Major League Soccer

PS Fire 1, United 0 at the half.

We've all totally lost interest because our glorious hero David Beckham is no longer involved. Sorry.

Yeah, that's right, my team kicked his broke ass out on Sunday.

Any excuse to watch this again.

is blanco playing? soccernet isn't working for me right now

Golaso de De Rosario

Blanco started, but he hasn't had much of a game thus far.

i'm marginally interested. when my town, seattle, gets a team in '09 i'm sure i'll be way more into it

Some friends of mine saw (the US) Chivas this last weekend. Said it was straight bollocks.

Welcome, shit-talking British people.

The game ended 1-0. DC put in their goal-scorers in the second half but they didn't do much of anything either. Leg 2 is in a week in DC.

Also, it occured to me that Brits ought to know "bollocks" football when they see it, considering their national team.

Yeah, the British National Football Team has a long and varied history.

"Brits" = the English. No Scots would call themselves "Brits".

Sorry, you're right.

First round:

Chivas over KC
Revs over NY
Houston over Dallas
Fire over DC

After that, I don't know.

Any excuse to watch this again.

Great free kick, not sure about this "upper 90" term instead of the traditional "postage stamp" or even "top corner".

Is that Tim Lovejoy MLS show still on?

Conference finals are set:

✧✧✧@✧.✧.
K.C.@Houston

NE looked assy in their 1-0 win over New York. Aside from the fact that the Fire have to play in their huge, empty stadium, on turf, I think they have a great shot of breaking the playoff curse vs. the Revs. Houston should roll over KC.

Stupid ILX, those aren't email addresses

Chi AT N.E.

So the season starts tomorrow, does anyone care?

Yes, I'm going to New Jersey to watch like 7 hours of MLS tomorrow, since our first game isn't until Apr 5.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/powerranking?cc=5901

lol: Riquelme to MLS?

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-soccer9apr09,1,6870991.story

Similarly, if Riquelme plays for Argentina in its June 8 friendly against the U.S. at Giants Stadium, all it will take for him to reject any move is one look at the dreadful, patched-up, threadbare, NFL-logoed carpet that passes for a soccer field at the Meadowlands.

ahahahahaha

Seattle Alliance, Seattle Republic and Seattle FC beaten out by popular opinion. New Team:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2008/04/07/2004333628.jpg

meet the new team
same as the old team

with an FC!

Dan kind of sold me on Emerald City FC, I don't think it got a fair chance...but good for them, anyway. Nice work chucking the proverbial monkey wrench in the league's plans.

Although I did read a decent rejoinder from a Seattle fan somewhere who said they were happy that E.C.F.C. didn't get picked b/c they'd be spared all the teasing and the stupid jokes (especially when KC came to town).

even though i voted for just seattle fc, i'm happy with the name.

pretty uncringeworthy as far as u.s. professional soccer team names go, historically speaking, anyhow

Didn't Chicago almost get called something really lame?

Oh god, I'm not sure since I haven't followed the team for that long, but I remember reading a reference somewhere online to calling the team the "Rhythm"? GAG

YES, that's what I was thinking of. Can you imagine? SO MANY JOEKS, I CANNOT DECIDE

The K.C. Wiz has to be stupidest ever, even taking the NASL into account.

Dallas Burn & Tampa Bay Mutiny pretty close behind

still, i don't sneeze at their rhythm method-inspired offsides trap

all football strategies should take cues from dodgy birth control methods

like the d.c. united 7-up douche corner kick formation

worst logo
http://web.mlsnet.com/imgs/logos/t102_md.gif
it looks like the label on some weird 90s era mirco brewed soda.

DC are douches, that is for sure.

i first read that as "micc10 brewed soda"

step away from computer, dell

but yeah, that's a fitting description

either that, or the failed irish-amer hip hop band that lost it to house of pain

best NASL team logo

ESPN talking heads going off on streamers being tossed at games:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8pgexephJM&eurl=http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/

i was watching that game on the telly. i thought the streamers fiasco was pretty funny. Actually it was a pretty decent game, although I'm perfectly aware that the "open" style of play was down to no defending on either side whatsoever.

