Another MLS stadium in LA & more
Another MLS stadium in LA? The Coliseum Commission has proposed demolishing the aging and underused LA Sports Arena and building a 22,000-seat soccer stadium on the site suitable for an MLS team.
More details on the proposal, one of two options outlined in the environmental analysis is here.
Note that any talk of Chivas USA moving to the stadium from Home Depot Center is way premature. It's no secret the club, a tenant at the AEG-owned HDC, wants a stadium so it can control its own revenue streams including tickets, concessions and parking, a tactic that is the proven strategy for turning a profit. Quite how exchanging one landlord for another would do that is unclear. But at least it provides another option and perhaps bargaining chip.
Moreover, the analysis never mentions Chivas USA (that I could find in the 300-plus page document), although it does mention MLS (but not the WPS).
I'm awaiting comment from Chivas USA.
Updated
As expected a club spokesman had no comment on the "rumors and speculation" this afternoon, noting the club has "been down this road before."
That's a reference to a flurry of stories this summer in conjunction with Chivas USA's game in San Diego with the mothership when a comment from a Chivas USA spokesman was misinterpreted to mean the club was looking at building a stadium in the city.
Meanwhile, rumors abound on the status of AEG purchasing part of the San Diego Chargers, a possible tenant for its proposed downtown stadium and a potential World Cup venue, of course.
Speaking of the World Cup, a reminder the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts will be named at 6:30 a.m. Thursday with viewing parties being hosted locally by the Galaxy and Chivas USA (from the club press release):
Chivas USA will be hosting a viewing party for the announcement of the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups on Thursday, December 2, at 6:30 a.m. PT at Hennessey's Tavern in Manhattan Beach, 313 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Complimentary coffee and tea will be served with breakfast specials available for purchase as well. There will be prize giveaways and the ChivaFighter and ChivaGirls will also be present to sign autographs.ESPN will be airing the announcement live on SportsCenter at 7:00 a.m. PT on Thursday, while Fox Soccer Channel, Univision, and CNN will have coverage of the event throughout the day. U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, Landon Donovan and Former U.S. President Bill Clinton are in Zurich, serving as spokesmen for the U.S. Bid.
The U.S. is up against Qatar, South Korea, Japan and Australia for the opportunity to host in 2022.
Check out previous posts below for much more on the World Cup bid.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
They are going to renovate the Sports Arena??? Why don't they renovate the Coliseum, draw in an NFL team, and have a world class venue for USC and the 2022 World Cup? We don't need another MLS venue. Like it or not Chivas is a dying team.
The Coliseum is misshaped for sports matches and is archaic. I truly felt like I was entering "The Coliseum" when I squeezed through one of those tunnels to the seats. That monstrosity is practically on USC's campus and they have threatened driving up to Pasadena to play home games at the Rosebowl!
I humbly suggest tearing down AEG Worldwide's headquarters at L.A. Live to build the new stadium....