Manchester United fans group slams Glazers’ IPO plan

July 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment


LONDON, July 31 |
Tue Jul 31, 2012 5:19am EDT

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) – A group of Manchester United
fans accused the American Glazer family of milking the English
Premier League soccer team for cash after IPO terms revealed
they planned to take half of the proceeds of its flotation.

Fans from the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST)
questioned why all of the money being raised was not being used
to reduce a debt pile that they say is holding back the team’s
performances on the field.

The club and the Glazers each will be selling half the IPO
shares in an offering that will raise as much as $333 million.
The club’s proceeds from the IPO will be used to reduce its debt
of 423 million pounds as of March 31 to 345.4 million pounds
($664 million to $543 million).

“Supporters are going to be very angry about this,” said
Duncan Drasdo, chief executive of MUST, a group lobbying for
fans to play a greater role in the ownership of the club.

“The Glazers have already cost United more than 550 million
pounds in debt related fees and now another slap in the face as
they help themselves to half of the proposed IPO proceeds,” he
added.

“Clearly this has nothing to do with benefits for Manchester
United and is all about giving the Glazers quick access to
desperately needed cash at the expense of our football club.”

MUST has fought a long campaign against the Glazers, who
bought the club for 790 million pounds in a highly-leveraged
deal in 2005 and also own NFL team the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Discontent has grown after United, English champions a
record 19 times, failed to win a trophy last season – their
first barren year since 2005.

They missed out on the title to local rivals Manchester
City, whose owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, one of Abu
Dhabi’s ruling family, has ploughed an estimated 800 million
pounds into the club.

A recent survey commissioned by United said it had 659
million followers globally, almost one in 10 of the population,
but it still remains at the mercy of performances on the pitch,
with revenues hit last season by an early exit from the
lucrative European Champions’ League.

However, the club’s global appeal was underlined when it
signed a new seven-year shirt sponsorship deal with General
Motors’ Chevrolet. The deal begins in 2014 and one source said
it could be worth up to $600 million.

(Editing by Mark Potter,

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

United launches share sale on NYSE

July 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

LONDON (AP)

MONEY LIST

You’ll be amazed by how much money the world’s biggest clubs make. Check out the top 20.

Manchester United has launched its New York Stock Exchange listing, with shares expected to start between $16 and $20.

The launch occurred Monday, and the record 19-time English champions say about 16.7 million shares will be offered.

United is looking to raise funds to help reduce debt from the Glazer family’s 2005 takeover, rated at 423 million pounds ($663 million) as of March 31.

The Glazers will retain control of the club through its ownership of Class B shares, which will have 10 times the voting power of the stock sold to the public.

The club was listed on the London Stock Exchange from 1991 until the Glazers completed a leveraged buyout valued at $1.47 billion in June 2005.

The Glazers also own the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

 


 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Soccer-Man United sign shirt sponsorship deal with Chevrolet

July 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment


LONDON, July 30 |
Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:52am EDT

LONDON, July 30 (Reuters) – English Premier League soccer
club Manchester United have signed a seven-year sponsorship deal
with General Motors to have the Chevrolet brand on their shirts
from 2014, the club said on Monday.

The surprise announcement came after GM’s marketing chief
resigned on Sunday, a departure reportedly linked to a
partnership deal between the carmaker and the club announced at
the end of May.

The U.S.-based car company will replace Aon, whose
partnership with United began in the 2010-11 season.

“This is a fantastic, long-term deal for the Club,” said
Commercial Director Richard Arnold.

“We have been partners with Chevrolet for only six weeks,
but already they have produced some fantastic ideas that will
benefit both the partnership and our 659 million followers
around the world.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Pay, Not Play, Fuels British Invasion Of Chinese Soccer

July 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Federico Macheda of Manchester United (center) challenges players from Shanghai Shenhua during a friendly match between the two teams in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday.
Enlarge Hong Wu/Getty Images

Federico Macheda of Manchester United (center) challenges players from Shanghai Shenhua during a friendly match between the two teams in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday.

