David Beckham Ownership Group, City of Miami Agree to Build MLS Stadium

Major League Soccer is moving one step closer to becoming a reality in South Beach thanks to some help from David Beckham.  According to ABC 10, a group that includes Beckham and the city of Miami has agreed to build a soccer-specific stadium: This is the next step in getting an MLS franchise in Miami. In February 2014, Beckham announced his plans to be an owner of a new MLS team in South Beach, but getting a stadium built was one of the biggest obstacles to making it a reality.  Beckham's group released a statement on the decision, according to Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald: “Today's meeting with Mayor Regalado was another positive step toward bringing a world class soccer club to Miami. We're still in the early planning stages and several viable options still exist, but our preferred stadium location is the former Orange Bowl site,” the statement read. “David, Marcelo and Simon are thrilled by the initial outpouring of support we've received from our fans and we're excited about sharing our plans with the City, County and community soon.” When Beckham first announced his venture, his business partner, Marcelo Claure, told Franco Panizo of SBISoccer.com the launch target for the Miami MLS franchise ...

Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo: Keys to Victory in Second Leg of MLS Playoff

The Houston Dynamo will look to close out the MLS Eastern Conference Semifinals on Wednesday night when they travel to Kansas City to take on Sporting KC. The Dynamo control their destiny in this match after grabbing a 2-0 advantage in the first match on Monday night. Houston took an early lead in the first match and got a critical goal from Will Bruin late in the second half to seal the 2-0 advantage heading into tonight's contest. As we look ahead to tonight's decisive second leg, here are the biggest keys to victory we will be looking for from both sides.  Sporting KCScore early to keep pressure on Houston; Contain Will BruinKansas City is in a hole, but not an impossible one. It has one of the most potent offenses in MLS, led by Kei Kamara and C.J. Sapong, though neither player was able to get anything going in the first leg. For KC to make this interesting at least one of Kamara and Sapong needs to get going early. Houston feels in control at this particular moment, but one quick goal in front of a home crowd can change everything for Kansas City. The other main objective has to be to contain Will Bruin, ...

David Beckham: Reunion with Leonardo Would Be Fitting End to Beckham’s Career

David Beckham is in the twilight of his career. It's not his fault, it is just a fact of life. The 36-year-old is no longer a young man by an athlete's standard and he does not have a lot of time left playing at such a high level.So what better way to end his soccer career than to reunite with former manager Leonardo Araujo? The possibility certainly exists, at least if you believe Araujo. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Araujo said that he would welcome the English soccer star to his Paris Saint-Germain squad if a deal could be made with the L.A. Galaxy, Beckham's current squad. 'I coached him at AC Milan (where Beckham was loaned from MLS side LA Galaxy) and we created a good relationship. 'He is more than a football player—he’s a brand, a pop star. I would always consider him. 'He respects the rules, listens to you and wants the best for the team. That’s why for me he is a big example. I worked with him and that’s why I talk about his name,' Araujo said. When Beckham decides that he wants to call it a career, he is going to want to go out ...

David Beckham: Soccer Star Ready to Get His Harry Potter on for Son’s Birthday

David Beckham is a wealthy man with the power to buy and sell anything in the world, regardless of what it might be. As it turns out, the soccer star is going to use some of that wealth to give his son, Brooklyn, the best birthday party ever at the castle featured in the Harry Potter movies. According to the report from the Daily Star, Becks and wife Victoria plan on renting the entire castle for Brooklyn's 13th birthday next March. But this claim is being disputed by a spokeswoman who said, "As far as I'm aware there's no Harry Potter birthday planned." That is likely just posturing because the family might want to keep it as much of a surprise as they can. What fun is a birthday party going to be if you already know that you are going to the Harry Potter castle seven months beforehand? You have to give Beckham credit for their originality because, of all the places in the world that a kid could have a surprise party, being able to get an actual castle featured in one of the most popular and lucrative film franchises in history is a major coup. In addition ...

MLS 2011 Video: Watch Vancouver Forward Eric Hassli’s Unbelievable Goal

The 2011 MLS season is just about halfway done, but the race for best goal of the year is already over, courtesy of Vancouver's Eric Hassli.The shot took place late in the second half of the Whitecaps' game against Seattle on Saturday night. With his team down 2-1, Hassli got the ball just outside the goal box and lobbed it to himself, then he unleashed a vicious shot that caught the upper left side of the net to tie the game, 2-2.Soccer doesn't get enough credit from Americans, myself included, for being as exciting as it is. We all look at the box score and see a 1-0 score and assume that it was a dull 90 minutes with about 20 seconds of excitement for the goal.The way people feel about that kind of game is the same way they feel about a 1-0 pitchers' duel in baseball.But when you watch a soccer match, you can feel the energy and electricity from the fans in the stands more than you can in any other sport. They are into every little thing that goes on over the course of 90-plus minutes of action.When you see a goal like this, you really ...