Happy 20th birthday MLS!!

Such a long road to get here, still so many challenges ahead. I'm proud to see you've finally outgrown Chivas USA, are able to leave such childish things behind. As gifts we got you Orlando City and 'offspring company' NYCFC, cool new sets that come complete with their own David Villa and Kaka (we'll get you Frank Lampard in time, too, but that's on layaway right now...). We've moved the warm blanket of Landon Donovan to the attic, as well, because while we know you love it, that thing definitely has had enough. We decided to go with an extra big party for your 20th, too, so we hope you're as excited as we are to the guest list includes names such as Giovinco, Kljestan, Mix, Jozy, Gerrard (RSVP pending), Xavi (need to check we sent invite to the right address). Punch bowl is near the new dance floor in San Jose, let's get started!


Overall I'm fantastically relieved the owners thawed and moved a little in the player's direction, a strike would have been disastrous for both sides. I'm beyond excited for this season (even if it looks to be a bumpy road to start for the Timbers). I will be sticking new implements of pain into my Ossi Alonso voodoo doll every day. And having regular, EVERY Sunday afternoon soccer on ESPN is going to be so awesome (bye bye NFL, I won't need your weekend distraction this year).

---Western Conference---

COLORADO RAPIDS: In an early game last year, DeShorn Brown earned a PK when Donovan Ricketts pulled a flying kung-fu kick to his abs in the penalty box. Brown got up and was hardly phased, Ricketts was never right for the rest of the year. With abs like that, don't let your wife catch any Colorado goal-scoring celebrations this year.

HOUSTON DYNAMO: yo SPM, you know Run DMB is still here, right? Get back at your man's side, Houston is going to be in a dog fight in the West this year.

LA GALAXY: Robbie Keane, I'mma let you finish, but Juninho has been the most under-rated member of this recent LA dynasty. And Juninho is now talking about becoming an American citizen so he can play for the USMNT? For all the shit I may talk about LA, it does have a certain power.

FC DALLAS: Have you, too, ever wondered what Fabian Castillo's parents look like? I wonder this often.

PORTLAND TIMBERS: It's always Diego Chara. Am I fascinated with Darlington Nagbe? Yes. Am I fascinated with Liam Ridgewell? Yes. But it's ALWAYS Diego Chara. g/f was walking downtown and ended up walking alongside Chara for a few blocks this week. It was one of the most starstruck moments of her life. She said he was walking with a couple other guys, presumably Timbers, but all she could do is stare at Chara. Also said he came up to about her shoulder, maybe a little lower. I'm just relieved she escaped with her purse in hand and ankles intact. Diego Chara v. Steven Gerrard is fucking appointment TV y'all, stop sleeping.

REAL SALT LAKE: Luis Gil. If you don't know, ask somebody.

SJ EARTHQUAKES: It's the stadium. Beyond the stadium, it's Big Vic Bernardez, crazy Honduran in the back line who for some reason thinks he can play the ball like Yaya. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt...

SEATTLE SOUNDERS: I will be -- like most of Seattle I imagine -- checking for regular updates on Ossi Alonso's groin and yes I'm aware how that sounds.

SPORTING KANSAS CITY: Dom Dwyer wifed up Sydney LeRoux so let's all take careful notes every time he's on the field in the hopes we can replicate some of that success for ourselves.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS: Kendall Waston, absolute hulk of a centerback from Honduras, the murder capitol of the world. Which, and I don't know the story behind this at all, at least to me seems like it might explain in part how "Watson" came to be spelled wrong. The murder thing definitely seems to explain how he plays.

---Eastern Conference---

CHICAGO FIRE: I think it's Harry Shipp? Everything about the Fire is boring -- stadium, coach, style of play. Sorry. Oh wait, Quincy Amirikwa is good with social media, tho...

COLUMBUS CREW: Jurgen Klinsmann is an idiot and called Wil Trapp into the USMNT camp and proceeded to play him as a wide midfielder. Feel free to catch a Columbus game any time this year to see why that's so maddeningly wrong.

DC UNITED: Eddie Johnson always and forever. Go kick rocks Perry Kitchen (I imagine that's the sort of thing you'd think is fun, anyway).

MONTREAL IMPACT: Dilly Duka's name isn't just fun to say, he's actually a very bright American attacking prospect. He's been one of these 'promise' guys for a long time, would love to see it start to blossom.

NE REVOLUTION: Move over Jermaine Jones, Juan Aguedelo is back in town!

