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United's New Lead Investor Receives Favorable Reactions
"Obviously, the team needs a new stadium and a new place to play," Victor MacFarlane said. "We're going to be kicked out of RFK sooner or later, so that's one of the things we will be focused on immediately."
(Joel Richardson - The Washington Post)
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MacFarlane also becomes the first black major investor in the league.
"Soccer is the number one sport for people of color around the world but not here in the U.S. -- yet," MacFarlane said. "We want to be part of the change that is now on the horizon. We would love to help soccer become the sport that African Americans and other children of color first look to for recreation and entertainment."
Davis, who graduated from Bladensburg High and lives in Northwest, is also black. Chang has Chinese and Japanese ancestry.
MacFarlane Partners is the largest minority-owned real estate management firm in the country and has been involved in projects around the country, including the Southeast Federal Center in the District.
While MacFarlane's business prowess is vast, his soccer background is limited. He said his five children played soccer and he served as a coach one year -- "much to their dismay," he said with a laugh.
His son, Paul, was enrolled in the intensive soccer residency program at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla., and father and son traveled together to the World Cup last summer in Germany. MacFarlane is still learning about United, though; he mispronounced the names of new coach Tom Soehn and one of the players in attendance.
Through business and community endeavors, MacFarlane's ties to the Washington area have grown stronger in recent years. (In addition, one of his daughters attends the University of Virginia.)
"When D.C. United became available, it just seemed like such a logical step, and I took it," he said. "We believe our best investment was not just buying any team, but the premier team in the league and in the premier city in the league."
