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Group puts plans in motion to bring MLS to St. Louis

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Carolyn Kindle Betz from The Taylor Family of Enterprise Rental Car made the announcement they’ve teamed up with Jim Kavanaugh, founder of World Wide Technology to make a bid for one of the last two MLS expansion teams.

A new, St. Louis-based ownership group led by Carolyn Kindle Betz, who is Senior VP of Enterprise Holdings and Executive Director of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, and six other female members of the Taylor family, along with Andy Taylor, Executive Chairman of Enterprise Holdings, and Jim Kavanaugh, CEO of World Wide Technology, announced plans to bring a Major League Soccer club to St. Louis.

The proposal will mostly be privately funded. Some funding will come from “user taxes” that allows for the collection of taxes from only those who attend events.

The preferred site for an open-air soccer stadium sits adjacent to Union Station in downtown St. Louis. The stadium would also be used for concerts, high school and college tournaments, camps and more.  The design of the new stadium has not yet been completed, but will not be the same stadium that was first proposed for this site in 2016.

“We envision an MLS team as yet another way to increase the energy and momentum to an already wonderful city that means so much to us,” says Andy Taylor in the release. “The addition of a third major league team speaks to our desirability as a place to work, live and play. St. Louis is a major league city that deserves the many benefits that come with an MLS club.”

“A new St. Louis MLS team would be the first female majority-owned club in the league’s history and one of the few in all professional sports,” Kindle Betz added at the press conference.

MLS is looking to expand to two more cities and St. Louis hopes to grab one of those two slots.  Early estimates say that if St. Louis is awarded a franchise, the club could be ready to play by 2022.

Soccer stadium gets a no-vote in St. Louis

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An HOK Image of where the new MLS stadium would have been built in downtown St. Louis

St. Louis will remain a two-team sport. City voters defeated the measure to help pay for a Major League Soccer Stadium by a 53 to 47% no vote on Prop 2 which would have provided $60 million from a business tax to help build a stadium.

The funding plan actually needed both Prop 1 and 2 to pass.  Proposition 1 was a sales tax increase that would fund MetroLink expansion, which was approved by voters.  Proposition 2, an increase to the use tax paid by businesses by half a cent lost with 30,603 ‘no’ votes to 27,363 ‘yes’ votes.

After the state rejected a proposal to give any money to a new stadium project, Prop 2 was a restructured attempt that failed.  If there is any hope of St. Louis getting an MLS franchise, that $60 million gap would most likely need to be filled by team ownership.

Dan Courtemanche, Major League Soccer’s executive vice president of communications, released a statement via Twitter.

Major League Soccer stadium proposal passes through committee after an initial defeat

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An HOK Image of where a new MLS stadium would be built in downtown St. Louis

The St. Louis Board of Aldermen Ways and Means Committee passed a proposal for the MLS stadium after a second round of voting on Thursday.  The proposal now shifts to the full Board of Aldermen.  After an original 6-2 defeat of the vote, the committee reconvened and passed the proposal by a 5-4 vote after a ticket tax was added to the proposal.

The ticket tax would generate $7.5 million to $12 million in general revenue for the city of St. Louis.  Money initially dedicated to developer Paul McKee is also added to this project.  The rest of the stadium budget is from a “use” tax.

If the Board of Alderman approve the new proposal, it will then move onto a judge who must act in order to get the measure on the April ballot for a public vote.

“SC STL is very grateful for the thorough review and passage of our bill by the Ways and Means Committee and we now look forward to a public hearing and the full Board of Aldermen in the coming weeks. There is clearly more work ahead, but today’s result brings us much closer to a ballot measure that will allow city voters the opportunity to make St. Louis a future home for a Major League Soccer expansion franchise,” said spokesperson for SC STL Jim Woodcock in a statement.

The initial proposal was asking for city residents to vote on $60 million.  That is no longer in play.

21st Ward Alderman Antonio French is against a soccer team coming to St. Louis, but tweeted:

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Vote for St. Louis soccer stadium tax credits put on hold after Greitens “welfare for millionaires,” comment.

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An HOK Image of where a new MLS stadium would be built in downtown St. Louis

The state Development Finance Board postponed a vote during their scheduled meeting on Tuesday in Jefferson City, delaying a request from the city of St. Louis for $40 million in tax credits to go toward a $200 million downtown stadium plan to bring an MLS team to St. Louis.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, SC STL, the group trying to bring a professional soccer team to St. Louis, requested the postponement after Governor-elect Eric Greitens called the plan “nothing more than welfare for millionaires.”

SC STL hopes to set up a meeting with Greitens before considering another request for vote.  A St. Louis Board of Aldermen also introduced legislation last week that could ask city voters to approve up to $80 million for the stadium, which would be the next step in bringing a third professional franchise to St. Louis.

