Major League Soccer

loved this from the NASL soccer bowl first leg from the weekend
http://i49.tinypic.com/4j2r8w.jpg

Definitely, was really happy for my MN friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJO7F4ZssM

15 years ago today

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2012/10/25/3472465/former-bundesliga-player-of-the-year-grafite-hopes-to-play

Sigh.

hope this cheers you up a little bit. from new york mag article with bill murray

We stepped into the elevator, which was already filled with several men in bright-red jerseys. Murray recognized the logo: “Are you on the Chicago soccer team?” They were set to play Toronto the next day. “Do we hate them?” Murray asked. Yes, we do, replied player Arne Friedrich, originally from Germany. The elevator arrived at Murray’s floor. “All right, kill them,” he told the team. “Beat them. No serious injuries, but definitely give them trouble.”

There was a knock on the door. It was Friedrich, who’d regretted not asking Murray for a picture earlier when he had the chance. They talked about Eric Clapton and Berlin. “I’m about to go shoot a movie with Wes Anderson in Germany,” Murray said. “If you see me in Germany, I’ll be working on a movie.”

very low turnout for that chicago-houston game

Yeah it was completely fucking bogus to put it on Halloween night 4 days after the last game of the season (which was a sellout). Being 35 degrees probably didn't help either. I was actually hoping for a full house of classic bandwagoning Chicago sports fans, but they couldn't even draw that. Totally depressing.

And the Friedrich/Murray thing is classic, that got passed around a lot right after it happened. Really hope they can convince Arne to stay another year, he was probably the team's best player this season.

some of the internal griping among DCU fans about the playoff switcheroo is pretty O_o imo - i don't know if they quite realize how fucked up metro NYC transit is right now, to say nothing of whenever the PATH is gonna reopen

(that said, it's actually super-convenient for me to be able to attend both legs now, assuming they don't move the return leg to philly or wherever)

I look at that series and just smh because 1. people be crazy 2. if it weren't for the mid-season tiebreaker rule change (head-to-head record changed to goals for) the Fire would have been playing DC instead of New York.

I didn't watch LA/Vancouver last night, basically just rooting against everyone now.

Also, nice to see the league get called out on its double standard of arresting supporters who pop flares or smoke and issuing stadium bans but then using photos of those actions in marketing materials. This isn't the first time it has happened, either, the league was selling commemorative photo prints of a Chicago flaring a season or two ago until they started taking shit for it.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/mls-promoting-playoffs-league-punished-fan-offense-182951684--sow.html

lol yeah - at first i was looking at that background header going "THIS IS MLS PLAYOFFS certainly doesn't scan well - oh"

http://dcist.com/2012/11/new_york_fans_reach_new_low_in_mls.php

meanwhile this is all gonna end well methinks

NASL announced a local group purchased MN Stars FC today, that's a good thing.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/615427_443212062383071_1356620045_o.jpg

woo, I want revenge on them

good news! now we wait for the nasl MLS merger...

wow, how stupid is andy najar

I have to run out for twenty minutes and it's 1-1 and down to ten men!

Ooft that strike by Moffat.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/11/07/retire-or-re-sign-fire-friedrich-quick-choose-latter

fuck yesssssssss

Tonight Rain and sleet before 5am, then sleet, possibly mixed with rain and snow. Low around 33. Windy, with a north wind 20 to 28 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

GET PUMPED

(this being the gametime forecast at RBA)

Have you been to RBA before? Nice place, that roof is gonna be a blessing tonight.

i haven't - i'm pretty stoked about tonight. 11 buses coming up from dc and 700+ united supporters expected; they're even gonna let us tailgate

i work about 10 miles from harrison, and it's been snowing all afternoon up here - should be a fun one tonight for neutrals

Wore my old skool Metros scarf today, totally not going to the game.

I can't find info on whether orange balls have ever been used in MLS before. Tonight could be a first!

We are the DC haters btw.

incidentally it's a legit huge snowstorm by now - orange balls are go!

so i guess the MN Stars have a new, local owner. curious to see how this plays out, esp with the new stadium and the Vikings' right of first refusal on an MLS expansion

the st paul saints (minor league baseball) just snagged a prime location in lowertown, and i wouldn't be surprised to see the stars move to get a small, decent stadium somewhere that isn't g-d blaine

they're really going to try to play in this?

Hope so!

poor fuckin DC traveling fans

also lol kc & especially sj, holy shit

Holy fuck this NY/DC game

Crazy!

I'm starting to be afraid this is all leading to a Galaxy repeat. :(

jesus i'm so hoarse

ah fuck i had to be out this evening and i only caught the first half.

so much for home advantage

Yeah really strange, especially for Salt Lake. Their stadium used to be a fortress and they had a crazy crowd last night (I only watched the first half, missed the finish). Red Bull Stadium, predictably, was mostly empty. Congrats to GYA, games like that are the reason why fans travel.

Thanks! The last 20 minutes of that game from the Hamid red card onward were honestly about as tense as any sporting event I've ever seen live (including a Stanley Cup final game and a no-hitter). Can't wait for next Sunday.

That second goal was woeful defending.

horrible.

DC do not lok like the team that played the Red Bulls last week.

They've had less time to recuperate.

Another excuse I've got on my little pad here is that Dynamo should have been down to ten men.

Also gonna float some rumors about poisoned BBQ sauce.

Dynamo should have had a penalty in the first half, if you want to make notes.

I know DC had a smaller margin for error, and having to make injury subs changes things, but they haven't been sharp at all.

They have been very poor. I never feel that they get any significant homefield advantage either. So Come On Sounders, I guess.

I was pulling for them.

And "anyone but Houston" is generally the only accepted rooting practice here in Dallas.