MLS will announce a new TV deal on Monday worth an estimated $90 million per year through 2022, according to the Sports Business Daily. The TV partners will be ESPN, Fox and Univsion.
The current deal is for a mere $18 million per year.
Commissioner Don Garber hinted before the announcement of Atlanta’s MLS team in April that the TV revenues were going to expand significantly.
The New York Times reported that ESPN and Fox Sports 1 will televise a Sunday doubleheader at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Univision will televise a Friday game.
Go to www.mlssoccer.com at 1 p.m. to watch the live announcement.
Champs
Manchester City were crowned the kings of England’s Premier League with a 2-0 win over West Ham on Sunday. Liverpool needed to win, which they did 2-1 over Newcastle, and hope for a loss by the Citizens in order to win the title for the first time in 24 years. Chelsea finished third and Arsenal finished fourth, wrapping up the spots in next year’s Champions League. Everton and Tottenham secured the Europa League spots by finishing fifth and sixth. Hull, a finalist in the FA Cup, will join them. Norwich City, Fulham and Cardiff City were relegated to the Championship.
The race in Spain will come down to Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona in this week’s league finale. Atletico leads Barcelona three three points and need only to tie at the Nou Camp to secure the title. Atletico could have won it on Sunday, but could do no better than tie Malaga, 1-1. Barcelona missed a chance to make up ground by tying Eiche 0-0. Real Madrid was eliminated from the title in race in Spain following a 2-0 loss to Celta Vigo on Sunday.
National squads
Check back later today for an analysis for the U.S. 30-man roster, which is expected to be released by coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
In some other interesting bits national team news:
Luiz Felipe Scolari named his 23-man squad for Brazil and three exclusions raised eyebrows: A.C. Milan midfielder Kaka, Liverpool midfielders Lucas Leiva and Philippe Coutinho. It may simply be a case of Scolari not being able to pick every talented midfielder possible. But to exclude Coutinho, who has been in firm form Liverpool, and to include Oscar, who has barely played for Chelsea in the past few weeks, is curious.
Miguel Herrera’s 23-man Mexico squad featured several notables: Giovani dos Santos, Guillermo Ochoa and Andres Guardado were included. Curiously, three Club America players goalkeeper Moises Munoz, and defenders Francisco Rodriguez and Juan Carlos Valenzuela weren’t included.
Germany’s 30-man squad includes the Methuselah of international soccer: Miroslav Klose. The 35-year-old forward is attempting to play in his fourth World Cup. He needs two more goals to become the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, passing Brazil’s Ronaldo who has 15.
England’s 23-man squad doesn’t include Ashley Cole, a longtime stalwart who at one point was one of the best left backs in the world. Also left out are Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverly, two players who frankly don’t seem to do any one thing particularly well. It is filled with young stars with pace, including Raheem Sterling, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ross Barkley, Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana.
These aren’t locked in. Coaches can make changes until June 2.
Silverbacks fall
The Silverbacks continued to struggle away from Atlanta, falling 4-0 to Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday. They have been outscored 9-3 away from Silverbacks Park this year.
Atlanta (2-0-3) must shore up its defense because its next two games are on the road at Carolina on Saturday and at FC Edmonton on May 24. Carolina is in fourth with seven points while Edmonton is struggling this year with four points
MLS
Five teams are within three points of each other atop the Eastern Conference following last week’s action.
D.C. United continued its turnaround with a 1-0 victory over Philadelphia. Leaders Sporting KC swept aside Jack McInerney’s Montreal side 3-0 to reach 17 points and New England kept pace with a 5-0 thumping of Seattle. Chicago kept New York from reaching the top after a 5-4 win.
Real Salt Lake cut the Sounders’ lead to two points in the West with a 5-2 win over Houston.
For sale
If you have $300 million, Aston Villa could be yours.
American Randy Lerner has put the club up for sale after eight years of ownership. The sales figure is from NBC Sports.
The team has struggled in recent years after four top-10 finishes from 2007-11.
