# MLS Thread: Enter Zlatan



## Halladay

Great save by Frei last night.


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## Big McLargehuge

Great save by Frei, that one is going down in history.

Otherwise...ew.


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## HerrDonut

> Defensive soccer? Playing not to lose, in a final no less. Terrible strategy.



Totally, for sure. Terrible idea... setting out to limit goals against when you're playing at a team that scored 17 goals in the previous five [playoff] games... right.

Ugly game. Great work by Marshall, Torres, Frei, and Alonso. Amazing second half of the season.
/soundersfan


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## Pouchkine

Seattle defended well but it was a poor game all around and they had 0 shot in 120min. They deserve it somewhat I guess but that game won't sell mls...


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## Shrimper

Turns out one of the Atlanta players played against us yesterday, Mccann. He wasn't good.


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## Luigi Habs

I think the MLS should rethink the one game final. I think 2 legs game would be more entertaining. Never liked it for champions league either. Sure one single last final game looks amazing and would sell marketing wise, but I've rarely seen attractive football in a final. Teams play too conservative in those games. There is nothing more exciting than a team that is in a losing position and tries desperately to score. Look at the 2nd leg impact vs tfc.


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## Panteras

as a newbee to Seattle was fun catching it at a bur full of supporters. I'm waiting for Miami to get their team already to actually follow the MLS though


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## Dr Pepper

Luiginho said:


> I think the MLS should rethink the one game final. I think 2 legs game would be more entertaining. Never liked it for champions league either. Sure one single last final game looks amazing and would sell marketing wise, but I've rarely seen attractive football in a final. Teams play too conservative in those games. There is nothing more exciting than a team that is in a losing position and tries desperately to score. Look at the 2nd leg impact vs tfc.




A two-leg final?

Then you're setting up for a season-ending game right around.....Christmas. 

December 10th is late enough for outdoor soccer in these climates. 

The one-and-done system is the way to go.


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## KingLB

Panteras said:


> as a newbee to Seattle was fun catching it at a bur full of supporters. I'm waiting for Miami to get their team already to actually follow the MLS though




Don't hold your breath.


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## Panteras

KingLB said:


> Don't hold your breath.




the stadium location seems to be the big issue right now. But I hope and think that this will be solved.


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## Luigi Habs

Dr Pepper said:


> A two-leg final?
> 
> Then you're setting up for a season-ending game right around.....Christmas.
> 
> December 10th is late enough for outdoor soccer in these climates.
> 
> The one-and-done system is the way to go.




Calendar shouldn't be a concern. Can always finish the season one or 2 weeks earlier. We're talking about one more game only.


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## Fro

Crew protected list


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## Brock Anton

Can definitely see Atlanta taking Sauro.


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## theaub

Giovinco just blamed the Argos fieldshare for his injuries the second half of the year, which is definitely going to help resolve the idiotic pettiness between the two fanbases.


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## SJSharks72

Expansion draft is today.

Who do you think will be taken? I feel like Minnesota is a little difficult to guess since they really haven't done much but Atlanta, I could see them taking a few midfielders (specifically DM) and maybe some more D. Don't know a lot about all the players they've picked up but they seem to be attacking players without many D.


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## Big McLargehuge

I'll be utterly shocked if Dave Romney is still a member of the Galaxy tonight.


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## Savant

Expansion Draft results

ATL:
Toia (MTL)
Loyd (FCD)
Irwin (TFC)
Ambrose (OCFC)
Kann (SKC)

MN:
Duvall (RBNY)
Warner (HOU)
Saied (CREW)
Attinella (RSL)
Femi (NE)

Methinks Minnesota did better


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## Brock Anton

Minnesota took Femi. I hate Minnesota.


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## Savant

Brock Anton said:


> Minnesota took Femi. I hate Minnesota.




Femi and Antinella were both on my shortlist. Irwin too. 

Wouldn't have touched anyone else that was taken.

Watts, Romney, Colvey are all guys I liked too


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## Brock Anton

Savant said:


> Femi and Antinella were both on my shortlist. Irwin too.
> 
> Wouldn't have touched anyone else that was taken.




Yeah, I'm starting to think that those deals Colorado made with MIN/ATL had a condition that they couldn't take Watts, because I can't think of any other reason why both teams would pass him up.


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## Savant

Brock Anton said:


> Yeah, I'm starting to think that those deals Colorado made with MIN/ATL had a condition that they couldn't take Watts, because I can't think of any other reason why both teams would pass him up.




As we know, I think the important things in expansion draft are to not get any DPs, any international slots and any free agents.


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## Brock Anton

Savant said:


> As we know, I think the important things in expansion draft are to not get any DPs, any international slots and any free agents.




I think the only international was Saied, and he may have a green card at this point. I also expect to see a trade or two here shortly, especially with Irwin. I'd bet he goes back to TFC for allocation or something.


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## CanadianFlyer88

Surprised that Atlanta took two keepers, unless as BA said above, they'll flip him back to Toronto.

But, why take Kann, anyway?


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## Brock Anton

Minnesota are supposedly trading Duvall to Montreal for Johan Venegas.


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## Brock Anton

> Jeff Carlisle ‏@JeffreyCarlisle
> League source confirms that #ATLUTD is on the verge of signing Paraguayan international Oscar Romero. Transfer fee in $6-7M range.




Jesus Christ, this might be a better signing than Almiron.


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## Fro

Minnesota taking Saied is a solid pick, hate losing him...did well when Higuain was out...


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## Basement Cat

Atlanta is easily making the playoffs if they get a competent D-Mid


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## IHaveNoCreativity

Atlanta is lethal upfront..


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## Savant

Brock Anton said:


> Jesus Christ, this might be a better signing than Almiron.




This is what happens when you have an owner willing to spend and a coach that has a pedigree that people want to play for.


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## IHaveNoCreativity

Savant said:


> This is what happens when you have an owner willing to spend and a coach that has a pedigree that people want to play for.




They will lead the MLS in goals.


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## kingsboy11

Galaxy trade their 1st round pick in the draft for the rights to Jermaine Jones.


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## IHaveNoCreativity

Wonder if he'll be a DP


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## DoyleG

theaub said:


> Giovinco just blamed the Argos fieldshare for his injuries the second half of the year, which is definitely going to help resolve the idiotic pettiness between the two fanbases.




I'd see it more as rich boy making excuses for not being able to perform.

Certainly a textbook case of the Napoleon complex.


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## kingsboy11

IHaveNoCreativity said:


> Wonder if he'll be a DP




Sure as hell hope not. I don't mind JJ, but I'd much rather have Juninho back at a much cheaper price.


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## KingLB

At first, everyone was thinking ATL was gonna be a bust (myself included). NFL owner just looking to fill dates at his new arena. So far, they seem to be doing everything the "ideal" MLS team does. Nice new stadium, will be filled with fans, large supporters group, investing in local youth, investing in team with young DP's. They are making a fan out of me. Minny seems to be going the budget route so far....Lack of stadium for first year preventing much investment?


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## Big McLargehuge

The Galaxy are aware that LAFC starts being an actual, you know, thing next year, right? Why they feel this is the time to become cheap and stupid doesn't make a ton of sense.


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## Savant

KingLB said:


> At first, everyone was thinking ATL was gonna be a bust (myself included). NFL owner just looking to fill dates at his new arena. So far, they seem to be doing everything the "ideal" MLS team does. Nice new stadium, will be filled with fans, large supporters group, investing in local youth, investing in team with young DP's. They are making a fan out of me. Minny seems to be going the budget route so far....Lack of stadium for first year preventing much investment?




There has been a very large influx of Argentine talent into MLS. They want to play for a guy who coached Messi. Can you blame them?

Minny is going a very traditional route. We will see if it pays off.


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## sjsharks92

Are the Earthquakes management just perpetually asleep at the wheel? Have they made any moves yet?

Also, do not like leaving Marc Pelosi and Marvell Wynne unprotected for the draft.


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## Savant

sjsharks92 said:


> Are the Earthquakes management just perpetually asleep at the wheel? Have they made any moves yet?
> 
> Also, do not like leaving Marc Pelosi and Marvell Wynne unprotected for the draft.




Well the draft is over and those guys weren't picked if it makes you feel better. 

The expand draft is kind of a joke. Half of the players taken webtbto other teams, and there are prearranged deals too.


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## sjsharks92

Savant said:


> Well the draft is over and those guys weren't picked if it makes you feel better.
> 
> The expand draft is kind of a joke. Half of the players taken webtbto other teams, and there are prearranged deals too.




That does make me feel better. Thank you for informing me of that. I'm a relatively new soccer fan so I don't really know where the best places are to follow the game and offseason transactions. 

Any particular sites you might recommend?


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## kingsboy11

sjsharks92 said:


> That does make me feel better. Thank you for informing me of that. I'm a relatively new soccer fan so I don't really know where the best places are to follow the game and offseason transactions.
> 
> Any particular sites you might recommend?




If you have a twitter account I would suggest following Grant Wahl and Ives Galarcep. Both are pretty spot on when it comes to American soccer and MLS and soccer abroad as well.


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## Brock Anton

The MLS subreddit will pretty much keep you up on everything.


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## KingLB

Savant said:


> There has been a very large influx of Argentine talent into MLS. They want to play for a guy who coached Messi. Can you blame them?
> 
> Minny is going a very traditional route. We will see if it pays off.




Both the guys ATL just got are Paraguayan right? Also, "traditional" as in don't sign anyone and hope for the best? AKA Fire/Earthquakes version of "traditional".



sjsharks92 said:


> That does make me feel better. Thank you for informing me of that. I'm a relatively new soccer fan so I don't really know where the best places are to follow the game and offseason transactions.
> 
> Any particular sites you might recommend?




Bigsoccer is ok, not nearly as lively as HF is for hockey, but gets the job done. While not being as god awful on the eyes as Reddit.


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## chasespace

Orlando's Larin, Ramos, and Higuita all obtain green cards so they no longer count as international players. Hopefully Kreis uses that and the new TAM to rebuild that defense.


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## Savant

KingLB said:


> Both the guys ATL just got are Paraguayan right? Also, "traditional" as in don't sign anyone and hope for the best? AKA Fire/Earthquakes version of "traditional".
> 
> 
> 
> Bigsoccer is ok, not nearly as lively as HF is for hockey, but gets the job done. While not being as god awful on the eyes as Reddit.




Meant to specify the Argentine league. My bad. 

By traditional I just mean they are going for a slow build, as opposed to coming out guns blazing


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## Brock Anton

Rumors out of Argentina that an MLS club have bid $14 million on Dario Benedetto. 

There seem to be some rumblings that it could be Seattle, but with Romero falling through for Atlanta, I wouldn't be shocked if it's them.


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## SJSharks72

Shipp to Seattle should be great. Provides an attackibg option off the bench that they've been missing.


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## HajdukSplit

Dinamo Zagreb's Algerian striker Soudani is linked with the Sounders, not sure how realistic it is simply based off wages, not sure what the average non-DP international makes in MLS but Soudani is making like 1.0-1.2m euros a season there, and Dinamo do pay their players on time unlike most EE clubs  He will also have interest from European clubs as well


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## Power Man

HajdukSplit said:


> Dinamo Zagreb's Algerian striker Soudani is linked with the Sounders, not sure how realistic it is simply based off wages, not sure what the average non-DP international makes in MLS but Soudani is making like 1.0-1.2m euros a season there, and Dinamo do pay their players on time unlike most EE clubs  He will also have interest from European clubs as well




So the rumor was true


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## kingsboy11

Juninho returns to MLS and joins the Fire on a 1 year loan with an option to buy. Greg Garza also loaned to Atlanta


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## Savant

SJSharks39 said:


> Shipp to Seattle should be great. Provides an attackibg option off the bench that they've been missing.




Bruin is replacing Valdes. Shipp is replacing Ivanschitz.


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## SJSharks72

Savant said:


> Bruin is replacing Valdes. Shipp is replacing Ivanschitz.




We need someone better than Ship to replace Ivanschitz. I think shipp is more of an attacking option off the bench. We need a good starting winger.


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## Big McLargehuge

kingsboy11 said:


> Juninho returns to MLS and joins the Fire on a 1 year loan with an option to buy. Greg Garza also loaned to Atlanta




Would rather have had him back than the 10 games Jones will actually play in...

Do something, Galaxy


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## Brock Anton

Apparently Donovan might not be done. He's been offered a 2-year DP deal with RSL.


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## Big McLargehuge

Landon does things on his terms...I see that as an empty 'we tried' gesture from RSL.


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## IHaveNoCreativity

Brock Anton said:


> Apparently Donovan might not be done. He's been offered a 2-year DP deal with RSL.




That's hilarious, Link ?


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## Fro

Crew are supposed to name their DP2 next week...there was a brief rumor that it was Donovan...but several of the beat guys are saying it probably isn't...but yet no names are out there other than Omar Gonzalez...but that too has been shot down...


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## Fro

update


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## Brock Anton

RSL have signed 22-year old Slovakian attacking mid Albert Rusnak as a DP from Groningen (rumored to have spent a $2.5m fee). Looks to be a decent signing, and the age is a big plus.


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## Brock Anton

LA are reportedly making a hard push for Jonathan dos Santos.


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## kingsboy11

Brock Anton said:


> LA are reportedly making a hard push for Jonathan dos Santos.




There's been rumblings of bringing him over since we've brought Gio over. Definitely something I can get behind.


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## Luigi Habs

They're also after Romain Alessandrini of Marseille


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## Brock Anton

According to ESPN, San Jose are looking to sign one of Darwin Quintero or Salomon Kalou.


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## phisherman

http://www.tsn.ca/tsn-and-mls-extend-broadcast-agreement-1.647228

MLS will be on TSN for 5 more years. Playoff ratings probably helped with the decision since there were rumours of TSN not extending and CBC trying to bid for the rights.


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## Brock Anton

Jesse Marsch leaving RBNY to take the job at RB Salzberg. Chris Armas will take over as head coach.


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## Brock Anton

If Beckham was smart, he'd scrap Miami and go all in with San Diego.


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## Ugmo

Brock Anton said:


> Jesse Marsch leaving RBNY to take the job at RB Salzberg. Chris Armas will take over as head coach.




This is actually a really interesting rumor from a US Soccer perspective (if it is a rumor and not confirmed - haven't seen a confirmation out of Austria yet) because that would mean Marsch has impressed Red Bull enough that he's rising up their ranks (keeping in mind that Salzburg is the next step below Leipzig). Theoretically he could eventually end up coaching in the German Bundesliga.


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## kingsboy11

Brock Anton said:


> If Beckham was smart, he'd scrap Miami and go all in with San Diego.




Rumors going around the Chargers will play at Stub Hub center with the Galaxy which means they'll share the field with them during the end of the MLS season. Actually kind of pissed now that they'll likely mess up the pitch with football lines. 

Speaking of Beckham, it's been a decade since he signed with the Galaxy. I was very young and had only been playing soccer for a few years, but I knew who David Beckham was. Certainly was a big reason that I continued playing and following the sport.


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## Ugmo

Wouldn't Stub Hub be ridiculously small for the NFL?


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## East Coast Bias

Marsch stays with RBNY.

Team never ceases to amaze me. Always something.


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## kingsboy11

Ugmo said:


> Wouldn't Stub Hub be ridiculously small for the NFL?




It's about a 1/3 of the size of an average NFL stadium. No one in LA is going to show up if they put them in a regular football stadium. If they put them at Stub Hub center then it'll look like that some people actually care.


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## Ugmo

kingsboy11 said:


> It's about a 1/3 of the size of an average NFL stadium. No one in LA is going to show up if they put them in a regular football stadium. If they put them at Stub Hub center then it'll look like that some people actually care.




Why even move if no one in LA even cares about them? I'll never understand that stuff. Although I'm still mourning the loss of the Nordiques...


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## kingsboy11

Ugmo said:


> Why even move if no one in LA even cares about them? I'll never understand that stuff. Although I'm still mourning the loss of the Nordiques...




http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-chargers-move-elliott-20170112-story.html

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-chargers-to-la-plaschke-20170111-story.html

These articles sum it up pretty well. There's no real good reason for them to be here.


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## Big McLargehuge

This is going to be a disaster.

On the bright side the Galaxy retain scheduling priority and they're insistent on there not being football lines on the pitch for soccer games...but Carson itself is laughably ill-fit to host MLS games as it is, the thought of the NFL there makes me laugh/cry.


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## Brock Anton

So preseason starts in like 10 days and the Revs have 16 players and exactly zero center backs. This club is a ****ing joke.


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## kingsboy11

The exodus continues for the Galaxy. De La Garza traded to Houston for Allocation money. Out of all the departures, this one really hurts.


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## Brock Anton

kingsboy11 said:


> The exodus continues for the Galaxy. De La Garza traded to Houston for Allocation money. Out of all the departures, this one really hurts.




Oh, there's another CB that the Revs could have used......


----------



## codswallop

Good on Atlanta United today with their picks, even though the Superdraft not what it used to be (good thing with the academy's being a bigger building point).

Robinson looks to be a smart, steady CB. Lots of upside. No disappointed that they passed on Ebobisse. Atlanta needed talent/depth on defense, and Robinson is a GA player so that's always a bonus. Gressel looks to be a Martino type of mid; attacking and/or creative.

Chances are AUFC have some issues scoring from the start. Completely new team, built with more creative midfielders and not many pure goal scorers. But if Tata is true to himself, they will be attacking and entertaining.


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## Brock Anton

In other news, about time MLS decided to make the amounts of TAM/GAM involved in trades public. It makes trades so much easier to decipher.


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## Big McLargehuge

kingsboy11 said:


> The exodus continues for the Galaxy. De La Garza traded to Houston for Allocation money. Out of all the departures, this one really hurts.




Definitely.

For better or worse the Galaxy seem intent on pissing off all of their fans this off-season (an odd strategy given that LAFC looms large). The pay-off better be worth it...and 10 games of Jermaine Jones is _not_ going to be worth it.

Hopefully Houston will properly utilize De La Garza, I'm still not sure how or why Steres jumped him on the depth chart. Steres is fine but he's just...well, he's just that - fine.


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## Ugmo

kingsboy11 said:


> http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-chargers-move-elliott-20170112-story.html
> 
> http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-chargers-to-la-plaschke-20170111-story.html
> 
> These articles sum it up pretty well. There's no real good reason for them to be here.




Gotcha, thanks. So it's basically because the Chargers' owner didn't want to pay for a stadium in San Diego.

But why is Kroenke only charging him 1 dollar a year in rent? I hope at least Anschutz gouges him for the next two years.


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## KingLB

Ugmo said:


> Gotcha, thanks. So it's basically because the Chargers' owner didn't want to pay for a stadium in San Diego.
> 
> But why is Kroenke only charging him 1 dollar a year in rent? I hope at least Anschutz gouges him for the next two years.




Because Kroenke is going the "La Live" model with his development. And is developing a whole office/entertainment park around the stadium. And just getting 10 more dates a year will add massive value to him. Even if its is just 50k or whatever the Chargers pull.


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## Big McLargehuge

I'm also assuming Kroenke/the Rams get a very good chunk of gameday-related revenues (i.e. parking and concessions).


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## Ugmo

KingLB said:


> Because Kroenke is going the "La Live" model with his development. And is developing a whole office/entertainment park around the stadium. And just getting 10 more dates a year will add massive value to him. Even if its is just 50k or whatever the Chargers pull.




Ah... kind of like how a new Revs stadium isn't all that urgent to Kraft because at least he brings Revs fans to Patriot Place by making them play in his oversized NFL stadium.


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## Brock Anton

Red Bulls trade Dax McCarty to Chicago for $400k in allocation.


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## ADKthunderFan34

Brock Anton said:


> Red Bulls trade Dax McCarty to Chicago for $400k in allocation.




Chicago looking scary in 2017


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## IHaveNoCreativity

Any chance Carducci catches on with the Loons ?


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## Brock Anton

Kevin Molino traded to Minnesota for $650k in TAM/GAM. That ties the highest amount of allocation traded in a deal (EJ deal in 2014).


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## Vamos Rafa

Big McLargehuge said:


> Definitely.
> 
> For better or worse the Galaxy seem intent on pissing off all of their fans this off-season (an odd strategy given that LAFC looms large). The pay-off better be worth it...and 10 games of Jermaine Jones is _not_ going to be worth it.
> 
> Hopefully Houston will properly utilize De La Garza, I'm still not sure how or why Steres jumped him on the depth chart. Steres is fine but he's just...well, he's just that - fine.




The LAFC fan base will consist of ex-Chivas USA fan base. But the Galaxy will be in some danger because LAFC will be based in the city while the Galaxy are stuck in Cal State Dominguez Hills...


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## Dominator13

Bthatch34 said:


> Chicago looking scary in 2017




Scary? They're a borderline playoff team, which is 15x better than the dumpster fire they were last season.

Atlanta on the other hand...


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## Brock Anton

Sounds like Romain Alessandrini is LA bound.


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## Big McLargehuge

Vamos Rafa said:


> The LAFC fan base will consist of ex-Chivas USA fan base. But the Galaxy will be in some danger because LAFC will be based in the city while the Galaxy are stuck in Cal State Dominguez Hills...




LAFC already has a significantly larger fan base than Chivas could ever dream of having...which was inevitable because it isn't a xenophobic farm team playing in the Galaxy's stadium.

The location thing will be huge. Carson is a sick joke and LAFC is going to be playing a hell of a lot closer to the majority of the Galaxy's fan base than the Galaxy themselves are. I'd like to think that few, if any fans would be flipped ...but this is LA. If the Galaxy languish for a couple years and LAFC comes out punching then...well...if the Clippers can gain ground on the ****ing Lakers (while sharing an arena, no less), this is most definitely a possibility. The Galaxy are still only now old enough to drink as a franchise, so while they have a huge leg up on history...they still didn't exist for the majority of my childhood. Maybe I'm just paranoid about empty threats from overly-emotional fans who grew a little too attached to certain players that were pushed out...but I just worry that the Galaxy may be a little too confident in them owning this city.

Anyway...I don't know much of anything about Alessandrini, but it seems like a shrewd move given Olympique's signing of Payet. I'm just happy we'll be heading into the season with multiple actual DPs...Van Damme hardly counts (and will be bought down for the summer window).


----------



## kingsboy11

Big McLargehuge said:


> LAFC already has a significantly larger fan base than Chivas could ever dream of having...which was inevitable because it isn't a xenophobic farm team playing in the Galaxy's stadium.
> 
> The location thing will be huge. Carson is a sick joke and LAFC is going to be playing a hell of a lot closer to the majority of the Galaxy's fan base than the Galaxy themselves are. I'd like to think that few, if any fans would be flipped ...but this is LA. If the Galaxy languish for a couple years and LAFC comes out punching then...well...if the Clippers can gain ground on the ****ing Lakers (while sharing an arena, no less), this is most definitely a possibility. The Galaxy are still only now old enough to drink as a franchise, so while they have a huge leg up on history...they still didn't exist for the majority of my childhood. Maybe I'm just paranoid about empty threats from overly-emotional fans who grew a little too attached to certain players that were pushed out...but I just worry that the Galaxy may be a little too confident in them owning this city.
> 
> Anyway...I don't know much of anything about Alessandrini, but it seems like a shrewd move given Olympique's signing of Payet. I'm just happy we'll be heading into the season with multiple actual DPs...Van Damme hardly counts (and will be bought down for the summer window).




I share the worry about front office being over confident when it comes to LAFC. Hard to get excited about a team when the whole coaching staff is gutted and not a whole lot of exciting offseason additions. I know next to nothing about Alessandrini other than he's pretty fast and skilled winger. And my guess is that Jonathan Dos Santos will be that mid season signing. 

In other MLS news Oguchi Onyewu returns to MLS and joins the Union. I honestly didn't even know he was still playing.


----------



## Fro

he apparently hasn't played since 2014


----------



## Milos Krasic

Haris Medunjanin also joins the Union


----------



## kingsboy11

http://www.mlssoccer.com/topic/expansion/2017/expansion-cities-bids

12 ownership groups submit applications for the next round of MLS expansion. Charlotte, Nashville, Indianapolis, Detroit, Pheonix, San Antonio, St. Louis, Raleigh, Sacramento, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay Rowdies, and San Diego.


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## IHaveNoCreativity

Well I think we know that Cincanatti is getting a team.


----------



## Ugmo

IHaveNoCreativity said:


> Well I think we know that Cincanatti is getting a team.




How come? Have there been some hints coming out?


----------



## kingsboy11

http://deadspin.com/sacramentos-mls...source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow



> When Sacramento handed in their bid to MLS brass this morning, it wasnâ€™t club founder/president Warren Smith or VP Joe Wagoner who handed in the bid. It was Kunal Merchantâ€”the former PR flack of Kevin Johnson, Sacramentoâ€™s disgraced former mayor who declined to seek re-election and got pied in the face on his way out the door. The bid Merchant handed to MLS was suspiciously absent of any SRFC iconography, and as SIâ€™s Brian Straus notes, SRFC never sent any sort of press release on the matter. For what itâ€™s worth, Merchant also changed his Twitter bio affiliation with the team from â€œSacramento Republic FCâ€ to simply â€œSacramento MLS.â€
> 
> It appears that Nagle has led a coup of sorts, taking advantage of SRFCâ€™s buildup of fans and goodwill to push a stadium deal through, only to dump the team and its other ownersâ€”including the founders, who would have stood to profit off the deal. Heâ€™s bringing in new partners, like dumbass 49ers owner Jed York, and, as of this morning, eBay billionaire and failed gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. What Sacramentoâ€™s apparent new team lacks in connection to the cityâ€™s beloved existing team it makes up for in soulless financial heft. Local reporter Evan Ream is reporting that Nagle and the rest of the teamâ€™s owners had been drifting apart for some time, and that Sacramento Republic was not part of the bid this morning.




Sacramento bid appears to be in trouble. Seems like the owner is trying to snake the original founders


----------



## Fro

Ugmo said:


> How come? Have there been some hints coming out?




they're getting 20k+ for each game and the owner of the Crew has gone to bat for them...the support is there


----------



## DoyleG

kingsboy11 said:


> http://deadspin.com/sacramentos-mls...source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow
> 
> 
> 
> Sacramento bid appears to be in trouble. Seems like the owner is trying to snake the original founders




Sad if Sacramento becomes another Rochester.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

The Sacramento situation is a sick joke...the Republic need to be in the MLS ASAP.

Nagle is a snake and can't be allowed in, though, so the fans get screwed. Lovely. Did he think nobody would notice that he was orchestrating what is effectively a coup?


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## Brock Anton

Sounds like the Sacramento group got it's **** together and are now working with one another.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

The Smurfs could use a local derby. Well, not sure if local is the right word since SJ and Sacto are technically different markets but there's enough room for another Norcal team.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Brock Anton said:


> Sounds like the Sacramento group got it's **** together and are now working with one another.




I'd still have to imagine this seriously damaged their chances.


----------



## Brock Anton

Big McLargehuge said:


> I'd still have to imagine this seriously damaged their chances.




I agree. I still think it's likely that they get in this go round, but in no way are they a lock anymore.


----------



## jason2020

Out of the 12 bids how many do people think will get awarded teams.


----------



## Savant

jason2020 said:


> Out of the 12 bids how many do people think will get awarded teams.




I think 4 will be added, but starting in different seasons.


----------



## KingLB

Without being an ass to certain cities. You have to wonder if MLS starts thinking about the future of the league (ie 20+ yrs from now). And makes decisions on cities that will draw TV viewers not just the most fans in the stadium today. And how can bring Corporate money with them.

Are Cinci/Indy really great plays going forward? Despite the fact that obviously make good choices today.

I may be a little bias', but the 4 markets I'd take are San Diego, St. Louis, San Antonio, and Tampa Bay.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

KingLB said:


> Without being an ass to certain cities. You have to wonder if MLS starts thinking about the future of the league (ie 20+ yrs from now). And makes decisions on cities that will draw TV viewers not just the most fans in the stadium today. And how can bring Corporate money with them.
> 
> Are Cinci/Indy really great plays going forward? Despite the fact that obviously make good choices today.
> 
> I may be a little bias', but the 4 markets I'd take are San Diego, St. Louis, San Antonio, and Tampa Bay.




I'm with you. Cincinnati proved something great in 2016 with their support of an expansion USL team...but no single season can prove long-term viability, and Cincinnati is a smaller mid-sized city with a shrinking population and a MLB team that would be competition during the meat of the MLS schedule. I have no doubt in my mind that FC Cincinnati having such a good start was aided by the fact that everybody in baseball projected the Reds to lose 95+ games last year (they exceeded expectations by merely losing 94) and with that Reds attendance dipped by nearly 25% from 2015 to 2016, which no doubt aided a shiny new team. USL games are also incredibly cheap, season tickets for students are $50 for FCC and general admission is $75...for _season tickets_. The most expensive season tickets are $65 less than the _cheapest _season tickets for the nearby Columbus Crew.

I'm not saying Cincinnati will be a bad market, I'm saying they still have a lot to prove that no single season could. I want to see how well that market can do when the team isn't brand new and the Reds aren't hopeless. I'd like to see if they can still bring in the attendance when ticket prices quadruple, as they'd have to for the team to have any chance of being profitable in the MLS. Unfortunately most of those questions could only be answered by them actually having an MLS team...but I'm still not buying it as sustainable at this point in time.

I do think it'll be 4 teams out of these, possibly 5 if they finally give up on Miami (please give up on Miami), but there's only a couple of the markets that I feel strongly about. San Diego should absolutely get a team to fill the void left by the Chargers (though their upside would be limited given the closeness of Xolos, literally a 24 mile drive between stadiums...but the lack of a border crossing (and language barrier) would mean a lot to the majority non-Latino population), ditto St. Louis for the Rams. I feel strongly about Sacramento, but the Nagle situation raises a major red flag about that group. After that I'm kind of open. If Miami gets ditched then Tampa absolutely should have a team...actually I'd tend to think Tampa should get a team again regardless, especially if the Rays don't get their stadium situation figured out, also I kinda want to see the Rowdies brand in the MLS, but I'm not convinced that it'd be a runaway success a la Orlando City.

The only bid I'm outright against is Phoenix. I see neither a widespread desire for a team there, nor the support of their other teams to dissuade the same concerns I have over smaller cities like Cincinnati and Indianapolis being able to support their teams long-term.

Also I'd put a team in Raleigh _long_ before I'd ever consider Charlotte, but that isn't to say I don't think Charlotte could support a team. That's a clear either/or situation and I just think the demographics of Raleigh are a much better fit for the MLS than Charlotte is...though their branding is painfully lame.


----------



## Brock Anton

FC Dallas is going to livestream all 26 of their non-national TV games on their website for free this season.


----------



## Brock Anton

Fredy Montero back in MLS with the Whitecaps. That's gotta sting a bit for Sounders fans.


----------



## bluesfan94

Brock Anton said:


> FC Dallas is going to livestream all 26 of their non-national TV games on their website for free this season.




This is awesome.


----------



## Savant

Brock Anton said:


> Fredy Montero back in MLS with the Whitecaps. That's gotta sting a bit for Sounders fans.




Vancouver finally finds their striker?


----------



## Brock Anton

It's official, D.C. United are finally getting their own stadium.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Brock Anton said:


> It's official, D.C. United are finally getting their own stadium.




Good. I think it gives the league a bad look that they were still playing in RFK.


----------



## Ugmo

Wha? I thought DC broke ground last year.


----------



## gphr513

Really kind of excited to get into MLS this year now that we have a top flight team in Minnesota. We've played 5 pre-season games so far, and I think all have been draws 

I've only been able to watch parts of two games, but Johan Venegas has been impressive so far.


----------



## Shrimper

When does this season start?


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Shrimper said:


> When does this season start?




March 3, with Minnesota @ Portland opening things up.


----------



## Basement Cat

gphr513 said:


> Really kind of excited to get into MLS this year now that we have a top flight team in Minnesota. We've played 5 pre-season games so far, and I think all have been draws
> 
> I've only been able to watch parts of two games, but Johan Venegas has been impressive so far.




Look for Kevin Molino too.

On the real though, I think Minny struggles mightily over the course of this season.


----------



## Tom ServoMST3K

According to some media reports, The Whitecaps see Manitoba to BC as their territory, and are against a Canadian league from establishing there.

Ignoring the fact they have done NOTHING to establish themselves in the prairies.


----------



## gphr513

Basement Cat said:


> Look for Kevin Molino too.
> 
> On the real though, I think Minny struggles mightily over the course of this season.




That seems to be the external opinion, for sure. 

Among Minnesota fans, I think most understand that we're probably not going to be great, but many don't think it'll be as awful as outsiders project. 

I just don't know about the league as a whole, or the players in it, to be able to judge it yet. From what I've watched, I think that attacking will be solid, but the little I've watched suggests that our midfield may not be great. Passing/Distribution has been a little lackluster. Although, that may just be a matter of the players not having chemistry together yet.


----------



## Fulham

Tom ServoMST3K said:


> According to some media reports, The Whitecaps see Manitoba to BC as their territory, and are against a Canadian league from establishing there.
> 
> Ignoring the fact they have done NOTHING to establish themselves in the prairies.




 Apart from running two academy centres in Saskatchewan(Regina, and Saskatoon) One in Edmonton, and One in Winnipeg, as well as having partnerships with all three provincial organizations, and have scouted and developed many kids from these provinces that has led too multiple CMNT players, and NCAA scholarships that wouldn't have occurred otherwise.

Saying "NOTHING" is extremely ignorant. Nothing is what TFC, the Impact, and vast majority of MLS teams do outside of their metro areas's


----------



## DoyleG

Fulham said:


> Apart from running two academy centres in Saskatchewan(Regina, and Saskatoon) One in Edmonton, and One in Winnipeg, as well as having partnerships with all three provincial organizations, and have scouted and developed many kids from these provinces that has led too multiple CMNT players, and NCAA scholarships that wouldn't have occurred otherwise.
> 
> Saying "NOTHING" is extremely ignorant. Nothing is what TFC, the Impact, and vast majority of MLS teams do outside of their metro areas's




Nice, but irrelevant.

To suggest that we would be where we are without the MLS presence is typical nonsense. Players were going on scholarship and making professional ranks long before TFC arrived with its national exclusivity. The Whitecaps arrival means nothing since they had an academy system before they even entered MLS. 

Altruistic my Les Rouges backside. Its about protecting profits for the team and their resistance shows how determined the MLS teams are to protect their sand box. Nevermind people like yourself had a decade to make an impression and did nothing.

Give it up already.


----------



## Ugmo

Ooh, drama!


----------



## Pouchkine

Vancouver Whitecaps are a terrible organisation all around.


----------



## IHaveNoCreativity

They can be against it all they want, it's still happeneing.

What they don't want is competition for youth players, which they will be getting.

Thier youth player territory is way too big.

Also Montreal has started to branch out east for youth players.


----------



## Fulham

DoyleG said:


> Nice, but irrelevant.
> 
> To suggest that we would be where we are without the MLS presence is typical nonsense. Players were going on scholarship and making professional ranks long before TFC arrived with its national exclusivity. The Whitecaps arrival means nothing since they had an academy system before they even entered MLS.
> 
> Altruistic my Les Rouges backside. Its about protecting profits for the team and their resistance shows how determined the MLS teams are to protect their sand box. Nevermind people like yourself had a decade to make an impression and did nothing.
> 
> Give it up already.





I didn't say they were doing it for altruistic means, of course not. and of course they are territorial. But they have spent a lot of money outside of Vancouver proper which no other Canadian MLS side can say. The CPL will be a great thing for the Prairies, as competition is good for everyone. were all on the same side here. but throwing the caps under the bus(which your not doing only that dutch guy) is insane since they have done more for canadian soccer (especially the CWNT) than any other private entity in Canada


----------



## Pouchkine

They have been a mediocre team for so long and their horrible plastic pitch is a disgrace.


----------



## Fulham

I'm I the only one who thinks that Minnesota Will be better than Atlanta this year? Just the fact they have lots of established professionals that are used to the travel and style of play in NA?


----------



## Brock Anton

Fulham said:


> I'm I the only one who thinks that Minnesota Will be better than Atlanta this year? Just the fact they have lots of established professionals that are used to the travel and style of play in NA?




That is definitely the main concern w/Atlanta for me, lack of MLS experience in their XI, but them being in the East instead of the West makes it more likely that they have a better debut season IMO. Minnesota just has too much quality to go against in the West.


----------



## Ugmo

Cruyff said:


> Vancouver Whitecaps are a terrible organisation all around.




Just out of curiosity, is there an MLS or non-European soccer club you don't consider to be a terrible organization all around?


----------



## Pouchkine

Montreal Impact is a nice club.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

IHaveNoCreativity said:


> They can be against it all they want, it's still happeneing.
> 
> What they don't want is competition for youth players, which they will be getting.
> 
> Thier youth player territory is way too big.
> 
> *Also Montreal has started to branch out east for youth players.*




They're very much behind the curve on this, as Vancouver has been hitting the East Coast for a couple years now. Started an official partnership with Soccer Nova Scotia last year, but has been scouting this area for awhile.


----------



## KingLB

Fulham said:


> I'm I the only one who thinks that Minnesota Will be better than Atlanta this year? Just the fact they have lots of established professionals that are used to the travel and style of play in NA?






Brock Anton said:


> That is definitely the main concern w/Atlanta for me, lack of MLS experience in their XI, but them being in the East instead of the West makes it more likely that they have a better debut season IMO. Minnesota just has too much quality to go against in the West.




Atl will go as far as their Latin American DP's. If one can be the next Montero/Lodero/Valeri etc they will be real good. If they are the next Rochez or take to long to adjust ATL could be in for a world of hurt. That said, I love that even as a first year team they are really pushing there academy (way more than Vancouver....) and have some of these (and a U20 superdraft pick) fighting for starting spots. Many believe Carlton is the next best U20 player in the US after Pulisic.


----------



## Brock Anton

ESPN reporting that Seattle are in discussions with Keisuke Honda to be the team's third DP and that MLS and Chicharito are in discussions for a future MLS move (mentions LAFC and LA in the article).


----------



## codswallop

Atlanta United look to be entertaining. 

Speed on the wings as much as they can, quick passing combos to open up the midfield. They have a couple bruisers in defensive mid and center halves to help the pressure. Still, their defense will be a weakness in the early going that others will likely exploit.

The young DPs they have should cause some havoc. They're new to MLS but not new to high pressure games/situations. This team should be interesting to watch, even if it's just off the back of the coach.


----------



## Brock Anton

Brek Shea traded to Vancouver for Giles Barnes.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

LAFC's FB page already got the rivalry going. Galaxy fans trolling their page and ex-Chivas USA fans not backing down.

I'm a Galaxy fan but I'm not feeling the rivalry just yet.


----------



## SJSharks72

Brock Anton said:


> Brek Shea traded to Vancouver for Giles Barnes.




I really don't understand this trade. Barnes is kind of pointless with Larin there. Am I missing something here?


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

SJSharks39 said:


> I really don't understand this trade. Barnes is kind of pointless with Larin there. Am I missing something here?




Kreis didn't want Shea, was trying to dump him around the league, among a few other players he's trying to get rid of. Getting a back up striker who'd be one of the better back ups in the league and can play on either wing isn't a bad get.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> Kreis didn't want Shea, was trying to dump him around the league, among a few other players he's trying to get rid of. Getting a back up striker who'd be one of the better back ups in the league and can play on either wing isn't a bad get.




Would have loved to have had him in Seattle. Him playing RB would be great.


----------



## chasespace

SJSharks39 said:


> I really don't understand this trade. Barnes is kind of pointless with Larin there. Am I missing something here?




He's expected to fill in on the wing where Molino would have played.


----------



## KingLB

I don't rate Barnes at all. Orl loses imo. In fact, they may be one of the poorest teams in the league this year.


----------



## Burner Account

http://deadspin.com/this-horrendous-atlanta-united-fan-chant-is-the-nadir-o-1792853723


----------



## Brock Anton

Portland-Minnesota tonight to kick off the season. This offseason really flew by, feels like MLS Cup was last week.


----------



## The Man in White

kyle evs48 said:


> http://deadspin.com/this-horrendous-atlanta-united-fan-chant-is-the-nadir-o-1792853723


----------



## chasespace

KingLB said:


> I don't rate Barnes at all. Orl loses imo. In fact, they may be one of the poorest teams in the league this year.




Shea was pretty worthless last season, moreso when Kreis took over. Barnes is a more attacking player which we need since we moved Molino to Minnesota so he'll fill in that role on the wing.


----------



## kingsboy11

Loved the Bob Ross tifo Portland


----------



## Basement Cat

Adi with some beauties tonight. Portland's front 6 is nasty, although that was against an expansion side playing their first game. 
If Blanco and Valeri really click, and it looks like they will, that attack is arguably the best in the league.


----------



## gphr513

I thought Minnesota held their own in the first half, and I loved seeing Ramirez score!

I expect the team will get more comfortable with each other as the season goes along. Opening away at Portland was always going to be tough.


----------



## Shrimper

Will probably watch a few teams before deciding who to follow. Likely go Eastern Conference though due to the time difference.


----------



## Brock Anton

Houston may not win many games this year, but they're going to be pretty fun to watch. Elis and Quioto blazing down the flanks makes them lethal on the counter, if Cubo can get anywhere near his 2014 form for Chivas, they could score some goals.


----------



## Soundgarden

Atlanta looks pretty exciting.


----------



## ecemleafs

cant believe nycfc somehow lost that game. orlando were awful. nycfc just made poor decisions on the final pass or shot all game long.


----------



## JWK

Didn't get to watch the game but it seems like I missed the Geiger show


----------



## kingsboy11

Welcome to MLS Atalanta. Impressive debut, but Marsch is a good coach. Cant count out the Red Bulls.


----------



## KingLB

Waited a week, but figure now is as good a time as any for standings predictions.

West:

Dallas
Portland
Seattle
RSL
SKC
Colorado

Gals
Vancouver
Houston
Minny
SJ

East:

TFC
NYRB
Crew
NYCFC
ATL
Revs

Union
DC
Impact
OCSC
Fire


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

*From:*

http://www.revolutionsoccer.net


Orlando City SC @ Revolution postponed due to severe weather predicted (extreme wind chill), rescheduled to 9/2/17 @ 7pm


----------



## sjsharks92

How is San Jose supposed to do this year? Are they going to suck again?


----------



## kingsboy11

sjsharks92 said:


> How is San Jose supposed to do this year? Are they going to suck again?




That's about right. West is looking tough again this year


----------



## sjsharks92

kingsboy11 said:


> That's about right. West is looking tough again this year




Fantastic. 

I just wish they could bring in some kind of notable player. Why is it that everyone else gets to bring in a kaka, gerrard, pirlo, giovinco, drogba, howard, etc? And we're stuck with Chris Wondolowski


----------



## KingLB

sjsharks92 said:


> How is San Jose supposed to do this year? Are they going to suck again?




They have a cheap owner, and a coach he prefers his old "experienced" knuckly draggers.

Part of the reason I rated them last, well that and I really hope they do finish last, to change the org.


----------



## Ugmo

KingLB said:


> They have a cheap owner, and a coach he prefers his old "experienced" knuckly draggers.
> 
> Part of the reason I rated them last, well that and I really hope they do finish last, to change the org.




That's the "moneyball" guy, right?


----------



## Pouchkine

Is your new stadium ready soon in San Jose? Was watching the Impact game the other night and well a small stadium with empty seats and no stands behind one goal isn't very pretty...


----------



## Pouchkine

You could use the model of Orlando Kansas City...


----------



## kingsboy11

Cruyff said:


> Is your new stadium ready soon in San Jose? Was watching the Impact game the other night and well a small stadium with empty seats and no stands behind one goal isn't very pretty...




You really are clueless when it comes to MLS


----------



## GKJ

Minnesota has some weird colors, but they've made it work pretty sharply, imo


----------



## KingLB

Ugmo said:


> That's the "moneyball" guy, right?




Not really sure how "moneyball" he (Lew Wolf) is. Or Billy Beane had to develop that method to just keep the shoestring budget team competitive.


----------



## JunglePete

It's crazy how Wondo NEVER slows down


----------



## Big McLargehuge

KingLB said:


> Not really sure how "moneyball" he (Lew Wolf) is. Or Billy Beane had to develop that method to just keep the shoestring budget team competitive.




Moneyball was published a couple years before Wolff bought the A's.


----------



## Ugmo

KingLB said:


> Not really sure how "moneyball" he (Lew Wolf) is. Or Billy Beane had to develop that method to just keep the shoestring budget team competitive.






Big McLargehuge said:


> Moneyball was published a couple years before Wolff bought the A's.




Ah, okay. Thanks.


----------



## kingsboy11

Snow game in Minnesota!!


----------



## Ugmo

Now that it's snowing harder, it's easier to see the orange ball. Haha.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

I just don't like GDS as a striker. He offers a lot more. We need a real forward bad.


----------



## Burner Account

hilariously bad


----------



## Ugmo

I wonder if Minnesota is going to be the worst team in MLS history this season.


----------



## kingsboy11

Not feeling good about this one. Blanco, Valeri, Adi, and Nagbe are going to have a field day with our fullbacks


----------



## KingLB

Ugmo said:


> I wonder if Minnesota is going to be the worst team in MLS history this season.




When you bring up a NASL team and decide you don't need to invest at all...well you get these results.



kingsboy11 said:


> Not feeling good about this one. Blanco, Valeri, Adi, and Nagbe are going to have a field day with our fullbacks




Only took 8 mins....


----------



## kingsboy11

KingLB said:


> When you bring up a NASL team and decide you don't need to invest at all...well you get these results.
> 
> 
> 
> Only took 8 mins....




Goes from bad to worse


----------



## VEGASKING

A little justice that guy injured himself with that dive.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

This is what happens when you don't invest in depth...and trade a starting caliber defender that can slot in anywhere despite the guy above him at his best position having serious career concerns and no other RBs...and your _one _striker with any amount of experience gets hurt...and you go cheap on the coach...and...this is going to be a disaster of a season in LA.

I get wanting to see what you have with your academy and USL team that you spent so much money on, especially after you wasted all of that money on Gerrard to do friggin' nothing (which shouldn't have surprised anyone)...but that doesn't mean you purge your roster of any and all depth while not replacing high-level out-going players.

Way to give LAFC a running start, morons.


----------



## sjsharks92

KingLB said:


> They have a cheap owner, and a coach he prefers his old "experienced" knuckly draggers.
> 
> Part of the reason I rated them last, well that and I really hope they do finish last, to change the org.




Got it, thanks.

I totally forgot Lew Wolff owned the Quakes. He's sinking 2 bay area teams right now. 

The new stadium is absolutely incredible. It's pretty much the sole reason I've become an Earthquakes fan (my first game there was the match against Man United in the summer of '15). My hope is that the new stadium would help bring in larger sums of revenue, but if Wolff remains the owner I doubt the amount of money the team generates will show itself on the pitch anytime soon.

With all that said though it was great to see the Quakes come back from a 2-0 deficit and beat Vancouver on Saturday. Playing up a man for 65 minutes always helps.


----------



## Paulie Gualtieri

Yikes


----------



## ecemleafs

name and shame em


----------



## Big McLargehuge

I have a feeling that Tweet will be the best thing the Galaxy do this season.


Seriously though, you never like seeing someone get hurt...but when they hurt themselves diving you can't help but smirk a little.


----------



## Brock Anton

Sounds like, for some reason, the Fire are still going after Schweinsteiger and that a deal could be somewhat close. 

Unless they're moving to a 4-3-3, I don't get it.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

I ordered an Albert Rusnak jersey last night. That's my last name. 

Was following his progress with City a few years ago and then forgot about him, had no idea he signed with RSL until I watched the Fire highlights.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

Big McLargehuge said:


> This is what happens when you don't invest in depth...and trade a starting caliber defender that can slot in anywhere despite the guy above him at his best position having serious career concerns and no other RBs...and your _one _striker with any amount of experience gets hurt...and you go cheap on the coach...and...this is going to be a disaster of a season in LA.
> 
> I get wanting to see what you have with your academy and USL team that you spent so much money on, especially after you wasted all of that money on Gerrard to do friggin' nothing (which shouldn't have surprised anyone)...but that doesn't mean you purge your roster of any and all depth while not replacing high-level out-going players.
> 
> *Way to give LAFC a running start, morons.*





Just to be honest here, if the Galaxy and LAFC were to be founded in the same year, I'd definitely choose LAFC. Being based in the city would've been a huge advantage. But, I would never jump ship. I will always be a Galaxy fan.

I know someday I will hate LAFC. But I will never use these against their fans:

- Bullying an infant franchise and reminding them that the Galaxy have 5 championships while they have none.

- "There's only one LA team and that's the Galaxy! Get out of LA!"

- "You don't have any fans!"

- When they become a good team, fans are automatically labeled as bandwagoners.

I just can't stoop down to the Laker fan level. And I will not blame LAFC fans for calling us Carson FC or whatever **** they'll say about us being based in Carson.


----------



## Timeless Winter

How good is Atlanta United?


----------



## KingLB

Timeless Winter said:


> How good is Atlanta United?




Hard to say, 2 great wins have come against probable bottom 5 teams. Also will be interesting what happens when teams start to play the counter vs them.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Didn't watch, but the Fire were down a man inside 15 minutes, no? Hard to make much of the blowout.


----------



## codswallop

IU Hawks fan said:


> Didn't watch, but the Fire were down a man inside 15 minutes, no? Hard to make much of the blowout.




Atlanta was up 1-0 at that point, already playing on the front foot. To be honest, the red was questionable. But it was a smart run and pass that put the Fire in a bad spot there. The rest was Chicago sitting back and trying to absorb pressure until they were finally broken down.

Still, teams can attack down a man but that didn't happen here. When a center back has almost as many (or more) passes than the other team combined, that team was playing too passive regardless of manpower.

It's fair to say Atlanta haven't proven themselves yet; I mean, it's only been 3 games. Their next four are on the road so that will give much better indication if they're for real or not. Safe to say they'll be entertaining even if they don't get results. Don't know if it was a reporter or Martino himself who said it, but someone did say this team was built to win 4-3; not 1-0.


----------



## Brock Anton

Schweni to the Fire. Deal is reportedly for 1 season (w/options) at around $4.5M a season.


----------



## kingsboy11

Jeff Cassar out as head coach in RSL


----------



## LemmyUlanov55

So Schweini gets his long awaited MLS adventure. Good for him, he'll be appreciated..


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich




----------



## Big McLargehuge

Turns out that a NASL team can't hold their own in the MLS...who knew?


----------



## Brock Anton

Well, tbf, the only players who have showed anything have been their NASL guys (Ramirez, Davis). That Norwegian defender they signed is ****ing abysmal. I think he's conceded a PK in like every game thus far.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Lletget out 4-6 months...good thing the Galaxy think depth is for suckers.


----------



## gphr513

Big McLargehuge said:


> Turns out that a NASL team can't hold their own in the MLS...who knew?




Starting to really suck the energy out of the whole "We are in MLS!" vibe when they're so awful 

The defense is just atrocious. Up front I don't think they're too bad. The midfield is a bit scattered, out of sync, I think that will improve with more time together. 

But man that defense is just shocking at times. 

They really need to win against RSL at home this weekend. They can't keep getting clobbered, or they'll have no shot to capture the casual fan that is going to be so crucial for their growth as a team. It takes a looooooooooong time to shake that "loser" perception.


----------



## Milos Krasic

RSL hires Mike Petke as new head coach


----------



## The Man in White




----------



## Ugmo

gphr513 said:


> Starting to really suck the energy out of the whole "We are in MLS!" vibe when they're so awful
> 
> The defense is just atrocious. Up front I don't think they're too bad. The midfield is a bit scattered, out of sync, I think that will improve with more time together.
> 
> But man that defense is just shocking at times.
> 
> They really need to win against RSL at home this weekend. They can't keep getting clobbered, or they'll have no shot to capture the casual fan that is going to be so crucial for their growth as a team. It takes a looooooooooong time to shake that "loser" perception.




This is what I was thinking. MLS 1.0 showed that it can take years (or even decades) to recover once you make a horrible first impression. Not a good strategy to go low-budget in your first several years in the league.


----------



## Evilo

The Man in White said:


>


----------



## bleedblue1223

"Let me rephrase...yep, I still don't know what I'm talking about."


----------



## Basement Cat

Cue the self-loathing Eurosnobs using that reporter to justify their bias against American soccer...


----------



## Bakayoko Ono

Yeah, pretty awkward and funny but these things happen. I'm sure news agencies etc. around the world send clueless reporters to cover media events like that - it just makes you question the professionalism of this particular journo(?) for not doing a few minute google research to check some basic facts concerning the topic.


----------



## Dominator13

So who's that idiot reporter who instantly became a worldwide embarrassment?


----------



## Diamondillium

Pax Macioretty said:


> So who's that idiot reporter who instantly became a worldwide embarrassment?




He'll lead his newspaper to a world cup of embarrassment.


----------



## kingsboy11

Crew trade Tony Tchani and 300k in allocation money to Vancouver in exchange for Kekuta Manneh. I'll take Unexpected MLS trades for 200 Alex.


----------



## Cucumber

kingsboy11 said:


> Crew trade Tony Tchani and 300k in allocation money to Vancouver in exchange for Kekuta Manneh. I'll take Unexpected MLS trades for 200 Alex.




Horrible, horrible trade. Manneh has that speed and ability to beat a player that we are greatly lacking. He is our main chance creater and what do we trade him for? A CDM. RIP robbo wants 0-0 games all year.


----------



## Tryamkin

Cucumber said:


> Horrible, horrible trade. Manneh has that speed and ability to beat a player that we are greatly lacking. He is our main chance creater and what do we trade him for? A CDM. RIP robbo wants 0-0 games all year.




same cuke, so angry rn. exactly what we need right, another bench midfielder to throw into the pot.

same thoughts exactly. he's a dynamic player that RUNS at defenders and we dont have any of those.


----------



## Burner Account

The Man in White said:


>





Came here to post this


----------



## JWK

First we draw against them at home, now we give away 2 starters, Cronin and Burch for these guys.


----------



## Prntscrn

The Man in White said:


>





lol clueless


----------



## Pouchkine

Barely 15K in Chicago for Schweinsteiger's debut...


----------



## Ugmo

Cruyff said:


> Barely 15K in Chicago for Schweinsteiger's debut...




Not surprised by this at all. He's not a "glamor" playing like Ronaldo or Beckham, and he's not a one-man highlight reel like Zlatan or Messi. Which means he's not going to actract many casual fans, and the "sophisticated" fans are going to wait to see whether he has anything left in the tank and whether he actually makes the team better. Damn good game from him yesterday though with some amazing passes. If he keeps playing like that I would think attendance would rise a bit.


----------



## Pouchkine

Certainly could be the most valuable player in the league if healthy. It's troubling that the country's 3rd biggest city can't attract fans though. I watched the game and while they said 15K there was probably less than that.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Early season is always tough here. It was a nice enough day but most non-diehards aren't showing up till May.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Cruyff said:


> Certainly could be the most valuable player in the league if healthy. It's troubling that the country's 3rd biggest city can't attract fans though. I watched the game and while they said 15K there was probably less than that.




Might be a different story if they were actually in the city. Bridgeview is such a chore to get to.


----------



## Ugmo

IU Hawks fan said:


> Might be a different story if they were actually in the city. Bridgeview is such a chore to get to.




Plus years of the owner treating the club like an investment that he hopes to sell for more than he paid simply because franchise values are increasing, right?


----------



## Basement Cat

Nice of you to join us, Deb


----------



## DoyleG

IU Hawks fan said:


> Might be a different story if they were actually in the city. Bridgeview is such a chore to get to.




Not to mention that Fire supporters have been feeling burned over the past couple of seasons.


----------



## Pouchkine

I understand now. Too bad really, how many MLS teams actually have a stadium in the city they play for? Like for real. Dallas isn't in Dallas, Red Bulls are not in NY, Chicago Los Angeles Philadelphia...Why?


----------



## bleedblue1223

Cruyff said:


> I understand now. Too bad really, how many MLS teams actually have a stadium in the city they play for? Like for real. Dallas isn't in Dallas, Red Bulls are not in NY, Chicago Los Angeles Philadelphia...Why?




In some cases it's a money issue, and in other cases it's a good thing to be closer to your customer base, like for Sporting.

If St. Louis gets a team, the stadium will be downtown in the city, but in the city, it's much more of a chore to get to for the bulk of the customer base than it would be if it was in the suburbs. Every city is different in what is best.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Is Houston this good and LA this bad or do their places in the standings have to do with it being early in the season? Its really shocking that Houston is doing so well. Maybe its not so surprising with LA, given the players they've lost off their team, and the general direction they've went in the last few years, but they are trending towards being one of the worst in the league.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Cruyff said:


> I understand now. Too bad really, how many MLS teams actually have a stadium in the city they play for? Like for real. Dallas isn't in Dallas, Red Bulls are not in NY, Chicago Los Angeles Philadelphia...Why?




Chicago, Dallas, and Philly had stadiums built for them by neighboring towns/counties. Pretty much comes down to that being where there was public money available. 

Take Chicago for example as I'm familiar with the situation. Neither the city nor state were ever going to build them a stadium, and the city didn't want them in the renovated Soldier Field. So they had to bid it out to get public money, and the city of Bridgeview thought building a stadium would be a good investment (they were wrong...the city is broke and property taxes are through the roof). 

In Red Bulls case, they've always been in New Jersey. Land in NYC is very hard to come by, hence why the Giants and Jets play across the river as well.


----------



## kingsboy11

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> Is Houston this good and LA this bad or do their places in the standings have to do with it being early in the season? Its really shocking that Houston is doing so well. Maybe its not so surprising with LA, given the players they've lost off their team, and the general direction they've went in the last few years, but they are trending towards being one of the worst in the league.




Not sure about Houston. If Torres keeps up his form Houston could be a player. The Galaxy on the other hand is a different story. They have a built in excuse because they are dealing with a lot of injuries at the start of the season, but the team just isn't that good. Start by hiring a coach with a really poor MLS record, trading away a versatile fan favorite defender for no good reason and not replacing him, little to no depth at all in all positions and Dos Santos turning into a ghost.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

One of the easiest ways to keep stadium costs down is to keep land costs down, simple as that.

Sucks for fans, but it is what it is. Still jealous that LAFC gets their stadium close to downtown, but they paid a premium for that right, one that would have been impossible to justify when the league's and/or individual team's long-term futures were still in doubt.


----------



## bluesfan94

bleedblue1223 said:


> In some cases it's a money issue, and in other cases it's a good thing to be closer to your customer base, like for Sporting.
> 
> If St. Louis gets a team, the stadium will be downtown in the city, but in the city, it's much more of a chore to get to for the bulk of the customer base than it would be if it was in the suburbs. Every city is different in what is best.




I disagree. The city is the easiest place to get to for everyone.


----------



## bleedblue1223

bluesfan94 said:


> I disagree. The city is the easiest place to get to for everyone.




In the sense that it's balanced and a long drive for most of everyone in the suburbs, yes it is. I think it would be better placed in the suburbs like it is with Sporting KC being closer for Johnson County folk who are the main customer base for them. 

City stadiums are great for some reasons, but stadiums out of the city also have their different set of perks.


----------



## gphr513

Really cool to see the Loons get their first victory this weekend. I wasn't able to watch it, but it was cool seeing Heath's reaction after the game. 

A couple road matches coming up, hopefully they can use some of that momentum.


----------



## bluesfan94

bleedblue1223 said:


> In the sense that it's balanced and a long drive for most of everyone in the suburbs, yes it is. I think it would be better placed in the suburbs like it is with Sporting KC being closer for Johnson County folk who are the main customer base for them.
> 
> City stadiums are great for some reasons, but stadiums out of the city also have their different set of perks.




Which suburb though? There is no one part of the county that is the main part of the fanbase. Plus you have southern Illinois to consider. Downtown easily makes the most sense.


----------



## bleedblue1223

bluesfan94 said:


> Which suburb though? There is no one part of the county that is the main part of the fanbase. Plus you have southern Illinois to consider. Downtown easily makes the most sense.




It'll work, but a central location in the suburbs would make the most sense, that's just my opinion though.


----------



## bluesfan94

bleedblue1223 said:


> It'll work, but a central location in the suburbs would make the most sense, that's just my opinion though.




I somewhat agree, I just think a central location in the suburbs is hard to find, especially given that the suburbs and fan base circle St. Louis and the ring highways already suck


----------



## Ugmo

Cruyff said:


> I understand now. Too bad really, how many MLS teams actually have a stadium in the city they play for? Like for real. Dallas isn't in Dallas, Red Bulls are not in NY, Chicago Los Angeles Philadelphia...Why?




Almost all of those suburban MLS stadiums were built in the days when MLS couldn't get arrested yet had horrendous costs from renting large stadiums in the city center. Back in those days it was often a question of let some suburb build you a stadium for free or fold the team. That's what happened with Dallas.

That being said, Dallas isn't really a great example, as (from what I understand from people who live there) it's basically one huge sprawling metro area so there's not much more of an advantage to being "downtown" than to being in a suburb like Frisco, which is in effect moving closer and closer to downtown as the metroplex spreads north.

If you look at the newer MLS clubs, they're much closer to downtown simply as a function of how much higher the league's profile is nowadays.




gphr513 said:


> Really cool to see the Loons get their first victory this weekend. I wasn't able to watch it, but it was cool seeing Heath's reaction after the game.
> 
> A couple road matches coming up, hopefully they can use some of that momentum.




Good for them. It would be sad to see them squander what could be a good fanbase by sucking immeasurably for their first few seasons.


----------



## Pouchkine

Excellent points. It seems some of those original teams will have to find ways to keep pace with the MLS growing status.


----------



## HajdukSplit

good luck building a new stadium/arena in NYC, I doubt NYCFC will get a "soccer specific" stadium in NYC in the next five years; especially considering De Blasio is the mayor and all the rumors are of a stadium in Queens despite NYCFC having Yankees minority ownership 

For all their hype of being the "city's team" I won't be shocked if they are forced to build their new stadium in Long Island or some place like Yonkers/White Plains


----------



## ecemleafs

HajdukSplit said:


> good luck building a new stadium/arena in NYC, I doubt NYCFC will get a "soccer specific" stadium in NYC in the next five years; especially considering De Blasio is the mayor and all the rumors are of a stadium in Queens despite NYCFC having Yankees minority ownership
> 
> For all their hype of being the "city's team" I won't be shocked if they are forced to build their new stadium in Long Island or some place like Yonkers/White Plains




id give it a .000005 percent chance a stadium is built in westchester. itll be in nyc eventually.


