First 2014 friendly leaked? (US tour?)

[Falastur]

Just thought you guys might want to know this - it likely won't be confirmed or denied for another 4-5 months, and it could be a load of bluster and turn out to be nothing, but anyway...

One of Sporting Kansas City (of the MLS)'s players - and possible relation of his former club Barca's President - Oriel Rosell has apparently slipped out in a recent interview that Kansas City are due to play the real City at some point in the coming year, which I guess would confirm another US tour if it turns out to be true.

Of course, he also said that SKC are good enough to play in the PL, so there may be reason to doubt his judgement.

Anyway, make of this what you will. I'm just passing on the news for the heck of it, really.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/sideline/news/article/2013/12/26/former-barca-academy-product-oriol-rosell-defends-mls-interview-says-sportin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.mlssoccer.com/sideline/news/ ... ys-sportin</a>

 

[jimharri]

If true....

America again? How many years is that now?

 

[MCFC-alan88]

IMO, America needs to be the focus. Interest over there is increasing and Asia (mostly) has already been monopolized. It won't be long before there are some outstanding American players with the way they approach youth training in all sports.

 

[mcfc-mike]

When do New York City start playing!

You just know we will be their first friendly!

 

[MillionDollarDream]

When do New York City start playing!

You just know we will be their first friendly!

2015 I believe

 

[GratefulDawg]

IMO, America needs to be the focus. Interest over there is increasing and Asia (mostly) has already been monopolized. It won't be long before there are some outstanding American players with the way they approach youth training in all sports.

Agreed. City needs to focus on the U.S. With interest skyrocketing in the last five years, there are lots of potential fans who could be reached.

 

[baildon blue]

These tours of the U.S.A are getting boring now . Nobodies bothered about Soccer in the U.S.A .

 

[Falastur]

When do New York City start playing!

You just know we will be their first friendly!

NYCFC will get most of its players from the expansion draft which will, IIRC, happen in either November or December next year. They won't have any players to play us during our pre-season.

 

[Jutt]

These tours of the U.S.A are getting boring now . Nobodies bothered about Soccer in the U.S.A .

This is completely untrue lol

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

These tours of the U.S.A are getting boring now . Nobodies bothered about Soccer in the U.S.A .

Not sure whether this is a wind-up or not, TBH, but I beg to differ.

"The ESPN Sports Poll . . . recently pronounced soccer as America's second-most popular sport for those age 12-24, outstripping the NBA, MLB and college football."

<a class="postlink" href="http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/262?cc=5901" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegatio ... 62?cc=5901</a>

"Lionel Messi has just become the first international footballer to break into the top-10 list of America's favorite athletes, according to the vast ESPN Sports Poll (October 2012-September 2013.) . . . Messi's achievement is even more seismic when viewed through the lens of the 12- to 24-year-old demographic, who proclaim the Barcelona star to be the fourth-favorite athlete in the United States."

<a class="postlink" href="http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/1452?cc=5901" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegatio ... 52?cc=5901</a>

I'm 48 and have been playing, coaching and/or reffing since I was 7. Never thought I'd see this. Some of it is demographics and ethnicity, some of it is expanded access to the sport via cable/internet, some of it is the stop/start nature of so many US sports compared to video games (but not soccer), some of it IS a video game (FIFA14 et al), some of it is other stuff. But finally REAL football is here in the US as a viable professional sport -- whether domestic or international -- to follow and become obsessed with, especially among younger people -- the part of the consumer growth curve any sport wants to get at.

City would do well to push on here.