Whoever the guy in that video was ranting is a total fuckwit.

My girlfriend and I were thinking about going to a Revolution match this season. Any suggestions on which? Neither of us follow the MLS closely. LA is out as its sold out.

HAI GUISE I M GOING TO DC TOMORROW. Wish ush luck.

LOL:

In a pair of sweeping changes brought about by a Major League Soccer season in meltdown, the Los Angeles Galaxy today removed Alexi Lalas as team president and general manager and Ruud Gullit as coach.

In its official statement on the changes, AEG, which owns the team, said that Gullit had resigned "for personal reasons" and that Lalas' contract was up at the end of the year and that the team decided to part company now rather than wait.

that's what you get for spending all your salary cap (plus some lol) on three players

I'm so happy, really. They deserved the boot.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
LOVE YOU
WE LOVE YOU
WE LOVE YOU
AND WHERE YOU PLAY WE'LL FOLLOW
WE'LL FOLLOW
WE'LL FOLLOW

Congrats to NY for completely stuffing DC yesterday and making a lot of people very happy.

Lalas is such a tool, really. I remember hearing him say, in all earnestness, that the Gals would be the first MLS "superclub".

eh, it's ok. we're garbage atm. it was deserved, better team won! congrats.

The first round playoff format is so deeply stupid. Fire came back from 2-0 to draw in second half stoppage time, but then it immediately went to PKs and they lost. Two more games of this shit? Draws are supposed to mean something.

it's a horrible format and I can't believe they kept it.

Classic Fire bed-shitting for the ages last night

Moving to a fall-spring calendar lmao, enjoy coming to Chicago and the Twin Cities in January boys

The J-League is about to do the same thing - 2025 is the last March -> December season, there will be half-season competition from something like February -> June and then the 2026/27 season will start in August. Fans of smaller clubs in the snowier regions are very concerned.

Apparently Dong Arber has specifically mentioned climate change as part of the rationale for this in MLS

In Japan it’s to do with aligning to the European calendar and increasing the intensity of play in the league.

Same here for sure, or at least the first of those two. Intensity-wise I think it's already there.

Although, without promotion and relegation, it will probably never be the same.

The point about intensity is to do with enabling players to deal better the very hot conditions of a Japanese summer - the idea is they will have pre-season and then deal with games in August when everyone is at their freshest, rather than playing at the hottest time of year five months into the season. The league have done their research and have tons of stats to back all this up but there are still a load of questions about the practicalities of running a nationwide league on a European calendar. Over the past 30 years in general I think the J-League has done an incredible job at developing the competition to its current state of three divisions with 60 members clubs, but this is a gigantic gamble they’re taking.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/brazils-botafogo-hit-fifa-transfer-164740388.html

Fold this fucking league

whatd they do this time

btw the usl is in shambles atm bc their owners wont do basic shit like give all the players health insurance and guarantee minimum contracts, players union has authorized a strike though one hasnt started yet, did i mention season starts saturday?

Guessing this is partly why at least:

Pablo Maurer
Absolutely incredible from Messi: scores a free kick, squares up to the Orlando supporters’ section as he celebrates, then asks an Orlando City assistant coach if he wants his autograph. The dude truly understands a rivalry, even in MLS. Put it in my veins.

More like he and his teammates were flopping all night, calling their own fouls/yellow cards

Like what does it do to your legacy as the GOAT that you're talking trash to players who probably couldn't make the National League in the UK

According to a report by The Guardian, Tanner made use of sexist and anti-gay language in the workplace while also being reported for making racist comments about Black players, coaches and referees. The report revealed that the allegations were made in an MLS Player's Association complaint to the league.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48224488/mls-suspends-philadelphia-union-ernst-tanner-misconduct-probe

Antoine Griezmann coming to Orlando!

TFC's goalie scores tying goal in the 90+6 min

https://bsky.app/profile/soccerwisehq.bsky.social/post/3mk4va6xz4s2p

lol

i realize its impractical, but i wish mon, van, and tor would all join the cpl

Btw I went to Fire @ Cincinnati last weekend with some pals. Super nice stadium, easy to kick it in the neighborhood pre game, Fire blew a lead in the last ten minutes to draw 3-3. I'd go back.