----------



## Ugmo

HajdukSplit said:


> good luck building a new stadium/arena in NYC, I doubt NYCFC will get a "soccer specific" stadium in NYC in the next five years; especially considering De Blasio is the mayor and all the rumors are of a stadium in Queens despite NYCFC having Yankees minority ownership
> 
> For all their hype of being the "city's team" I won't be shocked if they are forced to build their new stadium in Long Island or some place like Yonkers/White Plains






ecemleafs said:


> id give it a .000005 percent chance a stadium is built in westchester. itll be in nyc eventually.





Sort of seems like they're not unhappy with their current stadium situation, so unless the Yankees eventually get tired of it, I can imagine them staying where they are for as long as it takes to get a new stadium in the city. In some ways like the NER are under no pressure to find a stadium in Boston (albeit NYCFC's situation is vastly preferable).


----------



## bluesfan94

well St. Louis just withdrew itself from MLS expansion


----------



## DoyleG

bluesfan94 said:


> well St. Louis just withdrew itself from MLS expansion




Well, the NASL door is always open.


----------



## chasespace

DoyleG said:


> Well, the NASL door is always open.




They do need help propping that door up, too 

To continue on the stadium bills, St. Pete's referendum for the Rowdies stadium is going very well. It's been boosted by Edwards saying regardless of what the county chooses he's sinking $80million out of his own pocket into renovating it.


----------



## Cucumber

What was that caps?

ousted just not making the saves he has for the last couple years. Can't really fault him to much but last few years he has been outstanding and this year just average.

watson hasn't been good for a while. our top 2 cb yes but still not playing at his best. also when was the last time he scored a CK like he did pretty often when he first came.

tiebert idk hasn't really progressed and I think he is just part of the squad for the whole canadian aspect to it but really nothing really special but nothing to bad about him most games. 

De jong is just mistake after mistake defensively with his only main strenght being his speed.

Montero from what I have seen is a has been.

why is mezquida playing striker?

at least the techera didn't player. honestly love the guy but his size just limits him so much. such a lucky player imo.

thinks really started to go south after camilo left. We needed to replace him with the money we got with another striker. couple months later Miller went back to Rangers, then koffie got traded, then morales got injured and couldn't regain his form. Rivero after his hot start of 2-3games just got real dry real fast. on one hand we have been somewhat unlucky but certain things after a while has to come on someone's head.

we fired a lot of coaches in our first few years. Robbo give us some stabilty at the club, helped our youth come up, playoff experience, a decent amount of players with experience from other countries but he has to go. He isn't the man to carry the caps through this transition period and sure isn't going to bring us any mls glory without spending some more cash in the off season.

thank you robbo, like you as a guy, but catch ya later if you are the guy behind all of awful player decisions last few years that everyone saw the moment they happened. 

I would like to see us bring in Martin Nash(brother of steve nash who played for caps before mls days) in some regard to the club as well. 

interesting if mls will ever have a fan base be like Arsenal is now. I fear that if the atmosphere in the arena is full of x name out banners that the casual fan will not like the atmosphere and just never brother coming again. I do appreciate how certain mls stadiums fill up and they support the team for 90mins, Other hand I think giving the team some harsh critism elsewhere then fb and forums would be good to have.

Idk its late and that preformance wasn't good enough. Poor in a lot of areas.


----------



## SJSharks72

Just curious what everyone thinks of this.

What if Sounders move to a 3-5-2?

Dempsey-Morris
Lodeiro
Jones-Alonso-Roldan-Evans/Shipp
Marshall-Torres-Svenson


----------



## Cucumber

SJSharks39 said:


> Just curious what everyone thinks of this.
> 
> What if Sounders move to a 3-5-2?
> 
> Dempsey-Morris
> Lodeiro
> Jones-Alonso-Roldan-Evans/Shipp
> Marshall-Torres-Svenson




I don't think Alonso is mobile enough to cover that much space. Also I see Dempsey is starting recline.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando won at home again. Need to play much better on the road to make the playoffs but picking up wins over conference opponents is always good.


----------



## Cirris

OH WOW, Villa just Beckham'd (Carly Lloyd'd) Philly and Blake.


----------



## Live in the Now

That's one of the best of those I've seen. Angle was so high.


----------



## Milos Krasic




----------



## kingsboy11

That David Villa goal tho...

Tim Howard suspended 3 games for an incident involving fans after their game in Kansas City


----------



## kingsboy11

And on the same night of Villa's goal, you get this...


----------



## Brock Anton

Colman isn't very good, dude should have like 10 goals already with the chances he gets. He's like the Paraguyan Will Bruin.


----------



## Ugmo

Good goddamn, what a goal.


----------



## Adonis Creed

Montreal is a disgusting team. MLS refs are a joke. Poor Atlanta getting ****ed up by another dive

- Divers all over the place in Bernardello-Piatti-Mancosu
- Antics
- Kick and pray strategy


----------



## Milos Krasic

Anthony Jackson-Hamel with a nice winner late for Montreal. What a redirect.


----------



## Pouchkine

One of the worst referee I've seen in a long time in the Montreal game. Nice winning goal but this league is just unwatchable with those pathetic clowns in the middle.


----------



## Milos Krasic

Cruyff said:


> One of the worst referee I've seen in a long time in the Montreal game. Nice winning goal but this league is just unwatchable with those pathetic clowns in the middle.




I was watching the Atlanta feed. Players after the match were clearly frustrated, but careful about what they said to avoid fines.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

Milos Krasic said:


>





Math isn't that guy's strong suit. 60 yards maybe in 'midget yards'.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando just keeps winning at home.


----------



## Ugmo

Cruyff said:


> One of the worst referee I've seen in a long time in the Montreal game. Nice winning goal but this league is just unwatchable with those pathetic clowns in the middle.




Pretty funny how you watch every week anyway, and then complain about it.


----------



## Pouchkine

I watch my team...


----------



## gphr513

Excited for the Loons to have some home games coming up. 3 in a row, excited to go down and be able to watch them in person in the MLS for the first time


----------



## Cody Webster

Let's see if the Union can hold onto this 2-0 lead and win their first game in 8 months.


----------



## Cody Webster

Make it 3-0. They can't lose this one, can they!?

Just like that it's 3-1. Never say never


----------



## Cody Webster

3-2 in the 70th minute....might not get the win


----------



## Cody Webster

ROFL. They tie it. This team is ****ing garbage. Might as well just fold.


----------



## KingLB

Poor Union, I thought they would miss the playoffs, but not be this bad. Then again Bedoya definitely isn't worth what they are paying him. Union need to make a splash with DP's during the summer.


----------



## Cody Webster

They're too cheap to do anything


----------



## kingsboy11

I like the design of these recycled kits, but I can hardly tell apart the Galaxy and the Sounders


----------



## Brock Anton

LA is hot garbage. I don't think Onalfo is going to last.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

Whoever thought it was a good idea to have light gray vs white in a day game needs to be punched in the face.


----------



## kingsboy11

Brock Anton said:


> LA is hot garbage. I don't think Onalfo is going to last.




We can only hope. Genius idea to put together a crappy roster with a crappy coach with LAFC coming up from behind the rear. ****ing embarrassing


----------



## gphr513

Made it out to the MNUFC game today. It was fun to see them live for the first time as an MLS team! 

Encouraging to see us keep a clean sheet today, the defense was organized and much better than it's been in the past. Seem to be making improvements. One step at a time!


----------



## Ugmo

gphr513 said:


> Made it out to the MNUFC game today. It was fun to see them live for the first time as an MLS team!
> 
> Encouraging to see us keep a clean sheet today, the defense was organized and much better than it's been in the past. Seem to be making improvements. One step at a time!




Not even that far out of playoff contention!


----------



## Big McLargehuge

kingsboy11 said:


> I like the design of these recycled kits, but I can hardly tell apart the Galaxy and the Sounders




One team looked competent, that was the only way to tell them apart.


----------



## Brock Anton

Only the Revs would release renderings of a stadium that's dead instead of releasing them beforehand in an attempt to garner public support.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

We've gotten to the point where a scoreless tie at home against the worst team in the league is positive.


----------



## kingsboy11

Big McLargehuge said:


> We've gotten to the point where a scoreless tie at home against the worst team in the league is positive.




Not only the worst team in the league, a team that is on a 15 game winless streak dating all the way back to August of last year...


----------



## bleedblue1223

I'd Sporting gets their offense going consistently, they are going to be dangerous with that defense.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

kingsboy11 said:


> Not only the worst team in the league, a team that is on a 15 game winless streak dating all the way back to August of last year...




Frankly anyone trying to spin that scoreless tie as a positive deserves a nice punch to the face.

Granted nobody who isn't collecting a paycheck from the Galaxy has tried to spin that hot take...


----------



## gphr513

Went to the MNUFC game again last night. It was a frustrating loss, the only goal came on what looked like a breakdown in the defending on a corner, but I didn't get a great look at it. Going forward, there were a few good chances, but really was just lacking that final ball. 

I'm seriously thinking about joining my roommate as a season ticket holder. The games are a lot of fun, and it's affordable!


----------



## Ugmo

gphr513 said:


> Went to the MNUFC game again last night. It was a frustrating loss, the only goal came on what looked like a breakdown in the defending on a corner, but I didn't get a great look at it. Going forward, there were a few good chances, but really was just lacking that final ball.
> 
> I'm seriously thinking about joining my roommate as a season ticket holder. The games are a lot of fun, and it's affordable!




As a veteran fan from the MLS 1.0 era I'm always worried when a team comes out of the gate and appears to be squandering local good will with a horrible on-field product. I think a number of the original teams _still_ haven't recovered from that - the well is poisoned to some extent and many of them are practically non-existent in their markets. We'll see if the new, higher profile of MLS is sufficient to overcome what seems like a bad decision by MU to scrimp on their roster until the new stadium is finished. You'd think the approach taken by Seattle, Orlando and now Atlanta seems much more prudent. At least you don't appear to be discouraged, which is positive.


----------



## gphr513

Ugmo said:


> As a veteran fan from the MLS 1.0 era I'm always worried when a team comes out of the gate and appears to be squandering local good will with a horrible on-field product. I think a number of the original teams _still_ haven't recovered from that - the well is poisoned to some extent and many of them are practically non-existent in their markets. We'll see if the new, higher profile of MLS is sufficient to overcome what seems like a bad decision by MU to scrimp on their roster until the new stadium is finished. You'd think the approach taken by Seattle, Orlando and now Atlanta seems much more prudent. At least you don't appear to be discouraged, which is positive.




It's definitely a risk on their part, and I wish we would have been able to go the Atlanta route, to capture the imagination of the casual fan. 
I really hope they stay semi-competetive though, because you're definitely right, starting off on such a bad note will leave a sour taste in the casual fan's mouth for a LONG time. You don't want to come into the league and be viewed as a second-rate organization. Staying just outside the playoff spot would even be enough, particularly if they show some ambition and try to strengthen the squad this summer. 

I would say that I am probably among the easiest of fans for them to appease, because I am a pretty big soccer fan. I have been wanting to get into MLS for last few seasons, but it's been hard to do without a rooting interest. I casually followed MNUFC in the NASL, but once it was announced that they were moving to MLS, I knew I would dive in and fully support the team. Already this season, I am finding myself wanting to watch neutral MLS games, to get used to the league, now that I have a vested interest in it. 

I've followed Spurs in the EPL for 4-5 years now, and I still do, but having Minnesota in the MLS is so much cooler because I can actually go to the games, feels like I'm so much more connected to the club. 

As of now my roommate and I are making it our mission to bring some of our "fringe" soccer fans to games to try and get them hooked


----------



## gphr513

Well, I took the plunge 

Officially a season ticket holder!


----------



## Ugmo

gphr513 said:


> Well, I took the plunge
> 
> Officially a season ticket holder!






Awesome!


----------



## bleedblue1223

SKC and Melia now have 6 clean sheets in 9 matches.


----------



## Basement Cat

gphr513 said:


> Well, I took the plunge
> 
> Officially a season ticket holder!




Good to hear man. Enjoy



bleedblue1223 said:


> SKC and Melia now have 6 clean sheets in 9 matches.




Their team defense is phenomenal. If they get the goal support, thats a Cup contender.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Basement Cat said:


> Their team defense is phenomenal. If they get the goal support, thats a Cup contender.




Yeah, Opara and Ilie have been great this year.


----------



## gphr513

Big win!!! 

Probably the best game of the season for the Loons. Solid defending and two very nice goals. Ibarra was great. 

Come on you Loons!


----------



## Soundgarden

I watched the first half but switched to the Preds game. Nice to see they pulled off the win, they looked good out there.


----------



## gphr513

Looks like the Loons put in a decent performance today. Would have been nice to snatch a point from Toronto, but we had them on the ropes. 

3 points against the Galaxy would be nice next weekend.


----------



## kingsboy11

Who is the this team and what have they done with the Galaxy? 2-0 at halftime? God forbid Allessandrini gets hurt though


----------



## ecemleafs

good result for nyc in dallas. 1-1. mcnamara with the extra effort on his goal. both ball and mcnamara ended up in the back of the net on the play.


----------



## ADKthunderFan34

ecemleafs said:


> good result for nyc in dallas. 1-1. mcnamara with the extra effort on his goal. both ball and mcnamara ended up in the back of the net on the play.




Glad to see Tommy Mac back in the lieup producing. He is an important part for this team. Wonder if Pirlo will start tonight in RSL as Viera has been resting him alot lately which makes me wonder if his time in NYC is done. The summer transfer window is approaching...


----------



## kingsboy11

Fairly even match against Minnesota. The goal between Dos Santos and Allessandrini was top class. Lucky own goal for the Galaxy to win it, but I'll take the 3 points. Minnesota probably deserved a better result today.


----------



## gphr513

Damn, really thought the Loons deserved a result today. A few glorious chances that really should have been finished. 

Cronin made the goal by giving up his body to go in for that header. Being him and Burch from Colorado was brilliant. 

I'm loving the fact that we're competitive week in and week out, but we really should have gotten at least a point today.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Agreed with the above two, that had the looks of a deserved 1-1 draw. Own goals are a *****.

Nice to see the Galaxy showing some real signs of life...wish they'd sucked for another half so we could have gotten a MLS caliber coach, but I'm not going to get made at my team for playing better. 

Sucked seeing Hušidić fall to the dreaded turf monster, though. Lletget, Jones, & Hušidić now all down in the midfield...though losing Jones was a massive positive, it still tests the depth of a team with zero depth.


----------



## gphr513

Big McLargehuge said:


> Sucked seeing HuÅ¡idić fall to the dreaded turf monster, though.




Yeah, I'm really looking forward to actually getting our stadium done so we can get to playing on real grass. 

Best part of the game yesterday, which I forgot to mention, was the ref putting down the vanishing spray to make a line for the players to stand behind while he was discussing something with the other ref. 

It was in the second half on a Loons corner, and the ref went over to the sideline to talk about something (a handball shout, maybe? We couldn't tell). But there were Galaxy and Loons players up there crowding both of them. The ref gets frustrated, takes a few steps back, and lays down a line on the field, scolding them and telling to get behind the line so they could discuss the situation. It was awesome.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

The Galaxy have learned to play soccer now that Jermaine Jones is nowhere to be seen.

Shocking, absolutely shocking.

I want DeLaGarza back.


----------



## Soundgarden

ATL up to a quick 2-0 over NYC.

Ouch, now 3-0, just dominated that defender. No way is that a foul.


----------



## vwg*

Atlanta destroying NYCFC 3-0 now


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Regular Season @ChicagoFire wins:

2017: 8 (19 games left)
2016: 7
2015: 8
2014: 6

#cf97 #progress


----------



## Ugmo

Good for the Fire. Seems like it's been a while since their fans have had a team worth watching.


----------



## gphr513

Interested to see what lineup the Loons will go with tonight in the USOC. Our depth is really being tested right now. I'm hoping the Scottish winger from Hearts who was here on a visit decides to transfer, Nicholson I believe is his name? Looked him up and he seems to be a solid player. We need more depth, badly.


----------



## JWK

Alan Gordon does what he does best, score random goals out of his ass late in the game


----------



## kingsboy11

Galaxy get an undeserved point against the Dynamo with Allessandrini clearly offside on the equalizer. Another uninspiring game at home though.


----------



## gphr513

Disappointing loss for the Loons against RSL. Really could have used a result there.

In transfer news, it looks like we're signing Sam Nicholson from Hearts over in Scotland. He will hopefully provide some BADLY needed depth in our attack.


----------



## New Jersey

ahhh, derby weekend coming up.

everybody get ignorant.

up the metro. crush boy city.


----------



## Ugmo

I'm glad this one's in Harrison. A lot less weird to watch on TV than Yankee Stadium.


----------



## Basement Cat

Ugmo said:


> I'm glad this one's in Harrison. A lot less weird to watch on TV than Yankee Stadium.




A sold out (well 80-85%) filled RBA is a beautiful sight. Should be an electric atmosphere.


----------



## gphr513

Crazy game for the Loons the other day against Portland. 2 own goals, 2 red cards, and a penalty. We really are a different team at home, so much more confident. 

Christian Ramirez with a spendind goal, as well, it was really cool to see it live. I thought the play was dead with the bad first touch, but his finish was great.

You're my wonderwaaaaall.


----------



## Basement Cat

Thats sick!

Good to see Minny putting it together finally. At least at home...


----------



## kingsboy11

Awesome video! Is there some significance to that Wonderwall song?


----------



## gphr513

kingsboy11 said:


> Awesome video! Is there some significance to that Wonderwall song?




Here's an explanation: https://www.dark-clouds.com/2017/03/93535/

Tl;dr version: back in 2011 (when they were the Stars) the manager used Wonderwall to kind of unite the team. He sang it, whistled it, hummed it, during training. They started singing it after wins. The supporter's section back then caught wind of that, and started singing it to the team as they walked off the field after wins. Then after a big playoff win, the players came over to the supporters section and sang it to the fans. 

From that point on, they sang it after every win, and that tradition carried over to MNUFC when they were formed. 

It's one of my favorite traditions, definitely get goosebumps when they mute the sound for the chorus and it's just us in the crowd singing it.


----------



## kingsboy11

gphr513 said:


> Here's an explanation: https://www.dark-clouds.com/2017/03/93535/
> 
> Tl;dr version: back in 2011 (when they were the Stars) the manager used Wonderwall to kind of unite the team. He sang it, whistled it, hummed it, during training. They started singing it after wins. The supporter's section back then caught wind of that, and started singing it to the team as they walked off the field after wins. Then after a big playoff win, the players came over to the supporters section and sang it to the fans.
> 
> From that point on, they sang it after every win, and that tradition carried over to MNUFC when they were formed.
> 
> It's one of my favorite traditions, definitely get goosebumps when they mute the sound for the chorus and it's just us in the crowd singing it.




That's awesome! Love hearing these kind of stories


----------



## Pouchkine

Comical Defense.


----------



## gphr513

Wow, great finish for NYCFC. Nice goal.


----------



## kingsboy11

Love watching Jack Harrison play


----------



## JDogindy

Ugmo said:


> Good for the Fire. Seems like it's been a while since their fans have had a team worth watching.




To be fair, that started around the time Andrew Hauptmann bought the team & moved them to the suburbs.


----------



## Adonis Creed

Is Moron Biello the worse coach in the league?

playing 5-3-2 and benching Tabla....

just an horrendous coach.


Also Ciman has been brutl for us...overrated a ton


----------



## chasespace

Orlando is depressingly bad right now


----------



## HajdukSplit

San Jose fire Dominic Kinnear. Former Earthquakes defender (among other teams), Chris Leitch has been named the new manager, he was working in their academy last few years


----------



## Ugmo

JDogindy said:


> To be fair, that started around the time Andrew Hauptmann bought the team & moved them to the suburbs.




That doesn't sound right... they moved to Bridgeview in 2006 and he bought them toward the end of the 2007 season. I realize there's a lot to criticize Hauptmann for, but Bridgeview wasn't his doing.


----------



## gphr513

Portland fans bringing it, sweet atmosphere at the start of this game.


----------



## DoyleG

gphr513 said:


> Portland fans bringing it, sweet atmosphere at the start of this game.




Certainly.

Over 100F during the day today.


----------



## gphr513

Wow, that penalty just flipped the game on its head.


----------



## kingsboy11

Portland/Seattle never disappoints


----------



## kingsboy11

Interesting that the Earthquakes fired Dominic Kinnear


----------



## Brock Anton

ESPN reporting that LAFC are close to a deal with Wesley Sneijder.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Not sure where to put this, but the US Open match between Cincinnati FC and Chicago Fire has been AWESOME. GK for Cinci has been unreal and Cinci has missed about 4 chances, scoreless to PK's.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

This GK from Cincinnati is pulling a Claudio Bravo....saved both PK's so far. He's unbeatable right now.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Weird seeing Schweinsteiger playing against...FC Cincinnati. Heh.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

GK with another stop! USL Cinci beats Chicago 3-1 in the PK, 3 perfect stops in the shootout.

38,000 fans, great atmosphere.


----------



## Beauner

that was ****ing awesome. Cinci's goalie was unreal


----------



## kingsboy11

Hildenbrandt  What a performance. Incredible performance by Bravo this morning and another great showing by Hildenbrandt tonight. 

I can't say I saw Sneijder going to LAFC. Should be interesting.


----------



## bluesfan94

spintheblackcircle said:


> This GK from Cincinnati is pulling a Claudio Bravo....saved both PK's so far. He's unbeatable right now.




Those are the most fun moments as a goalie.


----------



## gphr513

Super bummed I didn't know about that game, I would have definitely watched it. Highlights were crazy.


----------



## Ugmo

I hope they make it to MLS. They seem to regular get large, raucus crowds.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Fire definitely looked gassed in the 2nd half, and between this and the Orlando game a few weeks back, have shown they're incapable of breaking down teams that bunker against them. Hopefully, not too many MLS teams take the hint.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

gphr513 said:


> Super bummed I didn't know about that game, I would have definitely watched it. Highlights were crazy.





8 teams left in the Cup; 6 teams from the MLS and 2 from lower league. Unfortunately the 2 lower league teams play each other in the quarters, Miami will host Cinci. Each match is on their own day, so all should be on TV somewhere.


----------



## bluesfan94

Ugmo said:


> I hope they make it to MLS. They seem to regular get large, raucus crowds.




If they make it before St. Louis I'm going to be pissed at my city.


----------



## bleedblue1223

bluesfan94 said:


> If they make it before St. Louis I'm going to be pissed at my city.




Eh, I'm more mad at the ownership group. They obviously weren't as interested as they made it seem. They have the money in the group to have gotten the stadium deal done and they had a 2nd group offer to supply the rest of the money. They just wanted their corporate welfare from the city.


----------



## bluesfan94

bleedblue1223 said:


> Eh, I'm more mad at the ownership group. They obviously weren't as interested as they made it seem. They have the money in the group to have gotten the stadium deal done and they had a 2nd group offer to supply the rest of the money. They just wanted their corporate welfare from the city.




Yeah by city I meant as a whole including that potential ownership group rather than the people of the city after the vote. St. Louis should have an MLS team. We'd be a great market for it and have early built in rivalries. We just don't.


----------



## bleedblue1223

SKC has signed Cristian Lobato. Didn't really need anyone special, but someone with versatility and he definitely brings that. Should set them up nicely for a run in the playoffs.


----------



## gphr513

Holy crap, awful goaltending for the NYCFC keeper, lol. 

Ramirez there to clean it up! 10 goals for him now!


----------



## NYRPat21

Pretty amazing to see what the Fire have been able to do after last season. Between them, TFC, and NYCFC it looks like it's the East's year for the first time in a while.


----------



## kingsboy11

Fitting that the worst Galaxy team ever has their worst ever home defeat. Against bottom dwellers RSL no less. Flat out embarrassing


----------



## Quid Pro Clowe

The ref who called the sj atl game should be fired.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

kingsboy11 said:


> Fitting that the worst Galaxy team ever has their worst ever home defeat. Against bottom dwellers RSL no less. Flat out embarrassing




I'm getting sick of hating every single person in management and half of the damn roster.

Yeah, injuries and international duty blah blah blah...the kids were the plan this year, and the kids are ****ing terrible.


----------



## Luigi Habs

Clowe Me said:


> The ref who called the sj atl game should be fired.




Most MLS refs should be fired tbh


----------



## gphr513

So, the Loons are in a bit of an injury crisis right now. 



> INJURY REPORT
> 
> Minnesota United
> OUT: M – Bernardo Anor (left lower leg injury)
> OUT: M/D – Thomas de Villardi (left Achilles injury)
> OUT: D – Marc Burch (sports hernia surgery 6/20, out 8-12 weeks)
> OUT: GK – John Alvbage (right thumb)
> OUT: M – Sam Cronin (neck)
> OUT: D – Joe Greenspan (head)
> OUT: M – Rasmus Schuller (left thigh)
> OUT: D – Kevin Venegas (right thigh)
> QUESTIONABLE: F – Abu Danladi (right thigh injury)
> QUESTIONABLE: M – Miguel Ibarra (left ankle)
> QUESTIONABLE: M – Kevin Molino (left ankle)
> QUESTIONABLE: F – Christian Ramirez (right thigh)
> QUESTIONABLE: M – Johan Venegas (left thigh)
> INT’L DUTY: Francisco Calvo, Jermaine Taylor (possible)




With Calvo and Taylor still at the Gold Cup, and if a few of those "Questionable" guys end up not being able to play, we'll barely be able to field a Starting XI


----------



## kingsboy11

gphr513 said:


> So, the Loons are in a bit of an injury crisis right now.
> 
> 
> 
> With Calvo and Taylor still at the Gold Cup, and if a few of those "Questionable" guys end up not being able to play, we'll barely be able to field a Starting XI




jeez and I thought the Galaxy's injuries were bad...


----------



## Luigi Habs

gphr513 said:


> So, the Loons are in a bit of an injury crisis right now.
> 
> 
> 
> With Calvo and Taylor still at the Gold Cup, and if a few of those "Questionable" guys end up not being able to play, we'll barely be able to field a Starting XI




How has Johan Venegas been playing with Minnesota this season?


----------



## Jeffrey

Why are there that many United in the MLS?


----------



## chasespace

As an Orlando I can say with confidence Atlanta is going to murder us tonight.


----------



## Ugmo

Jeffrey said:


> Why are there that many United in the MLS?




We're overcompensating for giving all the teams rad X-Games-esque names in the 90s.


----------



## theaub

I miss the WIZ


----------



## IU Hawks fan




----------



## gphr513

Luiginho said:


> How has Johan Venegas been playing with Minnesota this season?




There was a weird situation with him earlier in the year. He took a hiatus from the team for a few days, and then had some comments about how the front office hadn't honored everything in his contract. He was subbed off in a game shortly after halftime, and after the game Heath kind of called him out.

He's somewhat lost his starting spot to Abu Danladi (when he's healthy). But luckily for him, we're so battered right now, he should get another chance in the Starting XI. 

I hope to see him playing tomorrow. He went through a bit of a rough spell, but he's shows some definite flashes this year.


----------



## gphr513

Wow. Absolute screamer for Atlanta. Caught everyone off guard.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

Brad Guzan and his slight Brit accent


----------



## gphr513

Vamos Rafa said:


> Brad Guzan and his slight Brit accent




Same thing happened to Friedel


----------



## kingsboy11

Galaxy lose their 5th straight MLS game and 7th game in all competitions


----------



## spintheblackcircle

http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2017/07/24/mls-rejected-4-billion-deal-which-wanted-promotionrelegation/

Major League Soccer has confirmed it brushed aside a $4 billion TV deal which insisted on promotion and relegation coming into place in North America’s top-flight.

A report from the Sports Business Journal stated that the owner of NASL side Miami FC Riccardo Silva gave a presentation to the league and owners on June 26, offering a 10-year deal for the domestic and international TV rights from 2023 with one clause: promotion and relegation had to become commonplace in MLS.

Of course, Silva, who founded the media company MP & Silva who put in the bid, would love for their to be promotion and relegation in MLS as his team cannot currently rise about the second-tier NASL.


----------



## bluesfan94

spintheblackcircle said:


> http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2017/07/24/mls-rejected-4-billion-deal-which-wanted-promotionrelegation/
> 
> Major League Soccer has confirmed it brushed aside a $4 billion TV deal which insisted on promotion and relegation coming into place in North Americaâ€™s top-flight.
> 
> A report from the Sports Business Journal stated that the owner of NASL side Miami FC Riccardo Silva gave a presentation to the league and owners on June 26, offering a 10-year deal for the domestic and international TV rights from 2023 with one clause: promotion and relegation had to become commonplace in MLS.
> 
> Of course, Silva, who founded the media company MP & Silva who put in the bid, would love for their to be promotion and relegation in MLS as his team cannot currently rise about the second-tier NASL.




Man. That's a lot of money to say no to.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

It's essentially an 'empty threat' of a bid. They can't even consider a new deal for another 4 years.


----------



## chasespace

That probably would be the fastest way to introduce pro-rel into the MLS, though. Having media companies pay a premium to introduce it.


----------



## kingsboy11

I still don't think the league is ready for Pro/rel yet. There is still a gap in skill level between the USL/NASL and MLS. I think it will happen eventually, but I don't think that time is right. I'm not sure why this group is trying to push it this quickly though.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

kingsboy11 said:


> I still don't think the league is ready for Pro/rel yet. There is still a gap in skill level between the USL/NASL and MLS. I think it will happen eventually, but I don't think that time is right. *I'm not sure why this group is trying to push it this quickly though*.




Read it again: 



> A report from the Sports Business Journal stated that *the owner of NASL side Miami FC* Riccardo Silva gave a presentation to the league and owners on June 26, offering a 10-year deal for the domestic and international TV rights from 2023 with one clause: promotion and relegation had to become commonplace in MLS.




He's trying to find his team a way in before the Beckham group gets one.


----------



## bleedblue1223

bluesfan94 said:


> Man. That's a lot of money to say no to.




They can't even entertain the offer though, so it's just a publicity stunt by Silva.


----------



## bleedblue1223

kingsboy11 said:


> I still don't think the league is ready for Pro/rel yet. There is still a gap in skill level between the USL/NASL and MLS. I think it will happen eventually, but I don't think that time is right. I'm not sure why this group is trying to push it this quickly though.




MLS will never do promotion/relegation IMO.


----------



## bluesfan94

spintheblackcircle said:


> http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2017/07/24/mls-rejected-4-billion-deal-which-wanted-promotionrelegation/
> 
> Major League Soccer has confirmed it brushed aside a $4 billion TV deal which insisted on promotion and relegation coming into place in North Americaâ€™s top-flight.
> 
> A report from the Sports Business Journal stated that the owner of NASL side Miami FC Riccardo Silva gave a presentation to the league and owners on June 26, offering a 10-year deal for the domestic and international TV rights from 2023 with one clause: promotion and relegation had to become commonplace in MLS.
> 
> Of course, Silva, who founded the media company MP & Silva who put in the bid, would love for their to be promotion and relegation in MLS as his team cannot currently rise about the second-tier NASL.




Man. That's a lot of money to say no to.

Edit: stupid phone


----------



## chasespace

bleedblue1223 said:


> MLS will never do promotion/relegation IMO.




I don't think they will either but the USL looking like it might be gearing up for a Pro-Rel system that might be their testing bed. 

I still see MLS ending at a 36 team league split into 2 18 team conferences that play home and away amongst themselves for a total of 34 games and then top 4 from each conference go into the playoffs that mixes the two conferences based on final tables.


----------



## bleedblue1223

chasespace said:


> I don't think they will either but the USL looking like it might be gearing up for a Pro-Rel system that might be their testing bed.
> 
> I still see MLS ending at a 36 team league split into 2 18 team conferences that play home and away amongst themselves for a total of 34 games and then top 4 from each conference go into the playoffs that mixes the two conferences based on final tables.




Way too many teams and not nearly enough talent/money for that.

I think before MLS gets too far ahead of itself, it's needs to find a way to have a significantly higher minimum salary.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

I can't see the playoffs ever getting that small. Probably would go top 9 with an 8-9 play in.


----------



## Luigi Habs

The average north american player is still crap compared to many other countries. There would be a significant drop in quality if they expand to 36 teams without successfully improving the local talent.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Luiginho said:


> The average north american player is still crap compared to many other countries. There would be a significant drop in quality if they expand to 36 teams without successfully improving the local talent.




Yeah, take a guy like Ilie Sanchez. He can barely hack it in the 2nd division in Spain and Germany, but he immediately becomes one of the top players on one of the top teams in the MLS.


----------



## Brock Anton

According to Twellman, LA are negotiating with Jonathan dos Santos for their 3rd DP and that Orlando/SKC are in talks for a trade for Dom Dwyer.


----------



## Savant

In a bit of a shocker, San Diego's MLS bid may be toast. They aren't ready and are trying a desperation Wait For SD campaign to postpone MLS decision until 2018. MLS does not want to wait and there are other markets ready.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

Luiginho said:


> The average north american player is still crap compared to many other countries. There would be a significant drop in quality if they expand to 36 teams without successfully improving the local talent.




You're not counting Mexican players towards the average "North American" player, are you?


----------



## KingLB

bleedblue1223 said:


> Way too many teams and not nearly enough talent/money for that.
> 
> I think before MLS gets too far ahead of itself, it's needs to find a way to have a significantly higher minimum salary.




MLS had 10 teams ~15 years ago, they have 22 now and the quality is significantly better. As academy's and salaries continue to grow, MLS will produce and acquire the players needed. Plus getting to 36 would still take another 20 years I'd bet.



IU Hawks fan said:


> I can't see the playoffs ever getting that small. Probably would go top 9 with an 8-9 play in.




Agreed.



Luiginho said:


> The average north american player is still crap compared to many other countries. There would be a significant drop in quality if they expand to 36 teams without successfully improving the local talent.




See above.



bleedblue1223 said:


> Yeah, take a guy like Ilie Sanchez. He can barely hack it in the 2nd division in Spain and Germany, but he immediately becomes one of the top players on one of the top teams in the MLS.




"Top players" is relative I see. To add to the argument, EPB finally started for SKC and has become "one of the top players on one of the top teams" and he is MLS academy product and only 19.



Savant said:


> In a bit of a shocker, San Diego's MLS bid may be toast. They aren't ready and are trying a desperation Wait For SD campaign to postpone MLS decision until 2018. MLS does not want to wait and there are other markets ready.




I believe MLS is going to do, 2 and 2. Which may help SD. I personally think if they get all their **** together, they are the best market. I am not a fan of Sac Town as a first division city.

Ideally for me, SD/St. Louis/Cin/Tampa. Though I know STL dropped already and I could be convinced for any of Det/SA/Phx.


----------



## Savant

KingLB said:


> MLS had 10 teams ~15 years ago, they have 22 now and the quality is significantly better. As academy's and salaries continue to grow, MLS will produce and acquire the players needed. Plus getting to 36 would still take another 20 years I'd bet.
> 
> 
> 
> Agreed.
> 
> 
> 
> See above.
> 
> 
> 
> "Top players" is relative I see. To add to the argument, EPB finally started for SKC and has become "one of the top players on one of the top teams" and he is MLS academy product and only 19.
> 
> 
> 
> I believe MLS is going to do, 2 and 2. Which may help SD. I personally think if they get all their **** together, they are the best market. I am not a fan of Sac Town as a first division city.
> 
> Ideally for me, SD/St. Louis/Cin/Tampa. Though I know STL dropped already and I could be convinced for any of Det/SA/Phx.




Raleigh has an extremely strong bid. Them and Cincy should be the East teams.


----------



## Cochese

Brock Anton said:


> According to Twellman, LA are negotiating with Jonathan dos Santos for their 3rd DP and that Orlando/SKC are in talks for a trade for Dom Dwyer.





Guess he wants to vacation with his brother, what a shame.


----------



## Luigi Habs

Vamos Rafa said:


> You're not counting Mexican players towards the average "North American" player, are you?




No. Was talking about Canadian and American players.


----------



## bluesfan94

Still disappointed that STL isn't getting a team.


----------



## bleedblue1223

KingLB said:


> MLS had 10 teams ~15 years ago, they have 22 now and the quality is significantly better. As academy's and salaries continue to grow, MLS will produce and acquire the players needed. Plus getting to 36 would still take another 20 years I'd bet.
> 
> "Top players" is relative I see. To add to the argument, EPB finally started for SKC and has become "one of the top players on one of the top teams" and he is MLS academy product and only 19.




Every league plateaus at a certain point, no league can just keep adding teams, eventually the talent just gets insanely diluted. Until youth in the States start to want to play soccer above one of the major sports, then you won't be able to develop enough internal talent. Until the minimum salary goes significantly north of $53k per year pre-tax, then the league will have limited upward mobility IMO. 

I think once teams can be profitable while paying all players a minimum of 6 figures, then they can start talking about how big they can really get. Expansion along the way will help get there, but very few leagues in any sport around the world have 36 teams. 

I don't see your point with EPB and Ilie. Ilie has been with Opara, the best 2 players game-in and game-out and one of the main reasons they have the best defense in the league. EPB is a great talent, and played very well in his couple games so far, but he's not one of the top players. I also don't see what that has to do with my comment on Ilie, or the point on overall talent level in the MLS.


----------



## kingsboy11

LiL ToRqUe wReNCh said:


> Guess he wants to vacation with his brother, what a shame.




Galaxy kicked the tires on him before the season and It was expected that they would try again in the summer. I think he would help as the Jermaine Jones experiment was a complete disaster, but its just a rather boring and obvious signing.


----------



## gphr513

Yeah, I guess I don't see pro/rel as being realistic just yet. In Europe, where you have that grassroots soccer culture built in, teams can survive a relegation or two, usually. Here especially in a city like mine, with 4 other pro sports teams and college teams as well, I just think the interest level would nose-dive. 

I can see so many people reacting with a: "Wait... They're not even in the best league anymore? Lame!" reaction, and then shifting their focus to all the other major sporting options we have here.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Dwyer to Orlando for allocation money for $1.6M in allocation money, 700k is incentives.


----------



## kingsboy11

bleedblue1223 said:


> Dwyer to Orlando for allocation money for $1.6M in allocation money, 700k is incentives.




Sporting better have a good replacement lined up because this trade makes zero sense.


----------



## bleedblue1223

kingsboy11 said:


> Sporting better have a good replacement lined up because this trade makes zero sense.




He already turned down an extension worth $1 million+. Some talk is that Nemeth was wanting to come back to KC as well.


----------



## Savant

bleedblue1223 said:


> Dwyer to Orlando for allocation money for $1.6M in allocation money, 700k is incentives.




Too bad for Sydney Leroux.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Savant said:


> Too bad for Sydney Leroux.




Why? I'm sure her transfer to Orlando will be announced today as well.


----------



## Savant

bleedblue1223 said:


> Why? I'm sure her transfer to Orlando will be announced today as well.




They already traded her from Orlando to KC to accommodate them. Now they have to do it again. What a mess.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Savant said:


> They already traded her from Orlando to KC to accommodate them. Now they have to do it again. What a mess.




She's never played for Orlando.


----------



## Savant

Mixed her up with Morgan. Carry on.


----------



## Brock Anton

Still, Leroux changing teams is nothing new. 

She started with Boston, only to demand a trade after the year for Seattle to be close to family, where she played for a year before demanding a trade to KC to be with Dwyer, which Seattle said **** off and traded her to Western New York, where she played two games, left for the WWC, came back afterwards and didn't tell the team she got surgery and demanded a trade to KC, which she got, only to reveal she was pregnant and missed 2016. Now this, and she's surely going to demand a trade to Orlando. So yeah, whenever she demands her trade, she's going to be going on her 5th NWSL team in 5 seasons.


----------



## KingLB

bleedblue1223 said:


> Every league plateaus at a certain point, no league can just keep adding teams, eventually the talent just gets insanely diluted. Until youth in the States start to want to play soccer above one of the major sports, then you won't be able to develop enough internal talent. Until the minimum salary goes significantly north of $53k per year pre-tax, then the league will have limited upward mobility IMO.
> 
> I think once teams can be profitable while paying all players a minimum of 6 figures, then they can start talking about how big they can really get. Expansion along the way will help get there, but very few leagues in any sport around the world have 36 teams.
> 
> I don't see your point with EPB and Ilie. Ilie has been with Opara, the best 2 players game-in and game-out and one of the main reasons they have the best defense in the league. EPB is a great talent, and played very well in his couple games so far, but he's not one of the top players. I also don't see what that has to do with my comment on Ilie, or the point on overall talent level in the MLS.




In a limited sport like hockey or football yes. But in soccer, there are thousands of players world wide. MLS continues to grow as long as revenues continue to grow. Instead of second division South American players, MLS starts to attract more and more Valari's/Alessandrini's/Piatti's/Almiron's and so on. As long as the money continues to grow (at a rate faster than the leagues directly above them) MLS will just continue to buy better and better players.

I added Almiron, because look what that expansion has added to the league this year. By far my favorite team to watch, 3 really great young attacking SA players. And they also have a great academy as well. ATL is by far a net positive to MLS and US soccer as a whole.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

Luiginho said:


> No. Was talking about Canadian and American players.




Is it just in the hockey community where the term "North America" refers to only Canada and the US? Well, mostly Canadians do it.


----------



## Foppa

kingsboy11 said:


> Sporting better have a good replacement lined up because this trade makes zero sense.




That kind of allocation money is far too good to turn down. SKC has tons of possibilities now both short and long term to strengthen the team with several pieces. In the MLS system that $1.6 million is worth more than face value. 

I doubt SKC was dying to trade Dom and he will definitely be missed but this is much more of the case of everybody having a price and the offer being too good to turn down for the long term good of this club.


----------



## bluesfan94

Vamos Rafa said:


> Is it just in the hockey community where the term "North America" refers to only Canada and the US? Well, mostly Canadians do it.




I think it's actually fairly common and then there's Central America and the Caribbean Islands


----------



## kingsboy11

The nightmare is over!


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Well...part of the nightmare is over. Onalfo was the dumbest idiot of the bunch, but I still have zero faith in the boys club in charge of the organization. At least Sigi understands the MLS, though.

And because I can't be happy this season...Jonathan dos Santos is really the third DP? That's the best we could do? How is that supposed to make anyone excited? Jonathan will help the team a lot and I have no doubt he'll be good...but midfield is not the problem right now, a complete and utter lack of strikers is, and JDS isn't going to excite _anyone_. It's not even like Gio is that much of a fan favorite with his frustratingly inconsistent effort. It feels like pandering to the Mexican fans in LA, who mostly hate the Galaxy to begin with. This isn't the signing that is necessary to stop the onslaught of season ticket cancellations. Hell, the optics of replacing Jermaine Jones already doesn't do much to help considering the fan base was overwhelmingly against Jones in the first place and it cost a hugely popular player to accommodate that moronic acquisition. It's better to fix a problem than ignore it, but when your team has 3 more goals from defenders than strikers your weakness is obvious, and this doesn't change that.


----------



## kingsboy11

Big McLargehuge said:


> Well...part of the nightmare is over. Onalfo was the dumbest idiot of the bunch, but I still have zero faith in the boys club in charge of the organization.
> 
> And because I can't be happy this season...Jonathan dos Santos is really the third DP? That's the best we could do? How is that supposed to make anyone excited? Jonathan will help the team a lot and I have no doubt he'll be good...but midfield is not the problem right now, a complete and utter lack of strikers is, and JDS isn't going to excite _anyone_.




Definitely agree. At this point the team needs all the help we can get. Sigi and JDS aren't exciting, but they'll at lest help the team this season and certainly will be better than the trainwreck Jones was. I'm willing to give the front office a second chance and hoping that this season was an eye opener for them. 

And LAFC set to hire Bob Bradley as head coach. I was actually hoping he'd replace Onalfo when the time came...


----------



## phisherman

KingLB said:


> In a limited sport like hockey or football yes. But in soccer, there are thousands of players world wide. MLS continues to grow as long as revenues continue to grow. Instead of second division South American players, MLS starts to attract more and more Valari's/Alessandrini's/Piatti's/Almiron's and so on. As long as the money continues to grow (at a rate faster than the leagues directly above them) MLS will just continue to buy better and better players.
> 
> I added Almiron, because look what that expansion has added to the league this year. By far my favorite team to watch, 3 really great young attacking SA players. And they also have a great academy as well. ATL is by far a net positive to MLS and US soccer as a whole.




But there are only a limited amount of spots for the Valari's/Alessandrini's/Piatti's/Almiron's. The rest of the squads will be diluted unless they change the squad registration rules.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

The signing of JDS is just a desperation move to stop Mexican American Galaxy fans from switching to LAFC.


----------



## Ugmo

phisherman said:


> But there are only a limited amount of spots for the Valari's/Alessandrini's/Piatti's/Almiron's. The rest of the squads will be diluted unless they change the squad registration rules.




Has this happened so far? As KingLB pointed out, MLS has twice as many teams as it had 10 years ago and the standard of play is a lot higher.

I just don't think the dilution argument applies to soccer, which has a global talent pool.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

I also find it a bit silly to assume the rules wouldn't change greatly if there were that many teams added. The rules have evolved pretty swiftly since Beckham and there's really no reason to not think that'll continue as the league evolves. The primary purpose of international roster spot caps is to ensure that domestic players have opportunities, if you add a bunch of teams then you need fewer domestic roster spots to maintain the same amount of domestic players in the league. It may become harder for an non-USMNT American player to start on an LA or NY-based team, but those players would just shift to the Indys or Cincinnatis of the world.

Ultimately I am pro Pro/Rel, but I don't think we're at a point where it's feasible yet and I completely understand why owners who paid tens to hundreds of million to join a close system are vehemently against opening things up to teams whose entire existence could be paid for by a Dos Santos-sized transfer fee. It's something you almost have to do from the start to get it to work in a closed system, and starting with Pro/Rel was not a feasible option at all when the MLS was started...something will have to change eventually if soccer is to take the next step in the US & Canada, but I don't think we're at that saturation point quite yet.


----------



## phisherman

Ugmo said:


> Has this happened so far? As KingLB pointed out, MLS has twice as many teams as it had 10 years ago and the standard of play is a lot higher.
> 
> I just don't think the dilution argument applies to soccer, which has a global talent pool.




That's because the rules have changed. Went from 0 DP to 3 DP plus that weird salary allocation rule.

Part of MLS' goal is to develop US players but as there are more teams that means more players are needed to fill those spots.

So then MLS needs to decide can they provide an avenue for US players to develop without sacrificing the overall quality of play.


----------



## Ugmo

phisherman said:


> That's because the rules have changed. Went from 0 DP to 3 DP plus that weird salary allocation rule.




They'll probably change the rules again then.



phisherman said:


> *Part of MLS' goal is to develop US players* but as there are more teams that means more players are needed to fill those spots.
> 
> So then MLS needs to decide can they provide an avenue for US players to develop without sacrificing the overall quality of play.




This'll probably open up a can of worms, but are we certain about this? I've been following the league since opening day 1996. My recollection is the league used to talk about this in the early days, but hasn't really talked about developing American players any time in the past 15 years (although I'd be glad to be proven wrong here).


----------



## Terry Yake

i don't follow soccer much at all but i noticed the new LA team hired bob bradley, the old chivas coach. i thought LAFC was trying to distance itself from chivas usa? seems like a good hire nonetheless. boy did the galaxy choose the absolute worst time to start sucking with this new franchise starting play next season

as for the galaxy, i saw they re-hired sigi schmid. wasn't he fired years ago because the galaxy were a boring team to watch or something like that?


----------



## KingLB

Terry Yake said:


> i don't follow soccer much at all but i noticed the new LA team hired bob bradley, the old chivas coach. i thought LAFC was trying to distance itself from chivas usa? seems like a good hire nonetheless. boy did the galaxy choose the absolute worst time to start sucking with this new franchise starting play next season
> 
> as for the galaxy, i saw they re-hired sigi schmid. wasn't he fired years ago because the galaxy were a boring team to watch or something like that?




Bradley was probably the one of the highest profile coaches they could have hired. Maybe the former Mexico head coach, but that guy is a loose cannon and may not have worked in the US. As it stands now, Bradley is the 'biggest coach" in MLS beside Tata imo.


----------



## kingsboy11

Terry Yake said:


> i don't follow soccer much at all but i noticed the new LA team hired bob bradley, the old chivas coach. i thought LAFC was trying to distance itself from chivas usa? seems like a good hire nonetheless. boy did the galaxy choose the absolute worst time to start sucking with this new franchise starting play next season
> 
> as for the galaxy, i saw they re-hired sigi schmid. wasn't he fired years ago because the galaxy were a boring team to watch or something like that?




LAFC is doing everything completely different than Chivas USA. Bob Bradley is good coach. 

As for the Galaxy I'll take the winningest coach in MLS history over the guy with one of the worst winning records in MLS history. Supposedly the Galaxy can look for another coach after this season ends so this is most likely a temporary position for Sigi.


----------



## Terry Yake

it was pretty obvious that onalfo was a poor choice from the start

i wonder who they'll turn to next assuming schmid is only there for the rest of the season


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Bradley also deserves exactly 0 parts of the blame for the disaster that was Chivas USA. No coach can fix xenophobic ownership that doesn't respect the league nor its fans.


As for Schmid, it'll be really interesting to see exactly what the terms are on that contract...it apparently runs just through the end of the season, but I wouldn't be surprised to see if there's an option year or two at the end of it...just have to wonder if it would be triggered by the Galaxy, Schmid, or both.

Why Schmid was fired back in the MLS 1.0 era matters little to me, it'd be impossible for him to be a worse coach than the idiot he's replacing. The fact Sigi is a local guy and was at all of the Galaxy games to begin with made him an easy choice for a mid-season replacement. 2004 was 13 years ago, which in MLS terms may as well be five decades.


----------



## SJSharks72

Looks like Sounders are signing RW Victor Rodriguez from La Liga. Also looks like they might be signing Derlis Gonzalez.

Fisher will probably take over for Jones at LB so I'm liking these signingsz


----------



## gphr513

Fun game on Saturday! DC United sucks, but we'll take it. It was great having Calvo back, starting to get back healthy, hopefully this can start a good run of form. Get another 3 points against Seattle on Saturday. 

You're my Wonderwall!


----------



## KingLB

phisherman said:


> That's because the rules have changed. Went from 0 DP to 3 DP plus that weird salary allocation rule.
> 
> Part of MLS' goal is to develop US players but as there are more teams that means more players are needed to fill those spots.
> 
> So then MLS needs to decide can they provide an avenue for US players to develop without sacrificing the overall quality of play.




https://finance.yahoo.com/news/adid...ponsorship-6-years-700-million-152955630.html

This is more what I was talking about. This 6yr/$700 mil deal, is the equivalent to every MLS teams salary cap currently. That is, just the official jersey/cleat/ball provider will pay the salary of a majority of MLS salaries on its own. Once you add in things like the TV deal/kit sponsors/ticket sales/corporate sponsors/local tv/etc I believe MLS will be at a place _soon_ where a lot of really good players don't need to be DP's and each team will have 5-7 non-DP's making 300k-700k a year.


----------



## KingLB

gphr513 said:


> Fun game on Saturday! DC United sucks, but we'll take it. It was great having Calvo back, starting to get back healthy, hopefully this can start a good run of form. Get another 3 points against Seattle on Saturday.
> 
> You're my Wonderwall!




Is Minny going to make any substantial signings? Or will they continue to plunder lower leagues in Scandinavia or NASL/USL players? Let the people get excited about something!


----------



## gphr513

KingLB said:


> Is Minny going to make any substantial signings? Or will they continue to plunder lower leagues in Scandinavia or NASL/USL players? Let the people get excited about something!




They had a conference call for season ticket holders last week, I wasn't able to answer the call because I was at work, but from summaries I heard from other STH's, they continue to say that they're exploring the possibility of signing a DP in the future, whether it be before this window closes, or in the winter. 

An MNUFC beat writer did an AMA on our team's subreddit and said they have gone scouting in Chile, Scandinavia, England, and Ghana. He said if we sign a DP it will most likely be a 10, or some other attacking midfielder.

He also noted that they might even explore the option of making Calvo a DP rather than selling him in the future. Although I think it might be wise to cash in on him. 

For better or worse, they are definitely taking things slow and trying to build a solid "foundation" first. I certainly hope they sign a higher profile DP for next season, people will get restless if they don't.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Decided to put this in the MLS thread but Miami FC and a NPSL club (Kingston Stockade) further put fuel to the recent pro/rel talk in American soccer by filing a claim at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for the USSF to adopt promotion/relegation

Should CAS decide in favor of pro/rel, the USSF will be required to install it as all their decisions are bound by FIFA. Of course this will probably take years but there seems to be promise in Article 9 of FIFA rules

Full article is here: http://www.prostamerika.com/2017/08/03/clubs-bring-action-force-prorel/167328


----------



## bleedblue1223

I find it kind of ridiculous that expansion franchises will have to pay a ridiculous amount of money to join, and if these whiners get their way, they wouldn't have to pay any sort of fee to join the MLS.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

FIFA just needs to die. 

Makes zero sense that domestic leagues are bound by them, in my opinion. You don't see the NHL bowing down to IIHF. It's a private business!


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

HajdukSplit said:


> Decided to put this in the MLS thread but Miami FC and a NPSL club (Kingston Stockade) further put fuel to the recent pro/rel talk in American soccer by filing a claim at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for the USSF to adopt promotion/relegation
> 
> Should CAS decide in favor of pro/rel, the USSF will be required to install it as all their decisions are bound by FIFA. Of course this will probably take years but there seems to be promise in Article 9 of FIFA rules
> 
> Full article is here: http://www.prostamerika.com/2017/08/03/clubs-bring-action-force-prorel/167328




Miami FC may be in serious trouble, because Beckham's Miami MLS Team has been given the green light for a projected 2020 start.


----------



## Ugmo

Man, I know this isn't the purist position, but in some leagues I'd be in favor of _less_ pro/rel and not more. The Austrian league would probably really benefit from getting rid of all the tiny village clubs and replacing them with some bigger ones.

MLS is doing fine without it. Other leagues (even some tradition-rich ones) would kill to have the kind of growth and excitement in MLS.


----------



## HoseEmDown

If Orlando doesn't get on track and make the playoffs there's going to be a lot of changes in the off-season. First they need to not renew Kaka and stop wasting so much money on a poor return from it with him, Kreis hasn't improved the team that much and should not be brought back, Larin needs to be cashed in on and a bunch of others need to go.

I would keep Dwyer, Spector, Sutter, Redding and Bednak while looking to not renew or move the others and start over again. This team needs a restart not a refresh like they been trying to do without success.


----------



## gphr513

Loons got taken apart by Seattle last night. 

It was fun to see Dempsey play live. He's such a great player for MLS, real quality.


----------



## Soundgarden

Back and forth in the LA-Portland game, 1-1 at 6 minutes.

2-1 Galaxy 10 min in. 

1-1 again, handball.


----------



## kingsboy11

Video review is going to be just like the NHL review. A lot of goals are going to get called back over really minuscule plays


----------



## Vamos Rafa

That disallowed goal killed the Galaxy's momentum. But that doesn't erase the fact that they've been unwatchable this season. I think I've only watched 4 games this year including today.


----------



## Theokritos

IU Hawks fan said:


> Makes zero sense that domestic leagues are bound by them, in my opinion. You don't see the NHL bowing down to IIHF. It's a private business!




The MLS is free to say no to FIFA regulations. It's only a question of power: Within the hockey world, the NHL is powerful enough to snub the IIHF. Within the soccer world on the other hand, FIFA is powerful enough to make the consequences very painful for a league if it snubs them. But it's entirely up to the MLS what their preference is: to be part of the FIFA realm and accept their regulations, or to not be part of the FIFA realm and live with the drawbacks.


----------



## gphr513

Can someone summarize exactly how VAR works? At the MIN/SEA match on Saturday night, there were a few times with calls/non-calls in the box, where the ref help up the goalie from kicking it, telling him to wait. We thought this was VAR in action, but I'm seeing highlights from around the league where they actually go look at a monitor. 

So is the ref waiting for someone to watch the play again, and being told in his ear whether or not to go review something, if it's worth a second look? Does the ref on the field have the final call, or is it a man behind the curtain scenario, where there's a ref up in the booth making the call?


----------



## chasespace

Theokritos said:


> The MLS is free to say no to FIFA regulations. It's only a question of power: Within the hockey world, the NHL is powerful enough to snub the IIHF. Within the soccer world on the other hand, FIFA is powerful enough to make the consequences very painful for a league if it snubs them. But it's entirely up to the MLS what their preference is: to be part of the FIFA realm and accept their regulations, or to not be part of the FIFA realm and live with the drawbacks.




FIFA's word also wouldn't be the end-all-be-all decision here. IF the court finds in favor of pro/rel then the MLS would definitely file an appeal which would delay the process further if not overturn it.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

One of the things Americans struggle with - sport isn't a private business. Private businesses can operate within sports but the sport itself isn't one.


----------



## bleedblue1223

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> One of the things Americans struggle with - sport isn't a private business. Private businesses can operate within sports but the sport itself isn't one.




Talk about a great opener...


----------



## kingsboy11

LAFC signs Carlos Vela as their first DP.


----------



## John Price

Nice LAFC


----------



## gphr513

Anyone know anything about Ethan Finlay? Looks like the Loons have signed him from Columbus. From what I've gathered, he's a pacey winger. 

Starting to think that Heath is trying to build a roster that can play with 5 at the back. I think we have the personnel to play a 5-4-1. It gets Molino out wide, where I think he is better, and we have depth at winger now with a couple of the signings we've made (Finlay, and Leiton, a Costa Rica international). 

The problem will be depth at CM. If Ibson or Cronin goes down, that formation is kind of blown up.


----------



## Brock Anton

Paul Arriola ($3M fee and $1M+ salary) and Russell Canouse going to D.C. United. Looks like they're finally going to open the checkbook ahead of the new stadium.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

gphr513 said:


> Anyone know anything about Ethan Finlay? Looks like the Loons have signed him from Columbus. From what I've gathered, he's a pacey winger.




Yeah, thats about it. He had a great year a few years ago and got a National Team call up because of it, hasn't replicated it since.


----------



## Savant

A lot happened today


----------



## kingsboy11

Paul Arriola joins DC United from Xolos. DC United actually making some moves now.


----------



## gphr513

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> Yeah, thats about it. He had a great year a few years ago and got a National Team call up because of it, hasn't replicated it since.




Hoping a change of scenery does him some good. Looks like he's a solid crosser as well, which we are sorely lacking.


----------



## sabremike

kingsboy11 said:


> LAFC signs Carlos Vela as their first DP.



This is not going to end well. I would be very leery of building around a guy who has shown that he really doesn't care and is only playing for the paycheck.

In other news Dilly Duka joins Metro. Since the signing was essentially for free salary cap wise I'm good with it. Could be a good fit in our system.


----------



## Fro

gphr513 said:


> Anyone know anything about Ethan Finlay? Looks like the Loons have signed him from Columbus. From what I've gathered, he's a pacey winger.
> 
> Starting to think that Heath is trying to build a roster that can play with 5 at the back. I think we have the personnel to play a 5-4-1. It gets Molino out wide, where I think he is better, and we have depth at winger now with a couple of the signings we've made (Finlay, and Leiton, a Costa Rica international).
> 
> The problem will be depth at CM. If Ibson or Cronin goes down, that formation is kind of blown up.




good pacey winger...in 150 appearances is a 30g/30a player. A heart and soul type player just needed a change. Looks like Crew are trying to rebuild on the fly and will take the next couple years to change out some players.

Don't have too lofty goals for FInley and he'll be a good player for you...

Crew won the trade with what they're trying to do...but don't think MN got robbed


----------



## Big McLargehuge

I can definitely see Vela being LAFC's version of Gio...great when he wants to be, but hard to motivate. This LA rivalry is just going to become an arms race for the best Mexican players willing to play in the MLS, isn't it?

Finlay...I'll always love him just for the fact that he ate **** about 3 times in his first 2 minutes with the USMNT roughly a combined 300 feet away from where I was sitting 

To be fair it _was _drizzling, but he had the traction of an ostrich running on ice. It was glorious.


----------



## Fro

IIRC he came back to Cbus and said something like he underestimated the size of cleat he should have worn


----------



## sabremike

Big McLargehuge said:


> I can definitely see Vela being LAFC's version of Gio...great when he wants to be, but hard to motivate. This LA rivalry is just going to become an arms race for the best Mexican players willing to play in the MLS, isn't it?




I'm just wondering when MLS teams start to realize that signing Mexican stars thinking they will draw is a bad idea? Mexican fans wouldn't **** on MLS if it was on fire, much less buy tickets. Literally the only Mexican player who I can recall being a legit draw was Blanco. Really just about all the ethnic pandering signings in MLS history had very little impact past their first game or two.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

It's a play for the second/third/etc. generation fans...but there's still only so many of those to capture and I think the Galaxy had already reached their saturation point before the Jonathan signing, but I digress.

LAFC was always going to sign at least one major Mexican international and that makes sense, their most loyal fans out of the gate are going to be the few who stuck with Chivas USA to the end, but it'll be interesting to see how things go from here.

I moved a month ago and both neighborhoods within LA I've lived in sported 30%+ figures of Koreans, and the Galaxy have made a habit of playing Armenian teams in friendlies...you just have to wonder when we'll start seeing marketing pushes towards those potential fans. I'm just worried the Galaxy are so worried about winning over former Chivas USA fans that they're going to ignore the easier audience there is to convert and *snaps fingers* LAFC runs this city/league.


----------



## Mathew

don't see how TFC does not win the cup this year


----------



## HoseEmDown

If only Orlando played with the type of energy they're using to get at the refs and red bull players they might make the playoffs once.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Kaka was sent off via VAR after playfully putting his hands on Collin's face  I guess letter of the law says he deserved to go but no common sense used either


----------



## sabremike

HajdukSplit said:


> Kaka was sent off via VAR after playfully putting his hands on Collin's face  I guess letter of the law says he deserved to go but no common sense used either



I was there and live nobody had any idea what the hell happened. The ref could've just got on with the game (which barring an act of God was already decided) but we got a close to 10 minute delay for a ridiculous call. For that call the OC players had every right to flip out (although that doesn't excuse the cheap nonsense they also pulled late in the game). Sean Davis probably ends up winning goal of the week for the one that put it away.


----------



## HoseEmDown

sabremike said:


> I was there and live nobody had any idea what the hell happened. The ref could've just got on with the game (which barring an act of God was already decided) but we got a close to 10 minute delay for a ridiculous call. For that call the OC players had every right to flip out (although that doesn't excuse the cheap nonsense they also pulled late in the game). Sean Davis probably ends up winning goal of the week for the one that put it away.




It didn't help Kljestan was complaining every time he was touched. I don't watch the red bulls to see if that's typical for him but as the captain he wasn't helping the situation with his actions. 

Orlando needs a new coach, they have a good collection of talent they just don't play well together. I thought Heath going would help things but I don't think Kreis is any better and the team surely isn't playing any better.


