley Adds Finishing Gloss to Rangers Rout of Lyon by Steve Douglas

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/oct/03/match.championsleague2

Dempsey’s Gamble To Knock Out Juventus Out Of Europa League

https://web.archive.org/web/20131225210906/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/mar/19/fulham-juventus-europa-league

Michael Bradley’s Transfer To MLS Complete by Jeremiah Oshan

https://www.sbnation.com/2014/1/8/5289774/michael-bradley-transfer-mls-roma-toronto-fc-details

In our most technical episode yet, the brothers talk about how each collective bargaining agreement evolved player movement and salary spends of MLS that has helped shape the league today.

Sources:
Old MLS CBA Expires But No Strike Imminent by Brian Lewis

https://nypost.com/2010/02/25/old-mls-cba-expires-but-no-strike-imminent/

Players Want Big Changes In MLS Structure by Simon Evans

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-mls-dispute/players-want-big-changes-in-mls-league-structure-union-idUSTRE5AP02Q20091126

Financial Data At Issue As CBA Negotiations Kick Off by Liz Mullen and Tripp Mickle

https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2009/05/11/This-Weeks-News/Mlss-Financial-Data-At-Issue-As-CBA-Negotiations-Kick-Off.aspx

Details of 2010 MLS CBA by Brian Lewis

https://nypost.com/2010/03/23/details-of-mls-cba/

MLS Players Union Bob Foose reveal new best details of CBA by Brian Strauss 

https://www.si.com/soccer/2015/03/06/mls-cba-deal-players-union-bob-foose-todd-dunivant

Breaking Down The New MLS CBA For 2020 by Chad C Smith

https://www.thebluetestament.com/2020/2/7/21127602/breaking-down-the-new-mls-and-mlspa-cba-for-2020-major-league-soccer-players-association-sporting-kc

How the MLS team in Kansas City went from being last in attendance and fan engagement to being a model MLS franchise that's always sold out - one of the best turnarounds in all of sports.

Sources:

Special thanks to Mike McGrew and Mike Kuhn

Lamar Hunt Sells MLS Wizards to Local Group

http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/soccer/id/2567849

Serious Investment and Savvy Marketing Revive Soccer In Kansas City by Sam Borden

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/sports/soccer/soccer-in-the-us-heartland-kansas-city-transformed.html

As expected City Council Gives Approval to Three Trail Project

https://web.archive.org/web/20080628164818/http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node%2F8940

WiZards Stadium project kicked over state lines by Kevin Collison for the KC Star

https://web.archive.org/web/20090912055722/http://www.kansascity.com/842/story/1433346.html

WiZards Kick off Zard Era 

https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/wizards-kick-off-zard-card-era/n-1989400

TBT the Rochester Wizards

http://www.downthebyline.com/2015/07/tbt-rochester-wizards.html?m=1

Nine years ago, KC at Brink of losing the MLS team by Sam McDowell

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mls/sporting-kc/article334008/Nine-years-ago-KC-was-on-the-brink-of-losing-its-pro-soccer-team.html

Star Bonds and Location Make Sporting Park a Star by Patrick Riche for Forbes

https://www.forbes.com/sites/prishe/2012/10/29/star-bonds-location-make-livestrong-sporting-park-a-star-among-u-s-soccer-stadiums/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Sporting KC and Soccer Development by Scott Fenwick

https://onthefiredotcom.wordpress.com/2013/07/30/sporting-kansas-city-and-soccer-development-an-interview-with-david-ficklin/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

How MLS' Homegrown Rule pushed MLS teams to nurture young talent in their academies and why it took so long to take hold and meet it's full potential.

Sources:

Local Goalie Careers Poised to Go Global by Paul Tenorio for Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/25/AR2009052502163.html

LA Galaxy Sign 17 Year Old Tristan Bowen

https://web.archive.org/web/20081204142629/http://web.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081112&content_id=203406&vkey=pr_lag&fext=.jsp&team=t106

RSL Push The Envelope With A Residency Program by Randy Davis for MLS Soccer

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2010/12/13/rsl-push-envelope-residency-program

Evolution Of MLS Academies by Paul Tenorio for Four Four Two

www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/rating-mls-academies-homegrown-players-youth-development-progress

20 Years Of FC Dallas Homegrown Players by Buzz Carrick for Dallas News

https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/fc-dallas/2017/10/27/20-years-fc-dallas-homegrown-players/

MLS USL Reach Deal For Restructured Reserve League by Matthew Doyle for MLS Soccer

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2013/01/23/mls-usl-pro-reach-deal-restructured-reserve-league

How the supporter culture and following of MLS teams led to the creation of one of the three main trophies & the eventual expansion into 3 new teams.

