The Swamp

They list YES because it's shown on delay. This Saturday it's an 8:00 YES start on a 1:00 game.

Christos FC is up 1-0 against DC United. A really nice free kick from the top of the 18 after a Bobby Boswell foul. 23 minutes in. Game being streamed on DCunited.com. I am a united fan but tonight I am rooting for the amateur side from Baltimore.

wlu_lax6 wrote:Christos FC is up 1-0 against DC United. A really nice free kick from the top of the 18 after a Bobby Boswell foul. 23 minutes in. Game being streamed on DCunited.com. I am a united fan but tonight I am rooting for the amateur side from Baltimore.

2-1 United. Hard to believe that the professional team that trains is controlling the pace in the 2nd half against a team that does not practice on one of the first really hot nights of the year. Christos guys are cramping but still showing moments of really nice soccer.

You know you are playing an amateur team when you realize that your trainers are covering both teams.

wlu_lax6 wrote:

wlu_lax6 wrote:Christos FC is up 1-0 against DC United. A really nice free kick from the top of the 18 after a Bobby Boswell foul. 23 minutes in. Game being streamed on DCunited.com. I am a united fan but tonight I am rooting for the amateur side from Baltimore.

2-1 United. Hard to believe that the professional team that trains is controlling the pace in the 2nd half against a team that does not practice on one of the first really hot nights of the year. Christos guys are cramping but still showing moments of really nice soccer.

You know you are playing an amateur team when you realize that your trainers are covering both teams.

3-1. Classy of DC not to celebrate when they score.

wlu_lax6 wrote:

wlu_lax6 wrote:

wlu_lax6 wrote:Christos FC is up 1-0 against DC United. A really nice free kick from the top of the 18 after a Bobby Boswell foul. 23 minutes in. Game being streamed on DCunited.com. I am a united fan but tonight I am rooting for the amateur side from Baltimore.

2-1 United. Hard to believe that the professional team that trains is controlling the pace in the 2nd half against a team that does not practice on one of the first really hot nights of the year. Christos guys are cramping but still showing moments of really nice soccer.

You know you are playing an amateur team when you realize that your trainers are covering both teams.

3-1. Classy of DC not to celebrate when they score.

4-1 and should be 5-1. Wheels off the bus to end the game. Ref just called it even though they had put more time on the clock.

I think the other side not celebrating at all would make me feel a little bad.

Sounds like Canada's great hope fucked up bad and is lucky it wasn't waaaaaaay worse.

mister d wrote:Sounds like Canada's great hope fucked up bad and is lucky it wasn't waaaaaaay worse.

Yeah, that's a pretty high blow.

Nice goal by Chicago last night
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/06/ ... mething-it

Cinncinati over the Crew

and
Sacramento 4-1 over RSL (a very young RSL)

wlu_lax6 wrote: Sacramento 4-1 over RSL (a very young RSL)

Still a gentler beating for them as of late.

Dominic Kinnear's run in San Jose is over (after a 2-1 win). Would have guessed that Ben Olsen would be the first to go this year (but DC united would never let money go on a person who is not with the team).

wlu_lax6 wrote:Dominic Kinnear's run in San Jose is over (after a 2-1 win). Would have guessed that Ben Olsen would be the first to go this year (but DC united would never let money go on a person who is not with the team).

That's a shame. He always had them play such a positive game.

LAFC close to making Wesley Sneijder their first DP.

Nice writeup on last night's cup games
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soc ... f2f36c89e1

I still can't believe this has rooted in Cincinnati in less than two seasons. This is insane support for a new second division soccer club:

Boy that Toronto - Colorado game sucked.

The Rapids players spent most of the last 15 minutes of the game feigning injury and the fat ref let it go on and on. There were a half dozen instances of Rapids players wasting time.

https://twitter.com/TaylorTwellman/stat ... 5702920192

It's a shame this will get shot down because it's exactly what the MLS needs. More money and more exposure would improve the league's chances of attracting stars to play their prime years in MLS. If they can't do that, they'll always be considered a second- or third-rate league in the world.

But the MLS owners would never approve this plan because every team would have to change its business model in a short period of time, and they'd probably lose the ridiculous expansion fees they're about to collect.

Ehhhhhhh ... isn't the concern that you'd kill off soccer in relegated cities at a time where there's still a lot of growth needed?

I'm a little dubious of seriousness of the offer to be honest. Not sure why someone would overpay for MLS rights fees by so much just to get them to switch to pro/reg. Fans might like it, but I'm not convinced it would really do much to improve TV ratings, except maybe the final week or two of the season.

ETA: Fans of European leagues I should say. Which is obviously a decent number of MLS fans in general, but my point is that I don't see too many fans who would normally be all-in on MLS not watching because there's not relegation.

mister d wrote:Ehhhhhhh ... isn't the concern that you'd kill off soccer in relegated cities at a time where there's still a lot of growth needed?

I'm of the mind the league's stature will improve with pro/rel and would provide growth in all cities, including those outside the US.

I think it would be more fun and better for the league in a bubble, but I don't think US fans have the patience, especially for what's still a new league. You don't have generations of fans where its so ingrained you'll still participate through relegation.