----------



## ecemleafs

HoseEmDown said:


> It didn't help Kljestan was complaining every time he was touched. I don't watch the red bulls to see if that's typical for him but as the captain he wasn't helping the situation with his actions.
> 
> Orlando needs a new coach, they have a good collection of talent they just don't play well together. I thought Heath going would help things but I don't think Kreis is any better and the team surely isn't playing any better.



kreis sucks. i dont know how he had success in utah but his performance with nyc was brutal.


----------



## HoseEmDown

ecemleafs said:


> kreis sucks. i dont know how he had success in utah but his performance with nyc was brutal.




Not sure how much say he has in transfers but a lot of the guys brought in haven't been good. Sutter, Toia and Spector have been good at the back but that's because of how bad the defense was so anybody brought in would be an improvement. Will Johnson has been great but that's expected as he's an experienced MLS player. They traded a decent player in Cerwin for MPG who they then let his contract expire, a extremely popular player in Shea for Barnes who's garbage, Gil was expensive and terrible now he's been traded. Dwyer is more a club pick than Kries. Not sure who's idea it was to trade Molino but that wasn't a good decision. He has made the defense better, it couldn't have gotten much worse though, but the offensive looks much worse.


----------



## ViD

Going to a historic US open Cup semifinal game, FC Cincinnati vs NY Red Bulls 

The 40k arena is sold out, should be a blast of a game


----------



## JWK

Pablo Mastroeni is gone, maybe the Rapids will be watchable now.


----------



## gphr513

ViD said:


> Going to a historic US open Cup semifinal game, FC Cincinnati vs NY Red Bulls
> 
> The 40k arena is sold out, should be a blast of a game




Bummed this wasn't on TV.


----------



## Fro

should have been on TV, but 3-2 late for NYRB I just saw...FCC was up 2-0 in 2nd half


----------



## sabremike

BWP=GOAT!!! On to KC for our first final of any kind since 2008.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Gonna be a fun final, gonna be there in the cauldron. It sold out in 2 minutes when tickets went on sale.


----------



## Adonis Creed

If Mtl Impact make the playoffs...they'll be a dangerous side....


----------



## Finnish your Czech

TFC move the ball so well


----------



## hatterson

Is there a legal way to watch TFC games in the US?


----------



## Finnish your Czech

hatterson said:


> Is there a legal way to watch TFC games in the US?




https://live.mlssoccer.com/subscribe

I don't use this service, but it's the equivalent of game center live for the NHL


----------



## hatterson

Finnish your Czech said:


> https://live.mlssoccer.com/subscribe
> 
> I don't use this service, but it's the equivalent of game center live for the NHL




Nice, that's actually cheap too.


----------



## Luigi Habs

Is there a better player in the league than Nacho Piatti right now? What a player.


----------



## Fro

OCSC stadium is nice...fans We ran into left much to be desired...weird game, thought ref lost control...happy to get a point on the road


----------



## gphr513

Finlay scores in his first MNUFC appearance!! 

We're so bad from set pieces. A result from this game would be cool, though.


----------



## RoyIsALegend

This year's TFC is the best team in MLS history.


----------



## gphr513

Hahaha


----------



## sabremike

Boy city moving a home game to Hartford is pretty much Christmas come early for us Red Bulls fans. Seeing the meltdown by the pretentious posers who support them just makes it even sweeter. I dare them to do their "U playe en JERZY we r NYZ reel temme lollz derp" routine after this.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

How are NYCFC fans posers, exactly?

Their team being only 3 years old is not a valid answer.



RoyIsALegend said:


> This year's TFC is the best team in MLS history.




That title still belongs to the 2011 Galaxy. TFC can certainly grab it if they win it all.


----------



## sabremike

Vamos Rafa said:


> How are NYCFC fans posers, exactly?
> 
> Their team being only 3 years old is not a valid answer.




You're a Galaxy fan, right? When LAFC (Their fans:"We r teh reeeeel la club because carsun derp") comes into the league next year you'll get the answer first hand.

Also would like to add that any one member of LARS is a million times better than any zombie goat supporter.


----------



## SJSharks72

sabremike said:


> Boy city moving a home game to Hartford is pretty much Christmas come early for us Red Bulls fans. Seeing the meltdown by the pretentious posers who support them just makes it even sweeter. I dare them to do their "U playe en JERZY we r NYZ reel temme lollz derp" routine after this.




Well technically aren't NYCFC the team of New York since NYRB play in New Jersey?


----------



## sabremike

SJSharks39 said:


> Well technically aren't NYCFC the team of New York since NYRB play in New Jersey?



So do the Jets and Giants so unless there are a lot of Bills fans in their ranks the pretentious "we are New York's team, you play in Jersey" thing is a total crock.


----------



## sabremike

Also anyone with any knowledge of MLS history could tell you there is a reason Red Bull Arena was built in NJ: It was literally the only possible place in the entire region where a soccer stadium could be built. Metro/Red Bull would've killed for a NY stadium but quickly found it would be impossible. Ironically boy city is finding out the same exact thing now. This is why the we're NY's real team is such nonsense, NY had a team for 20 years (as much as the Jets and Giants) and the boy city fans who flock to MetLife for gridball felt crossing a bridge to watch soccer was beneath them.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

sabremike said:


> You're a Galaxy fan, right? When LAFC (Their fans:"We r teh reeeeel la club because carsun derp") comes into the league next year you'll get the answer first hand.
> 
> Also would like to add that any one member of LARS is a million times better than any zombie goat supporter.





I honestly wouldn't hold it against LAFC fans if they want to use the Carson argument. I grew up in the LA city limits so I know where they're coming from. Plus, Carson is still in LA County so it's not like I root for the Anaheim Galaxy. I'm praying AEG gets a new stadium plan in LA but that's a far-fetched idea for now.

But I would let on-field performance do the talking.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Your constant hate on anything Anaheim/OC is hilarious


----------



## Vamos Rafa

Why wouldn't I hate on an area where people generally hate my roots are from?


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

I didn't realize Anaheim was full of Azerbaijanis.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

The more you know.


----------



## phisherman

Any thoughts on Alex Bono? Where do you guys see him on the US GK depth chart?


----------



## kingsboy11

phisherman said:


> Any thoughts on Alex Bono? Where do you guys see him on the US GK depth chart?




Don't think he'd be high on the list. Guys like Howard, Guazan, Rimando, Horvath, Johnson, Hamid are all guys ahead of him right now. And I almost forgot Jesse Gonzalez who is also probably ahead of him. After that you got guys who have been on the youth teams before like Steffen and Cropper. So even though he's playing well for Toronto right now, I dont see him over taking any of these guys on the depth chart


----------



## kingsboy11

Also just in case people didn't know the galaxy suck ass


----------



## Fro

didn't get to see the Crew win tonight, but 3 VAR reviews??? wow


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

phisherman said:


> Any thoughts on Alex Bono? Where do you guys see him on the US GK depth chart?




Unlikely he'll be an option for the 2018 World Cup, but after that, he should have a chance if he continues to play well.


----------



## TheBeastCoast

Luiginho said:


> Is there a better player in the league than Nacho Piatti right now? What a player.




Yes obviously.


----------



## bluesfan94

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> Unlikely he'll be an option for the 2018 World Cup, but after that, he should have a chance if he continues to play well.




Yeah, 2018 seems too soon but I think he'll be behind at least Horvath and Gonzalez going forward


----------



## gphr513

How the **** did NYRB not get awarded a penalty there? Wow, that was blatant. Got shoved in the back waiting for the ball to drop to him.

edit: and then NYCFC go down and score. I'd be livid if I was a NYRB fan lol


----------



## kingsboy11

Entertaining game. I was surprised to see that this was the first draw between these teams


----------



## sabremike

gphr513 said:


> How the **** did NYRB not get awarded a penalty there? Wow, that was blatant. Got shoved in the back waiting for the ball to drop to him.
> 
> edit: and then NYCFC go down and score. I'd be livid if I was a NYRB fan lol



But those things happen. It's not like Mairufo had the option of going to VAR which has yet to be intro... oh.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando has to be the worst team in the league, just pure trash all over the pitch these days.


----------



## gphr513

Loons get their first road win of the season in Chicago!!

Nice to see Danladi with a brace, considering his recent struggles to finish and score goals. Sounds like we had a very nice away support section as well, saw some Fire fans complaining that our away section was outsinging their home section


----------



## kingsboy11

kingsboy11 said:


> Also just in case people didn't know the galaxy suck ass




Update: Yup they still suck ass. Sick of these ****ty ass performances. And the worst part was Chris Klein spewing all this BS before the game started.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Sigi's half-year contract definitely seems like a good idea, I doubt either side wants to continue this Sisyphean ordeal.

Now if only we could fire the ****ing idiots running the organization like a damn frat house.


----------



## gphr513

Loons drew with Philly tonight. VAR took away a penalty from us, which was a bummer, but a buddy who was watching at home texted me and said it was probably justified. 

Ethan Finlay continues to impress me. Really happy that he is on the team.


----------



## kingsboy11

You know the apocalypse is near when Gyasi Zardes scores in 2 consecutive games


----------



## gphr513

Danladi with an absolute stunner to beat Montreal. That was a great result, travelling across the continent, another away game, short rest. Nice to see Ramirez score in his return, but Danladi's goal literally made me jump out of my barstool! The people around me not watching the game were confused 

Danladi goal


----------



## KingLB

gphr513 said:


> Danladi with an absolute stunner to beat Montreal. That was a great result, travelling across the continent, another away game, short rest. Nice to see Ramirez score in his return, but Danladi's goal literally made me jump out of my barstool! The people around me not watching the game were confused
> 
> Danladi goal




You guys coulda been a playoff contender if they woulda brought a legit DP or two. Real shame.


----------



## Brock Anton

Ives reporting that Heaps is out in New England. 

On one hand I'm thrilled about this, but on the other I'm scared because knowing this club, they'll just promote Soehn or Llamosa and not even bother having a search. But assuming (hoping) we actually go outside the organization, IMO Gio Savarese should be the guy. He could be able to do wonders with the attacking talent we've got.


----------



## gphr513

KingLB said:


> You guys coulda been a playoff contender if they woulda brought a legit DP or two. Real shame.




Yeah, if we had a legit #10, and a couple more solid depth players with MLS experience at DM and CB, I think we would be a fringe playoff team. 

Scouting misses (Demidov/the Scandinavians) and a lack of depth are really what sunk us, I think.

That trade with Colorado though, where we picked up Cronin and Burch, was so crucial. Burch has been hurt a majority of the season, but Cronin was a massive stabilizer.


----------



## gphr513

So with 2 new teams coming in next year, the league will be at 24, and they're looking to expand even more, right? If they get up to 28-30 teams eventually, I think it'd be cool to see them treat the two conferences as essentially two different "leagues". 

So there's currently 34 games on the schedule, if you had 15 teams in each conference, you could play each team in the conference home and away, which is 28 games. Then the remaining 6 could be a rotating system where you play 6 teams from the other conference every year, just for some variety. 

I don't know if that sort of system is viable for the MLS, but I like the idea of being able to play all the teams in your conference home and away, as the league expands even more.


----------



## sabremike

Didn't know where to post this but NASL filed an antitrust suit against US Soccer over losing D2 status. Because that worked out so well for the USFL all those years ago.


----------



## kingsboy11

You know your team is bad when you're excited to see how many goals they are going to give up against Atlanta


----------



## gphr513

Wow, Atlanta shredding the Galaxy.


----------



## gphr513

Oh man, now LA down a man.


----------



## kingsboy11

kingsboy11 said:


> You know your team is bad when you're excited to see how many goals they are going to give up against Atlanta




Update: Yup, its going just as bad as I thought it would.


----------



## sabremike

Basically they lost the greatest coach in the history of American soccer and replaced him with one who was terrible. The result was very predictable.


----------



## kingsboy11

sabremike said:


> Basically they lost the greatest coach in the history of American soccer and replaced him with one who was terrible. The result was very predictable.




Its not just that. Losing Robbie Keane and placing all your eggs on inconsistent Giovani Dos Santos, Zardes who can't play soccer without Robbie Keane or Landon Donovan, relying on Jermaine Jones when he's a red card and injury waiting to happen, relying on Robbie Rogers whose career was on the line and trading away your fan favorite defender and more than capable defender in De La Garza, starting a USL goalie ahead of last years starter for no good reason, relying on youth players when they clearly were not ready for prime time, hiring a coach who has one of the worst MLS head coaching records in the leagues 21 year history, signing Jonathan Dos Santos because he's the brother of Giovani, not signing a striker because of reasons unknown. 

Hell there were polls on Galaxy forums asking when Onalfo would fired before the season started. 

Believe me. Every single Galaxy fan knew going in this season was going to be ****. But the absolute worst part about it is that every single player sans Allessandrini gave up. Amazingly enough the only good thing the front office did this year was signing him. And this isn't a quick fix. There's so many holes and so many mistakes that were made that it can't all be undone in a season or 2. We married ourselves to the Dos Santos brothers with no flexibility there. 

And the absolute worst part is that they chose to suck at the worst possible time with LAFC coming up in the rear view mirror. They have a magnificent stadium being built, a solid coach in Bradley and doing everything right so far. And they are watching this Galaxy team and see the potential of becoming the premier soccer team in LA.


----------



## gphr513

Looks like a hell of an atmosphere in KC!


----------



## bleedblue1223

gphr513 said:


> Looks like a hell of an atmosphere in KC!




Yeah, it was crazy there. Both sides played well, and the ref was consistently inconsistent.


----------



## gphr513

Awesome Loons game tonight. We have one more home game, but I will have to miss it, so this was an awesome game to close out the season. 

Some great goals, some general MLS craziness, a whole lot of fun! Back to back wins for the first time this season. 

Come on you Loons!

You're my wonderwall.


----------



## kingsboy11

gphr513 said:


> Awesome Loons game tonight. We have one more home game, but I will have to miss it, so this was an awesome game to close out the season.
> 
> Some great goals, some general MLS craziness, a whole lot of fun! Back to back wins for the first time this season.
> 
> Come on you Loons!
> 
> *You're my wonderwall.*




I've actually grown to love this song because of that video you posted a couple of months ago


----------



## HajdukSplit

What a collapse by FC Dallas while Petke has gotten RSL in a decent enough position to make the playoffs incredibly (though it helps more than half the teams make it )

Red Bulls limping into the playoffs, they are lucky they still have 2 games with DC United remaining and if they win both it should be enough but beyond those two games their fixtures are brutal (however their matches with ATL and VAN are at home)


----------



## gphr513

kingsboy11 said:


> I've actually grown to love this song because of that video you posted a couple of months ago




It's a cool tradition. The rest of the stadium is catching on, and it's gotten louder after every win. 

When they cut out the audio for the chorus, and it's just the crowd singing, with no music backing, I definitely get some goosebumps.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Man are the Fire ****.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

Galaxy fans, what will it take to even come close to our days back in the early 2010s? I think AEG has stopped giving a **** about winning.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

LA Galaxy out here handing LA over to LAFC on platter.

Think they will fare better than Red Bulls regarding maintaining their marke share though. They have history.


----------



## kingsboy11

Toronto FC wins the Supporter's Shield. First Canadian team to win it. If they win the cup this year it could go down as one of the best teams in MLS history.

I had a long post about the Galaxy before the migration that got lost so I'll try to sum it up. Apparently Phil Anschutz was very upset after the Galaxy loss against Toronto not too long ago and I can't imagine he's pleased with the many losses following that and the meltdown against the Dynamo mid week. As far as I'm concerned everyone can go except Alessandrini, Boateng and Lleget with Klein and Vagenas getting shown the door rather quickly. Unfortunately we married ourselves to the Dos Santos brothers and are stuck with them without a legitimate striker on hand. The defense is in shambles, the mid field has no cohesion, and Zardes' game fell of a cliff. All the while LAFC coming up in the rear view mirror. Its disgraceful


----------



## Brock Anton

Nashville reportedly in.


----------



## Viqsi

Haven't been able to find any news of other cities, nor have I seen any confirmations of this, but it seems a credible source.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Thank you Loons for being useful! 

Excellent result for NYCFC


----------



## gphr513

COME ON YOU LOONS!!!

You're all my Wonderwall!!


----------



## BKIslandersFan

That was such a Atlanta loss.


----------



## Fulham

The Redbull's PbP team is horrific. Watch the Official MLS highlights of their game vs the Caps and don't cringe hard for half the video


----------



## Viqsi

Well, we're ****ed.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Would be a damn shame. Already far too few teams in the Midwest.


----------



## kingsboy11

Just wouldn't feel like MLS if the Crew aren't in Colombus


----------



## Viqsi

Precourt appears to have been planning this ever since he bought the team. Folks here are still annoyed about the public buyout of Nationwide Arena, so public financing is not going to happen - and even if it did happen, the folks in Austin are saying they've got a done deal, so it's more likely we'd just get the Modell treatment. But unlike that team, and unlike San Jose when this happened to them, that ****stain Garber already is pointing at having FC Cincinnati lined up so there's pretty much less than zero possibility of a second chance here. We're just ****ed.

Between this and the USMNT flopping hard, I am just about done with the entire game of soccer. **** this league, **** this game, **** everything.


----------



## chasespace

Well...that sucks. Mayor of Austin already came out and said they'd welcome the team but they wouldn't be building them a stadium so that tells me he has other investors in the area.


----------



## Viqsi

chasespace said:


> Well...that sucks. Mayor of Austin already came out and said they'd welcome the team but *they wouldn't be building them a stadium* so that tells me he has other investors in the area.



That's basically our only hope - if Precourt's committed enough to the public funds mishegaas and Austin holds out. But I don't think they will.


----------



## Classic Devil

I'm furious. I was a NY/NJ Metrostars fan until those jerks at Red Bull bought the team and changed them into an abomination, and I adopted the Crew when I moved to Columbus and now I'm going to lose them too, because it's absolutely clear which way this is going.


----------



## Savant

I mean Austin is cool and Columbus sucks. Can’t blame Precourt. 

Cincy will be the replacement Ohio team eventually.


----------



## sabremike

Viqsi said:


> Well, we're ****ed.




Read this article. My God. This is probably the most sleazy and corrupt thing in the history of MLS and think of the ground that covers. The guy conned his way into owning the team vowing loyalty to the city while plotting his exit from the very beginning. I really needed to take a shower after reading what this guy did.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Savant said:


> I mean Austin is cool and Columbus sucks. Can’t blame Precourt..




i mean, no


----------



## Viqsi

Savant said:


> I mean Austin is cool and Columbus sucks. Can’t blame Precourt.



I am not prepared to respond to this in a manner that would be acceptable under site rules.



Savant said:


> Cincy will be the replacement Ohio team eventually.



This is like saying it's okay if the Rangers and Islanders and Devils all vanish tomorrow because New York still has the Sabres.


----------



## Savant

Viqsi said:


> I am not prepared to respond to this in a manner that would be acceptable under site rules.
> 
> This is like saying it's okay if the Rangers and Islanders and Devils all vanish tomorrow because New York still has the Sabres.




Cincinnati is an hour and a half away from Columbus. Buffalo is 6 hours away from NY Metro area. It’s not the same. 

Austin is one of the best, growing markets in USA. Ohio is not. It’s a lousy decision but it’s his decision. I feel very bad for anyone that loses a team but owners are not ethical business people. Unfortunately if I wanted to make money and attract better talent, l Austin is simply better venue. Precourt probably feels this way as well. 

My words were harsh and I apologize for that. While Ohio is sincerely the worst state that I have spent extended time, it’s really terrible that this is happening to them. The MLS powers that be probably view Cincy and the replacement from Columbus because it’s the the same geo for them. They can back that up with statistics but it still sucks. Austin is a good market for MLS and I have no doubt that Garber wants to be there but it’s shocking news.


----------



## Viqsi

Savant said:


> Cincinnati is an hour and a half away from Columbus. Buffalo is 6 hours away from NY Metro area. It’s not the same.
> 
> Austin is one of the best, growing markets in USA. Ohio is not.



You completely missed the point. *Ohio is not a monoculture any more than New York is.* Cincy and Cleveland are dying; Columbus is growing. In fact, it's the second-fastest-growing city in the Midwest (behind Des Moines). It's the same size as Austin in population, is already a larger TV market, has almost the same economic background (state capital, lots of tech companies, freakin' huge state public university) and equivalent resulting demographics. The ONLY substantive sports market difference is that instead of an NHL team, they have an AHL team.

Austin is essentially Columbus's twin brother in Texas. Been that way for a long time. It is not "better". And Cincinnati would be a major downgrade because that city has been slowly dying for years. And if team proximity was really that much of an issue, you'd think that having the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas both within a few hours' drive would be a bigger problem than FC Cincy maybe showing up in a few years possibly if a stadium can be built maybe.


----------



## Savant

I mean I don’t think it’s enough reason to move a team away. I can see Precourts logic but it’s lousy. Does no state tax in Texas have to do with that?

I was not very articulate in my initial post but this feels like Garber shenanigans to get Austin and Cincinnati into the league. I’m surprised Columbus would be a franchise that they would sacrifice for that but you can’t fight geography.

I may be biased because I have spent extended times both in the Columbus area and the Austin area and strongly enjoyed Texas more, but that is not justification for moving a team in my mind. In the hands of crooked business men anything is possible unfortunately.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

I don't like it either. 

Don't buy a team to relocate the franchise. If you want a franchise, make a bid for expansion in the market you want or buy an existing team in the market you want. Its not fair to the fans who live in the area where there are moving the team from.


----------



## Timeless Winter

MLS does NOT need 3 teams in Texas. Absolute bullshit and I'm sick to my stomach that the Crew are leaving.


----------



## chasespace

MLS could quickly quash this by not allowing it. But they're chasing dollars right now so they're game. If this actually becomes a reality then every franchise that underperforms is gonna have a strange glance passed their way from now on.


----------



## Ar-too

I have many thoughts on this, but they are all mostly summarized as: MLS sucks. It kindof always has. It's fun sometimes, but the soccer is generally terrible, with a few exceptions. I tuned into a SJ/LA game earlier this year, and from an entertainment perspective, it was awful. Not just lacking in quality, but like, my kids' soccer games as 4 and 5 year olds were more entertaining.

If the Crew stay, good. I'll watch and go to games when I can. If they leave, I will never watch another MLS game on purpose until they come back here.


----------



## phisherman

Ar-too said:


> I have many thoughts on this, but they are all mostly summarized as: MLS sucks. It kindof always has. It's fun sometimes, but the soccer is generally terrible, with a few exceptions. I tuned into a SJ/LA game earlier this year, and from an entertainment perspective, it was awful. Not just lacking in quality, but like, my kids' soccer games as 4 and 5 year olds were more entertaining.




Maybe you should watch Toronto FC. The BEST team in MLS right now!!!


----------



## sabremike

Ar-too said:


> I have many thoughts on this, but they are all mostly summarized as: MLS sucks. It kindof always has. It's fun sometimes, but the soccer is generally terrible, with a few exceptions. I tuned into a SJ/LA game earlier this year, and from an entertainment perspective, it was awful. Not just lacking in quality, but like, my kids' soccer games as 4 and 5 year olds were more entertaining.




I've seen plenty of MLS matches that were very good and very entertaining. I've seen plenty of games in big European leagues that were so awful and boring that they would've put coffee to sleep.


----------



## HoseEmDown

if the owner wants to move because he can't generate enough profit to keep the team competitive then they should be allowed to. Don't know all the details but it seems like the stadium needs work and attendance isn't great so eventually the team will stink because he's not making the money to pay for better players. But I just don't think Austin is the place to go to, nothing wrong with the city, Texas doesn't need 3 teams. No state does in any sport, it's pretty dumb that California has all these teams while other parts of the country have no pro teams anywhere close to them. Not sure where they should move to but there has to be better options than Texas.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

HoseEmDown said:


> if the owner wants to move because he can't generate enough profit to keep the team competitive then they should be allowed to. Don't know all the details but it seems like the stadium needs work and attendance isn't great so eventually the team will stink because he's not making the money to pay for better players. But I just don't think Austin is the place to go to, nothing wrong with the city, Texas doesn't need 3 teams. No state does in any sport, it's pretty dumb that California has all these teams while other parts of the country have no pro teams anywhere close to them. Not sure where they should move to but there has to be better options than Texas.




States are completely irrelevant when it comes to pro sports, they're government distinctions. Saying San Diego should've have a team because Oakland does is asinine, they are completely different places that aren't close together, they just happen to have the same license plates.


----------



## sabremike

HoseEmDown said:


> if the owner wants to move because he can't generate enough profit to keep the team competitive then they should be allowed to. Don't know all the details but it seems like the stadium needs work and attendance isn't great so eventually the team will stink because he's not making the money to pay for better players. But I just don't think Austin is the place to go to, nothing wrong with the city, Texas doesn't need 3 teams. No state does in any sport, it's pretty dumb that California has all these teams while other parts of the country have no pro teams anywhere close to them. Not sure where they should move to but there has to be better options than Texas.



You missed the point: this guy conned his way into being able to buy the team by vowing to keep them in town when it is completely obvious he planned to move the team to Austin from day one. This has nothing to do with bad attendance, he bought the team so he could avoid paying at least $40 Million extra he would've needed to get an expansion team in Austin. Why do you think he rebuffed local interests who wanted to buy the team. Bottom line is that the slimebag owner should be fired out of a cannon straight into a brick wall.


----------



## HoseEmDown

S


IU Hawks fan said:


> States are completely irrelevant when it comes to pro sports, they're government distinctions. Saying San Diego should've have a team because Oakland does is asinine, they are completely different places that aren't close together, they just happen to have the same license plates.




States are not irrelevant when it comes to sports, leagues want to be in all the top states. If Columbus does leave then Ohio shouldn't get another team in the next round of expansion they should go to a state that doesn't have a team yet and they shouldn't let Austin get one either. Give Des Moines a team, Fargo or Helena, grow the game by spreading out the teams instead of lumping them in the big tv markets. With the cost of expansion it's going to be hard for an owner to decide to start a team in a small market which is why they need pro/rel to become a thing so the entire country gets a chance.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

HoseEmDown said:


> States are not irrelevant when it comes to sports, *leagues want to be in all the top states.* If Columbus does leave then Ohio shouldn't get another team in the next round of expansion they should go to a state that doesn't have a team yet and they shouldn't let Austin get one either. Give *Des Moines a team, Fargo or Helena*, grow the game by spreading out the teams instead of lumping them in the big tv markets. With the cost of expansion it's going to be hard for an owner to decide to start a team in a small market which is why they need pro/rel to become a thing so the entire country gets a chance.




Way to contradict yourself immediately. 

"Leagues want to be in all the top states". Proceeds to name minor markets in Iowa, North Dakota, and Montana. There's a reason those places have no teams - they are shitty little markets that would be impossible to run a profitable franchise in.


----------



## HoseEmDown

IU Hawks fan said:


> Way to contradict yourself immediately.
> 
> "Leagues want to be in all the top states". Proceeds to name minor markets in Iowa, North Dakota, and Montana. There's a reason those places have no teams - they are ****ty little markets that would be impossible to run a profitable franchise in.




I didn't contradict myself. I said the league's want to be in the top states so the smaller states get nothing. You don't know if those cities could be profitable because they'll never get the chance. Green Bay isn't a big city and it's closest one isn't that big either yet they're successful, Des Moines and Fargo have larger population. In MLS with how poor tv numbers are to begin with tv revenue doesn't make the league. If you can get a top notch stadium and fill it every game you can be a competitive club. With players salaries being fairly low you don't need a super rich owner either. I hope MLS gets a new commissioner because the current one just wants to copy every other NA sports league.


----------



## chasespace

HoseEmDown said:


> I didn't contradict myself. I said the league's want to be in the top states so the smaller states get nothing. You don't know if those cities could be profitable because they'll never get the chance. Green Bay isn't a big city and it's closest one isn't that big either yet they're successful, Des Moines and Fargo have larger population. In MLS with how poor tv numbers are to begin with tv revenue doesn't make the league. If you can get a top notch stadium and fill it every game you can be a competitive club. *With players salaries being fairly low you don't need a super rich owner either.* I hope MLS gets a new commissioner because the current one just wants to copy every other NA sports league.




MLS isn't really accepting anyone unless they have hundreds of millions to their name and can fund the team without issue. So yes, in order for the MLS to accept your bid you need to be super rich or be a large group of moderately rich individuals.

Also, you don't grow the game by dropping an MLS team in Fargo, Helena, or Des Moines. You grow the game by supporting a lower league team in those cities(ideally USL or the soon to be USL D3) and then if the city shows they'll support a team consistently at that level you look at how viable they'll be in the MLS.


----------



## HoseEmDown

chasespace said:


> MLS isn't really accepting anyone unless they have hundreds of millions to their name and can fund the team without issue. So yes, in order for the MLS to accept your bid you need to be super rich or be a large group of moderately rich individuals.
> 
> Also, you don't grow the game by dropping an MLS team in Fargo, Helena, or Des Moines. You grow the game by supporting a lower league team in those cities(ideally USL or the soon to be USL D3) and then if the city shows they'll support a team consistently at that level you look at how viable they'll be in the MLS.




There's several lower league teams with good attendance they just don't have a chance for MLS unless a rich owner comes in and takes over to push for MLS. Look at Austin who might be where the Crew move, they were in the USL with ok attendance 3k but Rollins knew he had a better shot going MLS by leaving for Orlando and getting a bigger investor in. Miami FC has good attendance but they're being disregarded for a team that doesn't exist because Beckham wants to own a team there. 

So these small markets have no chance with the current system of its all about money. They could get 20k fans a game but if they don't have 150mil just for the expansion fee they will never be in MLS. Having a team in Iowa is not gonna kill the sport nationally, sure it might not do anything for tv ratings but the tv ratings suck already. Soccer is the most participated sport for kids, there's fans all over the country yet they go to the same 20 markets as every other sports league, while the USMNT goes to the same couple of stadiums to play their games. I just would like to see the MLS be different from the rest of North American pro sports.


----------



## chasespace

HoseEmDown said:


> There's several lower league teams with good attendance they just don't have a chance for MLS unless a rich owner comes in and takes over to push for MLS. Look at Austin who might be where the Crew move, they were in the USL with ok attendance 3k but Rollins knew he had a better shot going MLS by leaving for Orlando and getting a bigger investor in. Miami FC has good attendance but they're being disregarded for a team that doesn't exist because Beckham wants to own a team there.




Rawlins created the Austin team and moved them within two years and brought in investors who would help him fully fund the expansion fee and privately fund the stadium. That's vastly different that buying a team in 2013 after pledging to keep them in Columbus, where they've been since the MLS was founded, and then moving them because the city won't buy him a new stadium.

There is only 1 team in the lower leagues pulling in an average of 20k fans and that's Cincy, who are considered a small market and are actively applying for an MLS franchise. The rest of the teams with the lower leagues with the best attendance are Sacramento(11+K), Louisville(8+K), and the Cosmos(8+K). Sacramento has made a bid for MLS but it kind of fell apart when the inner politics of the bid came crashing down. Louisville has explored it but haven't made any serious noise about it at the moment. The Cosmos have made it clear they think they're better than the MLS and don't want to pay an expansion fee, along with Miami FC(who draw ~5K a game, best for 11th in the country among lower league teams), and would rather force their way into the league through the court system instead of a financial system(think USFL-NFL).

Another thing to keep in mind, not every team in the lower leagues has aims of becoming a MLS team. A handful are simply happy with being a local club that supports the community and has their support instead of being on tv every weekend.


----------



## sabremike

I can say from going to their games that the Cosmos barely draw 2-3,000 a game and most of that is comps. Nobody in NASL draws at all except Indy.


----------



## HoseEmDown

chasespace said:


> Rawlins created the Austin team and moved them within two years and brought in investors who would help him fully fund the expansion fee and privately fund the stadium. That's vastly different that buying a team in 2013 after pledging to keep them in Columbus, where they've been since the MLS was founded, and then moving them because the city won't buy him a new stadium.
> 
> There is only 1 team in the lower leagues pulling in an average of 20k fans and that's Cincy, who are considered a small market and are actively applying for an MLS franchise. The rest of the teams with the lower leagues with the best attendance are Sacramento(11+K), Louisville(8+K), and the Cosmos(8+K). Sacramento has made a bid for MLS but it kind of fell apart when the inner politics of the bid came crashing down. Louisville has explored it but haven't made any serious noise about it at the moment. The Cosmos have made it clear they think they're better than the MLS and don't want to pay an expansion fee, along with Miami FC(who draw ~5K a game, best for 11th in the country among lower league teams), and would rather force their way into the league through the court system instead of a financial system(think USFL-NFL).
> 
> Another thing to keep in mind, not every team in the lower leagues has aims of becoming a MLS team. A handful are simply happy with being a local club that supports the community and has their support instead of being on tv every weekend.




When he bought the team he put in a clause that says he could leave for Austin after a certain amount of time. Why would they allow that if they didn't want them to move and you had to question his motives for putting that in. It doesn't seem like he pulled a fast one on Columbus if he does move, they had to know this once he purchased the club. 

No minor league team is going to draw 20k or even 10k regularly, it just doesn't happen. Look at the AHL, all under 10k. Orlando wasn't getting 20k regularly before they made the jump. They had good crowds but when the noise of possible MLS expansion came so did the fans. I'm not sure how Cincinnati is a small market when it is roughly the same size market as Columbus? I don't fault the Cosmos or Miami for not wanting to fork out the expansion fee, that's a lot of money that these lower league teams don't have. 

I can understand the being the local club and liking things the way they are but if there was pro/rel I'm sure they'd be more than happy to go up to the MLS. They can keep operating the same way and never make a serious push if they want but to even deny them the chance unless they come up with insane money is just wrong.


----------



## chasespace

The Cosmos and Miami FC can most assuredly afford the expansion fee. Their owners are loaded. They simply don't want to because they'd rather argue pro/rel in the courts than do something that would actually get fans to show up.


----------



## kingsboy11

And now they wont refund 2018 season tickets. The deadline to purchase season tickets was 2 weeks ago.


----------



## DoyleG

chasespace said:


> The Cosmos and Miami FC can most assuredly afford the expansion fee. Their owners are loaded. They simply don't want to because they'd rather argue pro/rel in the courts than do something that would actually get fans to show up.




Speaking of the courts,

Allowing them to move to Austin might cause MLS issues in San Antonio as SS&E might be on the financial hook if they don't get a franchise.


----------



## Howie Hodge

Expansion fees are going to be somewhere around $200 million, do The Cosmos and FC Miami have that?

I believe David Beckham has the MLS rights to Miami, also.

Please correct me if I am wrong - I don't know this empirically....


----------



## chasespace

Howie Hodge said:


> Expansion fees are going to be somewhere around $200 million, do The Cosmos and FC Miami have that?
> 
> I believe David Beckham has the MLS rights to Miami, also.
> 
> Please correct me if I am wrong - I don't know this empirically....




Commisso, the owner of the Cosmos, has a net worth of $4.5billion and while it's hard to nail down Silva's, owner of Miami FC, net worth he controls a billion dollar company as well as other international businesses so it's not hard to fathom he has a net worth in the very high hundreds of millions-low billions.

Beckham himself gets a highly reduced expansion fee and has been seeking additional investors to help fund the team and stadium.


----------



## Howie Hodge

chasespace said:


> Commisso, the owner of the Cosmos, has a net worth of $4.5billion and while it's hard to nail down Silva's, owner of Miami FC, net worth he controls a billion dollar company as well as other international businesses so it's not hard to fathom he has a net worth in the very high hundreds of millions-low billions.
> 
> Beckham himself gets a highly reduced expansion fee and has been seeking additional investors to help fund the team and stadium.




Yes, Beckham got - or gets the franchise for $25 million - an enormous discount. Provided he finds investors, builds a stadium, etc....

That is indeed some pretty deep pockets on those owners.

Thanks for the info.


----------



## sabremike

ESC is going to accomplish today what Magneto, nature and government neglect couldn't: tear RFK to the ground! I just hope they find shelter for all those soon to be homeless raccoons.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> ESC is going to accomplish today what Magneto, nature and government neglect couldn't: tear RFK to the ground! I just hope they find shelter for all those soon to be homeless raccoons.




20 years past its due date.


----------



## Viqsi

Reposting this from the BoH thread...

https://www.massivereport.com/2017/...ting-with-the-media-columbus-crew-sc-mls-2017


> “We’ve had private conversations and they’re probably better to remain private,” [Precourt] said. “At this time, I’m going to stay there. There were no serious offers made to me in regards to the Crew.”
> 
> *Sources have told Massive Report that a $75 million bid was made to purchase just a half stake in the franchise. And was turned down.* Precourt in his above quotes, denies this is the case.
> 
> Who isn’t telling the truth?
> 
> Many city officials seem blindsided by Precourt’s proclamation including Franklin County commissioner John O’Grady.
> 
> “If he needs a Downtown stadium, he should have said something,” O’Grady told _The Dispatch_. “That’s a weird negotiating ploy.”



(emphasis added)

Keep in mind that he paid $68 million for the team originally.


Couple that with this:

http://www.dispatch.com/sports/20171021/michael-arace--crew-relocation-is-cowardly-move


> At some point, a Columbus group made an offer to buy all or half of the team. Included in the offer were pledges of support from the business community. Precourt said last week that he had “received no serious offers,” but the 50 percent offer was very serious, according to the people who did the offering. *Precourt countered with a 51-49 offer, which means I get your money but keep my decision-making ability.*



(emphasis added)

We really are, well and truly, getting the Dean Spanos/Art Modell/Clay Bennett treatment here.


----------



## sabremike

I am at RFK and some of our supporters are holding up a banner reading "#SaveTheCrew". Someone also has a Red Bulls logo in the Crew's colors as well.


----------



## kingsboy11

jeez lots of early goals to start today. Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, Union, Dynamo. Nightmare start for Dallas


----------



## sabremike

And of course blood money FC gets the last game of the year against a team demolished by their scum owner. So now we get to play Atlanta in front of 71k and lose 5-1, joy.


----------



## Viqsi

sabremike said:


> And of course blood money FC gets the last game of the year against a team demolished by their scum owner. So now we get to play Atlanta in front of 71k and lose 5-1, joy.



Well, we kept that game close, at least. Would have preferred to dump NYCFC into the knockout round, but, y'know, take what we can get at this point.


----------



## sabremike

I'll gladly take Chicago. They are in freefall.


----------



## Scott Stevens

sabremike said:


> You missed the point: this guy conned his way into being able to buy the team by vowing to keep them in town when it is completely obvious he planned to move the team to Austin from day one. This has nothing to do with bad attendance, he bought the team so he could avoid paying at least $40 Million extra he would've needed to get an expansion team in Austin. Why do you think he rebuffed local interests who wanted to buy the team. Bottom line is that the slimebag owner should be fired out of a cannon straight into a brick wall.



Sounds like the Vancouver Grizzlies.


----------



## sabremike

I'll gladly take Chicago. They are in freefall.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> I'll gladly take Chicago. They are in freefall.




Dax McCarty Derby.


----------



## kingsboy11

pretty wild day. San Jose makes the playoffs off a 90th minute winner from Urena despite the Galaxy's best efforts to make sure Dallas won.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Remember when FC Dallas was picked favorite to win the Supporter's Shield?


----------



## chasespace

Orlando needs to drop a nuke on their roster


----------



## IU Hawks fan

sabremike said:


> I'll gladly take Chicago. They are in freefall.



2 losses in their last 8 is a free fall?


----------



## kingsboy11

chasespace said:


> Orlando needs to drop a nuke on their roster




If a nuke is to be used on Orlando I'm terrified to see what kind of bomb Sigi will use on the Galaxy.


----------



## hatterson

kingsboy11 said:


> If a nuke is to be used on Orlando I'm terrified to see what kind of bomb Sigi will use on the Galaxy.




But the Galaxy are a world class team according to FIFA 18


----------



## kingsboy11

hatterson said:


> But the Galaxy are a world class team according to FIFA 18




 Yeah just another thing FIFA got wrong. I was glad they put the Stubhub Center in the game, but they got the sunset wrong. Just a little thing that bothered me. But what also bothered me, but also kind of funny, is that they made Zardes seem like a d*ck in the Journey, when he is the complete opposite in real life and like the nicest guy ever.


----------



## njdevil26

Chicago is a good team and I think the Red Bulls have a less than 50% chance of winning and advancing. This team hasn't played well enough down the stretch.

Even if they win, they will get crushed by Toronto. It would take a miracle to get to the Eastern Conference Finals..... though a home and home (wherever their home really is) with NYCFC in the ECF would be AMAZING/stressful.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Yankees losing means the stadium is available.

But yea NYCFC really needs to partner with Mets instead and play in Citi Field while their own stadium is being built in Flushing.


----------



## Savant

Toronto wins the East, unless Almiron is 100% and firing on all cylinders. 

I think Portland is taking the West.


----------



## Viqsi

Oh, Precourt. You just keep getting better and better.

http://www.mystatesman.com/sports/s...for-mls-soccer-austin/iIgaOfMaFOBcoah5cV2chL/


> Never mind the sketchy history of Austin pro soccer, which includes several teams folding and another moving out of town.
> 
> Columbus Crew SC ownership, who intend to relocate their Major League Soccer franchise to Austin in 2019 if a stadium deal can be secured, spent Wednesday extolling the virtues of this market for their sport.
> 
> [...]
> 
> *“Did you anticipate that Atlanta would be a good soccer market a year ago?” Precourt said. “Did you anticipate Orlando would be a good soccer market a few years ago? Portland?*



(emphasis added)

I think I'm going to go with "yes", "sure", and "what kind of ****ing absurd insanity compels you to even MENTION them in that context, you clueless asshat".
And let's not even bring up that whole bit of where Orlando's team came from...


----------



## njdevil26

The fact that he even mentioned Portland shows how clueless he is. That team and the rivalry with Seattle have been around for like 40 years.


----------



## sabremike

njdevil26 said:


> Chicago is a good team and I think the Red Bulls have a less than 50% chance of winning and advancing. This team hasn't played well enough down the stretch.
> 
> Even if they win, they will get crushed by Toronto. It would take a miracle to get to the Eastern Conference Finals..... though a home and home (wherever their home really is) with NYCFC in the ECF would be AMAZING/stressful.



I think we have a much better chance of beating Chicago than Atlanta. Having Royer back is huge because you can literally pinpoint our season going downhill to when he got hurt on the warning track at the baseball stadium.


----------



## sabremike

Vamos Metro!!! BTW major props to the boy city fan at Legends who called one of my friends a chink. Scum.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Vamos Metro!!! BTW major props to the boy city fan at Legends who called one of my friends a chink. Scum.



Can we not throw stones while living in glass house?


----------



## Virtanen18

Whitecaps taking care of business so far.


----------



## kingsboy11

Well the teams I expected to win won, but I didn't think either games would be blowouts. I'm just glad the Earthquakes lost. Makes me feel a little bit better. I guess i'm on the anyone but the sounders bandwagon now


----------



## stuffradio

Can't believe the Fire only had 6,000 people in attendance. Poor Schweinsteiger deserves better (besides his millions he makes).


----------



## Viqsi

kingsboy11 said:


> Well the teams I expected to win won, but I didn't think either games would be blowouts. I'm just glad the Earthquakes lost. Makes me feel a little bit better. I guess i'm on the anyone but the sounders bandwagon now



We could use more secondhand supporters. #SaveTheCrew


----------



## Timeless Winter

FC Dallas had the worst attendance this year in MLS. Surely we need another team close by.

#SavetheCrew. 

Awesome to see every MLS Facebook post flooded with #Savethecrew posts.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> Can we not throw stones while living in glass house?



What the hell are you talking about? Where have our supporters made racist comments? At the beginning of the league our supporters beat the hell out of racist skinheads who tried to come into our section. We don't tolerate that for a second.


----------



## sabremike

And good on the Vancouver supporters for the Save The Crew banner in their section last night.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

stuffradio said:


> Can't believe the Fire only had 6,000 people in attendance. Poor Schweinsteiger deserves better (besides his millions he makes).




Come out here and we'll take a drive from downtown to Toyota Park on a weeknight. You'll understand. I think the Fire could be a big deal if they played in the city, off a L line, but as it stands they are on very few people's radar. The cold didn't help either. 

Anyway, what a disaster.


----------



## kingsboy11

Viqsi said:


> We could use more secondhand supporters. #SaveTheCrew


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> What the hell are you talking about? Where have our supporters made racist comments? At the beginning of the league our supporters beat the hell out of racist skinheads who tried to come into our section. We don't tolerate that for a second.




So you can guarantee NONE of your fans are racists? That is very hard to believe. And absurd.

There are anti-Fascist NYCFC fans too. But nah, they are racists and bad.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> So you can guarantee NONE of your fans are racists? That is very hard to believe. And absurd.
> 
> There are anti-Fascist NYCFC fans too. But nah, they are racists and bad.



I can guarantee none of our fan groups made stickers that read "White Power" like the ESU did.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> I can guarantee none of our fan groups made stickers that read "White Power" like the ESU did.




Yea, it really makes sense for white supremacists to root for a team found and owned by Arabs.

Amazing you actually believe that. Would not shock me at all if that was a stunt by a Red Bull fan.

Lets not forget THE ONLY black head coach in MLS is Patrick Vieira.
Moving on.

It would be funny if MLS Cup Finals turned out to be Crew vs. Dynamo. Team thats about to move vs. team that resulted from moving.


----------



## stuffradio

IU Hawks fan said:


> Come out here and we'll take a drive from downtown to Toyota Park on a weeknight. You'll understand. I think the Fire could be a big deal if they played in the city, off a L line, but as it stands they are on very few people's radar. The cold didn't help either.
> 
> Anyway, what a disaster.



Agreed. I've never been to Chicago though, so I don't know anything about anything there.


----------



## njdevil26

BKIslandersFan said:


> Yea, it really makes sense for white supremacists to root for a team found and owned by Arabs.
> 
> Amazing you actually believe that. Would not shock me at all if that was a stunt by a Red Bull fan.
> 
> Lets not forget THE ONLY black head coach in MLS is Patrick Vieira.
> Moving on.
> 
> It would be funny if MLS Cup Finals turned out to be Crew vs. Dynamo. Team thats about to move vs. team that resulted from moving.





I'm sure there are RB fans that are not good ambassadors of what we try to accomplish... but the South Ward has an ongoing effort between all supporter groups to make sure that our sections stay clean and positive. 

Just because NYCFC has Arab owners and a black coach doesn't mean that the fans are going to go along with it. Look in the news and see what is going on in Italy right now. Lazio has had a long history of fascist fans. Recently they passed around photos and banners of Anne Frank dressed up in a Roma kit with songs and statements about how they are the enemy. Then, Lazio had the players wear Anne Frank t shirts during warmups saying that hate is not tolerated... and the fascist supporters turned their back on the ceremony, sang the Italian national anthem and then rolled through their list of antisemitic songs. Lazio is one of the most non-Italian teams in the league in terms of roster. They have several black players. Yet these fans exist. So don't tell me that NYCFC's fascist fans don't exist because of the diversity of their ownership group/coaching staff.


Unfortunately NYCFC has had their bad fans be more public. ESU and B49 to name two groups. You're right... I don't know why racist skinheads would want to support a team owned by an Arab investment group but they DO. They have flags with Nazi symbolism on it... They attacked GSU at their bar in broad daylight... showed up with brass knuckles and freaking mouth guards while GSU was in their bar pre-gaming. During a home game last year, NYCFC front office and NYPD cops did not show up at the meeting point to meet us RB fans travelling to the game, and City fans came out of the bars and started throwing glass bottles and smoke bombs at us.

When they travel to RBA, there have been incidents of vandalism, destruction of property, smoke bombs thrown at RB players (one was thrown at Robles 2 years ago) and fans throwing smoke bombs at a Viking Army tailgate that didn't even know NYCFC fans were coming in that direction. City fans assaulted and fought Cosmos fans during an Open Cup match... to the point that two local soccer fields won't host those matches anymore. City fans had violent incidents in Philly and Chicago as well. A fan got arrested for breaking and stealing a seat from Orlando's new stadium as well as assaulting an officer (link below).

http://www.empireofsoccer.com/incident-budding-supporters-33549/





https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/loc...o-City-New-York-FC-Brawl-Video-415477393.html

Three fans attacked a cop in Orlando!

There are even NYCFC fan forums on the internet where the Third Rail and other groups are figuring out how to distance themselves from these two groups.

B49 has been banned from every MLS stadium I believe... ESU is on their way. 

Look, I'm not trying to say that all NYCFC fans are bad. I know many of them and it's probably only a small contingent that is ruining it for everyone.... but why is this happening? Why do NYCFC fans get into trouble literally everywhere they go? They have most teams shrinking their ticket allocation for away matches, violence is breaking out, things are making the news. 



Please show me ONE example of racism, fascism, and violence/hatred in the RBNY fan ranks. I can't promise you that it doesn't exist... but I can tell you that it's not a "problem" where as our entire fanbase is being associated with this crap and that we run into problems everywhere we go. I help coordinate away trips for RB fans and most teams really enjoy dealing with us.... they also voluntarily tell us that NYCFC fans are the complete opposite and there are always problems when they show up.


----------



## njdevil26

sabremike said:


> What the hell are you talking about? Where have our supporters made racist comments? At the beginning of the league our supporters beat the hell out of racist skinheads who tried to come into our section. We don't tolerate that for a second.



This is what you're referring to. Well documented.

We don't tolerate that crap at Red Bull Arena. 

https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/bmqgxv/the-socialist-soccer-fans-who-saved-mls-from-neo-nazis


----------



## njdevil26

If RBNY gets knocked out by Toronto (which we will... sad face) I am hoping they go all the way. They have such a fun team and Giovinco is awesome.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Lazio is a terrible comparison. Lazio has a long history of association with fascism. NYCFC was found by Arab owners from the very beginning and has been blatantly clear.. You are telling me white supremacists would gladly hand over their money to Arabs? White supremacists hate Arabs. There are a lot of holes in that alleged white supremacist group supporting NYCFC story. White supremacists are imbeciles but they are not THAT stupid.

I am sure you know every Red Bull fans to say for sure none of them are racists? That’s nonsense and you know it. Don’t claim the Red Bulls are entirely clean because that’s impossible. I am certain there are racist scum elements in NYCFC fan base (highly doubtful it’s such blatant like a white supremacist group but nonetheless).

My point is don’t try to be sly and try to portray NYCFC fans as racist scums, that is ridiculous and you know it. We are about as racially diverse as it comes.

Point being, don’t slander entire fan base as bigots, don’t try to be sly about it neither.

I hate how you people make this such a personal issue. It’s supposed to be fun for crying out loud.

As a minority fan of NYCFC please do not lecture me on racism neither,



njdevil26 said:


> If RBNY gets knocked out by Toronto (which we will... sad face) I am hoping they go all the way. They have such a fun team and Giovinco is awesome.



Part of me want Atlanta to go to Finals and blow a huge lead if NYC lose to them.


----------



## njdevil26

BKIslandersFan said:


> Lazio is a terrible comparison. Lazio has a long history of association with fascism. NYCFC was found by Arab owners from the very beginning and has been blatantly clear.. You are telling me white supremacists would gladly hand over their money to Arabs? White supremacists hate Arabs. There are a lot of holes in that alleged white supremacist group supporting NYCFC story. White supremacists are imbeciles but they are not THAT stupid.
> 
> I am sure you know every Red Bull fans to say for sure none of them are racists? That’s nonsense and you know it. Don’t claim the Red Bulls are entirely clean because that’s impossible. I am certain there are racist scum elements in NYCFC fan base (highly doubtful it’s such blatant like a white supremacist group but nonetheless).
> 
> My point is don’t try to be sly and try to portray NYCFC fans as racist scums, that is ridiculous and you know it. We are about as racially diverse as it comes.
> 
> Point being, don’t slander entire fan base as bigots, don’t try to be sly about it neither.
> 
> I hate how you people make this such a personal issue. It’s supposed to be fun for crying out loud.
> 
> As a minority fan of NYCFC please do not lecture me on racism neither,




It's a personal issue when I took a blue smoke bomb to the side of the head last year... and a friend of mine took a glass bottle to the head.


and by the way... I said in my post that it's a small group that is ruining it for everyone and I know most NYCFC fans are fine and I know a lot of them. But you chose to read whatever stuck with your narrative.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

njdevil26 said:


> It's a personal issue when I took a blue smoke bomb to the side of the head last year... and a friend of mine took a glass bottle to the head.
> 
> 
> and by the way... I said in my post that it's a small group that is ruining it for everyone and I know most NYCFC fans are fine and I know a lot of them. But you chose to read whatever stuck with your narrative.



So you make it personal with the entire fan base? Take it with the morons that attacked you. 
What a bunch of asshats by the way. Disgusting.

I did read that part. I wasn’t necessarily saying it was you, but people like Sabremike.

That being said I do think a lot of NYCFC fans do try way to hard to be wanna be hooligans, not out of racism though don’t get that wrong.


----------



## njdevil26

BKIslandersFan said:


> So you make it personal with the entire fan base? Take it with the morons that attacked you.
> What a bunch of asshats by the way. Disgusting.
> 
> I did read that part. I wasn’t necessarily saying it was you, but people like Sabremike.
> 
> That being said I do think a lot of NYCFC fans do try way to hard to be wanna be hooligans, not out of racism though don’t get that wrong.





You and I are on the same page. It's a problem. The worst part is that I have people at my job or friends and family that ask why they are seeing in the news that RB and NYC fans are brawling in the streets and why are they doing it.... I honestly don't know what to tell them. Maybe people see it happening in Europe and think that's how it is supposed to be? It's embarassing frankly.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

njdevil26 said:


> You and I are on the same page. It's a problem. The worst part is that I have people at my job or friends and family that ask why they are seeing in the news that RB and NYC fans are brawling in the streets and why are they doing it.... I honestly don't know what to tell them. Maybe people see it happening in Europe and think that's how it is supposed to be? It's embarassing frankly.



Respect to you sir!

I would like to see Hudson River Derby for ECF.


----------



## Savant

BKIslandersFan said:


> Respect to you sir!
> 
> I would like to see Hudson River Derby for ECF.




RBNY isn’t beating Toronto. But would be fun.


----------



## sabremike

It doesn't make sense that the boy city fan group that did the white power thing are all Hispanic, but they are. Racists don't have to make sense I guess.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> It doesn't make sense that the boy city fan group that did the white power thing are all Hispanic, but they are. Racists don't have to make sense I guess.



Only gives credence to theory its Red Bulls fans trying to slander City fans for no good reason.


----------



## gphr513

So this Columbus Atlanta game is kinda crazy.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> Only gives credence to theory its Red Bulls fans trying to slander City fans for no good reason.



Said group actually showed up at Bellos to try and fight the GSU so that kinda puts a dent in you going full Alex Jones.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Said group actually showed up at Bellos to try and fight the GSU so that kinda puts a dent in you going full Alex Jones.




Doesn't prove anything if there wasn't an actual fight but ok.


----------



## sabremike

And of course most ciddy fans aren't racist scum, but their supporters contain more awful people than any other club I've ever seen. Worse than DC and I didn't think that was possible, particularly in the cosplay hooligan department.


----------



## Adonis Creed

Steffen been amazing

Great game too


----------



## gphr513

Wow, Columbus through!


----------



## sabremike

Maybe copying the MetroStars uniforms wasn't such a good idea by Atlanta?


----------



## Savant

Steffen MOTM


----------



## Timeless Winter

Crew win!!!! Wow. #SavetheCrew


----------



## NYRPat21

As an NYCFC season ticket holder, I totally understand the reputation that we have and it just sucks. Most of us are totally rational supporters, there’s just this loud vocal minority of dickheads. And that doesn’t even include the racist stuff from supporter groups which is disgusting. It’s frustrating, very frustrating. But looking forward to the matchup against the Crew, should be good. Can’t be worse than the bludgeoning from TFC last year.


----------



## nickp91

Outstanding Defense by Steffen & The Crew


----------



## kingsboy11

Steffen you God. If the Kings game wasn't on at the same time I would've watched, but I caught the 2nd half of extra time and the penalties and it was exciting as hell.


----------



## Viqsi




----------



## Virtanen18

kingsboy11 said:


> Well the teams I expected to win won, but I didn't think either games would be blowouts. I'm just glad the Earthquakes lost. Makes me feel a little bit better. I guess i'm on the anyone but the sounders bandwagon now



Jesus, I speed-read this and thought it said "I guess i'm on the sounders bandwagon"


----------



## njdevil26

Wow great win for Columbus.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Sounders kit camouflage with the pitch.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

San Antonio joins the fight to stop Austin from getting a team


----------



## NYRPat21

Early away goal for TFC at RBA.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Giovinco doing his thing.


----------



## kingsboy11

Come on Columbus!!


----------



## Viqsi

So this is the image WatchESPN.com has for Columbus-NYCFC:

 

Oh, and Twellman is spending plenty of time repeating that old tired "Ohio State's existence means Precourt is justified in moving" garbage during commentary. Thanks, Twellman!


----------



## sabremike

Jello brained Twellman makes me want to turn off my TV ala Elvis.


----------



## Viqsi

Have to say, VAR does make MLS a much better place.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

How are NYCFC so bad in the playoffs? Jesus.

Is it the fact that European coaches aren't used to the idea of playoffs?


----------



## Viqsi

OMFG that stoppage time goal by Afful. Wow.

EDIT: Video:


----------



## BKIslandersFan




----------



## IU Hawks fan

BKIslandersFan said:


> How are NYCFC so bad in the playoffs? Jesus.
> 
> Is it the fact that European coaches aren't used to the idea of playoffs?



European cups have the same format for their knockout rounds...


----------



## sabremike

The guy in one of the papers crying about us jeering Jozy and Bradley and calling us classless is a perfect example of the Toronto sports media being the lowest form of life on the planet (with the exception of Precourt of course).


----------



## Savant

IU Hawks fan said:


> European cups have the same format for their knockout rounds...




MLS shouldn’t use two legged ties though because the teams are seeded, (taking emphasis off the regular season and nullifying home field advantage), and it extends the season too long.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> The guy in one of the papers crying about us jeering Jozy and Bradley and calling us classless is a perfect example of the Toronto sports media being the lowest form of life on the planet (with the exception of Precourt of course).



Don’t Leafs fans boo players all the time?


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> Don’t Leafs fans boo players all the time?



They ran Kessel out of town and their wonderful media embarked on a campaign of character assassination against him.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> They ran Kessel out of town and their wonderful media embarked on a campaign of character assassination against him.



Its MLS, so in a sense, we have to take what we can get from main stream media but man.


----------



## chasespace

Something I'm not fully understanding about the NASL legal hope.

They want the courts to say that USSF doesn't have the authority to create divisions, thus making the US soccer landscape one open division where all leagues are equal under the eyes of the USSF. Do they think this means that sponsors and and broadcasters will start throwing money at them because they can call themselves "D1"?

If the division structure was tossed out the window tomorrow MLS would still be king as they're the most popular league in the country. USL would even eat the NASL's lunch if they went head to head for sponsors and broadcasters as the USL has more star power and a much larger audience.


----------



## Viqsi

chasespace said:


> Something I'm not fully understanding about the NASL legal hope.
> 
> They want the courts to say that USSF doesn't have the authority to create divisions, thus making the US soccer landscape one open division where all leagues are equal under the eyes of the USSF. Do they think this means that sponsors and and broadcasters will start throwing money at them because they can call themselves "D1"?
> 
> If the division structure was tossed out the window tomorrow MLS would still be king as they're the most popular league in the country. USL would even eat the NASL's lunch if they went head to head for sponsors and broadcasters as the USL has more star power and a much larger audience.



I'm not sure as I've not studied it closely, but my uneducated guess is that they're hoping for further support or blessing from FIFA.


----------



## chasespace

Viqsi said:


> I'm not sure as I've not studied it closely, but my uneducated guess is that they're hoping for further support or blessing from FIFA.




But FIFA will favor the federation over the league. Even if FIFA favors the NASL over the USSF, what then? They'll still lack the commercial capital to stay afloat as from the recent financial leaks NASL teams are all basically underwater.


----------



## Viqsi

chasespace said:


> But FIFA will favor the federation over the league. Even if FIFA favors the NASL over the USSF, what then? They'll still lack the commercial capital to stay afloat as from the recent financial leaks NASL teams are all basically underwater.



Maybe then they hope to be able to sell folks on being "*real* soccer, FIFA-endorsed" and all that. 

I'm not saying it makes any sense; I'm just trying to figure out what their broken thinking is.


----------



## Savant

Some reports that Tata Martino has turned down USMNT job to stay with Atlanta


----------



## chasespace

Savant said:


> Some reports that Tata Martino has turned down USMNT job to stay with Atlanta




Do not blame him one bit


----------



## Savant

chasespace said:


> Do not blame him one bit




Shame - he was the best candidate Hopefully they continue to aim high.


----------



## sabremike

I am seeing the idiotic takes on the Columbus thing all over ESPN, most recently by Steve Nichol who may be the dumbest analyst of any kind on the entire network (Why do you think no MLS team will touch him with a 10 foot poll despite his on paper success?). They talk about how Columbus doesn't support the team and manage to miss the point that this didn't matter one bit. This should be tattooed on all of their foreheads: Precourt bought the team with every intention to move them, he never intended to stay in Columbus. He conned the Hunts into selling him the team by vowing not to move them when it's painfully obvious that it's what he was planning all along.


----------



## Viqsi

sabremike said:


> I am seeing the idiotic takes on the Columbus thing all over ESPN, most recently by Steve Nichol who may be the dumbest analyst of any kind on the entire network (Why do you think no MLS team will touch him with a 10 foot poll despite his on paper success?). They talk about how Columbus doesn't support the team and manage to miss the point that this didn't matter one bit. This should be tattooed on all of their foreheads: Precourt bought the team with every intention to move them, he never intended to stay in Columbus. He conned the Hunts into selling him the team by vowing not to move them when it's painfully obvious that it's what he was planning all along.



Columbus sports fans are used to being dismissed by ESPN. Buccigross loves the city, and Herbstreit will occasionally speak up for the Jackets, but otherwise it's the Jackets are irrelevant and doomed, Ohio State is overrated and doomed, and the Crew don't exist and never existed and what are you talking about with this soccer in Columbus nonsense.


----------



## SJSharks72

Watching the anthems of Seattle vs Vancouver. First thing I notice, how does Toledo still have a job let alone a playoff game? The worse ref I’ve ever seen.

Edit 1: There we go. Missed an obvious penalty even after video review. Just f***ing awful. This guy is just obviously horrible. How does he have a job?

Edit 2: now missing a straight red. Studs up and kicked him in the head. In what world is that not a straight red?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> I am seeing the idiotic takes on the Columbus thing all over ESPN, most recently by Steve Nichol who may be the dumbest analyst of any kind on the entire network (Why do you think no MLS team will touch him with a 10 foot poll despite his on paper success?). They talk about how Columbus doesn't support the team and manage to miss the point that this didn't matter one bit. This should be tattooed on all of their foreheads: Precourt bought the team with every intention to move them, he never intended to stay in Columbus. He conned the Hunts into selling him the team by vowing not to move them when it's painfully obvious that it's what he was planning all along.




