The MLS thread

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The matches leading up to the final were significantly better in terms of quality. It rained all day in LA, apparently, so the pitch was bad as a result of that.
 
Seattle need to sort themselves out in the playoffs. Having them in the playoffs, especially hosting the final, would be huge. They could draw 60k or more in attendance. They had an attendance of 64k for Kasey Keller's final match in the regular season. The atmosphere would also be rocking.
 
gooDevil said:
Plus he's forgetting Rossi.
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I imagine mentioning him wouldn't go down too well with the American audience.

Slightly related: I was in America when he scored that goal for Italy against the USA at the Confederations Cup. :cool: I remember saying something like "hey, it's Rossi" because he used to play for us, to which I got a series of replies based around him being terrible and a traitor. A few short minutes later, and you could have powered a city with my smugness.

Actually properly related: I keep forgetting Robbie Keane plays for LA Galaxy. I know I must have read/heard about it somewhere, but I still keep doing a double take when I see/read about him there. A bit like David James for Bristol City.
 
Sir Matt said:
Seattle need to sort themselves out in the playoffs. Having them in the playoffs, especially hosting the final, would be huge. They could draw 60k or more in attendance. They had an attendance of 64k for Kasey Keller's final match in the regular season. The atmosphere would also be rocking.
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The had the final up there let year, pissed down then too.
 
John Harkes's contract will not be renewed. Wooooooooooo!!!!!!

I've always been sort of indifferent about announcers - rarely for me can they add or take away anything to a game that I'm watching live - until John Harkes started working for ESPN. He can make me hate watching something I love otherwise, no easy task. Good riddance, moron.
 
Minkaro said:
Slightly related: I was in America when he scored that goal for Italy against the USA at the Confederations Cup. :cool: I remember saying something like "hey, it's Rossi" because he used to play for us, to which I got a series of replies based around him being terrible and a traitor. A few short minutes later, and you could have powered a city with my smugness.
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I don't know of anyone who thinks he isn't good - it's just the traitor part that burns most people. He was born, raised and still lives here yet never gave the US a thought or played for us past ODP level, if I remember right. The way he celebrated the goal against us just reinforced most peoples' hate for him.
 
forevrared said:
John Harkes's contract will not be renewed. Wooooooooooo!!!!!!

I've always been sort of indifferent about announcers - rarely for me can they add or take away anything to a game that I'm watching live - until John Harkes started working for ESPN. He can make me hate watching something I love otherwise, no easy task. Good riddance, moron.
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That's worth it's own thread, great news! The hatred must have finally been harkened by ESPN.
 
Minkaro said:
I imagine mentioning him wouldn't go down too well with the American audience.

Slightly related: I was in America when he scored that goal for Italy against the USA at the Confederations Cup. :cool: I remember saying something like "hey, it's Rossi" because he used to play for us, to which I got a series of replies based around him being terrible and a traitor. A few short minutes later, and you could have powered a city with my smugness.

Actually properly related: I keep forgetting Robbie Keane plays for LA Galaxy. I know I must have read/heard about it somewhere, but I still keep doing a double take when I see/read about him there. A bit like David James for Bristol City.
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Well, as a Yank it's never even occurred to me until recently that I should have any loyalty to my national team set-up. In the 80s and 90s, synchronized swimming got more tv coverage than the US 'soccer' team. Why waste your career with them when you can play for the legendary Italian national team?
 
forevrared said:
I don't know of anyone who thinks he isn't good - it's just the traitor part that burns most people. He was born, raised and still lives here yet never gave the US a thought or played for us past ODP level, if I remember right. The way he celebrated the goal against us just reinforced most peoples' hate for him.
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Blame that on the coaches that he never made it further in the system.
 
forevrared said:
I don't know of anyone who thinks he isn't good - it's just the traitor part that burns most people. He was born, raised and still lives here yet never gave the US a thought or played for us past ODP level, if I remember right. The way he celebrated the goal against us just reinforced most peoples' hate for him.
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If I'm not mistaken though, he has never once said he would play for the US and actually stated multiple times in his youth that he wanted to play for Italy. That and while he was born and lives in the US, he was in youth teams in Italy. I forget the Serie A club, but I thought he was there from 15+.

I think the US is just so desperate to finally have one player that's worth cheering for. Donovan never performed on a big club. Dempsey is doomed to stay at Fulham. Adu was a bust. Jozy is refinding his feet in Holland. Agudelo has stuttered. Now Brek Shea is where everyone is hanging their hopes.

Fact is, it's not where you were born but who you relate to that determines if you'll play for that country. Subotic was set to play for the US until the youth coach pissed him off so he buggered to Serbia. Hangeland was born in the US but moved to Norway shortly after his birth.

Now you're getting a huge influx of German players. Unfortunately, none of them are attackers. However, I think his name is Boyd looks a tidy player. A German striker turned US youngster who just moved up to the first team of some German club. Someone here is bound to know the details. But I've seen some promising reports on him.
 
mboRa ndomHer0723 said:
Blame that on the coaches that he never made it further in the system.
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He went to Parma before residency age, there was never a chance.

davisjw said:
If I'm not mistaken though, he has never once said he would play for the US and actually stated multiple times in his youth that he wanted to play for Italy. That and while he was born and lives in the US, he was in youth teams in Italy. I forget the Serie A club, but I thought he was there from 15+.