NYCFC: No duh it's Mix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KllI1hgZT04&feature=iv&src_vid=zqO1fcU5hk4&annotation_id=annotation_89205111
His dad might bust your kneecaps if you owe him money, too, being investigated by Norwegian authorities as such. He should fit right in NYC.

NY RED BULLS: Honestly, who's on this team these days? Even Armando is gone. Conspiracy theorists, the Don just might be rigging this market for NYCFC -- get cooking.

ORLANDO CITY: There's probably a good answer besides Kaka, but it doesn't matter. Kaka is going to EMBARRASS people in MLS and I can't wait to see it.

PHILADELPHIA UNION: Mo Edu is a king of kings and Philly I expect to see game recognize game. Dude needs to be a Brotherly icon.

>COLUMBUS CREW: Jurgen Klinsmann is an idiot and called Wil
>Trapp into the USMNT camp and proceeded to play him as a wide
>midfielder. Feel free to catch a Columbus game any time this
>year to see why that's so maddeningly wrong.


WIll trapp is a very hard working defending Midfielder... who happens to have a very accurate pass rating....

oof. enjoy THAT.

It's the best. He's fantastic. I guess he spent time as a fullback in England? He's playing CB for Portland and serious he's great -- clean with the ball, big personality organizing the back, pretty decent athlete. Honestly, he's easily earned his DP tag so far.

Then he went crosstown and was pretty suspect at Birmingham City. Had a half of a resurgence at West Brom as a center back. Great to see that he's gotten out of the West Midlands, I guess?

it would have been a travesty to waste all these new players coming into the league, new stadium, new TV deal, etc.

as for my Red Bulls ... i was over the Petke firing once i saw the town hall. i was actually embarassed at how some of the fans acted (and continue to act in some cases). in the end, it's not nearly that serious. support your club and keep it moving. if i can keep being a Yankees and Knicks fan (Giants FO is awesome in my book) i think i can live with the Red Bulls.

looking forward to seeing BWP go to work. i like that we were able to get Kljestan and not have to use a DP slot. curious as always to see if we actually get 2 more DP's this summer.

Firing Petke seems odd, but then again if you know you like Marsch and you know you're going to take the roster in a new direction post-Henry, there's no real benefit to taking a 'wait + see' on Petke. Act as soon as you know what your real decision is.

Not that different than what happens in Portland with Spencer's firing, which by the way looks very shrewd by management in hindsight, bit yeah the fan base + FO *still* have scars from the interim period where the team readjusted to the new regime.

i know everyone loves to say the Spanish commentators have more "passion" or whatever and that's cool but i no hablo el español, like at all. it was a struggle for me the couple times i tried watching the Spanish language games. i really appreciate them doing that.

now if they only did that for some Liga MX games, i might watch those.

that sucks

I tried switching back to the Spanish, but somehow on the website the Spanish was like 10 seconds behind the video, so couldn't do that. The English broadcast let you follow along, catch names, get details, but jeez it was sooooo bad, and I watch a lot of local MLS broadcasts ... this would probably be on the low end of that, too.

Anyway, Galaxy bodied the shit out of the Fire. I was expecting that. Gonna wake up like a kid on xmas tomorrow...

how hard is it to get a sportscaster that knows the rules and rhythm of the game well enough to chime in when needed, pay them enough so they don't end up JP Dellacameraing themselves into every "niche" sport there is, and rolling with them. Or at least paying Ray Hudson enough to weigh in from his Orlando broom closet?

He got the Sunday nightcap in Seattle this week, but sadly they've saddled him with Alexi Lalas as a partner. He came up working local Timbers games with Robbie Earle, this broadcasts were nice.

His loud-and-wrong ratio is nowhere NEAR the level of Wynalda, who's an epic tour-de-force of douche.

unashamedly direct, with world class speed and one Chilean dude who can spray Beckham-esque long balls in Vancouver, then Toronto who are trying to play a tight, controlled game through all their high-priced attackers, but struggle due to a totally crap backline. Oh it's also a coastal Canadian rivalry.

So much fun ... previous games been meh, but that Giovinco to Jozy goal only bodes good things for the USMNT. Like FUCK Sunderland y'all, why do we all still bow down to a country that has a fucking monarchy?