Well you know the deal. Networks parrot what the league tells em. For the most part.

EDIT:Welp, there goes all Canadian MLS Cup Finals.


----------



## Timeless Winter

Has Giovinco always been a baby?

Crew looking good if they advance with Toronto being short 2 strikers in leg 1.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Red Bulls show a lot of fight in them but Toronto holds on.


----------



## kingsboy11

Can't recall the last time I saw a more undisciplined and lacking composure from both sides in a while. Just absolutely shocking from Jozy and Giovinco and both will miss the first leg against Crew/NYCFC


----------



## Tavares the Noble

kingsboy11 said:


> Can't recall the last time I saw a more undisciplined and lacking composure from both sides in a while. Just absolutely shocking from Jozy and Giovinco and both will miss the first leg against Crew/NYCFC




Agreed, but this ref is horrendous. Absolutely pathetic. Makes an NHL red look good at their job.


----------



## Timeless Winter

Never touched and there's a penalty.


----------



## hatterson

Yea I learned that if I want to feel better about EPL officiating I can just watch some MLS playoff games.

It’s rare that an official loses such control of a game like that.

And the FK that TFC thought they scored on at the end was handled so poorly. Both his instructions and then somehow not carding the TFC player (I think Vazquez) for literally pushing up against him and pointing a finger in his face for a solid 5-7 seconds.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

hatterson said:


> Yea I learned that if I want to feel better about EPL officiating I can just watch some MLS playoff games.
> 
> It’s rare that an official loses such control of a game like that.
> 
> And the FK that TFC thought they scored on at the end was handled so poorly. Both his instructions and then somehow not carding the TFC player (I think Vazquez) for literally pushing up against him and pointing a finger in his face for a solid 5-7 seconds.




They should spend money importing refs.


----------



## kingsboy11

Crew are looking really shaky right now. New York smelling blood. Feel like the Crew need a goal here soon


----------



## hatterson

NYCFC looked terrible from about 75' until about 92' and then seemed like they decided to start trying. But too little too late.

Columbus vs Toronto in the east final.


----------



## Viqsi

We tried entirely too much to give that one away. Gah.

And to think I'd almost forgotten why Jonathan Mensah was driving me up a wall earlier in the season.









Still. East Final. Deep breath.


----------



## varsaku




----------



## DoyleG

Those overprice shits at TFC.

Give me 10 min and a baseball bat. I'll sort them out.


----------



## Pouchkine

The playoffs this year have produce some awful games. And now get this there's a 16 days wait before the next round and 19 days for Seattle. Who are the clowns RUINING this league?


----------



## sabremike

varsaku said:


>




After that ridiculous dive if he was jumped I have no problem with it. He deserved it.


----------



## East Coast Bias

varsaku said:


>





I'm gonna have to disagree with Mr I Am Toddy Tickles.

Jozy is a baby.


----------



## phisherman

Red Bull shouldn't have been in that area.


----------



## hatterson

Apparently TFC are officially appealing the Altidore red and providing security footage to support their appeal.


----------



## Pouchkine

Antiscore is a disgrace. Big overrated piece of $hit.


----------



## phisherman

Yes let's ignore Red Bull players going to the TFC locker room entrance to confront Altidore. 

I think Altidore's dive was atrocious but it's stupid everyone is ignoring that the Red Bull players were wrong in this incident.


----------



## Michelangelo

Jozy got what he deserved

Overrated prick


----------



## chasespace

Michelangelo said:


> Jozy got what he deserved
> 
> Overrated prick




Being chased down in the locker room is an ok response to a weak dive?


----------



## Pouchkine

Yeah sure...


----------



## chasespace

MLS looking at their transfer rules. Considering letting teams keep 100% of homegrown sales(league currently takes a 25% cut) and raising the amount of GAM you can acquire from selling a player overseas(I believe it's currently you get up to $650K in GAM regardless of how high the fee is, anything over that has to either go back into other areas of the club or can be used to bring in a DP)


----------



## Viqsi

chasespace said:


> MLS looking at their transfer rules. Considering letting teams keep 100% of homegrown sales(league currently takes a 25% cut) and raising the amount of GAM you can acquire from selling a player overseas(I believe it's currently you get up to $650K in GAM regardless of how high the fee is, anything over that has to either go back into other areas of the club or can be used to bring in a DP)



I assume allocation order will continue to follow its usual sequence of "MLS 3.0, MLS 2.0, actual published allocation order unless some MLS 3.0 team speaks up again, okay finally maybe MLS 1.0".


----------



## chasespace

Viqsi said:


> I assume allocation order will continue to follow its usual sequence of "MLS 3.0, MLS 2.0, actual published allocation order unless some MLS 3.0 team speaks up again, okay finally maybe MLS 1.0".




If the MLS is smart the next transfer rules they do away with are the allocation order and the "Discovery Rights" rules.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Brad Friedel the new New England manager.


----------



## Savant

Montreal Impact have hired Remi Garde as their new manager.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

First former Premier League manager in MLS?


----------



## chaosrevolver

chasespace said:


> Being chased down in the locker room is an ok response to a weak dive?



Yeah really..it was a brutal dive but that is absolutely ridiculous that NY seeked out a brawl like that by TFCs LR


----------



## maclean

Pouchkine said:


> And now get this there's a 16 days wait before the next round and 19 days for Seattle.




Yeah, this makes no sense to me. That's practically as long as European players get off between _seasons_.


----------



## sabremike

November 12th: SF Deltas win NASL title.

November 15th: SF Deltas fold.

Life comes at you fast.


----------



## Savant

Shockingly, Caleb Porter and the Timbers are parting ways.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Savant said:


> Shockingly, Caleb Porter and the Timbers are parting ways.




Wow. About as shocking as Girardi leaving the Yankees.

Wonder if they are going foreign route like Montreal?


----------



## kingsboy11

Savant said:


> Shockingly, Caleb Porter and the Timbers are parting ways.




That's really a shock and quite honestly I thought they did quite well despite all of their injuries this season. Don't think you can put that all on Porter. Doubt he'll be a free agent very long.


----------



## hatterson

Altidore's suspension was upheld by the panel so he'll miss the Tuesday Nov 21 first leg. Giovinco will also miss that leg.


----------



## Timeless Winter

Good.


----------



## SJSharks72

Savant said:


> Shockingly, Caleb Porter and the Timbers are parting ways.



Caleb Porter would make a great national team coach.


----------



## Savant

SJSharks39 said:


> Caleb Porter would make a great national team coach.



I don’t agree.

First off, they should not hire anyone until after the election, but on Porter:
- No international pedigree on any level besides his failed attempt to qualify for the Olympics (that is often cited as a reason that the current has not performed well)
- Has never had to do anything but train players for the MLS level.
- Is he going to be the name that keeps dual nationals from leaving?

I am not in on Porter


----------



## Pilky01

Its pretty ugly how much vitriol American fans seem to have for Jozy Altidore.

I wonder why they've singled Jozy out, as opposed to Bradley or Pusilic or Dempsey......hmmmmmm


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Dempsey and Bradley see plenty of it.

Ridiculous thing to insinuate


----------



## Big McLargehuge

sabremike said:


> November 12th: SF Deltas win NASL title.
> 
> November 15th: SF Deltas fold.
> 
> Life comes at you fast.




Managed to survive an even shorter time than the ECHL SF Bulls. You can't sell minor league/2nd tier sports leagues in a market that expensive.



Pilky01 said:


> Its pretty ugly how much vitriol American fans seem to have for Jozy Altidore.
> 
> I wonder why they've singled Jozy out, as opposed to Bradley or Pusilic or Dempsey......hmmmmmm




Bradley gets more shit than anyone on the USMNT and Dempsey gets called out when he deserves it


----------



## sabremike

Pilky01 said:


> Its pretty ugly how much vitriol American fans seem to have for Jozy Altidore.
> 
> I wonder why they've singled Jozy out, as opposed to Bradley or Pusilic or Dempsey......hmmmmmm



Bradley got it every bit as bad at RBA as Jozy, including being booed every time he touched the ball. Dempsey gets crap but him and Pusilic were the only two players who played in the Trinidad disaster who shouldn't be totally ashamed of themselves. Jozy is one of the biggest underachievers in the history of American soccer, that's why he gets so much crap. Your insinuation as to why he gets crap might be the single stupidest and most ignorant thing that has ever been posted on these boards, and think of the ground that covers.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Pilky01 said:


> Its pretty ugly how much vitriol American fans seem to have for Jozy Altidore.
> 
> I wonder why they've singled Jozy out, as opposed to Bradley or Pusilic or Dempsey......hmmmmmm




Bradley gets plenty of criticism, more than Altidore.

Pulisic is our best player, he carried the team in qualifying. One of the few who you could say didn't embarrass himself.

Dempsey's at the end of his career. If this was four years ago and he contributed what he did, he'd get more criticism. He's also accomplished way more in his career than those two, and has maximized his career compared to those two who didn't.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pilky01 said:


> Its pretty ugly how much vitriol American fans seem to have for Jozy Altidore.
> 
> I wonder why they've singled Jozy out, as opposed to Bradley or Pusilic or Dempsey......hmmmmmm



Altidore is invisible in USA games more often than not that’s why I don’t like him.


----------



## sabremike

SJSharks39 said:


> Altidore is invisible in USA games more often than not that’s why I don’t like him.



Basically if you put Mike Petkie's heart in Jozy's body he'd be starting for a top European side. That in a nutshell is why Jozy gets so much criticism.


----------



## varsaku

Savant said:


> Shockingly, Caleb Porter and the Timbers are parting ways.




Porter is probably going to FC Cincinati

EDIT:


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Does FC Cincinnati that confident they are going to MLS next season?


----------



## Savant

BKIslandersFan said:


> Does FC Cincinnati that confident they are going to MLS next season?



I mean if Cincy is in MLS I doubt the Crew stay in Ohio.


----------



## sabremike

Savant said:


> I mean if Cincy is in MLS I doubt the Crew stay in Ohio.



If they want all of central Ohio to not be willing to piss on Cincy (and the league) if they were on fire that's a fantastic idea. And Commissioner Garbage probably thinks he's being so slick here.


----------



## Savant

sabremike said:


> If they want all of central Ohio to not be willing to piss on Cincy (and the league) if they were on fire that's a fantastic idea. And Commissioner Garbage probably thinks he's being so slick here.



Right. I’m not advocating it but Garber is a pretty simple guy to figure out. They are going to sacrifice Columbus for Cincy. And Cincy has their (relatively) marquee manager now


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Does Don Garber honestly believe MLS can get away with pissing off fans like NFL?


----------



## chasespace

Savant said:


> Right. I’m not advocating it but Garber is a pretty simple guy to figure out. They are going to sacrifice Columbus for Cincy. And Cincy has their (relatively) marquee manager now




Which is stupid. If you let Columbus relocate then you're telling the supporters groups, the diehard people that put their own time and money into supporting their local clubs, that they should stop putting effort into their teams.


----------



## Savant

chasespace said:


> Which is stupid. If you let Columbus relocate then you're telling the supporters groups, the diehard people that put their own time and money into supporting their local clubs, that they should stop putting effort into their teams.




I mean, haven’t they already done that?


----------



## Pouchkine

The management of this league just keeps getting worst and worst.


----------



## Pouchkine

They are not the right people to lead this league going forward. They are wasting a big part of the huge popularity of soccer in America right now.


----------



## kingsboy11

I'm sure if you ask the people from Cincinnati they would rather have Columbus stay so they can have an immediate mid-west rivalry right out of the gate. And I mean its obvious what Precourt's trying to do here and he's trying to avoid paying the ridiculous expansion fee and I'm really surprised Garber actually allowed that and basically say **** you to San Antonio who is more than willing to make that deal. There's nothing positive about this relocation BS.


----------



## Savant

kingsboy11 said:


> I'm sure if you ask the people from Cincinnati they would rather have Columbus stay so they can have an immediate mid-west rivalry right out of the gate. And I mean its obvious what Precourt's trying to do here and he's trying to avoid paying the ridiculous expansion fee and I'm really surprised Garber actually allowed that and basically say **** you to San Antonio who is more than willing to make that deal. There's nothing positive about this relocation BS.



The MLS is not, and should not, put two teams in Ohio. this is not a put-down for either Columbus or Cincy, but come on.


----------



## kingsboy11

Savant said:


> The MLS is not, and should not, put two teams in Ohio. this is not a put-down for either Columbus or Cincy, but come on.




But 3 teams in Texas when the other 2 Texas teams are already having attendance problems as it is. Got it


----------



## Viqsi

Savant said:


> The MLS is not, and should not, put two teams in Ohio. this is not a put-down for either Columbus or Cincy, but come on.



Nah, that's more of a put-down for both and/or the entire state.


----------



## Savant

kingsboy11 said:


> But 3 teams in Texas when the other 2 Texas teams are already having attendance problems as it is. Got it



It wasn’t my idea to put a team down there either lol. 

Columbus is much closer to Cincy than Austin is to either Dallas or Houston is their probably “logic” but that is also dumb


----------



## Savant

Viqsi said:


> Nah, that's more of a put-down for both and/or the entire state.



Here comes the demography police...

I don’t agree with them moving, and the logic is even worse. But you can see their though process, even if Garber is trying to connect the dots using a crayon.


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

where has it been written that Cincy FC has been given the green light?


----------



## Savant

CHRDANHUTCH said:


> where has it been written that Cincy FC has been given the green light?



It hasn’t but the writing is on the wall. Especially if they are getting Porter as rumored.


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

Savant said:


> It hasn’t but the writing is on the wall. Especially if they are getting Porter as rumored.



that's been denied


----------



## Savant

CHRDANHUTCH said:


> that's been denied



We’ll see


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

Savant:

0% chance Porter joins Cinci FC, they colluded and that's why Portland canned him, It could also mean Cincinnati FC will be blocked from joining MLS DUE TO THE ABOVE SCENARIO.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

CHRDANHUTCH said:


> Savant:
> 
> 0% chance Porter joins Cinci FC, they colluded and that's why Portland canned him, It could also mean Cincinnati FC will be blocked from joining MLS DUE TO THE ABOVE SCENARIO.




Huh? If there is business case to be made, I can't imagine that alone would keep them out.


----------



## sabremike

CHRDANHUTCH said:


> that's been denied



If pro sports (and really anything else in life) has taught us anything it's that denials often turn out to be complete BS.


----------



## Fro

this is great...hopefully you MLS fans are willing to sign on

#SaveTheCrew Letter


----------



## kingsboy11

Fro said:


> this is great...hopefully you MLS fans are willing to sign on
> 
> #SaveTheCrew Letter




Signed it a few days ago


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

sabremike said:


> If pro sports (and really anything else in life) has taught us anything it's that denials often turn out to be complete BS.



that's the report, otherwise show Cause to why Porter was canned by the Timbers


----------



## chasespace

CHRDANHUTCH said:


> Savant:
> 
> 0% chance Porter joins Cinci FC, they colluded and that's why Portland canned him, It could also mean Cincinnati FC will be blocked from joining MLS DUE TO THE ABOVE SCENARIO.




Lol, no. Cincy won't be kept out because they maybe tried to poach a coach. They'd just get fined some TAM/GAM like Orlando when they kept trying to sign players off other team's discovery lists.


----------



## chasespace

Savant said:


> The MLS is not, and should not, put two teams in Ohio. this is not a put-down for either Columbus or Cincy, but come on.




They should put teams where people are showing up. People are showing up to Columbus and people are showing up to Cincy.

Don't see an issue here.


----------



## Pouchkine

Columbus can't even attract good crowds for playoffs games. But that's the same for half the teams.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Pouchkine said:


> Columbus can't even attract good crowds for playoffs games. But that's the same for half the teams.



Like Texas can?

Ohio is a big state, I don't see why they can't support two teams.


----------



## Pouchkine

They have problems supporting the Crew with a ridiculous 15k in the last playoff game. But as we know it's the same for about 10 teams...


----------



## Fro

Pouchkine said:


> Columbus can't even attract good crowds for playoffs games. But that's the same for half the teams.




but the game tomorrow has been sold out for a week...not sure if serious meme here...

typically they'd pull out bleachers for the stage, but since Precourt is in full move the team mode, they don't want 20k there...


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> They have problems supporting the Crew with a ridiculous 15k in the last playoff game. But as we know it's the same for about 10 teams...



That was about 3x bigger than the crowd the Fire got for their playoff game, so relocate Chicago to San Antonio right? Was also bigger than the crowd at RBA, and us STH's got the tickets for free.


----------



## KallioWeHardlyKnewYe

Columbus is the 21st largest market of the 22 in the league. They rank 20th in attendance by pure numbers. You could argue they're performing about as expected given the market size. Worth noting that their attendance ranks above Dallas and Colorado (two much bigger markets) and isn't far off Houston, DC, Chicago and Philly (four much larger markets). Further, as a capacity of the stadium, Columbus is usually around 75-80 percent full. Not sellouts, but doing better than several of those other cities. Have filled more of the stadium capacity wise in the playoffs than Houston and Chicago too. 

Now Columbus lags its comparable cities -- Portland, Orlando, Salt Lake City, KC. But if that's your argument, it feels like that should shine an even brighter light on the shortcoming of places like Dallas, Chicago and Houston. 

The city isn't completely innocent. Ticket sales could be better and the larger corporations here could be more supportive. But the singling out of Columbus by Garber specifically as some sort of problem child market is a bit ludicrous when there are several other cities also with attendance issues (two of which are in Texas ...)

I do agree that the ultimate plan is to move into Austin. It's clear MLS and Garber have had a boner for that town for a long time. Cincinnati comes in and (in their mind) replaces Columbus. From a raw numbers point, sadly, it probably works. I'll be curious how into it Cincy will be in the long run though and Columbus fans aren't changing their allegiance.


----------



## Pouchkine

I agree with that. My point is there's at least 7-8 Columbus in the league. I know MLS and Garber are idiots.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## Fro

hoping we don't get "MLS vs Columbus" ref tonight...so far so good...as long as TFC stay on their feet...it's not that windy there


----------



## Fro

i cringe everytime Bradley touches the ball...even without Givinco


----------



## Fro

annnnnnd there's Vasquez flailing...like he was shot, a yellow, yes, but he overdid that...


----------



## Fro

I used to not like Twellman on commentary, but he's grown on me


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Pouchkine said:


> I agree with that. My point is there's at least 7-8 Columbus in the league. I know MLS and Garber are idiots.



Don Garber isn't an idiot. Hes a disciple of NFL.


----------



## gphr513

This second half in Houston might get ugly.


----------



## kingsboy11

spintheblackcircle said:


>





Apparently Precourt closed 2 gates entering the stadium forcing all the fans to enter at this gate. This was the result.


----------



## Viqsi

chasespace said:


> Lol, no. Cincy won't be kept out because they maybe tried to poach a coach. They'd just get fined some TAM/GAM like Orlando when they kept trying to sign players off other team's discovery lists.



Or there'll be an "investigation" that'll amount to little or nothing, like that one time the newcomer Sounders poached Sigi Schmid from the Crew within days of the '08 MLS Cup win.


----------



## sabremike

kingsboy11 said:


> Apparently Precourt closed 2 gates entering the stadium forcing all the fans to enter at this gate. This was the result.



I'm assuming you aren't joking so just when you think this situation couldn't get any more scummy and sleazy it does. I can't believe I'm saying this but Precourt is an even bigger piece of garbage than Peter Karmanos, and I've been praying every single day since March 26th 1997 that he would get run over by a garbage truck so think of just how disgusting Precourt is.


----------



## sabremike

FC Edmonton folded so NASL continues to disintegrate. They are now the FHL of soccer at this point.


----------



## Savant

sabremike said:


> FC Edmonton folded so NASL continues to disintegrate. They are now the FHL of soccer at this point.



NCFC is confirmed to USL


----------



## sabremike

League is down to 5 teams. One is Jacksonville, who the league basically propped up this season so the league would have 8 teams. Another is Puerto Rico and I have no idea how they can survive for obvious reasons. That leaves them with Indy, Miami and the Cosmos. I'm sure a judge is going to see this and say "USSF was completely wrong to strip NASL of it's D2 status". Yeah no. Just have USL absorb the 3 remaining teams and end the absurdity.


----------



## chasespace

If the judge goes USSF's way I can see the USL accepting the remaining NASL clubs for a reduced or deferred fee. Doubt the Cosmos or Miami move over, though, as they're the most adamant about the lawsuit. Jacksonville has a new owner who has put money into the team and I doubt he would want his investment to go belly up after a few months so they'd move.

There's also word going around that the remaining NASL teams may just join NISA for next season and go from there.


----------



## kingsboy11

Most likely Tyler Adams and Miguel Almiron.



Cincinnati, Sacramento, Nashville, and Detroit finalists for the next 2 expansion slots.


----------



## Dr Pepper

Toronto and Columbus clash in the second leg tonight.

Toronto needs to win, while Columbus advances with a win or any draw other than 0-0.


----------



## Pouchkine

Toronto could advance on penalties after another 0-0 draw.


----------



## Viqsi

Pouchkine said:


> Toronto could advance on penalties after another 0-0 draw.



yeah, ask Atlanta how that goes.


----------



## kingsboy11

very positive start for the crew. Higuain and Meram with some good movement in the attacking 3rd


----------



## Timeless Winter

Holy Diver Giovinco.


----------



## Timeless Winter

Steffen!!!


----------



## Viqsi

Timeless Winter said:


> Steffen!!!



How does he keep doing it?


----------



## kingsboy11

what players see on a penalty kick against Steffen


----------



## hatterson

And TFC advance. 2nd straight MLS cup final.


----------



## Dr Pepper

Most likely a rematch against Seattle.

Not liking Toronto's latest string of "find the offense", one goal in their last two matches.

Gotta step up their game and hit early. Imagine the scene at BMO if the Reds get that first goal.


----------



## chasespace

kingsboy11 said:


> Most likely Tyler Adams and Miguel Almiron.





Can't imagine the price tag for Almiron will be higher unless they're planning on waiting for the summer window. Could also be Atlanta is waiting on the rumored change to the amount of allocation money you get for selling a player overseas.


----------



## kingsboy11

Well not the result I was hoping for, but I'll begrudgingly cheer for Toronto because I don't think I can stomach another Seattle victory. Unless the Dynamo make a miraculous comeback then that changes.


----------



## hatterson

Yea Houston winning by 3 away from home seems unlikely.


----------



## Viqsi

kingsboy11 said:


> Well not the result I was hoping for, but I'll begrudgingly cheer for Toronto because I don't think I can stomach another Seattle victory. Unless the Dynamo make a miraculous comeback then that changes.



Ugh. I'd rather cheer for the pitch to be rent asunder by an earthquake.


----------



## Dr Pepper

We don't get too many of those up here.


----------



## Pouchkine

Boring low quality game with another terrible referee. Once again we saw why Giovinco failed in Europe.


----------



## Viqsi

Dr Pepper said:


> We don't get too many of those up here.



LET ME DREAM, DAMNIT


----------



## Dr Pepper

Pouchkine said:


> Boring low quality game with another terrible referee. Once again we saw why Giovinco failed in Europe.




For what it's worth, I think he could've helped prevent what ended up being an absolute disaster for the country's World Cup team.

Italy's blackballing of any Nationals playing over here, really bit them hard.

Then again, who's to say. Ventura didn't even use Insigne in a do-or-die game so maybe he would've benched Gio as well.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

hatterson said:


> Yea Houston winning by 3 away from home seems unlikely.



They just need two to get to extra time and potentially a penalty shootout.


----------



## hatterson

BKIslandersFan said:


> They just need two to get to extra time and potentially a penalty shootout.




True, and I suppose 3-1 is a straight win, but either way I'd rate it as unlikely given the run Seattle is on.


----------



## Pouchkine

Giovinco can't even make a difference when it matters against comical mls defending. That would be like Team Canada bringing a guy who plays in the Swiss league for the Olympics in hockey.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Dynamo are garbage and the playoff has been absolute trash.


----------



## Savant

The playoffs have been terrible and the format does the teams no favors. It should have been over by now honestly.


----------



## kingsboy11

well hopefully it'll be a more entertaining finals than last year. The only exciting thing about last years was Frei's ridiculous save


----------



## Dr Pepper

Here's hoping the winning team this year at least gets a shot on goal, let alone score one.


----------



## kingsboy11

Diego Valeri wins MLS MVP and I think deservedly so. With Adi going down with his injury and Valeri taking the Timbers to the top did it for me. 





I also think its pretty funny that none of the players voted for Bradley for MVP


----------



## Pouchkine

MVP for the regular season which in the end don't matter. Those useless trophies in the North American leagues are a complete joke. They don't include the games which really counts and when the titles are won, how stupid can you be. They should have stop with this nonsense long ago. GIVE THE TROPHY AFTER THE PLAYOFFS.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

State rep says 1996 law may help #SaveTheCrew

Under Ohio revised code:
No owner of a professional sports team that uses a tax-supported facility for most of its home games and receives financial assistance from the state or a political subdivision thereof shall cease playing most of its home games at the facility and begin playing most of its home games elsewhere unless the owner either:
(A) Enters into an agreement with the political subdivision permitting the team to play most of its home games elsewhere;
(B) Gives the political subdivision in which the facility is located not less than six months’ advance notice of the owner’s intention to cease playing most of its home games at the facility and, during the six months after such notice, gives the political subdivision or any individual or group of individuals who reside in the area the opportunity to purchase the team.​Duffey said the state used $5 million in tax money for parking upgrades outside MAPFRE stadium.

“Anyone who bought the team should have looked at the state law and known what state law said,” he added.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> Giovinco can't even make a difference when it matters against comical mls defending. That would be like Team Canada bringing a guy who plays in the Swiss league for the Olympics in hockey.



The reason I wasn't at both Red Bull Arena and on a bus to Columbus for the return leg of the East final was because Giovinco caught our defense with their pants down on a free kick. So yeah, he can make a difference.


----------



## Viqsi

spintheblackcircle said:


> State rep says 1996 law may help #SaveTheCrew
> 
> Under Ohio revised code:
> No owner of a professional sports team that uses a tax-supported facility for most of its home games and receives financial assistance from the state or a political subdivision thereof shall cease playing most of its home games at the facility and begin playing most of its home games elsewhere unless the owner either:
> (A) Enters into an agreement with the political subdivision permitting the team to play most of its home games elsewhere;
> (B) Gives the political subdivision in which the facility is located not less than six months’ advance notice of the owner’s intention to cease playing most of its home games at the facility and, during the six months after such notice, gives the political subdivision or any individual or group of individuals who reside in the area the opportunity to purchase the team.​Duffey said the state used $5 million in tax money for parking upgrades outside MAPFRE stadium.
> 
> “Anyone who bought the team should have looked at the state law and known what state law said,” he added.



It's happening.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Is MLS part of Big 5 league now, alongside NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL?

Their expansion fee is now at 9 digits. Yea, NHL is still worth 6 times more, but aside from Big 4 what other leagues have such a huge expansion fee?


----------



## Savant

The Big 4 is NFL, NBA, MLB and The Real World/Road Rules Challenge. 

Hockey and Soccer have to settle for being my two favorites.


----------



## Eye of Ra

Is Gustav Svensson playing good?


----------



## Pouchkine

Any interest for the final? It can't be worse than last year!


----------



## SJSharks72

Eye of Ra said:


> Is Gustav Svensson playing good?



Yes


Pouchkine said:


> Any interest for the final? It can't be worse than last year!



And yes


----------



## MapleLeafistan

It's been a season of trophies for TFC...MLS Cup would definitely be icing on the cake + a good run in the Champions League.


----------



## MapleLeafistan

By the way, why are Seattle fans so cringe? I mean it seems to transcend sports...Seahawks fans are even worse. It's like a group of hipsters got together and watched Green Street Hooligans and then desperately failed at imitating them. It's so cringeworthy that I actually had to stop watching the video at certain points. I don't get why they're faking English accents too....it's so weird.


----------



## Viqsi

NotMasonRaymond said:


> By the way, why are Seattle fans so cringe? I mean it seems to transcend sports...Seahawks fans are even worse. It's like a group of hipsters got together and watched Green Street Hooligans and then desperately failed at imitating them. It's so cringeworthy that I actually had to stop watching the video at certain points. I don't get why they're faking English accents too....it's so weird.




I can only assume there's just something in the water over there.


----------



## hatterson

So google says the game starts now, but ESPN is showing basketball and says it’ll be 30 more mins....


----------



## Savant

Viqsi said:


> I can only assume there's just something in the water over there.




Seattle Freeze - Wikipedia

“Newcomers to the area have described Seattleites as being standoffish, cold, distant, and not trusting”

Would be funny if this was the name of their hockey team when they get one.


----------



## SJSharks72

hatterson said:


> So google says the game starts now, but ESPN is showing basketball and says it’ll be 30 more mins....



It starts at 1:30 pacific


----------



## maclean

hatterson said:


> So google says the game starts now, but ESPN is showing basketball and says it’ll be 30 more mins....




Yeah, had the same. Google told me 10 but TV told me 10:30. Not long ago Google also gave me the wrong date for El Clasico, so it may not be as all-knowing as it seems


----------



## maclean

btw how do they determine what stadium the final takes place at in MLS?


----------



## Luigi Habs

maclean said:


> btw how do they determine what stadium the final takes place at in MLS?




The team with the better season record gets to host the final


----------



## kingsboy11

Luigi Habs said:


> The team with the better season record gets to host the final




Correct. They used to do it like the NFL where they would go from stadium to stadium every year. But when the Galaxy were hosts in 2011, they decided to make it so who ever had the better regular season record would host.


----------



## kingsboy11

Also reluctantly cheering for Toronto. Just can't stomach Seattle winning again.


----------



## maclean

They've also been dominating so far


----------



## Luigi Habs

Frei with some incredible saves


----------



## Savant

Twellman interviewing Garber who is stuttering his way through the questions on Columbus.


----------



## kingsboy11

The longer this stays scoreless, the better for Seattle. Toronto has to be frustrated. If Toronto gets a goal early in the 2nd half I think its over.


----------



## The Nuge

Well crap. It was just a matter of time


----------



## NyQuil

Well deserved!


----------



## chaosrevolver

Greatest team in MLS history?


----------



## Savant

chaosrevolver said:


> Greatest team in MLS history?



Probably.


----------



## kingsboy11

chaosrevolver said:


> Greatest team in MLS history?




Yeah probably. Domestic treble with MLS Cup, Supporter's Shield and Canadian Cup. Dominated start to finish.


----------



## Savant

kingsboy11 said:


> Yeah probably. Domestic treble with MLS Cup, Supporter's Shield and Canadian Cup. Dominated start to finish.



And this is the most talented the league has been too.


----------



## Baxterman

Just saw a highlight of the TFC goal do they not have offsides in MLS?


----------



## berklon

Toronto's drought finally ends... a well deserved championship for the city.


----------



## chaosrevolver

Baxterman said:


> Just saw a highlight of the TFC goal do they not have offsides in MLS?



Sure they do.



But that isn't offside.


----------



## Baxterman

chaosrevolver said:


> Sure they do.
> 
> 
> 
> But that isn't offside.





It sure looks offside in that replay but if MLS are happy with it then good for them.


----------



## maclean

Baxterman said:


> Just saw a highlight of the TFC goal do they not have offsides in MLS?




It was pretty close, I would say it could be called but I've seen worse that haven't


----------



## sabremike

berklon said:


> Toronto's drought finally ends... a well deserved championship for the city.



Uh, the Toronto Argonauts would like to have a word with you.

Edit: if you are referring to a drought in MLS (a whole 10 years) I wish I could stab you repeatedly with a fork.


----------



## berklon

sabremike said:


> Uh, the Toronto Argonauts would like to have a word with you.




What's a "Toronto Argonauts"?


----------



## varsaku

That crowd looked nuts after the second goal with all the flares


----------



## sabremike

berklon said:


> What's a "Toronto Argonauts"?



Depending on how you want to count the Hamilton mergers they are the oldest pro team of any code of football in North and South America.


----------



## varsaku

I am loving the coverage by TSN on MLS Cup


----------



## MrFunnyWobbl

Canada confirmed GOAT soccer country


----------



## Eye of Ra

NotMasonRaymond said:


> By the way, why are Seattle fans so cringe? I mean it seems to transcend sports...Seahawks fans are even worse. It's like a group of hipsters got together and watched Green Street Hooligans and then desperately failed at imitating them. It's so cringeworthy that I actually had to stop watching the video at certain points. I don't get why they're faking English accents too....it's so weird.





the ultras in usa is really nerdy compared to the ultras in europe/south america etc.


----------



## chaosrevolver

Those fans doing the anthem...chills.


----------



## Baxterman

NotMasonRaymond said:


> By the way, why are Seattle fans so cringe? I mean it seems to transcend sports...Seahawks fans are even worse. It's like a group of hipsters got together and watched Green Street Hooligans and then desperately failed at imitating them. It's so cringeworthy that I actually had to stop watching the video at certain points. I don't get why they're faking English accents too....it's so weird.





Are TO fans any better?

Flares and throwing stuff at players while taking corners?

As the title says with the Uniteds everything about the MLS is so pathetic wanna be European that I am not sure any pathetic aspect is better/worse than the others.


----------



## MapleLeafistan

Baxterman said:


> Are TO fans any better?
> 
> Flares and throwing stuff at players while taking corners?
> 
> As the title says with the Uniteds everything about the MLS is so pathetic wanna be European that I am not sure any pathetic aspect is better/worse than the others.





TFC supporters are first class. Loud and authentic...


----------



## MapleLeafistan

Eye of Ra said:


> the ultras in usa is really nerdy compared to the ultras in europe/south america etc.




Yeah...have you heard the This Is Atlanta chant? Jesus! Lol.


----------



## Eye of Ra

NotMasonRaymond said:


> Yeah...have you heard the This Is Atlanta chant? Jesus! Lol.


----------



## MapleLeafistan

Eye of Ra said:


>





Why would somebody actually upload this? I cringed so hard watching this...worse than the Seattle chants.


----------



## Dr Pepper

Just now got back from the game.

Wow.

What a feeling, after being at last year's heartbreaker.

Actually missed Jozy's goal because I was in the mile-long line for the bathroom. But I knew they'd add a second, and I was not disappointed. Seattle never seemed to generate much, from nearly the get-go it was just one TFC chance after another.

The GO train I took to the game had some loud Sounders fans on it.....I have to think it was a pretty quiet ride home for them.


----------



## Advanced stats

sabremike said:


> Uh, the Toronto Argonauts would like to have a word with you.
> .



Is that a sports team? #irrelevent


----------



## BKIslandersFan

berklon said:


> Toronto's drought finally ends... a well deserved championship for the city.



Isn't Toronto the last Canadian city with championship even before Toronto FC?

Or did Habs last Cup win come after Blue Jays?


----------



## maclean

Baxterman said:


> Are TO fans any better?
> 
> Flares and throwing stuff at players while taking corners?
> 
> As the title says with the Uniteds everything about the MLS is so pathetic wanna be European that I am not sure any pathetic aspect is better/worse than the others.




I was pretty impressed by the singing and fandom in general at the final. First MLS game I've watched though, so can't compare to elsewhere. Flares are part of football. Throwing stuff... well, I don't take part but if we're comparing, I would say it's 'authentic' anyhow.


----------



## MapleLeafistan

maclean said:


> I was pretty impressed by the singing and fandom in general at the final. First MLS game I've watched though, so can't compare to elsewhere. Flares are part of football. Throwing stuff... well, I don't take part but if we're comparing, I would say it's 'authentic' anyhow.




Throwing streamers (if that's what you mean by throwing stuff) has been part of TFC supporters culture since opening day. I'm surprised people are making such a big deal about it in 2017...it was a very big deal during TFC home games in the inaugural season (back in 2007) especially when LA came (with Beckham)...but MLS made it very clear they have no issue with the streamers.

They actually had a bigger problem with opening day and the seat cushions which people threw onto the pitch after Dichio scored...those are what MLS considered "projectiles" and MLS served TFC a notice (do's and dont's) of what is allowed and what isn't. TFC haven't had a problem since 2007 opening day.


----------



## MapleLeafistan

BKIslandersFan said:


> Isn't Toronto the last Canadian city with championship even before Toronto FC?
> Or did Habs last Cup win come after Blue Jays?




Habs won the cup in June 1993 I think.
Blue Jays won the World Series in October 1993.

Technically, Toronto is the last Canadian city to win a major sports championship by about a few months.


----------



## maclean

NotMasonRaymond said:


> Throwing streamers (if that's what you mean by throwing stuff) has been part of TFC supporters culture since opening day. I'm surprised people are making such a big deal about it in 2017...it was a very big deal during TFC home games in the inaugural season (back in 2007) especially when LA came (with Beckham)...but MLS made it very clear they have no issue with the streamers.
> 
> They actually had a bigger problem with opening day and the seat cushions which people threw onto the pitch after Dichio scored...those are what MLS considered "projectiles" and MLS served TFC a notice (do's and dont's) of what is allowed and what isn't. TFC haven't had a problem since 2007 opening day.




"Throwing stuff" was a quote from the previous poster. Not sure what he was referring to. Personally I am relatively used to the eventuality of a plastic cup or two being thrown when the ref's being a dick, though I vastly prefer when they're not full or at least don't spray beer over everyone.


----------



## Baxterman

my name is Bob said:


> Is that a sports team? #irrelevent




Are you really calling another team irrelevant in a MLS thread.

MLS is the very definition of irrelevant.


----------



## MapleLeafistan

Baxterman said:


> Are you really calling another team irrelevant in a MLS thread.
> 
> MLS is the very definition of irrelevant.




Then why are you posting in this thread then?


----------



## Baxterman

NotMasonRaymond said:


> Then why are you posting in this thread then?




Because I saw an offside goal and was wondering how in a final it was allowed to stand.

But that's fair enough I am more than fine not commenting on the MLS and ignoring. It has been tough with the way TSN has been shoving it down Canadians throats trying to hype up their team but I will go back to ignoring the MLS and leave its fans to discuss what they want.


----------



## Pouchkine

How about a fake goal in a Stanley Cup Final? Bring your trolling elsewhere.

People pay good money to see TFC play all year with 30K+ crowds while the Argos wouldn't even draw that many people if they paid them to come...


As an Impact fan I hate TFC and especially the cheating clown Giovinco (who proved again why he failed in Europe) but they played to win and they won, the crowd was great and Seattle did absolutely nothing. Overall the playoffs have been boring this year.


----------



## Advanced stats

Baxterman said:


> Are you really calling another team irrelevant in a MLS thread.
> 
> MLS is the very definition of irrelevant.



Shows all that you know about the MLS. You seriously ruined any chance of people taking you seriously.


----------



## sabremike

my name is Bob said:


> Shows all that you know about the MLS. You seriously ruined any chance of people taking you seriously.



I've been a Metro/Red Bulls STH since 2001 and will say that MLS is no more relevant in the US than the CFL is in Canada. If someone on the MetroFanatic board hadn't posted something I would've had no idea the final was taking place yesterday.


----------



## Advanced stats

sabremike said:


> I've been a Metro/Red Bulls STH since 2001 and will say that MLS is no more relevant in the US than the CFL is in Canada. If someone on the MetroFanatic board hadn't posted something I would've had no idea the final was taking place yesterday.



Could be, I just know that TFC drew 10 times the hype for their finals compared to the Argos.


----------



## Pouchkine

The CFL was more popular before, now it's mostly only in Regina...Like I said TFC has 30 000+ while the Argos have about 3000 fans per game showing up...


----------



## hatterson

MLS has pretty solid hardcore fans, but not a ton of reach outside of that.


----------



## Baxterman

Pouchkine said:


> The CFL was more popular before, now it's mostly only in Regina...Like I said TFC has 30 000+ while the Argos have about 3000 fans per game showing up...




The CFL does well in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Hamilton as well. 

Anyways as someone who started this off my point was calling the CFL irrelevant as an MLS fan is pretty hypocritical as overall both are pretty irrelevant in the sporting culture and definitely 2nd tier sports in Canada, Toronto included.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> The CFL was more popular before, now it's mostly only in Regina...Like I said TFC has 30 000+ while the Argos have about 3000 fans per game showing up...



The only teams in the CFL who don't draw are the Argos (because Toronto thinks they are "too good" for the CFL) and BC (Because they went into the toilet). Montreal is also struggling but that's because the team is a dumpster fire. Ottawa has never failed to sell out a game in their short history. My Cats usually sell out the Tim. The Alberta teams get good crowds. And Winnipeg also draws and have one of the nicest football stadiums on the continent.


----------



## sabremike

So the expansion protection lists came out and for Metro Connor Lade wasn't on it. Jesse Marsch has repeatedly said other teams have inquired about obtaining Lade. My question: knowing that they weren't going to protect him and lose him for nothing why wasn't he traded for MLS funny money? Unless there's some deal with LAFC under the table this makes no sense.


----------



## Pouchkine

Ottawa went from a 30k stadium to a 24k stadium, the same for Hamilton. Edmonton went from 40k average 10 years ago to probably under 30k now. Calgary never sells out and Winnipeg this year had many games with 10 000 empty seats. Montreal is in danger and for many years now have trouble getting 20k in a perfect downtown setting. The league is in a huge decline. Just look at the Grey Cups attendances for the last few years.

Ottawa had 50k in 2004 and barely 36k this year.
Toronto went from 53K to 31k last year.


----------



## Pouchkine

Soccer in on the rise, football not so much in Canada...The problem is that MLS just can't get it right.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> Ottawa went from a 30k stadium to a 24k stadium, the same for Hamilton. Edmonton went from 40k average 10 years ago to probably under 30k now. Calgary never sells out and Winnipeg this year had many games with 10 000 empty seats. Montreal is in danger and for many years now have trouble getting 20k in a perfect downtown setting. The league is in a huge decline. Just look at the Grey Cups attendances for the last few years.
> 
> Ottawa had 50k in 2004 and barely 36k this year.
> Toronto went from 53K to 31k last year.



Re: that last part: they took place in smaller stadiums. They easily could've done those bigger numbers in big stadiums. Hamilton and Ottawa both used to struggle to draw (Ottawa even folded before they came back with the RedBlacks, Hamilton came very close to doing likewise), Montreal drew before the team completely imploded into a sea of shit the past few years.


----------



## SJSharks72

Nagbe to Atlanta. I feel like they might sell Almiron now.


----------



## SJSharks72

LAFC’s expansion draft is today. Who’s getting picked?

My guess:
Asad or Ibarra, Alonso, Williams, Watson, and Lade

Other names to watch: Shelton, Powers, Gleeson/Attinella, Olum, Yura, Pelosi, Alfaro, Abdul-Salem, Laba, Techera, Shea

Here’s a list of the exposed players:
2017 MLS Expansion Draft protected and unprotected lists


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Am I the only one who doesn’t think MLS needs expansion draft considering the nature of the sport?


----------



## Big McLargehuge

You are not alone, but at least it's a minor part of the process.


----------



## Savant

SJSharks39 said:


> LAFC’s expansion draft is today. Who’s getting picked?
> 
> My guess:
> Asad or Ibarra, Alonso, Williams, Watson, and Lade
> 
> Other names to watch: Shelton, Powers, Gleeson/Attinella, Olum, Yura, Pelosi, Alfaro, Abdul-Salem, Laba, Techera, Shea
> 
> Here’s a list of the exposed players:
> 2017 MLS Expansion Draft protected and unprotected lists



Supposedly LAFC wants to trade them all for Garner bucks. 

Savant rule #1 of expansion draft is not to use an international slot.


----------



## Viqsi

SJSharks39 said:


> LAFC’s expansion draft is today. Who’s getting picked?
> 
> My guess:
> Asad or Ibarra, Alonso, Williams, Watson, and Lade
> 
> Other names to watch: Shelton, Powers, Gleeson/Attinella, Olum, Yura, Pelosi, Alfaro, Abdul-Salem, Laba, Techera, Shea
> 
> Here’s a list of the exposed players:
> 2017 MLS Expansion Draft protected and unprotected lists



So nice to see Williams exposed and Manneh on the protected list. Sigh.


----------



## SJSharks72

Savant said:


> Supposedly LAFC wants to trade them all for Garner bucks.
> 
> Savant rule #1 of expansion draft is not to use an international slot.



For the most part I agree but Asad is so good. Would look great with Vela who I’m assuming will be playing up top rather than out wide.


----------



## SJSharks72

Well I was entirely wrong

Tyler Miller
Latif Blessing
Marco Urena
Jukko Raittala
Raheem Edwards


----------



## Viqsi

Raittala? How the who the what the? Williams was right there, and instead they used an international slot on his backup of the same age?

What The Actual ****.

EDIT: Well, I guess I shouldn't complain. I mean, that means we don't lose a starter. But... seriously, WTF.


----------



## SJSharks72

Viqsi said:


> Raittala? How the who the what the? Williams was right there, and instead they used an international slot on his backup of the same age?
> 
> What The Actual ****.



It sounded like they wanted to use Raittala at fullback.


----------



## Viqsi

SJSharks39 said:


> It sounded like they wanted to use Raittala at fullback.



Yeah, Williams plays that too, though. So... I don't get it.


----------



## theaub

Raheem


----------



## SJSharks72

Viqsi said:


> Yeah, Williams plays that too, though. So... I don't get it.



Well this is why:

Edwards and Raittala traded to MTL for Ciman.

Wow though. A Zimmerman-Ciman pairing could be absolutely amazing.

Also looks like they are getting Diego Rossi from Penarol. How many forwards do they need? Vela, Urena, Blessing and now Rossi. They still have no midfield.


----------



## kingsboy11

Walker-Zimmerman and Ciman pairing vs Steres and Romney/Ciani. Galaxy better make some damn moves with the extra TAM or else we're going to get destroyed in their first season.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Draft a player and then trades him straight to the team's said rival. Sheesh.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Disappointed to see Blessing leave, the guy just loves life and is fun to watch. Not necessarily a huge loss, just a fun guy to watch play.

SKC are close to signing Yohan Croizet to a DP contract. He'll be the eventual replacement for Benny in the #10 role. SKC are looking to sign a total of 3 DP's.


----------



## sabremike

We are going to trade Sascha and use the money to bring in garbage from Austria or one of the Scandinavian leagues to replace him. Yay.


----------



## SJSharks72

Waiver draft today. Here’s the list of players available:

List of players eligible for 2017 MLS Waiver Draft

Three players stand out to me on that list: Kip Colvey, Omar Holness, and Antonio Nocerino.


----------



## Savant

Nagbe is going to Atlanta


----------



## Viqsi

So I start seeing these rumors of Ola Kamara possibly being sent to the Galaxy, and I think "oh, great, yeah, that'd be a real smart move, trading away the only guy that can finish".

Then I'm glancing on Twitter looking for trade info because some jerkass posted a fake RoR trade "confirmation", and I see "Crew has acquired [name lost in blur] from the LA Galaxy!"

Panic sets in... until I notice it's a minor trade of a fourth round SuperDraft pick for a depth goaltender.

...
...this Precourt madness has left me entirely too jumpy w/r/t anything and everything to do with this team.


----------



## kingsboy11

Savant said:


> Nagbe is going to Atlanta






I think Barco going to Atlanta is bigger than Nagbe. I guess it shows just how much pull Tata Martino really has. The attacking options that he has is ridiculous. Villalba, Asad, Almiron, Martinez, and now Nagbe and Barco.


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> I think Barco going to Atlanta is bigger than Nagbe. I guess it shows just how much pull Tata Martino really has. The attacking options that he has is ridiculous. Villalba, Asad, Almiron, Martinez, and now Nagbe and Barco.




So how do they play now? 442? 352?


----------



## KingLB

kingsboy11 said:


> I think Barco going to Atlanta is bigger than Nagbe. I guess it shows just how much pull Tata Martino really has. The attacking options that he has is ridiculous. Villalba, Asad, Almiron, Martinez, and now Nagbe and Barco.





Easily bigger. But I think Asad is done in ATL. Still haven't picked up his option, and rumor has it, his dad will become coach of the team he is on loan from. Still wouldn't be shocked if Almiron moved this winter as well.


----------



## John Pedro

Brace yourself, MLS defenders.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Atlanta is going to destroy teams next season.


----------



## Pouchkine

Yeah just like this year?


----------



## East Coast Bias

NYCFC's stadium bid for Belmont fails as they lose out to the Islanders.

Go to New Haven.


----------



## kingsboy11

Pouchkine said:


> Yeah just like this year?




Well they did pretty well. Sounders fans may not like it, but Atlanta probably had a better MLS seasoon debut than they did.

Nashville awarded an MLS team.


----------



## varsaku

I feel Sacramento will be the second team. Cincinnati will join in the next round of expansion only after Columbus moves to Austin.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Nashville just feels random. There's enough space in the market for a team to carve out their niche, but I thought we were supposed to be getting markets with an established fan base...good old MLS, changing what they want on the whims of a dollar.

Here's hoping Sacramento is the second team...but we shall see.


----------



## sabremike

Re: expansion: my friend nailed it when he said MLS was essentially a ponzi scheme.


----------



## HonestBender27

Big McLargehuge said:


> Nashville just feels random. There's enough space in the market for a team to carve out their niche, but I thought we were supposed to be getting markets with an established fan base...good old MLS, changing what they want on the whims of a dollar.
> 
> Here's hoping Sacramento is the second team...but we shall see.




The Metros had fantastic support for a long time and Nashville SC current enjoys a high level. 

Nashville also hosts international games almost annually and draws over 50k each time. 

There is a huge immigrant population here and mostly centered around the new stadium location. It's going to be a huge hit here.


----------



## kingsboy11

I was skeptical at first, but it seems like Nashville has the ownership and the stadium plan and with the international games that were held here. And since we are primarily a hockey forum we all saw how Nashville reacted with the All-Star game and then subsequently the Predators when they made their playoff run last season. I know nothing about Nashville in general, but it seems like the city is on the way to becoming a major sports town. 

I want Sacramento to join because they have been in this fight for years now and I feel like they deserve it with all their support in the USL the past several years. But Garber and MLS may feel Cincinnati could feel the void that Ohio void if Columbus leaves. 

I may also be a selfish Californian who wants more California teams for more rivalries. May also get the Galaxy to get off their lazy asses to actually stay the best team in California.


----------



## bleedblue1223

sabremike said:


> Re: expansion: my friend nailed it when he said MLS was essentially a ponzi scheme.



Not sure your friend knows what a ponzi scheme is.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Nashville has been strongly behind the Preds for a long time now, a soccer team will be a huge success as the city continues to grow.


----------



## KingLB

Big McLargehuge said:


> Nashville just feels random. There's enough space in the market for a team to carve out their niche, but I thought we were supposed to be getting markets with an established fan base...good old MLS, changing what they want on the whims of a dollar.
> 
> Here's hoping Sacramento is the second team...but we shall see.




Meh Atl and NYCFC vs Orl and Minny...the "established market" may be unnecessary at this point.



kingsboy11 said:


> I was skeptical at first, but it seems like Nashville has the ownership and the stadium plan and with the international games that were held here. And since we are primarily a hockey forum we all saw how Nashville reacted with the All-Star game and then subsequently the Predators when they made their playoff run last season. I know nothing about Nashville in general, but it seems like the city is on the way to becoming a major sports town.
> 
> I want Sacramento to join because they have been in this fight for years now and I feel like they deserve it with all their support in the USL the past several years. But Garber and MLS may feel Cincinnati could feel the void that Ohio void if Columbus leaves.
> 
> I may also be a selfish Californian who wants more California teams for more rivalries. May also get the Galaxy to get off their lazy asses to actually stay the best team in California.




I am not a fan of Sac town. They may be good for the league today, but doesn't move the needle for the league 10+ years down the road when you need major markets. SD>>> imo.



bleedblue1223 said:


> Not sure your friend knows what a ponzi scheme is.




That much is obvious.


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> I was skeptical at first, but it seems like Nashville has the ownership and the stadium plan and with the international games that were held here. And since we are primarily a hockey forum we all saw how Nashville reacted with the All-Star game and then subsequently the Predators when they made their playoff run last season. I know nothing about Nashville in general, but it seems like the city is on the way to becoming a major sports town.
> 
> I want Sacramento to join because they have been in this fight for years now and I feel like they deserve it with all their support in the USL the past several years. But Garber and MLS may feel Cincinnati could feel the void that Ohio void if Columbus leaves.
> 
> I may also be a selfish Californian who wants more California teams for more rivalries. May also get the Galaxy to get off their lazy asses to actually stay the best team in California.



I agree about Sac. Only because I’ve been watching them since the beginning and because they’re 30 minutes away. Definitely need a new stadium first though.


----------



## kingsboy11

KingLB said:


> I am not a fan of Sac town. They may be good for the league today, but doesn't move the needle for the league 10+ years down the road when you need major markets. SD>>> imo.




The selfish Californian in me also wants San Diego.  I will agree that San Diego is the bigger and better market. And especially since it could fill a void that the Chargers left.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

So...what do we call Nashville Atlanta derby? Redneck Derby?


----------



## Viqsi

kingsboy11 said:


> But Garber and MLS may feel Cincinnati could feel the void that Ohio void if Columbus leaves.



That's a miscalculation if they do feel that way.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Re: expansion: my friend nailed it when he said MLS was essentially a ponzi scheme.



NASL is closer to being a ponzi scheme than MLS is.


----------



## sabremike

bleedblue1223 said:


> Not sure your friend knows what a ponzi scheme is.



If you don't see expansion fees are the prime revenue of the league (which is why MLS is going to be the largest top flight league on earth and we keep getting a million expansion teams) than I can't help you.


----------



## bleedblue1223

sabremike said:


> If you don't see expansion fees are the prime revenue of the league (which is why MLS is going to be the largest top flight league on earth and we keep getting a million expansion teams) than I can't help you.




That doesn't make it a ponzi scheme. Comparing the MLS to other leagues, isn't as simple as that. Leagues around the world don't have the quantity of quality markets to expand to like MLS with the US and Canada.

A ponzi scheme would be using expansion fees purely as a way to pay off debt. Expanding too fast or too big might not be the best decision, but it's not close to being a ponzi scheme.


----------



## Ar-too

Viqsi said:


> That's a miscalculation if they do feel that way.



This. The rest of Ohio is somewhat separate from Cincy, culturally, which works in two ways here. Ohio won't adopt Cincinnati as a replacement, and Cincinnati won't really care about Columbus moving, so the ill will moving the Crew would generate won't have much negative effect, but replacing them with Cincinnati won't do anything to remedy it either.

To clarify: generally, Clevelanders care about Ohio State football and basketball, whereas, Cincinnati cares about University of Cincinnati and Xavier way more than they care about the Buckeyes.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

I 100% believe Garber & Co. see Cincinnati as a Ohio replacement (and don't want 2 teams in that state that close to each other), and I 100% agree with Viqsi & Ar-too that that will be a massive mistake.

There's a level of Ohio unity between Cleveland and Columbus, but Cincinnati is basically on an island between Ohio & Kentucky.


----------



## Viqsi

Big McLargehuge said:


> I 100% believe Garber & Co. see Cincinnati as a Ohio replacement (and don't want 2 teams in that state that close to each other), and I 100% agree with Viqsi & Ar-too that that will be a massive mistake.
> 
> There's a level of Ohio unity between Cleveland and Columbus, but Cincinnati is basically on an island between Ohio & Kentucky.



Yep. It'd be like suggesting one could replace RBNY and NYCFC by putting a team in Albany.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Except Cincinnati has proven to be a quality market for expansion on its own.


----------



## Ar-too

bleedblue1223 said:


> Except Cincinnati has proven to be a quality market for expansion on its own.



This can also be true, btw. I just think that evaluating Cincinnati on its own is the only valid way to evaluate it, regardless of where the Crew end up.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Ar-too said:


> This can also be true, btw. I just think that evaluating Cincinnati on its own is the only valid way to evaluate it, regardless of where the Crew end up.



And who says they aren't? I don't see why they wouldn't want 2 teams in Ohio if the Columbus situation was stable. It would be like having 2 teams in Missouri if the STL group actually followed through.


----------



## Viqsi

bleedblue1223 said:


> And who says they aren't? I don't see why they wouldn't want 2 teams in Ohio if the Columbus situation was stable. It would be like having 2 teams in Missouri if the STL group actually followed through.



Keep in mind that the only reason the situation in Columbus can be said to be in any way "unstable" is due to active, deliberate sabotage from Anthony Precourt and Don Garber.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

bleedblue1223 said:


> And who says they aren't? I don't see why they wouldn't want 2 teams in Ohio if the Columbus situation was stable. It would be like having 2 teams in Missouri if the STL group actually followed through.




Distance is a big factor in this. Missouri is like Pennsylvania - two big cities on either side with something completely different (and generally sparsely populated) in the middle, making a single 'state' team essentially impossible. Columbus is a major metropolitan area smack dab in the middle of Ohio, the equivalent of State College or Jefferson City being a similar size as their western counterpart, and I can see that as a selling point in that market that would scare the league and potential investors/owners from going with one of the other two. To put it another way using these same examples: I doubt anyone's first argument against Pittsburgh getting a team would be 'Pennsylvania already has one', because the team in Pennsylvania is a 6 hour drive from the market in question. That will be an argument when that drive is <2 hours.

Then again, trying to guess what the MLS is ever thinking is a fool's errand, so whatever happens...happens. All I know is that if the Crew had local owners who cared more about Columbus itself, this would be a total non-issue. I see no good reason why Columbus can't be a successful long-term market in this league, but MLS gonna MLS.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Feilhaber to LAFC for 400k allocation money.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Not sure what to make of Kljestan to Orlando. He should be able to replace what we lose in Kaka, I think he'll do even better as Kaka was a bit of a disappointment anyway. He's a great passer and we need to get Dwyer the ball so the offense should be there. I just don't like the fact he's 32, can't see him lasting more than a couple of years, would've preferred someone a bit younger. The players we gave up are young but still all potential and not sure they reach it. Rivas is too inconsistent and was being taking up a DP spot so good to have him gone. Redding is a local kid which sucks and could be a top CB in this league, we need good defenders too. We just suck at coaching up defenders that I don't think we could've got the most out of him and for his sake NY does much better at that.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

The Galaxy are still sitting with 0 signed goalies. Bold strategy.

At least Cole will be back. Give that man the armband and grovel at his feet for an apology for giving it to Jermaine Jones for a millisecond.

Suffice to say my opinion on Cole has done a 180 since before he signed in LA...really was the only likable thing about the team last year. The only pedigreed European import for the Galaxy that has truly ingrained himself in the community while being the best player at his position in the league.

Of course without any goalies or strikers this is quite meaningless.


----------



## kingsboy11

Big McLargehuge said:


> The Galaxy are still sitting with 0 signed goalies. Bold strategy.
> 
> At least Cole will be back. Give that man the armband and grovel at his feet for an apology for giving it to Jermaine Jones for a millisecond.
> 
> Suffice to say my opinion on Cole has done a 180 since before he signed in LA...really was the only likable thing about the team last year. The only pedigreed European import for the Galaxy that has truly ingrained himself in the community while being the best player at his position in the league.
> 
> Of course without any goalies or strikers this is quite meaningless.




Definitely agreed on Cole. Seemed like he was the only one who cared at times last year. But it's pointless if we have no goalie or strikers. LAFC is taking us to school in every facet so far


----------



## kingsboy11

And it looks like Ezequiel Barco to Atlanta is done. Tata Martino must have serious pull to be able to pull this move off. If/when they do sell him on I'm curious to see how much he'll go for.


----------



## Cassano

Big McLargehuge said:


> The Galaxy are still sitting with 0 signed goalies. Bold strategy.
> 
> At least Cole will be back. Give that man the armband and grovel at his feet for an apology for giving it to Jermaine Jones for a millisecond.
> 
> Suffice to say my opinion on Cole has done a 180 since before he signed in LA...really was the only likable thing about the team last year. The only pedigreed European import for the Galaxy that has truly ingrained himself in the community while being the best player at his position in the league.
> 
> Of course without any goalies or strikers this is quite meaningless.



I remember the vitriol thrown at him when he initially signed for them. He was still good enough for European football at the time of the signing. He was just always injured.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

A ton of that vitriol was coming from me.

Actions speak louder than words, though, and Cole had dutifily won me over and I respect the shit out of him for doing so. Unfortunately he's been about the only thing that has been a pleasant surprise the past couple years for the Galaxy.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Indy Eleven off to USL with NCFC. Stick the fork in NASL, they are done.


----------



## chasespace

Miami FC in talks with USL to switch leagues. Supposedly they have until Monday to decide but it's unclear if they have by Monday to decide if they'll play in the USL in 2018 or if they'll join the league at all.


----------



## chasespace

Besiktas announces Larin has signed, Orlando comes out and says Larin is still under contract and will be fighting the transfer, issue is what they're fighting for is the club-only option year on Larin's contract which FIFA refuses to recognize. 

Orlando is probably just wanting to fight for some kind of fee but if this goes to the court of arbitration FIFA will rule in favor of Larin and if the MLS comes in saying that the club-option years were agreed upon in the CBA(as people have been speculating they'll use as a defense) FIFA could threaten them to strike them all out completely or lose their sanctioning as a FIFA league.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

chasespace said:


> Miami FC in talks with USL to switch leagues. Supposedly they have until Monday to decide but it's unclear if they have by Monday to decide if they'll play in the USL in 2018 or if they'll join the league at all.




Doesn't that sort of mean getting in to bed with MLS?

Silva should drop the lawsuit and join Beckham and bring Miami FC to MLS.


----------



## Elliman

Barco to MLS is seriously fantastic news for the league. Keep growing nice and steady. Can’t wait until the league gets secure enough to really expand the cap and start getting some high end talent in prime years. Hopefully in my lifetime it happens.


----------



## Viqsi

Elliman said:


> Barco to MLS is seriously fantastic news for the league. Keep growing nice and steady. Can’t wait until the league gets secure enough to really expand the cap and start getting some high end talent in prime years. Hopefully in my lifetime it happens.



I wish I could be happy about this, but right now I'm waiting to see if we lose both Kamara and Meram a year early because f***ing Precourt.

Getting harder and harder to maintain interest in domestic soccer in any capacity. Every bit of general good news for the league just feels like another twist of the knife.


----------



## HoseEmDown

chasespace said:


> Besiktas announces Larin has signed, Orlando comes out and says Larin is still under contract and will be fighting the transfer, issue is what they're fighting for is the club-only option year on Larin's contract which FIFA refuses to recognize.
> 
> Orlando is probably just wanting to fight for some kind of fee but if this goes to the court of arbitration FIFA will rule in favor of Larin and if the MLS comes in saying that the club-option years were agreed upon in the CBA(as people have been speculating they'll use as a defense) FIFA could threaten them to strike them all out completely or lose their sanctioning as a FIFA league.




