Major League Soccer

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1425403/mls-aims-announce-nyc-stadium-6-weeks?cc=5901

so, the queens team is still on. (i actually went to some meetings about the stadium project for my job a while ago, and then it seemed to die).

but it won't be the Cosmos:

"The Cosmos are a very storied brand steeped in the past," he said. "Pele is not playing for them anymore, and neither is Franz Beckenbauer."

i hope it's called Corona FC and sponsored by Corona, then we can have the Corona Red Bull beverage derby

have to say my favorite shirt is that of my new home town team Tulsa Athletics, playing in the new 4th tier https://pbs.twimg.com/media/AxkWDU5CIAA64La.jpg:large

also, the sponsor is a bar owned by a kid i went to high scool with.

lmao cosmos

This made me cry:
http://deadspin.com/timbers-play-make-a-wish-game-kid-with-cancer-scores-w-486460940

Yup, this stupid league occasionally gets it right (usually when being dragged along by its fans).

Dunno if it works outside of N. America but MLS Live is free this weekend: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/05/09/mls-live-free-trial-watch-7-mls-matches-weekend

US Open Cup kicks off tonight! MLS clubs enter in round 3.

http://thecup.us/2013-us-open-cup-first-round-17-games-kick-off-tonight-live-updates-with-usoc100-on-twitter/

Hey gbx if u go to MNFC games this is the guy u need to meet: http://www.citypages.com/2013-05-15/news/dark-cloud-embedded-with-minnesota-s-misfit-fans/

FIRE? morlike DIRE! lololololsigh

Seattle-Dallas putting on a good show

New York City FC

xposted from the offseason rumors thread:

I mean NYC already has one horrendous corporate branded team that can't fill its 200 million dollar stadium... I know! Let's bring in oil $ and the fucking Yankees.

― a monolithic testament to shiftlessness and lost productivity (dan m), Tuesday, May 21, 2013 10:29 AM (25 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

IK you'll like this one I bet:

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/62366/the-designated-player-the-brooklyn-italians-icon-fc-and-the-early-rounds-of-the-u-s-open-cup?ex_cid=grantland33

cool another team to automatically hate

Kinda hating the league itself over this one too tbh

why so? cos of yankees/MC bastard hybrid or...

btw is there any truth to carlos slim buying chivas and selling them to mls to be moved or dismantled or something?

This is a lot of it: http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/soccerusa/id/2441?cc=5901

Also one of the hard & fast entry requirements for the last, I don't know, 4-5 expansion clubs has been "have your own stadium" and NYCFC doesn't have a stadium at all, nor a deal in place to build one, or land, or anything. There's a very palpable sense that the league is pushing everything aside for that $100mil because each investment group (including, allegedly, those from clubs like Tampa that haven't existed in 10 years) gets a cut of the dough.

I've heard about the Slim/Chivas rumors, but that's based around the prospect of him buying Real Chivas and just discarding/selling Chivas USA. They sure as shit are doing terribly as-is, so I could see something happening. Lots of rumors of the league moving them to FL but they've already failed there once...

Additionally I unfollowed @MLS on Twitter because of their NYCFC spamming. It's a shitshow and really has made me think whether there aren't 15-16 teams in the league that are just sort of "there" to the league.

dang, fuuuucked up

Reports are saying Robbie Rogers to sign with the Galaxy and Mike Magee is going to the Fire in return. Any thoughts, Dan?

I think in the end it's a win for the Fire, having traded Oduro for Dilly Duka and Rogers' rights, which has now been played into Magee. Magee is a local guy, in the prime of his career, but he's a hard worker more than an outright scorer, which is what the Fire desperately need. I guess I'm glad Rogers will get to play again on his own terms. If Duka turned out to be worth a shit it'd be even better, but he hasn't shown a whole lot so far.

None of this changes the fact that in the first 1/3 of the season the Fire have 6 goals and that's what everyone is still talking about. They pissed away time doing this (and the Soumare deal) but none of those points dropped in 1-0 losses to crappy teams are going to come back as a result. :/

Also Soumare coming in means Arne Friedrich is likely to retire, it's just a matter of time.

Also LA fans are piiiiisssed about this, which does give me a twinge of pleasure. Magee was, if not their big offensive performer (although he has I think 7 goals this year, 3 of which were against the Fire) one of the club's most popular players. They put him in goal once, for fuck's sake.

*he was one of the club's most popular players

I'm really surprised you got a player and not a pick or two or a slot for an overseas player. I did not think the Galaxy liked Rogers enough to give up a legit asset, but I guess they feel he'll bring them enough on and off the field to make the sacrifice worth it. Magee should help make the rest of the season a bit more productive, and 11 points out of playoff position is recoverable this early on.

Sounds like Rogers got a good reception last night?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BM_SSIMCUAEfsko.png

oh dcu

they are so bad, can't believe olsen hasn't been fired

mike magee kickin' ass for the fire btw, scored in each of his first 4 games so far (2 league and 2 open cup)

they are so bad, can't believe olsen hasn't been fired

i have a feeling it's gonna be him (eventually anyway) and not dave kasper, which still won't address the real issues (cf the post's ugly rundown of their foreign signings since 2004)

a list, it should be noted, that doesn't include lionard pajoy

http://keepingscore.blogs.time.com/2013/07/10/why-sports-teams-cant-regulate-speech/

smgdmfh forever at this bullshit

Well, that writing is terrible for one thing.

Yeah but writing aside the league's actions are the real problem.

You think I'm going to disagree with that? :) The league's actions have always been the problem!

Dragging my ass out to Frisco tonight to see FC Dallas take on Real Salt Lake. Only supposed to be 94º at the 8pm kickoff so the scarves will have some practical use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGd34TYOndc

fuck that guy

Americans' constant self-loathing obscures gains in MLS, U.S. soccer

tbqh i think that article is serious horseshit

or at least it's positing something single-entity about "american soccer fans" that's laughably absurd to anyone with the slightest level of exposure to mls/usmnt fan culture

anything with that many Lalas quotes is going to have a high horseshit factor

but I do think, at least based on my experience, there is an underlying truth to the self-loathing portion, maybe more "overly-realistic pessimism" than self-loathing

<q>there is an underlying truth to the self-loathing portion, maybe more "overly-realistic pessimism" than self-loathing </q>

absolutely, although you could say the same thing about supporters of the england or mexico national teams (or arsenal, or inter, or liverpool, etc) right now - it's neither unique nor particularly acute among americans imo

as far as NYCFC goes i had the same kneejerk reaction as everybody, but it's hard to argue that it isn't a necessary force for the overall quality and competitiveness of the league (which directly implies developing domestic talent at a higher level)

there is some real acute angst though, just look at this guy:

https://twitter.com/soccerreform

the entire concept of NYCFC irks me, 100% about money for the league owners/investors, dubious increase in quality or anything else (imo)

Reports saying the Crew were sold for $68 million (incl $30 mil for the stadium). Daaang.

I'm used to NBA dollars, is that high or low?

https://twitter.com/grahamruthven/status/362680959855898624

i like that dudes on twitter are actually asking this question

$68m is a record for an mls franchise and represents a pretty significant valuation for bigger markets - the owners of philly/vancouver/seattle/portland/montreal all paid in the $30-40m range to join the league within the last five years

Yeah the fact that they got that much in a 10+ year old stadium is kind of amazing, although on balance the $100mil that NYCFC paid for their franchise alone is another thing altogether.

Joek on twitter about the price just now: "Probably less b/c that tin can stadium would get hefty payout if it was recycled in Michigan"

i still have not gone to a scorpions fc game this season. the stadium is supposed to be dope tho.