....watch out.

just on general principle.

also i'm gonna try to follow the MLS and DC United again this year. which means im gonna be watching highlights on the app a lot cause i don't have cable.

do they ever do a free preview for mls live like there is for NBA League Pass? i'd like to try it.

there was a small rumbling about them being just an offshoot, but most people were pretty wait and see. Then they extended the Lampard loan into July, after extensive promises he'd be there opening day, and after that all gloves were off. They've tried to manufacture supporter's groups, have done some weird anthem marketing, get clowned the whole way. But they have Mix and Kreis and Okugo and Villa and they're all respected, so it's really just a lukewarm feeling.

And I dunno about free previews. Last year they were doing a "stream of the week" every weekend, where one game was free every week, but now they have two games on cable (ESPN2 and FS1) every Sunday, so I dunno of the free stream will continue.

Orlando already sonned them in turnout and tv ratings.

Sounds like Minnesota United is the favorite to land the next spot. Really hope there's actually a plan for how to get the stadium built coming too (they've certainly got enough money behind it to privately fund most/all of it.)

there's four markets they've keyed in on, although I can't recall them all right now. Personally, I'll be surprised if Sacramento is not one of them, but if they can't get a deal in place for a downtown stadium, they're likely out. It's the same thing in Miami -- Don has apparently said they didn't expect David Beckham to exercise his ownership option so soon -- if Becks gets his stadium lined up, it's all his, but without a stadium it seems like the league will move forward regardless. I feel like San Antonio is another one? Three teams in Texas, when two of them don't draw in stadium that great, doesn't make sense to me... I'm pretty sure Las Vegas is just out.

But you're probably hearing local media closer to the source. If they're giving strong indications, they might be getting strong word from MLS.

I've been trying to follow this and I've got no clue what's happening with Miami. They've already had two stadium deals fall apart, and I'm not sure how long their leash is going to be. I know they want 24 teams by 2019 and they won't hold their breath for Miami to get it done forever. But maybe Orlando drawing 60k fans to the Citrus Bowl will spur them into action?

Sacto sounds like they've got a lot going for them, I'm kind of hoping MLS pulls Miami and makes Beckham and Co sell to Sacramento's group. They've got a passionate fanbase ready to go right now. I can't imagine Sacramento was high on Garber's list of expansion cities a few years ago, but they basically forced him to consider them by how active they've been organizing.

Here's an updated swipe from the Star Tribune, it looks like the big thing is that the Vikings ownership group (who also bid to get a MN MLS team in the new Vikes stadium) is out of the running. But the united bis isn't exactly a done deal yet, but it's a good sign.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/296080511.html

The prospective ownership group headed by Bill McGuire has received a letter from Major League Soccer notifying them that they are the preferred group for a potential Minnesota franchise, according to a person with knowledge of the letter.

McGuire has been competing with the Wilf family, owners of the Vikings, for a MLS expansion team that is likely to begin play in 2018. McGuire’s group includes the Pohlad family, owners of the Twins, and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor.

McGuire, the former CEO of UnitedHealth Group who owns Minnesota United FC, a professional team in the lesser North American Soccer League, has plans to build an outdoor stadium behind Target Field in an area currently used to house the Farmer’s Market. The Wilfs’ MLS bid was based on playing in the new $1 billion football stadium set to open in 2017.

MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche said Thursday morning the league would not confirm the existence of a letter of support for McGuire, saying it did not comment on “private conversations.”

However Courtemanche said an MLS announcement on adding a 24th team is expected soon. “We remain on track to announce the next MLS expansion market in the next 30-45 days,” he said in an email.

Minnesota and Sacramento are the two cities in the running for that bid. Miami, which is owned by former star David Beckham, still hasn’t secured a stadium, potentially leaving Minnesota, Sacramento and Miami for two remaining franchises.

Minnesota is considered the front-runner for a franchise because MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said he wants a Midwestern city to balance the league, and has praised the Twin Cities demographics.

McGuire will need to fulfill several obligations spelled out in the letter, the most important being securing a solid stadium plan, according to the person with knowledge of the letter. The group of McGuire, the Pohlad family and Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune, has an option on land in the Farmer’s Market area that would be a potential home for an outdoor stadium, the person said.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/03/13/mls-expansion-minnesota-united-vikings-sacramento

As of right now, we've got an idea of where it is (a good, centrally located area of downtown in the vicinity of an MLB stadium and an NBA arena) and that it will be open-air, with natural grass.

As a soccer fan and a taxpayer, I really hope this is going to be privately funded. Both because publicly funded stadiums are an awful idea and because there's zero chance that the state is going to kick in any money after forking over half a billion plus to the Vikings. Maybe they could secure funding from either Hennepin County or the city of Minneapolis, but that might not be any easier. I really think if they come in asking for a taxpayer handout, they're going to get told off.

