Could The Big Apple Support Three MLS Clubs?

                                          

The New York City metropolitan area is home to more professional sports teams than any other city in the United States of America.  It has over 20,000,000 residents in its sprawl and easily supports multiple teams in the big four sports leagues.  MLS will soon have two teams into the New York area, but could the city support three teams?  The New York Red Bulls draw average attendance in a 25,000 seat arena and New York City FC will eventually have a 25,000 seat stadium of their own in the coming years.  Three teams representing one city would be unprecedented in modern sports leagues in this country.  The New York Cosmos ownership group has very deep pockets and our very ambitious.  They have won the NASL in their first season back as a club with a team compiled of MLS cast-offs and a highly paid Spanish legend named Marcos Senna.  The club has submitted plans  for a 25,000 seat stadium in Long Island and want to be the talk of the town.  It is still hard to be considered big time if you play in the second division or minor leagues of any sport in America and a move to MLS is a must.  Most people believed the Cosmos were on their way to MLS when there were talks of another team being added to New York City.  The Cosmos ownership group played some serious hard ball and the league looked at other options before rewarding the expansion to the Manchester City/Yankee ownership and New York City FC.  The Cosmos brand is too enticing not to be include in the league if a stadium deal is passed.  The unique dynamics of New York City and the sheer size of the city could allow it to support three clubs.  The Red Bulls would be a club that attached to the New Jersey section of the New York City metro because they play there.  Manhattan and the Bronx would attach to the newly founded New York City FC, with a stadium deal being discussed in those boroughs.  If the Cosmos were ever accepted into MLS they would attach to Long Island, having already played there this season and their stadium being planned there.  It could be a stretch, but those teams pulling from only that specific third of the New York City metro, still have more of a populace to pull from almost every MLS team.

Zlatan Ibrahimović and MLS

   Zlatan Ibrahimović is one of the most prolific goal scorers that the world of soccer has ever seen and like most aging superstars he wants to come to MLS.  The Swedish international is one of the most accomplished players to play the game, winning titles wherever he has played in Europe and scoring goals in every fathomable way.  Ibrahimović has played for some of the most prestigious clubs in the world including: Ajax, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, and PSG.  Not only has he played in numerous leagues, his talent never seems to waiver.  There are always questions of what would happen if certain players had to move leagues where playing styles. physicality and competition are quite different.  This question makes some believe Messi may not be as prolific in a league like the Barclay's Premier League or Bundesliga, where physicality is part of the game and players do not receive calls for mere contact.  It is impressive that Ibrahimović has not been effected by the constant movement around the continent of Europe.  He is a true hired gun with seemingly no club loyalty, but thirsty to leave another league terrified of his 6'5 frame running at their defenses.

                           

  Everyone knows that Zlatan is a talent not seen every generation.  He is one player that you can say can literally score from anywhere in the attacking third and beyond. His sheer size is a sight to behold itself.  This size, however, is complemented with grace that is usually left for players far smaller and he has uncanny technical ability.  Not only is Zlatan a impressive talent, he also is quite interesting and very cocky.  He holds a black belt in taekwondo, and this expertise has led to martial arts type goals.  This has led to a flury of YouTube compilations of just Zlatan's martial arts style scoring exploits.  Zlatan is quite charismatic and cocky and often talks to himself in the third person.  In sports this is not unheard of in the US and it is often this cockiness which make the players great.  The unwaivering belief in one's ability and the ability to back it up.  Zlatan is the Terrell Owens of soccer and even though you may not like the attitude or what they say, you still want to know what they are saying.  The entertainment value in Zlatan coming to MLS will occur both on and off the field.  If you doubt the entertainment potentially coming to MLS you simply need to look at YouTube's 30 Crazy Things of Zlatan Ibrahimović.  Zlatan has expressed his desire to play in MLS, but only if he is able to contribute and win titles.  This is the type of player we should want in this league.  Although Ibrahimović will be 34 when his PSG contract is up, he should still be more than able to score goals.  He is not slow, but his game does not  revolve speed.  He is a poacher and an opportunist who will take the league by storm.  In my eyes, I already see where he will be plying his trade: New York City FC.  Zlatan already has a penthouse on Manhattan and he will give the new MLS club the star power they need.  Zlatan has expressed that he is not as well known in America as he should be and I believe that in a few years time the entire sporting public in this country will know his name.

New York City FC 2015

     We have known for months that another New York club will be coming to the league in 2015.  For those who like to troll, I am including the Red Bulls as a New York club.  New York City FC will be joining the league under the ownership of superclub Manchester City and the New York Yankees.  The ownership group is an odd couple, despite their commonality of being flush with cash.  This is where my first problem comes in.  I long have been an advocate for another team in the city proper if it is done the right way, but having another soccer club own another club is worrisome.  This is not like an FC Barcelona B being owned by FC Barcelona, where the team is obviously a development team in the same soccer pyramid.  This is an actual outside ownership of a club in another top flight league and could be seen as a Chivas USA situation.
                           
     The mere mention of Chivas USA causes American soccer fans everywhere to cringe.  We all have seen the horror that the second LA club has endured, mostly by their own doing.  Chivas USA is a marketing nightmare.  The original club owners merely adding a "USA" to the new club and have the team playing in the exact same uniforms as the Liga MX side.  Chivas USA even began a racist policy of only employing Mexican or Latin American players.  This racial or ethnic discrimination is not unheard of in soccer.  The La Liga side Athletic Bilbao only allows Basque players to represent the club.  There is one key difference in the situation of Chivas USA and Athletic Bilbao.  Athletic Bilbao is actually located in the Basque region of Spain, while Chivas USA is trying to only include players from a country the club isn't even located.  The new club was suppose to gain legions of followers from LA's large Mexican population.  What they didn't anticipate was that not every Mexican in LA supported Chivas.  The end product was complete alienation of the majority of the Mexican population of LA and the other ethnic groups and races the club would not employ.
     Chivas USA aside, NYCFC is seemingly being made in the footprint of Manchester City.  There is  no club crest yet, but everything on the new website is Manchester City driven with contests about the club and the club's game results.  The contests are luxurious, with trips to England and UEFA Champion's League games, but shouldn't the new club be trying to implement an identity for themselves?  In my opinion, trips to NYCFC games or season ticket packages would be much better suited for club's contests.  The club must embrace the New York public and represent the city.  New York fans will dismiss any team that doesn't represent the five boroughs or at least one of them.  This farce must stop and in this year before they take field, a sound effort must be made to get their own identity away from the ownership club.
      New York City FC does have many things going its way, however, that lend me to believe that the league and Manchester City are aware of the problems that currently plague.  The team appointed American soccer legend Claudio Reyna as their Director of Football Operations.  This hire gave the club instant credibility and hope that local identity and not foreign will reign.  Furthermore, the club also has pried Jason Kreis away from Real Salt Lake to be the club's first head coach.  Kreis is widely held to be the most promising soccer mind in the game and the next generation of great American coaches.  His club's playing style is some of the most appealing in MLS and it seems to me that club owner's have scored big time.  It is interesting that the club owner's are having him spend time in England to seemingly learn the Manchester City way.  Hopefully, this isn't an attempt to influence tactics, but merely training workshops both conditioning and technical.  One thing we do know is that Kreis will have limitless access to top talent around the world.  The cap will not allow a true superclub to be made, but we do know the club will have big name stars.