1502 replies to this topic

[Oriole85]

ESPN: Sepp Blatter swipes at MLS' development

http://soccernet.esp...ke-hold?cc=5901

[BSLChrisStoner]

SI: Garber responds
http://sportsillustr...tml?eref=sircrc

[Nuclear Dish]

Blatter is a moron. MLS has grown to 19 teams, all of which are successful. They are averaging almost 19,000 fans per game, which is truly respectable. The only thing lacking is TV ratings, and that's just not going to happen any time soon.

MLS has succeeded like no other soccer venture ever has before in North America. It's by far the most successful 5th major league venture as well. If hockey continues to shoot itself in the foot, it might soon overcome the NHL and gain more of a following.

Soccer will never be as popular in North America as it is in the rest of the world because the rest of the world only plays/watches 1-2 sports seriously. In most of Europe and the Middle East, it's only soccer and basketball. In Scandinavia, it's mostly hockey and soccer. In Africa, it's pretty much all soccer. In the Pacific Rim and Central America, it's mostly baseball and soccer. In South America, it's mostly soccer, with a bit of basketball or baseball.

Cricket and rugby? For the most part, the Eastern Hemisphere cares about those sports only when there are world championships. In England and India, they follow their cricket leagues, but barely pay any attention to basketball.

In North America, there are 5 major professional sports leagues, and they've all been around for decades. MLS has fought an uphill battle every step of the way, and the fact that it's still kicking (pun intended), let alone thriving nearly 20 years after its inception is a real achievement. Blatter should shut his mouth and be grateful he's still employed.

[Zwolfe0]

I am buying the Blatter swipe at a certain degree. Yes, the MLS has grown and does have a solid footing here in the U.S. However, the structure of MLS is a mess and there are no other highly publicized cup competitions. Our version of the FA Cup goes completely unnoticed. We also don't have a promotion/relegation system in place. Maybe one day all the offshoot leagues can be tied in to a tier system, but the U.S. still lacks a global competition structure.

[DJ MC]

I am buying the Blatter swipe at a certain degree. Yes, the MLS has grown and does have a solid footing here in the U.S. However, the structure of MLS is a mess and there are no other highly publicized cup competitions. Our version of the FA Cup goes completely unnoticed. We also don't have a promotion/relegation system in place. Maybe one day all the offshoot leagues can be tied in to a tier system, but the U.S. still lacks a global competition structure.

He has a point, considering everything FIFA has done to promote soccer in the US since the World Cup.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Yahoo: Turning 18, MLS & its supporters are entering a brave new era
http://sports.yahoo....45317--mls.html

Yahoo: How will the newest imports do?
http://sports.yahoo....49700--mls.html

Goal.com: Eastern Conference Preview
http://sports.yahoo....00328--mls.html

Wiki: 2013 MLS Season
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MLS_2013

NBC Sports / Pro Soccer Talk: Previews, Predictions, and Position Rankings
http://prosoccertalk...nd-predictions/

MLS.com: Schedule
http://www.mlssoccer.com/schedule

[BSLChrisStoner]

Sports Illustrated: MLS Preseason Preview Player Survey
http://sportsillustr...wr_a4&eref=sihp

[BSLChrisStoner]

Goal.com: Western Conference Preview
http://sports.yahoo....00386--mls.html

[lordbrook]

I can't speak for any other team but RSL, but every pre-season prediction is wrong about them IMO. We lost one of our central defenders in Olave, our starting left mid in Johnson, and one starting forward in Espindola. The only real loss of those three is Johnson, and even that is debatable. Olave was out for several games last season and the season before, so both Schuler and Watson-Siriboe saw significant time. As far as talent goes, there won't be much drop, but neither of them are as fast as Olave. Espindola was great at stretching defenses, but he has two glaring flaws: He has zero ability with his right foot, and he will often take himself completely out of the game when he's frustrated. Seeing how Findley played in the pre-season, he will be more of a threat up top than Espindola ever was. Replacing Johnson is trickier I think, just because he was a player that has OK talent, but always brought 100%. He's tough, competitive and nasty at times. I hated to see him go. We have several options to replace him. We have a couple of young guys in Gil and Velasquez with Velasquez showing more upside at this point IMO, he just needs to modify his hairstyle so he doesn't look like a dead skunk.

My final prediction for the season is that we will be fighting with Seattle and LA for the top spot in the west. I don't see San Jose repeating what they did last year. Wondolowski is good, but no way he scores like that again. (I hope.)

[BSLChrisStoner]

SI: Week 1 Review / Power Rankings
http://sportsillustr.../?sct=sc_t12_a5

ESPN: Q&A with Don Garber
http://espnfc.com/bl...id/1732?cc=5901

[BSLChrisStoner]

SI: Week 3 Power Rankings
http://sportsillustr...s/?sct=sc_wr_a3

[BSLChrisStoner]

Sports Illustrated: Week 7 Power Rankings
http://sportsillustr...s/?sct=sc_wr_a2

 

1 FC Dallas

2 Montreal Impact

3 LA Galaxy

4 Sporting Kansas City

5 Houston Dynamo

6 Vancouver Whitecaps

7 Real Salt Lake

8 Columbus Crew

9 Chivas USA

10 Portland Timbers

11 Philadelphia Union

12 New York Red Bulls

13 San Jose Earthquakes

14 New England Revolution

15 Colorado Rapids

16 Toronto FC

17 DC United

18 Chicago Fire

19 Seattle Sounders

[BSLChrisStoner]

Yahoo: Week 9 Power Rankings
http://sports.yahoo....-182800987.html

[BSLChrisStoner]

SI: Man City boss favored to own MLS team likely to be called New York City FC
http://sportsillustr...ls-new-york-fc/

[BSLChrisStoner]

SI: Power Rankings Week 10
http://sportsillustr.../?sct=sc_t11_a4

[Don Quixote]

D.C. United are F-ing terrible. I haven't seen any matches, as I've been watching Euro tilts, but holy crap - four points through 10 matches (1W 8L 1D)? They're just lucky there's no relegation....

[Oriole85]

ESPN: New York to get new MLS team

 

http://espnfc.com/ne...nchise-new-york

 

The Yankees are partnering with Manchester City to own Major League Soccer's 20th team, an expansion franchise, which will be called New York City Football Club and plans to start play in the 2015 season.

 

[Markus]

Odds of them getting their stadium built before DC United does?

[BSLChrisStoner]

This article from Sports Illustrated a few weeks ago provides more detail:
 

http://sportsillustr...ls-new-york-fc/

[BSLChrisStoner]

Odds of them getting their stadium built before DC United does?

 

100%.