I'm slightly optimistic it won't come to that. There's an insane amount of net worth behind the ownership group, and they could certainly afford to keep it entirely privately funded. But all of this is speculation for now, because they haven't announced any concrete stadium details.

I can't believe Garber and them would give Minnesota a franchise without a plan for a stadium in place, which indicates it is likely to be privately funded. Because public financing is going to be difficult for them to come by.

https://nbcprosoccertalk.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/de64e26f993a6b2c1e1dec0e4a91e343.jpg

and the Bronx and NYC dumbass media blames it on NYCFC, I will experience a level of double schadenfreude like never before.

but again, that followed the model of a prospecting investor establishing a lower division club first, getting to know the market for a few years, then kicking off in MLS. So in that regard, I will remain hopeful about Minnesota, because they still have a few years to ramp up and get situated. It's these big money partners buying a seat at the table with no real grasp on the SOCCER market that make me nervous.

McGuire already has a stadium site (and importantly, owns the land it's going to be built on.)

The only possible sticking point is going to be public funding (if they go that route.) The state has already said it's not happening and they're not going to have more luck with the city. They'd have to go through the county, and that's not necesarrily a sure thing (though the chair of the Hennepin County Board said he's nsupportive of building a stadium.)

And that's if they ask for public funding. I really, REALLY hope they're not going to be so dumb as to try and get a mostly publicly built stadium when the willpower does not exist for one. I can't imagine they would, but owners of sports teams have been known to do stupid things.

Miami has yet to even choose a stadium site that's workable, despite having a head start on both Minnesota and Sacramento. But I guess they had to let Beckham exercise his option.

takes some doing to make the Red Bulls look first class, but NYCFC achieved just that.

and if Sebastien Velasquez doesn't end up as a John Starks-esque NYC icon, there is no hope for soccer in the Big Apple.

how did this ever get past the idea stage to an actual game.

they can't get the new soccer stadium built fast enough

Atmosphere was good

But is that going to be the case in July? How is that field going to survive an MLB season and an MLS season? RFK looked pretty worn down back when United and the Nats both played there for a couple years.

they're used to playing on a beat-to-shit home pitch.

Amazingly, still doesn't top Shalrie Joseph at forward, and I love MLS for games like that one last night.

the cherry on top?

the sounders have these commercial running where the premise is there's an awards show and the players are nominated an win (Oba for Best Backflip vs. a dolphin, etc...you get the idea) and after the game they showed one with Brad winning.

i tweeted to the Sounders that they may want to re-consider running that commercial in the future.

that was beyond hostile conditions and they not only held on, they took it to Alajuelense. crazy game.

highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QAM2cxO-hk

unfortunately there was another 45 minutes to play and it was ugly. props for making a good run.

first half hat trick against NYCFC in about 9 minutes (scored at the 34', 40' & 43' mark). and also assisted on another goal. crazy!

He's been brilliant. Unfortunately playing in the US is pretty much a death sentence for EU internationals. Unless your team has no other options (I see you Ireland).

and jesus christ Giovinco -- I know the salaries for the 99% are still kinda fucked, but damn if it isn't fun to watch right now anyway.

Seriously, I've watched a lot of MLS and I've never seen a player dominate games to the extent Giovinco is right now. Never pass on the opportunity to watch TFC if it comes right now.

Keane, Gerrard, Gio Dos Santos, Zardes, Juninho, and they paid down Omar's contract. That is bananas.

they're about as close to a super club as you can get in MLS.

How that Chicago team doing though?

still alive in the Open Cup though. so, there's that...


far as I know Mike Magee is still trying to work his way back from injury (he's only played like 6 games total) so hopefully they can scrape something together to finish the season.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/07/27/montreal-impact-acquire-didier-drogba-after-completing-sign-and-trade-chicag

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/07/27/chicago-fire-sign-gilberto-designated-player-after-trade-montreal-impact-inv

Seems nuts a market like Chicago can't do better with that.

but getting Gilberto is not a bad deal at all.

biggest difference, of course, is Gilberto costs like 10x as much.