Kei Kamara announces his retirement, 2nd all time on the goal-scoring list, with 11 clubs

Congrats on Lewandowski, dan

I'm not convinced

I mean great he'll score goals. And he'll bring every single Polish person in Chicago to games. But they don't have much midfield creativity due to Andre Franco being on long term injury. And there's Hugo Cuypers who has been scoring like mad. I dunno, I feel like a balanced team has better chances in this dumb league.

Maybe he'll kick Messi in the balls

That's my hope

Fire are supposed to play their first game post-world cup today and the air in Chicago is brown and ashy. Can't believe they're gonna trot out Lewy in this shit

I live in the far north burbs and visibility here is less than 1/4 mile. It's also worse near the lake, which is an odd twist.

Further reference: https://bsky.app/profile/acampbellsports.bsky.social/post/3mqrvigq2rs2f

My lord, the WC break has every squad back in preseason form.

This Nashville-Atlanta match is excruciatingly bad

Atlanta had a sure goal blocked because their reaction times were so slow after every pass

Aside from Cacadia the games last night were pretty bad too

Fire apparently selling the league leading goal scorer, Hugo Cuypers, to Monterrey now that they've brought in Daddy Polandbucks. This is exactly what I was afraid was going to happen. Gonna be great when some second round draft pick named something like Phoenix Rifleman breaks Lewy's ankles and an academy kid has to start at striker for the rest of the season.

That's why it's frustrating to watch a seller's league like this. Garber talks about wanting this to be a top 10 league (lmao) but you're pretty far away from that when multiple times in the last decade, contending teams have sold their best player in the summer window.

Not to mention the time it takes Eurostar strikers to acclimate because they're used to getting service in a league with significantly faster pace.

Hoping though he has a legendary season for you all

Top 10 league in what, return to investors?

Haha exactly.

I mean, I doubt he even believes in his heart of hearts that we could ever compete with the best of the best, but IMO the league doesn't need that anyway.

Its biggest problem is the single entity model and artificially imposed parity. Yeah, MLS would become a bit like Europe if you removed the salary cap and had your LAFCs and NYCs drastically outspending everyone, but that also increases the quality of play for the best teams, plus mega-spending is no guarantee of success.

Poor defending bugs me and just about every team has back lines that are patched together with bondo so they can spend all their money on sexy attackers, but also the parity means there's no real David/Goliath moments. Randomly a 1st place team just loses 3-0 to a last place team.

Also because exceeding 2 points/match in the standings is less common over here and the playoffs, the expectation for the best teams to ge able to get more than a point on the road is diminished.

Had to explain to a friend new to the sport that, unlike American sports, at the club level, major upsets are much less likely, so when they happen, they're more incredible (tournament soccer is a much different beast, of course).

Whereas, even considering the rust of 2 months off, seeing 1st place Nashville get bossed around by 14th place Atlanta until they eventually choked it away was just a sad watch. People who were watching the league for the first time as part of World Cup enthusiasm were like "wait, Nashville is best in the league? How?".

*at the club level in Europe

parity is a good thing in the nfl where ratings are p high even if it's jacksonville v las vegas, its p good in the nba where a few stars dominate, parity in american soccer means there's just a lot of mediocrity, add that to the lack of identity of most clubs and there just isnt much at stake unless theyre your local club

Yeah basically, it's diluting something that was already iffy to begin with as opposed to spreading the top talent in the world more evenly.

Parity also means no one loses too much money

"We put the PARTY in parity"

the aim is to have a finanicially solvent league, mission accomplished. if the aim is to elevated the american game....pfffft good luck.

Griezmann opens his account in Orlando!

how are you feeling about the french lad doing his retirement tour with your squad?

Anybody that might improve us to competent is ok w me. I'm a bit more excited about homegrown Daryl Dike coming back to us though. Hoping we can Kickstart his career.

Dan, how was Lewandowski?

Fire looked marginally better once he was subbed out