m still ready to play and score goals for my country." Th

The carefully orchestrated build-up to Thursdays official unveiling of Louis van Gaal kicked off in earnest on Monday with the news that Manchester United had signed a 10-year apparel deal with Adidas worth a guaranteed minimum of 750 million pounds (roughly about $1.35 billion.) Mind-boggling. More than a mere jersey deal, “a global technical sponsorship and dual-branded licensing deal” was how it was described in a brief statement that was published on the clubs website at 1pm Monday afternoon. Lunch time in Manchester, but make that 8am in New York City. Since the club began trading on the NYSE in August 2012, it is mandatory practice that, for any announcement which could affect the share price, it is made outside of trading hours. Only 10 per cent of the share capital is listed on the NYSE. The Glazer family privately holds the remaining 90 per cent. Barcelona likes to claim it is more than a club and the same holds true for Manchester United PLC (Public Limited Company.) As van Gaal set about steering the Netherlands to a third-place finish in Brazil, his new club were announcing they had completely sold out their season ticket allocation for next season- all 55,000 of them. This was the earliest in the summer that Manchester United has sold out of season tickets since Old Trafford was expanded to its current capacity of 76,000 ahead of the 2005-2006 season. In recent seasons, the club has had difficulty selling the entire allocation. Van Gaals appointment would certainly have been an influencing factor and it makes you wonder how many Old Trafford season tickets were purchased in the immediate aftermath of the Netherlands destroying Spain 5-1 back on June 13.. The 62-year old Dutchman began his coaching career back in 1991 with legendary Dutch club Ajax, where he won his only Champions League trophy during the 1994-1995 season, when he also steered Ajax to a domestic league glory during an unbeaten season. Going on to win domestic titles with both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the closest he came to winning a second European crown was with Bayern ,when they lost in the 2010 final to Jose Mourinhos Inter Milan. Van Gaal immediately restores a winners mentality and image to a club that was without peer through the Ferguson years - when the Knight of the Realm amassed 38 trophies, including 13 BPL titles, in his quarter of a century at the helm. No one will need reminding of how painful Manchester Uniteds season was under David Moyes last term. In Moyess defence, it was not ever going to be easy for whomever followed Ferguson. Still, call it the most expensive "gap year" in Uniteds illustrious history. Bereft this season of Champions League football, all the associated pressures and inherent demands that it brings with it will work in Van Gaals favour. If for nothing else, it allows him to focus primarily on returning Manchester United to the BPL summit. Then, you can look to the examples set by two of the Dutchmans previous clubs, Bayern and Barcelona, both of whom sat on the Champions League sidelines for a season. Shortly after their respective returns, both have gone on to dominate the European stage. Where Moyes talked of trying to win the League Cup ahead of a semi-final showdown with Sunderland and where some clubs target Champions League football, at his unveiling, van Gaal was unequivocal in his response to whether he could immediately restore the club to its former glories. "The challenge is always to come first. Not fourth." The "Iron Tulip," as van Gaal is nicknamed for the so-termed autocratic way he manages, was astute enough yesterday to recognize the commercial demands and the business of Manchester United. As the red and blue halves of Manchester look to continue their three-year duopoly of the BPL title, they are also fierce competitors in the global commercial market. Its not a coincidence that, on the day van Gaal was appointed, Manchester City announced they had signed the Japanese car giant Nissan as their first global partner of the City Football Group. CFG is the holding company which oversees the commercial affairs of the football clubs now under the control of Sheikh Mansour. Since purchasing City in 2008, Mansour has added New York City FC, Melbourne City and a 20 per cent holding in Japanese club YF Marinos to his expanding portfolio of football clubs. Intriguingly, with Manchester Cit up before the UEFA Financial Fair Play panel where they were fined $90 million and had their Champions League squad for the upcoming season trimmed to 21 players down from 23, Nissan is the new car partner of the UEFA Champions League. In the continual search for overseas revenue, barely 24-hours into the job Van Gaal announced his squad for Uniteds highly lucrative pre-season tour of the US. Having jetted out to Los Angeles earlier on Friday, they will play their first game against the Galaxy at the Rose Bowl next Wednesday, before taking part in the International Champions Cup. Paired in a group with Real Madrid, Inter and Roma, the final takes place in Miami August 4th. Manchester Uniteds potential opponents that day could be their noisy neighbour. Whether or not the club goes on to lift their first trophy under van Gaal in the home state of the Glazer family, the Dutchman is already a winner in their eyes. Since Manchester United announced van Gaals appointment on May 19, the share price for MANU is up over 15 per cent, and now sits within a nickel of a 52-week high. David who? Travis Dermott Jersey . 