Alan Rothenberg

Alan I. Rothenberg (born April 10, 1939 in New York City, New York) is a lawyer, an influential administrative figure in the history of North American soccer who is credited with greatly contributing to the growth of the game in the United States, and the namesake of the Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy, which is awarded annually to the winner of the MLS Cup. April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Flag Seal Nickname: Big Apple Location Location in the state of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,214. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Youth soccer in small-town Indiana. ... MLS Cup is the final game of the Major League Soccer post-season, officially recognized as the championship of the league. ...

Rothenberg was a fan and follower of traditional American sports who had no experience with soccer until the age of 28, when he came into contact with the nascent NASL while serving as a lawyer for Jack Kent Cooke. Cooke, who owned the Lakers of the NBA, the Forum sports arena, the Washington Redskins of the NFL, and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL, had also obtained the Los Angeles Wolves of the NASL, a short-lived team that lasted only until 1968. NASL logo North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional American (with a few teams in Canada) soccer league that operated from 1968 to 1984. ... Jack Kent Cooke (25 October 1912 – 6 April 1997) was a Canadian entrepreneur who became one of the most widely-known executives in North American professional sports. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, who play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... Location of NBA teams, conferences and divisions The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the worlds premier mens professional basketball league and one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. ... The Forum, known for a time as the Great Western Forum, is an indoor arena in Inglewood, California owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which uses it for its Sunday morning service. ... City Landover, Maryland Other nicknames The Skins Team colors Burgundy and Gold Head Coach Joe Gibbs Owner Daniel Snyder General manager Vinny Cerrato Fight song Hail to the Redskins League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1932-present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol... The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. ... The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The modernized NHL shield logo debuted in 2005, replacing the orange and black shield, which had been used since the leagues inception. ... The Los Angeles Wolves was a team in the North American Soccer League. ...

Almost ten years after the folding of the Wolves, Rothenberg headed an investment group that bought the Los Angeles Aztecs, a newer club in the same league, but he sold the team after three seasons in 1980, thus escaping the later collapse of the league. Rothenberg later stated that his timing in buying the team had simply been wrong - "I mistakenly thought the time was right and three years later I realized that the time was wrong. I liked soccer, thought it was a great opportunity then, and thought it was now."^[1] The Los Angeles Aztecs (1974-1981) were a North American Soccer League team from Los Angeles, California part-owned by Elton John. ...

In 1984, Rothenberg was asked by Peter Ueberroth, then serving as the organizer of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, to take on the role of commissioner of soccer for the Games. The unexpected popularity of soccer that summer - including multiple sell-outs of the 100,000+ seat Rose Bowl - established before the world that an American audience for the game existed, and Rothenberg's success in the capacity of commissioner caused FIFA to seek out his services as director of the 1994 World Cup, which the organization had recently decided to place in the USA. 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ueberroth (front right) watches President Ronald Reagan throw the first pitch prior to a game. ... Audio samples composed by John Williams: Olympic Fanfare (1985) ( file info) 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Olympic Theme (1985) ( file info) 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles Problems playing the files? See media help. ... The Rose Bowl can refer to: The Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. ... The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, known worldwide by its acronym FIFA, is the international governing body of Football (soccer) and the largest sporting organization in the world. ... Qualifying countries The 1994 FIFA World Cup was held in the USA and was won by Brazil who beat Italy with 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the game ended 0-0 after extra-time. ...

In 1990, Rothenberg, with FIFA's backing, defeated the unpopular incumbent Werner Fricker in an election for the Presidency of the United States Soccer Federation, a position he would occupy until 1998. Under Rothenberg's guidance, the 1994 Cup became a major success and the first U.S. professional league since the NASL - Major League Soccer was established and stabilized. Rothenberg was also the major force behind the inception of Project 2010.^[2] The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. ... Locations of Major League Soccer teams Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top soccer league in the United States in the American Soccer Pyramid. ... Project 2010 is a blueprint United States Soccer Federation (USSF) executives created in 1998 to ensure that the US Mens National Team become a legitimate threat to win the World Cup by 2010. ...

Rothenberg remains a member of the USSF executive committee, and is also one of three Vice Presidents of CONCACAF.^[3] In 1998, Rothenberg headed a bid by the Japanese advertising agency Dentsu to buy the San Jose Clash of MLS^[4], but was forced to pull out at a late date due to the Asian stock market crisis.^[5] Rothenberg also serves on several corporate and public boards.^[6]
CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) is the continent-wide governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. ... Dentsu Building in Shiodome, Tokyo Dentsu Inc. ... Year Founded 1995 League Major League Soccer Stadium Spartan Stadium Coach Dominic Kinnear, 2004- All-Time Leaders* Games Richard Mulrooney, 163 Goals Ronald Cerritos, 55 Assists Richard Mulrooney, 44 Points Ronald Cerritos, 148 Shutouts Joe Cannon, 26 First Game San Jose Clash 1 - 0 D.C. United (Spartan Stadium; April...

Notes

1. ^ Jewishsports.com profile of Rothenberg
2. ^ Sports Illustrated profile
3. ^ CONCACAF's chart of organization hierarchy
4. ^ MLS press release, issued prior to collapse of deal.
5. ^ Soccer America article noting that Dentsu "nearly bought" the SJ Clash.
6. ^ [1]