Federico Macheda of Manchester United (center) challenges players from Shanghai Shenhua during a friendly match between the two teams in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday.

Hong Wu/Getty Images

Federico Macheda of Manchester United (center) challenges players from Shanghai Shenhua during a friendly match between the two teams in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday.

On a gray, polluted Beijing morning, parents peer through a fence anxiously at their little darlings’ wobbly dribbling skills on the soccer pitch, as they try to score goals against former Manchester City goalkeeper Alex Williams.

Across town, Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta poses gamely with another group of Chinese kids.

In other countries, soccer-mad kids would give their eyeteeth for such opportunities, but in China, the publicity that teams earn from soccer clinics, fan parties and lukewarm celebrity endorsements from stars like Jackie Chan is one of the main reasons they are here.

Aspiring soccer stars try to score against former Manchester City goalkeeper Alex Williams in Beijing. Local soccer clinics provide visiting international teams publicity for themselves and their sponsors.
Enlarge Louisa Lim/NPR

Aspiring soccer stars try to score against former Manchester City goalkeeper Alex Williams in Beijing. Local soccer clinics provide visiting international teams publicity for themselves and their sponsors.

Aspiring soccer stars try to score against former Manchester City goalkeeper Alex Williams in Beijing. Local soccer clinics provide visiting international teams publicity for themselves and their sponsors.

Louisa Lim/NPR

Aspiring soccer stars try to score against former Manchester City goalkeeper Alex Williams in Beijing. Local soccer clinics provide visiting international teams publicity for themselves and their sponsors.

“They just come here to make money,” says Cameron Wilson, who runs Wild East Football, a blog on soccer in China. “They just care about their brand: How can they get more fans in China to like them? How can they make bigger profits for their shareholders? That’s what it’s really about.”

The pilgrimage of English Premier League players to China isn’t really about sport; it’s about economics and the ever-present lure of China’s massive market.

“There is a big potential for fans here and that is the main reason why English teams come,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said in an interview with Time Out Beijing, adding candidly, “I resisted [China] for a long time. But, as the Premier League becomes more and more a world league, it is important that we develop our fan bases.”

That’s why Wenger has been lecturing students at a top Beijing university, ahead of a match on Friday night against the British Premier League champions, Manchester City, at Beijing’s iconic Bird’s Nest stadium. In Shanghai two days earlier, the team’s longtime rival, Manchester United, beat the home team, Shanghai Shenhua. It’s almost as if the British Premier League is decamping en masse to China.

“China has money. It’s quite prepared to pay to see the best matches in the world,” says Rowan Simons, who writes about the sport and also runs soccer training programs for kids in Beijing. “Europe cannot supply China with as many top-class matches as China would like.”

Big Salaries Attract Big European Talent

With the deep pockets of their newly moneyed owners, China’s anemic Super League teams have managed to score some of soccer’s biggest stars over the past couple of years — most recently Didier Drogba, formerly of Chelsea. Last weekend, he made his debut for Shanghai Shenhua, which is owned by an eccentric online gaming magnate, Zhu Jun.

It’s about an ego trip, it’s about politics, it’s about business, it’s not about football.

- Rowan Simons, author

Drogba’s salary is unknown, but the excitable Shanghainese media have suggested he could be pocketing as much as $15 million a year, or $300,000 a week.

“What we can say with certainty is that his salary is several times the entire revenue of the club,” says Simons, pointing out that such an economic mismatch would be seen as insanity in Europe.

And Drogba is the second big-ticket player acquired by Shenhua, after French striker Nicolas Anelka. The standard of Chinese soccer is such that it took Anelka just 40 seconds to score his first-ever Shenhua goal. The player nicknamed “The Sulk” has spent much of his stay in China griping about the level of his teammates’ ball skills.