Of course they want a fee, he's their best player and most valuable piece. You can't just let him go for free. They would've sold him in the summer before that happened. He and his agent know what kind of contract he has, what generation Adidas player or top pick was just allowed to leave for free in a couple of years?


----------



## varsaku

LAFC has 11 players on their roster with only a little over a week left before training camp starts. This seems like a bit too much to wait this long to get a full team together. Their bench options are going to be crap.


----------



## codswallop

kingsboy11 said:


> And it looks like Ezequiel Barco to Atlanta is done. Tata Martino must have serious pull to be able to pull this move off. If/when they do sell him on I'm curious to see how much he'll go for.





I'm hoping Martino stays a while and keeps these young players coming in on a conveyor belt, because I'm afraid we'll only get 2-3 years max before a better offer comes along for the Almiron-Martinez-Barco types. The academy looks solid and very well run but way too early to tell if it will produce any young/local talent.


----------



## Dominator13

So who between Villalba, Martinez and Almiron leaves to fit Barco as the 3rd DP?


----------



## bleedblue1223

Pax Macioretty said:


> So who between Villalba, Martinez and Almiron leaves to fit Barco as the 3rd DP?




None, they'll just use allocation money.


----------



## Dominator13

bleedblue1223 said:


> None, they'll just use allocation money.



On who?


----------



## SJSharks72

Pax Macioretty said:


> On who?



I believe Villalba is able to be bought down


----------



## Evilo

A former student of mine, Paul Marie, got drafted 12th in the MLS draft.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Well, the Galaxy have definitely fixed the depth problem on defense at least.

Now if we had a striker this may actually be a team.


----------



## Live in the Now

Evilo said:


> A former student of mine, Paul Marie, got drafted 12th in the MLS draft.




San Jose needed defenders, and I see he plays right back. He will probably immediately get to play some. San Jose isn't the kind of team that goes and signs old players to retirement contracts.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Big McLargehuge said:


> Well, the Galaxy have definitely fixed the depth problem on defense at least.
> 
> Now if we had a striker this may actually be a team.






Well that was quick.

Solid off-season, Sigi.


----------



## kingsboy11

Big McLargehuge said:


> Well that was quick.
> 
> Solid off-season, Sigi.





Sad to see Gyasi go, but he lost his game when Keane left. Hopefully he gets a fresh start. Have to assume Kamara and Allessandrini are good for at least 20 goals between the two and then whatever Gio does will be gravy. Midfield looks 10x better than last year, actually have a decent striker, an actual MLS starting keeper. While the defensive depth has improved, it's still not great and with lots of unknowns. Cautiously optimistic, but still not completely sold.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

I could see that competing. We'll see, either way that looks a billion times better than what it did a year ago.

Losing Gyasi stings, but it was in the best interest of both the club and Zardes himself. He really needs a change of scenery, and I do think he'll rebound solidly. Losing Keane hurt a lot, but Gio & Gyasi flat-out do not work together and only one of them was realistically movable.


----------



## Viqsi

Big McLargehuge said:


> Well that was quick.
> 
> Solid off-season, Sigi.




Wunderfubar.

Well. Hope he does well for you guys and thereby gets the recognition he deserves. Would be nice if *some*thing good comes out of this bull****.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Live in the Now said:


> San Jose needed defenders, and I see he plays right back. He will probably immediately get to play some. San Jose isn't the kind of team that goes and signs old players to retirement contracts.




Nick Lima is their RB, he was just called into the US National Team Camp. It might be hard to break in at that position.


----------



## varsaku

Premier League transfer news: Stoke City make transfer bid for New York City FC's Jack Harrison | Goal.com



> Stoke City has tabled a $4.5 million offer for the New York City FC midfielder, multiple sources have confirmed to Goal. The offer, which includes incentives that could push it to $6 million, is an improved bid made after NYCFC turned down an initial $3 million offer last week.






> Sources tell Goal that NYCFC is open to selling Harrison for the right price, with recent comments Reyna made about selling players seeming to support that belief.




I feel like if they waited till the summer window they could get more for him. However, they could get a little bit more out of Stoke if they are wanting to sell him now since Stoke are desperate to try any thing to avoid relegation.


----------



## chasespace

varsaku said:


> Premier League transfer news: Stoke City make transfer bid for New York City FC's Jack Harrison | Goal.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I feel like if they waited till the summer window they could get more for him. However, they could get a little bit more out of Stoke if they are wanting to sell him now since Stoke are desperate to try any thing to avoid relegation.




They could probably get more for him in the summer but due to MLS being MLS teams retain a higher percentage of transfers made in the winter.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Viqsi said:


> Wunderfubar.
> 
> Well. Hope he does well for you guys and thereby gets the recognition he deserves. Would be nice if *some*thing good comes out of this bull****.




If used properly I fully expect a major bounce-back from Zardes, and he's a world class guy who the fans should love...but yeah, that was poor trade value there considering Zardes was effectively a bench player for the Galaxy because of Gio and the formation.

Chris Pontius added since the deal, too. Aside from some absurdly shallow depth up front, the Galaxy are loaded in the midfield. I'm shocked we were able to keep Boateng in the Kamara trade. Pontius would have been a solid fall-back option there, instead he's just extra depth. Figured he'd go to LAFC considering he seemed intent on returning closer to home, but I won't complain. Not after the pathetic depth we had at every position last year.


----------



## Cloned

TFC sign van der Wiel.


----------



## Fro

Just catching up on the week, was in Vegas, the crew deal for kamara is great for the crew if kamara is a system player.

Using the tam for the LB we got was good business...will be interesting who we get to play up top. If meram is traded, I would guess that's the deal to get a striker, so it's not Adam jahn. 

I love to hear Precourt is now talking to Columbus investors, even if he's using it to pressure Austin into a decision...maybe save the crew is working...


----------



## Viqsi

Fro said:


> Just catching up on the week, was in Vegas, the crew deal for kamara is great for the crew if kamara is a system player.
> 
> Using the tam for the LB we got was good business...will be interesting who we get to play up top. If meram is traded, I would guess that's the deal to get a striker, so it's not Adam jahn.
> 
> I love to hear Precourt is now talking to Columbus investors, even if he's using it to pressure Austin into a decision...maybe save the crew is working...



Enh. I'm not all that thrilled with Zardes. I'd be willing to be proven wrong, but it's difficult for me to muster my usual optimism in the face of the relocation threat.

I'm not going to assume anything comes of MLS's current tone shift unless and until that February "no parkland allowed" resolution passes in Austin.


----------



## KingLB

varsaku said:


> Premier League transfer news: Stoke City make transfer bid for New York City FC's Jack Harrison | Goal.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I feel like if they waited till the summer window they could get more for him. However, they could get a little bit more out of Stoke if they are wanting to sell him now since Stoke are desperate to try any thing to avoid relegation.






chasespace said:


> They could probably get more for him in the summer but due to MLS being MLS teams retain a higher percentage of transfers made in the winter.




The problem with selling in the summer, is it is hard to justify selling one of your best players heading into the playoffs. You could "replace" but than that player has to drop into a league in midseason and its hard to acclimate in time to make up the difference.


----------



## chasespace

KingLB said:


> The problem with selling in the summer, is it is hard to justify selling one of your best players heading into the playoffs. You could "replace" but than that player has to drop into a league in midseason and its hard to acclimate in time to make up the difference.




That's definitely a factor but most teams would make far more from selling a player of Harrison's caliber than making a deep run in the playoffs, money will always win out.


----------



## SJSharks72

Don’t see this anywhere here looks like Altidore might be going to Mexico with America.


----------



## SJSharks72

Miami FC is official


----------



## BKIslandersFan

SJSharks39 said:


> Miami FC is official



No start day, no logo, how do we actually know it’s official?


----------



## SJSharks72

BKIslandersFan said:


> No start day, no logo, how do we actually know it’s official?



Because it was officially announced as an expansion...


----------



## Cloned

Zlatan coming to the Galaxy it seems.


----------



## SJSharks72

Cloned said:


> Zlatan coming to the Galaxy it seems.



I'm actually very surprised by this. If I remember right, Ola Kamara has a pretty big contract so paying two starting strikers when they already have such a great front line makes no sense. Obviously you need some cover but there are plenty of cheaper players that can provide that. Unless they are planning on playing a 3-5-2, which even then doesn't make sense. It seems that they are just getting a bunch of high profile players and going to throw them together and see what happens.

Zlatan-Kamara
Dos Santos-Alessandrini-Dos Santos-Lleget
Kitchen
Steres-Feltscher-Cole?

Looks great offensively but they're letting in a crap ton of goals.


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

BKIslandersFan said:


> No start day, no logo, how do we actually know it’s official?



2020, SAME AS Nashville


----------



## SJSharks72

Meram to ORL

Going to have an interesting team next year


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> I'm actually very surprised by this. If I remember right, Ola Kamara has a pretty big contract so paying two starting strikers when they already have such a great front line makes no sense. Obviously you need some cover but there are plenty of cheaper players that can provide that. Unless they are planning on playing a 3-5-2, which even then doesn't make sense. It seems that they are just getting a bunch of high profile players and going to throw them together and see what happens.
> 
> Zlatan-Kamara
> Dos Santos-Alessandrini-Dos Santos-Lleget
> Kitchen
> Steres-Feltscher-Cole?
> 
> Looks great offensively but they're letting in a crap ton of goals.




Unfortunately, I think Lletget takes a seat, at least from the onset. He'll be the first one to start when Zlatan inevitably needs some games off or anyone else gets hurt, but I think we see this front 6 from the start:

Zlatan-Kamara
Ale-------GDS
-----Jona-----
----Kitchen---


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Zlatan's personality will be terrific for MLS. Forget his on field ability alone, which I still think he has something left to offer for LA.


----------



## kingsboy11

A one legged Ibra would've been better than Zardes last season. I'm not sure how we'd be able to fit him into the lineup, much less actually make the deal go through as he'd probably be the highest paid player in the league. But if the deal goes through we'd most likely pair him up top with Kamara. We traded one of our faces of the franchise and local hero in Zardes for Kamara so he's going to play. Its just everywhere else is where things get interesting. Allessandrini and both Dos Santos brothers are going to play, Kitchen is likely to play as well. 

So we could see 
Ibra-Kamara
Allesandrini-Kitchen-J. DS- G. DS.

The issue that I see is that this would require Gio to be relied upon defensively a bit more which is not something I want to do. I feel Gio would be better higher up the field and just rely on Jonathan and Kitchen as the midfield. I'm not sure about this. I'd welcome Ibra easily as he would be the one of the best players in the league when healthy, but saying that its hard to slot him in and keep all our best players on the field at the same time.


----------



## Panteras

SJSharks39 said:


> Miami FC is official




I'm excited, even though I live in Seattle and there's a good team here I'm from Miami so finally a team I can truly cheer from the heart and watch the MLS


----------



## Viqsi

SJSharks39 said:


> Meram to ORL
> 
> Going to have an interesting team next year



And we get a bunch of allocation money that I'm quite sure will be used for **** all because you need to be able to bring in significant players for that **** to be useful, and that requires the cooperation of MLS, and if it wasn't clear MLS hates the very idea of the Crew before it's even more blatantly obvious in recent months.

**** everything.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

kingsboy11 said:


> A one legged Ibra would've been better than Zardes last season. I'm not sure how we'd be able to fit him into the lineup, much less actually make the deal go through as he'd probably be the highest paid player in the league. But if the deal goes through we'd most likely pair him up top with Kamara. We traded one of our faces of the franchise and local hero in Zardes for Kamara so he's going to play. Its just everywhere else is where things get interesting. Allessandrini and both Dos Santos brothers are going to play, Kitchen is likely to play as well.
> 
> So we could see
> Ibra-Kamara
> Allesandrini-Kitchen-J. DS- G. DS.
> 
> The issue that I see is that this would require Gio to be relied upon defensively a bit more which is not something I want to do. I feel Gio would be better higher up the field and just rely on Jonathan and Kitchen as the midfield. I'm not sure about this. I'd welcome Ibra easily as he would be the one of the best players in the league when healthy, but saying that its hard to slot him in and keep all our best players on the field at the same time.



I have to say, Galaxy is responding well to the arrival of LAFC.


----------



## SJSharks72

BKIslandersFan said:


> I have to say, Galaxy is responding well to the arrival of LAFC.



I agree. If they can find chemistry, they can be one of the best and most entertaining teams this season. If not though, they could be one of the most infuriating.


----------



## kingsboy11

BKIslandersFan said:


> I have to say, Galaxy is responding well to the arrival of LAFC.




Signing Ibra would definitely take the spotlight off them. I'm still skeptical though. Maybe its just because last season left such a bitter taste in my mouth. The defense still needs some work I think. While its definitely improved, its a lot of unknowns. Have a feeling we may sign another CB or RB soon.


----------



## bleedblue1223

SKC are starting to sign a lot of players now, just signed Johnny Russell from the Championship and Felipe Gutierrez who was last with Real Betis and Internacional on loan. Just need another #9 option, and they will be strong again.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Gregory van der Wiel joins TFC.


----------



## Viqsi

If Ibrahimovic ends up signing with the Galaxy after they traded for Kamara I am going to set the world on fire.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

The LAFC regional broadcast deal is ridiculous. They will only air Spanish language telecast on TV and English broadcast will be on Youtube TV. I understand cost cutters and all but internet streaming is still terrible.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. MLS is not ready for this, NBA isn’t ready for this.


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

BKIslandersFan said:


> The LAFC regional broadcast deal is ridiculous. They will only air Spanish language telecast on TV and English broadcast will be on Youtube TV. I understand cost cutters and all but internet streaming is still terrible.
> 
> Stupid, stupid, stupid. MLS is not ready for this, NBA isn’t ready for this.



better than Chivas


----------



## BKIslandersFan

CHRDANHUTCH said:


> better than Chivas




None at all?


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

BKIslandersFan said:


> None at all?



you do realize LAFC, is the successor to CHIVAS


----------



## BKIslandersFan

CHRDANHUTCH said:


> you do realize LAFC, is the successor to CHIVAS




I don't consider them a successor at all. I know a lot of their old fans support LAFC now but thats about it.


----------



## sabremike

The Kaku transfer from Hurrican to the Red Bulls, IT'S HAPPENING!!! After all the insane corruption with his disgusting agents it's a minor miracle.


----------



## Howie Hodge

*Successor/
: someone or something that follows and takes the job, place, or position that was held by another: *
*
-*Cambridge dictionary.


Whether or not LAFC are the successor to Chivas is a matter of semantics.

But as MLS purchased the rights the Chivas USA in 2014, and sold the rights to LAFC, one could argue they are, and we can't say they're wrong.

I wouldn't have considered them successors to Chivas; but I guess I may, by definition, have to now....


----------



## Big McLargehuge

No Angeleno considers them the successor to Chivas. As you said, it's just an argument about semantics, but LAFC is a legitimate franchise; Chivas was a sideshow.

Honestly...I kinda wish I could trade the local team's TV deals. SportsNet LA is one of three channels preventing me from cutting the cord...but I'm probably in the minority there.


----------



## gphr513

The Loons are trying to sign 20-year old Nicolas Benedetti from Colombia. 

A couple days ago it appeared to be dead, but our director Manny Lagos is down in Colombia to hammer out a deal right now. It's been kind of a roller coaster today, at first it looked like the deal was as good as done. The numbers being thrown around were $6m for 60% of his rights (essentially means a 40% sell-on clause, from what I can tell)

Now it appears that Deportivo Cali, Benedetti's club, is doing some posturing saying the deal is not done and they will not accept it. Feels like they're trying to bleed more money out of us.


----------



## Viqsi

Sooooo it looks like the plan over here is to use Zardes as a striker.

I didn't think he could play that role. Can he play that role? He didn't seem to be doing that in LA...


----------



## bleedblue1223

Viqsi said:


> Sooooo it looks like the plan over here is to use Zardes as a striker.
> 
> I didn't think he could play that role. Can he play that role? He didn't seem to be doing that in LA...




He's played it in the past.


----------



## kingsboy11

Viqsi said:


> Sooooo it looks like the plan over here is to use Zardes as a striker.
> 
> I didn't think he could play that role. Can he play that role? He didn't seem to be doing that in LA...




He can play it, but when he's at his best he usually had a pretty good strike partner.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Viqsi said:


> Sooooo it looks like the plan over here is to use Zardes as a striker.
> 
> I didn't think he could play that role. Can he play that role? He didn't seem to be doing that in LA...




He can, but he needs a partner for it to work, which is why he's struggled so much in the post-Keane era.

That said, Zardes' struggles last year were more of a product of a directionless team than he was a cause of the problems. He struggled, but he was put in an awful situation with no help to speak of and then things just kinda snowballed. Getting away from Gio should help his game by itself, those two paired together as well as water & oil.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## BKIslandersFan

Probably doesn't say too much about their future in Columbus but its not a bad sign, to say the least.


----------



## sabremike

Signing of Kaku from Hurican by Metro is now official! #HolaKaku #NYISRED


----------



## Fro

Still think Crew need a striker to play with/above Zardes, but that Martinez chip on Guzan was beautiful!!!!


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Viqsi said:


> And we get a bunch of allocation money that I'm quite sure will be used for **** all because you need to be able to bring in significant players for that **** to be useful, and that requires the cooperation of MLS, and if it wasn't clear MLS hates the very idea of the Crew before it's even more blatantly obvious in recent months.
> 
> **** everything.



It looks less and less likely that Austin is going to happen though.


----------



## Viqsi

BKIslandersFan said:


> It looks less and less likely that Austin is going to happen though.



We should be so lucky.

Current developments are less "it's not going to happen" and more "it's not 100% inevitable; more like 90-95%". Precourt really badly wants a new stadium somehow, yet there's very little appetite for public funding of any sports venues here (unless it's Ohio State). If he really does prefer Austin because it's Austin rather than because he thinks he has a better chance of a stadium deal there, we're still screwed. (If, however, the attraction is that Austin has no pro teams and so he figured they'd be more willing to deal, there's hope. Maybe.)


----------



## East Coast Bias

NYRB playing Honduran team Olimpio on neutral ground in Costa Rica after Olimpio fans threw fireworks at opposing players in their last home game. 

Seattle up 1-0 early.


----------



## SJSharks72

Seattle has looked bad all game and now they’re down 2-1. Granted half of their starters were left at home but they need a new striker. Morris has been bad. Bring Mayan (the Santa Tecla striker) here. He’s looked really good.


----------



## Viqsi

I can't decide if I'm liking what I'm seeing from Valenzuela or worrying about his mistakes. It's so confusing.


----------



## Fro

i like him...i like the set up of the team...

i HATE PSV sending out an Austin statement during a STH event...but sounds like the STH got the last laugh with a Save the Crew chant at the event that Crew officials were made nervous by. This whole thing is such a joke, Precourt trying to save face and keeps getting the land he values taken away from him by the ppl of Austin...


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Fro said:


> i like him...i like the set up of the team...
> 
> i HATE PSV sending out an Austin statement during a STH event...but sounds like the STH got the last laugh with a Save the Crew chant at the event that Crew officials were made nervous by. This whole thing is such a joke, Precourt trying to save face and keeps getting the land he values taken away from him by the ppl of Austin...



Its time for Don Garber to pull the plug on Austin. Honestly if you are gonna move the team make sure the stadium deal is DONE behind the scene.


----------



## robertmac43

TFC resign Morrow to a multi year deal. Liking that TFC will be keeping the main group together.


----------



## sabremike

Metro beats Olimpia of Honduras and advance to the quarterfinals where we will face Tijuana. ¡Vamos Metro!


----------



## SJSharks72

The ref in the Seattle game and Santa Tecla are an embarrassment to this sport. Cheap f***ers


----------



## Viqsi

Bohls: Crew owner Precourt remains committed to Austin move


> Anthony Precourt’s mind is made up. He’s found his city.
> 
> Now he just has to find a site.






> And Precourt isn’t the least bit interested in selling the franchise he has owned since 2013.
> 
> “I’m not a seller,” he said at the end of a 45-minute interview.




Couple that with his actively considering the McKalla Place location (a mall over ten miles from downtown Austin - we've got similar setups with Polaris and Easton), it's becoming pretty blatantly clear that the whole stadium site thing was bulls*** from the start. As we long suspected.

He's starting to achieve Atlanta Spirit Group levels of jerkassery here.


----------



## sabremike

Every stadium the Crew visit this season should feature an anti-Precourt TIFO. He should do all of humanity a favor and assume room temperature.


----------



## Savant

Blockbuster

Tim Parker-Felipe trade between 'Caps, RBNY done; get the details


----------



## Fro

Top of the table!


----------



## NYRPat21

Wow. Dynamo absolutely handing Atlanta United a clown pounding. 4-0 before halftime....


----------



## Live in the Now

I see that Guzan still sucks.


----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

NYRPat21 said:


> Wow. Dynamo absolutely handing Atlanta United a clown pounding. 4-0 before halftime....




I thought Atlanta was supposed to be a powerhouse ?


----------



## chasespace

Orlando pulls a point from the jaws of defeat and VAR


----------



## varsaku

Duchene2MacKinnon said:


> I thought Atlanta was supposed to be a powerhouse ?




They seemed pretty disorganized at the back. They were being burned by Elis’s speed and had no answer to it. Also the we’re forcing passes in situations not really necessary and could have gone with a slow build up to move up the field.


----------



## varsaku

chasespace said:


> Orlando pulls a point from the jaws of defeat and VAR




DCU should have gotten that 3 pts considering they played majority of the game up a man. Props to OCSC for fighting back in that second half.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Every stadium the Crew visit this season should feature an anti-Precourt TIFO. He should do all of humanity a favor and assume room temperature.



Its absolutely bush league. When you want to move, at least lie for christ sake.


----------



## sabremike

Savant said:


> Blockbuster
> 
> Tim Parker-Felipe trade between 'Caps, RBNY done; get the details



Basically we got a guy who is an ace at defending long balls, which is the tactic teams use to beat our press. Hate losing Felipe (who once gave me a call from the RB front office and chatted with me for a few minutes) but this is a good move that addressed our big weakness.


----------



## kingsboy11

I hate the Sounders, but it would put a smile on my face if they beat LAFC today. 

EDIT: ****


----------



## Live in the Now

Diego Rossi looks like a real talent.


----------



## ecemleafs

Vela got cleaned out at the edge of the penalty and the ref didnt even award a foul. horrific officiating.


----------



## Live in the Now

Good win, squad needs work. Will take time though.


----------



## SJSharks72

What I took from the Seattle-LA game.

On Seattle’s side:
Eikrem should be starting. Easily the best Seattle player this game.
Bwana will be a great impact sub
They need a new striker bad
I feel like Nouhou will have some growing pains this year without Jones to shelter

On LA’s side:
Vela will be a great leader for this team.
Rossi looks like the real deal but he’s going to need some time
Moutinho should play LB
Ciman is really really good
Miller put up another amazing performance


----------



## kingsboy11

I'm going to get used to Kamara and Allessandrini scoring this year cause its not going to come from Gio


----------



## Vamos Rafa

I can't wait for the next LAFC-LAG match. I need a reason to hate LAFC. But LAFC fans calling us the Carson Galaxy is helping to build the hate.


----------



## Fro

Only 11 more Kamara goals until the crew get 100k more allocation money


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## BKIslandersFan

Vamos Rafa said:


> I can't wait for the next LAFC-LAG match. I need a reason to hate LAFC. But LAFC fans calling us the Carson Galaxy is helping to build the hate.



Carson is still in Los Angeles County, so Galaxy has every right to call themselves LA.


----------



## sabremike

Vamos Rafa said:


> I can't wait for the next LAFC-LAG match. I need a reason to hate LAFC. But LAFC fans calling us the Carson Galaxy is helping to build the hate.



They are all the fake phoney pretentious types who wouldn't have pissed on MLS if it were fire a few years ago. Now that it's "hip" they care. I hope the Galaxy absolutely dismantle and destroy those frauds, especially for our friends LARS (Bike Jousting 4 Life!!!).


----------



## kingsboy11

BKIslandersFan said:


> Carson is still in Los Angeles County, so Galaxy has every right to call themselves LA.




StubHub Center is literally only 12 miles from Banc of California stadium. A 25 minute drive down the 110 freeway. Hilarious that they think they are more "Los Angeles" than us.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

kingsboy11 said:


> StubHub Center is literally only 12 miles from Banc of California stadium. A 25 minute drive down the 110 freeway. Hilarious that they think they are more "Los Angeles" than us.



Think Red Bulls are about 5 miles or so from Manhattan.

Still not New York though.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Feels very different in LA. The Kings and Lakers played in Inglewood for how many years? The Rams and Chargers will do the same. 

It's the county line that matters out there.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

IU Hawks fan said:


> Feels very different in LA. The Kings and Lakers played in Inglewood for how many years? The Rams and Chargers will do the same.
> 
> It's the county line that matters out there.




Very much so. The only line that really matters is the one between LA County & Orange County. Both MLS teams play in LA County, so one trying to claim to be 'more' LA is just stupid. I have a feeling it won't take much of anything for the hate for LAFC to come naturally. It's not there yet, but I have a feeling this will get nasty quickly.

Feeling good about this season with the Galaxy. Gio...f*** that guy's non-caring ass, but I was impressed with the opener given how much has changed.


----------



## East Coast Bias

BWP and Robles, 2 man show in Tijuana. 

Red Bulls up 2-0, on the road, completely against the run of play.


----------



## sabremike

BWP is a f***ing legend, the day he retires a statue of him needs to go up outside RBA!!!


----------



## sabremike

Vaaaaaaaaaaaaamoooooos,
Vamos Metro,
Esta noche tenemos que gannar!!!

What a f***ing night #NYISRED


----------



## phisherman

TFC with a big victory over Tigres.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

CCL should really be a bigger deal, and be on TV. But the streaming is free and is great quality, to be fair.


----------



## East Coast Bias

BKIslandersFan said:


> CCL should really be a bigger deal, and be on TV. But the streaming is free and is great quality, to be fair.




It’s on Univision Deportes in the US. Not sure if you have that channel, but it’s on. 

Great showing so far for MLS.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

People who won't watch MLS allegedly because it lacks pro rel but still watch NBA/NHL/MLB/NFL makes me laugh, seriously. The sheer hypocrisy.


----------



## varsaku

Now we just need to hold on in the away legs for Seattle and Toronto.


----------



## IU Hawks fan

Fire are moving to ESPN+ 

Chicago Fire Soccer Club Announces ESPN as Exclusive Local Media Rights Partner

What a disgrace.


----------



## sabremike

IU Hawks fan said:


> Fire are moving to ESPN+
> 
> Chicago Fire Soccer Club Announces ESPN as Exclusive Local Media Rights Partner
> 
> What a disgrace.



Making it more difficult for the local population to see your games or even be aware you exist seems incredibly shortsighted and the very definition of penny wise and pound foolish, but what the hell do I know???


----------



## BKIslandersFan

IU Hawks fan said:


> Fire are moving to ESPN+
> 
> Chicago Fire Soccer Club Announces ESPN as Exclusive Local Media Rights Partner
> 
> What a disgrace.



What’s the difference between this and LAFC being on YouTube TV?


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> What’s the difference between this and LAFC being on YouTube TV?



None, they are both terrible ideas.


----------



## kingsboy11

Apparently the deal will be 7 figure annual revenue for the club. Probably saw it as a better deal than what they were on. But then again, why make this decision at the start of the season on a platform that that nobody knows about?


----------



## sabremike

kingsboy11 said:


> Apparently the deal will be 7 figure annual revenue for the club. Probably saw it as a better deal than what they were on. But then again, why make this decision at the start of the season on a platform that that nobody knows about?



But is a million dollar payday worth losing the exposure of being on an actual TV network? It seems like this will hinder growth by basically making it so a casual fan would have to specifically hunt down the new platform and that's not likely to happen. They are essentially boxing themselves into a hardcore soccer fan ghetto with this move.


----------



## Viqsi

Well, this is certainly a nice start to the match.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Viqsi said:


> Well, this is certainly a nice start to the match.



#SaveTheCrew


----------



## Live in the Now

This game is hilarious. Two plays that should have obviously been overturned leading to goals.


----------



## Live in the Now

Well this was fun. Excellent counter attacking all game.


----------



## SJSharks72

Rossi is fantastic and LAFC keep getting in alone with the keeper.


----------



## sabremike

Metro bludgeoned Portland 4-0 tonight. We were playing almost all reserves because of the CCL game on Tuesday. We are very good. Portland is very bad. Poor Gio.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Metro bludgeoned Portland 4-0 tonight. We were playing almost all reserves because of the CCL game on Tuesday. We are very good. Portland is very bad. Poor Gio.



I hope RB fans at least gave Gio an ovation.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando is mess right now. Two home games to start the year against teams they should've beat, DC and Minnesota, yet they get 1 point out of it. Klejstan comes back from suspension next game, he needs to take this team over and hopefully Dwyer cokes back soon cause I see nobody who can score consistently right now. 

Still don't get VAR. I was at the game and they don't show replay but it looked clear as day that the foul was well outside the box and after a few minutes they awarded a penalty. Orlando still couldn't get a point even after they were gifted that penalty they converted.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

BKIslandersFan said:


> What’s the difference between this and LAFC being on YouTube TV?




I was going to say cost, but then I did a search for YouTube TV and see that it's yet another Sling-wannabe...so...gross.

I consider myself fairly connected and even I didn't know that, good luck getting technophobe casual fans to follow this kind of stuff. Whatever financial benefits offered by this have to be offset by making it harder to attract casual fans...


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> I hope RB fans at least gave Gio an ovation.



We absolutely did.


----------



## kingsboy11

Alright it seems like the Galaxy is still the same team from last year only more expensive. Fantastic


----------



## Vamos Rafa

Jonathan is a different player from Gio. Jonathan has heart and he actually cares.


----------



## kingsboy11

This team is nothing without Alessandrini. Not good enough defensively and certainly not enough depth up front to cover up any injuries.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

HoseEmDown said:


> Orlando is mess right now. Two home games to start the year against teams they should've beat, DC and Minnesota, yet they get 1 point out of it. Klejstan comes back from suspension next game, he needs to take this team over and hopefully Dwyer cokes back soon cause I see nobody who can score consistently right now.
> 
> Still don't get VAR. I was at the game and they don't show replay but it looked clear as day that the foul was well outside the box and after a few minutes they awarded a penalty. Orlando still couldn't get a point even after they were gifted that penalty they converted.



Jason Kreis is worse than Adrian Heath.


----------



## HoseEmDown

BKIslandersFan said:


> Jason Kreis is worse than Adrian Heath.




Yeah he's not a good coach, don't know how he won it all with Salt Lake? I thought they'd get rid of him after he missed the playoffs last year not sure how he survived that especially since the team didn't even take strides to get better. Not sure who's out there that would be a good replacement? I think he's got to the 10 game mark to get this team on the right track and in a playoff spot.


----------



## Viqsi

sabremike said:


> Metro bludgeoned Portland 4-0 tonight. We were playing almost all reserves because of the CCL game on Tuesday. We are very good. Portland is very bad. Poor Gio.



This hurts a little because I kind of consider Portland my #2 team. Not so much on their own merit but more because **** Seattle.


----------



## sabremike

Viqsi said:


> This hurts a little because I kind of consider Portland my #2 team. Not so much on their own merit but more because **** Seattle.



When it comes to Cascadia go with the Whitecaps. Great fans who aren't nearly as pretentious and annoying as the other two (especially Seattle). My fave West team right now is RSL because of Petkie. And yes I would like Portland to do well because of Gio.


----------



## Fro

In the west, I'm just rooting for Ola...


----------



## eddygee




----------



## The Head Crusher

Welcome @eddygee let me fix that link for you


----------



## Pilky01

Major League Soccer and Liga MX Fuel Rivalry with New Partnership

_-The annual *Campeones Cup* will pit the reigning champions of Liga MX and MLS to crown the best club in North America. The 2018 *Campeones Cup* will be hosted by reigning MLS Cup champion Toronto FC, on September 19, 2018 at BMO Field in Toronto. Liga MX’s representative will be decided in mid-July in a Campeon de Campeones matchup between the Mexican League’s two tournament champions: Apertura (Tigres UANL) and Clausura (to be played in May 2018). For information on this year’s *Campeones Cup*, click www.CampeonesCup.com. _
_
-In addition to *Campeones Cup*, the MLS-Liga MX partnership is working on additional competitions in the future, as well as additional tentpole events, including commitment for a future MLS All-Star Game presented by Target featuring the best players from both leagues facing off in an epic clash. Also, the Liga MX Under-20 teams will participate during MLS All-Star Week as the annual opponent in the MLS Homegrown Game presented by Energizer.


_
This is great news. The fact that TFC has already beaten Tigres at BMO Field this year kinda dampens the hype this year, but it is still great progress for the league but more broadly the game itself across North America.

MLS vs MX all-star games are a great move as well. The way MLS has been doing their ASG is so rinky-dink and small time, it was like the league was mocking itself by having its "all-stars" play the likes of Fulham and West Ham.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pilky01 said:


> Major League Soccer and Liga MX Fuel Rivalry with New Partnership
> 
> _-The annual *Campeones Cup* will pit the reigning champions of Liga MX and MLS to crown the best club in North America. The 2018 *Campeones Cup* will be hosted by reigning MLS Cup champion Toronto FC, on September 19, 2018 at BMO Field in Toronto. Liga MX’s representative will be decided in mid-July in a Campeon de Campeones matchup between the Mexican League’s two tournament champions: Apertura (Tigres UANL) and Clausura (to be played in May 2018). For information on this year’s *Campeones Cup*, click www.CampeonesCup.com.
> 
> -In addition to *Campeones Cup*, the MLS-Liga MX partnership is working on additional competitions in the future, as well as additional tentpole events, including commitment for a future MLS All-Star Game presented by Target featuring the best players from both leagues facing off in an epic clash. Also, the Liga MX Under-20 teams will participate during MLS All-Star Week as the annual opponent in the MLS Homegrown Game presented by Energizer.
> 
> 
> _
> This is great news. The fact that TFC has already beaten Tigres at BMO Field this year kinda dampens the hype this year, but it is still great progress for the league but more broadly the game itself across North America.
> 
> MLS vs MX all-star games are a great move as well. The way MLS has been doing their ASG is so rinky-dink and small time, it was like the league was mocking itself by having its "all-stars" play the likes of Fulham and West Ham.



Fulham and West Ham B teams and the all-stars still lose


----------



## BKIslandersFan

SJSharks39 said:


> Fulham and West Ham B teams and the all-stars still lose



To be fair I doubt players were really giving 100% in a meaningless game.


----------



## SJSharks72

With Toronto and NYRB winning tonight, if Seattle wins tomorrow, then an MLS team is guaranteed to be in the final! Also I can see all of those teams beating or at least challenging America for the title. Great year for the MLS.


----------



## varsaku

SJSharks39 said:


> With Toronto and NYRB winning tonight, if Seattle wins tomorrow, then an MLS team is guaranteed to be in the final! Also I can see all of those teams beating or at least challenging America for the title. Great year for the MLS.




That was a real frantic finish to the TFC game. I love this year’s CCL with all MLS teams actually trying hard to win. TFC must really dig deep to beat America. If there is any MLS team that has a chance at beating America, TFC is a good one.


----------



## SJSharks72

varsaku said:


> That was a real frantic finish to the TFC game. I love this year’s CCL with all MLS teams actually trying hard to win. TFC must really dig deep to beat America. If there is any MLS team that has a chance at beating America, TFC is a good one.



Agreed. I feel like without Morris Seattle might have the worst chance. I mean now they have the pace in Bwana but at the same time, we still have Bruin starting, who don’t get me wrong, great MLS player but these games are really making me wish we signed Derlis.


----------



## njdevil26

RB scored five goals on the best defense in Mexico... including a 2-0 win in Mexico. What an accomplishment. 

I really hope the final ends up being RB vs TFC.


----------



## SJSharks72

njdevil26 said:


> RB scored five goals on the best defense in Mexico... including a 2-0 win in Mexico. What an accomplishment.
> 
> I really hope the final ends up being RB vs TFC.



Honestly I do too. I want the final to be two of the remaining MLS teams so we can stop hearing about how much better Mexico is.


----------



## Pouchkine

What about the 6000 crowd in Harrison???? America are still the team to beat. And if one MLS team wins it's still the exception to the rule. Mexico has been dominating MLS teams for fun for years.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> What about the 6000 crowd in Harrison???? America are still the team to beat. And if one MLS team wins it's still the exception to the rule. Mexico has been dominating MLS teams for fun for years.




It was a weeknight with freezing temperatures (we were projected to get a snowstorm up where I live, and given we just had 2 storms that devastated the area and affected rail service I wasn't going to chance it by going down and sold my ticket to a friend a few days before) with us facing an unfancied opponent in a tournament with no exposure (see the lack of an English language broadcast of the games) and that people in this country don't really take seriously. The semifinal vs Chivas (let's be honest:Seattle has no chance tonight) will sell out for sure.


----------



## Pouchkine

Seattle had 42 000 for their game and Toronto have great crowds and Montreal tremendous crowds a couple years ago.

If the weather is fine there will be no excuses next round.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> Seattle had 42 000 for their game and Toronto have great crowds and Montreal tremendous crowds a couple years ago.
> 
> If the weather is fine there will be no excuses next round.



Noting the exceptions to a rule doesn't instantly make the exceptions the rule. And I'll just point out that two of them were outside the US so it's fair to say they are quite likely an outlier in MLS.


----------



## njdevil26

That 42k in Seattle was 60% Chivas fans.... at least that’s what Seattle fans have said


----------



## HajdukSplit

Seattle got rocked in Guadalajara, two first half injuries didn't help their cause plus not having Lodeiro with them.

So two MLS vs. Liga MX semifinals with the winner of America-Toronto being clear favorites in the final. Not sure what to think of the Red Bulls chances, Chivas are not doing well in league play and they didn't look great in Seattle either, but they will practically have two home games


----------



## Pouchkine

Seattle got absolutely hammered in Mexico. It seems some people have spoke too soon about the rise of MLS. Unless Toronto can win it all it will still be a huge Mexican clubs domination over the region. 

It can still be America-Chivas final also.


----------



## njdevil26

Pouchkine said:


> Seattle got absolutely hammered in Mexico. It seems some people have spoke too soon about the rise of MLS. Unless Toronto can win it all it will still be a huge Mexican clubs domination over the region.
> 
> It can still be America-Chivas final also.




Another person ignoring the Red Bulls... RBNY faced the best defense in Mexico... shut them out 2-0 in Tijuana and won the return leg 3-1. 

RBNY... the only team that DID NOT LOSE IN MEXICO. No respect.


----------



## Pouchkine

I just don't like the Harrison New Jersey New York Red Bulls... Also watching games played in front of empty stadiums isn't great viewing. That being said they played well and have a good shot in the 1/2 but I would prefer seeing Toronto-Guadalajara in the final or another Mexican final...


----------



## Basement Cat

Pouchkine said:


> I just don't like the *Harrison New Jersey New York Red Bulls*... Also watching games played in front of empty stadiums isn't great viewing. That being said they played well and have a good shot in the 1/2 but I would prefer seeing Toronto-Guadalajara in the final or another Mexican final...




So edgy bro - do less


----------



## SJSharks72

The Toronto-America games should be good. The two best teams in the competition this year in my opinion.


----------



## Pouchkine

Basement Cat said:


> So edgy bro - do less



Well at least I know where they play.


----------



## Pouchkine

SJSharks39 said:


> The Toronto-America games should be good. The two best teams in the competition this year in my opinion.



A real blockbuster just like the big final in 2015 America-Impact.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pouchkine said:


> A real blockbuster just like the big final in 2015 America-Impact.



I don’t know if this is sarcasm or not but I feel like it is and I don’t understand why. Toronto is a fantastic team (and obviously America is too).


----------



## Basement Cat

Our new friend is so quick to dismiss the obvious success of MLS teams in this year's edition of the CCL that he failed to mention that Seattle was without its best player last night - better than anyone on Chivas too may I add.


----------



## njdevil26

Pouchkine said:


> I just don't like the Harrison New Jersey New York Red Bulls... Also watching games played in front of empty stadiums isn't great viewing. That being said they played well and have a good shot in the 1/2 but I would prefer seeing Toronto-Guadalajara in the final or another Mexican final...




OMG geography AND attendance jokes in one post? You've just gone through the entire NYCFC songbook! Congrats!


----------



## Basement Cat

I happen to think that the offensive display that NYRB put forth was excellent viewing. Couldn't care less was Joe Shmoe is doing in the stands.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> Well at least I know where they play.



We play closer to New York than Chicago plays to Chicago (Bridgeview), Philly plays to Philly (Chester), Salt Lake to Salt Lake (Sandy) and Dallas to Dallas (Frisco, which is like 50 miles (!) from Dallas). And if you've seen Blood Money FC's futile attempts to get a stadium in the city you'd know why Harrison was literally the only option for a soccer stadium in the area.


----------



## njdevil26

Colorado Rapids- Commerce City, 11.3 Miles outside Denver
FC Dallas- Frisco, 28.3 Miles outside Dallas
LA Galaxy- Carson, 16.6 Miles outside Los Angeles
Real Salt Lake- Sandy, 14.1 Miles outside Salk Lake City
Sporting Kansas City- Kansas City Kansas, 16.0 Miles outside Kansas City MO
Chicago Fire- Bridgeview, 14.7 Miles outside Chicago
Philadelphia Union- Chester, 20.1 Miles outside Philadelphia
New England Revolution- Foxboro- 28 Miles outside Boston

NEW YORK RED BULLS- HARRISON NJ, 11.4 Miles outside NYC
NEW YORK CITY FC- BRONX NYC, 11.4 Miles from WTC


Here's a list of teams and the distances away from what Google Maps says is "center of city" that they claim to represent or nearest urban area. 

Red Bull Arena is a 20 minute PATH Train ride from the World Trade Center. Only four stops. 

The geography discussion is LAZY and TIRED. 90% of the NYCFC fans that talk about geography can be seen on their Facebook pages sporting Giants and Jets stuff too. It's much easier to accept that the NY in RBNY represents the NY Metro Area which Central/North NJ is included in. 

Why don't we talk about the fact that RED BULL has given us maybe the most beautiful soccer specific stadium in the United States. They have poured a ton of money into the youth program which has a footprint all over NJ and NY while providing NO COST programs for kids. They have also built a hell of a team that is going to be competitive for a very long time. 

To dismiss this team because of their location or their branding just makes you look daft. Check the team out and realize they employ maybe one of the most attractive styles of soccer this league has ever seen.


----------



## njdevil26

sabremike said:


> We play closer to New York than Chicago plays to Chicago (Bridgeview), Philly plays to Philly (Chester), Salt Lake to Salt Lake (Sandy) and Dallas to Dallas (Frisco, which is like 50 miles (!) from Dallas). And if you've seen Blood Money FC's futile attempts to get a stadium in the city you'd know why Harrison was literally the only option for a soccer stadium in the area.



The Giants, Jets, and Red Bulls couldn't get a stadium in NY.... so here we are with NYCFC spending another year in a baseball stadium on a tiny lopsided field while not having a new home. Yet their fans won't stop trash talking the Red Bulls while refusing to realize their team is headed for a similar fate. Just wait til they finally get a stadium somewhere on Metro North or out in Long Island. Or how about what is going to happen to them when David Villa leaves? They have no youth system or structure to bridge the gap til the next DP is signed. Let's also remember that they have seen a 25% drop in attendance in a consistent decline since they played their first game and have lost thousands of season ticket holders. But hey... the Red Bulls are in NJ!


----------



## Pouchkine

I agree with you, the thing is all those teams have attendance issues as well. At least your stadium is nice...

As for the MLS progress we will see how the 1/2's go, if it's again an all Mexico final then it's still the same domination.


----------



## Pouchkine

NYCFC are a complete joke, well the league is for allowing them to play on a illegal small pitch in a baseball stadium...

America-Toronto is a real blockbuster I say that seriously.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

njdevil26 said:


> The Giants, Jets, and Red Bulls couldn't get a stadium in NY.... so here we are with NYCFC spending another year in a baseball stadium on a tiny lopsided field while not having a new home. Yet their fans won't stop trash talking the Red Bulls while refusing to realize their team is headed for a similar fate. Just wait til they finally get a stadium somewhere on Metro North or out in Long Island. Or how about what is going to happen to them when David Villa leaves? They have no youth system or structure to bridge the gap til the next DP is signed. Let's also remember that they have seen a 25% drop in attendance in a consistent decline since they played their first game and have lost thousands of season ticket holders. But hey... the Red Bulls are in NJ!



NYCFC is owned by CFG...Finding talent is not really an issue. And they still sell more merchandise and enjoy more popularity playing in baseball stadium in New York rather than New Jersey. Sorry but by all accounts MLS needed a team in New York City proper, who would market to New York rather than soccer moms in the suburbs.
The fact that Red Bulls call themsevles New York and not New Jersey should tell you what we actually think about New Jersey.
If playing in NJ works for Red Bulls, great, but MLS definitely needed a team in New York City. And they are better for it.


----------



## Pouchkine

How are they better for it? Everyone is actually calling the league a joke for having a team play on an illegal small pitch in a baseball stadium. It actually hurts MLS. And the club has done nothing since their debut.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Pouchkine said:


> How are they better for it? Everyone is actually calling the league a joke for having a team play on an illegal small pitch in a baseball stadium. It actually hurts MLS. And the club has done nothing since their debut.



Who is everyone? You and Red Bull fans are everybody?

Goodness gracious.

NYCFC gave NYC an MLS presence. I lived here for long time and most people east of Hudson had no clue Red Bulls existed. This is honest to god truth.


----------



## sabremike

Blood Money FC lost another 1,000 season ticket holders this year while ours continue to increase. The novelty has worn off big time. When Villa leaves after this season don't expect that to improve.


----------



## njdevil26

sabremike said:


> Blood Money FC lost another 1,000 season ticket holders this year while ours continue to increase. The novelty has worn off big time. When Villa leaves after this season don't expect that to improve.




Add to that Jack Harrison played well so he was summoned by "Parent Company" just to be loaned to Middlesbrough. Haha.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

njdevil26 said:


> Add to that Jack Harrison played well so he was summoned by "Parent Company" just to be loaned to Middlesbrough. Haha.



He wanted to go to Europe, like I presume most MLS players. Stoke came calling for him but they couldn't agree on a deal, so CFG did him a favor by taking him and loaning him to Boro. But cook false narrative.

Remember, this team is ASHAMED to be playing in your state.


sabremike said:


> Blood Money FC lost another 1,000 season ticket holders this year while ours continue to increase. The novelty has worn off big time. When Villa leaves after this season don't expect that to improve.



Blood Money FC.

I love how these people that are suffering are nothing more than pawns in your football banter.

Like I said, if Red Bulls do well, great. I think MLS could really use a boost around here. I am not gonna waste my time wishing them nothing but failures. Which is stupid.


----------



## gphr513

Home opener!! Going to be a beautiful 49 and sunny in Minneapolis today.

Can't wait to get down to the stadium. COYL!


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Its too bad Minnesota and Chicago aren't in same conference.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando is so bad. Kreis needs to go soon, I don't think a managerial change would matter but the board needs to show the fans they're at least trying to do something. Always signing these unknowns from all over the world who are ok but making way too much money and not good enough to get us into the playoffs. We have nothing in the system for youth to get excited about. The only positive is that it's easier to find parking by the stadium and cheaper tickets since we suck.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> Blood Money FC.
> 
> I love how these people that are suffering are nothing more than pawns in your football banter.
> .




I can't decide whether you actually using that in an argument is so funny that it's sad or so sad that it's funny.


----------



## sabremike

HoseEmDown said:


> Orlando is so bad. Kreis needs to go soon, I don't think a managerial change would matter but the board needs to show the fans they're at least trying to do something. Always signing these unknowns from all over the world who are ok but making way too much money and not good enough to get us into the playoffs. We have nothing in the system for youth to get excited about. The only positive is that it's easier to find parking by the stadium and cheaper tickets since we suck.



They may be the worst team in the league. Granted Spector getting hurt didn't help but my God are they a tire fire in their own end. Their backline absolutely cannot handle any pressure put on them. God help them when they play us with our press because that could get real ugly real quick.


----------



## HoseEmDown

sabremike said:


> They may be the worst team in the league. Granted Spector getting hurt didn't help but my God are they a tire fire in their own end. Their backline absolutely cannot handle any pressure put on them. God help them when they play us with our press because that could get real ugly real quick.




Kreis was brought in to fix the defense but it's worse than when Heath was here. NIW we can't even score either. I know we are missing Dwyer and this was Klejstans first game but this team doesn't threaten anybody. I can't see them challenging for the playoffs and that's not going to go over well with the fans which it already has as the crowds have been going down since the first year in the MLS.


----------



## sabremike

Rivas just put on a tour de force of crap in that first half in Sandy. We're talking about Dominic Oduro in 2009 level terrible.


----------



## HoseEmDown

sabremike said:


> Rivas just put on a tour de force of crap in that first half in Sandy. We're talking about Dominic Oduro in 2009 level terrible.




Don't miss him at all. He'll show a glimpse of something every few games but for the most part just kills any offense once he gets the ball. Prepare for tons of shots into the 20th row.


----------



## JunglePete

Question : why of all places this is where DC United decided to have their home games?? I mean I know the DC area pretty okayish and you mean to tell me there isn't a stadium with more capactiy that could host a very few home games in Baltimore for instance?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> I can't decide whether you actually using that in an argument is so funny that it's sad or so sad that it's funny.



It’s not an argument. If you point how and rightful to condemn CFG for sure, the slavery in UAE just to insult NYCFC fans but don’t give a shit otherwise that is pretty f***ed up. You don’t actually give a damn about these people. It’s childish and just insulting to people who are actually suffering. If you think it’s wrong then don’t just bring it up as football banter.

I don’t believe in using serious issues merely as an insult but you do you. I don’t give a damn if you are a RB supporter. This is beyond soccer.


----------



## Pouchkine

Disgraceful refereeing yesterday in the Montreal-Toronto game, the fat pig in the middle didn't even let the replays correct his many mistakes. This league will never be taken seriously until they can correct this.


----------



## gphr513

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROCESS THIS


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> It’s not an argument. If you point how and rightful to condemn CFG for sure, the slavery in UAE just to insult NYCFC fans but don’t give a **** otherwise that is pretty ****ed up. You don’t actually give a damn about these people. It’s childish and just insulting to people who are actually suffering. If you think it’s wrong then don’t just bring it up as football banter.
> 
> I don’t believe in using serious issues merely as an insult but you do you. I don’t give a damn if you are a RB supporter. This is beyond soccer.



I do bring it up because I DO give a f*** and the fact that those creeps are basically using sport as a PR offensive for their sick diseased human rights sewer masquerading as a nation angers me greatly. I've said the same exact thing about PSG elsewhere and they play in a league I don't care about at all.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> I do bring it up because I DO give a **** and the fact that those creeps are basically using sport as a PR offensive for their sick diseased human rights sewer masquerading as a nation angers me greatly. I've said the same exact thing about PSG elsewhere and they play in a league I don't care about at all.



So what have you done to help? Do you discuss this on politics board? Do you protest in front of UAE embassy? Do you boycott MLS which enabled CFG to buy a team?

Right. Words are cheap pal.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> So what have you done to help? Do you discuss this on politics board? Do you protest in front of UAE embassy? Do you boycott MLS which enabled CFG to buy a team?
> 
> Right. Words are cheap pal.



Your attempt at rhetorical jiu jitsu is just so ridiculous. For starters I won't go on the politics board here because it's an even bigger sewer than the main hockey forum. And it should be noted many supporters publicly objected to MLS working with CFG and the press was mysteriously silent on the issue. The fact that the league hasn't publicly taken more heat over this is a testament to the fact that the media can be bought.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Your attempt at rhetorical jiu jitsu is just so ridiculous. For starters I won't go on the politics board here because it's an even bigger sewer than the main hockey forum. And it should be noted many supporters publicly objected to MLS working with CFG and the press was mysteriously silent on the issue. The fact that the league hasn't publicly taken more heat over this is a testament to the fact that the media can be bought.



Have you done ANYTHING to highlight the plights of those people though? Aside from taking pot shots at NYCFC. And define many. Most people didn't know or didn't care, if we are going to be honest.

Again, words are cheap.

You don't give a damn, stop with your pseudo morality.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> Have you done ANYTHING to highlight the plights of those people though?



Taking public shots at CFG for what they are is the very definition of highlighting the plight of the people they are abusing. When we do that we are bringing attention to the situation.

Oh, and another point: if say the Quataris bought us tomorrow I would be done with the team until they were sold to someone else, and so would the entire ESC.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Taking public shots at CFG for what they are is the very definition of highlighting the plight of the people they are abusing. When we do that we are bringing attention to the situation.
> 
> Oh, and another point: if say the Quataris bought us tomorrow I would be done with the team until they were sold to someone else, and so would the entire ESC.



yea, no. Not if you are just using it to bash NYCFC fans for your own amusement.

If you are so morally offended (which is BS) then you should be boycotting this entire f***ing sport.


----------



## sabremike

This is pretty much like trying to argue with Felix at this point. I'm done.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> This is pretty much like trying to argue with Felix at this point. I'm done.



At least stop insulting people who are actually suffering by pretending you care. That's all we can ever ask for.

You support a team in a league with single entity model. If you don't boycott Red Bulls, then you are essentially financially supporting CFG. Surely you understood that? 

If yiu actually believed in what you say then you'd be boycotting the league an the sport. Hence its BS.


----------



## Viqsi

BKIslandersFan said:


> yea, no. Not if you are just using it to bash NYCFC fans for your own amusement.
> 
> If you are so morally offended (which is BS) then you should be boycotting this entire ****ing sport.



I've considered that from time to time, but I try not to dump on the Crew just because their parent company does business with jack***es. (Particularly since said parent company has made it totally clear they don't give a flying **** about our very existence, to say nothing of our or anyone else's well-being.)

Given that RBNY is also in that group of early clubs that MLS desperately tries to pretend never truly mattered or existed along with the Revs and DC (and probably Colorado as well, altho I haven't personally seen it in action with them), I wouldn't be shocked to see fans of those teams having a similar perspective.


----------



## sabremike

The only good thing about last night was certain smarmy people who go out of their way to take cheapshots at Petkie as a coach (mostly the sycophants of our fan base) got to eat a giant helping of shit. Mike got his tactics 100% right: play an ugly game and distrupt our rhythm. Jesse had no answer for it and it worked perfectly.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Viqsi said:


> I've considered that from time to time, but I try not to dump on the Crew just because their parent company does business with jack***es. (Particularly since said parent company has made it totally clear they don't give a flying **** about our very existence, to say nothing of our or anyone else's well-being.)
> 
> Given that RBNY is also in that group of early clubs that MLS desperately tries to pretend never truly mattered or existed along with the Revs and DC (and probably Colorado as well, altho I haven't personally seen it in action with them), I wouldn't be shocked to see fans of those teams having a similar perspective.



Its bush league what they are doing in Columbus.


----------



## Pouchkine

The refereeing in this league is still bush league.


----------



## SJSharks72

It will be interested to see who Seattle play as a striker next game. Morris is obviously hurt, Bruin is currently hurt (might be back; haven’t seen a time table for his injuries), and now Dempsey is suspended for a bs red card. Maybe Bwana who’s been good in the limited viewings I’ve seen but I don’t know if he is strong enough on the ball to lead the line.


----------



## kingsboy11

Galaxy could be without at least 10 players this weekend with either injuries, international games or suspension. Alessandrini (injured), Both Dos Santos players (injured), Kamara (Norway), Klimenta (Montenegro), Cole (suspended), Ciani (injured), Pedro (injured), Pontius (injured), Jamison (injured). Even if some of these guys are about ready to comeback, I would be hesitant to play them on that crappy turf in Vancouver. 

Also according to a local galaxy writer, a Zlatan announcement could be as soon as this week.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> The refereeing in this league is still bush league.



On one hand this is entirely true, on the other it's also entirely true about like 95% of the leagues in the entire world.


----------



## Pouchkine

sabremike said:


> On one hand this is entirely true, on the other it's also entirely true about like 95% of the leagues in the entire world.



Not in soccer though. The refereeing is at a very high level in most European leagues. Remember it's a very tough sport to be a referee, and assistant referee, the guys in Europe and also in other parts of the world are excellent. What we see in MLS is a joke, some of them are not even in shape, some are fat, some seem to not understant very well the laws of the game, that's simply not acceptable. The main problem though is that it seems it's always the same guys, WAKE UP they have shown for years that they are not good enough PLEASE bring some new guys.


----------



## bluesfan94

The NYCFC v NYRB debate is silly. Both of their locations have big pluses (NYCFC - location; NYRB - SSS, cost) and minuses (NYCFC - baseball stadium, field size; NYRB - technically New Jersey).

Either way, both are New York teams, just like the Giants and Jets are New York teams and just like, when I fly to NYC, every airline/travel company includes Newark. It's New York metro and anyone that looks down on that is some pretentious douche.

Also, someone mentioned that all the teams located not in the city center have attendance issues which is laughable because SKC was on the list and they definitely do not have attendance issues. Can't speak to the other teams.


----------



## Pouchkine

SKC are the exception to the rule though.


----------



## kingsboy11




----------



## Big McLargehuge

This is going to be interesting. When you get a chance to get a player like that for TAM money, you obviously do it...but this is no longer Sigi's team, for better or worse.

Now I suddenly wish I knew where my old Barça kit was...first soccer anything I ever bought was an Ibra FCB jersey while walking around Barcelona as I was learning the sport (wanted to go to a game, but couldn't get the timing to work). Honestly I knew next to nothing about him at the time


----------



## kingsboy11

Love this move as he could be just as good as when Drogba came over or even better. And at his worst, he's still better than having Lassiter behind Kamara as a backup striker.


----------



## Viqsi

So Meram's been exiled to a world without hope and Kamara is now going to be overshadowed by a former ManU standout with a predilection for self-aggrandizement. Boy, I'm sure glad to see that even though we lost two of our best players, they're at least getting the chance to be appreciated.  

At least Zardes is doing well.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## njdevil26

bluesfan94 said:


> The NYCFC v NYRB debate is silly. Both of their locations have big pluses (NYCFC - location; NYRB - SSS, cost) and minuses (NYCFC - baseball stadium, field size; NYRB - technically New Jersey).
> 
> Either way, both are New York teams, just like the Giants and Jets are New York teams and just like, when I fly to NYC, every airline/travel company includes Newark. It's New York metro and anyone that looks down on that is some pretentious *****e.
> 
> Also, someone mentioned that all the teams located not in the city center have attendance issues which is laughable because* SKC was on the list *and they definitely do not have attendance issues. Can't speak to the other teams.





I didn't mean to say that SKC had attendance issues. They surely do not. I was out there for the Open Cup Final last year and I had a great time. I was just saying that so many people give the Red Bulls crap for "not being in New York" and I was just illustrating that the Red Bulls are closer to New York compared to several teams and the cities they claim to represent. 

SKC is in KC, Kansas... but are well outside downtown Kansas City. They are definitely the exception to the rule. Stadium in the middle of nowhere and it's always packed.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Pouchkine said:


> Not in soccer though. The refereeing is at a very high level in most European leagues. Remember it's a very tough sport to be a referee, and assistant referee, the guys in Europe and also in other parts of the world are excellent. What we see in MLS is a joke, some of them are not even in shape, some are fat, some seem to not understant very well the laws of the game, that's simply not acceptable. The main problem though is that it seems it's always the same guys, WAKE UP they have shown for years that they are not good enough PLEASE bring some new guys.



Mike Dean. Enough said.


----------



## sabremike

Who needs Ibra when you have BWP? #NYISRED


----------



## Pouchkine

Another ridiculous crowd for NYRB yesterday what is going on? 14k announced crowd and in reality probably 10k at the game. Even worse in Dallas and Columbus but that's understandable.

Zlatan the ultimate bully : always strong against the small clubs and always weak against the big clubs that's his career right there.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> Another ridiculous crowd for NYRB yesterday what is going on? 14k announced crowd and in reality probably 10k at the game. Even worse in Dallas and Columbus but that's understandable.




You could literally write a book on why Metro/Red Bull has struggled attendance wise. The whole branding thing is a giant negative and turns off the pretentious types. Right now the team has very good players but doesn't have a gate attraction (I've literally been told point blank that the team is never going to spend big money on a "Name" player (eg: Henry, Cahill ect.) ever again). And when you have a game played at night in March (and at the same exact time as a Devils game that is literally within walking distance of RBA) when it's not warm vs a terrible opponent you end up with a bad crowd. The single biggest reason the team struggles at the gate is the failure to win the league. In a sense the team has been more successful than the perception historically because we have only missed the playoffs 4 time in our 22 year history, we just never got over the hump. In the right scenario people will come: for the last game in 2013 where if we won we would win the Supporters Shield the place sold out well in advance and prices on the secondary market were well north of $100.


----------



## gphr513

Pouchkine said:


> Another ridiculous crowd for NYRB yesterday what is going on? 14k announced crowd and in reality probably 10k at the game. Even worse in Dallas and Columbus but that's understandable.



I was kind of baffled watching that game. It was like nobody knew there was a game that night, and all forgot to come.


----------



## gphr513

Darwin Quintero is reportedly arriving in Minnesota tonight. Pretty excited to see what he'll be able to do with a change of scenery.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> You could literally write a book on why Metro/Red Bull has struggled attendance wise. The whole branding thing is a giant negative and turns off the pretentious types. Right now the team has very good players but doesn't have a gate attraction (I've literally been told point blank that the team is never going to spend big money on a "Name" player (eg: Henry, Cahill ect.) ever again). And when you have a game played at night in March (and at the same exact time as a Devils game that is literally within walking distance of RBA) when it's not warm vs a terrible opponent you end up with a bad crowd. The single biggest reason the team struggles at the gate is the failure to win the league. In a sense the team has been more successful than the perception historically because we have only missed the playoffs 4 time in our 22 year history, we just never got over the hump. In the right scenario people will come: for the last game in 2013 where if we won we would win the Supporters Shield the place sold out well in advance and prices on the secondary market were well north of $100.



Wanting your team to not be named after crappy energy drink is pretentious?


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> Wanting your team to not be named after crappy energy drink is pretentious?



And while I'm at it I'll throw in people who couldn't be bothered to cross a goddamned bridge to go to an MLS game for 20 or so years as well.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> And while I'm at it I'll throw in people who couldn't be bothered to cross a goddamned bridge to go to an MLS game for 20 or so years as well.



If you understand anything about New York, you'd know we don't like New Jersey. Culturally we are miles apart.