History in France
Helena Costa was named the manager French club Clermont Foot last week. She is believed to the first female to be named manager of a team to play as high as the second division of a European team. She is also the first female manager for a team in France.
Costa, 36, previously worked as an academy coach at Benfica in her native Portugal as a scout at Celtic in Scotland from 2008-11. She has previously managed the women’s national teams of Iraq and Qatar.
Goal of the week
Podcast
I hope you will take the time to enjoy my first podcast about soccer. In today’s podcast, I talk with Scott Moran, Latin America Legal Director for Fortune-500 insurance & technology company Assurant. He’s also President & CEO of international sports consultancy Celta Global Football and was the General Counsel for the Atlanta/USA 2022 FIFA World Cup Bid Committee.
Cool photo gallery
Funny video
Great read
MLS and Atlanta
How MLS players with ties to the metro Atlanta area did this week:
Joe Bendik, Toronto, GK, Kennesaw
Played 90 minutes in team’s 2-1 victory over Vancouver in Wednesday’s Canadian Championship game. Bendik faced six shots that were on target and made four saves.
Next game: Will play at Vancouver in the Canadian Championship on Wednesday and will host New York on Saturday.
Mark Bloom, Toronto, D, Marietta
Played 76 minutes in team’s 2-1 win over Vancouver in Wednesday’s Canadian Championship.
Next game: Will play at Vancouver in the Canadian Championship on Wednesday and will host New York on Saturday.
Alex Caskey, D.C. United, M, Dunwoody
Played 15 minutes and had one shot on goal in team’s 1-0 win over Philadelphia on Saturday.
Next game: Will host Montreal on Saturday.
Ricardo Clark, Houston, M, Jonesboro
Did not play in team’s 1-0 win over Columbus on Wednesday or team’s 5-2 loss to Real Salt Lake on Sunday.
Next game: Will host Los Angeles on Saturday.
Warren Creavalle, Houston, D, Acworth
Played 29 minutes and committed two fouls in team’s 1-0 win over Columbus on Wednesday.
Played 55 minutes as a sub in team’s 5-2 loss to Real Salt Lake on Sunday.
Next game: Will host Los Angeles on Saturday.
Sean Johnson, Chicago, GK, Snellville
Played 90 minutes and made three saves in team’s 5-4 win at New York on Saturday.
Next game: Will host Kansas City on Sunday.
Steven Kinney, Chicago, D, Norcross
Did not make the 18 for team’s 5-4 win over New York on Saturday.
Next game: Will host Kansas City on Sunday.
Chris Klute, Colorado, D, Silverbacks, Clayton State
Played 90 minutes and attempted one shot in team’s 0-0 draw with San Jose on Wednesday.
Played 26 minutes in team’s 3-1 loss to Chivas USA on Sunday.
Next game: Will play at Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
Jack McInerney, Montreal, F, Alpharetta
Played 90 minutes and scored a headed goal in team’s 2-1 loss to Edmonton in Wednesday’s Canadian Championship game.
Played 69 minutes and had one shot on goal in team’s 3-0 loss to Sporting KC on Saturday.
Next game: Will host Edmonton in the Canadian Championship on Wednesday.
Joe Nasco, Colorado, GK, Silverbacks
Started on bench but did not play in team’s 0-0 draw with San Jose on Wednesday.
Did not make the 18 for team’s 3-1 loss to Chivas USA on Sunday.
Next game: Will play at Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
Michael Nwiloh, Chivas USA, D, Conyers
Did not make the 18 for team’s 3-1 win over Colorado on Sunday.
Next game: Will play at Dallas on Saturday.
Walker Zimmerman, Dallas, D, Lawrenceville
Played 90 minutes and committed one foul in team’s 2-1 loss to Seattle on Wednesday. His long header eventually led to a penalty kick for Dallas.
Played 90 minutes and committed one foul in team’s 2-1 loss to San Jose to Saturday.
Next game: Will host Chivas USA on Saturday.
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