Simons says the millions spent on players like Drogba would be better invested at the grassroots, helping young Chinese players who lack pitches and coaches, instead of on highly paid imports.

“It’s about an ego trip, it’s about politics, it’s about business, it’s not about football,” Simons says.

And politics is ever-present in China, even in the world of soccer. That’s especially been the case in recent years, since the man who will become China’s next president, Xi Jinping, is known to be a huge soccer fan.

Hardcore fans were allowed to watch a Manchester City training session ahead of a match against rival Arsenal in Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium Friday.
Enlarge Quan Yingji for NPR

Hardcore fans were allowed to watch a Manchester City training session ahead of a match against rival Arsenal in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium Friday.

Hardcore fans were allowed to watch a Manchester City training session ahead of a match against rival Arsenal in Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium Friday.

Quan Yingji for NPR

Hardcore fans were allowed to watch a Manchester City training session ahead of a match against rival Arsenal in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium Friday.

“In China, the political factor is massive,” says Simons. “There’s a very strong financial incentive to make friends with politicians, and one way to do that is to spend cash to bring prestige teams over.”

Grumbling Grows Among Chinese Fans

For Chinese soccer fans, the pleasure of seeing top-flight players on their home teams is tempered by other worries. One online commenter explained: “I don’t feel joy thinking about the foreign players with sky-high prices, I feel worried. Chinese clubs’ anxiety to achieve quick success and get instant benefits will ruin Chinese soccer, instead of rescuing it.”

Many have also begun to complain about shelling out for pricy tickets to the exhibition matches by visiting teams, then being disappointed. The ticket prices for the Manchester City and Arsenal match range from $28 to $315.

Yet often the huge stars are kept on the bench for fear of injury.

“They’re on a jolly,” says soccer blogger Wilson, who describes the recent Manchester United game as “pretty much a farce,” with few famous players on the pitch. “I don’t believe that the European teams coming here create any benefit for Chinese football.”

There is an argument that such skilled players will raise the standard of Chinese soccer in general, but so far there’s little evidence of this. Certainly China’s own soccer teams, both male and female, have failed to qualify for either the Olympics this year or the World Cup.

Indeed, it’s perhaps emblematic of where the real power lies in Chinese soccer, that Shenhua’s mercurial middle-aged owner, Zhu Jun, sometimes takes to the pitch to play alongside his high-priced imports, despite possessing shaky soccer skills that have been described as “worse than an amateur.”

But China’s pragmatic fans realize that for aging soccer stars, the easy pickings available in China are just too attractive.

One popular online comment sums it all up: “Who could refuse the chance to earn astronomical payments for playing football with a group of amateurs?”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Manchester United delays US share sale: report

July 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Manchester United has decided to delay listing in the United States owing to market volatility caused by the eurozone debt crisis, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

The English Premier League giants have decided to delay meeting potential investors because of recent losses on US stock markets caused by events in Europe, the business daily said, citing people familiar with the situation.

The FT added that United had intended to begin its roadshow at the start of this week.

Neither United nor Jefferies — the investment bank charged with heading the club’s flotation — were commenting on the report.

United, the most successful club in English football history and reputedly the best supported club in the world, filed papers in the United States earlier this month for an initial public share offering.

The papers gave a pro-forma amount of $100 million (82 million euros) as the target for the share issue, but recent reports about abortive attempts to list it in Hong Kong or Singapore said the owners had aimed to bring in $1.0 billion.

The team, controlled since 2005 by the Glazer family — billionaire US sports investors — has struggled in recent years with debts from the takeover despite its vast global fan base.

United fans have long protested at the Glazers’ heavily leveraged takeover, arguing the debts loaded on to the club have steadily eroded its ability to compete for top talent in an ever-spiralling transfer market.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Manchester United IPO a tough sell in any market

July 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

By MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — For sale: world-famous company that’s highly leveraged with anti-takeover provisions and no dividend or stock buyback plans in sight.

