2013/2014 MLS Thread

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:08 pm

The Americans are down early against the Germans again.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:52 pm

Bayern getting pissy at the end was really cute. I understand being mad about the foul on Schweinsteiger, but come on.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Aug 06, 2014 10:57 pm

Pep was in full on bitch mode.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:03 am

That was a highly entertaining game, for what it was. You could see the hunger and drive of the MLS guys, which had the automatic effect of tugging Bayern into a relatively higher level of play.

Some additional thoughts:

* Don't put guys that just got to the States into the game if you are concerned about injuries. No one was going to bitch about those guys not playing. Most rational MLS supporters aren't going to use that game as some kind of "we're better than Bayern" line of thinking, even if those guys started and played a full 90. This is their preseason, period.

* With that said, it was an impressive display of individual talent and at times collective quality by an MLS side that probably had 2 or 3 kick arounds leading up to the game. You could see the desire in Henry, Cahill, Dempsey and Bradley to prove themselves and the squad belonged on the field.

* If you haven't seen the highlights: http://www.espnfc.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
All three goals were high quality.

* That said, the first goal from Bayern... I think Rimando was caught flat-footed and would've liked to have a second go on that one. But after that? Dude stood on his head and had an AMAZING game.

And, finally, just to reiterate: Guardiola was an asshole, as was his entire staff, after the game. But I also didn't like how Porter responded. Pep was giving him and the MLS bench shit for a good chunk of the second half, and Porter's response was a fake, hang dog, "why are you picking on me" look. Either get up and tell him to STFU or just laugh at him. Same thing after the game, don't fucking chase the guy around the field with that bullshit, fake look on your face. Don't attempt to go up to Every. Single. Bayern. Coach.

Post by **brian** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:07 am

I give Porter a pass though because he's supposedly a huge Pep fan and I legitimately think he was shocked at Pep's behavior and wanted to explain that the MLS guys weren't trying to injure anyone.

Put yourself in Porter's shoes -- you're coaching against your hero who is acting like a complete horse's ass. At the end of the game you'd probably want a chance to explain what you think happened as opposed to pulling a Jim Schwartz and trying to light Pep up.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:19 am

Pep had the look of a man who just got Concacaf'd for the first time.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:26 am

brian wrote:I give Porter a pass though because he's supposedly a huge Pep fan and I legitimately think he was shocked at Pep's behavior and wanted to explain that the MLS guys weren't trying to injure anyone.

Put yourself in Porter's shoes -- you're coaching against your hero who is acting like a complete horse's ass. At the end of the game you'd probably want a chance to explain what you think happened as opposed to pulling a Jim Schwartz and trying to light Pep up.

Just not really buying it. I'll give him a pass for the sideline stuff, where he was probably legitimately stunned and probably even felt bad for those two tackles.

But after the game, he was just playing it up. Or he was in dissociative shock, I guess. Guardiola immediately gave him the Mutombo and so did the rest of his staff. Following him around just looked pathetic. BTW, I've liked Porter since he turned Akron(!?) into a powerhouse... I wanted, badly, for him to take over DCU before the brought in Olsen.

Oh, and more importantly, this whole thing isn't that big of a deal. Just a weird footnote.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:24 am

That GIF. I was at that game. Arena had been jawing at Porter and the refs all night. Even leaving the coaches box several times. The "FU" after the last-second winning goal was nothing but deserved.

That said, Porter has lost a bit of the professionalism he showed last year. I always that ought he coached with a good poker face, but he's been known to lose his composure a bit lately. I suspect it's a combination of the sophomore slump, the pressure put on him by Paulson, and his frustration with officiating. (He's trying to play skill-ball in a league that promotes thug-ball, and his players consistently get hacked off the pitch.)

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 11:57 am

That's what I've always liked about Porter, his Akron teams were just fun to watch. And the league needs to listen to guys like him. It's one of the reasons I started tuning MLS out. I don't want to watch a game that devolves into rugby 15 minutes in.

