MLS - 2012 Season

The league is opening this weekend so it's time for our season long thread. The product has gotten better every year, new stadiums are now the norm (if only DC would get it's act together), and the interest has gone way up. I hardly paid attention until the last season or two but will be getting down to the Home Depot Center for a match for sure.

Really looking forward to seeing my Portland Timbers take the next step and getting Kris Boyd should help. Jeld Wen will be sold out and rockin as always so the home form will be good, but they were worse than Fulham away last year :shock: so that's where the improvement must come from.

 

Looking forward to this season's drama myself. I'm going to see Columbus take on Vancouver in April, probably the only MLS match I'll see live. Joe I have a soft spot for the Timbers myself. I really like Spencer as a coach at the atmosphere at Jeld Wen is certainly something I'd llike to see first hand. Crazy fans but not as militant as those in Seattle. Also, Darlington Nagbe is a local Cleveland boy and I met him over the holidays - he could not be sweeter. After Boyd scored his first goal in preseason he said hoisting the log "was a little strange at first . . . it was something new for me thats for sure". You mean the Rangers dont do that when they score? :shock:

My prediction - after finishing last in 2011, Vancouver will make the playoffs.

 

Another season, another attempt by me to get into this league. I watched more MLS matches last year than any other year, and that was in large part due to the compelling, entertaining football I saw from Portland at home. Having a rooting interest always helps, so maybe I've found an MLS club to support.

 

I'm with Don. We have Carolina Railhawks out here, so an NASL thread would be nice. Since Vancouver took our coach (Martin Rennie) and he took quite a few Railhawks with him. I guess I'll be supporting the Vancouver Railhawks (Whitecaps) this year. But I'm actually looking forward to the U.S. Open Cup more than the season.

 

Let's go Crew!

BE MASSIVE!

 

Watching a little Timbers/Union this evening. The atmosphere is incredible. MLS needs to bottle up whatever is going on in that city and give some to the rest of the league.

Crew have a great supporters section but nowhere near the crowd at the Timbers. Doesnt even feel like an MLS match.

 

Agreed, F. The home supporters are loud, energetic and just plain into it. And pretty decent singers, to boot.

 

Saw Wondo net the loan goal with my boy (his first match ever, although I think he was more entertained by the pre-match fireworks) on Saturday. Go 'Quakes!!!

 

Awesome Nev. Snacks and fireworks and a day out w/the little one...priceless.

Timbers smacked around Philly in the 2nd half 3-1 (Boyd w/the go ahead goal). Very proud to say my first ever attended soccer match was in that stadium back in the mid 70's (the old NASL), and even prouder that they took what was then a rickety old AAA baseball stadium (Portland State University used it for their football team also) and transformed it into what it is today.

 

Ummm. The MLS Holy Grail just lost at home to Toronto to get knocked out of the Champs League. And from the 30 minutes in the 2nd I saw live, LA were piss poor with Keane missing a one on one with the keeper that would've leveled. Albeit the keeper saved, but the shot was weak.

Well, Toronto carries the MLS flag now - seeing as how Seattle (ouch) and LA (embarrassing loss) threw in the towel.

 

Not a fan of Toronto, too arrogant. At this point, I'm rooting for Hercules. Two more goals tonight, He's on fire woo hoo!!!

 

The league has expanded and there are still cities that would do a great job (notably St. Louis) in supporting a franchise, but maybe it's time for a team to relocate. Chivas USA was a thought to be genius and a sure fire hit when brought in, but looks doomed to failure. The MLS didn't do their homework. LA has as many Club America fans (Chivas' arch rival. America are the Yankees and Chivas are the Red Sox) as "Goats" fans who would NEVER support a product that has the Chivas logo. Same thing holds true w/the fans of all the other Mexican Primera fans of other teams that root against Chivas. Conversely, Chivas USA was going to be a team where young upcoming players of the parent club and aging stars that no longer are in the starting XI would come and play, but that hasn't happened. Just can't see this franchise making it in the long run.

 

Too true - I recall seeing so many cars with the C/A or Chivas decal in Los Angeles - heck, even in the SF bay area the same holds true. Chivas or C/A friendlies regularly put 40-60K in the stands in SF, Oakland or Stanford.

 

Wondo was a shot hitting the woodwork from a hat trick today in SJ's 3-0 away-drubbing of Toronto. Come on Quakes!!!!!

 

Crew snatch their first win in their home opener! Wish I could have made it but had my niece's bday party. Looking forward to catching my first live match of the season soon though.