We can debate pro/reg (and probably have) and that's fine, but I think the relevant question related to this story is what's the incentive for someone to vastly overpay for MLS rights with the stipulation of pro/reg?

mister d wrote:I think it would be more fun and better for the league in a bubble, but I don't think US fans have the patience, especially for what's still a new league. You don't have generations of fans where its so ingrained you'll still participate through relegation.

The MLS is more than 20 years old. You still think it's a new league? Is it just because NYCFC exists that you think it's a new league? Genuinely curious.

Because 20 years old isn't old. Even the oldest fans probably don't have kids yet.

mister d wrote:Because 20 years old isn't old. Even the oldest fans probably don't have kids yet.

The leagues in Europe have had the pro/rel system in place for well over a century. and so, so many of those teams started as clubs - like just a bunch of guys from a factory or a neighbourhood starting a team. Minimal cash outlay. They weren't created when investors slapped down tens of millions of dollars, and when cities stumped up millions more to help build stadiums.

Revisit when we hit 28-30 teams and the argument becomes about whether there should be any more.

Also, who the heck are Silva and MP? Does anyone have the behind the paywall version of that article? There just has to be more to this.

Gensler get North Carolina Stadium

http://www.cladglobal.com/CLADnews/arch ... e=home&p=1

The problem with the North American franchise leagues is that they all reach a stasis at about 28-32 teams, because adding more means cutting into some influential owner's territory. That's not a problem for football or basketball because the NCAA version fills the void in places where there is no pro team. It would be a problem for soccer, where there's no other outlet for people who do not live in a big city. That's why I think the real fight is after the next wave or two of expansion is done.

SKC trading a guy who hasn't scored for two months for an MLS-record allocation fee is a good deal

Though I'll definitely miss Dwyer

Brontoburglar wrote:SKC trading a guy who hasn't scored for two months for an MLS-record allocation fee is a good deal

Though I'll definitely miss Dwyer

So Dom was in a slump but coming off a strong USMNT performance. What is strange is KC is 2nd in the west. Not usually a time to sell unless there is some international/DP or there is this

https://www.thebluetestament.com/2017/7 ... verton-mls

I guess Orlando likes the chance to sign him or pick up some mls $ if he goes overseas. Guess his wife will go to the pride?

wlu_lax6 wrote:

Brontoburglar wrote:SKC trading a guy who hasn't scored for two months for an MLS-record allocation fee is a good deal

Though I'll definitely miss Dwyer

So Dom was in a slump but coming off a strong USMNT performance. What is strange is KC is 2nd in the west. Not usually a time to sell unless there is some international/DP or there is this

https://www.thebluetestament.com/2017/7 ... verton-mls

I guess Orlando likes the chance to sign him or pick up some mls $ if he goes overseas. Guess his wife will go to the pride?

They sold because they got $1.6M in allocation money. And they didn't want to risk losing him for free. And they have a kid named Daniel Salloi who has been really, really good lately. And they're apparently looking to re-sign Kristian Nemeth, who had 11 goals two years ago playing either on the wing or in the Dwyer role when he wasn't there.

They're gonna be fine, I think.

Or maybe St. Louis really needs to get their own team.

Soccer by Ives is saying
Bob Bradley to lead LAFC and Sigi Schmid replacing Curt Onalfo with the Galaxy

How does Ben Olsen still have a job? Oh that is right D.C. won't buy him out or eat his payroll (and he has a clause in his contract that gives him a job in the organization if they remove him as coach).

Off to see Toronto FC vs. NYCFC.

Absolutely stunningly fine day here - should be great!

Brontoburglar wrote:

wlu_lax6 wrote:

Brontoburglar wrote:SKC trading a guy who hasn't scored for two months for an MLS-record allocation fee is a good deal

Though I'll definitely miss Dwyer

So Dom was in a slump but coming off a strong USMNT performance. What is strange is KC is 2nd in the west. Not usually a time to sell unless there is some international/DP or there is this

https://www.thebluetestament.com/2017/7 ... verton-mls

I guess Orlando likes the chance to sign him or pick up some mls $ if he goes overseas. Guess his wife will go to the pride?

They sold because they got $1.6M in allocation money. And they didn't want to risk losing him for free. And they have a kid named Daniel Salloi who has been really, really good lately. And they're apparently looking to re-sign Kristian Nemeth, who had 11 goals two years ago playing either on the wing or in the Dwyer role when he wasn't there.

They're gonna be fine, I think.

dare I say it, the offense looked fantastic last night with Salloi and Diego Rubio starting as two of the three. And they were without their best forward this year, who was suspended

first place!

That was a complete pummelling.

Pirlo was completely ineffectual - shocked to see that NYCFC is a third place team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXTkr9vcGPU

Pirlo doesn't really play anymore.

mister d wrote:Pirlo doesn't really play anymore.

Seems to be the case. He got a rousing ovation when he was introduced before the game, but at one point a small gasp could be heard when he made a brutal pass that missed the streaking striker by maybe 30 degrees. Toronto backed away from him early on, not concerned about keeping the ball away from him at all.

Subbed out in the 60th minute.

mister d wrote:Pirlo doesn't really play anymore.

I remember seeing a goal last year where he was guarding the post and just watched the ball fly by him.

It sure seems a lot of these aging European players who come here simply don't give a fuck or come to MLS when they really have nothing left in the tank. Steven Gerrard leaps to mind right away.