New York City FC - It's Official!

[Saul Goodman]

Not sure how many of you follow MLS or know the rules that City/Yankees will have to work with. The league does have a salary cap each team is allowed up to three designated players. These players can choose which team they play for. The league is a single entity. Meaning the contracts are with the league and not the individual teams. The salary cap for each team is $2,950,000. Each DP's will have a cap charge of $368,750 against the salary cap. So anyone that signs outside of the DP goes into the draft and does not get to choose which team he plays for. Also you can have only 8 internationals on the roster the rest have to be made up of U.S. citizens. This doesn't apply to the 3 Canadian teams in the league. They can use their domestic spots for U.S. citizens and Canadian citizens.

All rules are always subject to change though ;) And in America $$$ rules.

Those rules, along with the money sharing scheme, also ensure that all clubs are profitable (I believe). There may be some loan opportunities for youngsters going to NYC, but I don't really see that as the major benefit. They are going to develop the area, much like they've done in manchester, they are going to develop facilities (especially academy facilities) and look to attract young talent in the USA and funnel that to England when possible.

City can play a huge role in taking the sport in USA to the next level. Horrible as it is to say, Beckham was the impetus for the first shift in the states (well, second if you're counting the world cup and start of the mls). City are going to lead the charge on next step.

I know that people laugh when they think of SOCCER in the states ... but to be perfectly honest, we're a nation of more than 300 million people ... and an absolutely massive percentage of kids plays soccer starting at a very young age. The problem now is that any kid who shows even a slight bit of athleticism is funneled into the big money sports in the USA as quickly as possible. IF that attitude can change, City would be positioned to reap a lot of the benefits.

NY is also a fashionable city, and people love to have some connection to it. They also love winners. There are many fans of the Yankees that have never been to NY more than a handful of times and have no family connection. They are fans anyway. The city occupies a special place for a lot of people. City can take advantage of that too.

The big problem with youth soccer in this country is the pay to play model. When a kid gets signed to the youth academy's in the rest of the wold their parent don't have to pay for their kid to be on the team. Everything has a cost that the parents have to cover kits, coaches, indoor field rental for winter training, club fees, tournament fees, travel costs.

The problem with "soccer" in the states is that:

There's no academies. There is a draft into MLS. Kids go to college to play soccer.
Everyone likes football or baseball or basketball more so the US soccer players suck.

[ross.mcfc]

There's no academies. There is a draft into MLS. Kids go to college to play soccer.
Everyone likes football or baseball or basketball more so the US soccer players suck.

Tell me all about these wonderful academies in England. They must produce the worlds best footballers since everyone in England loves football.

Last time I checked the last time the two countries met I recall the American players more than held their own then topped the group with England in it.

Always amuses me how insecure europeans are about Americans getting good at football.

[halnone]

The problem with "soccer" in the states is that:

There's no academies. There is a draft into MLS. Kids go to college to play soccer.
Everyone likes football or baseball or basketball more so the US soccer players suck.

there are academies in MLS. I don't know where you're getting your info.

[branny]

It'll never catch on. You don't get any points for catching the ball and as other nations play the game they can't declare themselves world champions without actually winning the World Cup.

[Tokyo Blue]

I can't help wondering whether this is there to help City or whether City are there to help this.

The FA and UEFA (led by you know who) will just bring new rules in to stop funds moving from one club to another owned by the same person.

[xavi6]

As an avid follower of MLS I'm excited.

[Florida Blue]

Not sure how many of you follow MLS or know the rules that City/Yankees will have to work with. The league does have a salary cap each team is allowed up to three designated players. These players can choose which team they play for. The league is a single entity. Meaning the contracts are with the league and not the individual teams. The salary cap for each team is $2,950,000. Each DP's will have a cap charge of $368,750 against the salary cap. So anyone that signs outside of the DP goes into the draft and does not get to choose which team he plays for. Also you can have only 8 internationals on the roster the rest have to be made up of U.S. citizens. This doesn't apply to the 3 Canadian teams in the league. They can use their domestic spots for U.S. citizens and Canadian citizens.

