DCU STADIUM REPORT is on hiatus.

In the meantime: Roberto Moreno is not an international-caliber referee. To have this man in charge of major international matches is a terrible embarassment for CONCACAF. Read more here: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2008/10/united-cruz_azul_the_aftermath. Click to continue reading...

From one of the most knowledgeable writers in the realm of American soccer, Ives Galarcep, comes this comment:

"IVES- The D.C. stadium situation is arguably one of the ugliest running stories in the league. I'm not sure what MLS can do. The whole threatening to move the team thing to Maryland or Virginia and a good distance away from D. Click to continue reading...

The Red Bull's SSS-to-be at Harrison, NJ finally has a decent website:

www.redbullarena.us

Check out the webcam here. I happened upon the webcam at 7:15AM eastern, and it seemed like the site was humming.

Some facts and figures:

Location: Harrison, New Jersey
Red Bull Arena is to be constructed on 12. Click to continue reading...

D.C. United Co-Managing Partner Victor MacFarlane has put his San Francisco condo - all 20,000 square feet and two floors of it - up for sale. The price tag is $70 MILLION.

Interested?

To put this into perspective:

• the construction costs of a stadium at Poplar Point would total about $150 million.

Click to continue reading...

Apparently the construction of Red Bull Arena will be a transparent process, as Our Sports Central reports that NYRB will be providing fans with regular updates about progress at Harrison, NJ.

Here is an excerpt:

In the first week of above ground construction of Red Bull Arena, 872 pieces of steel (a total of 206 tons) have been set in place. Click to continue reading...

The Kansas City Business Journal published a report today indicating that the construction of a SSS in south Kansas City may hinge on the developers' ability to procure $30 million in state tax credits. Read much more here.

Click to continue reading...

Click on the picture for more: Click to continue reading...

The first piece of steel was laid at the Harrison, NJ site on which Red Bull New York will begin playing soccer at some point in the future (Fall 2009 at the earliest).

It won't be called Red Bull Park - instead, in order to correspond with other Red Bull properties worldwide, it will be called Red Bull Arena Click to continue reading...

The Rode Duivels beat mighty Italy and its New Jersey-born striker today in China.

For American fans still steaming about World Cup 2006, this is a nice little story.

For Flemish-American fans, its better still:

(Photo by Alfred Cheng Jin/Reuters)

http://www. Click to continue reading...

From RSLFM.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc70z8p4LUE&eurl=http://rslboz.blogspot.com/

Kinda groovy, too... Click to continue reading...

Every few weeks or so, D.C.'s own Soccer Insider, Steven Goff, answers questions about all things soccer.

This space will compile his thoughts on prospects for a new D.C. United stadium. To say that Mr. Goff spends some time around United would be an understatement, so its just obvious that he provides a unique perspective on the stadium issue.

Click to continue reading...

The first match played at the new SSS in Sandy, Utah will be against the Red Bulls.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports,

"According to RSL, field irrigation and drainage systems are complete, and the natural grass playing surface is 30 days away from establishing its root structure before becoming playable.

Click to continue reading...

Delco Times has the scoop.

"The 18,500-seat stadium will be constructed at the foot of the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester, just 13 miles from downtown Philadelphia and accessible by public transit and Interstate 95. The multi-purpose stadium will feature an 11,000 square foot club, 38 suites ranging in size from 8 to 21 seats (plus an owner's suite with 29 seats), a special 2,000 seat zone for the Sons of Ben supporters club, and a party deck overlooking the field and river.

Click to continue reading...

Ewan Macdonald recently penned a review of the progress of MLS.

He argues that franchises that built soccer-specific facilities in the last decade have become permanent tenants in more than a geographic sense:
"To my mind, these stadia and the atmosphere -- not to mention a sense of belonging and not merely being a tenant in a facility -- have been essential to those clubs that have gone the distance since the early days.

Click to continue reading...

Last Thursday, the Kearny Journal reported that downtown Harrison, NJ is experiencing a revival despite economic doldrums at the national level. The paper notes, however, that construction on Red Bull Stadium has stalled because of a pending eminent domain case.

"The case centers on several former owners of the property who claim that the Harrison Redevelopment Agency failed to properly notify them of its plans to pursue eminent domain before seizing their properties last year. Click to continue reading...