Now, the fact that "my team" is DCU who devolved and regressed so mightily from the early glory years also is a huge factor. But I've tried over the last 3 or 4 years to get into just watching the league as a whole and it can be very difficult at times.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:14 pm

Looks like Landycakes is retiring at the end of the year

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 12:18 pm

Brontoburglar wrote:Looks like Landycakes is retiring at the end of the year

I just hope Fox can snag him for world cup coverage.

howard · Post by **howard** » Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:53 pm

Nation Will Always Have Fond, Vague Recollection Of Landon Donovan

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Sun Aug 10, 2014 10:27 pm

Was there a tank exhibition in Seattle this week, what the hell is going on with that turf?

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 12:08 am

Rex wrote:Was there a tank exhibition in Seattle this week, what the hell is going on with that turf?

Amazon held a corporate event there yesterday, which didn't give the field crew enough time to prep the field.

And agreed...looked just awful. Wish they would install grass (probably not realistic).

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 5:58 am

Yeah, that was nearly unwatchable for a bit last night. Beasley was fouled on the left wing late in the first half and must've slid 10 yards. Plastic pitches always make for more challenging soccer, but this was like Saprissa level bad.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:29 am

Also, did Monty Burns take over Amazon? A corporate picnic on a Saturday night in a place with no trees or grass?

Post by **brian** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 1:12 pm

Lots of movement in Las Vegas on a proposed SSS for downtown Las Vegas. There's a local businessman pushing hard to try and get the 24th franchise and apparently might even have the inside track if the LV city council approves the funding for the stadium. Would be hard for MLS to turn down a market with 2 million people and a huge Latino base. The stadium would be only partly open air and if the plans are to be believed would feature air/venting throughout so that the pitch and fans would only be about 80 degrees in the peak summer months.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 1:21 pm

brian wrote:The stadium would be only partly open air and if the plans are to be believed would feature air/venting throughout so that the pitch and fans would only be about 80 degrees in the peak summer months.

Where have we heard this before?

I would love to have a rival team six hours down the freeway, but do you know if Latino populations are particularly likely to support local MLS teams? I see a fair number of Latino fans at RSL games, but I don't know if they are really a big source of attendance for local teams, when all the games from Mexico are available on TV.

Post by **brian** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 1:46 pm

I really think a Las Vegas team would do well, both with the Latino community and soccer fans in general. No offense to Salt Lake, which I know has a surprisingly large Latino population, but the city of Las Vegas' Latino population is larger than the population of all of Salt Lake City (and I know there's metro areas and yadda yadda yadda, but just sayin'.)

Ratings for USMNT games in Las Vegas are really high, usually the highest in the US behind San Diego for a team without an MLS team (and usually higher than most MLS cities).

Pairing a team in Las Vegas would make for a fairly natural LV-RSL-Colorado derby (call it the Intermountain Cup or something).

A lot of tickets would also be sold to visiting fans I would have to think.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:04 pm

Add that to the NHL Vegas and the only question is will there be tables and slots at the venues.
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2014/8/26/6 ... as-seattle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:25 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote:Add that to the NHL Vegas and the only question is will there be tables and slots at the venues.
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2014/8/26/6 ... as-seattle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My current two favorite sports? I'm moving to Vegas.

Post by **brian** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:29 pm

The other reason to think that Las Vegas would get the 24th franchise over Austin, Minny, etc. is that the ownership group has basically said they'll pay ManCity/NY Cosmos money to secure the franchise ($100M). While it's noble to think that expansion franchises shouldn't go to the highest bidder, I doubt MLS owners would turn down an extra $40M or so in this case. Between a SSS, a potentially huge Latino fan base and planting a flag in a "virgin" pro sports market, this essentially ticks all of MLS' boxes.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:30 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote:Add that to the NHL Vegas and the only question is will there be tables and slots at the venues.
http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2014/8/26/6 ... as-seattle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would be 100% behind an NHL team in Vegas, despite what Nate Silver says.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 5:01 pm

As for Vegas, Minn, or Austin...would it have to be an expansion team. I mean Chivas USA (which will get rebranded at some point soon) has been considered for relocation (San Diego) in the past. Also if DC can't get a stadium deal done they are a candidate to leave the area (but they would probably try to stay in the DMV or B-more area).

