MLS In-Season Thread

First: Red Bull Arena opens
Pictures
Stadium Cams
- I'm betting the new ground is worth at least 3 home game wins.

Fire gets a new coach with Latin American experience, takes on Collins John then release Jon Busch.
I dont think there's any hope McBride can be the savior.

Eat s%%t and die, Fire! Starting at RBA this week.
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Looks like a nice place to play - good for them.

Maybe now they will be decent and not a joke.

I am not sure what is up with the stadium cams - it says 'LIVE,' but obviously it is not. They must have stopped updating at some point.

 

I watched about 15 minutes of the Santos / Red Bulls match during a bout of my son's insomnia, and I gotta say RBA looks top notch. It appeared packed, loud and a really good venue.

I'm hoping the Earthquakes' planned stadium (they finally confirmed a deal last week!) near the San Jose airport can be similarly constructed.

 

Geez, Don... you wont even use google?!
Then use
bing.com
http://www.bing.com/search?q=red+bull+arena&go=

http://www.redbullarena.us/arena/stadiumfacts.aspx

 

Garber to DC: You people piss me off

heh

 

MLS has a new home site:
MLSSoccer.com

Lots of silly puffery crap, but hopefully better organized so you can get to some actual info better.
- - - - - - -- - - - - - - -
Initial MLS Power Rankings are out:
ESPN

Ives'

FoxSoccer's Costigan - scroll down

Columbus is the consensus top and they should be because they carry over the acknowledged deepest roster in the league with probably the best locker room. It's still, though probably the last year of, the team Sigi built.

I'm putting in my top five finishers, but no particular order:

- Columbus
- Galaxy
Donovans back and Arena will have a heads up team to start. Beckham will be able to give them a lift in the stretch

- Seattle
It's Sigi. All he asked for was Brad Evans.. and now look. He can make silk from worms

- Houston
Cause they always are. I'm not sure. Maybe Colorado

- RSL
That was NOT a fluke. That was a TEAM

Heh... bet you notice there's only one Eastern team on there. Yep.. Crew sucked all the life out of the East.

But here's a Dark Horse:
- NYRB
Last season they found every way there was to lose. They know how get lucky too. Now they got a home of their own and I think it's worth 3-5 games.

And a HUGE ????
- Chicago
The best way in the world to emulate Chicago's baseball teams is to constantly change your administration and managerial staff. The Fire found the magic key
- - - -- - - - - --

But not according to a certain sportsbook
1. Chicago (4:1)
2. Toronto (6:1)
3. RSL (10:1)
4. Houston (12:1)
5. Columbus (13:1)
tie. LA (13:1)
7. Seattle (14:1)
8. DC (16:1)
9. NE (20:1)
10. FCD (25:1)
11. Chivas (32:1)
12. SJ (40:1)
13. KC (50:1)
14. Colorado (50:1)
15. NYRB (50:1)
16. Philly (50:1)

http://www.capperspicks.com/blog/soccer/mls-2010-betting-preview-260310/
- heh. You gotta read it.

 

Watched the first half of the NYRB-Chicago game. The stadium is nice and the atmosphere made me almost forget I wasn't watching European football.

 

I liked the new Brazilians on the Galaxy.

I do not like this year's base design that most of the teams are using for their kits. The random, odd colored wings on the shoulders/sleeves look bad. NE's looked real bad last night (some random gray on a nice blue jersey)/

I am going to try my best to pay attention to the MLS more this season.

 

MLS recap/ McBride & CJ

I went on a soccer tv jag Saturday.. watched 4 MLS games.

That's too bad. Andy, if you MUST watch only one half of any MLS match hold off till the second. Both teams stunk up the place in the first.. lots better form from about 60 on.
- Collins John REALLY made a difference. He and McBride paired up really nicely on the attack and he didnt noticeably pull up early as he was seen at Fulham.
- But they only got to pair for about 15 min.. McBride pulled for Mapp and the Chicago attack stalled.
Stupid move by the new Mgr,I'm not the only one thinks so.

Here's the point: McBride no longer just plays 'back to Goal', neither did CJ. He was actively dropping back to defend and counter.
1. CJ just MAY redeem his rep if he got his head straight.
2. Chicago COULD challenge if this MGR learns to play what he's got. Otherwise we may see Fire fans pine for Osorio by August
3. NY/Chi - battle of bad keepers. SJ snapped up Jon Busch, Chicago WILL be looking for another keeper by All-Star. So will NY, or they'll start Ceparo again.
- - - - - -- - - - --
Bad SJ or RSL proving no fluke?
Summa Both.

Remember when those of us who paid attention thought Frank Yallop was the Best coach in the League?
- About the same time LA fired Sigi, and we thought they might be right, as I recall.
OTOH, Yallop does know Joe Cannon is done. Why he got Busch.

LA - NE.
Hmm.. I understand why some LA players and fans are disappointed at a 1-0 win. NE really sux and if things dont improve Shalrie Joseph is gonna be negative by the break.
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didnt watch...
Poor DCUnited.!!!
- Couldnt they beg not to be scheduled against their new coach's old team, first game?
No stadium in sight and still being played for chumps. Was a time Crew fans FEARED DC!