1 and reigning champion Caroline Wozniacki was among Thursdays third-round winners, while second- seeded Victoria Azarenka pulled out of the draw at the $4. Mike Palmateer Jersey . The Heat centre scored 10 of his 30 points early in the first quarter to silence the Toronto fans as Miami defeated the Raptors 113-101 on Friday night. http://www.cheapmapleleafsjerseyschina.com/bobby-baun-jersey/ . -- Patrick Kueng of Switzerland was nearly flawless as he captured his first World Cup and halted Aksel Lund Svindals streak of four straight super-G victories on Saturday. Connor Brown Jersey . Canada wasnt in the game from the outset. Head coach Dan Church left Calgary in the morning without addressing the players. He told The Canadian Press he felt the organization lacked confidence in his ability to defend the Olympic gold medal in February. Discount Maple Leafs Jerseys .A. Happ capped a challenging season with one of his best efforts of the year.TORONTO - While England seems destined for "massive change" in the wake of its failed World Cup campaign, Jermain Defoe says he can still contribute goals to the national cause. "Ill never turn my back on my country," the Toronto FC striker told reporters after training Wednesday. "Like I mentioned before I still feel like Ive got a lot to offer. If I didnt feel that way, Id say theres no point because youre not doing anyone any favours if youre sort of like being selfish (and) you havent got much to offer. "But I still feel strong, I feel sharp. So hopefully at some point Ill get called up (again). How I feel at the minute, Im still ready to play and score goals for my country." The 31-year-old Defoe, who has 19 goals in 55 appearances for his country, was named to Englands 30-man World Cup roster but did not make the final 23. At the time, he said he was devastated by the snub. England (0-2-1) finished last in Group D behind Costa Rica, Uruguay and Italy, managing to score just two goals. "Spain are out, Italy are out," Defoe said. "Some big nations are out but obviously it would have been nice to see (England) progress to the later stage of the tournament. But it wasnt meant to be. A lot of young players, they still have opportunities again to play in tournaments and Im sure theyll do well. But this year it wasnt meant to be. It was a tough group." England captain Steven Gerrard and vice-captain Frank Lampard have said they will take some time to ponder their international future. Veteran fullback Ashley Cole opted to retire prior to the tournament. Veteran midfielder Michael Carrick was also left out of the England squad. "I think its a change," Defoe said, "because obviously theres so many young players coming through — good young players. Obviously theyre inexperienced but theyll get experience with games and I suppose thats what the manager wanted to do when he left me out, Michael Carrick, Ashley Cole, hhe wanted to go with the younger players.dddddddddddd. "Hopefully theyll do well but its going to be a massive change ... but well see what happens." Meanwhile, Defoe said he did not take offence at former manager Harry Redknapp saying some of his England players at Spurs had tried to shirk national team duty. Current England manager Roy Hodgson and Gerrard both said Defoe should not be tarred with that brush. "Its difficult for me (to react) because Im not one those players," said Defoe. "Ive never missed a squad and obviously I dont know who those players are. At the end of the day, when youre playing for your country, its the greatest honour ... I always turned out for my country, even if I was half fit." Gerrard urged Redknapp to name names but the veteran manager, who now runs Queens Park Rangers, said it would not be fair to the players in question. Defoe was one of a dozen England players at Tottenham during Redknapps tenure. Toronto manager Ryan Nelsen, a former New Zealand international who played under Redknapp, said he thought the comments might have been taken somewhat out of context. Nelsen, who captained the All Whites, said he would be outraged if anyone suggested he didnt love playing for his country. But he said theres give and take when it comes to club versus country, acknowledging he had asked not to be picked for some friendlies when they were largely commercial ventures on the other side of the globe and they bumped heads with major club clashes. While he had hoped to be playing in Brazil, Defoe welcomed the MLS break during the group stage of the World Cup. Toronto gave its players eight days off following the 1-0 win over San Jose on June 7. Still he admitted to having "itchy feet," wanting to get back to playing. Toronto (6-4-1) returns to action Friday in New York against the Red Bulls (4-5-6). Nelsens only injury concerns are winger Daniel Lovitz (concussion) and Brazilian striker Gilberto (hip flexor). 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