Jamie, IIRC those 8 international spots was the original allocation. Those spots can be traded (or is it sold?) to other franchises. There is a set number of them in the league - 152, which will go to 160 when NYCFC enters.

[blue wine]

Very interesting what tolmie had to say on this:

Incredible news that it is City who are the stakeholder in this.

Coupled with the partnership with the Yankees, this thing will eventually make more money than the Manchester operation, which is the objective.

In America, they are a nation of dreams and builders, whereas in Europe, there will always be rules implemented to keep the status quo amongst the elite.

This really is genius. The amount of business who will want to be associated with this is escaping most people, certainly the wider media.

Think about it. The stadium build costs nothing towards FFPR.

Yet we can cream the majority of the naming rights for the stadium, the CITC training academies, the shirt sponsors.

You're talking at least £500m in revenues and real estate spin-offs, concerts etc.

I wonder how long we will let this drag out before a stadium and the brand is worth an additional £500m just selling it on!

We dictate the profits and the Yankees don't do anything unless there's money in it.

[JamieMCFC]

Not sure how many of you follow MLS or know the rules that City/Yankees will have to work with. The league does have a salary cap each team is allowed up to three designated players. These players can choose which team they play for. The league is a single entity. Meaning the contracts are with the league and not the individual teams. The salary cap for each team is $2,950,000. Each DP's will have a cap charge of $368,750 against the salary cap. So anyone that signs outside of the DP goes into the draft and does not get to choose which team he plays for. Also you can have only 8 internationals on the roster the rest have to be made up of U.S. citizens. This doesn't apply to the 3 Canadian teams in the league. They can use their domestic spots for U.S. citizens and Canadian citizens.

Jamie, IIRC those 8 international spots was the original allocation. Those spots can be traded (or is it sold?) to other franchises. There is a set number of them in the league - 152, which will go to 160 when NYCFC enters.

That is correct a team starts with 8 spots but those can be traded to another team. I got that one mixed up with the DP rule change. That you couldn't trade your DP spot. But right now there are 5 teams that have traded to have the more than the 8 allotted slots Toronto, Chivas, NYRB, Montreal and Vancouver.

[Saul Goodman]

There's no academies. There is a draft into MLS. Kids go to college to play soccer.
Everyone likes football or baseball or basketball more so the US soccer players suck.

Tell me all about these wonderful academies in England. They must produce the worlds best footballers since everyone in England loves football.

Last time I checked the last time the two countries met I recall the American players more than held their own then topped the group with England in it.

Always amuses me how insecure europeans are about Americans getting good at football.

1. Im not European
2. Who said anything about England?

there are academies in MLS. I don't know where you're getting your info.

Like the academies across Europe? that are linked to established, professional clubs?
Genuine question.

[dazby]

It pains me that the Yankees are involved with this. When checking MLB results I do two things. Firstly, I check how many the Marlins have lost by, then check to see if the Yankees have lost too. Seeing the Yankees lose compensates for Miami's shortcomings.

Apart from that, this is a great concept.

[JamieMCFC]

1. Im not European
2. Who said anything about England?

Like the academies across Europe? that are linked to established, professional clubs?
Genuine question.

Yes there are. Chicago Fire have a youth team. If my son hadn't stopped playing this year he would have played against them in a preseason tournament last month. Where are you from?

[shakeyboy]

It pains me that the Yankees are involved with this. When checking MLB results I do two things. Firstly, I check how many the Marlins have lost by, then check to see if the Yankees have lost too. Seeing the Yankees lose compensates for Miami's shortcomings.

Apart from that, this is a great concept.

I hear you there. Been a Mets fan for years and this makes me a little sick. And they want to build a new stadium in Queens?? Right in Flushing?? Less than a mile from Citi Field?? Thumbs up for City involvement. Yankees - vomit.

