Major League Soccer

http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/36352180

that's insane, and kinda shows you the level of parity in the league, considering how bad NYRB were not that long ago (I think they've found their form lately tho!)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/may/24/antonio-conte-italians-mls-consequences?CMP=twt_a-sport_b-ussports_c-us_g-1

This has got people twisted today

Antonio Conte, the Italy national coach, has said that Italian players who move to MLS must “pay the consequences in footballing terms” – which means not being picked for international tournaments while he is coach.

Not surprising imo, also not gonna be surprising when Italy goes out in the group stage

I wouldn't say Italy are guaranteed not to advance from their group. Giovinco maybe could have added something to their squad, Pirlo definitely not - while Giovinco looks like Messi in mls Pirlo actually looks like garbage.

Oh yeah, I'm mainly just shit talking. Honestly I think it's good that people were asking Conte about leaving Giovinco out.

Gerrard not making much of an impact over there either from what I hear

More than Lampard!

Phuck Filly!

Also kinda :/ at being a fan of the hothead team

GOD...DAMMIT

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/off-pitch-the-dark-side-of-american-soccer-fan-culture-1.2721583?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

Yup, this has caused quite a stir. Like any story, it hits the mark in some ways and misses it in others. The league commissioner said it never should have been published or some such bullshit.

I'm not too bothered by it because I know the truth about my involvement and how my friends operate, but I know there are a lot of people (primarily younger and dumber white males) out there for whom this cuts pretty deep, and with good reason. Most of them are sounding off in opposition to the article's point, of course, but maybe a few will think on it and make some changes in the way they do their business? Or maybe not.

It's also a small piece of evidence of the game/league coming to greater and greater prominence -- if someone writes a clickbait-y "hit piece" about something, they know they're going to pull in eyeballs.

Absolutely terrible article and the writer himself is erasing all the Latinx SGs and all the other absolutely soccer-mad immigrant groups throughout NYC.

Snarky response although not a perfect rebuttal: http://www.firsttouchonline.com/the-dark-side-of-ridiculous/

The ESC has a whole section of their site devoted to Spanish language news & commentary!
http://www.empiresupportersclub.com/espanol/

The site also features this statement (and always has):

The ESC exists to support our team and to support each other, however, the ESC is against racism, religious intolerance, political demonstration, and violence on the grounds. We believe there is no place in football/soccer for these evils of society and will not tolerate our members engaging in this type of behavior. If your goal is to further one of these causes then ESC is not for you.

hmm, it's a pretty bad article. the anglophilic fetishization of english fan culture is definitely something ive observed from vancouver and seattle fans, and the culture being aped is def "problematic" - 80s casuals were extremely violent and the political bent tended to be racist/fascistic. it seems awful to me when I see Vancouver fans with a "casuals" flag because a) they are middle-class and soft, and have no actual connection to the culture, and are enamored with the image of something that existed in another continent 30 years ago (their idea of casual fashion is adidas trainers and fred perry shirts, it's a snapshot to a different time). games are non-segregated and even against the local rivals there seems to be no attempt to start agro. i sat in the middle of traveling seattle fans at bc place once cheering for Vancouver with my friend in a Whitecaps scarf, none of the supposed "hardcore" gave a shit. i would literally have been punched in the face if sat with opposition fans openly backing my team at a game back home (Scotland).

the fans simulacra of old school british football culture doesn't seem to be focused on the right-wing and violent aspect of English football fandom at all. In Vancouver, the only MLS city i can speak to with any sort of authority, there is a pretty sizeable lesbian contingent to the active fanbase. and despite being a city with a relatively small latin population one of the main fan groups openly apes the barra bravas of south america. the fanbase also seems overwhelmingly non-political, and non-threatening in a middle-class fashion.

it should also be noted that cock sparrer are not a right-wing oi band and the people who the song calls to put up against the wall and shoot are record executives.

oh I forgot a B) back there. haha. was supposed to be after the and and before the have lol

Another point I feel is that without an established autochthonous football culture it is inevitable that MLS fandom will ape existing styles of support. The EPL is the preeminent football league in the world, many MLS supporters - maybe most - have an English team. Much easier to draw from this than Latin American football.

it should also be noted that cock sparrer are not a right-wing oi band and the people who the song calls to put up against the wall and shoot are record executives.