To which potential buyers in Hong Kong, Singapore and now, reportedly, the U.S., have replied: No, thanks.

At least that’s according to a published report in the Financial Times Wednesday, which said the Manchester United initial public offering is on hold.


Reuters

Manchester United fans from Thailand look inside a souvenir shop in Bangkok August 18, 2011.

In interests of full disclosure, this author is a fan of a soccer club that counts Manchester United as a bitter rival. But that’s not really the point — the club is clearly one of the dominant teams in the English Premier League, despite cross-town rival Manchester City winning the league title this year, and its success on the pitch, as the Brits say, looks to continue for some time.

The issues surround the team’s recent owners, the Glazer family, and the debt they’ve loaded onto the franchise: 423 million pounds against 259 million pounds of equity. The prospectus says they want the cash to pay off debt carrying interest rates north of 8%. And remember, this isn’t some new start-up — this is a company that’s been around for more than a century.

Plus, as an “emerging growth company” per the new JOBS Act rules — quite an achievement in labeling for one founded in 1878 — it won’t have to attest to the effectiveness of its internal controls for up to five years.

Of course the investment case carries some valid points. In the U.K., BT Group


/quotes/zigman/293804/quotes/nls/bt BT
-3.20%



  aggressively bid for television rights, in the process completely shutting out Disney’s


/quotes/zigman/245568/quotes/nls/dis DIS
+0.29%



  ESPN and making inroads to BSkyB’s


/quotes/zigman/143786 UK:BSY
+1.11%



 local broadcasting dominance of the sport. (BSkyB is partly owned by News Corp, which also owns MarketWatch, the publisher of this report.)


Click to Play

Olympics tickets are hot, the swag is not

Tickets to Summer Olympics events may be hot, but merchandise featuring the London Olympic logo is not.

There’s also the Premier League’s and Manchester United’s growing ability to tap into demand to watch soccer in Asia, as its own broadcast channel reaches 54 countries. Plus, the club’s mobile and “new media” revenue is surging, as is sponsorship and licensing revenue.

But even so, operating margins were basically flat in the nine months ending March 31, at 21%. Expenses also are growing, and the club hasn’t of late been able to repeat the feat of developing home-grown talent like David Beckham and Paul Scholes — which is important to its finances, because it forces the club to buy players from other clubs at a premium. The club also is competing against rivals like Chelsea and Manchester City whose oil-rich owners show little regard for turning a profit.

Yes, it’s true that there’s growing market uncertainty, not making it the best of times for any initial public offering. And yet the reason for the market uncertainty, largely the European debt situation, also directly threatens the revenue and profit potential of Manchester United. Only Wednesday, the U.K. government’s statistician reported the economy in the second quarter shrank 0.7%.

The fans may sing “We love United, we do,” but investors most certainly do not.

—
Steve Goldstein

/quotes/zigman/293804/quotes/nls/bt




add Add to portfolio

BT

loading...

/quotes/zigman/245568/quotes/nls/dis




add Add to portfolio

DIS

loading...

/quotes/zigman/143786




add Add to portfolio

UK:BSY

loading...

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Premier League issues Twitter do’s and don’ts for soccer stars

July 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment


.cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:’>>’;font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}
.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}
.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}
.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:outline:medium none}
.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}
]]>

Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has 4.6 million followers on Twitter. The Premier League's new code of conduct on the use of social media sites is to underline to players the responsibility they have to such a big audience.Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has 4.6 million followers on Twitter. The Premier League’s new code of conduct on the use of social media sites is to underline to players the responsibility they have to such a big audience.

Rio Ferdinand is a way behind teammate Rooney but still has three million followers who tune in for his views on everything from fashion to music, with a bit of football thrown in too of course.Rio Ferdinand is a way behind teammate Rooney but still has three million followers who tune in for his views on everything from fashion to music, with a bit of football thrown in too of course.