[Saul Goodman]

1. Im not European
2. Who said anything about England?

Like the academies across Europe? that are linked to established, professional clubs?
Genuine question.

Yes there are. Chicago Fire have a youth team. If my son hadn't stopped playing this year he would have played against them in a preseason tournament last month. Where are you from?

Is it the same as, for instance, Barcelona's youth system (not in terms of skill or prestige) where a lad joins at a certain age and could work his way up into the first team?

I guess my statement was based a little less on fact and more so on dislike.

I'm from Canada but I spent a number of years living in the US.

[JamieMCFC]

Is it the same as, for instance, Barcelona's youth system (not in terms of skill or prestige) where a lad joins at a certain age and could work his way up into the first team?

I guess my statement was based a little less on fact and more so on dislike.

I'm from Canada but I spent a number of years living in the US.

Like I said in an early post the youth system here is pay to play. Even for the MLS youth teams. Now the MLS youth teams are a little different than Europe You can work your way up to senior team. But the problem is the team can only sign so many players from their youth team. The rest go into the draft. Now a lot has changed with youth soccer the last few years. Claudio Reyna is now in charge of youth soccer for the USSF. The top kids aren't going to college. They are going to ODP teams or a select few are going to Bradenton, FL to academy for US soccer.

[kinkylola]

1. Im not European
2. Who said anything about England?

Like the academies across Europe? that are linked to established, professional clubs?
Genuine question.

Yes there are. Chicago Fire have a youth team. If my son hadn't stopped playing this year he would have played against them in a preseason tournament last month. Where are you from?

Is it the same as, for instance, Barcelona's youth system (not in terms of skill or prestige) where a lad joins at a certain age and could work his way up into the first team?

I guess my statement was based a little less on fact and more so on dislike.

I'm from Canada but I spent a number of years living in the US.

Did you stop and think that maybe City are interested in developing an academy like you are speaking of for potential US talent? As far as I know, no other team have done it, and City are now unique in actually owning a club in the USA. The potential here is endless.

[Saul Goodman]

How is that relevant? We're talking about current MLS, not what City might do now that they signed the deal...

[kinkylola]

How is that relevant? We're talking about current MLS, not what City might do now that they signed the deal...

This is your initial quote on the topic about youth in the USA:

There's no academies. There is a draft into MLS. Kids go to college to play soccer.
Everyone likes football or baseball or basketball more so the US soccer players suck.

you went on to compare it to established youth programs like Barcelona, etc ...

My reply to you was, yes the current system is like this, and it's poor for developing anywhere close to top tier talent. But I don't know how you can separate City owning a new MLS team, with the potential plans to develop that as a vehicle for improving City itself. Doesn't it make sense that they would implement an academy structure? Do you think they may have the idea to make this an actual functioning academy, instead of a run of the mill MLS meat conveyor belt?

In retrospect, your comment about academies in USA/MLS sucking is not relevant to City and NYCFC, because City are creating something new, and they have the potential to decide how an academy will be structured.

[john@staustell]

I can't help wondering whether this is there to help City or whether City are there to help this.

The FA and UEFA (led by you know who) will just bring new rules in to stop funds moving from one club to another owned by the same person.

But a lot of people were saying this would be an Abu Dhabi venture, sweet FA to do with City. Turns out this is actually (majority) owned by MCFC - like the City stores, houses owned by Liverpool FC and everything else. Be very difficult to stop that.

[Alioune DVToure]

Tell me all about these wonderful academies in England. They must produce the worlds best footballers since everyone in England loves football.

Last time I checked the last time the two countries met I recall the American players more than held their own then topped the group with England in it.

Always amuses me how insecure europeans are about Americans getting good at football.

Let's be honest, the Americans were under intense pressure in that game and would've been thankful it was only 1-0 had Rob Green never howled. You really hate England, don't you?

England hasn't produced many world-class players in the last 20 years, but there have been hundreds of good Premier League players. In that same period of time, the US has brought through about 30 players who can/could/would've cut it at PL level.