Good morning! It comes as no surprise — yesterday’s announcement out of Kansas City that a $200 million development project with 400 apartments and retail space is expected to begin this year next to CPKC Stadium, the KC Current’s new riverfront stadium. The NWSL’s first stadium built exclusively for women’s soccer is like many soccer stadium projects — part of a bigger real-estate play. And proves Jim Paglia right. The Chicago soccer executive’s bid in the early 1990s to launch a Division I men’s league — League One America — lost out to MLS. He proposed a series of wacky (as in way out there!) rule changes. But he was ahead of his time with League One America’s commercial piece — the construction of 12 complexes featuring 20,000-seat soccer stadiums adjacent to shopping malls.

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Paul Kennedy edited Soccer America for 41 years (1985-2026). He began writing for SA in 1974. He started writing for France Football in 1978 and has served on in Ballon d'Or jury since 2007.