 

RE: MLS recap/ McBride & CJ

The game is still on my DVR (as is the Galaxy game), so I'll finish watching it as I find time.

 

MLS Week 2 already [R]

Well some interesting stuff to blag about as I ignore the Fulham - wigan match.

Chi 2 @ Col 2
Chi: John 26, McBride PK 51
Col: Cummings and Casey but who cares.
didnt watch

- Scroll up and see my commentary on pairing up John and McBride v what their new mgr did last match.
Well, he learns fast. Of course this ALSO means my initial derision at the Fire signing John may make me look stupid. I'll wait a couple more games before I posit that John's a better fit than Blanco was... but I wouldnt be at all surprised.

NE 2 - DC zip.
didnt watch
Sad, the once proud warriors. Now they trying to establish a whole new definition of suckitude?!! May even beat the 09 NYRB at that.
I'm not gloating. That could'a been the Crew.. except, without their own stadium, the Crew would'a been long gone before they had a chance to get Sigi.
-PS: It aint the score so much as who beat 'em 2-0. 'nuff said?

LA v LA
did watch
Gals in a 2-0 lope ... but...Should'a been more lopsided? Dunno about that. I DO know the HD should'a been packed. It certainly wasn't! Whazzupwiddat!!!

speaking of attendance:
Hou 2 - RSL 1 at Robertson, 18000 announced.
And i watched part of it.
Wow... the turf looked good, it LOOKED like a soccer stad unless the camera pulled back.
A real chippy game and ref Marrufo came close to losing control. As Usual.

NYRB 1 @ Sea 0
didnt watch
First see my pre-season dark horse.. an away win for NY is HUGE!
Sigi Critics will be a-coming. Ummm it took till 3rd season to make it click at Columbus, folks.

- - -- - - -- - - - -
MLS Site Disaster
Oh.. progress report on MLS Site rename/redesign:
It suckin' f*x!

Dumbassiest Change: Removed club Badge-link bar. I suppose because it was 'too busy'. Now have a 'drop down' under 'Clubs'.
Yeah.. that works for a site you hope draws outside interest!
Idiots! Look for that to come back on a sidebar... you know: like most affiliation sites do it.

- Clubs now revert to their own URL, like it was BEFORE someone thought
'columbus.crew.mlsnet.com' was 'cool-techie' {what! as opposed to calgary.crew.mlsnet.com ?}
BUT it's the old server site and the old url gets you to the same exact page as 'theCrew.com'.
UPDATE: Actually, according to FakeSigi, no it's probably NOT the same old server site, which was run by MLB and what happened was MLS decided to bring their digital presence in-house.

That's probably what's behind the major screwups that you wouldnt expect to see from an organization that's coincidentally right at the point of renewed focus, being the start of season.

Don Garber has a PR nightmare on his hands, as FakeSigi notes. I know the site has already been blasted by the Sports Editor of the Dispatch and it's likely every other franchise city's main paper feels the same.
- - -- - -
As to content:
Really 'dum'...
DP wish lists

Some are 'literal' and some like Merz for Crew treat the issue with all the gravity it deserves "Maradona would love Columbus"

OTOH......
Past DP ratings:
Which DPs have made the cut?

- Good thing GBS was listed as DP last season so he could win the beauty show.
Goes to show ya.

 

RE: MLS Week 2 already [R]

It was NY's first road win since May of 2008 (27 consecutive winless on the road). And they did it at Seattle!

 

RE: MLS Week 2 already [R]

Lucky for New York, Seattle doesn't realize that the ball is supposed to go in the opposing team's goal. Sounders had 17 shots, 0 goals. Maybe they can convince Nkufo to come early? They need the clinic desperately

 

RE: MLS Week 2 already [R]

I have seen a combined total of about 2 whole NY Red Bull matches between the preseason and the beginning of the regular season and they look to be for real both on the field and in the stands of the new stadium.

 

I'll be interested in seeing if the Union again -- they dished out a loooooot of cheap shots on their debut. That guy Stohl deserved a red card for his first foul, and their defensive philosophy seemed to be kick the man first and the ball second. Don't get me wrong, I like physical play as much as anyone, I'm not Arsene Wenger, but they were just a bunch of cheap shot artists on their debut.

 

TFC: Brennan 'kicked upstairs'

Not often a team captain calls it quits one game into the season... no injury complained of.. but hey, this is 'Preki's Team'. He's now to be a 'director of something'..

TFC captain Jim Brennan quits, new striker on his way?

But wait... that's not ALL the numpty news, That new striker?

Paul Dickov!!!!

 

Re: TFC: Brennan 'kicked upstairs'

Not to mention Ali Gerba had his 2 year guaranteed contract terminated after just 9 calendar months and 11 appearances. What a joke TFC is.

 

Re: TFC: Brennan 'kicked upstairs'

TFC = THFC -- Both teams go through players like they do socks.