Post by **brian** » Thu Aug 28, 2014 5:07 pm

wlu_lax6 wrote:As for Vegas, Minn, or Austin...would it have to be an expansion team. I mean Chivas USA (which will get rebranded at some point soon) has been considered for relocation (San Diego) in the past. Also if DC can't get a stadium deal done they are a candidate to leave the area (but they would probably try to stay in the DMV or B-more area).

For the Vegas stadium deal it wouldn't need to be an expansion team. The ownership group has budgeted $100M so if that's enough to purchase an existing franchise and convince MLS to allow it to relocate that works to get the deal done (though there won't be a suitable stadium ready until the 2017 season). I've heard rumors that the Miami/Beckham expansion team isn't a sure thing, though certainly MLS will move heaven and earth to try and get that done I'm sure.

ETA: (They could technically play at Sam Boyd (UNLV) for two years though it would be rough from June, July and August. It's hot here, but not Qatar hot. If they only played at night and used the FIFA rules allowing a break in the middle of each half, it would be do-able.) Also Sam Boyd is literally in the middle of nowhere and everyone in town hates the location so the crowds would be rough for the first couple of years probably.

rass · Post by **rass** » Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:49 pm

He's down there somewhere kiddo.

As we're leaving, my wife catches up and tells her that Zusi was signing autographs with no shirt on after the game. The kid isn't boy crazy yet, but stuff like that won't help.

rass · Post by **rass** » Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:50 pm

Fuck. Sorry. I really thought I resized that. I either fucked that up or photobucket hates me.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Sat Sep 06, 2014 10:02 pm

She picked a good team. Albeit one in the midst of a four-game losing streak.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Sun Sep 07, 2014 12:01 am

Just when it seemed that Toronto FC juts might make the playoffs...

What a disaster. Like the Leafs on grass.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Sun Sep 07, 2014 12:19 am

Pruitt wrote:Just when it seemed that Toronto FC juts might make the playoffs...

What a disaster. Like the Leafs on grass.

I had forgotten the standings so I went to go look tonight and brace myself for crap news about SKC... and they're at worst tied for second via the two games in hand from the Revolution behind them. Well I feel better.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 12:28 pm

Why do I keep posting in the 2013 thread?

MLS gets a new logo next season but will launch it tomorrow..Why? EA Sports FIFA. If they don't FIFA 2015 season would have the old logo. I mean how could EA deal with that? Of course they are incapable of pushing new content to their games....
http://www.soccerbyives.net/2014/09/sou ... rsday.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Wed Sep 17, 2014 12:29 pm

Maybe a mod can change the thread title to 2015, so we can also be ahead of it.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 8:31 am

This is not an improvement. Each team gets a customized color set they can use with the new badge. BLAH

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:07 am

Agreed. Why have two badges? We don't need no more stinkin' badges.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:19 am

Like the simplicity, but overall, meh. The peg-leg looks weird. And I don't know why every soccer-related logo needs to be a damn shield.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:24 am

It looks like Lisa Simpson holding a shitty logo up to the viewer way too close so that you can't see Lisa Simpson and all that's left a shitty logo

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 10:42 am

It has a place where you can take notes. What other league logo has that?

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 4:41 pm

Rex wrote:It has a place where you can take notes. What other league logo has that?

That's great.

Whatever. I think it's okay. But I also don't really care, because it's a fucking league logo.

P.D.X. · Post by **P.D.X.** » Thu Sep 18, 2014 4:53 pm

After seeing the application on the jerseys, I don't think it's too bad — it works better than the current logo. However, it doesn't stand well alone. Give it a few months in use and it will start to look "normal" and nobody will care anymore.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:25 am

P.D.X. wrote:Like the simplicity, but overall, meh. The peg-leg looks weird. And I don't know why every soccer-related logo needs to be a damn shield.

What are you, some kind of graphic design....fuck. I was in trouble like three words into that.