Major League Soccer

PS Fire 1, United 0 at the half.

We've all totally lost interest because our glorious hero David Beckham is no longer involved. Sorry.

Yeah, that's right, my team kicked his broke ass out on Sunday.

Any excuse to watch this again.

is blanco playing? soccernet isn't working for me right now

Golaso de De Rosario

Blanco started, but he hasn't had much of a game thus far.

i'm marginally interested. when my town, seattle, gets a team in '09 i'm sure i'll be way more into it

Some friends of mine saw (the US) Chivas this last weekend. Said it was straight bollocks.

Welcome, shit-talking British people.

The game ended 1-0. DC put in their goal-scorers in the second half but they didn't do much of anything either. Leg 2 is in a week in DC.

Also, it occured to me that Brits ought to know "bollocks" football when they see it, considering their national team.

Yeah, the British National Football Team has a long and varied history.

"Brits" = the English. No Scots would call themselves "Brits".

Sorry, you're right.

First round:

Chivas over KC
Revs over NY
Houston over Dallas
Fire over DC

After that, I don't know.

Any excuse to watch this again.

Great free kick, not sure about this "upper 90" term instead of the traditional "postage stamp" or even "top corner".

Is that Tim Lovejoy MLS show still on?

Conference finals are set:

✧✧✧@✧.✧.
K.C.@Houston

NE looked assy in their 1-0 win over New York. Aside from the fact that the Fire have to play in their huge, empty stadium, on turf, I think they have a great shot of breaking the playoff curse vs. the Revs. Houston should roll over KC.

Stupid ILX, those aren't email addresses

Chi AT N.E.

So the season starts tomorrow, does anyone care?

Yes, I'm going to New Jersey to watch like 7 hours of MLS tomorrow, since our first game isn't until Apr 5.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/powerranking?cc=5901

lol: Riquelme to MLS?

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-soccer9apr09,1,6870991.story

Similarly, if Riquelme plays for Argentina in its June 8 friendly against the U.S. at Giants Stadium, all it will take for him to reject any move is one look at the dreadful, patched-up, threadbare, NFL-logoed carpet that passes for a soccer field at the Meadowlands.

ahahahahaha

Seattle Alliance, Seattle Republic and Seattle FC beaten out by popular opinion. New Team:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2008/04/07/2004333628.jpg

meet the new team
same as the old team

with an FC!

Dan kind of sold me on Emerald City FC, I don't think it got a fair chance...but good for them, anyway. Nice work chucking the proverbial monkey wrench in the league's plans.

Although I did read a decent rejoinder from a Seattle fan somewhere who said they were happy that E.C.F.C. didn't get picked b/c they'd be spared all the teasing and the stupid jokes (especially when KC came to town).

even though i voted for just seattle fc, i'm happy with the name.

pretty uncringeworthy as far as u.s. professional soccer team names go, historically speaking, anyhow

Didn't Chicago almost get called something really lame?

Oh god, I'm not sure since I haven't followed the team for that long, but I remember reading a reference somewhere online to calling the team the "Rhythm"? GAG

YES, that's what I was thinking of. Can you imagine? SO MANY JOEKS, I CANNOT DECIDE

The K.C. Wiz has to be stupidest ever, even taking the NASL into account.

Dallas Burn & Tampa Bay Mutiny pretty close behind

still, i don't sneeze at their rhythm method-inspired offsides trap

all football strategies should take cues from dodgy birth control methods

like the d.c. united 7-up douche corner kick formation

worst logo
http://web.mlsnet.com/imgs/logos/t102_md.gif
it looks like the label on some weird 90s era mirco brewed soda.

DC are douches, that is for sure.

i first read that as "micc10 brewed soda"

step away from computer, dell

but yeah, that's a fitting description

either that, or the failed irish-amer hip hop band that lost it to house of pain

best NASL team logo

ESPN talking heads going off on streamers being tossed at games:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8pgexephJM&eurl=http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/

i was watching that game on the telly. i thought the streamers fiasco was pretty funny. Actually it was a pretty decent game, although I'm perfectly aware that the "open" style of play was down to no defending on either side whatsoever.

Whoever the guy in that video was ranting is a total fuckwit.

My girlfriend and I were thinking about going to a Revolution match this season. Any suggestions on which? Neither of us follow the MLS closely. LA is out as its sold out.