...

Fact is, it's not where you were born but who you relate to that determines if you'll play for that country. Subotic was set to play for the US until the youth coach pissed him off so he buggered to Serbia. Hangeland was born in the US but moved to Norway shortly after his birth.

Now you're getting a huge influx of German players. Unfortunately, none of them are attackers. However, I think his name is Boyd looks a tidy player. A German striker turned US youngster who just moved up to the first team of some German club. Someone here is bound to know the details. But I've seen some promising reports on him.
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That's the issue - it burns a bit to finally produce a (potentially) world class player in a position you desperately need, then have him shun you despite considering himself an American. If Wayne Rooney had opted to play for Ireland, I'm sure there'd be loads of equally angry Englishmen.

Regarding the rest, Subotic hurts because he was kicking a ball in the park when US coaches discovered him, then he used our youth national teams to get himself a club in Europe then turned his back on the US for Serbia after he'd gotten what he needed out of US Soccer - the Rongen thing is internet talk. No one's ever expected Hangeland to play for the US - he was born to foreign parents in the US for a short-term job and moved back soon after he was born. All of the Germans are American citizens - they were born to American fathers on American military bases - which are extensions of the USA as far as residency is concerned.

Maybe it's just the second bolded bit that bothers me, I don't think your national team should be a choice if you're born in one country and live there your whole life - or at least your home nation's FA should have first refusal (however ridiculous that sounds).
 
SuperDraft is going on today.

Also, Portland has traded Kenny Cooper to NYRB for a first round draft pick next year and a load of allocation money.
 
That George John fellow went to West Ham as well. A tidy bit of business for West Ham. He was linked to Blackburn for awhile. From the reports I've read, he's a big lumbering CB like Samba.
 
John can also play CM but not sure if he has the speed and ball control to do so in the Premiership. Decent CB though and is currently in the US training camp.

FC Dallas lost a huge piece there but drafted a huge CB today (Matt Hedges). Sol Campbell needs a job. ;)
 
Tim Ream may be on his way to Bolton.

Also, a Duke player was picked #1 in the draft. Andrew Wenger...not related to Arsene as far as I know.
 
forevrared said:
SuperDraft is going on today.

Also, Portland has traded Kenny Cooper to NYRB for a first round draft pick next year and a load of allocation money.
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Good move for the Timbers and Cooper. He lost his confidence playing for us. Hope he gets it back.

Stupid idea juggling the schedule like they have so we play each team in our division 3 times and only play other teams once. Why does MLS insist on screwing with things? Aside from it being a general annoyance, it's going to penalize teams qualifying for the playoffs that are in the tougher division. Fewer points to be found playing more games against tougher opposition.

Annoying that Portland won't get an away game in DC:mad:
 
Because the MLS is run by incompetent persons that previously worked in other sporting leagues in the US and have the "American way of doing things" mindset. Sigh.
 
The problem is the MLS leadership are employing the American sporting mindset of conferences/divisions. It should be that this sport is unique and each club should play every other club twice per season, once home and once away. It should be a one table system and then take the top eight to the playoffs (unfortunately, the playoff thing is also ingrained into the American sporting mindset, and I support this for MLS as Americans understand playoffs are how a champion is crowned (well except NCAA D-1 football of course)).

I don't like the conference setup and the how clubs like FC Dallas are forced to play a wild card game in the Eastern Conference despite being assigned to the Western Conference. And I firmly believe when the 20th club is added the conferences will be divided into divisions. Ugh.
 
As a side note to the Kenny Cooper to NYRB - several outlets have reported that Juan Agudelo may be close to a $6 million move to Stuttgart, although Hans Backe has said he expects him back.
 
Sir Matt said:
Tim Ream may be on his way to Bolton.

Also, a Duke player was picked #1 in the draft. Andrew Wenger...not related to Arsene as far as I know.
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How good is he? (Wenger) I don't follow college 'soccer' but they did a halftime special last night at the game (basketball) for him. I gathered that he is a forward, had a pretty good scoring record, and a very good assist record. So, is he any good?
 
For two years he was a CB but Ryan Finley left to go to ND so he played up front and did well. I don't watch much college soccer, but the few matches I saw he was very good. I'm not sure where he'll end up playing in MLS, but he's in generation adidas so he'll make solid money and be able to play. He's the best player we've had in a decent while.

Our keeper played for Walsall and against Chelsea in the FA Cup a few years back before coming to Duke.

I hope Wenger does well wherever he ends up playing. Duke soccer needs to get back to where it was the year I was born...National Champs. :D
 
When I was in school we had a keeper who had played in Liverpool's youth teams but was a United fan.
 
The preseason tournament between Timbers, AIK, Chivas, and San Jose is going to be tasty. 6 games here in Portland in 3 days has me missing some work. Can't wait for some live footy again.

Can't say much about the new Portland acquisitions. 2 new designated players. One a kid from Columbia, and the other Kris Boyd, all time highest scorer in the SPL. Don't know much about the draft picks either.

Any comments on any of your sides' off season deals?
 
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