The Rams left St. Louis for Los Angeles after Governor Jay Nixon’s task force was unable to secure a stadium plan that met the approval of Rams’ owner Stan Kroenke and the NFL.

Group offers to pay public portion of stadium to bring MLS soccer to St. Louis

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Aerial view to west of stadium front door at Market and Union Station Credit HOK

Foundry St. Louis, an ownership group looking to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to St. Louis, is offering to pay approximately $80 million, or the public portion of a development, to help build a soccer stadium.

Foundry’s CEO Dan Cordes sent a letter to Dave Peacock, chairman of the St. Louis Sports Commission, saying Foundry would cover the cost of what Peacock’s group is seeking for public subsidy. Peacock is co-founder of SC STL, a separate group looking to build a $200 million MLS stadium on property just west of Union Station.

When Governor Jay Nixon assigned his task force, led by Peacock, with the responsibility of developing a stadium plan to keep the Rams and the NFL in St. Louis, part of that North River plan included building a stadium that would house the Rams as well as a soccer franchise.  When the deal with the NFL fell through, Peacock continued to explore opportunities to bring an MLS team to St. Louis on a smaller scale.

Shortly thereafter, Foundry St. Louis came into play with a plan of their own that would utilize land on St. Louis University. Cordes has stated that his group wanted to build the stadium without raising any taxes. It was estimated an MLS stadium would cost at least $100 million.  Expansion fees paid to MLS could be as high as $200 million.

MLS currently has 20 teams and will expand to 24 by 2020. Teams in Atlanta and Minnesota will start next season. The league has said that after 2020, it will add four more teams, and that’s where St. Louis hopes to fit in.

I spoke with Brian Feldt, Senior Reporter for St. Louis Business Journal, who explains how the two competing groups could end up working with each other in the end to bring professional soccer to St. Louis.

 

No. 3 Jennies Soccer falls 3-1 to Grand Valley State in National Quarterfinals

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Story courtesy:  Central Missouri Athletics

The third-ranked Central Missouri Jennies soccer team (21-2, 10-1 MIAA) fell 3-1 to No. 2 Grand Valley State in the National Quarterfinals of the NCAA-II Women’s Soccer Tournament Sunday afternoon.

Hannah Pyle scored the lone goal for the Jennies in the second half. In net, Ana Dilkes collected eight saves in 18 shots faced and finished the season with a 21-2 record and posted a single season-high 16 shutouts.

The Lakers controlled the pace in the first half as they outshot the Jennies 11-3 overall and 7-1 in shots on goal. They found the back on the net in the 25th minute when Marti Corby sent a shot from the left side that curved and bounced off the right post into the net.

[Read more…]

Sporting KC makes MLS history in win over Seattle

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Photo/SportingKC.com

Photo/SportingKC.com

Sporting Kansas City is the first team in MLS history to hold a team to just one shot, accomplishing the feat twice in the same season. The first happened in a 0-0 draw at Los Angeles against the Galaxy on June 2nd. Sporting repeated the feat in the sweltering heat during a 3-0 victory of Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday afternoon.

During the club’s 82nd straight sellout in Kansas City, Dom Dwyer scored twice and Jacob Peterson added a third.

Seattle did avoid becoming the first MLS team to go an entire match without a shot, but their lone attempt did not even force a save.

Sporting KC moved from 7th to 4th in the Western Conference. Their next two matches are against MLS Cup Champion Portland.

Sporting K.C. breaks ground on National Training and Coaching Development Center in Kansas City, Kansas

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Artist's rendition of the

Artist’s rendition of the of the NTCDC (photo/Sporting KC)

On Sunday, the ceremonial shovels scooped the first patches of dirt as Sporting Club, U.S. Soccer and Children’s Mercy broke ground on the National Training and Coaching Development Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The NTCDC will provide a world-class environment to develop players, coaches, and referees of all ages.  A facility they are calling a first of its kind in the United States.

The $62 million development will not only serve as a training center for Sporting Kansas City, but the site will be home to the U.S. Soccer National Coaching Education Center – providing a permanent, national home for the education of coaches and referees — and the Children’s Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center, which will offer a full range of sports medicine services, resources and programming for youth athletes in all sports.

The NTCDC is planned to accommodate seven full-size soccer fields. It will have five fields upon its opening, including a seven-acre natural grass Super Pitch which consists of three full-size fields and two lighted, synthetic turf fields. In addition, the 80,000-square-foot NTCDC building will feature cutting-edge components:

The U.S. Soccer National Coaching Education Center, including two locker rooms, three coaching classrooms, eight breakout rooms and the world’s first fully wired coaching pavilion.