I'd like Chicago to be good, it's been too long for them. David Accam is awesome and Harry Shipp is a very good young player, but yeah -- I don't see things really changing with Gilberto's "addition"...

it's not like they were traded for each other or anything like that. I was just saying that getting Gilberto was decent for Chicago when it came to not getting Drogba. for all we know, they didn't even want Drogba. yeah he's a name and can probably still produce (i.e., Marco Di Vaio) but the upside with a guy like Gilberto who's about 10 years younger is hard to pass up. that opportunity practically fell in their lap when Toronto was forced to cut him.

http://www.si.com/longform/2015/mls/index.html

Way too long to swipe, but there's some gems in there. Best one is this:

I told them, “I don’t get this ‘Mutiny’. What’s with the symbol?” They said, “Oh, it’s a mutant bat.” “Okay, what does that have to do with Mutiny?” “You know—Mutiny, mutant.” I said, “Those are two different words with completely different meanings. They just share some letters. What are you doing?”

Kinda like Once In A Lifetime, only it doesn't end with the league folding a few years later. I'm always interested in hearing how something as big and hard to predict as a pro sports league gets off the ground. There are so many things to consider and so many moving parts to manage, it's a wonder they don't all blow up.

And looking back, of course they let the apparel manufacturers name the teams. It's the only way we could have got Dallas Burn and Kansas City Wiz (how many local sportscasters in those cities had to resist STD jokes whenever Dallas beat KC?)

LA Galaxy (Gerrard, Keane, Dos Santos, etc) vs Seattle Sounders (Dempsey, Martins, etc)

NYCFC (Lampard, Pirlo, Villa, Mix) vs New York Red Bulls (Kljestan, Wright bros and newly signed Veron)

BOTH on nationally televised games? I know a lot of those players weren't signed when they made this schedule, but man what a good look for the league. here's hoping the games live up to the hype.

(that being the boring, cagey Man Utd and Liverpool victories)

LA Galaxy seem just bananas. Sebastian Lletget is still the most impactful signing they've made yet, although obviously Gio and Gerrard might just live up to their billing as well. Bruce knows how to ask them to do just the right amount, it's crazy. I'm not sure who would knock LA off.

Then in NYC such a thrill to watch over-paid old dudes get put in their place by an organized MLS side. Someday the league will learn chasing veteran stars is no foundation, only a luxury...

bundesliga the only one that really come close.

shit has been clutch in keeping up w/ the league since i never get to watch any ofthe games. lots of cool player features/segments on there as well.

but yeah their YouTube page is pretty slick.

1. Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders
2. Steven Gerrard, LA Galaxy
3. Kaka, Orlando City
4. Andrea Pirlo, New York City FC
5. David Villa, New York City FC
6. Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders
7. Frank Lampard, New York City FC
8. Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York Red Bulls
9. Brek Shea, Orlando City
10. Mix Diskerud, New York City FC
11. Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy
12. Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC
13. Graham Zusi, Sporting Kansas City
14. Dom Dwyer, Sporting Kansas City
15. Gyasi Zardes, LA Galaxy
16. Didier Drogba, Montreal Impact
17. Giovani Dos Santos, LA Galaxy
18. Lee Nguyen, New England Revolution
19. Wil Trapp, Columbus Crew
20. Sacha Kljestan, New York Red Bulls

who would have thought after the fiasco that was that first town hall meeting that we'd be sitting here with our second SS in 3 years and looking like the favorites going into the playoffs?

also every week should be played like they did this "Decision Day". not sure why they can't schedule all the games on Saturday at 7pm and 9pm. makes it very exciting to follow all the games simultaneously.

highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBVp-r8JFo0

So glad I stayed up to watch that. I've never seen anything like that in my life. Wow, just wow! Can't imagine what it was like to be there.

best i've seen by far

- late drama in regular time
- late drama in extra time
- amazing penalty kicks by both teams
- god awful penalty kicks by both teams
- the luckiest/unluckiest bounces EVER ... more than once
- and it came down to the goalkeepers of both teams to finish it


it was seriously hard to go to sleep after that. that's the most i've been into a game that i wasn't invested in that i can remember.

to no one's surprise

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/11/10/orlando-city-forward-cyle-larin-named-2015-att-rookie-year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTgV-kd35bA













... as well he should be.

without saying too much, I'll just say I never thought Portland could beat RSL the last time the Timbers were in the Conference Finals. I don't have the same feeling this time (Dallas good as shit, though, I know that, and RIP to Oscar Pareja's mom).

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/11/23/mls-newcomer-year-sebastian-giovinco

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/11/24/new-york-red-bulls-jesse-marsch-mls-coach-year

http://www.torontofc.ca/mvp

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/12/02/toronto-fcs-sebastian-giovinco-wins-2015-landon-donovan-mls-mvp-award?autoplay=true

congrats

Soccer City fam