HAI GUISE I M GOING TO DC TOMORROW. Wish ush luck.

LOL:

In a pair of sweeping changes brought about by a Major League Soccer season in meltdown, the Los Angeles Galaxy today removed Alexi Lalas as team president and general manager and Ruud Gullit as coach.

In its official statement on the changes, AEG, which owns the team, said that Gullit had resigned "for personal reasons" and that Lalas' contract was up at the end of the year and that the team decided to part company now rather than wait.

that's what you get for spending all your salary cap (plus some lol) on three players

I'm so happy, really. They deserved the boot.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
LOVE YOU
WE LOVE YOU
WE LOVE YOU
AND WHERE YOU PLAY WE'LL FOLLOW
WE'LL FOLLOW
WE'LL FOLLOW

Congrats to NY for completely stuffing DC yesterday and making a lot of people very happy.

Lalas is such a tool, really. I remember hearing him say, in all earnestness, that the Gals would be the first MLS "superclub".

god, some of this MLS SB Nation bloggers. from my team's own Mane Land site:

Dike also needs to dust off the rust and get a goal. We talk about how strikers are judged on scoring goals, but it’s been too long since the big guy did so in purple.

that would be because he's played in 4 matches all year, only 3 of which he played more than 45 minutes, only 2 in which he started, and he scored two goals in the first match he started.

he's played a whopping 45 minutes in the last 2 months due to injuries and the Gold Cup.

I'd take that over the Fire SB Nation guy, who is an extension of the team's PR department and only puts out stories they feed him.

meh. all teams should have quality SB Nation blogs, not the....crap I see.

A quick recap of what happened in Cincinnati last night. pic.twitter.com/vNVaxbYkOv

— Pharmaceutical Soccer (@PharmaSoccer) October 28, 2021

nothing will ever convince me that Dike committed a foul and our win became a draw. it's been that kind of year. at least when Tesho's got scrubbed off the board, I understood why (offside).

having a game winner taken away dramatically is just gutting. VAR not my friend rn.

I'm a Nashville fan and that wasn't a foul. Both going for the bad and colliding. Goal should have stood.

ball not bad

Congrats on your season btw. Helluva transformation from debut season to second and you'll be a tough out in the playoffs

Chance to tie for the most draws ever!

lol we're not far behind sadly

that was a fun game. Nashville has a good crowd

Congrats. Sad for my boys but you all earned it

That was not the way I hoped Nashville would end their season.

This is such a vibe. pic.twitter.com/0lTLX5tc07

— Jeff Rueter (@jeffrueter) December 11, 2021

Mehhhhhhh

I have a few friends on the Portland side, feel bad for them. Like to see Sean Johnson winning it all after the Fire ditched him.

haha wow, Fire actually went and signed Shaqiri

lmao

News: NYCFC secured a multiyear tie-up with Chicago-based men's grooming brand DUDE Wipes, which will have branding featured on the team's right jersey sleeve starting in '22.https://t.co/QTA2Qdt6R7 pic.twitter.com/KFu30bKqxB

— Mark J. Burns (@markjburns88) February 10, 2022

my friends and I have been laughing about that all morning

nervously excited about Facundo Torres. first mega million star in their youth that we've signed, every other one was a 30-something retirement league signing

lmao at Quioto's red card today. peak level idiocy

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/retired-chicago-fire-soccer-player-desperate-to-get-family-out-of-ukraine/2772419/

Dema Kovalenko is spending his days watching coverage of the war in his home country of Ukraine on television.

"Nothing I can do. I just want to see my family. That's it. That's all I want," said Kovalenko.

His mother, father, grandmother, sister and niece are all camping out in a bomb shelter beneath a church in Kyiv.

Does anyone know whether it’s generally possible to get MLS tickets (Chicago Fire specifically) from a physical box office on match day or do you have to go through Ticketmaster?

dan's your man on that one!

Answering my own question, digital only from this year, it seems.

Yes they have gone digital only. If you buy in a group you might be able to get physical tickets. The move to Soldier Field has brought many inconveniences to fans and imho this is one of them. (Wait until you see how much it costs to park a car there! Hot tip: take the Red Line to Roosevelt and walk if you can.)

Thanks!