Professional training facilities, including the new Sporting Kansas City player and coach locker rooms, two national team locker rooms, a video analysis suite, a conference room, an auditorium and a cafeteria

A 12,500-square-foot Sports Performance Gymnasium
A 2,100-square-foot Human Analysis Lab
A 1,700-square-foot Hydrotherapy Suite
A 1,500-square-foot Sports Performance Lab
An 800-square-foot Hydrotherapy Suite

It will be completed by November 2017 and will be located on the east side of 435 opposite Sporting KC’s stadium and the Kansas Speedway.

 

High school baseball and girls soccer state championships wrap up MSHSAA’s 2015-16 athletic season (VIDEO)

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With the conclusion of the baseball state championships in O’Fallon and the girls soccer championships at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, that wraps up the athletic competition for Missouri high schools for the 2015-16 school year.  Below are the box scores from each of those games courtesy of MSHSAA.

Jason West recaps the weekend and looks ahead to MSHSAA’s summer plans.

Class 1 (Monday and Tuesday) 
5/31 10:00 a.m. Semifinal #1 Bell City def. Silex, 5-4 Watch Box Score
12:30 p.m. Semifinal #2 New Covenant Academy def. Northwest (Hughesville), 5-0 Watch Box Score
6/1 Third-Place Game Cancelled
10:30 a.m. Championship Bell City def. New Covenant Academy, 7-2 Watch Box Score

Rain forced MSHSAA to cancel the third place games.  Bell City’s Cole Nichols pitched a complete game and went 3-for 4 with two RBIs to lead the Cubs to Class 1 championship.  Austin Hicks drove in three runs for Bell City.

Class 2 (Tuesday and Wednesday) 
5/31 4:30 p.m. Semifinal #1 Valle Catholic def. Plato, 7-0 Watch Box Score
7:00 p.m. Semifinal #2 Canton def. Lincoln, 5-4 Watch Box Score
6/1 Third-Place Game Cancelled
1:30 p.m Championship Valle Catholic def. Canton, 15-2 Watch Box Score

Canton entered the championship game undefeated, having won 21 straight games, but Valle Catholic put together a great year, finishing 34-2. First baseman Chet Meyer finished the game 4-for-4.  Kaden Bauman hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the win.

Class 3 (Wednesday and Thursday) 
6/1 4:30 p.m. Semifinal #1  Mountain Grove def. Scott City, 12-1 Watch Box Score
7:00 p.m. Semifinal #2  Summit Christian Academy def. South Callaway, 11-7 Watch Box Score
6/2 10:30 a.m. Third-Place Scott City def. South Callaway, 5-4 Box Score
1:30 p.m Championship Mountain Grove def. Summit Christian Academy, 4-1 Watch Box Score

Mountain Grove scored three in the first and another in the second inning and then left the game into the hands of pitchers Brock Coffman and Alex Moore, who combined to throw a three-hitter to win the Class 3 title.  Moore got the win striking out eight in four innings.

Class 5 (Thursday and Friday)
6/2 4:30 p.m. Semifinal #1 Jefferson City def. Lindbergh, 7-4 Watch Box Score
7:00 p.m. Semifinal #2 Francis Howell def. Lee’s Summit West, 6-1 Watch Box Score
6/3 10:30 a.m. Third-Place Lee’s Summit West def. Lindbergh, 9-8 Box Score
1:30 p.m. Championship Francis Howell def. Jefferson City, 8-2 Watch Box Score

The Vikings put together a pair of four run innings…in the third and sixth to open up an 8-0 lead before the Jays managed to score two in the bottom half of the sixth.  Jefferson City had their chances, stranding 11 runners on base, including four innings where two runners were left stranded.

Class 4 (Friday and Saturday)
6/3 10:30 a.m. Semifinal #1 MICDS def. Aurora, 7-4 Watch Box Score
1:30 p.m. Semifinal #2 Boonville def. Fulton, 6-5 Watch Box Score
6/4 10:30 a.m. Third-Place Aurora def. Fulton, 10-6 Box Score
1:30 p.m. Championship MICDS def. Boonville, 7-3 Watch Box Score

Luke Layton allowed 11 hits, but held Boonville off the scoreboard until late after his team jumped out to a 6-1 lead, thanks to a four-run fifth inning.  Boonville advanced after their walk-off win over the Hornets in the semifinal game.

Class 1 Schedule
12 Noon(Wed.) Semifinal #1- Trinity Catholic def. Summit Christian Academy, 3-2 Watch Box Score
2 p.m. (Wed.) Semifinal #2- Saxony Lutheran def. Father Tolton Regional Catholic, 8-0 Watch Box Score
10 a.m. (Thur.) Third-Place – Summit Christian Academy def. Father Tolton Regional Catholic, 9-0 Box Score
2 p.m. (Thur.) Championship- Saxony Lutheran def. Trinity Catholic, 1-0 Watch Box Score

Saxony Lutheran draws on two shutouts to go back-to-back with state titles.