Chelsea's Ashley Cole is a recent convert to Twitter but has already caused controversy, taunting fans from former club Arsenal over how many trophies he's won since swapping North London for West.Chelsea’s Ashley Cole is a recent convert to Twitter but has already caused controversy, taunting fans from former club Arsenal over how many trophies he’s won since swapping North London for West.

Even some Premier League managers have taken to Twitter. Former Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is on board and took to his page to thank the club's fans after he was sacked in May.
Even some Premier League managers have taken to Twitter. Former Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish is on board and took to his page to thank the club’s fans after he was sacked in May.

Neither Rooney nor Ferdinand can rival the popularity of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo though. The Portugal star currently has 11.8 million followers, and rising.
Neither Rooney nor Ferdinand can rival the popularity of Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo though. The Portugal star currently has 11.8 million followers, and rising.


1


2


3


4


5

(CNN) — The combined following of Manchester United stars Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand on Twitter is an impressive 7.7 million — more than the population of Switzerland.

And to reflect the growing trend of footballers waxing lyrical on the micro-blogging site — and occasionally overstepping the mark — the English Premier League has now released their first ever set of guidelines on the subject.

Only this week Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole caused a storm when he joined Twitter and responded to the barbs from fans of his former club Arsenal by mocking them as to how many trophies he had won since leaving.

And on Tuesday the English Football Association charged Arsenal’s Emmanuel Frimpong for bringing the game into disrepute for something he posted on Twitter.

The Premier League were quick to trumpet the benefits of having their stellar names on social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, as it allows for interaction with numerous fans, but stressed it must be used responsibly.

“Social media is doing a good job of allowing fans to feel closer to the players,” Premier League chairman Richard Scudamore was quoted as saying on their official website.


David Beckham supports Olympics


Beckham surprises fans at photo booth


John Terry cleared of racial abuse


Kickbacks and cover-ups at FIFA?

“There is a more human side now to some of the players and the public can communicate more directly with them.

“Clearly it isn’t the same as texting your best mate or talking to someone in person and sometimes there can be abusive comments, but generally the internet, online chat rooms, and the way people are communicating is healthy.”

According to the Premier League, their Facebook page and that of the 20 clubs in England’s top division have attracted an aggregate of 60 million ‘likes.’

The figures underline the increasing importance of social media in sport, and the changing way in which people consume the action presented to them.

More and more fans are not only watching the matches they attend, but filming them on mobile phones and uploading them to Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.

“The pleasure of sport lies not so much in witnessing an event as talking about it,” Ellis Cashmore, professor of Culture, Media and Sport at England’s Staffordshire University, told CNN recently.

“We’ve all at some point sat at home and watched a fight or a tennis match in isolation and it’s never as enjoyable as when we are in company, talking about the competition as it unfolds.

“Mobile phones have opened out the possibilities. We can talk to anyone, anywhere while the action is taking place.”

This new trend will be emphasized by the upcoming Olympics, with the number of users on Facebook having risen to 900 million — nine times the figure it was for the Beijing Games of 2008.

With a wealth of action taking place during the Games fans from across the globe can interact with each other via various platforms.

Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, thinks the strides made in technology means that by the 2020 Games there will be no such thing as a passive armchair fan.

“They (the armchair fans) are part of the action,” he told reporters at the launch of a study by technology firm Atos.

“They can comment on content, interact with the athletes, create and publish their own content. Never before has there been such a channel to interact with the world, especially with young people.”






Share this on:
Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Reds to make bid for Swans midfielder

July 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Each day we’ll bring you the very latest tabloid rumors as the biggest clubs around splash the cash to bolster their rosters. True or not, they’re always entertaining…

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Juventus are edging ahead in the race for Robin Van Persie as they prepare a £20m bid to tempt him away from the Emirates Stadium.