But you aren't from here so fair enough.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> If you understand anything about New York, you'd know we don't like New Jersey. Culturally we are miles apart.
> 
> But you aren't from here so fair enough.



I call out pretentious people and you reply with like the most pretentious post ever. I couldn't write anything funnier than that. And that whole thing must be why the Giants and Jets have struggled so mightily with attendance since moving to the Meadowlands right???


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> I call out pretentious people and you reply with like the most pretentious post ever. I couldn't write anything funnier than that. And that whole thing must be why the Giants and Jets have struggled so mightily with attendance since moving to the Meadowlands right???



Not liking New Jersey is pretentious? Do you know what that word means? I never said anything bad about New Jersey, I just said we don't like New Jersey. I didn't make the rules brother. Nothing pretentious about it. They don't like us, we don't like them.

AND if you knew anything about New York football fans, you know while they go to Meadowlands, they aren't exactly happy. You know how many Jets fans want them back in Queens? Not to mention both Giants and Jets originated fom New York and established fans long before they moved to New Jersey, which is the difference between them and Red Bulls. How many hockey fans in New York are Devils fans? Right.

Judging people for not liking what you like, buddy, the one being pretentious here is you.


----------



## sabremike

Actually the Devils have a good amount of fans in NY, particularly in Brooklyn. There's a reason there were so many of them who would show up in Nassau (and of course Brooklyn). This has been mentioned on their broadcasts several times.


----------



## sabremike

The Metros were specifically created to be the N.Y. entry in MLS. The ESC was created in NYC and consisted entirely of fans from the city. The reason the team played at Giants Stadium is because it was literally the only place in the whole region a pro soccer team could realistically play at. This is the exact same reason the Jets left Shea and why the Giants ended up in the Meadowlands as well.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Actually the Devils have a good amount of fans in NY, particularly in Brooklyn. There's a reason there were so many of them who would show up in Nassau (and of course Brooklyn). This has been mentioned on their broadcasts several times.



Sure they have fans. There’s bound to couple. But they are far outnumbered by Rangers and heck in Brooklyn, islanders.


----------



## Savant

Please tell about something else this "argument" hurts my head.


----------



## SJSharks72

Savant said:


> Please tell about something else this "argument" hurts my head.



Zlatan is supposed to play tomorrow it’ll be interesting how they fit everyone in

Zlatan-Ola
Gio-JDS-Kitchen-Alessandrini

With Llegett coming off the bench.

Then they’re going to see Gio sucks on the wing and try a 3-4-1-2


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

I don't know why Galaxy fans would be so welcoming to Zlatan. He's over the hill, he's only showing up because he wasn't getting game time at Man United, and this is the person who disrespected your best ever player by calling him a nobody.

If I was a Galaxy fan, I'd be pretty upset that they brought in a ticket seller to kick out a very productive goal scorer, Kamara, of a spot.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> I don't know why Galaxy fans would be so welcoming to Zlatan. He's over the hill, he's only showing up because he wasn't getting game time at Man United, and this is the person who disrespected your best ever player by calling him a nobody.
> 
> If I was a Galaxy fan, I'd be pretty upset that they brought in a ticket seller to kick out a very productive goal scorer, Kamara, of a spot.



They’re talking about playing Kamara and Zlatan together. Also it doesn’t matter if Zlatan is over the hill. He’s a world class player. The only reason he wasn’t getting game time was because he was injured. It’s not like he was just sitting the bench.

Also no fan is going to regret going to that game. The LA vs LAFC has been the most hyped game I’ve seen in a while.


----------



## Bakayoko Ono

Not sure if I've ever watched an MLS game but I'm pretty excited to watch the LA game tonight.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

SJSharks39 said:


> They’re talking about playing Kamara and Zlatan together. Also it doesn’t matter if Zlatan is over the hill. He’s a world class player. The only reason he wasn’t getting game time was because he was injured. It’s not like he was just sitting the bench.
> 
> Also no fan is going to regret going to that game. The LA vs LAFC has been the most hyped game I’ve seen in a while.




I don't think those two players can play together. Its like playing Zlatan with Lukaku. They are similar enough strikers that it probably won't work. And I don't think Dos Santos on the wing is going to work, not that playing him centrally works either.

We don't know how good he is anymore, he's barely played all season.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> I don't think those two players can play together. Its like playing Zlatan with Lukaku. They are similar enough strikers that it probably won't work. And I don't think Dos Santos on the wing is going to work, not that playing him centrally works either.
> 
> We don't know how good he is anymore, he's barely played all season.



Ola is much more a run in behind than Lukaku. It actually might work really well honestly. 100% agree on Gio but then they either do a 3-4-1-2 or move Llegett to the wing.

Yeah we don’t know how good he is anymore and he could be another Gerrard but I would probably bet money his impact is closer to Drogba’s. He has a huge ego and is a competitor. He won’t just coast and even if he does he will still score.


----------



## kingsboy11

I don't think I've ever wanted to win a regular season game more than I want to win today. 

Also Zlatan and Ola are going to play together. Highly doubt Zlatan will start today and likely only geta little over 20 minutes. And as long as Alessandrini is healthy, Gio will not be on the wing and will likely play underneath both Ola and Zlatan.


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> I don't think I've ever wanted to win a regular season game more than I want to win today.
> 
> Also Zlatan and Ola are going to play together. Highly doubt Zlatan will start today and likely only geta little over 20 minutes. And as long as Alessandrini is healthy, Gio will not be on the wing and will likely play underneath both Ola and Zlatan.



Who’s the other wing then? How do you think they will line up?


----------



## kingsboy11

SJSharks39 said:


> Who’s the other wing then? How do you think they will line up?




Honestly have no idea how they'll line up. They could go a lot of different ways. We have so many players coming back from injuries and international duty to know how Sigi will lineup. Alessandrini, Dos Santos brothers and Ciani all participated in training this week. 

So I bet we start this game with
Kamara
Lleget- Gio-Alessandrini
Jona-Kitchen
Cole-Skjelvik-Ciani-Feltscher
Bingham

And Zlatan will come off the bench at some point. 

Now when Zlatan is 90 minutes fit it'll make things complicated. Could play a 3-5-2 just to make sure Gio is in.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

I am no fan of Red Bulls but Kreis sacking would be funny.


----------



## kingsboy11

kingsboy11 said:


> Honestly have no idea how they'll line up. They could go a lot of different ways. We have so many players coming back from injuries and international duty to know how Sigi will lineup. Alessandrini, Dos Santos brothers and Ciani all participated in training this week.
> 
> So I bet we start this game with
> Kamara
> Lleget- Gio-Alessandrini
> Jona-Kitchen
> Cole-Skjelvik-Ciani-Feltscher
> Bingham
> 
> And Zlatan will come off the bench at some point.
> 
> Now when Zlatan is 90 minutes fit it'll make things complicated. Could play a 3-5-2 just to make sure Gio is in.









Well no Alessandrini, or either Dos Santos. ****


----------



## sabremike

Get the point on the road with our B squad and move on. Price we have to pay for being in legitimate international competition is dropping points to teams our full strength squad wouldn't drop.


----------



## johnny_rudeboy

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> I don't know why Galaxy fans would be so welcoming to Zlatan. He's over the hill, he's only showing up because he wasn't getting game time at Man United, and this is the person who *disrespected your best ever player by calling him a nobody.*
> 
> If I was a Galaxy fan, I'd be pretty upset that they brought in a ticket seller to kick out a very productive goal scorer, Kamara, of a spot.




What did he say?


----------



## sabremike

Jair Marufo everybody!!! FIFA says he's better than any ref in England. Just the f***ing worst.


----------



## NYRPat21

What a goal by Vela to kick off El Trafico.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

johnny_rudeboy said:


> What did he say?


----------



## johnny_rudeboy

Pavel Buchnevich said:


>





Thanks.

Oh, come on. That was harmless. He was "jumped" on the street and gave some cheeky comments.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Get the point on the road with our B squad and move on. Price we have to pay for being in legitimate international competition is dropping points to teams our full strength squad wouldn't drop.



Despite the win I don't know what this says about Orlando City.


----------



## NYRPat21

Vela again 2-0. Both unreal finishes by him, all LAFC.


----------



## kingsboy11

Trash defense. Give me a ****ing break


----------



## SJSharks72

Zlatan watching on thinking that he joined the wrong LA team


----------



## HoseEmDown

BKIslandersFan said:


> Despite the win I don't know what this says about Orlando City.




It says we still suck but with Dwyer in the lineup we have a chance to score goals and win occasionally.


----------



## sabremike

Also Tim Reading is probably the worst player to play a league match for us since legendary Puerto Rico international Taylor Graham in 2009. They literally should just waive him because he literally isn't good enough to even warrant a place on our USL side. Between him and Rivas we essentially traded Sasha for 2 league losses.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

That OG by Galaxy is huge now.


----------



## JWK

Oh shit Zlatan


----------



## Adonis Creed

holy cow!


----------



## Cassano

Took him less than 10 mins.


----------



## JWK

Zlatan again! Eltrafico delivered


----------



## SJSharks72

I take back everything I said about Ibra maybe not fitting in.


----------



## Live in the Now

Goalkeeper completely bottled the game.


----------



## spintheblackcircle

Hello.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> I don't know why Galaxy fans would be so welcoming to Zlatan. He's over the hill, he's only showing up because he wasn't getting game time at Man United, and this is the person who disrespected your best ever player by calling him a nobody.
> 
> If I was a Galaxy fan, I'd be pretty upset that they brought in a ticket seller to kick out a very productive goal scorer, Kamara, of a spot.



Ibra just won Galaxy the first El Trafico


----------



## Bakayoko Ono

Man against boys.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## kingsboy11

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????? I"M SPEECHLESS


----------



## BKIslandersFan

kingsboy11 said:


> ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????? I"M SPEECHLESS



That match has to be up there as one of the most memorable LA Galaxy matches.


----------



## KingLB

LAFC really needed something off the bench, you can see the lack of depth that will hurt them this year. Also Zimmerman needs to be starting, Jakovic was to slow for MLS when he left a few years ago.


----------



## Carl Carlson

What a debut from Zlatan. Wow.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

I, for one, welcome our new zLAtan overlord.


----------



## Evilo

Dear LA,
You're welcome.
Zlatan.


----------



## Spring in Fialta

Damn Zlatan's got sauce. Not even surprised. Of course his first game went like this.


----------



## Eye of Ra

He is from my town.


----------



## Spring in Fialta

Eye of Ra said:


> He is from my town.




No one cares.


----------



## John Pedro

Eye of Ra said:


> He is from my town.




Wrong. YOU are from HIS town/country/planet.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

That game just reminded me how great of a left back Ashley Cole was in the Premier League. I still can't believe he plays for my hometown team and he's not even a DP.


----------



## Luigi Habs

Came here to say ZLATAN!

I tried hard to dislike the guy throughout his career but what a boss. 

On my Facebook feed I see a lot of people whether ones who live in NA or overseas (Europe, Middle East, Asia, etc) sharing video of his first goal tonight. It’s everywhere worldwide. Great visibility for the MLS.


----------



## Cassano

Luigi Habs said:


> Came here to say ZLATAN!
> 
> I tried hard to dislike the guy throughout his career but what a boss.
> 
> On my Facebook feed I see a lot of people whether ones who live in NA or overseas (Europe, Middle East, Asia, etc) sharing video of his first goal tonight. It’s everywhere worldwide. Great visibility for the MLS.




Same here. He's the best thing to happen to the league in awhile.


----------



## JWK

Badji > Zlatan


----------



## les Habs

I supposed you can put out a full page ad if you're going to do that. Too bad el Condorito didn't work at Barça.


----------



## Power Man

How it feels to play FIFA on semi pro


----------



## SJSharks72

JWK said:


> Badji > Zlatan



Are you talking about the goals or the players? Didn’t Badji score a goal from 50 yards out or was that Gashi?


----------



## Panteras

after the game Chuck Norris asked Zlatan for an autograph


----------



## Troubadour

LMAO

I wouldn't want him playing for my team, but Ibra owns.

After the match: "I heard the crowd chanting "Zlatan!" So I gave them Zlatan."


----------



## Savi

Big McLargehuge said:


> I, for one, welcome our new zLAtan overlord.




it would have been better if you'd photoshopped that picture


----------



## JWK

SJSharks39 said:


> Are you talking about the goals or the players? Didn’t Badji score a goal from 50 yards out or was that Gashi?



Gashi in the playoffs against the Galaxy


----------



## eddygee




----------



## Luigi Habs




----------



## Howie Hodge

Zlatan's first goal against LAFC was him outclassing the competition. He knew the keeper was out and what he had to do, and did it. World Class read.

Second and winning goal was off sides; but still, creates the drama so befitting of Zlatan. Great header regardless to win it for Galaxy.

Great presser afterwards. I will be following Zlatan and his participation in MLS .....


----------



## Timeless Winter

Zlatan was not offsides, the ball was.


----------



## hatterson

Timeless Winter said:


> Zlatan was not offsides, the ball was.




It's really close if he's ahead of the ball or not.

I think he's just barely off, but it's close enough I don't think even VAR should overturn it if it was an issue.


----------



## SJSharks72

hatterson said:


> It's really close if he's ahead of the ball or not.
> 
> I think he's just barely off, but it's close enough I don't think even VAR should overturn it if it was an issue.



This is exactly my thought it looks like he is so marginally offside that it’s never going to be called.


----------



## kingsboy11

Onside


----------



## hatterson

Where's that screenshot from? Looks almost like a refcam.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

There should be no excuses for blowing a 3-0 lead.


----------



## eddygee

Market Watch: Top five social content ratings (March 31-April 1)

*Market Watch: Top five social content ratings (March 31-April 1)*


by Soccer America , 2 hours ago
*1. LA Galaxy vs. LAFC*, MLS (1,987,000)
*2. Michigan vs. Loyola, Ill.*, NCAA men's basketball (1,596,000)
*3. Kansas vs. Villanova*, NCAA men's basketball (1,480,000)
*4. Notre Dame vs. Mississippi State*, NCAA women's basketball (1,129,000)
*5. Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs*, NBA (1,118,000)
*Data:* TV sports events across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. *Source:* Nielsen Social.


----------



## Cassano

Strongly recommend turning on the TFC-America game.


----------



## kingsboy11

Super glad Toronto won, but all America has to do is score 2 goals and not concede at Azteca which is very much doable.


----------



## chaosrevolver

kingsboy11 said:


> Super glad Toronto won, but all America has to do is score 2 goals and not concede at Azteca which is very much doable.



It's doable but it's still a strong start for TFC.


----------



## Pouchkine

Generous penalty then no red card for Giovinco and or Osorio that smells like corruption. Concacaf really wants MLS to do well in this tournament now for the tv money...Fun game but not high quality, the pitch and conditions probably didn't help though.


----------



## njdevil26

Pouchkine said:


> Generous penalty then no red card for Giovinco and or Osorio that smells like corruption. *Concacaf really wants MLS to do well in this tournament now for the tv money*...Fun game but not high quality, the pitch and conditions probably didn't help though.




Can't say that anymore. The ref ignored a clear handball in the box by a Chivas player.... then ignored the Chivas captain (already on a yellow) with his hand around the throat of Sean Davis. Concacaf and it's referees are a JOKE.


----------



## Pouchkine

Yeah that's for sure Concacaf is the most corrupt and crap region there is, the referees are also terrible, corrupt and incompetent. It was a first though tuesday because they were for once Anti-Mexico...The handball is a bit of a freak situation, but the throat grab is a straight red everywhere in the world from kids to adults...

You think you will have a great crowd for the return leg and come out on top?


----------



## Basement Cat

3-1 win tonight for our boys despite the 70%-ish Chivas crowd. Chivas did not impress me at all in the home leg. Someone tell me tha Chivas has a better roster than NYRB.


----------



## Cassano

Basement Cat said:


> 3-1 win tonight for our boys despite the 70%-ish Chivas crowd. Chivas did not impress me at all in the home leg. Someone tell me tha Chivas has a better roster than NYRB.



Looks like it didn't matter at the end of the day.


----------



## sabremike

We had them. We had those dirty cheating play acting shitbags totally outplayed and couldn't finish the f***ing job. This is the new worst moment in team history.


----------



## hatterson

Is there somewhere I can watch the TFC game?


----------



## kingsboy11

Sucks that Red Bulls are out. Were head and shoulders the better team today. If tehy converted on one of their chances in the first 30 minutes, I think they win that game rather easily. 

Toronto up early against America, but Jozy taken out with injury. America needs 3 goals to force extra time.


----------



## kingsboy11

hatterson said:


> Is there somewhere I can watch the TFC game?




In theory the Go90 app is an option, but its been really ****ty tonight cutting out for minutes at a time.


----------



## hatterson

Looks like it’s on fubo.tv and they have a free trial. Win


----------



## Cassano

Bradley is f***ing awesome. Great captain.


----------



## hatterson

hatterson said:


> Looks like it’s on fubo.tv and they have a free trial. Win




For those interested, Spanish only from what I can tell.


----------



## chaosrevolver

That was real dirty by Valdez.

He's fortunate he didn't get a red there.


----------



## chaosrevolver

Club America whines about everything...holy moly lol.


----------



## hatterson

The broadcast I watched didn’t show much of a replay and I had no audio, what was the last penalty for?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

If MLS team (Toronto FC) doesn't win CCL this season, I don't know if they ever will.


----------



## jacobhockey13

hatterson said:


> The broadcast I watched didn’t show much of a replay and I had no audio, what was the last penalty for?



Sympathy? My broadcast as well had a replay that didn't show much; Univision guys said that he didn't think it was a penalty but that it wasn't a horrible call either; said that Hassler contacted the player but that the América player dragged his foot so that Hassler would make contact.


----------



## jacobhockey13

BKIslandersFan said:


> If MLS team (Toronto FC) doesn't win CCL this season, I don't know if they ever will.



The amazing thing to think about is how much stronger they could be. Morrow, Vásquez, Haglund, and Mavinga. People don't realize how good Vasquez is because the big three take the national and international press coverage in Toronto. And they lost Raheem Edwards in the expansion draft.


----------



## Basement Cat

Typical NYRB in a "playoff" home leg. Relentless pressure, have the other squad hemmed in their half, shots 20-1, and don't come through. It's getting really old.

On the bright side, Tyler Adams is a stud.

Chivas was thoroughly unimpressive and I expect Toronto to win.


----------



## East Coast Bias

Chivas sucks. Hopefully Toronto stomps em.

That was laughable last night. Look at this


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Just snagged my tickets for Toronto-Chivas!


----------



## Dominator13

Quick question. Can anyone tell me what fans yell when opposing goalies are kicking the ball away?


----------



## SJSharks72

Pax Macioretty said:


> Quick question. Can anyone tell me what fans yell when opposing goalies are kicking the ball away?



An inappropriate Spanish word.


----------



## Ceremony

Hello friends. How is Danny Wilson doing for Colorado?


----------



## Dominator13

SJSharks39 said:


> An inappropriate Spanish word.



Puta? That can't be what they say everywhere right?


----------



## SJSharks72

Pax Macioretty said:


> Puta? That can't be what they say everywhere right?



It is


----------



## sabremike

I saw Joe Cole play soccer in front of about 100 fans at Red Bull Arena today as his TB Rowdies played Red Bulls II after the MLS match. His team lost 5-0.


----------



## Savant

sabremike said:


> I saw Joe Cole play soccer in front of about 100 fans at Red Bull Arena today as his TB Rowdies played Red Bulls II after the MLS match. His team lost 5-0.



I saw Joe Cole play this season as well against NCFC. He looks terrible.


----------



## sabremike

They would've been better off bringing back "The White Pele" Rodney Marsch but I think he's dead.


----------



## Cassano

sabremike said:


> I saw Joe Cole play soccer in front of about 100 fans at Red Bull Arena today as his TB Rowdies played Red Bulls II after the MLS match. His team lost 5-0.



The same Joe Cole where Gerrard famously said: "Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better. "


----------



## Savant

All Might said:


> The same Joe Cole where Gerrard famously said: "Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better. "



That's the one he is in lousy shape. Had his hands on his hips the entire game.


----------



## Albatros

Savant said:


> I saw Joe Cole play this season as well against NCFC. He looks terrible.




I saw Joe Cole play in 1999, looked solid with Frank Lampard.


----------



## ecemleafs

alex ring just scored a golazo from outside the box to equalize against atlanta. 2-2 now. fun game.


----------



## Steve55

Exclusive Reveal for $700 Million Harlem River Yards Mega-Project, Including New York's First Soccer Stadium Designed by Rafael Viñoly - New York YIMBY






'BY: NIKOLAI FEDAK 8:00 AM ON APRIL 17, 2018

When it comes to new developments, stadiums are a rarity in New York City. But today, YIMBY has the first look at an enormous project coming to the South Bronx waterfront, dubbed Harlem River Yards, submitted to the city by a Related-led partnership...

City’s first dedicated soccer stadium, with 26,000 seats, designed by Rafael Viñoly. The total cost is projected at $700 million.
The partnership is comprised of Related, Somerset Partners, and the New York City Football Club, which would be the occupying team for the new stadium...

While plans have not yet been finalized, YIMBY’s source notes that Related is the likely contender to win the RFP for the site, and with Somerset already working on their towers next door, the partnership and plans are looking very likely...'


----------



## BKIslandersFan

This is ridiculous. MLS team can NEVER win CONCACAF Champions League.


----------



## hatterson

Yea TFC put themselves in a tough spot. Have to score at least 2 goals in the away leg now.

They were the better team on balance but had some horrible defending on the first goal when it seems like they didn't wake up, some really bad goalkeeping on the 2nd goal, and some bad finishing that kept them only scoring 1.


----------



## jacobhockey13

It's annoying to see the hoi polli's take on the Concacaf first leg final, on Reddit MLS for example, where the narrative is that Toronto "choked". There's the typical U.S. national team fan resentment to Altidore; who just wasn't on his game due to injury, and Bradley, who played well treading lightly on a yellow even if he was bad offensively.

Honestly, the game just came down to some bounces and Toronto not taking their chances. Also most of Toronto's execution on corners was poor. The non-call on Giovinco penalty shout hurt, and I think Chivas were definitely lucky on that count. Not a lot to be dissatisfied with as a TFC supporter or a general fan of the league. Sometimes the ball doesn't roll your way.

They now have a seemingly monumental task but here's hoping.


----------



## jacobhockey13

hatterson said:


> Yea TFC put themselves in a tough spot. Have to score at least 2 goals in the away leg now.
> 
> They were the better team on balance but had some horrible defending on the first goal when it seems like they didn't wake up, some really bad goalkeeping on the 2nd goal, and some bad finishing that kept them only scoring 1.



Yeah, the defending on the first goal was awful.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

I was at the game, lots of fun but holy mother of God was it frustrating.

Defense on the first goal was appalling. Not sure if it looked like this on TV, but from where I was sitting the cross in looked brutally slow. Totally woeful. 

Toronto really regretted not taking chances in the first half. The goal was great, but besides that they just couldn't finish. They had a few really neat plays that just didn't end in the back of the net. 

Goal #2 for Chivas was wacky, and TFC just capitulated after it. The lack of urgency in the last 10 minutes was infuriating, and every pass was a tuenover. Kudos to Chivas for how effectively they closed out. 

TFC was 100% the better side, but it just didn't come off today. Bradley easily MOTM for them, he was terrific I thought.


----------



## jacobhockey13

Wee Baby Seamus said:


> I was at the game, lots of fun but holy mother of God was it frustrating.
> 
> Defense on the first goal was appalling. Not sure if it looked like this on TV, but from where I was sitting the cross in looked brutally slow. Totally woeful.
> 
> Toronto really regretted not taking chances in the first half. The goal was great, but besides that they just couldn't finish. They had a few really neat plays that just didn't end in the back of the net.
> 
> Goal #2 for Chivas was wacky, and TFC just capitulated after it. The lack of urgency in the last 10 minutes was infuriating, and every pass was a tuenover. Kudos to Chivas for how effectively they closed out.
> 
> TFC was 100% the better side, but it just didn't come off today. Bradley easily MOTM for them, he was terrific I thought.



Bradley was very, very good defensively.


----------



## hatterson

Yea I thought Bradley was great. Giovinco really struggled, had a couple one twos that opened up space, but for the most part chances died when the ball went to him.


----------



## Pouchkine

That's TFC for you, Bradley just terrible and once again Giovinco can't deliver against good teams, just a little diving cheater. When will MLS ever win?


----------



## Pouchkine

jacobhockey13 said:


> It's annoying to see the hoi polli's take on the Concacaf first leg final, on Reddit MLS for example, where the narrative is that Toronto "choked". There's the typical U.S. national team fan resentment to Altidore; who just wasn't on his game due to injury, and Bradley, who played well treading lightly on a yellow even if he was bad offensively.
> 
> Honestly, the game just came down to some bounces and Toronto not taking their chances. Also most of Toronto's execution on corners was poor. The non-call on Giovinco penalty shout hurt, and I think Chivas were definitely lucky on that count. Not a lot to be dissatisfied with as a TFC supporter or a general fan of the league. Sometimes the ball doesn't roll your way.
> 
> They now have a seemingly monumental task but here's hoping.



What penalty shout? The guy tackled the ball and if anything Giovinco should be sent off every game for his diving.


----------



## hatterson

Pouchkine said:


> That's TFC for you, Bradley just terrible and once again Giovinco can't deliver against good teams, just a little diving cheater. When will MLS ever win?




Bradley was far from terrible. You're just exposing yourself as being hilariously biased an uninformed.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pouchkine said:


> That's TFC for you, Bradley just terrible and once again Giovinco can't deliver against good teams, just a little diving cheater. When will MLS ever win?



Well aren’t you just a ball of fun? Do you ever say anything positive about any tram?


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Not sure about the penalty shout, haven't seen the replay yet and I was sitting on the other side of the field. 



Pouchkine said:


> That's TFC for you, Bradley just terrible and once again Giovinco can't deliver against good teams, just a little diving cheater. When will MLS ever win?




Not sure what you're talking about, Bradley was terrific. Easily best player for TFC.


----------



## hatterson

I'm not sure about the penalty shout either. Only broadcast I could find was Spanish so it focused way more on Chivas and only showed one or two quick replays of the challenge.

Live it looked more like a coming together with both going for the ball, on replay it looked more like the Chivas defender came into the back of Giovino but it didn't look definitive at quick glance.


----------



## Pouchkine

I think the guy got the ball on the tackle, anyway Giovinco dives so much that at some point it's only fair.

The tie isn't over though I see a pretty wild second leg with many goals.


----------



## Pouchkine

hatterson said:


> Bradley was far from terrible. You're just exposing yourself as being hilariously biased an uninformed.



I see TFC play almost every week on TSN. The guy is incredible overrated, as voted by mls players. He creates very little going forward and too often EASILY beat one on one, lack of speed in close distance is obvious. He is a capable MLS player but when the level of opposition rises you see his weaknesses quite clearly.


----------



## Pouchkine

SJSharks39 said:


> Well aren’t you just a ball of fun? Do you ever say anything positive about any tram?



I had a lot of positive to say last week when we had 3 absolutely amazing days in Champions And Europa league.


----------



## jacobhockey13

Pouchkine said:


> I see TFC play almost every week on TSN. The guy is incredible overrated, as voted by mls players. He creates very little going forward and too often EASILY beat one on one, lack of speed in close distance is obvious. He is a capable MLS player but when the level of opposition rises you see his weaknesses quite clearly.



Nobody here is claiming Bradley is world class. Nice try shifting the goalposts. It's just laughable that you thought he played badly yesterday. He was good yesterday. 

Watch him every week eh? Maybe you missed this game?


----------



## jacobhockey13

hatterson said:


> I'm not sure about the penalty shout either. Only broadcast I could find was Spanish so it focused way more on Chivas and only showed one or two quick replays of the challenge.
> 
> Live it looked more like a coming together with both going for the ball, on replay it looked more like the Chivas defender came into the back of Giovino but it didn't look definitive at quick glance.




I watched the Univision broadcast and one of the guys thought it was a penalty, the other didn't. I don't think it was clear cut, but I'd say over 50% of refs would award it. I also don't want to litigate every foul, I thought the refereeing was fair and doesn't deserve blame. Giovinco does dive. But I have to say that the Pulido's goal was off a joke of a free kick. Chivas guy absolutely dove and the referee missed it.


----------



## jacobhockey13




----------



## hatterson

Yea that looks more like Giovinco got his leg in front of the defender. Although also likely a case where his reputation prevents him from getting the benefit of the doubt


----------



## Cassano

Thoughts @les Habs?


----------



## FVM

All Might said:


> Thoughts @les Habs?





Zlatan is hilarious


----------



## Pouchkine

Giovinco should have got a straight red in the first leg against America for a kick on a player on the ground so stop whining please.
The thing is TFC and MLS really can't afford to lose again this year. Chivas ain't a powerhouse and TFC are the reigning MLS champs.
I see a very wild second leg. What are your picks?


----------



## hatterson

Literally no one is whining. WTF are you on about


----------



## Pouchkine

TFC should have had a penalty, Chivas scored on a soft free kick. That's what someone said. In fairness only one person whined.

Still I want TFC fans picks for the second leg, is it over or are you confident in a big comeback win?


----------



## eddygee

Pouchkine said:


> Giovinco should have got a straight red in the first leg against America for a kick on a player on the ground so stop whining please.
> *The thing is TFC and MLS really can't afford to lose again this year. Chivas ain't a powerhouse and TFC are the reigning MLS champs.*
> I see a very wild second leg. What are your picks?




Are you a Mexi in Canada or something? TFC even if they lose doesn't have any barring or negative connotation on MLS. Quite the opposite, MLS has dispelled the ongoing myth of perpetual Mexican dominance in H2H matches. Flukey things happen, both sides played well Chivas is the perfect example of a team playing for pride they have nothing left in league play, this is their Super Bowl. They played well and are well coached TFC didn't capitalize on their umpteen chances. Either way MLS can hold it's head high following this years annual series. Maybe beating the two best most talented teams in Mexico and winning it all might be too much it might nothing is set in stone. But spare us the Chivas ain't a powerhouse so if TFC loses it looks bad on MLS stuff. Chivas didn't have to go thru the two best teams in Mexico to get to the final. If they had TFC draw they most asssuredly wouldn't be in the Final.


----------



## Pouchkine

At the end of the day if Chivas wins, it will mean Mexico is still unbeaten. MLS would still be trophyless. The chance is really there this year it would be quite a big failure if they come up short again. My pick for the return leg is probably the game going into overtime so there you go.

I'm a Montreal Impact fan, and I don't care for TFC or Mexican teams either way, I just post honestly.


----------



## Cassano

Damn that's a heartbreaking loss btw. We beat the best teams in Mexico and lose to the worst one in the final. Even worse is that they're deploying Mourinho tactics to win.


----------



## Pouchkine

All Might said:


> Damn that's a heartbreaking loss btw. We beat the best teams in Mexico and lose to the worst one in the final. Even worse is that they're deploying Mourinho tactics to win.



It's not over!


----------



## eddygee

Pouchkine said:


> At the end of the day if Chivas wins, it will mean Mexico is still unbeaten. MLS would still be trophyless. The chance is really there this year it would be quite a big failure if they come up short again. My pick for the return leg is probably the game going into overtime so there you go.
> 
> I'm a Montreal Impact fan, and I don't care for TFC or Mexican teams either way, I just post honestly.




I do too and it was never a given that TFC would win it's not a zero sum gain MLS will be there in more finals the league is growing salary caps will most likely triple after the new TV Deal and CBA in 2022. It sucks if they lose the final after taking apart the top teams in Liga MX, but hey it happens. I'm just am not one for the doom and gloom post. If you get a little better bit by bit at something in life do you poo poo yourself and say I suck? You seek encouragement at the gains and keep chipping away until you breakthrough. All in all its been a great showing for MLS in CCL, NOTHING takes away from that in the grand scheme of things. That's the Truth it's in the results.


----------



## Pouchkine

It's a great campaign for MLS that's for sure, probably the best showing yet.


----------



## JWK

Ceremony said:


> Hello friends. How is Danny Wilson doing for Colorado?



Bad and now injured


----------



## HajdukSplit

Montreal have opened talks with Torres' agent


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> This is ridiculous. MLS team can NEVER win CONCACAF Champions League.



If Jesse didn't coach scared and stupid and be intimidated by BIG SCARY MEXICAN TEAM that wasn't nearly as good and talented as his Metro would be accomplishing just that next week in Harrison.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> If Jesse didn't coach scared and stupid and be intimidated by BIG SCARY MEXICAN TEAM that wasn't nearly as good and talented as his Metro would be accomplishing just that next week in Harrison.



This is first year I can say a Mexican sides honestly doesn’t deserve to win.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Montreal, oh no baby what you doin????


----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

HajdukSplit said:


> Montreal have opened talks with Torres' agent



El Nino? That would be pretty awesome having him so close.


----------



## Pouchkine

Impact denied the rumour for what it's worth. We need some defenders much more to be honest.


----------



## eddygee




----------



## eddygee




----------



## BKIslandersFan

With heavy traveling I think Invincibles will never be a thing in MLS.


----------



## sabremike

914 United lose to a team clad in green coached by Giovanni Savarese, where have I seen that before???


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> 914 United lose to a team clad in green coached by Giovanni Savarese, where have I seen that before???



Its Hartford City, get it right.

I always liked Savarese and got a raw deal working for Cosmos. Good for him.


----------



## hatterson

Glad TFC lost after they spent the last part of the game sandbagging and wasting time.

Go get an away goal and win it, stop dicking around and playing for penalties.

Also LOL bradley’s attempt. How do you even miss the goal by that much.


----------



## Wee Baby Seamus

Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Shouldn't have been down going into the game because we shoulda taken our chances last week. 

Made stupid decisions in the final third in the second half, and that Delgado miss was inexcusable. 

Nothing pisses me off more than stutter step penalties. So boneheaded. 

Bradley, I'm sorry, but that was dreadful.


----------



## phisherman

TFC has a way of losing in the most heartbreaking way in a finals.

And Bradley should never take a penalty.


----------



## Pouchkine

No overtime? What Concacaf really needs to cement their status as a joke region? What's next 70 minutes games?

Will MLS ever win? This one is on NYRB and TFC. Giovinco had a superb goal and a great play near the end, the rest of the team was awful though. Altidore clearly out of shape, and Bradley was comically bad from start to finish. The penalty sure but that can happen to everyone, he got easily beat in 1vs.1 at least half a dozen times during the game. The other guys you didn't see them at all.


----------



## Pouchkine

Wee Baby Seamus said:


> Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
> 
> Shouldn't have been down going into the game because we shoulda taken our chances last week.
> 
> Made stupid decisions in the final third in the second half, and that Delgado miss was inexcusable.
> 
> Nothing pisses me off more than stutter step penalties. So boneheaded.
> 
> Bradley, I'm sorry, but that was dreadful.




When that crap style of penalty taking was started, we were told as referees that it was illegal. It go lost somewhere but they really should ban those, it would be good for everyone. The Delgado miss was inexcusable but that would have been so underserved, the only thing TFC did in the last 30min. or so.


----------



## kingsboy11

Didn't see any of the game, but I was really disappointed to hear about the result. I'm glad TFC made a game out of it, but this was the first time where I genuinely thought an MLS team had a legitimate shot at winning the champions league and they messed it up. I'm not sure another team will be that close to winning in a while.


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> Didn't see any of the game, but I was really disappointed to hear about the result. I'm glad TFC made a game out of it, but this was the first time where I genuinely thought an MLS team had a legitimate shot at winning the champions league and they messed it up. I'm not sure another team will be that close to winning in a while.



Well Toronto isn’t getting worse I mean they are really only getting better. Seattle is getting worse but they’re still good. LAG is good same with LAFC. Neither of them will win the CCL though also you got Atlanta and NYCFC who could make some noise.


----------



## HajdukSplit

Pouchkine said:


> No overtime? What Concacaf really needs to cement their status as a joke region? What's next 70 minutes games?




To be fair, CONCACAF is not the only federation to use this system of going straight to penalty kicks after a tie/aggregate tie


----------



## hatterson

What I still don't understand if why TFC were so hellbent on wasting as much time as possible.

Also why only 2 minutes of stoppage time was added given a couple small injuries, 6 substitutions, and TFC being as slow as humanly possible.


----------



## Pouchkine

That's Concacaf.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> No overtime? What Concacaf really needs to cement their status as a joke region? What's next 70 minutes games?
> 
> Will MLS ever win? This one is on NYRB and TFC. Giovinco had a superb goal and a great play near the end, the rest of the team was awful though. Altidore clearly out of shape, and Bradley was comically bad from start to finish. The penalty sure but that can happen to everyone, he got easily beat in 1vs.1 at least half a dozen times during the game. The other guys you didn't see them at all.



Before your Skip Bayless style hot take on going straight to penalties do you realize that the final was 2 legs and doing an overtime would be an unfair advantage for the team that happens to be hosting the second leg? Going straight to penalties is the most fair system they could use.


----------



## Disclose

its totally logic to not have extra time.
you played 180 minutes.

either way Toronto wanted to go to penalty kicks. the way they were playing at the end of the game. so that should be the complaint. not the format.


----------



## Pouchkine

sabremike said:


> Before your Skip Bayless style hot take on going straight to penalties do you realize that the final was 2 legs and doing an overtime would be an unfair advantage for the team that happens to be hosting the second leg? Going straight to penalties is the most fair system they could use.



Isn't it what they do all the time every year in the UEFA Champions League and Uefa Europa League like forever in every knockout round but the final which is one game?


----------



## Pouchkine

Disclose said:


> its totally logic to not have extra time.
> you played 180 minutes.
> 
> either way Toronto wanted to go to penalty kicks. the way they were playing at the end of the game. so that should be the complaint. not the format.



Both should be complaints. DUMB tactic by TFC when one goal gave you the title and absolutely laughing stock rule by concalaugh once again. Stuff like this are what we call in tennis "unforced errors" and those are the things that are still hurting MLS. Why change something that works everywhere and that's been working forever?


----------



## sabremike

I don't care if UEFA does it, it's STILL an unfair advantage given to the team hosting the second leg. For once CONCACAF are the ones completely in the right here.


----------



## Pouchkine

You are so very wrong. You know about the away goal rule do you? 30minutes more of play at home, 30minutes more to score an away goal, that's why it works. It balances itself. Once again Concalaugh are the joke region.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> You are so very wrong. You know about the away goal rule do you? 30minutes more of play at home, 30minutes more to score an away goal, that's why it works. It balances itself. Once again Concalaugh are the joke region.



Which is easier to do: score a goal at home or score a goal on the road? It's a clear advantage for the home team.


----------



## Pouchkine

If that was so true they would have stopped doing it a LONG time ago everywhere. It's an away goal we are talking about. 

Why fix something that ain't broken?


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Ah yes, the "everything UEFA does is right and everything done in North America is shameful" stance.

This is why it took me until my mid/late 20s to give soccer a chance.


----------



## Pouchkine

It's done everywhere. It's a great rule. Great for the fans and mostly fair for the teams.


----------



## Pouchkine

Anyway let's get back on topic. The Impact needs to start winning, and will TFC start to climb the standings?


----------



## Viqsi

Big McLargehuge said:


> Ah yes, the "everything UEFA does is right and everything done in North America is shameful" stance.
> 
> This is why it took me until my mid/late 20s to give soccer a chance.



30s for me, and if Precourt and Garber get their way there isn't going to be a second chance. I am so g-ddamn tired of being f***ed over by this game.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

I know Montreal is not a particularly a strong defensive side, to say the least, but you cannot be letting in 4+ goals every week.


----------



## sabremike

For once we are the beneficiaries of a terrible call, now time to beat up the blue posers #NYISRED


----------



## gphr513

You're my Wonderwaaaall! 

Darwin Quintero is such a fun player to watch. Immensely talented.


----------



## Pouchkine

Big McLargehuge said:


> Ah yes, the "everything UEFA does is right and everything done in North America is shameful" stance.
> 
> This is why it took me until my mid/late 20s to give soccer a chance.



You know what the MLS rule is for overtime now?

UEFA= Overtime with the away goal rule still used= Ideal
Concacaf= Going straight to penalty= Stupid
MLS= Overtime WITHOUT the away goal rule= Stupid and UNFAIR


----------



## Pouchkine

BKIslandersFan said:


> I know Montreal is not a particularly a strong defensive side, to say the least, but you cannot be letting in 4+ goals every week.



That's 16 in the last 4 games and it should have been a lot more...


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Pouchkine said:


> You know what the MLS rule is for overtime now?
> 
> UEFA= Overtime with the away goal rule still used= Ideal
> Concacaf= Going straight to penalty= Stupid
> MLS= Overtime WITHOUT the away goal rule= Stupid and UNFAIR




The MLS does a lot of shit wrong, namely being reffed by blind people with only a vague idea of what the sport is. You know what it does right? It's not thousands of miles and 10 time zones away from me.

I want the MLS to improve, but mirroring what works in a league covering a footprint the size of Utah isn't always going to work on a continent-spanning league. Frankly there's something to find wrong with basically every version of overtime, there are no perfect answers.


On that note, fix your f***ing refs, PRO. Nobody pays to watch Allen Chapman f*** everything up.


----------



## Pouchkine

Big McLargehuge said:


> The MLS does a lot of **** wrong, namely being reffed by blind people with only a vague idea of what the sport is. You know what it does right? It's not thousands of miles and 10 time zones away from me.
> 
> I want the MLS to improve, but mirroring what works in a league covering a footprint the size of Utah isn't always going to work on a continent-spanning league. Frankly there's something to find wrong with basically every version of overtime, there are no perfect answers.
> 
> 
> On that note, fix your ****ing refs, PRO. Nobody pays to watch Allen Chapman **** everything up.



I agree about the referees. I watch a lot of MLS games don't worry and I hope it improves.

But regarding Overtime the best format is the one they play worldwide, the one in MLS is by far the worst, even more stupid that the one in Concacaf Champions League.

Regarding the referees, why do they keep bringing back the same guys? They have proven over the years that they are not good enough. Why not try some new ones?


----------



## Big McLargehuge

I just don't think the pool of people willing to be refs is deep enough to get anything other than crap until we find a way to make it an appealing career choice.


----------



## Pouchkine

Big McLargehuge said:


> I just don't think the pool of people willing to be refs is deep enough to get anything other than crap until we find a way to make it an appealing career choice.



Considering how popular the game is at the youth level everywhere in North America and being a referee myself I know there's a lot of talented referees out there and a lot of them would love to have a chance to become professional referees. There's something rotten in the structure somewhere. Lots of friends protecting friends, lots of political stuff going on, it's completely inexcusable the low level of refereeing in MLS. Small countries, poor countries, have better referees.

What I find really unbelievable is that a lot of them don't seem to understand the game, and lack a good understanding of the laws and the spirit of the laws as well. How about at least 6-7 of them that don't look in particularly good shape? The physical tests are very tough and I just can't see some of them passing the test. Lots of work and the worst thing is it seems it's actually getting worse, because at the same time the playing and coaching improves.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> For once we are the beneficiaries of a terrible call, now time to beat up the blue posers #NYISRED



New York is so red no one sports anything related to NYRB around here.

And I live in the city.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> New York is so red no one sports anything related to NYRB around here.
> 
> And I live in the city.



914 United.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> 914 United.



NJ RB


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> NJ RB



Jersey > Scarsdale


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Jersey > Scarsdale



No, not really but ok.


----------



## HoseEmDown

sabremike said:


> Jersey > Scarsdale




Said no one ever.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando just won their 5th in a row. Still not sure what kind of team they are because they aren't dominating anyone and no game is ever over with them. We've also seen them start hot only to fade in the end. With Klejsten and Dwyer they have a chance every week, the backline just needs to keep the chances to a minimum. Still not a fan of Kreis but winning makes things better.


----------



## sabremike

HoseEmDown said:


> Said no one ever.



Somebody's never been to the Shore.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Somebody's never been to the Shore.



I have been to the Shore. I have been to New Jersey.

Terrible.

There is something terribly ironic about RB and NYCFC fans calling each other posers. Because both teams are essentially franchises of European clubs.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> I have been to the Shore. I have been to New Jersey.
> 
> Terrible.
> 
> There is something terribly ironic about RB and NYCFC fans calling each other posers. Because both teams are essentially franchises of European clubs.



You realize we had a decade of history before the soda people came right???

Also: Fire fans: "Fiiiiiiirrreee, Fire Fire Fiiiiirrreee"

914 fans: "Jersey, Jersey Jersey Jerseeeeeeeeeeey"

It's all they both know.


----------



## kingsboy11

There are few times where I will ever root for Seattle. Only against Chiv...LAFC


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> You realize we had a decade of history before the soda people came right???
> 
> Also: Fire fans: "Fiiiiiiirrreee, Fire Fire Fiiiiirrreee"
> 
> 914 fans: "Jersey, Jersey Jersey Jerseeeeeeeeeeey"
> 
> It's all they both know.



Does not change the fact that they rebranded you guys to Red Bulls brand.

And do they ever acknowledge the past of Metrostars? They don't for Salzburg.

Just accept that Red Bulls don't represent New York City and move on.


----------



## sabremike

We absolutely do. May I remind you we are still the only soccer team to ever play a home game in Manhattan.


----------



## HoseEmDown

sabremike said:


> Somebody's never been to the Shore.




My family used to spend a week at Seaside Heights, before the show ruined it, every summer when I was a kid. The only other time we went to Jersey was for the cheap gas or to drive through it for somewhere better.


----------



## gphr513

Minnesota sends Sam Nicholson to Colorado for Eric Miller. 

Anyone know anything about Miller? Seems to be a stalwart on their defense the last couple years, and was their Defensive Player of the Year last year. 

Really bummed to see Sammy go, but we BADLY needed to upgrade our defense.


----------



## SJSharks72

Lee Nguyen to LAFC


----------



## JWK

gphr513 said:


> Minnesota sends Sam Nicholson to Colorado for Eric Miller.
> 
> Anyone know anything about Miller? Seems to be a stalwart on their defense the last couple years, and was their Defensive Player of the Year last year.
> 
> Really bummed to see Sammy go, but we BADLY needed to upgrade our defense.



Solid player, didn’t fit with the Rapids new 3-5-2 system so he was on the bench.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

The City folks didn't turn up against the suburbanites. Yikes.

Red Bulls have a nice team but shouldn't have been a 4-0 defeat.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> The City folks didn't turn up against the suburbanites. Yikes.
> 
> Red Bulls have a nice team but shouldn't have been a 4-0 defeat.



You're right, it should've been 6-0 #NYISRED #NJISRED #SADDAYINWESTCHESTER


----------



## Viqsi

Had a sudden and unpleasant discovery when I tried to start up the second half on my phone just now. Did MLS Live's imminent abrupt disappearance catch anyone else here off guard, or did they just not mention it to Crew SC supporters?


----------



## sabremike

The whole team coming over to the South Ward after the match and high fiving everyone in the front row in a line was awesome.


----------



## kingsboy11

Galaxy are somehow more frustrating this year than last year. At least with last year I knew the team was **** so I wasn't surprised when they get embarrassed. This year the team is much better and they still can't get results. Haven't replaced the gigantic hole that Van Damme left.


----------



## njdevil26

kingsboy11 said:


> Galaxy are somehow more frustrating this year than last year. At least with last year I knew the team was **** so I wasn't surprised when they get embarrassed. This year the team is much better and they still can't get results. Haven't replaced the gigantic hole that Van Damme left.



The Galaxy have a nice collection of players that are all unsure of their roles.


----------



## HoseEmDown

6 straight for the Lions. Still not making it easy with the amount of quality chances they give up but going forward this team is clicking right now. Nice little 10 point gap in front of the 7th spot, it's early but we need to make the playoffs this year so not having to play catch up might help us.


----------



## Duchene2MacKinnon

LMFAO at the commentators call on Barco's goal. He doesn't have a f***ing clue...

After first goal, Atlanta United believe Barco is just getting started


----------



## SJSharks72

Duchene2MacKinnon said:


> LMFAO at the commentators call on Barco's goal. He doesn't have a ****ing clue...
> 
> After first goal, Atlanta United believe Barco is just getting started



Yeah some of the commentators aren’t the best. I really liked it when they had LD and Keller but now they’re both gone. I like Twellman, Lalas at least seems educated enough but his opinions are something else and he just pisses me off


----------



## hockeykicker




----------



## Basement Cat

hockeykicker said:


>





Can't wait to watch NYRB's press run circles around this man.


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Can't wait to watch NYRB's press run circles around this man.



Rooney would be great in the MLS. He might get pressed but he’s good enough to break through it. Acting like NYRBs press is going to do anything is homerism at best.


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> Rooney would be great in the MLS. He might get pressed but he’s good enough to break through it. Acting like NYRBs press is going to do anything is homerism at best.




A NYRB press that rendered Villa useless with a more talented supporting cast than Wayne would have with DC...an NYRB press that rendered Ibra useless with a more talented supporting cast than Wayne would have with DC. I rate Villa and Ibra similar to Rooney (Villa slightly higher) - I like my chances against a Rooney-led DC United.


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> A NYRB press that rendered Villa useless with a more talented supporting cast than Wayne would have with DC...an NYRB press that rendered Ibra useless with a more talented supporting cast than Wayne would have with DC. I rate Villa and Ibra similar to Rooney (Villa slightly higher) - I like my chances against a Rooney-led DC United.



Again Rooney is more talented than Villa and would give a lot more effort than Ibra.


----------



## Basement Cat

Well we're just going to have to agree to disagree there. If he touches Villa's production in MLS I would be utterly shocked.


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Well we're just going to have to agree to disagree there. If he touches Villa's production in MLS I would be utterly shocked.



I mean currently. Not in history by the way, meant to put that in my post but just forgot 

Anyway Rooney is an amazing player and an amazing competitor. Having watched both Ibra and Rooney at United, Ibra gave way less effort than Rooney on any given day. He seems to be reenergized at Everton too. I don't see Rooney being a good striker in the league though (which I think that he will play as at DC). He'd be a fantastic 10 though. That would get the most of his abilities and not require that he be so great physically (which he never has been).

On another entirely unrelated note, my Sounders are about to get crushed by Toronto tonight. They don't have a proper striker and can't score goals. They were counting way too much on Morris being healthy and Bruin while good shouldn't be starting for a team that has been to the last 2 cup finals. If the Sounders don't sign a striker in summer, they won't make the playoffs. Granted Garth said they were spending 8 figures on a player in the summer but we will see if that happens.


----------



## Basement Cat

You think Seattle lands either Torres or Chicharito?


----------



## Chimaera

hockeykicker said:


>




Boooooooooooooooooooo


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> You think Seattle lands either Torres or Chicharito?



Maybe but I think they go for someone that can play both wing and striker. I’ve seen a lot of links to Sergio Araujo from Las Palmas.


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> Maybe but I think they go for someone that can play both wing and striker. I’ve seen a lot of links to Sergio Araujo from Las Palmas.




That's a better signing - more modern MLS (in the Atlanta model). I would love to see that happen.

Additionally, would prefer Cheech to end up on one of the Texas teams or in Chicago - a struggling team attendance-wise that could use the Mexican fan boost.


----------



## sabremike

The scene tonight in Columbus with like 2,000 fans tops makes me so sad. They know their team is as good as gone and it's a total disgrace. If Garber comes into the South Ward to glad hand us I swear it will take every ounce of restraint that I have not to spit right in his ugly disgusting face. I hope him and Precourt drown in a pool of ebola.


----------



## Fro

there are way more than 2,000 there...I'll be so glad when Precourt is gone and actual local ownership supports the team...it's sad that Columbus is like 16th in revenue with an owner submarining the product so bad...

Afful's strike may have dented the goalpost...


----------



## Fro

GET IN ZARDES!!!!


----------



## SJSharks72

Halftime in Toronto. Toronto have had the majority of the ball but haven’t had many chances. Seattle playing very organized. Although Bruin scored he has been awful at holding the ball but Seattle don’t have anyone else to do it. Also he might have gotten injured towards the end. Wolff making a strong case to be starting week in and week out. It will be interesting what happens when everyone is healthy (but Morris because he’s out for the season) I’d put Dempsey up top with Lodeiro in behind him with VRod and Wolff out wide with Ozzie and Roldan holding. Could be interesting. Back to the game today though, Bruin should be taking advantage of these make shift center backs. Although both VDW and Bradley are great players neither are natural center backs so hopefully he starts getting a little more physical with them in the second half. Also Morgan (LB for Toronto) has not played well at all. I don’t really know how to describe it. Kind of like he’s panicking when he gets the ball. Giovinco will be the death of Seattle if they keep giving him these chances.

Of course while I’m talking about Bruin being bad he starts the second half really well and had a great pass to Bwana for a great goal and is holding it up well.


----------



## Fro

i was thinking there was 9k there...official count is 7,600...which means Precourt's staff didn't count 2,000 based on history...lol


----------



## Fro

unbeaten streak back to 4...crew gaining momentum...


----------



## SJSharks72

Roldan is hands down Seattle’s most important and consistent player. Future captain of Seattle and USA.


----------



## Fro

i can see that...a very good player


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Rooney to DC done. Thought MLS was getting away from players like that. 

Still would be cool to see and DC needs butts in seats in their new stadium. They will still be garbage though.


----------



## sabremike

Fro said:


> i was thinking there was 9k there...official count is 7,600...which means Precourt's staff didn't count 2,000 based on history...lol



Do they do the ass backwards thing there of putting everyone on the camera side because the side facing the camera looked almost empty?


----------



## sabremike

Someone with a hilarious tweet pointing out that next year the Yankees will play a home game at a soccer stadium before boy city plays a home game at one.


----------



## Fro

sabremike said:


> Do they do the ass backwards thing there of putting everyone on the camera side because the side facing the camera looked almost empty?




Nope, the camera side are the "expensive " seats with chair backs...those are usually pretty full...

It is what it is, you have 8-9k hard core fans that mostly show up, then get 3-5k casuals for most games...

It's a crap area of town with no bars or restaurants near to pregame which turns off many people 

Precourt had a chance to move near where the hockey and AAA baseball stadiums are...but that doesn't fit his narratives so he passed on it...


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Someone with a hilarious tweet pointing out that next year the Yankees will play a home game at a soccer stadium before boy city plays a home game at one.



London Stadium is as about a soccer stadium is as Yankees Stadium.


----------



## njdevil26

SJSharks39 said:


> *Again Rooney is more talented than Villa* and would give a lot more effort than Ibra.




I'm sorry what?


----------



## SJSharks72

njdevil26 said:


> I'm sorry what?



Currently without a doubt


----------



## Pouchkine

Rooney is fat and washed up and has been for a couple of years. Villa and Ibrahimovic were and still are in a different class.


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> Currently without a doubt




That's just not true. I would rather have Villa 10x over. Whether it's in MLS or in the EPL.


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> That's just not true. I would rather have Villa 10x over. Whether it's in MLS or in the EPL.



And that’s just not true.


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> And that’s just not true.




Villa came here at a much higher level than Rooney is right now and hasn't missed a beat - even got a callup again to Spain's national team for World Cup qualifying. Rooney wouldn't sniff that team right now let alone at 35 (when Villa got called back up).


----------



## sabremike

Villa has almost singlehandedly carried boy city from day one. I feel fairly confident in saying Rooney will come nowhere close to doing that for the scum.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Villa has almost singlehandedly carried boy city from day one. I feel fairly confident in saying Rooney will come nowhere close to doing that for the scum.



People give players who have never played in PL too little credit.


----------



## Viqsi

Fro said:


> Nope, the camera side are the "expensive " seats with chair backs...those are usually pretty full...
> 
> It is what it is, you have 8-9k hard core fans that mostly show up, then get 3-5k casuals for most games...
> 
> It's a crap area of town with no bars or restaurants near to pregame which turns off many people
> 
> Precourt had a chance to move near where the hockey and AAA baseball stadiums are...but that doesn't fit his narratives so he passed on it...



I'm really hoping the initial court ruling means he gets called out on that in particular.


----------



## sabremike

Viqsi said:


> I'm really hoping the initial court ruling means he gets called out on that in particular.



I hope the league gets destroyed in court because they are slimmier than a bucket of eels.


----------



## sabremike

Guy on SJ on a yellow with a foul on a Minny player where the only question was whether it was just a yellow or a straight red. Either way the guy should've been sent off. The ref issued neither. Never change MLS refs!!!


----------



## sabremike

I'm not really a fan of Wondo but wow, that was one hell of a play right there. I have no idea how he kept that ball from going out much less delivering a perfect pass.


----------



## kingsboy11

kingsboy11 said:


> Galaxy are somehow more frustrating this year than last year. At least with last year I knew the team was **** so I wasn't surprised when they get embarrassed. This year the team is much better and they still can't get results. Haven't replaced the gigantic hole that Van Damme left.




I'm just going to keep copying and pasting this all season long for the Galaxy because its the same **** every week


----------



## Viqsi

Okay, it's been a while, so I think I can fairly say that my worries about Zardes were maybe just a teensy bit overblown. Just a little.


----------



## sabremike

Don't know how the Rapids have been so bad this season. They were probably the best team we have played all season in any competition, they had us pinned in our own end for much of the match. We were very fortunate to win tonight.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

sabremike said:


> Don't know how the Rapids have been so bad this season.




Google their roster.


----------



## sabremike

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> Google their roster.



But they by far gave us the toughest challenge we've faced all season. They looked far better than their roster would indicate. Some of that admittedly may have to do with the altitude hampering our press but I haven't seen any other team pin us back in our own end like they did.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> Google their roster.



It's not all about roster. Manchester United would be wrecking everyone and scoring 5 goals a game if that were the case.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

SJSharks39 said:


> It's not all about roster. Manchester United would be wrecking everyone and scoring 5 goals a game if that were the case.




Even more so with MLS, but thats a bad roster that doesn't get results either. Other than one season, they've been one of the worst teams in MLS for years.


----------



## JWK

I mean, part of the reason roster sucks so bad this year is because of injuries, especially to Hairston and Ford. They didn’t have Badji last night as well, not to mention the Aigner saga.


----------



## sabremike

JWK said:


> I mean, part of the reason roster sucks so bad this year is because of injuries, especially to Hairston and Ford. They didn’t have Badji last night as well, not to mention the Aigner saga.



The idea of Hariston and Ford being mentioned in that order (Hariston Ford, get it???) made me chuckle.

Also the Badji thing lead to a funny moment on our broadcast where they did a big breakdown on him being the guy to watch and they went straight to the lineup and immediately had to mention he had just been scratched.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

JWK said:


> I mean, part of the reason roster sucks so bad this year is because of injuries, especially to Hairston and Ford. They didn’t have Badji last night as well, not to mention the Aigner saga.



Fun fact, Ford follows me on Twitter for some reason.


----------



## Basement Cat

The Red Bulls have serious potential to win some silverware this season. It might not be the ever elusive MLS Cup, but with the depth that this roster has, I make them an Open Cup favorite. No team is getting even half as much out of their reserve squad. No team is able to just flat out play their game the same way 100% of the time whether it's at home or on the road. 
The biggest concern is still that a team can bunker on them and take advantage if their shooting boots are not on (see the Chivas home leg).


----------



## PansCyans

Supporters Sheild should be wide open too. Especially with TFC now having to play catch up.


----------



## Fro

Would be fun for the crew to win something...then announce Precourt has sold to local investors who will build a stadium down by the hockey arena


----------



## Viqsi

Fro said:


> Would be fun for the crew to win something...then announce Precourt has sold to local investors who will build a stadium down by the hockey arena


----------



## Basement Cat

Xherdan Shaqiri has a $16 million relegation release clause. Which MLS team can splash the cash and make him the next Giovinco?


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Xherdan Shaqiri has a $16 million relegation release clause. Which MLS team can splash the cash and make him the next Giovinco?



Seattle


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> Seattle





Nico + Shaq and Chicharito????


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Nico + Shaq and Chicharito????



And Torres and Iniesta


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> And Torres and Iniesta




Still no chance against the NYRB press


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Still no chance against the NYRB press



Iniesta would wink at them and they would disappear


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> Iniesta would wink at them and they would disappear




Iniesta belongs in that squad 

BWP
Kaku-Iniesta-Royer
Davis-Adams
Lawrence-Long-Parker-Murillo

If only <333333


----------



## kingsboy11

I would much rather see Iniesta in MLS than Torres or Rooney. Really surprised no MLS team was in on him


----------



## Bakayoko Ono

kingsboy11 said:


> I would much rather see Iniesta in MLS than Torres or Rooney. Really surprised no MLS team was in on him




I'm sure there were/are teams interested in him but take a look at these numbers being thrown around...



> Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported last Thursday that Iniesta had an offer on the table for three years and a total of €81 million after taxes, but the Chinese club cast doubt on the deal.




Iniesta's move to Chongqing Lifan in doubt



> Spanish outlet Cadena Ser were the first to report the agreement between Iniesta and the J-League club. According ESPN's sources, the 33-year-old will sign a three-year deal with an annual salary of $30 million.
> ...




Iniesta to join Japan's Vissel Kobe - sources


----------



## HoseEmDown

The real Orlando showed up the past two games. Not good enough defensively to win unless they score 2 or more. Can't win on the road and can't beat teams missing their best players. They better win everything they can at home because their away from isn't getting them many points.


----------



## sabremike

They are doing a segment on the MLS broadcast on legalized sports betting being a potential game changer for the league. Like I can totally see everyone rushing to sports books to bet on MLS games. Yeah no.


----------



## sabremike

Revs just had a guy get kicked right in the stomach in the box and no call and no review. That's up their with Robles being shoved into his net vs Orlando for most incompetent MLS officiating moment so far this year.

Also speaking of Robles his ironman streak ends tomorrow at 182 matches. First MLS match we have played without him in net since 2013.


----------



## Savant

sabremike said:


> They are doing a segment on the MLS broadcast on legalized sports betting being a potential game changer for the league. Like I can totally see everyone rushing to sports books to bet on MLS games. Yeah no.



Dude. Degenerative gamblers will bet on ANYTHING. Especially if they think they can get an edge by exploiting a new sport that Vegas hasn't figured out how to bet on yet.


----------



## Fro

Revs also should have had a red for an awful challenge


----------



## sabremike

Savant said:


> Dude. Degenerative gamblers will bet on ANYTHING. Especially if they think they can get an edge by exploiting a new sport that Vegas hasn't figured out how to bet on yet.



But that's a tiny portion of gamblers. And if you told me the one league in this country that only fools should bet on it's MLS because there is no rhyme or reason to anything that happens in the league. There is no predictability whatsoever.


----------



## sabremike

Fro said:


> Revs also should have had a red for an awful challenge



If only the league had a system in place where calls like that could be looked at to correct a missed call, they could call it "Video Review". That sure would be a great idea right???


