Major League Soccer

xxp No and, to be honest, after 1998 and '99, every way is "up" for the Metros. I'm secretly pleased just to CARE about whether we win or lose because there's actually some chance of either.

xp Ahahahahah NO. Although if you want some fun, email me about getting a ticket in the supporters' end.

xp yup, well, that and MLS clubs really can't be relegated

Section 101, where all the supporters' clubs are concentrated, seats about 1000 (not that anyone ever sits) and it's never full except for Beckham games because the stadium mgmt seats non-club people in there after a certain window.

Oh yeah, it's also the only section in the ground where standing is allowed.

I was gonna say: NY play in a stadium that can hold what, 80,000? And they're lucky to draw 20?

thanks laurel, i will talk to friends and get back to you.

20 people? just how lame is it? aren't DC a draw these days (i am out of the loop)

also, lol standing! i will wear my casual gear that i can't get away with in the uk because it is the equivalent of the confederate flag in the usa.

Haha sorry, I meant 20,000. Yeah, it's not quite *that* bad. DC v. NY is a big rivalry.

NY v DC will be a crazy game to see, actually. Can't guarantee anything about the PLAY, but the Empire End will be interesting. And I think we're allowed flags this year, altho sadly any pyro is still out.

caek, let me know how many people you're talking about, total -- we have limits for guests so I'd have to get extras through other people.

dan, i bought a half-season, every other game. i am still scratching my head that they managed to sell 20,000 season tickets. the USL team drew what, 2000 disinterested spectators, maybe? the economy's better here than most places, but still. maybe fredy montero has a secret society.

oh yeah also pics here of how they 'soccerfied' the stadium. i'm going to take pictures tomorrow, too.

Relegation keeps it lively.

Good job, Jergs. I shd get a half-seas pass too, I'm just slightly leery of taking that leap from buying tix every week as needed.

total i'm talking about 2-4 ppl, but if they all want to go we'd be happy to make our own arrangements. if it's just me + 1 then help with tix with the cool kids would be awesome! but we're in town for other stuff and not all of them are into sport, so i don't know. when do you need to know by? and thanks!

Those numbers should be fine -- season ticketholders have some additional options for getting blocks of seats so I'm sure I can buy from someone. Prices will be around $20 ea.

We'll talk about transport and details closer to the date, eh?

for reals. thanks! don't buy any yet, but i just sent the email and should have a better idea by next week. is that ok?

ah you're gonna have fun, laurel's people know how to have a good time it sounds like

Oh god yeah, no rush. I don't plan any of these things til like a week before.

There'll be like a 6-hour tailgate in the parking lot, too -- I'm going to recommend you find a way to come to that, just for sheer quantities of beer & food. There'll be one cook, one menu, and a flat price for all-day eating (if it's like last year). TBD.

cool! i'm just over for a long weekend for party times and a columbia visit so i'm definitely down for a great many beers.

ny people should come to see our film, btw. i will take that to the other thread.

The activity on the thread today has led me to get off my ass and pay for my season tix. So excited you guys!

Amazingness-to-be: Mike Petke's blog for ESPN.

Also I am in this Red Bulls promo video for about half a second!

http://vimeo.com/3723817

Wow. I'm really surprised that Montero guy isn't like playing for Arsenal instead of Seattle.

srsly. what a joy he is to watch

Did you get my text, Jergs? You are the lucky second recipient, after Dan, of my drunken game-day messages to fans in other cities. Nice work last night even tho I feel clobbered.

Which is partly cos I went out after the game.

I've never seen so many people at Nevada's for an MLS game as I did last night (outside of the '09 cup semi- and final). That place was full. And there were two fights! Classic.

haha that was you! in my (drunken) postgame stupor i wasn't sure.

did the confetti glitter on the field on tv or did it just look like bits of garbage?

I assumed it was glossy promo cards and/or torn programs, actually.

I watched it because the Hoops Tourney was so bad. Great crowd (I'm really happy for Seattle after the Sonics debacle), but not really good soccer. I'm hoping it is just first game rust and all, but outside of Montero both sides looked pretty sloppy and tentative, with the worst aerial work I've seen in ages. Guys looked happy just to get a head on it and then look around to see where it went.

NY looked terrible, the desperate long aerial passes HAVE GOT TO GO. That was a problem all last year too, though. I can't diagnose the problem in any more detail because I don't really understand where everyone is supposed to be on the field and whose responsibility it is to be in certain places.

I can say that we would have probably scored two goals with no extra effort last night if there had just been ANYONE in place to catch rebounds off of Keller.

The game was crazy in part because of the hype surrounding the new team and the start of the year. I've never seen an MLS game be so frantic as it was in the first 15 minutes or so.

I'm no fan of the long aerial game either, but unfortunately that's the nature of the league sometimes. It would be great for New York if Dane Richards could use his left foot once in a while, but since he can't it's off to the races. Seattle's defense really seemed to know where to hold the line to stop New York, which has got to be a coaching thing.

It's definitely a coaching thing that we played a 4-5-1 with no one who could get the job done in the midfield.

Our Chicago, we love you so! Like heroin, Fire a drug for Chicago! Just like hashish, or LSD, for the Fire it's complete insanity!

I'm going to a watch party at a bar this evening that is hosted by a bunch of Polish skinhead guys. $2 Okocim drafts. It's going to be great.

looooove the old Okocim graphics, need to be posted all the time, every thread
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd118/embarchie/b-okocim3.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd118/embarchie/Photo0055.jpg

I hate how all the teams have foreign sounding names. Just call yourself the goddamn Pasadena Bobcats or something.

http://media.timeoutchicago.com/resizeImage/htdocs/export_images/209/209.x600.feat.polish.bars.zimneP.jpg?

Excellent. So THAT'S why you were sending drunk texts on Saturday. Sorry it wasn't under better circumstances.

First tailgate of the year, coming right up....

maybe tilt-shift is starting to feel a little played, but still, this is cool, from the sounders/nyrb game
http://seattlest.com/attachments/seattle_seth/sounders_tilt.jpg

makes the turf look like it's made of plastic or something! oh wait

lol

Alexi LOLas has his own snarky vid-blog feature on MLS's website.

facepalm

http://www.mlsnet.com/imgs/about/MLS_world_players_09_15_08.jpg

nice. need more africans imo.
and le toux is from france, time to color that one in

imo one of the great things about soccer/futbol in general is how your interest can spread because of players you like. Because of Bakary Soumare and Gonzalo Segares from the Fire's back line, I'm going to be looking out for the scores of Mali and Costa Rica's qualifiers this weekend in addition to the Fire and USA games.

That being said, the fact that the league does not take all international dates off is pretty hilariously stupid.

shit got real in Columbus over the weekend

http://www.mls-rumors.net/2009/03/report-trillium-cup-tear-gas-and-tasers.html (scroll down past the ads)

personally I blame the Crew, people were shitheads when we went there in the fall and we had 10% of the numbers that came for TFC

TP was looking sort of shiny today.

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/1456/sspx0014.jpg

Note benches w/o seatbacks at the bottom -- it's almost a terrace!

so bummed i never got to a Fire game in Chi

lol @ toronto's 'best in mls' fans streaming out of there

1-0 feels pretty good after 35 degrees, windy, pissing rain, and a red card.