DAILY MIRROR

Manchester United are chasing River Plate’s Argentine midfielder Ezequiel Cirigliano whom Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain both want to take on trial.

Roberto Mancini had had a major bust-up with Manchester City over their failure to land Robin van Persie.

Tim Cahill has quit Everton for New York Red Bulls – and will team up with Thierry Henry in the Big Apple.

Fleetwood want QPR midfielder Joey Barton to play for them in a friendly on Friday night.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is still looking to spend during the transfer window.

Andre Villas-Boas last night blasted “unprofessional” Luka Modric as Tottenham insisted Real Madrid must cough up £40million to sign him.

Frank Lampard is refusing to rule out a move to the MLS – if he cannot extend his deal with Chelsea.

Nottingham Forest’s new owners will signal their intent on making a Premier League return by swooping for former City Ground favourite Jermaine Jenas.

Bayern Munich have launched a cut-price bid to sign Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong for £8million.

German clubs Hamburg and Wolfsburg want to sign Nigel Reo-Coker.

THE SUN

Luka Modric has made a grovelling apology to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy for going on strike.

Roberto Mancini is furious Manchester City are falling behind in the race to sign Robin van Persie.

Golf bosses will consider a crackdown on caddies after Carlos Tevez bunked into The Open.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has finally admitted that he is battling to land Brazilian wonderkid Lucas Moura.

FOX Soccer Champions League Bracket Challenge

Put your skills to the test for a chance to win bragging rights and prizes, including a VIP trip to two Barclays Premier League games.

REGISTRATION | PREMIER LEAGUE

 

Nottingham Forest’s new owners want Jermaine Jenas to be their first big signing.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has rejected speculation linking him with a move from Aston Villa to Sunderland.

Tim Cahill is poised to leave Everton for New York Red Bulls.

Everton face a battle with Newcastle and Tottenham for Getafe midfielder Abdel Barrada.

West Brom are closing in on agreeing a deal for Argentinian midfielder Claudio Yacob.

Brighton have beaten Spurs, Arsenal, AC Milan and Valencia to land Jeremy Balmy from Le Havre.

Southampton look ready to sell Lee Barnard, Ryan Dickson and Jonathan Forte.

DAILY STAR

Andy Carroll has told Liverpool they will not force him out of Anfield.

Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker has been ruled out for up to six weeks with an Achilles injury.

Brighton and Burnley will battle it out for Wolves striker Sam Vokes.

DAILY MAIL

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas last night branded Luka Modric unprofessional over his mini-strike.

Roberto Mancini fears Manchester City have lost the initiative in the scramble for Robin van Persie’s signature.

Bayern Munich will make a £6million bid for Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong.

Zenit St Petersburg have joined the chase for Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel and hope to tempt him with a £110,000-per-week deal.

Fulham are looking at Hoffenheim forward Ryan Babel.

Al Hilal are keen on Arsenal striker Park Chu-young and West Ham forward Frederic Piquionne.

DAILY EXPRESS

Tim Cahill will bring the curtain down on a distinguished Everton career today by moving to Major League Soccer with New York Red Bulls.

Nigel de Jong is set to be left behind when Manchester City fly out to China today with Bayern Munich closing on a cut-price £8million deal.

METRO

Serie A giants AC Milan have opened talks with Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner over a deal to bring the Dane to Italy.

Liverpool are set to make a bid of £10m for Swansea midfielder Joe Allen.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

MLS Features: MLS All-Stars confident ahead of Chelsea clash

July 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Major League Soccer All-Stars have not fared particularly well in America’s summer showcase over the past few seasons.

Playing English Premier League heavyweight Manchester United in consecutive matches left the team battered, bruised and licking their wounds, falling to the 19-time league champions by a combined score of 9-2 over the two games.

But don’t be fooled by that small sample size. Since the MLS All-Star Game switched from the prototypical “East vs. West” format to a match that pits all of the league’s best players against a world-renowned team, the All-Stars have done more than simply hold their own.

