April 17 – The MLS has added a 22nd franchise in Atlanta. The team will play its first season in 2017 in a 29,000 capacity stadium it will share with NFL team the Atlanta Falcons, Both franchises are owned by Arthur Blank.
April 17 – David Beckham’s dreams of starting a new football franchise in the United States have suffered their first wobble.
By Paul Nicholson
April 15 – CONCACAF’s Club Licensing Department has published its first Case Study to showcase and promote best practice in the region. The study looks at the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) which is about to start its second season.
April 7 – CONCACAF is holding its first ever Beach Soccer coaching course starting this week in Fort Lauderdale, Miami. The course is the next extension of the confederation’s development programme led by CONCACAF’s director of development Hugo Salcedo.
February 25 – The CONCACAF grassroots programme continues to roll out across the Caribbean Islands. St.Vincent and the Grenadines were the latest to host the programme which concluded on Saturday at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown.
By Paul Nicholson
January 29 – The first diversity training sessions have been held in St Lucia as part of the CONCACAF grassroots development programme. The confederation plan is to include similar sessions in future grassroots and similar development courses.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – David Beckham will not receive any preferential treatment over his ambition to move into ownership by setting up a new team in Miami, according to MLS chief Don Garber. Garber says that while the charismatic former England captain and global superstar’s idea is welcomed, it is by no means a fait accompli and that a stadium deal must be in place before any franchise is awarded.
By Paul Nicholson
November 20 – While David Beckham and his people discuss whether to open up shop in the MLS in Miami or not, Orlando has stolen a lead with MLS commissioner Don Garber unveiling Orlando City Soccer as the next expansion franchise yesterday. Garber made the announcement at a community celebration near the site where a new downtown stadium will be constructed.
By Paul Nicholson
15 November – The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and Major League Soccer (MLS) have signed a partnership agreement in Antigua that will showcase young Caribbean football talent to the MLS and give the players the opportunity to progress towards professional football in the US. “This provides an opportunity to get our best young players on to the professional ladder. It is the start of an initiative to develop the standard of football across the region,”
November 4 – Former England captain David Beckham is reported to have lined up fellow internationals Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard to play for him once his new Major League Soccer franchise has been completed.
October 14 – CONCACAF held its first International Referee Symposium over the weekend in Mexico, aimed at improving the standard of professional football referring across the region. The symposium marks another step forward for the confederation, following on from its first series of coaches courses, in its drive to improve standards through education and support throughout its federations.
September 18 – CONCACAF completed the third of its D-License coaching course at the weekend in Aruba, part of a programme of development throughout the confederation to raise the future standards of play and provide a base qualification and path for coaches to follow.
August 11 – CONCACAF took the first steps with its own coaching programme at the weekend with the launch of its D License coaching course in Mexico City. The D License is the first official licensing programme for coaches and will be the foundation of the Confederation’s coaching educational programme.
July 8 – A new initiative to promote integration and social awareness was unveiled by CONCACAF prior to the Gold Cup’s first game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena — a direct follow-up to Fifa’s Anti-racism and Discrimination campaign approved at its recent congress in Mauritius.
By Mark Baber
February 5 – The Canadian Soccer Association has released a report that looks set to pave the way for the establishment of a second tier of professional football in Canada.