Sources: 

A History of the Supporters Shield by Ryan Gates for Stumptown Footy

https://www.stumptownfooty.com/2011/2/15/1995978/a-history-of-the-supporters-shield

A Pacific Passion Play by Grant Wahl for SI

https://www.si.com/vault/2011/05/23/106070650/a-pacific-passion-play

https://web.archive.org/web/20071012230838/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/soccer/2003941033_sounders11.html

https://www.sounderatheart.com/2019/8/15/20805034/sounders-new-ownership-changes-faq

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/whitecaps-invisible-owner-casts-large-shadow/article573189/

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/mls-expected-to-announce-vancouver-expansion-team-1.821469

https://www.timbers.com/post/2007/05/22/timbers-introduce-new-owner-merritt-paulson-0

Neetol grades every new MLS Jersey from a designer's point of view. Tutul chimes in with some marketing points. 

How two corrupt CONCACAF officials made Concacaf Champions League which eventually propelled MLS to improve their quality of play.


Sources:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/138326-soccer-in-north-america-part-2-much-ado-about-superliga

http://real-football.blogspot.com/2006/10/mls-answers-to-20-questions-for-don.html

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/soccer/chuck-blazer-informant-key-player-fifa-arrest-scandal-article-1.2238143

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbymcmahon/2017/12/26/two-found-guilty-of-soccer-corruption-will-jack-warner-face-us-justice-in-2018/#3cb53a1428d7

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/28/the-rise-and-fall-of-trinidad-jack-warner-the-former-schoolteacher-at-the-center-of-the-fifa-scandal/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jun-27-sp-cuptv27-story.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20071223013023/http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=4025

How the largest signing in league history, David Beckham, happened in the first place and how it changed the direction of MLS forever.

The brothers talk about how and why the Designated Player happened, how Blanco was the better player in the early years and why it took a few years before everyone started to spend money on Designated Players.

Sources:

Looking back at fires last big signing by Guillermo Rivera for Chicago Now

http://www.chicagonow.com/fire-confidential/2017/05/looking-back-at-the-fires-last-big-signing-in-2007-cuauhtemoc-blanco/

Soccer Player Beckham Sparks $13m in Sales by Curtis Eichelberger for NY Sun

https://www.nysun.com/national/soccer-player-beckham-sparks-13m-in-sales/52872/

15 Years of the Don by Grant Wahl for SI

https://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/12/03/don-garber-mls-commissioner-major-league-soccer

Q&A with Grant Wahl by Jack Bell for NY Times

https://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/qa-with-grant-wahl-author-of-the-beckham-experiment/

Galaxy has Becks Appeal by Graham Jones for LA Times

www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jan-12-sp-beckham12-story.html

Beckham is MLS Expansion Story Du Jour by Paul Kennedy for Soccer America

https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/51723/beckham-is-mls-expansion-story-du-jour.html

http://www.dignityhealthsportspark.com/news/detail/david-beckham-launches-soccer-academy-at-the-home-depot-center-in-california

http://thesportsbizblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/fire-to-be-sold-to-bronfman-family.html

An early BONUSODE at the pods halfway point.  The brothers discuss the state of the pod and give shoutouts (04:10), talk about Gressel and Chicharito (13:55), and close with comparing the players in this January camp vs the team that lost in Trinidad in 2017 (29:15).

How MLS expanded into Canada for the first time, stepping into MLS 2.0 for the first time. The brothers also talk about the long windy road that made the circumstances right for Toronto FC to join the league.

Sources:

“A nice little job to learn stuff by” By Duncan Fletcher for SB Nation: https://www.wakingthered.com/2013/9/9/4705472/tfc-a-nice-little-job-for-anselmi-to-learn-stuff-by-richard-peddie-tom-anselmi-mlse

Maple Leaf Owners Through The Ages by Jeremy Sandler for the National Post:  https://archive.ph/20140320041448/http://sports.nationalpost.com/2010/12/01/maple-leafs-owners-through-the-ages/

Ali Passed Big Test In First Visit by Stephen Brunt for The Globe And Mail:  https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/ali-passed-big-test-on-first-visit/article757264/

Toronto Soccer Stadium Approves Soccer Stadium Deal for CBC Sports:

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/toronto-city-council-approves-soccer-stadium-deal-1.536727