(or Green or Orange Lines depending on where you're coming from)

it's $20 to park in the official city lots immediately outside Orlando City Stadium (I will never call it Exploria). is Soldier Field closer to American football prices (i.e. $45)?

yep

lol fuuuuuck that.

also security guards open carrying pistols will come and scream at you to leave the lot about 10 minutes after games end

this has happened to me and many of my friends

That was a fun experience. A terrible game, yes, but a fun experience.

Shaqiri is on a completely different level to the rest of the team and was notably frustrated trying to get them on his wavelength. Przybyłko doesn’t look mobile at all but should get good service in the air, though fluffed his chance from an excellent cross today. Not sure what the Orlando goal ended up being ruled out for.

There was a handball in the play leading up to the goal, apparently.

Agreed about Shaqiri. This is the kind of thing I have gotten used to with the Fire over the time I have been following them, with some exceptions. I do feel heartened by the new owner's willingness to spend, but with a new coach and a mostly new squad it's rebuilding time again.

ShariVari, are you a Chicagoan? I go to matches infrequently these days but would happily crack open a beer at the tailgate if we happen to be there at the same time.

No, just a brief visit from the U.K. but I will definitely let you know if I come back.

Ah, okay, glad you enjoyed it!

Cool moment from the first Charlotte home match

Back in 2010, Sacha Kljestan visited Children's Hospital Los Angeles and gave a jersey to a young patient battling liver cancer.

The patient? Chris Hegardt, who now plays for @CharlotteFC ❤️

🎥 | H/T @MLS pic.twitter.com/SOP52GN7TH

— The Athletic Soccer (@TheAthleticSCCR) March 6, 2022

wow

next level cringe

“We don’t make chants for a billionaire” nah, yall make tifos for him 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😤 pic.twitter.com/LbAxcSE2lE

— 🥞 from Southbound (@_Pancake_Papi) March 13, 2022

Ola Kamara scoring, taking off his jersey knowing it's an automatic yellow and there are still 70 minutes left to play, then scoring again, then making a WWE-style challenge late in stoppage time in the first half, ending his night....

then DC somehow managing to still hold the 2-0 lead until the 80th minute, and conceding thrice and losing at home

really feels like peak MLS

love seeing mah boys in videos like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aunPMGDL6qQ

y'know, I don't hate on MLS because I don't have any delusions of it being a top-tier league, but it's fairly entertaining and the parity is nice.

but man, I watch highlights like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta1zJmvTANc

and boy have I never seen two teams forget so quickly how to play soccer, and LOL TED UNKEL

v important news, austin fc -- which any moral person should recognize as an illegitimate team -- got spanked by thee san antonio fc in the us open cup this week and this is the greatest soccerball moment since the hand of god goal

word on the bird app is that the Fire are closing in on bringing Chris Mueller back from Hibs, somehow

Neanderthal, any thoughts on him from his time in Orlando?

He was really good his first few years. Hustler, goal poacher, and assist man. He was in distant MVP talks in 2020.

He was outright trash last year, mostly because he gave up and had mentally left already.

Feel like he benefitted greatly from Nani. He isn't gonna turbocharge your attack by himself but assuming he's humbled now after sucking overseas, he should help improve your attack.

The hope is between him and Jairo Torres joining the attack can't go anywhere but up, because it has been the worst in the league for a few games now.

If Mueller finds his form from 2020, you'll be in good shape. I suspect he was just mentally checked out last year cos he wanted out.

fun open cup match tonight, OCSC winning 2-1.

Philly rested a lot of starters. we played more than I felt comfortable with for longer than I felt comfortable with, with Saturday road match coming up, but...victory still well-earned.

It's interesting how 'playing the kids' sometimes works out. Philly have a lot of good homegrown players, so even though their attack was fairly toothless with 7 new starters in the lineup, they were playing fairly well. Orlando, on the other hand, played five reserves, but were floundering to threaten much in the first half because of one single dude (Michael Halliday) who couldn't control a ball to save his life at RB. killed about five attacking sequences on his own, almost made up for Bedoya not playing for Philly.

Fire are in last place iirc

Dunno if these figures have been shared before, but, MLSPA has updated salary info, as of Apr 15. Most expensive players in MLS:

1. Xherdan Shaqiri, $8.15m
2. Chicharito, $6m
3. Gonzalo Higuain, $5.8m
4. Alejandro Pozuelo, $4.7m
5. Jozy Altidore, $4.3m (incl. buyout, I imagine)

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) May 17, 2022