----------



## Fro

It would, apparently the crew call, there was a yellow given, if ref would have waited, VAR would have kicked in...so weird


----------



## Viqsi

I wouldn't know about any of the controversies; I didn't get to watch today. Or last week, or the week before, for that matter - I've been only able to follow games via Twitter feeds and the radio lately, because every legal streaming option has been killed off and most of the less-than-legal ones aren't working.


----------



## sabremike

Tyler Adams reportedly headed to Leipzig. Question is whether he waits until the end of our season (which would be acceptable because honestly I figured he was going very soon) or if he leaves midseason (which would be complete and utter bullshit and f*** us totally)?


----------



## SJSharks72

sabremike said:


> Tyler Adams reportedly headed to Leipzig. Question is whether he waits until the end of our season (which would be acceptable because honestly I figured he was going very soon) or if he leaves midseason (which would be complete and utter bull**** and **** us totally)?



Probably mid season honestly. Get him a few games in the beginning and a preseason with Leipzig or Salzburg (where I think he’s actually heading)


----------



## kingsboy11

Tyler Adams taken off after Kemar Lawrence had to be stretchered off. Looked like they were doing tests around his right knee/ leg area


----------



## Fro

Was flipping channels what happened to be stretchered?


----------



## sabremike

Fro said:


> Was flipping channels what happened to be stretchered?



Looked like he hit his head on the artificial turf (which should be outlawed in MLS and this was exhibit A as to why). Was an incredibly scary scene. We got a gigantic win on the road but because of what happened to Taxi after the game I felt like we had just lost 5-0.


----------



## sabremike

Oh and great job by the guy in Atlanta with the trumpet who played taps as Taxi was being strethered out. Pure class. Hope that guy drowns in a tub of herpes.


----------



## SJSharks72

sabremike said:


> Oh and great job by the guy in Atlanta with the trumpet who played taps as Taxi was being strethered out. Pure class. Hope that guy drowns in a tub of herpes.



I think that’s a little far....


----------



## sabremike

SJSharks39 said:


> I think that’s a little far....



If you saw the scene live it was unbelievably scary. It looked like not only might his career be over but that he could've been paralyzed or worse. The fact that someone could be so lacking in basic humanity to do that is sick and disgusting.

In other news LOL at Ibra going nuts and getting sent off for smacking a guy in the back of the head.


----------



## SJSharks72

sabremike said:


> If you saw the scene live it was unbelievably scary. It looked like not only might his career be over but that he could've been paralyzed or worse. The fact that someone could be so lacking in basic humanity to do that is sick and disgusting.
> 
> In other news LOL at Ibra going nuts and getting sent off for smacking a guy in the back of the head.



Honestly some of those guys are being paid to play the trumpet or distract supporters or pump them up. It’s very possible that guys job is to play the trumpet. Now I didn’t see the play and I didn’t see a good angle and I don’t know who was playing the trumpet.


----------



## sabremike

SJSharks39 said:


> Honestly some of those guys are being paid to play the trumpet or distract supporters or pump them up. It’s very possible that guys job is to play the trumpet. Now I didn’t see the play and I didn’t see a good angle and I don’t know who was playing the trumpet.



You realize if he was being paid by the team it makes what he did a million times worse right???


----------



## SJSharks72

sabremike said:


> You realize if he was being paid by the team it makes what he did a million times worse right???



No it doesn’t. Because they are paying him to keep the crowd hyped. He made a snap judgment and figured he’d rather keep his job.


----------



## sabremike

SJSharks39 said:


> No it doesn’t. Because they are paying him to keep the crowd hyped. He made a snap judgment and figured he’d rather keep his job.



What part of "We literally did not know if Taxi was going to live or die" do you fail to understand? Defending that guy is not the hill any sane person should want to die on.


----------



## SJSharks72

sabremike said:


> What part of "We literally did not know if Taxi was going to live or die" do you fail to understand? Defending that guy is not the hill any sane person should want to die on.



Like I said before I didn’t see the play and I didn’t see the guy. It’s one thing if he’s just a fan but it’s a whole different thing if he was with the team.

Also you are talking about class and saying that you want that guy to drown. Calling me sane or talking about class is kind of ironic for you currently.


----------



## Basement Cat

Is this guy serious? Quit squatting on this ridiculous take.


----------



## sabremike

SJSharks39 said:


> Like I said before I didn’t see the play and I didn’t see the guy. It’s one thing if he’s just a fan but it’s a whole different thing if he was with the team.
> 
> Also you are talking about class and saying that you want that guy to drown. Calling me sane or talking about class is kind of ironic for you currently.



The guy mocked a player who was in a situation where it looked like he could've been paralyzed or even died. I 1,000,000% stand by what I said about the guy, f*** him.


----------



## SJSharks72

sabremike said:


> The guy mocked a player who was in a situation where it looked like he could've been paralyzed or even died. I 1,000,000% stand by what I said about the guy, **** him.



How was he mocking him? He was playing a damn trumpet.


----------



## sabremike

SJSharks39 said:


> How was he mocking him? He was playing a damn trumpet.



What does playing taps signify? I mean come the f*** on.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

So apparently Nashville hired former Liverpool exec to run the team. That’s big for MLS.


----------



## sabremike

And 10 man LA just took the lead. It just keeps getting worse for the Impact.


----------



## kingsboy11

I have no clue how we escaped with 3 points. That first half was one of the worst halves I've ever seen from either side. Ibra getting a red card was obvious, but that dude very subtly stamped Ibra.


----------



## sabremike

kingsboy11 said:


> I have no clue how we escaped with 3 points. That first half was one of the worst halves I've ever seen from either side. Ibra getting a red card was obvious, but that dude very subtly stamped Ibra.



Oh I agree that was a cheap move by the Impact player but Ibra has to be way smarter than that (particularly with the existence of VAR where if you do something blatant you will get caught).


----------



## kingsboy11

Galaxy as a whole have been undisciplined of late. Cole has already been suspended twice this season for yellow card accumulation, Lleget and Kitchen both recieved yellows on top of Ibra's red. Lots of frustration within the team. Hopefully this win will spark something.


----------



## maclean

Just for those who missed it:

El árbitro le saca la tarjeta amarilla a @petrasso20 por comportamiento antideportivo y la roja a @Ibra_Official por conducta violenta tras mirar el VAR. #MTLvLA | 0-0


----------



## njdevil26

kingsboy11 said:


> I have no clue how we escaped with 3 points. That first half was one of the worst halves I've ever seen from either side. Ibra getting a red card was obvious, but that dude very subtly stamped Ibra.




I think that match was an indictment of how bad Montreal is.


----------



## Viqsi

"Why bother with maintenance when I have an extortion plan for a replacement?"

Anthony Precourt Appears To Be Letting MAPFRE Stadium Fall Apart


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Viqsi said:


> "Why bother with maintenance when I have an extortion plan for a replacement?"
> 
> Anthony Precourt Appears To Be Letting MAPFRE Stadium Fall Apart



Disgrace. 

In other news, LAFC vs Borussia Dortmund on FS1. Interesting, its an exhibition match but its on national TV.


----------



## SJSharks72

Rumor round up

-Tyler Adams to Leipzig looking like its complete

-Lynden Gooch to the Quakes looks possible

-Geoff Cameron to MLS could happen

-Sparta Prague have offered $2M for Rusnak, could happen

-Fernando Torres is in contract talks with Fire, wouldn’t be able to join until July 10 though

-Tigres and TFC are talking a swap, Giovinco for Enner Valencia

-The big one (and my favorite) is that Leighton Baines is headed to LA to talk to LAFC


----------



## Viqsi

FC Cincinnati set for announcement with MLS

I would be excited about this except they're evidently intended to be a replacement rather than a for-real honest-to-G-d rivalry at last.


----------



## sabremike

Pro tip: when clearing a cross into your box make sure to head it right to an area with 3 opposing players, particularly if one happens to be David Villa.


----------



## maclean

SJSharks39 said:


> -Sparta Prague have offered $2M for Rusnak, could happen




According to Czech media SLC countered asking for EUR 7 mil, astronomical from a Czech perspective, so a deal is pretty much out of the question


----------



## SJSharks72

maclean said:


> According to Czech media SLC countered asking for EUR 7 mil, astronomical from a Czech perspective, so a deal is pretty much out of the question



Good. Rusnak should stay in the MLS for a few more years and then move to a bigger European league


----------



## BKIslandersFan

SJSharks39 said:


> Good. Rusnak should stay in the MLS for a few more years and then move to a bigger European league



Which brings up interesting question, how many leagues in Europe are bigger than MLS? Or worth leaving MLS for? Aside from the obvious 5.

I got English Championship, Eredivisie, Turkish Superliga, Belgian First Division, La Liga Segunda Division, and SPFL (but only top 5 clubs).


----------



## SJSharks72

I’d say Portugal and Russia you could include in there


----------



## Havre

Russian should definitely be on that list. The Swiss is not bad. Better than the Scottish.

If I were a professional I wouldn’t necessarily move from the MLS to a club in Scotland outside of Celtic these days. Depends a bit on at what age of course. Young players are probably better off playing in Europe if they want to take that next step - just more visible - especially if the team plays in the CL or EL (a team like Copenhagen would have been better than the MLS over the last five-ten years - even if they are in a bit of a slump now - because so many players have moved on).


----------



## BKIslandersFan

SJSharks39 said:


> I’d say Portugal and Russia you could include in there



I exclude Russia purely out of political reason. I don't think any Americans or Canadian players are going there. Maybe Latin America players though.

Portugal is a big one I missed.

I suppose any team that regularly qualifies for Europe and plays in a country and can pay similar wage or more would qualify.


----------



## sabremike

As totally crappy as tonight's scoreless draw was it was almost worth the price of admission to see Sapong miss a penalty as bad as he did. It was hilarious.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando is garbage. Another game where they get lots of pressure in the final third only to not be able to finish while they give up one or two chances and the other team finishes. They need to be at least drawing these kind of games at home not lose. They're going to miss the playoffs again I can just feel.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

HoseEmDown said:


> Orlando is garbage. Another game where they get lots of pressure in the final third only to not be able to finish while they give up one or two chances and the other team finishes. They need to be at least drawing these kind of games at home not lose. They're going to miss the playoffs again I can just feel.



They need to fire Kreis. Caleb Porter might do a decent job.


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

*FC Cincinnati officially named as newest MLS entry in 2019.....*


----------



## Fro

#HellIsRealDerby


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Fro said:


> #HellIsRealDerby




FC Cincinnati should be a REASON WHY CREWS SHOULD STAY.

More derbies the better it is for MLS.


----------



## ViD

BKIslandersFan said:


> I exclude Russia purely out of political reason. I don't think any Americans or Canadian players are going there. Maybe Latin America players though.
> 
> Portugal is a big one I missed.
> 
> I suppose any team that regularly qualifies for Europe and plays in a country and can pay similar wage or more would qualify.



That’s pure nonsense. Americans and Canadians sign in the KHL no problem.

PS: FC Cincinnati baby!


----------



## Viqsi

ViD said:


> That’s pure nonsense. Americans and Canadians sign in the KHL no problem.



Don't be absurd. The KHL has a much higher profile in hockey than the Russian Premier League has in soccer.


EDIT: Quick skim of the rosters of every Russian Premier League club for 18-19 shows nobody from CONCACAF countries. A handful of Venezuelans, Brazillians, and Argentinians, and that's it for representation from across the Atlantic.

EDIT 2: Whoops, overlooked three guys. One from Uruguay, one from Paraguay, and one from Ecuador. Still nobody from CONCACAF, let alone the US or Canada.


----------



## Fro

Viqsi, are you saying non US concacaf? Bc yedlin at newcastle


----------



## Viqsi

Fro said:


> Viqsi, are you saying non US concacaf? Bc yedlin at newcastle



*Russian* Premier League.


----------



## ViD

Viqsi said:


> *Russian* Premier League.



The truth is that most Americans are not good enough for RFPL and those that are have better options, that’s the only reason there’s no Americans in Russian football, not politics.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

I can't say I'm not disappointed that Cincinnati is getting a team for a few reasons, but them as an inevitable Columbus-replacement is the only one that won't get bricks thrown at me here, so that's the one I'll harp on.

Should be Austin getting an expansion team, with Precourt being pilloried for his efforts.


----------



## ViD

Well, I dont think anyone can doubt Cincinnati deserves a team. 20k attendance on average playing outside MLS is unheard of.

30k average when facing MLS teams


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Oh yes, I have my concerns on if that'll stick or not, but they showed the support and when the MLS is rapidly expanding they're going to flock to any market that shows that kind of support, this was very much an inevitability.

I'm still a Pittsburgher who wouldn't take a shit in Cincinnati


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

ViD said:


> The truth is that most Americans are not good enough for RFPL and those that are have better options, that’s the only reason there’s no Americans in Russian football, not politics.




Most aren't good enough for the best teams in the RFPL. Its a top heavy league, like the KHL, and the lesser teams are not much or any better than MLS teams.


----------



## ViD

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> Most aren't good enough for the best teams in the RFPL. Its a top heavy league, like the KHL, and the lesser teams are not much or any better than MLS teams.



You’re right, there’s no reason for Americans to go to Russia to fight to avoid relegation


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Is it me or did Minnesota actually regress from last season? 

Geez whiz, the difference between them and Atlanta are night and day.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando is garbage. Sack Kreis now or watch the season go down the drain again and miss the playoffs yet again.


----------



## Fro

don't know if it's minnesota or not, but atlanta is just a juggernaut...


----------



## Dr Pepper

BKIslandersFan said:


> Is it me or did Minnesota actually regress from last season?
> 
> Geez whiz, the difference between them and Atlanta are night and day.




Toronto DEFINITELY did. 

Has an MLS Cup champ ever missed the playoffs the following year?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

HoseEmDown said:


> Orlando is garbage. Sack Kreis now or watch the season go down the drain again and miss the playoffs yet again.



Caleb Porter is available.


----------



## Pilky01

Dr Pepper said:


> Toronto DEFINITELY did.
> 
> Has an MLS Cup champ ever missed the playoffs the following year?




Toronto basically sacrificed the season for the sake of the Champions League. Our entire back line is completely broken.

I 100% think they will get it together once the backline is finally healthy and squeak into the playoffs.

To be totally honest though, as a TFC supporter, I am more interested in winning the Canadian Championship right now because that is our easiest path back to the CCL. The MLS season will sort itself out eventually.


----------



## Dr Pepper

Pilky01 said:


> Toronto basically sacrificed the season for the sake of the Champions League. Our entire back line is completely broken.
> 
> I 100% think they will get it together once the backline is finally healthy and squeak into the playoffs.
> 
> To be totally honest though, as a TFC supporter, I am more interested in winning the Canadian Championship right now because that is our easiest path back to the CCL. The MLS season will sort itself out eventually.




Hey, I wouldn't trade anything they did over the last six months to change where they are now. Not at all. 

I was at the last two MLS Cup Finals, and revenge sure felt amazing.


----------



## Pilky01

I was at the 2016 final. It stung...but I was also at the semi final the week before, the come from behind, second leg, extra time thriller against Montreal...so that softened the blow.

Couldn't get tickets for the 2017 final, but instead watched it from the Brazen Head just down the street from BMO (I actually had a view of the stadium from my seat at the bar) so that was a great (and cheap) replacement.


----------



## Dr Pepper

Pilky01 said:


> I was at the 2016 final. It stung...but I was also at the semi final the week before, the come from behind, second leg, extra time thriller against Montreal...so that softened the blow.
> 
> Couldn't get tickets for the 2017 final, but instead watched it from the Brazen Head just down the street from BMO (I actually had a view of the stadium from my seat at the bar) so that was a great (and cheap) replacement.




2016 was a great run up until that last game. I was at the game vs. Montreal as well, squeezed in on those bleachers they put behind the net. Holy hell did it get loud, and all of us jumping up and down made me somewhat nervous about the structural integrity there. 

Surprised you even got into Brazen Head for that game, must've been a hell of a wait. I've never done the march but I know how crowded it gets there during pregame.


----------



## Pilky01

Dr Pepper said:


> 2016 was a great run up until that last game. I was at the game vs. Montreal as well, squeezed in on those bleachers they put behind the net. Holy hell did it get loud.
> 
> Surprised you even got into Brazen Head for that game, must've been a hell of a wait. I've never done the march but I know how crowded it gets there during pregame.




Haha. We were on the same temporary stand.

I was shocked but there was basically no line up. I think because all the supporters had just cleared out, and people were also moving over to the outdoor viewing area (which was way too f***ing cold to enjoy). Me and my buddy got prime seats on the second floor right at the bar. It was tremendous!

I got an amazing video of the pre-game supporters march before the 2016 final. Especially glad I got it because in 2017 the game started earlier so the march wouldn't have been in the dark, so the flares would have looked less cool.


----------



## Dr Pepper

Pilky01 said:


> Haha. We were on the same temporary stand.
> 
> I was shocked but there was basically no line up. I think because all the supporters had just cleared out, and people were also moving over to the outdoor viewing area (which was way too ****ing cold to enjoy). Me and my buddy got prime seats on the second floor right at the bar. It was tremendous!
> 
> I got an amazing video of the pre-game supporters march before the 2016 final. Especially glad I got it because in 2017 the game started earlier so the march wouldn't have been in the dark, so the flares would have looked less cool.




Damn, sweet deal. 

I haven't made it down to a game this year, looks like I haven't missed much. Maybe later this summer I'll check my bud (a lifer with season tickets) for an extra seat or two.


----------



## Pilky01

Dr Pepper said:


> Damn, sweet deal.
> 
> I haven't made it down to a game this year, looks like I haven't missed much. Maybe later this summer I'll check my bud (a lifer with season tickets) for an extra seat or two.




I went to the Champions League game against America, but that is it. 

I am not a fan of all these these Friday night games.


----------



## NYRPat21

I still think Toronto is gonna be fine and make the playoffs. The top of the East is ridiculous however. Atlanta, NYCFC, Red Bulls and even Columbus are all really, really good sides.


----------



## Viqsi

NYRPat21 said:


> I still think Toronto is gonna be fine and make the playoffs. The top of the East is ridiculous however. Atlanta, NYCFC, Red Bulls and even Columbus are all really, really good sides.



...and only the first two of those get any respect whatsoever from the league. More's the pity, that.


----------



## SJSharks72

At this point, Schmeltzer needs to go. You don’t go from a cup finalist to a bottom team this quickly. The only real piece they lost is Jones and he wasn’t even playing LB! It’s insane. Morris was key to this team but even he was injured for most of last year. This is just insane. Something needs to change. It was obvious Dempsey is in decline. It was obvious Bruin isn’t good enough. Lodeiro and Roldan can’t do everything. This team sucks and they need a new coach and a new system and this summer they need to spend big on a striker or they aren’t making the playoffs.


----------



## sabremike

Watching our C team pummel a trash boy city side last night in the Open Cup was so much fun. They have never won a single cup match in their history #NYISRED #NJISRED #METROISRED


----------



## Fro

Was hoping for another Crew/FCC match, but alas, both teams lost in PKs


----------



## ViD

Went to FCC vs Minnesota game. Both teams looked horrible - couldn’t string 3 passes together, barely any creativity, no fast attacks.

As a result, quite mediocre 120 minutes without goals and loss in penalties.


----------



## Basement Cat

Bradley Wright-Phillips is the best player in MLS history


----------



## Terry Yake

Basement Cat said:


> Bradley Wright-Phillips is the best player in MLS history




you mean chris wondowlowski


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Jason Kreis out of Orlando.

About time.


----------



## HoseEmDown

BKIslandersFan said:


> Jason Kreis out of Orlando.
> 
> About time.




You serious? Only about 3 or 4 games too late but we still got a chance at the playoffs if they get the new hire right. 

Not sure whi they go after, saw someone say Porter before who has a good MLS track record I just want them to go away from another MLS retread and look outside the box. They got the money and some decent attack minded players to attract a decent hire.


----------



## Basement Cat

Desperate signing from DC today to try and temporarily put asses in he seats of the new stadium.

Probably 2/3 dozen attackers in the World Cup itself that would be realistic and better signings.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

Basement Cat said:


> Desperate signing from DC today to try and temporarily put asses in he seats of the new stadium.
> 
> Probably 2/3 dozen attackers in the World Cup itself that would be realistic and better signings.




Rooney is gonna die the first training session. He's spent his entire life in climates where mid 60s is considered 'hot'. MLS is a summer league, and he's signed for a team in a city where 80s/90s with high humidity is common from May to September.


----------



## Basement Cat

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> Rooney is gonna die the first training session. He's spent his entire life in climates where mid 60s is considered 'hot'. MLS is a summer league, and he's signed for a team in a city where 80s/90s with high humidity is common from May to September.




So true - can't wait to see the NYRB press suffocating Rooney by the 35th min.

Forget the games in Dallas and Houston


----------



## kingsboy11

Looks like Marsch is out at NYRB. This is a big step up for him. Plus it'll be good for Tyler Adams when he joins Leipzig at the end of the MLS season to have a coach familiar with him.


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> Looks like Marsch is out at NYRB. This is a big step up for him. Plus it'll be good for Tyler Adams when he joins Leipzig at the end of the MLS season to have a coach familiar with him.




Is he going to Leipzig or Salzburg? I thought I read that it was Salzburg.


----------



## kingsboy11

SJSharks39 said:


> Is he going to Leipzig or Salzburg? I thought I read that it was Salzburg.




I think a couple months ago it was rumored to be Salzburg, but everything I've seen the past couple of hours says Leipzig


----------



## kingsboy11

Nothing more official than that


----------



## sabremike

Armas with his touching tribute to "Clever" Hans Backe using only one sub (and in the 85th minute no less!) yesterday. Jesus Christ. But it also needs to be said the game was a total joke being played on a fustal sized pitch with guys slipping on the turf so it was hopefully just a terrible abnormality for us. Basically 90 minutes of head tennis and guys hoofing the ball because of the ridiculous pitch dimensions.


----------



## HoseEmDown

Orlando is God awful, 9 straight loses and a -16 goal differential. I don't even think Mourinho could park the bus and keep a clean sheet with this garbage team. Not sure where to go with this team, they have decent enough players that they shouldn't be this bad and made a coaching change but nothing yet. They are slowly going the way of the Magic of not putting out a winning product and will start to lose their fanbase like the Magic have. At least the magic have some good players coming up that can make them good again while I see nothing promising in City's future.


----------



## PanniniClaus

NYCFC and Montreal tonight at Yankee stadium.

Villa or the big Norweigan expected to play?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Nice win by the only MLS team in New York State.


----------



## Fro

nice deal for the Crew to get some more scoring...Mullins for 150k TAM is a decent deal...


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> Nice win by the only MLS team in New York State.



That's almost as lame as your tifo game *hums The Muppet Show theme*

In other news in 2 weeks I will be at Audi Field with the ESC to see Metro beat up Rooney and the DC scum. Maybe they brought over some of those raccoons from RFK to infest the new place.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> That's almost as lame as your tifo game *hums The Muppet Show theme*
> 
> In other news in 2 weeks I will be at Audi Field with the ESC to see Metro beat up Rooney and the DC scum. Maybe they brought over some of those raccoons from RFK to infest the new place.



Yea but I don't think anyone else can do much better in a baseball stadium.

Let me know how it is, planning on trip down to Audi myself. So far I have been to RB Arena, Yankee Stadium (obviously). Gillette Stadium, and StubHub.


----------



## Steve55

Hunt for New York City F.C.’s Stadium Site Is Back Where It Began: the Bronx

'By Charles V. Bagli

July 11, 2018
After five years of prowling New York City and Long Island, New York City Football Club, the Major League Soccer franchise owned by the Yankees and a royal billionaire from Abu Dhabi, may have finally found a site for its own stadium.

In the Bronx. Right near Yankee Stadium. Exactly where team owners said they wanted to build in 2013. Back then, the plan unraveled when negotiations with the city fell apart.

If approved this time around, the stadium would sit amid a 20-acre, multibillion-dollar development stretching along East 153rd Street and River Avenue, between Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Terminal Market, that would include a park, a hotel and conference center focused on soccer and sports, shops, office space, a school and as many as 3,000 affordable apartments...

Alicia Glen, deputy mayor for housing and economic development and a soccer fan, said discussions with the team are ongoing. But cautioned that nothing is final. The city has also been talking to the team about another site — next to Citi Field at Willets Point, Queens — that has been a perennial candidate for redevelopment...'


----------



## kingsboy11

D.C. United opens Audi Field with a 3-1 over Vancouver. Wayne Rooney makes his debut and bags an assists.


----------



## gphr513

Darwin Quintero is playing like a legit MLS star these last few weeks. What a fun player to watch!


----------



## John Price

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> Rooney is gonna die the first training session. He's spent his entire life in climates where mid 60s is considered 'hot'. MLS is a summer league, and he's signed for a team in a city where 80s/90s with high humidity is common from May to September.




Did you see where DC United were able to reach an agreement with their supporter groups (La Barra Brava , District United, Screaming Eagles)?


----------



## JWK

Kellyn Acosta to the Rapids, he isn't going to get his career back on track with this team. Rapids are sending Badji, 1st and international slot in '18 and '19. 

Rapids strikers are Boli and McBean lmao


----------



## BKIslandersFan

gphr513 said:


> Darwin Quintero is playing like a legit MLS star these last few weeks. What a fun player to watch!



What a player he is, and Minnesota is only 2 points back from a playoff spot.

I hope they get in.


----------



## Mathew

alphonso davies transfer is big


----------



## sabremike

Going to Audi Field on Wednesday so pray for me that I don't get injured by falling debris. I'm bringing rolls of duct tape just in case.


----------



## SJSharks72

Really hoping Acosta forces a move out. Rapids are awful and he will only regress with them.


----------



## VLK

I see the Chinese league is becoming an alternative to the MLS for retiring European super-stars.


----------



## Fro

I can't stop watching that Wil Trapp golazo


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

G F O P said:


> Did you see where DC United were able to reach an agreement with their supporter groups (La Barra Brava , District United, Screaming Eagles)?




I saw it, but I'm not a member or associated with any of those groups. I haven't been to Audi Field yet either though I was planning to go some time in August. Anything that creates a bit of atmosphere is good news though. It's a sad sight to see 20 guys holding up banners and one dude with a drum..so if they get good numbers that way in every home game, it's a plus.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

I want to see LAFC-LAG this Thursday but the tickets go as low as $100 on Stub Hub. f*** that shit.


----------



## kingsboy11

Vamos Rafa said:


> I want to see LAFC-LAG this Thursday but the tickets go as low as $100 on Stub Hub. **** that ****.




Same. Plus Fake Chivas only allowed 100 tickets for the away fans supporters groups. Not only that the minimum amount for parking is 35$. Even more reason to not go.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

kingsboy11 said:


> Same. Plus Fake Chivas only allowed 100 tickets for the away fans supporters groups. Not only that the minimum amount for parking is 35$. Even more reason to not go.





Can't you just pretend not to be a Galaxy fan by not wearing a Galaxy shirt? Do they kick you out if they see you cheering for the Galaxy in the non-away fan section?


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

SJSharks39 said:


> Really hoping Acosta forces a move out. Rapids are awful and he will only regress with them.




He regressed already. How much more could he possibly regress?


----------



## SJSharks72

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> He regressed already. How much more could he possibly regress?



He really hasn’t. Just hasn’t been given the opportunity. He’s a fantastic player. He should head to Belgium and see how he does.


----------



## kingsboy11

Vamos Rafa said:


> Can't you just pretend not to be a Galaxy fan by not wearing a Galaxy shirt? Do they kick you out if they see you cheering for the Galaxy in the non-away fan section?




Doubt it. I'm just saying its really insecure of LAFC to limit the number of supporters groups tickets. I mean the Galaxy gave LAFC two whole sections at the Stub Hub Center when we hosted them earlier this year.


----------



## Dr Pepper

Davies is off to Bayern!

https://www.tsn.ca/bayern-munich-complete-deal-with-whitecaps-for-davies-1.1146691

Awesome news for Davies, not so much for the Whitecaps or MLS in losing such a bright young star to one of the big leagues.

I'm surprised they're letting him finish the season with Vancouver, to be honest. Is that common for a transfer?


----------



## SJSharks72

Dr Pepper said:


> Davies is off to Bayern!
> 
> https://www.tsn.ca/bayern-munich-complete-deal-with-whitecaps-for-davies-1.1146691
> 
> Awesome news for Davies, not so much for the Whitecaps or MLS in losing such a bright young star to one of the big leagues.
> 
> I'm surprised they're letting him finish the season with Vancouver, to be honest. Is that common for a transfer?



Very common especially when there’s absolutely no chance of him playing for Bayern anytime soon


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

It may have been a condition for the deal, but also it's not like Bayern are buying him as immediate help for their first team. He's basically a prospect. Him getting additional match practice and development time in Vancouver is beneficial for Bayern.


----------



## Dr Pepper

That's awesome.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

SJSharks39 said:


> He really hasn’t. Just hasn’t been given the opportunity. He’s a fantastic player. He should head to Belgium and see how he does.




I think Dallas traded him for very little because they thought he regressed. He wasn't even starting for them much of this season.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> I think Dallas traded him for very little because they thought he regressed. He wasn't even starting for them much of this season.



I don't know. I still have high hopes for him. He just didn't go overseas when he should have. I think Dallas is going through a bit of a rebuild now. With Diaz and now Acosta gone, they don't have much there.


----------



## Basement Cat

Seattle apparently looking into Hurtado over in Portugal. That on top of Ruidiaz and Lodeiro gives them a nice attacking core in their prime. I expect Ruidiaz to help them big time in the stretch run and then finish top 5-ish in goals next season.


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Seattle apparently looking into Hurtado over in Portugal. That on top of Ruidiaz and Lodeiro gives them a nice attacking core in their prime. I expect Ruidiaz to help them big time in the stretch run and then finish top 5-ish in goals next season.



I really hope so. Seattle's games right now are so boring. They need speed bad. With Morris out, they have no pace at all aside from Ruidiaz (who if I remember correctly isn't the fastest either). I think that they need a winger more than anything though.

Ruidiaz
VRod-Lodeiro-winger
Roldan-Alonso/Svensson
Nouhou/Francis-Marshall-Torres-Leerdam

Looking solid if they can bring in a speedy winger. They have been linked to Yannis Salibur who is a straight speedster. He would look amazing there. Biggest problem is he would have to be a DP. Dempsey should be coming off the bench at this point. He has not looked very good this season. I think he will probably retire pretty soon. Roldan is probably the future for this team. For the sake of the Sounders, I hope he's not sold overseas, but for the sake of the USMNT, I hope he is. He is a fantastic player and leader already. Best pick in the 2015 draft for sure.


----------



## Basement Cat

Ruidiaz is actually quite fast - he's no Morris but looks like Usain Bolt compared to Bruin. Like you said, they need a winger badly on top of this and Hurtado checks that box for sure.

I'm a huge Roldan fan too. I would love to see him get a shot in a mid-lower table Bundeslia squad.


----------



## Vamos Rafa

kingsboy11 said:


> Doubt it. I'm just saying its really insecure of LAFC to limit the number of supporters groups tickets. I mean the Galaxy gave LAFC two whole sections at the Stub Hub Center when we hosted them earlier this year.





I honestly can't blame them. Whether or not their ownership group feels related to Chivas USA, it's comforting for their fans, who most likely used to be Chivas fans. They took abuse from Galaxy fans for being tenants in Carson for years. Now they have their own ground. I say let them be.


----------



## JWK

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> He regressed already. How much more could he possibly regress?



"Challenge accepted" 

- Rapids


----------



## sabremike

Ready for tomorrow!!!!!! 914 United are an annoyance, the scum are our REAL rivals. Hate DC. Then. Now. Forever!!!


----------



## sabremike

kingsboy11 said:


> Same. Plus Fake Chivas only allowed 100 tickets for the away fans supporters groups. Not only that the minimum amount for parking is 35$. Even more reason to not go.



f*** them. Hope you destroy them, the Riot Squad are our brothers for life for how they took care of us the week of the 2008 Final in Carson. BIKE JOUSTING FOREVER!!!!!


----------



## sabremike

Yeah, this game isn't going to be starting anytime soon. The concourses in here are flooded to the point they are a river, and there is a lake near the main entrance dangerously close to electrical outlets. This place is one giant design flaw.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

How was that not a penalty for Wayne Rooney?

f*** DC United anyway. Useless.

Aside from flood how was the stadium Mike?


----------



## SJSharks72

Ruidiaz has been pretty invisible in the first 45 for Seattle. Made a few good runs but also had a few bad turnovers. Pretty meh right now.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> How was that not a penalty for Wayne Rooney?
> 
> **** DC United anyway. Useless.
> 
> Aside from flood how was the stadium Mike?



They managed to build a stadium that may actually be worse than RFK. 
 

The ESC celebrating at the end!!!!!


----------



## sabremike

One nil to the Metro Boys!!!


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> They managed to build a stadium that may actually be worse than RFK.
> View attachment 131867
> 
> The ESC celebrating at the end!!!!!



I mean, it does look kinda cheap.

Wish there was a DC United fans here to give their perspective.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> I mean, it does look kinda cheap.
> 
> Wish there was a DC United fans here to give their perspective.



It cost $500 million which blows my goddamned mind. RBA is a billion times better than this place and I think that cost only $250 million.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> It cost $500 million which blows my goddamned mind. RBA is a billion times better than this place and I think that cost only $250 million.



Factor in the land value.


----------



## SJSharks72

Well Ruidiaz ended up scoring. A pretty good goal too. All in all though him and the Sounders had a pretty unspectacular game. I think if Sounders want to maximize everyone’s talents something like this would be best

Ruidiaz
VRod-Dempsey-Lodeiro
Alonso-Roldan
Nouhou-Torres-Marshall-Leerdam


----------



## Basement Cat

Solid road win for our boys last night. Bradley's celebration took some balls - I love him pulling that in DC's new stadium. First in the league in PPG now!



SJSharks39 said:


> Well Ruidiaz ended up scoring. A pretty good goal too. All in all though him and the Sounders had a pretty unspectacular game. I think if Sounders want to maximize everyone’s talents something like this would be best
> 
> Ruidiaz
> VRod-Dempsey-Lodeiro
> Alonso-Roldan
> Nouhou-Torres-Marshall-Leerdam




Beautiful strike by Ruidiaz last night. Very well taken goal.

Also, I really like that lineup, especially if Dempsey can offer something in this stretch run.


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Solid road win for our boys last night. Bradley's celebration took some balls - I love him pulling that in DC's new stadium. First in the league in PPG now!
> 
> 
> 
> Beautiful strike by Ruidiaz last night. Very well taken goal.
> 
> Also, I really like that lineup, especially if Dempsey can offer something in this stretch run.



Yeah the biggest problem right now is Dempsey hasn't found form at all this season. Last night's game was hard to watch. Ruidiaz would have been in alone if someone attempted the through ball. I saw Roldan, Lodeiro, Shipp, and Alonso all pass on the through ball to send it sideways. Dempsey on the other hand will take that risk.


----------



## Terry Yake

when did chivas usa change their kit?


----------



## kingsboy11

Down 2 goals at halftime is terrible, but I don't think Fake Chivas was playing as well as Twellman was making it out to be. The ref is also clearly favoring LAFC with these fouls. Only way to draw fouls is to flop around like Blessing is doing. Galaxy are a second half team and looked dangerous at times. I'm confident that we can turn this around.



Also confirms LAFC is Chivas 2.0


----------



## Vamos Rafa

I really hope AEG has future stadium plans in LA. I can't with this Carson shit anymore. I'll always be Galaxy and nothing would make me happier than a stadium in LA we can call home. That's all LAFC can brag about and when that's taken away, they have nothing.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

LAFC blew it again.


----------



## kingsboy11

I cannot believe what just happened.


----------



## kingsboy11

Vamos Rafa said:


> I really hope AEG has future stadium plans in LA. I can't with this Carson **** anymore. I'll always be Galaxy and nothing would make me happier than a stadium in LA we can call home. That's all LAFC can brag about and when that's taken away, they have nothing.




Doesn't seem likely to happen with all the money they put into renovating parts of the stadium with new scoreboards and seating in the upper deck.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

kingsboy11 said:


> Doesn't seem likely to happen with all the money they put into renovating parts of the stadium with new scoreboards and seating in the upper deck.



I think those money comes from Chargers.

Anyhow, Carson is in LA County, so LA Galaxy is still an accurate name.


----------



## Terry Yake

hahahaha chivas 2.0 choked against the galaxy again


----------



## Vamos Rafa

BKIslandersFan said:


> I think those money comes from Chargers.
> 
> Anyhow, Carson is in LA County, so LA Galaxy is still an accurate name.





That's true. But Carson is still an isolated suburb. It would've been better if it was an independent city that still bordered LA like Commerce or Glendale (an available land is another story). But still, the Galaxy moving to LA would be huge. Carson being the Galaxy's location is all that's going on for LAFC fans. I honestly don't know what leverage they would have in smack talking if both teams were based in the city.

The Home Depot Center (former name) was the beginning of the trend of MLS teams building SSS's in cheap suburban lands. That trend is dead.

Side question: Why is there even a tennis arena there? There is no WTA or ATP tournament held in the LA area.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

kingsboy11 said:


>





I still can't help but chuckle that someone would take MLS so seriously as to try to be a MLS hooligan.


----------



## sabremike

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> I still can't help but chuckle that someone would take MLS so seriously as to try to be a MLS hooligan.



Regrettably people have been doing that for awhile. In the 90's some DC wannabe hooligans tried to attack a few ESC members. One of our guys, Peter Bockman, kicked one of them who charged at him right in the nuts and the wannabes all ran away (except for the would be attacker laying on the ground in agony). We still sing this song:

We're all friends with Peter Bockman,
We're all friends with you know who,
You can tell by how he struts,
That he'll kick you in the nuts,
That Bockman is a Metro hooligan.

There's also the incident at the beginning of the league where racist skinheads tried to take over our section and our members (several who were SHARP skinheads) kicked the crap out of them in the Giants Stadium parking lot and they were never seen again.


----------



## CharlesPuck

LAFC was up 2-0 and probably should have lost 3-2.

That was a terrible collapse job.


----------



## Basement Cat

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> I still can't help but chuckle that someone would take MLS so seriously as to try to be a MLS hooligan.




Regardless of league, you are a complete loser if you try to be a sports hooligan. No matter how much you want to marginalize MLS, the people who do this in England or Germany or just as laughable.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## Fro

Solid road win for Crew...


----------



## Epictetus

Beauty goal by Davies.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

spintheblackcircle said:


>




Just gained whole new respect for Klopp.

Good thing for Montreal, aside from top 4, East looks pretty weak.


----------



## sabremike

Fro said:


> Solid road win for Crew...



I have absolutely no idea what the hell Armas was thinking with that lineup. Collin may be the worst player on any MLS roster, why in God's name did he start over Escobar or any other living breathing defender on our roster? And anyone standing in the South Ward could've told him having Etienne as a lone striker was a terrible idea. So he waits until the game is effectively over and THEN brings in Kaku (who is like 24 years old so he has tons of miles on him and needs plenty of rest /sarcasm) and BWP, who turn the game around and nearly rescued a point. If he was willing to do that why the hell didn't he start them and play them 60 and then sub them. Armas feels like he is just so overmatched, they should've promoted Wolly from the USL side as he has extensive experience as a head coach including winning the USL title a few years back.


----------



## Fro

Not able to watch, was at Tampa Bay Rowdies vs NYRB2 funny enough...but sounds like after halftime changes, RB seemed to take over...most crew fans said we were hanging on

Thanks zach steffen!


----------



## SJSharks72

Adi and Alashe to FC Cinncinatti. They both will finish out the season in the USL.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Zlatan is amazing man.


----------



## kingsboy11

Zlllllaaaatttttaaannnn!!!!!


----------



## Eye of Ra

how on earth can tinnerholm not be part of mls allstars?


----------



## HoseEmDown

It's east to look good when you're going against the worst defense in all of MLS. Not saying anyone else would've scored those 3 goals but it wasn't world class finishing. The first one they had a 5'5 LB trying to defend him and the keeper didn't even try to come from the cross. The second one most keepers would've made that save, it was almost right at him and he was weak trying to save it. The last was the only one you can say he deserved with the finish but he was set up on a platter by the poor clear. Orlando is just atrocious right now and everyone is scoring at will on them. 

This season is over and I have no idea where they are going in the future, they have no up and coming players and their best ones Dwyer, Yotun and Klejstan aren't gonna get them a ton if sold. I don't know the season ticket renewal numbers but I know a lot of people who aren't renewing for next season right now. The owners rich and the stadium is already built. They haven't made the playoffs since they joined MLS and they don't look like they will anytime soon and I'm not sure the owner even cares right now.


----------



## Viqsi

Fro said:


> Solid road win for Crew...



oh look patrick mullins providing needed offense to the team he was just traded to I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Eye of Ra said:


> how on earth can tinnerholm not be part of mls allstars?




Its a popularity contest and sometimes fans of certain teams stuff the ballot box. Its not a real representation of the best players in the league.


----------



## sabremike

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> Its a popularity contest and sometimes fans of certain teams stuff the ballot box. Its not a real representation of the best players in the league.



BWP just became the quickest player to reach 100 career MLS goals by like 20 games and essentially had to be put on the team as a commissioner's pick. Think that says it all.


----------



## Viqsi

sabremike said:


> BWP just became the quickest player to reach 100 career MLS goals by like 20 games and essentially had to be put on the team as a commissioner's pick. Think that says it all.



Yeah, but the side he plays for doesn't have "FC" in its name.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> BWP just became the quickest player to reach 100 career MLS goals by like 20 games and essentially had to be put on the team as a commissioner's pick. Think that says it all.



No disrespect but Red Bulls play in the biggest metropolitan area in America. This is absolutely a damning statement on Red Bull’s.


----------



## Fro

interesting piece

Don Garber's Inconsistent Rhetoric Regarding Columbus Stadium Situation - Last Word on Soccer


----------



## Fro

Merem back to Columbus for 750k TAM, 2019 intl roster spot 

Crew make 300k GAM overall


----------



## Viqsi

Fro said:


> Merem back to Columbus for 750k TAM, 2019 intl roster spot
> 
> Crew make 300k GAM overall



I guess he feels that relocation limbo is preferable to Orlando City.


----------



## robertmac43

Red card at the end of the TFC game for Mavinga. Clutch for them to steal the point. Looking more and more like themselves each game


----------



## Fro

weird, I saw a few twitter posts that said they could tell TFC has mailed it in...I assumed they ended up losing


----------



## sabremike

The ref not handing out a red in the OCFC-NE match for about the most obvious denial of a goal scoring opportunity you will ever see was ridiculous. Guy in on a breakaway was as blatantly yanked down as humanly possible and it's only a yellow. It's amazing just how terrible and embarrassing the officiating in this league can be at times


----------



## JWK

2 goals in 2 games for Kellyn Acosta, both beautiful goals too


----------



## SJSharks72

Christian Ramirez to LAFC for allocation money


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> Christian Ramirez to LAFC for allocation money




Wow bold move - does that mean Urena on his way out perhaps? What the hell are they gonna do with Dio, Ramirez and Urena in a one striker setup?


----------



## kingsboy11

SJSharks39 said:


> Christian Ramirez to LAFC for allocation money




****


----------



## Viqsi

Well, the vultures are definitely circling. First the Steffen transfer offer, and now we're getting lowball transfer offers for Trapp.


----------



## SJSharks72

Brad Smith (FB from Bournemoth) to Seattle. Don’t know much about him but if he can play LB and stabilize that side a little bit then perfect!


----------



## kingsboy11

Bill Hamid going back to United on a loan deal


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Philly vs Houston US Open Cup Final matchup.

Interesting.


----------



## sabremike

If the BWP 100th goal celebration hadn't happened Tyler Adams faking Shweinsteiger out of his jock strap tonight would've been the moment of the year.


----------



## Fro

Happy J9 is back in Columbus...and a neccessary 3 points...


----------



## kingsboy11

Setting aside the fact that the Galaxy did not get any help from VAR tonight, I'm sick and tired of giving up leads. Its like ****ing clockwork


----------



## kingsboy11

Holy ****!! What an amazing ending in the United/Orlando game.


----------



## SJSharks72

Brad Smith given his debut today for Seattle. Absolutely fantastic half from him. His speed stands out in a big way. He’s the player we were looking for to replace Jones.


----------



## SJSharks72

Late drama in Seattle. Basically Ruidiaz ran into Ziegler and then Ziegler got sent off. That red card could be overturned but then Ziegler pushed the AR so I could see him getting suspended for that. After that Dallas players starting coming after Seattle players with a couple of hard fouls. The ref had enough and called game. Afterward Torres and Lamah had to be separated. Multiple staff members had to be separated. I could see a few bans/things to be looked at from this game.


----------



## maclean

kingsboy11 said:


> Holy ****!! What an amazing ending in the United/Orlando game.





I love how Rooney is too exhausted from that to even celebrate


----------



## Bakayoko Ono




----------



## East Coast Bias

I’m so tired of this Miami franchise and they haven’t even played a game yet.


----------



## Pilky01

I love that logo. If they go with a pink/black kit design I will be thrilled. 

I didn't like the Florida teams at first, but if they're going to wear tremendous and underutilized colours like pink and purple then I can't help but love em.


----------



## SJSharks72

Seattle just crapping on LAs awful defense.


----------



## kingsboy11

I knew this would be a bad day. Seattle is rolling, Galaxy reeling. No Zlatan, Gio, Jona, Allessandrini, Ciani (not that he would've helped). You would have never guessed that this team has the highest paid defense in the league. Its flat out embarrassing. Every single goal has been caused by simple mistakes.


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> I knew this would be a bad day. Seattle is rolling, Galaxy reeling. No Zlatan, Gio, Jona, Allessandrini, Ciani (not that he would've helped). You would have never guessed that this team has the highest paid defense in the league. Its flat out embarrassing. Every single goal has been caused by simple mistakes.



That’s exactly what I was thinking. Seattle is definitely playing well but none of these goals are on highlight reel plays. All of them have come from capitalizing on LA’s mistakes.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Only top 3 East teams have positive GD, Columbus is at 0, everyone else is negative.

Speaks volumes.


----------



## Fro

Still think it was wrong to not review the handball...what a swing in matter of seconds for Atlanta


----------



## ecemleafs

that 2nd sending off in the nycfc nyrb game was utterly ridiculous


----------



## BKIslandersFan

For LA Derby and New York Derby, I think one of their three matches should be at Inglewood Stadium and Metlife, respectively.


----------



## Basement Cat

BKIslandersFan said:


> For LA Derby and New York Derby, I think one of their three matches should be at Inglewood Stadium and Metlife, respectively.




All nycfc games should be played at MetLife. That field is a disgrace to the sport.


----------



## Pouchkine

It disgraces the MLS.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Pouchkine said:


> It disgraces the MLS.



MLS needs a team in the city.


----------



## Pouchkine

Why? There's none in NFL.


----------



## Basement Cat

It definitely doesn't "need" a team in the city. MLS was improving year after year in many regards without one and it's clear that teams like LAFC and Atlanta have done more to elevate the league than NYCFC ever has. 

It's embarrassing that any games on that postage stamp are on national television. NYCFC has a ton of talent and can play an attractive brand of soccer on their best day. The Hudson Derby games at RBA are usually played at a much higher level. It is impossible for the game to get into any kind of rhythm at Yankee Stadium. Players can't bring the ball down most of the time without someone breathing down their neck which results in twice as many headers/lofted balls than on a normal field. Also, it is impossible to play the ball out wide since the 18 is essentially on the touchline. Hell, when NYCFC was down to 9 men last night, it still seemed like they could have a defender near the ball and closing down lanes without any fear of being caught out. It is a disgrace that non-MLS fans or casuals flip on FS1 and see that BS.


----------



## sabremike

The Third Fail outdid themselves with the tifo on Red Bull killing teams. First was they referenced the wrong Leipzig team in the tifo, second CFG has done the same exact thing (see Melbourne Hearts), third (and this is the best part) they totally stole the tifo from Montreal (and this is the second time they stole a tifo idea from another supporters group). One of our supporters just destroyed them in the most savage way possible by saying we were going to respond with a tifo memorializing all the people their owners have killed.


----------



## Pouchkine

Playing games on a joke baseball pitch makes MLS look MINOR LEAGUE. Nothing else. People look and say " well the league still is a joke, why can't we have a serious league here of real soccer"?


----------



## Live in the Now

Does it look bad when teams play on rugby fields? Because that happens all the time in Europe's top flight leagues.


----------



## Pouchkine

Are they regular dimensions field? Yes. And Europe top flight leagues are not fighting for credibility.

The synthetic fields are bad enough but the NYCFC 7vs.7 soccer field is simply laughing stock. Makes the MLS look like a parody.


----------



## Bakayoko Ono

A club playing in a baseball stadium is a trivial issue compared to the Columbus/Austin debacle. That's an issue that exposes a fundamental flaw in how the league operates.


----------



## Pouchkine

But for most casual viewers it's the team playing in a baseball field that makes the league look like a big joke.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Bakayoko Ono said:


> A club playing in a baseball stadium is a trivial issue compared to the Columbus/Austin debacle. That's an issue that is exposes a fundamental flaw in how the league operates.



Well its single entity, so they can't say they can't stop owners from moving the team.


----------



## sabremike

Live in the Now said:


> Does it look bad when teams play on rugby fields? Because that happens all the time in Europe's top flight leagues.



Other than when Wigan and Hull were in the top flight I am struggling to find other examples of that (other than Old Trafford hosting Magic Weekend/ Super League finals, but those are one offs).


----------



## Fro

Ha!


----------



## Canes

Josef Martinez broke the MLS single season goals record tonight in Atlanta's 2-1 win over Orlando.


----------



## kingsboy11

Magnificent start for the Galaxy over Fake Chivas!


----------



## kingsboy11

Well not the result I wanted, but honestly it was probably the best defensive effort the Galaxy had all season despite the idiotic penalty that we gave up. Felt like we had multiple opportunities to put LAFC away. But good news is that we didn't lost a single game against them this year which 'm more than happy with.


----------



## codswallop

CanesInducedComa said:


> Josef Martinez broke the MLS single season goals record tonight in Atlanta's 2-1 win over Orlando.



Scoring for fun now, a goal per game for the whole season seems like it could really happen now.

And for all of their attacking talent, you could make a case for Gressel being their MVP. Plays multiple positions well without complaint. The swiss army knife type of player every team needs.

Nagbe and Garza may not make it back (or get back to form if they do) but what a bonus it would be. Like late season transfers adding quality depth.


----------



## Pouchkine

When you look at the number of goals Martinez scored for Torino and now for Atlanta it sure tells you everything you need to know about MLS comical defending!

Sure he probably improved and plays for the best team in the league but still...


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Other than when Wigan and Hull were in the top flight I am struggling to find other examples of that (other than Old Trafford hosting Magic Weekend/ Super League finals, but those are one offs).



Huddersfield.


----------



## amj h

NYCFC blow it. Nuts to this. Sort it out NY.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

BKIslandersFan said:


> Huddersfield.




Bit different in that it was designed both as a football and RL venue. But that kinda also goes to the main difference that rugby and association football are basically two codes of the same basic idea with similar field requirements..baseball is a very different game and ballparks are designed in a way that makes them very bad fits for anything other than baseball.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Pouchkine said:


> When you look at the number of goals Martinez scored for Torino and now for Atlanta it sure tells you everything you need to know about MLS comical defending!
> 
> Sure he probably improved and plays for the best team in the league but still...




He said that at Torino they played him out position on the wing. He'd score less goals for a different team, although he's still a very good player in MLS.


----------



## Pouchkine

Atlanta really have to win the Cup this year.


----------



## codswallop

Pouchkine said:


> When you look at the number of goals Martinez scored for Torino and now for Atlanta it sure tells you everything you need to know about MLS comical defending!
> 
> Sure he probably improved and plays for the best team in the league but still...



Of course MLS has worse defending, that's obvious to those with eyes. And given that Serie A is a more defensively oriented league, kind of a non-starter to point this out.

He has improved, not to elite levels. Moving to his more comfortable position has definitely helped.

Compared to the European leagues and their stature, we do take this into perspective/take the record with a grain of salt. But it's still one hell of an accomplishment. Give the man his due.


----------



## sabremike

Metro 1
Scum 0

BEN OLSEN IS A FOOTBALL GENIUS!!!


----------



## Rhodes 81

It doesn't matter how good he may be relative to another league. It has been a real treat to watch Martinez play in the MLS. He has flash and even if he played for a different team, I think he would still have an opportunity to have set this record. Being the class of the MLS may not mean much in Europe, but it means something in North America. He has played his role beautifully during his time in Atlanta.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

As much as soccer has grown in America and MLS along with it, it's kinda telling though that the MLS 'stars' are basically anonymous. Like Bradley Wright-Phillips is probably still more known in England, primarily for being SWP's brother rather than any playing achievements, than in America. Josef Martinez is just another Latin American in MLS and has zero visibility beyond the league. The MLS players who have some sort of visibility are the foreign retirement stars a la Ibrahimovic and Rooney or perhaps USMNT players who people would know via the World Cup (obviously not so much now given the 2018 absence of the US).


----------



## Viqsi

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> As much as soccer has grown in America and MLS along with it, it's kinda telling though that the MLS 'stars' are basically anonymous. Like Bradley Wright-Phillips is probably still more known in England, primarily for being SWP's brother rather than any playing achievements, than in America. Josef Martinez is just another Latin American in MLS and has zero visibility beyond the league. The MLS players who have some sort of visibility are the foreign retirement stars a la Ibrahimovic and Rooney or perhaps USMNT players who people would know via the World Cup (obviously not so much now given the 2018 absence of the US).



Get someone like that to stick around on a team for multiple years, and tell MLS to get its head out of its ass w/r/t its treating any team without "FC" in its name like shit, and that'll probably improve.


----------



## Basement Cat

So I looked at Newcastle's XI yesterday as I sat down to watch the game with a friend who is a Chelsea supporter (doesn't watch MLS). 
I told him that Miguel Almiron would be the best player in this XI. I watched the full game and am even more confident in that statement. Am I crazy?

Side note, they'd also be better served having Josef Martinez up top over Rondon and I think we will see that with Venezuela in this upcoming cycle.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

It’s official, Miami’s new team name is Inter Miami CF.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

BKIslandersFan said:


> It’s official, Miami’s new team name is Inter Miami CF.




Interesting. East Coast Chivas?


----------



## hatterson

The fake historic names in MLS are hilarious.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

hatterson said:


> The fake historic names in MLS are hilarious.



I mean I do hate the trend of European name style but it beats another city Fc bullshit.


----------



## hatterson

BKIslandersFan said:


> I mean I do hate the trend of European name style but it beats another city Fc bull****.




I think Miami United would have been fine given Beckham’s history.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

hatterson said:


> I think Miami United would have been fine given Beckham’s history.



I think it’s taken.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

Should be Miami Strikers as an homage to the venerable Ft. Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL which did after all feature legends like George Best, Gerd Müller and Teofilo Cubillas.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

TheMoreYouKnow said:


> Should be Miami Strikers as an homage to the venerable Ft. Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL which did after all feature legends like George Best, Gerd Müller and Teofilo Cubillas.



They could probably use it as a name for their reserve squad but it’s too stupid IMO.

Awful game by NYCFC. I think they are out of getting the 2nd bye seed.


----------



## sabremike

hatterson said:


> The fake historic names in MLS are hilarious.



I used to think being named for soda was as bad as you could get, but compared to these awful pretentious Euro poser names New York Red Bulls doesn't seem that bad.


----------



## CHRDANHUTCH

BKIslandersFan said:


> It’s official, Miami’s new team name is Inter Miami CF.



Inter Miami FC, BK


----------



## Scouter

So NE Revs got the 3 points today to move closer to knocking Montreal out of the playoffs, DC are also closing in even more, Montreal better be on their game. So The Revs got the win today in part because a lot of NYFC were out for NT selection, now I thought that the MLS had finally stopped having matches during international breaks, guess not.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

CHRDANHUTCH said:


> Inter Miami FC, BK



I am pretty sure its Club Futbol. Not Football Club.



sabremike said:


> I used to think being named for soda was as bad as you could get, but compared to these awful pretentious Euro poser names New York Red Bulls doesn't seem that bad.



Oh yea, clearly New York Red Bulls is so much different than Red Bull Salzburg or Red Bull Brazil.

I could probably include RB Leipzig too, but I won't because their name technically is not Red Bulls.

Last people who should be talking about Euro posers are Red Bulls fans.

If MLS clubs named themselves in traditional American style, they get made fun of because of how stupid it is, if they copy traditional name style, they are posers. MLS can't win.


----------



## TheMoreYouKnow

They should stick with the traditional American style obviously. It's what every American is familiar with and knows from high school, college and pros.

It was only called 'stupid' by Europeans who are resentful of America having a league in "their sport" to begin with and those who wish they were European themselves and primarily like soccer because it shows off just how European they are. 

Of course, the very same Europeans mock the Euro or South American rip-off names as well. And they would always mock MLS anyway. The only people who these Euro names seem to appeal to are the europhile Americans who don't have enough self-awareness to see how silly it is to be an imitation, a cheap knock-off version of something from somewhere else rather than to embrace your own thing.

By the way, it was exactly the same scenario when European hockey teams started getting American-style names in order to look more NHL-like. It was dumb and the work of marketing men and their clueless enablers.


----------



## hatterson

The official short name is Inter Miami CF. Long name is Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami. Because those definitely go together.

https://deadspin.com/inter-miami-cf-continues-mlss-proud-tradition-of-barfy-1828828623


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> I am pretty sure its Club Futbol. Not Football Club.
> 
> 
> Oh yea, clearly New York Red Bulls is so much different than Red Bull Salzburg or Red Bull Brazil.
> 
> I could probably include RB Leipzig too, but I won't because their name technically is not Red Bulls.
> 
> Last people who should be talking about Euro posers are Red Bulls fans.
> 
> If MLS clubs named themselves in traditional American style, they get made fun of because of how stupid it is, if they copy traditional name style, they are posers. MLS can't win.



Shouldn't you be busy looking for tifo ideas you can steal from other teams because the Third Fail aren't clever enough to come up with anything on their own? Oh and I bet the old Melbourne Hearts supporters were amused reading your drivel.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Shouldn't you be busy looking for tifo ideas you can steal from other teams because the Third Fail aren't clever enough to come up with anything on their own? Oh and I bet the old Melbourne Hearts supporters were amused reading your drivel.



Where's the lie? I don't see it. Everything I said is true. I never said NYCFC and other CFG teams are paragons of originality and authenticity.

Just admit how stupid that comment was coming from a fan of a club named after other European clubs and move on. And learn to be self aware for god sake.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> Where's the lie? I don't see it. Everything I said is true. I never said NYCFC and other CFG teams are paragons of originality and authenticity.
> 
> Just admit how stupid that comment was coming from a fan of a club named after other European clubs and move on. And learn to be self aware for god sake.



They are NOT named after a club, they are named after an energy drink. The clubs have their name because of the product, the name has absolutely nothing to do with soccer.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> They are NOT named after a club, they are named after an energy drink. The clubs have their name because of the product, the name has absolutely nothing to do with soccer.



But...thats...even worse.


----------



## sabremike

BKIslandersFan said:


> But...thats...even worse.



But it's not, which was the whole point of my original post.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> But it's not, which was the whole point of my original post.



Which is an appalling logic. But cook. 

I mean, if being a corporate advertising board is better than just copying popular trend to you then I don’t know what to say.


----------



## Viqsi

*Some* of us have teams that don't shamelessly ape European naming conventions.

...of course, that also tells you something about what MLS thinks of such things. I'll bet a "Chicago FC" will be showing up to marginalize the Fire by 2022.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Viqsi said:


> *Some* of us have teams that don't shamelessly ape European naming conventions.
> 
> ...of course, that also tells you something about what MLS thinks of such things. I'll bet a "Chicago FC" will be showing up to marginalize the Fire by 2022.



MLS can't have two teams in Chicagoland due to some asinine stadium lease Fire has.


----------



## Viqsi

BKIslandersFan said:


> MLS can't have two teams in Chicagoland due to some asinine stadium lease Fire has.



Oh, like that'll stop them from trying.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

NYCFC keeps looking like dog shit and probably won’t even finish third.


----------



## kingsboy11

I didn't expect Sigi to remain as head coach going into next season, but I didn't expect he'd leave now with the season almost over. And my guess is that our lazy ass front office will just hand the job over to Kinnear uncontested


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> I didn't expect Sigi to remain as head coach going into next season, but I didn't expect he'd leave now with the season almost over. And my guess is that our lazy ass front office will just hand the job over to Kinnear uncontested




Either that or they’ll convince Mou to come over and get another past it coach.


----------



## kingsboy11

SJSharks39 said:


> Either that or they’ll convince Mou to come over and get another past it coach.




Or Jurgen Klinnsman. Which if either get hired I think I'd throw myself into a river


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> Or Jurgen Klinnsman. Which if either get hired I think I'd throw myself into a river



 both would probably excel in the MLS but neither are builders which I think the Galaxy need.


----------



## bluesfan94

Viqsi said:


> of course, that also tells you something about what MLS thinks of such things. I'll bet a "Chicago FC" will be showing up to marginalize the Fire by 2022.



Hard to say that when the league has supported Galaxy and Seattle so much.


----------



## Viqsi

bluesfan94 said:


> Hard to say that when the league has supported Galaxy and Seattle so much.



Seattle is the "Seattle Sounders FC" officially and has been so named from the start, so they're in the clear. And I fully expect LAFC to get all the presents going forward; Ibrahimovic was the last one.


----------



## bluesfan94

Viqsi said:


> Seattle is the "Seattle Sounders FC" officially and has been so named from the start, so they're in the clear. And I fully expect LAFC to get all the presents going forward; Ibrahimovic was the last one.



Yeah but no one calls them that


----------



## Terry Yake

galaxy should try and bring arena back

sigi was such a god awful coach. but their non-existent defense is the real problem. chris klein needs to go too


----------



## SJSharks72

Terry Yake said:


> galaxy should try and bring arena back
> 
> sigi was such a god awful coach. but their non-existent defense is the real problem. chris klein needs to go too



They are bringing in LD to be an assistant so maybe the plan is to have him learn the ropes and then give him the reins.


----------



## kingsboy11

SJSharks39 said:


> They are bringing in LD to be an assistant so maybe the plan is to have him learn the ropes and then give him the reins.




I find that rumor about Landon to be suspicious because Landon has said in the past that he would prefer to coach youth teams instead of professionals because there are a lot more egos to deal with


----------



## thehangover




----------



## sabremike

BWP: The Ultimate Scoring Machine!!!


----------



## kingsboy11

thehangover said:


>





We don't deserve him. Our team is a **** show right now. He's the only reason we aren't in a worse spot


----------



## YNWA14

Can someone who watches the MLS regularly compare how they view Ezequiel Barco vs. Alphonso Davies so far? I know that Barco was highly regarded as an international prospect, and Davies is younger but seems to be doing a lot better.