Class 2 Schedule
4 p.m. (Wed.) Semifinal #1- Duchesne def. St. Pius X (Kansas City), 4-0 Watch Box Score
6 p.m. (Wed.) Semfinal #2 – Pembroke Hill def. Notre Dame (St. Louis), 2-0 Watch Box Score
Noon (Thurs.) Third-Place – St. Pius X (Kansas City) def. Notre Dame (St. Louis), 2-1 Box Score
4 p.m. (Thur.) Championship – Duchesne def. Pembroke Hill, 4-1 Watch Box Score

Duchesne had no trouble defending their Class 2 title and haven’t had any issues in moving up a class.  This was Duchesne fourth straight state title, the other coming in Class 1.

Class 3 Schedule
Noon (Fri.) Semifinal #1-  Rockwood Summit def. Visitation Academy, 3-0 Watch Box Score
2 p.m. (Fri.) Semifinal #2- Notre Dame de Sion def Incarnate Word Academy, 5-0 Watch Box Score
10 a.m (Sat.) Third-Place – Visitation Academy tie. Incarnate Word Academy, 0-0 Box Score
2 p.m. (Sat.) Championship – Notre Dame de Sion def. Rockwood Summit, 1-0 Watch Box Score

A rarity in the final four.  Visitation Academy and Incarnate Word went scoreless at state.  Their third place game ended in a 0-0 tie and both were shutout in their semifinal losses.

Class 4 Schedule
4 p.m. (Fri.) Semifinal #1- St. Joseph’s Academy def. Lee’s Summit, 2-1 Watch Box Score
6 p.m. (Fri.) Semifinal #2- St. Teresa’s Academy def. Cor Jesu Academy, 3-0 Watch Box Score
Noon (Sat.) Third-Place – Lee’s Summit def. Cor Jesu Academy, 4-1 Box Score
4 p.m. (Sat.) Championship – St. Teresa’s Academy def. St. Joseph’s Academy 4-2 Watch Box Score

Lily Farkas scored two goals for St. Teresa’s, but Kate Scofield scored what would be the game winner at the 51:20 mark.

Busch Stadium hosting soccer on August 1st–Liverpool F.C. and Italian club A.S. Roma

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U.S.A.'s Jozy Altidore heads the ball into the goal in the first half against St. Vincent and the Grenadines at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on November 13, 2015. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

U.S.A.’s Jozy Altidore heads the ball into the goal in the first half against St. Vincent and the Grenadines at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on November 13, 2015. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that English giant Liverpool F.C. and Italian club A.S. Roma will meet on Monday, August 1, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.  The match will kick-off at 7:30 p.m. CT.

“St. Louis soccer fans will not want to miss this exciting match between these two historic clubs,” said Bill DeWitt III, President of the St. Louis Cardinals.  “This is a wonderful opportunity for soccer fans to see two of the most renowned teams in the world play in a ballpark that has proven to be ideal for world class soccer.”

Tickets for the general public will go on-sale on Wednesday, June 8, at 10:00 a.m. CT.  Fans can buy tickets at cardinals.com/soccer.

This will be the fifth soccer match Busch Stadium has hosted since 2013.  Over 48,000 fans packed the ballpark in April, 2013 to watch English Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea meet for a club friendly.  Later that year, Busch Stadium was the site for an International Friendly that saw the national teams from Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina square off in November.  Further, 2015 saw both the United States Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Teams visit St. Louis as the U.S. Women defeated New Zealand 4-0 in an International Friendly match in April and the U.S. Men dominated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6-1 in front of over 43,000 fans this past November as part of qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

A.S. Roma

Founded in 1927, A.S. Roma has won Serie A three times, with the last coming in the 2000-01 season, as well as nine Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.  The club just completed their 64th consecutive season competing in Italian football’s top domestic league, Serie A.  Roma features captain, all-time leading goal scorer and the most capped player in the club’s long history Francesco Totti.  He is currently the top active Serie A goal scorer and second all-time in league history.  The team also features Italian defender Daniele De Rossi as well as leading goal scorers Mohamed Salah (Egypt) and Miralem Pjanić (Bosnia).  For more information on Roma, visit asroma.it.

Liverpool F.C.

Founded in 1892, Liverpool F.C. is one of the world’s most historic and famous football clubs.  Having won 18 League Titles, seven FA Cups, eight League Cups, five European Cups, three UEFA Cups, three European Super Cups and 15 Charity Shields, they remain one of England’s most illustrious clubs.  Their five European championships are tied for third, only behind Real Madrid (10) and AC Milan (7), both of whom are also participating in the International Champions Cup put on by Relevent Sports in 2016.  Liverpool F.C. has one of the best records in all of European football and has more top-flight wins than any other English team.  For more information on the Reds, please visit liverpoolfc.com.