Now this is a sore point. ESC members are having a meltdown on discussion boards and social med over whether the section/capos should discontinue this song altogether. Personally I vote yes and I'm embarrassed for/by the NJ hardman types who call it "giving in to political correctness" or any variation thereof.

Absolutely terrible article and the writer himself is erasing all the Latinx SGs and all the other absolutely soccer-mad immigrant groups throughout NYC.

otm, though I would add throughout chicago too, as well as other places -- and I'd add Polish, German, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, and other cultures to the list of erasures

it's just so narrowly focused, he obviously didn't do a lot of research outside a few small circles

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnYIGA2UsAA24xB?format=jpg&name=large

uh

the irish times writer is in way over his head but he does make some correct observations, however minor. his conclusion is just flat out wrong, though

i just went to see the la galaxy play against the whitecaps in los angeles and that got me thinking how soccer in north america has changed

(i wrote an insanely long response about the irish times piece but deleted it -- not worth it probably)

it originally ran in the new york times magazine, btw, dunno how the irish times picked it up like that

o

that makes a lot of sense

the article is a real pos but god jay caspian king's @s must be horrendous right about now

u kno how i solve that jim

delete delete delete

funny thing about the English vs Latin America feel, there's been a lot of hemming and hawing about how Orlando City started as an English flavored club and is now looking more and more Brazilian in style/player signings/etc under Flavio.

that quote from lalas about mexican-americans not supporting usmnt is facepalm central

p much 8 out of every 10 things Alexi says fit in that category

fuckin sounders
kreis to orlando?

Details on potential buyers for the Fire:

http://www.chicagonow.com/fire-confidential/2016/08/fire-sale-at-least-three-groups-interested/

Minnesota United to join mls Western conference next season

bit of a bummer they're in the west, from a chicago perspective

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cr2tHKWXgAA_zC7.jpg

ok lol

harl (harlan) wrote this on thread Major League Soccer on board I Love Football on Apr 9, 2011

always a joy to beat chicago

you must take joy in kicking puppies as well

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/731448/Man-Utd-outcast-Bastian-Schweinsteiger-spotted-Chicago-Fire-boss-sportgalleries

hmmmmmm

First thought is there's no way ownership will pay as much as he probably requires. A third of his salary is still more than the entire team budget from last season.

Second thought is wondering whether he's the type of player Fire really needs... I've never been a big Bayern or Germany follower but wasn't he more of a box-to-box mid? Fire need creativity terribly.

Third thought is most positive, he'd definitely raise the profile of the team. But there's so much else wrong...

lol

The start of the MTL/TFC semifinal is FD delayed because they painted the penalty boxes incorrectly and are re-doing it

Dunno what that FD is, blaming it on the phone

xp. this was p hilarious.

montreal 2-0 within 13 minute and the atmosphere is really great, montreal have, to coin a horrible britishism, a proper home support for a football team.

having a laugh at the people behind the advertising haords sat at tables like in a restaurant, complete with mineral water and napkins as far as i can tell, haha.

wau. was 3-0 montreal and tfc have scored 2 away goals in 4 minutes to make it 3-2.

I blame the big O

Also Jozy shoved a dude down and should have been called for a foul before the second TFC goal

lodeiro btw

the return leg was something special too

Mike Magee retires, a true MLS great

This is fantastic: http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/02/08/mls-roster-rules-acquisitions-flowchart-how-to-sign-players

jesus

Kaveh Solhekol Verified account
‏@SkyKaveh

Dwight Yorke confirms he's been denied entry to the US because of Iranian stamp in his passport. (Played in Tehran charity match in 2015.)

new teams!
this is decent a badge
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/93ccbd5b989cc25da63dc3a9307d24ff9c834caf/36_0_695_417/master/695.png?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=4b47666870fc0beda9e65a553f1e5793

and the loons is a great nickname but wearing all grey at home is aggressively boring, giant wings or no.

this goes into the lazy hall of fame
http://atlantaintownpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/atl-black.png

i like that "victory red" doesn't represent victory
http://diegoguevara.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/TheeBlog_AtlantaUnitedFC3.png