----------



## Pouchkine

Davies is doing good on an awful team.


----------



## kingsboy11

Barco was the highest transfer fee eveer coming into MLS and with that comes a lot of expectations and quite frankly hasn't lived up to it. I still think he's a fantastic talent, but he hasn't been able to showcase that this year. Davies is an incredible story and could be one of the best players Canada has ever produced. Vancouver will sorely miss him when he moves to Bayern.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Davies has been much better. He's been a top 5-10 player at his position in MLS this season. I don't think Vancouver has had a better player this season than Davies. He absolutely looks ready to leave MLS, and move onto a better league. He has added precision to his game in the attacking third. For a better team that plays a more attacking style, he might have better stats.

Barco has struggled. He was suspended for an off-field incident earlier in the season, but even besides that, he's been playing less recently because his play hasn't been getting the job done. He has nice dribbling displays, but he runs into a wall too often. He doesn't show the awareness of when to dish the ball off to a teammate. He's not getting many goals or assists either. They aren't going to give up on him because of the amount they spent on him, but his play has been a big disappointment so far. The good thing for Atlanta is that they don't need him to play well.


----------



## hatterson

Bono might be the least athletic keeper I've ever seen. It's incredible how slowly he reacts to anything remotely unexpected.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Would be interesting to see who takes over Atlanta United.


----------



## kingsboy11

Please hire David Moyes so the USMNT won't hire it


----------



## Basement Cat

Red Bulls - is this finally the year??


----------



## Pouchkine

No chance.


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Red Bulls - is this finally the year??



I really don’t know. I don’t think they are the favorites but it’s really hard to judge. Atlanta, Seattle, NYCFC, Dallas, Sporting KC, and LAFC all look really good. Columbus is always hard to get through. The playoffs are tough and close to impossible to predict. Last year was probably the only year in recent memory that the best team of the season won and now that team (with pretty much the same players) won’t even make the playoffs.


----------



## sabremike

Basement Cat said:


> Red Bulls - is this finally the year??



 

Shake it up baaaaaaaaaaaby,
Twist and Shout, Twist and Shout!!!!!
No BWP, No Tyler, NO f***ING PROBLEM!!!! So much for The Greatest MLS Team Ever TM . Oh and f*** their classless overrated coach as well (Who by the way got owned by Armas).


----------



## Basement Cat

Pouchkine said:


> No chance.




Best backline in the league and arguably top 2 keeper. Think that always gives you a chance.


----------



## Pouchkine

This team won't win when it matters once again it's pretty obvious. Get ready for empty stadium as well like every year in playoffs.


----------



## Basement Cat

How should I go about getting ready for that?


----------



## Pouchkine

When it matters NYRB and their fans are not there.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Basement Cat said:


> Red Bulls - is this finally the year??




Yes


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> When it matters NYRB and their fans are not there.



Our fans have to exist. If we didn't who would everyone else in the league steal song ideas from??? #ESCMakesTheLeagueTakes


----------



## Pouchkine

Every time I watch a game at your stadium it's full of completely empty stands.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> Every time I watch a game at your stadium it's full of completely empty stands.



Do they award trophies for having a full stadium now and I missed it? Oh and the playoff games at RBA dating back to 2013 have largely been full or close to it.


----------



## Basement Cat

sabremike said:


> Do they award trophies for having a full stadium now and I missed it? Oh and the playoff games at RBA dating back to 2013 have largely been full or close to it.




Not to mention the SS clinching games as well. Shouldn't waste too much time with this guy. You'd be hard pressed to find anything remotely positive about MLS in his posts here.


----------



## Pouchkine

Basement Cat said:


> Not to mention the SS clinching games as well. Shouldn't waste too much time with this guy. You'd be hard pressed to find anything remotely positive about MLS in his posts here.



I don't see many MLS CUPS next to your name.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> I don't see many MLS CUPS next to your name.



We are real supporters, not glory hunting trash who support big Yuro-peen team. You wouldn't understand.


----------



## SJSharks72

Almiron to Arsenal is official in January


----------



## SSF

Well Almiron left today's game 30 minutes in.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> We are real supporters, not glory hunting trash who support big Yuro-peen team. You wouldn't understand.



I rarely agree with you when it comes to mls but bravo.

Also does anyone know a good MLS podcast? I tried the official MLS one but it felt like listening to Don Garner propaganda.


----------



## SJSharks72

BKIslandersFan said:


> I rarely agree with you when it comes to mls but bravo.
> 
> Also does anyone know a good MLS podcast? I tried the official MLS one but it felt like listening to Don Garner propaganda.



I actually really like the official MLS one.


----------



## kingsboy11

BKIslandersFan said:


> I rarely agree with you when it comes to mls but bravo.
> 
> Also does anyone know a good MLS podcast? I tried the official MLS one but it felt like listening to Don Garner propaganda.




I personally like the Max and Herc podcast, but they don't focus only on MLS and talk about Liga MX, Mexico/USMNT


----------



## Savant

Earthquakes Hire Matias Almeyda as Head Coach

Great hire for Earthquakes


----------



## hatterson

So last year's champs officially don't qualify for the playoffs.


----------



## SSF

Almiron is week to week with a hamstring injury

Miguel Almirón week-to-week with left hamstring injury


----------



## David Dennison

St. Louis going to make a soccer stadium announcement shortly, looking to be one of the next two expansion spots.


----------



## bleedblue1223

David Dennison said:


> St. Louis going to make a soccer stadium announcement shortly, looking to be one of the next two expansion spots.





The combo of city stadium with no city tax money, local ownership group, and a female led group, which would be the first in the league, will pretty much lock it up IMO. St. Louis and MLS were pretty much waiting for the Taylor's to invest their fortune. 

The added benefit of Sporting finally having the perfect natural rival, which will make for some very entertaining matches.


----------



## David Dennison

bleedblue1223 said:


> The combo of city stadium with no city tax money, local ownership group, and a female led group, which would be the first in the league, will pretty much lock it up IMO. St. Louis and MLS were pretty much waiting for the Taylor's to invest their fortune.
> 
> The added benefit of Sporting finally having the perfect natural rival, which will make for some very entertaining matches.



Soccer gets another shot in St. Louis as family that owns Enterprise launches bid for MLS team | Business | stltoday.com

Here is the full story, but yes less reliance on public funding is key. I think they will need state money for infrastructure (rerouting 40/64 entrance/exit), but they had plans for that already in the works and they are asking less money than the previous group. 

I believe there are two spots for expansion? Who else is in the running?


----------



## Pouchkine

Two spots? The league probably wants to be at 30 teams in the near future.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Pouchkine said:


> Two spots? The league probably wants to be at 30 teams in the near future.



Heck I am gonna even suggest 32.

I want Phoenix solely for the name. Phoenix Rising FC is such a great name.


----------



## bleedblue1223

The league would become garbage if they add that many teams, unless revenue seriously skyrockets and all clubs can afford higher-end talent. I'm not just talking about the old-bums, but the cost of infrastructure to scout South America or Europe to find quality young/prime players. If they add a bunch of teams, and there are a bunch of boring, horrible clubs, then it won't do any good.


----------



## Pouchkine

At 23 teams right now it's already become that to a degree.


----------



## kingsboy11

There are some seriously strong rumors that the Crew will remain in Columbus


----------



## BKIslandersFan

kingsboy11 said:


> There are some seriously strong rumors that the Crew will remain in Columbus





I assume that means Precourt will sell to local investors.

Always said, MLS should make him sell and give him an expansion team.


----------



## bleedblue1223

Pouchkine said:


> At 23 teams right now it's already become that to a degree.



Agreed. You have some of your heavy hitters that can find talent, and then some very solid/stable clubs like Sporting KC that can find players that fit their system, but then a lot of meh is spread around and makes it hard to watch.


----------



## Pouchkine

And a huge problem is the lack of quality in the American youngsters. NCAA for the most part isn't good enough to provide MLS caliber players, and the academies are taking a long time to deliver...


----------



## spintheblackcircle

kingsboy11 said:


> There are some seriously strong rumors that the Crew will remain in Columbus







holy shit....they did it.


----------



## Timeless Winter

f*** yes!!! Saved the Crew. So happy.


----------



## MAHJ71

#SavedTheCrew


----------



## SSF

Precourt to Haslam.

While keeping the team is a win, not sure that it isnt out of the frying pan.....


----------



## Viqsi

SSF said:


> Precourt to Haslam.
> 
> While keeping the team is a win, not sure that it isnt out of the frying pan.....



He's a Tennessee guy, and Nashville already has a team awarded. I'm not too concerned. 


EDIT: Oh, wait, you were talking about the state of the Browns. I remain unconcerned; Precourt's been a cheapass as well. Hell, if this goes through, I just might have to start following the Browns as well. (I generally don't bother with the NFL)

G-d, I hope this does get finalized.


----------



## SSF

Haslam should be in prison is what I am talking about.
Browns "leadership" isnt a positive either.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

I suppose if you are. Minnesota United, there is no point firing the manager until the end of the season. God they look dreadful.


----------



## robertmac43

Amazing that the Crew are looking to be taying! More fun with you guys in the league, plus those Yellow Jerseys are crisp! 

Congrats Crew!


----------



## Viqsi

SSF said:


> Haslam should be in prison is what I am talking about.
> Browns "leadership" isnt a positive either.



I don't think you understand just how incredibly, overwhelmingly atrocious Precourt has been. Eugene Melnyk would be an upgrade.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

I do worry that Haslam will come out and immediately demand a stadium paid for by tax payers. and Crew go back to square one.

MLS has the least leverage out of 5 leagues when it comes to stadiums. Not that any of them should get any tax money.


----------



## Viqsi

BKIslandersFan said:


> I do worry that Haslam will come out and immediately demand a stadium paid for by tax payers. and Crew go back to square one.
> 
> MLS has the least leverage out of 5 leagues when it comes to stadiums. Not that any of them should get any tax money.



This city in general is notoriously allergic to public funding of anything sports-related unless it's on the Ohio State campus. Both Mapfre and the Nat were built with private funds. (Huntington Park was funded by the Clippers' owner - that owner just happens to be the Franklin County government.) That's pretty commonly known by now.

And "back to square one", presuming it's still with Precourt out of the picture, is still a damn sight better than "you lose the team next year".


----------



## Bakayoko Ono

The Rooney effect seems to be pretty unbelievable. Has to be one of the most impactful single mid-season signings in the history of football.


----------



## kingsboy11

Playoff hopes are still alive for the Galaxy!


----------



## SJSharks72

kingsboy11 said:


> Playoff hopes are still alive for the Galaxy!



Do they have to win next game or just get a result?


----------



## hatterson

SJSharks39 said:


> Do they have to win next game or just get a result?




Should just any result. They're 1 point back and have a superior goal difference.

I assume GD is the first MLS tie breaker.


----------



## SJSharks72

hatterson said:


> Should just any result. They're 1 point back and have a superior goal difference.
> 
> I assume GD is the first MLS tie breaker.



Yeah I’m pretty sure it’s GD. I actually kind of hope Galaxy don’t make it.


----------



## kingsboy11

hatterson said:


> Should just any result. They're 1 point back and have a superior goal difference.
> 
> I assume GD is the first MLS tie breaker.




GD is actually not the first tie breaker. The first tie breaker is number of wins. So if the Galaxy get a draw next week, the Galaxy would be eliminated because RSL has 13 wins to the Galaxy's 11 wins. A win ensure them more points than RSL.


----------



## hatterson

kingsboy11 said:


> GD is actually not the first tie breaker. The first tie breaker is number of wins. So if the Galaxy get a draw next week, the Galaxy would be eliminated because RSL has 13 wins to the Galaxy's 11 wins. A win ensure them more points than RSL.




lol, that's definitely classic MLS to use wins as a first tie breaker


----------



## Pouchkine

That's actually a very good rule.


----------



## SJSharks72

hatterson said:


> lol, that's definitely classic MLS to use wins as a first tie breaker



It actually makes sense though.


----------



## hatterson

SJSharks39 said:


> It actually makes sense though.




Oh it makes sense, it's just classic MLS to do something different than 98% of the rest of the sport.


----------



## SJSharks72

hatterson said:


> Oh it makes sense, it's just classic America to do something different than 98% of the rest of the sport.



Fixed it for you


----------



## Pouchkine

It's a very good rule and it's starting to be used in more and more leagues. MLS does the right thing for once and some people still whine!


----------



## Viqsi

Pouchkine said:


> It's a very good rule and it's starting to be used in more and more leagues. MLS does the right thing for once and some people still whine!



but... but... but *MLS*!

I mean, yeah, I'm as bitter towards MLS as the next Crew fan, but one can at least acknowledge when they get it right.


----------



## SJSharks72

Tata will leave Atlanta at the end of the season.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

SJSharks39 said:


> Tata will leave Atlanta at the end of the season.




I am really curious who they will bring in. Or will they promote from within? I hope Arthur Blank makes a splash again and bring in someone big.


----------



## SJSharks72

BKIslandersFan said:


> I am really curious who they will bring in. Or will they promote from within? I hope Arthur Blank makes a splash again and bring in someone big.



Saw a rumor about Guillermo Baros Schletto coming in from Boca Juniors


----------



## Viqsi

SJSharks39 said:


> Saw a rumor about Guillermo Baros Schletto coming in from Boca Juniors



Atlanta? I've heard folks talking about him as a possible for the Galaxy, and obviously for the Crew if Berhalter takes the USMNT job (we still love him here), but I've not heard Atlanta.


----------



## kingsboy11

Viqsi said:


> Atlanta? I've heard folks talking about him as a possible for the Galaxy, and obviously for the Crew if Berhalter takes the USMNT job (we still love him here), but I've not heard Atlanta.




The first rumor was Schletto to the Galaxy ( YES PLEASE), but then when the major rumors of Tata going to El Tri I suddenly heard Atlanta was the front runner for him and then I got really sad


----------



## kingsboy11

Galaxy absolutely drops the ball in their last game. Had to win in order to make the playoffs and held a 2 goal lead at halftime only to give up 3 goals in the 2nd half. I'm sick of this ****ing bullshit. Have clean house in the front office. Can't have them lead the coaching search for a 3rd time. Need someone to gut the defense and to find any team to take Gio off our hands


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Wonder if Bruce is interested in Galaxy again.


----------



## sabremike

For the 3rd time in 6 years Metro wins the Supporters Shield! They also did it with the most points in MLS history as well.


----------



## Pouchkine

Now will they show up when it matters?


----------



## Basement Cat

Just for fun - posting my MLS playoff prediction (yes, I am taking us to win, duh.)

*Eastern Conference
*
_Knockouts_

DC over Columbus (3-2)
Philly over NYCFC (2-1 ET)

_Conference Semifinal (over two legs)_

NYRB over Philly (4-2)
DC over Atlanta (3-3 away goals)

_Conference Final (over two legs)_

NYRB over DC (5-4 penalty shootout)

*Western Conference
*
_Knockouts_

FC Dallas over Portland (2-1 ET)
LAFC over RSL (3-0)

_Conference Semifinal (over two legs)_

SKC over FC Dallas (3-1)
Seattle over LAFC (4-3)

_Conference Final (over two legs)_

Seattle over SKC (2-1)

*Final
*
NYRB over Seattle (3-1)


----------



## kingsboy11

BKIslandersFan said:


> Wonder if Bruce is interested in Galaxy again.




That ship has sailed. The team needs some fresh ideas, not recycled products.

Also I'm on the anyone but LAFC and Seattle bandwagon


----------



## BKIslandersFan

kingsboy11 said:


> That ship has sailed. The team needs some fresh ideas, not recycled products.
> 
> Also I'm on the anyone but LAFC and Seattle bandwagon



So we know who you root for in Cascadia derby.


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> Just for fun - posting my MLS playoff prediction (yes, I am taking us to win, duh.)
> 
> *Eastern Conference
> *
> _Knockouts_
> 
> DC over Columbus (3-2)
> Philly over NYCFC (2-1 ET)
> 
> _Conference Semifinal (over two legs)_
> 
> NYRB over Philly (4-2)
> DC over Atlanta (3-3 away goals)
> 
> _Conference Final (over two legs)_
> 
> NYRB over DC (5-4 penalty shootout)
> 
> *Western Conference
> *
> _Knockouts_
> 
> FC Dallas over Portland (2-1 ET)
> LAFC over RSL (3-0)
> 
> _Conference Semifinal (over two legs)_
> 
> SKC over FC Dallas (3-1)
> Seattle over LAFC (4-3)
> 
> _Conference Final (over two legs)_
> 
> Seattle over SKC (2-1)
> 
> *Final
> *
> NYRB over Seattle (3-1)



I got

Columbus over DC
NYCFC over Philly

Columbus over NYRB
Atlanta over NYCFC

Columbus over Atlanta

FC Dallas over Portland
LAFC over RSL

SKC over FCD
Seattle over LAFC

Seattle over SKC

Seattle over Columbus


----------



## Viqsi

SJSharks39 said:


> I got
> 
> Columbus over DC
> NYCFC over Philly
> 
> NYRB over NYCFC
> Columbus over Atlanta
> 
> Columbus over NYRB
> 
> FC Dallas over Portland
> LAFC over RSL
> 
> SKC over FCD
> Seattle over LAFC
> 
> Seattle over SKC
> 
> Seattle over Columbus



Another impossible run to the finals only to fall to a Pacific Northwest team?

That would be both awesome and incredibly painful.


----------



## SJSharks72

Viqsi said:


> Another impossible run to the finals only to fall to a Pacific Northwest team?
> 
> That would be both awesome and incredibly painful.



My thought is that with everything going that is happening in Columbus (staying, Berhalter possibly getting the US job, missing the playoffs last season, etc.) I see them coming in hard. I see the same for Seattle who just always seems to get hot at the right time. I could see that match being a tossup though depending on which Seattle comes out.


----------



## East Coast Bias

Pouchkine said:


> Now will they show up when it matters?




In late November, when it's 35 degrees after having played 2 games in 5 weeks? We always see such awesome soccer by then.


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

I got

DC over Columbus
NYCFC over Philly

NYRB over NYCFC
Atlanta over DC

NYRB over Atlanta

Portland over FC Dallas
LAFC over RSL

SKC over Portland
Seattle over LAFC

SKC over Seattle

NYRB over SKC


----------



## Basement Cat

NYRB can’t play NYCFC in the conf semis^


----------



## John Price

Going to my first game at Audi Field tomorrow. So excited. 

@TheMoreYouKnow


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> NYRB can’t play NYCFC in the conf semis^



It’s a bracket isn’t it? So whoever wins out of Philly/NYCFC plays NYRB.


----------



## Basement Cat

SJSharks39 said:


> It’s a bracket isn’t it? So whoever wins out of Philly/NYCFC plays NYRB.




No it's not like that anymore. Goes by standings now


----------



## SJSharks72

Basement Cat said:


> No it's not like that anymore. Goes by standings now



Ah didn’t know this.


----------



## John Price

NYCFC 3 - 1 Philadelphia (Final)


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Best game NYCFC has played this year. One of at least.

FC Dallas is kinda like Cincinnati Bengals, they can have solid regular season but completely fold in the spotlight.


----------



## East Coast Bias

SJSharks39 said:


> Ah didn’t know this.




Yeah it's now that the 1st seed gets the lowest seed.

Since NYCFC (3rd) won, they'll play Atlanta. Since the winner of DC(4)/Columbus(5) will be the lower seed matching the top seed.


----------



## Pouchkine

Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) | Twitter

Probably around 1000 fans in New-York and Dallas yesterday, this playoff format is a disaster.


----------



## East Coast Bias




----------



## Fro

Feel like acosta had at least 2 yellow card offensives not called....these DC/CLB pro refs are weird tonight


----------



## Timeless Winter

Crew!


----------



## BKIslandersFan

DC ties it up. This game is bananas.


----------



## Viqsi

penalties again wtf i can't take this


----------



## Viqsi

AGAIN
AGAIN
IT HAPPENED AGAIN
OH MY G-D
IT HAPPENED AGAIN


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Wow. Deleon completely missed it after what was an amazing stroke of luck for DC.


----------



## Viqsi

happy birthday to me


----------



## SJSharks72

LAFC-RSL game suspended. Dumbasses keep throwing stuff on the field.


----------



## Viqsi

SJSharks39 said:


> LAFC-RSL game suspended. Dumbasses keep throwing stuff on the field.



Oy. We were getting stuff on the field, but that was from the wind, not from jerkasses.


----------



## varsaku

BKIslandersFan said:


> Wow. Deleon completely missed it after what was an amazing stroke of luck for DC.




DeLeon giveth, DeLeon taketh


----------



## SJSharks72

Damir Kreilach scoring two great goals. Second one is one of the best goals I've seen real time.


----------



## SJSharks72

LAFC is out. Good riddance. Their fans are trash. Throwing crap on the field hitting Rimando in the head. The stupid chants. Throwing stuff at Mulholland when he’s on the ground after Zimmerman almost takes his head off. That’s just the stuff I saw. The fact that they had to suspend the game because of the fans is just a disgrace to this sport and the league.


----------



## kingsboy11

Bunch of former Chivas fans over there. Sometimes you get what you deserve


----------



## Terry Yake

trash ass fanbase LAFC has. glad to see them get eliminated

i wonder why they're so shocked their team lost. chivas USA did nothing but lose during their time in MLS. shouldn't they be used to it?


----------



## njdevil26

LAFC were throwing freaking ice chips at Rimando. Classless fans. Very happy for Petke. 

Both games were awesome last night.


----------



## John Price

Pouchkine said:


> Empty Seats Galore (@EmptySeatsPics) | Twitter
> 
> Probably around 1000 fans in New-York and Dallas yesterday, this playoff format is a disaster.




IT was a sellout in Audi Field yesterday, 20000 people 

Not bad.


----------



## John Price

Fro said:


> Feel like acosta had at least 2 yellow card offensives not called....these DC/CLB pro refs are weird tonight




They were roundly booed as they left the pitch. The tunnel is right under the end zone section so they had to scurry off right in front of me. Many upset fans that night.



BKIslandersFan said:


> DC ties it up. This game is bananas.




The moment he scored in extra time triggered an epic celebration. With about 4 minutes left in extra time he scores right in front of my section. The flares, the chanting, the general feeling of joy, the beers flying in the crowd...that is playoff football. Being at a MLS playoff game is epic.

Sad United didn't win but they did make a strong run to even get into the playoffs. With a full year of Rooney and Hamid they should be better next year. 

That was my first time at Audi Field and I had a blast. Even though I didn't get home until 1 AM


----------



## Pouchkine

HFBCommenter said:


> IT was a sellout in Audi Field yesterday, 20000 people
> 
> Not bad.



Yes the games yesterday were awesone and big crowds, although usual crap in LA.


----------



## PanniniClaus

The Sounders always find a way to be in the mix...should be some great semi finals.


----------



## Timeless Winter

Let's go Crew!!!


----------



## Viqsi

OMFG steffen last minute


----------



## SJSharks72

Columbus fantastic as soon as Higuain comes on. Santos was very good after coming on. Steffen obviously great. I think that overall Columbus was great.


----------



## SJSharks72

Seattle with a fantastic goal but then Portland comes back and scores. Missed offside on Portland.

Seattle’s best player Roldan comes off and Portland scores immediately


----------



## varsaku

NYRB choking as usual


----------



## Viqsi

Judging by how this Portland/Seattle game is going, this playoffs' theme so far seems to be "hot in the second half == doom."


----------



## varsaku

SJSharks39 said:


> Seattle with a fantastic goal but then Portland comes back and scores. Missed offside on Portland.
> 
> Seattle’s best player Roldan comes off and Portland scores immediately




Portland is looking pretty solid so far despite giving up that first goal.


----------



## SJSharks72

Seattle’s out. Two of their most important players injured in the first leg.


----------



## Viqsi

Oh, wow, and now Marshall being stretchered out. Not good for Seattle.


----------



## John Price

Atlanta have scored. 1-0 United early.


----------



## kingsboy11

So this goal was called back due to Almiron being offside on the short corner.


----------



## varsaku

kingsboy11 said:


> So this goal was called back due to Almiron being offside on the short corner.





I thought originally they were calling it back for something else.


----------



## Pouchkine

What was that ridiculous crowd in Columbus yesterday. Only 12k "announced" crowd? And once again mostly empty in New-York. What is going on?

Even in Salt Lake lots of empty seats, Not enough time to promote those playoffs games? Tickets prices to blame? People don't like the "cold"?

It doesn't look good on tv when you have empty stadiums for playoff games, this hurts the ratings big time for sure. (baseball field and synthetic fields as well)

DC-Columbus was amazing the other night but yesterday was back to normal it seems.


----------



## Basement Cat

It's really hard not to be pessimistic going into Sunday having not scored an away goal in the first leg. Columbus did get shutout in Montreal a month ago which gives me a semblance of hope, but I think there's a good chance that we need to score 3 goals. Need Kaku and BWP to make it happen.


----------



## Viqsi

Basement Cat said:


> It's really hard not to be pessimistic going into Sunday having not scored an away goal in the first leg. Columbus did get shutout in Montreal a month ago which gives me a semblance of hope, but I think there's a good chance that we need to score 3 goals. Need Kaku and BWP to make it happen.



Shutting us out isn't that big of an accomplishment in and of itself; as everybody is happy to point out, our offense constantly underperforms relative to its chances. That said, Higuain has this thing about going beastmode for the playoffs, so.


----------



## Timeless Winter

Pouchkine said:


> What was that ridiculous crowd in Columbus yesterday. Only 12k "announced" crowd? And once again mostly empty in New-York. What is going on?
> 
> Even in Salt Lake lots of empty seats, Not enough time to promote those playoffs games? Tickets prices to blame? People don't like the "cold"?
> 
> It doesn't look good on tv when you have empty stadiums for playoff games, this hurts the ratings big time for sure. (baseball field and synthetic fields as well)
> 
> DC-Columbus was amazing the other night but yesterday was back to normal it seems.




There's quite a few Crew fans that are waiting for the sale of the team so that way slimeball Anthony Precourt isn't getting more money. 
Also, Precourt is putting zero dollars into advertising and marketing. 
There will be a ton of ticket sales once the team is officially sold to the new owners.


----------



## Pouchkine

Ok.


----------



## Jussi

Might be time to change the thread title soon to "Exit Zlatan"...


----------



## kingsboy11

Jussi said:


> Might be time to change the thread title soon to "Exit Zlatan"...




He indicated after meeting with the media that he was likely to stay. I suspect Gio will be on the way and Zlatan will take his spot as our last DP. But honestly if he decides to leave I wouldn't blame him


----------



## Jussi

kingsboy11 said:


> He indicated after meeting with the media that he was likely to stay. I suspect Gio will be on the way and Zlatan will take his spot as our last DP. But honestly if he decides to leave I wouldn't blame him




Apparently he wants to go to AC Milan and interest is mutual. Milan though want him only for 6 months where as Zlatan would like a year added to that.


----------



## SJSharks72

Leg 2 of Seattle and Portland is tonight. Marshall is definitely out after having surgery a few days ago. Roldan a game time decision. The way I see it is if Roldan is in, Seattle win this match and move on. If Roldan is out, they more than likely lose unless Lodeiro and Ruidiaz take over the game.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Timeless Winter said:


> There's quite a few Crew fans that are waiting for the sale of the team so that way slimeball Anthony Precourt isn't getting more money.
> Also, Precourt is putting zero dollars into advertising and marketing.
> There will be a ton of ticket sales once the team is officially sold to the new owners.



Fair enough but its not just Columbus. The issue probably is deeper that that.

Inter Miami CF stadium approved by voters, so I guess its finally happening.

What a match between Seattle and Portland


----------



## c9777666

It would be quite the plot twist if the MLS Cup ends up SEA-TOR III


----------



## BKIslandersFan

ChrisK97 said:


> It would be quite the plot twist if the MLS Cup ends up SEA-TOR III



It would be considering Toronto missed the playoffs.


----------



## Sacha Baron Corbin

This might be a dumb question but why doesnt Portland advance on away goals?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Sacha Baron Corbin said:


> This might be a dumb question but why doesnt Portland advance on away goals?



Away goal goes out the window once it hits Extra Time.


----------



## c9777666

Legs, tiebreakers, away goals.... why not have one game winner take all at the team with the better record or a best of 3?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

ChrisK97 said:


> Legs, tiebreakers, away goals.... why not have one game winner take all at the team with the better record or a best of 3?



I agree. Instead of away goals it should be points. Whomever that has more points gets to move on.

But I think MLS wants to use the more traditional method.


----------



## SJSharks72

Another down and up season for Seattle. It has taught me a few things about them.

1. Most obvious one. They need to start better. They were unable to rest any key guys down the stretch. Fatigue didn’t play a huge factor but it definitely played a factor.
2. Smith needs to get healthy and be our LB with Francis as his backup. Nouhou is still WAY too raw and showed it today and this season. This series is Nouhou’s whole career in two games. One game he’s great, the next a liability.
3. Bruin should never play another minute for Seattle. He has his uses but with Morris back, he shouldn’t be on the team.
4. Roldan needs to play in the middle. He’s effective in every position but we need the help in the middle.
5. Ozzie is one of the best DM in league history. With that said, I don’t know how much longer he can keep this up. We either need to bring in a backup DM or we need Delem/Wingo to take a huge step forward.
6. We need more wing depth. If Bwana can’t take a step forward we need a new outside mid. If fact even if Bwana does we still probably need one.
7. Ruidiaz is a top 5 striker in the MLS and I would argue top 3 (especially if Ibra does end up leaving)
8. We should probably get a new CB with more speed too
9. Backup keeper should be addressed too

Depth chart right now

ST: Ruidiaz, Morris, Bwana, Chenkam, Bruin
AM: Lodeiro, Roldan, VRod, Shipp
RM: Bwana, Shipp, Roldan, Delem, A. Roldan
LM: VRod, Shipp, Bwana, Kovar, Wingo
DM: Roldan, Ozzie, Svensson, A. Roldan, Lodeiro, Wingo, Delem
LB: Smith, Francis, Nouhou
RB: Leerdam, McCrary, Delem
CB: Marshall, Kim, Torres, Delem, Alfaro
GK: Frei, Meredith

I think looking at this you can clearly see where help is needed.


----------



## Pouchkine

MLS not using the away goals rule...They just can't get it right it seems, always need to fucq with something that is working fine everywhere.

Anyway Portland went through.


----------



## Viqsi




----------



## Basement Cat

Pouchkine said:


> MLS not using the away goals rule...They just can't get it right it seems, always need to fucq with something that is working fine everywhere.
> 
> Anyway Portland went through.




They do use the away goals rule. They just don't use it in extra time which makes sense. You have to be the biggest Debbie Downer I've ever encountered when it comes to MLS.


----------



## Big McLargehuge

Jussi said:


> Might be time to change the thread title soon to "Exit Zlatan"...




One downside of stepping down as a mod: I can't edit the title anymore 

We're well over 1,000 now and that's supposed to be a thing again, though, so if someone wanted to start a new thread go right ahead.



kingsboy11 said:


> He indicated after meeting with the media that he was likely to stay. I suspect Gio will be on the way and Zlatan will take his spot as our last DP. But honestly if he decides to leave I wouldn't blame him




I hope this is the case, and I'm with you in completely understanding Zlatan if he wants out.

Mostly I just want Gio gone. Also Klein, but only one of them is plausible right now.


----------



## Pouchkine

Basement Cat said:


> They do use the away goals rule. They just don't use it in extra time which makes sense. You have to be the biggest Debbie Downer I've ever encountered when it comes to MLS.



How does it makes sense, the home team already has the big advantage of playing 30 extra minutes AT HOME. All it does is making the league look like a joke.
I'm a fan of soccer, I can watch tons of leagues and different levels, I just don't understand all the bizarre things MLS does. I want the sport to succeed here, simply I hate when MLS takes bad decisions, which still happens way to often.

Like 17 days off for Portland before the next game. After having played 3 playoff games in 9 days.


----------



## hatterson

I'm totally fine with not using away goals in ET.

MLS does some stupid stuff, but nitpicking ET away goals is a really dumb thing to come at them with.


----------



## Basement Cat

Pouchkine said:


> How does it makes sense, the home team already has the big advantage of playing 30 extra minutes AT HOME. All it does is making the league look like a joke.
> I'm a fan of soccer, I can watch tons of leagues and different levels, I just don't understand all the bizarre things MLS does. I want the sport to succeed here, simply I hate when MLS takes bad decisions, which still happens way to often.
> 
> Like 17 days off for Portland before the next game. After having played 3 playoff games in 9 days.




Because Seattle played a 34 game season to earn the right to play extra time at home in the most important game of the year thus far. Why are we going to penalize them for being the better team all year with away goal rule in ET?

Go find something else to bitch about...oh wait, I see you already have.


----------



## Pouchkine

So how about Portland 17 days off?


----------



## kingsboy11

Doesn't MLS use the same rules about away goals in ET as the Champions League? No problem with the rule


----------



## Savant

hatterson said:


> I'm totally fine with not using away goals in ET.
> 
> MLS does some stupid stuff, but nitpicking ET away goals is a really dumb thing to come at them with.



I think two legged MLS playoff ties are dumb anyway. that would be an "easy" way to avoid this


----------



## East Coast Bias

Hot take.........

The playoffs suck. We're conditioned in NA to playoffs being the end all be all, but I actually have grown to love the regular season table deciding it. It's a far better a way to reward the best teams.

Though I understand it's unlikely in MLS cause it would't appeal to the casual fan, and because of the travel and divisions cause unbalanced schedules.


----------



## hatterson

Savant said:


> I think two legged MLS playoff ties are dumb anyway. that would be an "easy" way to avoid this




I think the playoffs are fairly dumb overall for a league, but if you're gonna have them I have no issues with pre-final games being two legged.


----------



## Savant

hatterson said:


> I think the playoffs are fairly dumb overall for a league, but if you're gonna have them I have no issues with pre-final games being two legged.



I do. It extends the season too long. It should not be ending in December. Also since the matchups are seeded, there is no for 2 legs. It makes the regular season even more meaningless and really reduces a teams home field advantage; which is the point of seeding the games. 

It's stupid.


----------



## Pouchkine

Savant said:


> I do. It extends the season too long. It should not be ending in December. Also since the matchups are seeded, there is no for 2 legs. It makes the regular season even more meaningless and really reduces a teams home field advantage; which is the point of seeding the games.
> 
> It's stupid.



Now that's a great comment. Thank You!

Also you see very small crowds in a lot of places come november, those home/away playoff ties are beyond stupid, the regular season is basically one long boring ride and the playoffs are to long and especially incoherent.

Portland 3 games in 9 days after that 17 days before the next one, how is that logic and good marketing for the playoffs?


----------



## Pouchkine

kingsboy11 said:


> Doesn't MLS use the same rules about away goals in ET as the Champions League? No problem with the rule



No in the champions league the away goals still count in overtime.


----------



## SJSharks72

FC Cincinnati will be picking 5 players in an expansion draft on Dec 11. This is the team that already has Adi and Alashe. Also they will get more allocation money than any other team because teams that had a player picked by LAFC last year are exempt. That means Seattle, San Jose, Sporting KC, Toronto, and Columbus will be exempt from the draft.


----------



## Savant

Pouchkine said:


> Now that's a great comment. Thank You!
> 
> Also you see very small crowds in a lot of places come november, those home/away playoff ties are beyond stupid, the regular season is basically one long boring ride and the playoffs are to long and especially incoherent.
> 
> Portland 3 games in 9 days after that 17 days before the next one, how is that logic and good marketing for the playoffs?



Unfortunately a lot about the MLS playoffs is stupid. They really should be looking to end the season before the NBA starts, and they absolutely need to stop scheduling important playoff games on the weekends during NFL and College Football. They should be trying to own Friday night


----------



## East Coast Bias

Savant said:


> Unfortunately a lot about the MLS playoffs is stupid. They really should be looking to end the season before the NBA starts, and they absolutely need to stop scheduling important playoff games on the weekends during NFL and College Football. They should be trying to own Friday night




Yeah I really cannot understand what they're thinking going on consecutive sundays against the NFL. You're not winning that. Ever.


----------



## Viqsi

SJSharks39 said:


> FC Cincinnati will be picking 5 players in an expansion draft on Dec 11. This is the team that already has Adi and Alashe. Also they will get more allocation money than any other team because teams that had a player picked by LAFC last year are exempt. That means Seattle, San Jose, Sporting KC, Toronto, and Columbus will be exempt from the draft.



Isn't Alashe a loan? (Wikipedia sure seems to think so...)


----------



## SJSharks72

Viqsi said:


> Isn't Alashe a loan? (Wikipedia sure seems to think so...)



Technically both Adi and Alashe are currently on loan to the USL FCC but Cinci owns the MLS rights to both players so they both should be on their MLS roster next season.


----------



## c9777666

Basement Cat said:


> They do use the away goals rule. They just don't use it in extra time which makes sense.




At one point last night, the Timbers players almost celebrated because they thought the away goals tiebreaker would kick in.

Timbers celebrate at whistle, but extra time away goal rule leads to PKs


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> MLS not using the away goals rule...They just can't get it right it seems, always need to fucq with something that is working fine everywhere.
> 
> Anyway Portland went through.



In UCL the legs are determined by a random draw, so there is a reason to mitigate the advantage the team hosting the second leg. In MLS the team hosting the second leg earned that right by virtue of their regular season record. They earned that advantage. Mitigating their advantage in any way would be absurd.


----------



## Pouchkine

sabremike said:


> In UCL the legs are determined by a random draw, so there is a reason to mitigate the advantage the team hosting the second leg. In MLS the team hosting the second leg earned that right by virtue of their regular season record. They earned that advantage. Mitigating their advantage in any way would be absurd.



If you look at the statistics of mls playoff history those home-away ties are close to 50% even, so your season advantage isn't coming into play. 1 game playoff would be FAR BETTER FOR TV and easy to follow for "casuals". The biggest problem with MLS that they have to fix in the years ahead is tv ratings. One game playoff are easy to schedule and hype.

And for the first knockout in the Champions League the home team in the return leg is the team that finished 1st in their group.


----------



## sabremike

Pouchkine said:


> If you look at the statistics of mls playoff history those home-away ties are close to 50% even, so your season advantage isn't coming into play. 1 game playoff would be FAR BETTER FOR TV and easy to follow for "casuals". The biggest problem with MLS that they have to fix in the years ahead is tv ratings. One game playoff are easy to schedule and hype.
> 
> And for the first knockout in the Champions League the home team in the return leg is the team that finished 1st in their group.



I totally agree they should all be one offs. Problem is that the TV partners want more games. It's shortsighted as hell but it is what it is.

Edit: one idea for 2 leg ties that used to be used in Mexico: if the aggregate is even the higher seed wins the tiebreaker and advances.


----------



## ecemleafs

if there is a more annoying commentator in world soccer than taylor twellman, ive yet to hear that person call a game.


----------



## hatterson

sabremike said:


> I totally agree they should all be one offs. Problem is that the TV partners want more games. It's shortsighted as hell but it is what it is.
> 
> Edit: one idea for 2 leg ties that used to be used in Mexico: if the aggregate is even the higher seed wins the tiebreaker and advances.




I dislike the idea of using regular season results as a tie breaker just becuase it feels gimicky.


----------



## Viqsi

f***. f***ing. f***. f***. f***!


----------



## East Coast Bias

Couple amazing team goals by Red Bull’s there. They’re so fun to watch when they’re clicking.


----------



## Viqsi

That old canard of creating eleventy billion chances but not being able to finish to save our lives?

That is defining this evening and it is driving me up a wall.


----------



## c9777666

At times, the Red Bulls have been the MLS equivalent of Sisyphus.

For once, they actually didn't spit the bit.

I thought this was gonna be like a few years back against Houston.


----------



## Viqsi

g-ddamnit RBNY you'd better go all the way or I'ma be real pissed off.


----------



## c9777666

The Red Bulls' brutal playoff history vs. Atlanta sports not winning the big one- something HAS to give


----------



## Viqsi

ChrisK97 said:


> The Red Bulls' brutal playoff history vs. Atlanta sports not winning the big one- something HAS to give



A large part of that history was against us, and they just slew that particular dragon.

I mean what I said. They'd best go all the way. Screw dragons; I wanna see 'em all fall.


----------



## sabremike

I completely lost my mind screaming on all 3 goals it's a miracle none of my neighbors called the cops. FORZA METRO, THIS IS OUR f***ING YEAR!!!!


----------



## sabremike

Viqsi said:


> g-ddamnit RBNY you'd better go all the way or I'ma be real pissed off.



You guys already got the biggest most miraculous victory in Crew history a few weeks ago being saved from certain death. Your fans are the true champions of this season for doing the impossible: Saving the Crew


----------



## sabremike

Someone on the Metrofanatic board reported there are very few tickets left for the ECF second leg at RBA.


----------



## Pouchkine

sabremike said:


> Someone on the Metrofanatic board reported there are very few tickets left for the ECF second leg at RBA.



Finally this is good news!


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Have they confirmed FC Cincinnati will be in the east?


----------



## sabremike

Just saw on ESC Facebook page the game at RBA vs Atlanta is officially sold out. Also got my ticket for a potential MLS Cup final for $55. I hope I never see that $55 ever again.


----------



## varsaku

sabremike said:


> Just saw on ESC Facebook page the game at RBA vs Atlanta is officially sold out. Also got my ticket for a potential MLS Cup final for $55. I hope I never see that $55 ever again.




where Did you get the tickets? I don’t see them.


----------



## sabremike

varsaku said:


> where Did you get the tickets? I don’t see them.



Was a presale for STH's to claim their seat. General sale starts tomorrow.


----------



## sabremike

The handful of tickets left after the STH presale for the potential final were gone in like half an hour.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Oscar Pareja left Dallas. Something has to give with that team, they seriously need a rebranding.


----------



## Rhodes 81

sabremike said:


> Just saw on ESC Facebook page the game at RBA vs Atlanta is officially sold out. Also got my ticket for a potential MLS Cup final for $55. I hope I never see that $55 ever again.



I sincerely hope you get it back.


----------



## Basement Cat

Caught myself thinking today was Friday a few times. Sunday can’t come soon enough. We need to come away with an away goal for sure. I’m pretty confident in a 1-1 result being the likely outcome.


----------



## Pouchkine

Is there good coverage for this series in the New York media market, or at the very least in New Jersey?


----------



## Pavel Buchnevich

Pouchkine said:


> Is there good coverage for this series in the New York media market, or at the very least in New Jersey?




No. Soccer is never covered well. 

NY Sports coverage revolves around Giants/Jets season and Yankees/Mets season. Giants/Jets season is August-January. Yankees/Mets season is March-October. Sometimes there's a month tacked on at the end for the playoffs. They don't overlap that much either. 

There's regular Knicks coverage, but its usually secondary to the two big sports that are covered. Rangers get occasional coverage when they are good.

Thats about it.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Pavel Buchnevich said:


> No. Soccer is never covered well.
> 
> NY Sports coverage revolves around Giants/Jets season and Yankees/Mets season. Giants/Jets season is August-January. Yankees/Mets season is March-October. Sometimes there's a month tacked on at the end for the playoffs. They don't overlap that much either.
> 
> There's regular Knicks coverage, but its usually secondary to the two big sports that are covered. Rangers get occasional coverage when they are good.
> 
> Thats about it.



If it was NYCFC it might have gotten a bit more coverage.


----------



## Pouchkine

How about for people in Kansas City and Portland regions, is there any hype for the games?


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Pouchkine said:


> How about for people in Kansas City and Portland regions, is there any hype for the games?



Portland probably. I don’t know what KC is like as MLS market.


----------



## Savant

BKIslandersFan said:


> Portland probably. I don’t know what KC is like as MLS market.



Portland and KC are both top 5, maybe top 3 markets for MLS. Those fans show up, and love their teams.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Savant said:


> Portland and KC are both top 5, maybe top 3 markets for MLS. Those fans show up, and love their teams.



I always got a sense that KC was more of a niche in the city rather thna part of main stream sports scene.


----------



## Savant

BKIslandersFan said:


> I always got a sense that KC was more of a niche in the city rather thna part of main stream sports scene.



SKC not only sells out their games, but their USL affiliate Swope Park Rangers is well attended as well


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Savant said:


> SKC not only sells out their games, but their USL affiliate Swope Park Rangers is well attended as well



Wow. Had no idea KC was a good market. Missouri River Derby will be amazing,


----------



## sabremike

I want to die.


----------



## Viqsi

sabremike said:


> I want to die.



I don't normally take requests, sorry. 

Grargh.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> I want to die.



It’s Atlanta so who knows?


----------



## Viqsi

Steffen's apparently on his way to Manchester City for $9m:
Zack Steffen moving from Crew SC to Manchester City

If Precourt gets the money (as is suggested could be possible), it would be difficult to overstate just how pissed off I would be.


Oh, and David Villa is also confirmed gone:
Villa leaving NYCFC after 4 years, not retiring


----------



## Pouchkine

Viqsi said:


> Steffen's apparently on his way to Manchester City for $9m:
> Zack Steffen moving from Crew SC to Manchester City
> 
> If Precourt gets the money (as is suggested could be possible), it would be difficult to overstate just how pissed off I would be.
> 
> 
> Oh, and David Villa is also confirmed gone:
> Villa leaving NYCFC after 4 years, not retiring



Now close the NYCFC club.

So who is gonna face Atlanta?


----------



## I Eat Crow

Red Bulls can't break Atlanta's defense. They don't have the personnel to play hoof ball. Think this ends 0-0.


----------



## varsaku

I Eat Crow said:


> Red Bulls can't break Atlanta's defense. They don't have the personnel to play hoof ball. Think this ends 0-0.




Took them so long to even get a decent chance


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Does it get any more generic than Conference Championship trophy?


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## c9777666

The MLS playoff format is confusing and why I can't follow this sport.

Only in this sport can you finish FIFTH and be rewarded.

Portland Timbers = 2009 Real Salt Lake


----------



## KingLB

ChrisK97 said:


> The MLS playoff format is confusing and why I can't follow this sport.
> 
> Only in this sport can you finish FIFTH and be rewarded.
> 
> Portland Timbers = 2009 Real Salt Lake




What is confusing...you seemingly are a hawks fan, playoff format works pretty much the same as NHL. Outside the top 2 teams getting byes...

As far as the only sport... not sure how Portland was "rewarded" the Kings won the cup as an 8th seed.


----------



## c9777666

KingLB said:


> What is confusing...you seemingly are a hawks fan, playoff format works pretty much the same as NHL. Outside the top 2 teams getting byes...
> 
> As far as the only sport... not sure how Portland was "rewarded" the Kings won the cup as an 8th seed.




I'm not a Hawks fan. I love the 1991 NHL ASG logo


----------



## Pouchkine

Only 22 137 in New Jersey and many many empty seats? Who said it was a sellout? Time to fold NYCFC and try to do something with the attendance in New Jersey. 

Great game by Portland and well deserved. They have a shot in the final I think.


----------



## Pouchkine

ChrisK97 said:


> The MLS playoff format is confusing and why I can't follow this sport.
> 
> Only in this sport can you finish FIFTH and be rewarded.
> 
> Portland Timbers = 2009 Real Salt Lake



Fifth in the conference and probably 10th overall or something. Home and Away in the mls playoffs are a joke.


----------



## Pouchkine

Now the final is the right format but on December 8th, that's 3 weeks too late.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pouchkine said:


> Now the final is the right format but on December 8th, that's 3 weeks too late.



If you don’t like it don’t watch. I don’t understand why you’re in this thread at all. You’ve never once said anything positive about the MLS. Don’t watch, don’t support, they’re not going to miss you.


----------



## Pouchkine

SJSharks39 said:


> If you don’t like it don’t watch. I don’t understand why you’re in this thread at all. You’ve never once said anything positive about the MLS. Don’t watch, don’t support, they’re not going to miss you.



They need every fan they can get. When you see the tv ratings and empty seats for 1/2 finals you know they are not doing things right.


----------



## SJSharks72

Pouchkine said:


> They need every fan they can get. When you see the tv ratings and empty seats for 1/2 finals you know they are not doing things right.



One naysayer won’t affect them nearly as much as you believe. Also a failing league wouldn’t be expanding as much as they are.


----------



## Pouchkine

I watch some games on tv so I'm part of the small minority!


----------



## Pouchkine

Soccer is very popular in North America but the MLS is not doing a good enough work to capitalize on it, too many mistakes and bad marketing


----------



## Basement Cat

Why the f*** does the best team in league history have to play a home leg on a weeknight? That game last night should've been tomorrow. In addition, playing the second leg at home is not an advantage.


----------



## Pouchkine

The best team in the league history??? How many championships lately?


----------



## Pouchkine

Basement Cat said:


> Why the **** does the best team in league history have to play a home leg on a weeknight? That game last night should've been tomorrow. In addition, playing the second leg at home is not an advantage.



Since the start of home-away playoffs in mls the results are 50/50 so the home field advantage is gone with this format.


----------



## sabremike

Mexico was the only place that came up with a sane 2 leg league playoff (so of course they got rid of it): if the score was level on aggregate the higher seed was given the tiebreaker and would advance.


----------



## Pouchkine

One game at home for the higher seed it's too simple and coherent for the league it seems.


----------



## c9777666

Pouchkine said:


> The best team in the league history??? How many championships lately?




SKC did win the MLS Cup a few years back


----------



## BKIslandersFan

sabremike said:


> Mexico was the only place that came up with a sane 2 leg league playoff (so of course they got rid of it): if the score was level on aggregate the higher seed was given the tiebreaker and would advance.



THIS is how it should be done.


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## Pouchkine

This is stupid. Just make it one game. A real home field advantage and $ advantage for the team that finished higher, thus the regular season (34 games) means something as well.

Finishing December 8th is way too late, should finish mid november before the international break.


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## BKIslandersFan

MLS really need to ask themselves how they can rejuvenate older teams and make them close to what Atlanta United is.


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## Basement Cat

BKIslandersFan said:


> MLS really need to ask themselves how they can rejuvenate older teams and make them close to what Atlanta United is.




If every team spent $40MM plus on transfers in 2 seasons, the league would be in amazing shape. I don't think it's feasible.


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## Pouchkine

Atlanta didn't win last year and will be missing their coach and probably at least 1 of their top player next year. 
How about Portland in the final again?


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## Basement Cat

Pouchkine said:


> Atlanta didn't win last year and will be missing their coach and probably at least 1 of their top player next year.
> How about Portland in the final again?




And if they replace Tata with GBS (as rumored, or another good manager) and Almiron with Pity then they won't miss a beat.


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## Pouchkine

What about Toronto FC? People thought they would be a dynasty...What about LAFC and the Galaxy this year?

What will happen in the coming years is a couple of very bad teams who can't compete, but I don't see a real dominant team or only a few teams dominating in the near future like we see in some top European leagues.

Portland winning saturday wouldn't surprise me that much.


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## Viqsi

Meanwhile, candidates for Berhalter's replacement over here include Caleb Porter and Josh Wolff:
Crew SC interview Caleb Porter, Josh Wolff for new head coach, look for general manager


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## Pouchkine

To be very honest I'm a little worried about the refereeing for saturday, sure we are use to bizarre stuff in this league, but I really feel 70k+ and really the league wanting Atlanta to win so much might result in some unfair refereeing. We know who is the ref?


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## robertmac43

Pouchkine said:


> We know who is the ref?




I believe I read somewhere that it was Alan Kelly who did the 2016 finals in Toronto.


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## Pouchkine

It could have been worse, this one likes to talk a lot and slow the play down but doesn't punish the tough fouls and professional fouls often enough, might be good for Portland...


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## Vamos Rafa

2018 NYRB would've been the best MLS team ever but they just lost. For now, that title still belongs to the 2011 LAG


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## SJSharks72

Viqsi said:


> Meanwhile, candidates for Berhalter's replacement over here include Caleb Porter and Josh Wolff:
> Crew SC interview Caleb Porter, Josh Wolff for new head coach, look for general manager



Just read that Arena is another candidate.


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## Viqsi

SJSharks39 said:


> Just read that Arena is another candidate.



He's a candidate for the GM position, not the coaching position. They're being split.

And in other Arena news...
Plans announced for a new Crew SC stadium

The location is pretty much where everyone always expected it would go; that open area right near Huntington Park and Nationwide Arena.


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## SJSharks72

Viqsi said:


> He's a candidate for the GM position, not the coaching position. They're being split.



Ah thought it was the other way around with him being coach not GM


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## hatterson

Vamos Rafa said:


> 2018 NYRB would've been the best MLS team ever but they just lost. For now, that title still belongs to the 2011 LAG




I'd lean towards the team that had more points, more wins, nearly double the goal difference, and won the same hardware compared to 2011 LAG.


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## Pouchkine

Vamos Rafa said:


> 2018 NYRB would've been the best MLS team ever but they just lost. For now, that title still belongs to the 2011 LAG



Regular season means nothing at the end of the day if you don't win in the playoffs, that's the same in NBA NHL NFL MLB...


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## Pouchkine

Is there good coverage in the media for the MLS CUP Final where you are? Here in Montreal TVASPORTS the network that has the rights to the Impact games and MLS has surprisingly decent coverage but almost nothing elsewhere in the papers and other tv networks.


----------



## Pilky01

Hyped for tomorrow night. Rooting for Portland. Can't have Atlanta tying Toronto's record 2017 season (though technically they can't anyway, no treble, )

edit: Whoops, hyped for Saturday night. Smash hype has me all discombobulated.


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## SJSharks72

Pouchkine said:


> Is there good coverage in the media for the MLS CUP Final where you are? Here in Montreal TVASPORTS the network that has the rights to the Impact games and MLS has surprisingly decent coverage but almost nothing elsewhere in the papers and other tv networks.



In Sacramento, there’s very little at all. That’s pretty typical though. Even when it was looking like they were getting an MLS team there was nothing.


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## Viqsi

Pouchkine said:


> Is there good coverage in the media for the MLS CUP Final where you are? Here in Montreal TVASPORTS the network that has the rights to the Impact games and MLS has surprisingly decent coverage but almost nothing elsewhere in the papers and other tv networks.



Not as much, mostly because around here the impending Crew SC sale and arena planning and related stuff, the hiring away of Berhalter, and the transfer of Steffen have been bigger stories.


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## kingsboy11

I have Atlanta in extra time


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## robertmac43

Hats off to Atlanta, they had an unreal year and you got to love that amazing set of fans. It will be interesting to see how their off season goes and who all ends up leaving the squad.


----------



## HisIceness

That's the first pro championship (to my knowledge) for Atlanta since the 1995 Braves, and if you count MLS as major, only the 2nd ever for the city since the Falcons/Braves started play there in the mid-60's.


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## Duke749

FINALLY!!!!!!!


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## c9777666

robertmac43 said:


> Hats off to Atlanta, they had an unreal year and you got to love that amazing set of fans. It will be interesting to see how their off season goes and who all ends up leaving the squad.




If they're going to lose guys, at least it was worth it this year


----------



## Luigi Habs

Well Miguel Almiron would be wasting his time in MLS. I think he's leaving. Josef Martinez is a bit older but is also bound to leave. 

Barco could also leave for different reasons. 

I see the others staying.

Atlanta however has the money and attraction power to replace them with equivalent players


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## robertmac43

ChrisK97 said:


> If they're going to lose guys, at least it was worth it this year




It's true and losing some guys is not going to derail the momentum in Atlanta. They have proven the city is a soccer city.


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## c9777666

Lot of talk about Atlanta and losing some players.

Let's talk about Portland.

Is this a sustainable team that they can bring back their squad next year?


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## c9777666

How did this MLS Cup compare to last year?

ATL/POR, like SEA/TOR, was a 2-0 score


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## Duke749

Luigi Habs said:


> Well Miguel Almiron would be wasting his time in MLS. I think he's leaving. Josef Martinez is a bit older but is also bound to leave.
> 
> Barco could also leave for different reasons.
> 
> I see the others staying.
> 
> Atlanta however has the money and attraction power to replace them with equivalent players




Well Barco is here for a few more years I believe? Almiron is almost certainly gone. Idk about Martinez. Will definitely be a different team going forward but I think we can build off of this. Was definitely worth it.


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## kingsboy11

ChrisK97 said:


> How did this MLS Cup compare to last year?
> 
> ATL/POR, like SEA/TOR, was a 2-0 score




I was actually kind of bored throughout. There were a couple moments where it looked like it was starting to open up, but it didn't last long. But it might have been because I didn't really have a rooting interest this year unlike the previous 2 where I was vehemently cheering against Seattle. Last year was probably better because it was the redemption story of Toronto that made it more interesting.


----------



## varsaku

I actually made the trip out to Atlanta for the game. It was a blast. The crowd was crazy and really going the entire game. The only time people sat was for halftime. There were crazy lines after the game for championship merchandise at the team store and booths around the stadium.


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## kingsboy11

I have a bucket list where my goal is go to a bunch of MLS/NHL stadiums across the country. Atlanta, Portland, Seattle, Orlando, Kansas City are absolute musts for me.


----------



## Rhodes 81

It was unbelievable to be in that stadium last night. I was expecting some collapse or for them to just completely blow it and it never happened. I didn't know how to react after. Atlanta teams don't win. 

Looking on to next year, the biggest question right now is who replaces Tata, and that needs to happen quick. Miggy has definitely played his last game. It will be interesting to see if they try to replace him with Barco or bring in someone new. I think Martinez will stay at least for another year. The wildcards are if Parkhurst and/or Larentowicz retire.


----------



## sabremike

Duke749 said:


> FINALLY!!!!!!!



After 2 long years the wait is finally over!

I mean seriously, GTFO with that.


----------



## Duke749

sabremike said:


> After 2 long years the wait is finally over!
> 
> I mean seriously, GTFO with that.




Not what I meant obviously being from Atlanta but sure, go on being an ass.


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## Pouchkine

The crowd was great but the game never really delivered. Portland never showed up and Atlanta got lucky with that first goal, but overall for the season they certainly deserve it. But please put on a real grass field with all that $ it would improve tv and play for the players.


----------



## sabremike

Duke749 said:


> Not what I meant obviously being from Atlanta but sure, go on being an ass.



You guys already have the most insufferable fans in the whole league, even worse than Seattle (who as we all know invented supporter culture in America because all those years the ESC was in 101 or the Skezzy Beagles were in RFK never happened).


----------



## Rhodes 81

I've never known what it was like to be a part of the fan base everyone else hated. It's great!


----------



## varsaku

Pouchkine said:


> The crowd was great but the game never really delivered. Portland never showed up and Atlanta got lucky with that first goal, but overall for the season they certainly deserve it. But please put on a real grass field with all that $ it would improve tv and play for the players.




Grass in an indoor stadium will be difficulty level with no natural sun light. They would have to constantly under grow lights.


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## Pouchkine

The roof is permanent? I thought they could open it. Anyway too many artificial fields in MLS really brings the quality of play down and it's a disaster for TV.
On a real grass field it seems the balls slows down perfectly on passes while on those fake fields the ball is often too long going out of bounds it's like playing on ice...No to talk about how it slows the players down and is a ankle injury making machine.

Will be interesting to see how Atlanta will do next year and what the new playoff format will be.


----------



## nhlfan79

Pouchkine said:


> The roof is permanent? I thought they could open it. Anyway too many artificial fields in MLS really brings the quality of play down and it's a disaster for TV.
> On a real grass field it seems the balls slows down perfectly on passes while on those fake fields the ball is often too long going out of bounds it's like playing on ice...No to talk about how it slows the players down and is a ankle injury making machine.
> 
> Will be interesting to see how Atlanta will do next year and what the new playoff format will be.




MBS's roof can open, but the stadium is so tall that only portions of the field get direct sunlight.


----------



## Pouchkine

That's really too bad, the stadium is beautiful, the fans are loud and in great numbers but the field is just terrible.


----------



## BKIslandersFan

Apparently someone took the trophy to a local strip club


----------



## Rhodes 81

Another problem is the sheer number of events that occur at MBS. There are many times when there are NCAAF, NFL, and MLS games in the same week, as well as concerts and other events. During those times, the field would be ripped to shreds if it were real grass.


----------



## Savant

MLS listened to me!

MLS to adopt new playoff structure in 2019


----------



## hatterson

Savant said:


> MLS listened to me!
> 
> MLS to adopt new playoff structure in 2019




How are they doing tie breakers in the single elimination match? Is it extra time then pens?


----------



## Pouchkine

Very interesting. 14/24 in the playoffs is a bit to much BUT the season finishing a month earlier is great and the end of home-away ties is another great decision, now the regular season will have much more importance and the teams will have time to sell and promote those playoffs games.


----------



## Pouchkine

hatterson said:


> How are they doing tie breakers in the single elimination match? Is it extra time then pens?



That's the only way no?


----------



## hatterson

Pouchkine said:


> That's the only way no?




I mean, I've seen people on here saying things like home seed wins a tie. Just wanted to confirm that wasn't the case.

Theoretically you could also use away goals, but that would be really stupid in a single fixture.


----------



## Savant

hatterson said:


> How are they doing tie breakers in the single elimination match? Is it extra time then pens?



Its gotta be. Which is fine because home field advantage.


----------



## Savant

Pouchkine said:


> Very interesting. 14/24 in the playoffs is a bit to much BUT the season finishing a month earlier is great and the end of home-away ties is another great decision, now the regular season will have much more importance and the teams will have time to sell and promote those playoffs games.



I think the goal is to get to 8x8 as the league expands.


----------



## hatterson

Savant said:


> I think the goal is to get to 8x8 as the league expands.




I'd rather keep the top see bye than expand to 8.


----------



## Pouchkine

14 teams is already more than enough, 16 would be ridiculous. I would prefer the old format. 6 by conferences and 2 byes. But with the new one game only format.


----------



## Savant

hatterson said:


> I'd rather keep the top see bye than expand to 8.





Pouchkine said:


> 14 teams is already more than enough, 16 would be ridiculous. I would prefer the old format. 6 by conferences and 2 byes. But with the new one game only format.



Me too but its pretty obvious that's what MLS is looking to do


----------



## Viqsi

It's still not yet signed and sealed, but this is a very good sign:

MLS, Crew SC announce home opener date


----------



## BKIslandersFan

hatterson said:


> I mean, I've seen people on here saying things like home seed wins a tie. Just wanted to confirm that wasn't the case.
> 
> Theoretically you could also use away goals, but that would be really stupid in a single fixture.



League position?


----------



## Pouchkine

Forget that. Extra time and penalties on a single game= ratings.


----------



## spintheblackcircle




----------



## Terry Yake

sad news

sigi had a massive impact on not only MLS but american soccer. 3 titles at UCLA and then a couple more in MLS. by all acounts a great guy too


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## Milos Krasic

RIP


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