Aside from the two humbling defeats to the mighty Red Devils, the MLS All- Stars have produced a 5-0-1 record against their foreign opponents (though the draw ultimately turned into a loss to English side Everton on penalties).

Wednesday, the MLS All-Stars will be out to prove that their losses to Manchester United were nothing more than outliers in an otherwise impressive record against the world’s best as they face reigning European champion and FA Cup winner Chelsea at PPL Park.

The idea to face international clubs began in 2003 with a 3-1 win over Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara. The East vs. West format manifested itself once more in 2004 before the league reverted back to contests with international powerhouses, and MLS has not looked back since.

The All-Stars crushed Fulham, 4-1 in 2005 before Dwayne De Rosario helped them squeak past Chelsea with a 1-0 win in 2006. After taking successive wins against Scottish giant Celtic (2-0) and English side West Ham United (3-2), the All-Stars played to a 1-1 draw with Everton in 2009, ultimately losing on penalties.

Major League Soccer has fought a battle to gain notoriety in a crowded sports marketplace for some time. In many ways, it is still fighting – there are plenty of people who contend that soccer in America will struggle to gain long-term popularity and that players from the United States won’t be truly competitive in the world’s game.

The All-Star Game, in its current format, was viewed as a tool to combat this notion – putting our boys against global footballing giants and proving that we’re good enough.

But even on the back of two sizable losses to Manchester United, Ben Olsen, head coach the MLS All-Stars, is much more realistic with his expectations. The D.C. United boss is not feeling the pressure to get a positive result in a glorified friendly.

“If anything, I should feel less pressure with that,” said Olsen in response to how the two previous All-Star Games will affect his approach. “I’d feel more pressure if they won both of them [against Manchester United].

“Look, it’s a situation where you fly guys in with games on the weekend, you try to get them on the same page, give them a template to succeed, but you can only do so much in 36 hours. That’s the beauty of this; it’s about the individuals and they go out there, they try to gel under quick circumstances and help each other out. We’ll see. We’ll give it our best shot, that’s for sure.”

Landon Donovan knows a thing or two about All-Star Games having been voted to an MLS-record 12th appearance this year. The Los Angeles Galaxy star echoed Olsen’s mentality, but believes his All-Star teammates still have the motivation necessary to pull off the desired result.

“It’s an All-Star Game at the end of the day,” Donovan said. “But I think guys take some pride in it. And it’s good to have guys who are experiencing it for the first time because they’re probably a little bit more excited than guys who have been there before.

“I think we’re going to be a lot more competitive this time around.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Rafael urges Lucas to join United

July 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

NEW ADDRESSES

Get caught up with all the movers and shakers in this summer’s transfer window.

Rafael has urged Lucas Moura to join Manchester United and has claimed his fellow Brazilian is excited about the prospect of moving to Old Trafford.

Teenage midfielder Lucas is one of world football’s most coveted talents and has reportedly been the subject of an offer from the Red Devils.

His current club Sao Paulo claim to have turned down a bid of €35million (£27m) for the 19-year-old, who is also a target for Inter Milan.

Lucas is presently part of Brazil’s squad for the Olympics, alongside Rafael, and it appears the two have spoken about the chance to sign for United.

Full-back Rafael said in the Daily Star Sunday: “Yes, I have told Lucas he should come to Manchester United, of course.”

And, when asked whether Lucas was excited about coming to United, Rafael replied: “Yes, yes!”

Another member of Brazil’s Olympic squad who could be on his way to the Premier League is Oscar, who has undergone a medical at Chelsea.

Oscar has confirmed he will make a final decision on his future after the Olympics and Rafael feels the midfielder can enjoy an impact in English football.

He added: “I have heard about Oscar coming to Chelsea and he is a good player and very important to Brazil.

“I really think he will do very well in the Premier League because he is a talented player.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts