MLS 2014: The U$MNT Comes Home

[ThePrideofShiner]

Jesus. I thought that lost shot by Seattle was in. Shitty result, though disappointed with most of the crowd I've run into. Trying to blame the refs.

Fact is, Seattle dominated and gave up a goal. That's not on the refs. That's on the defense. Sounders needed an away goal. Alas.

As far as the final, go Donovan, er, Galaxy.

 

[crystalline]

The semifinals have two legs but the final is a single game?

 

[ThePrideofShiner]

The semifinals have two legs but the final is a single game?

 
Yes. Not sure why, but it's been that way for awhile.

 

[Spacemans Bong]

 
Yes. Not sure why, but it's been that way for awhile.

 
The single-leg wild card ties are much weirder if you're a soccer traditionalist. 
 
Edit: Will this run get some momentum going on a stadium solution?

 

[Joe D Reid]

The semifinals have two legs but the final is a single game?

MLS does a lot of goofy stuff, but that's reasonably common--the UEFA Champions League and a number of the cups in Euro domestic leagues do it that way. Even the Euros like the idea of a Big Game.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

UCL Final is on neutral/prearranged ground though - unfeasible for MLS due to attendance concerns, but I think the current format skews too heavily in favor of the home side.

This is probably a dumb question but do away goals apply in the MLS Cup Final?

 

[Arroyo Con Frijoles]

No away goals in the final 

 

[Zososoxfan]

As PSK said, I'm cool with a 1-game final, but it should be on a neutral field. Otherwise, make it a home-and-home. Already looking forward to a match preview by TB.

 

[Infield Infidel]

Neutral site is better for tournaments, but UCL doesn't have a 30+ game regular season that would be lose importance without HFA in the final. 

 

[Titans Bastard]

UCL Final is on neutral/prearranged ground though - unfeasible for MLS due to attendance concerns, but I think the current format skews too heavily in favor of the home side.

 
It's not unfeasible - a neutral-ground MLS Cup was the reality from 1996-2011.  The league switched in 2012 because:
 
(a) hosting rights to MLS Cup are a valuable advantage.  A big criticism of the MLS playoffs is that the teams who do better in the regular season do not get enough advantages, thus devaluing the regular season.
 
(b) there's better atmosphere when one of the participants hosts.
 
(c) it wasn't possible to have this arrangement for much of league history because only relatively recently have MLS teams largely had control of their own stadiums.  What if Kansas City advanced to the MLS Cup but the Chiefs were playing in Arrowhead that day?  There are still potential conflicts with New England and Seattle, but presumably they are limited enough so that MLS can work with Roth & Kraft to make sure their football teams aren't home that weekend.  (Sure enough, both the Pats and the Seahawks are on the road next weekend...)
 

Neutral site is better for tournaments, but UCL doesn't have a 30+ game regular season that would be lose importance without HFA in the final. 

 
Yup.  I think that the lack of advantages for higher seeds in the preceding two rounds is a bigger problem than HFA in MLS Cup.

 

[Zososoxfan]

This is where the US system is unique IMHO, because devaluing the regular season is mitigated by having the Supporter's Shield. For that reason, I think a more equitable final for MLS Cup makes sense, but I'm not getting too worked up about it.

 

[Titans Bastard]

This is where the US system is unique IMHO, because devaluing the regular season is mitigated by having the Supporter's Shield. For that reason, I think a more equitable final for MLS Cup makes sense, but I'm not getting too worked up about it.

 
Yeah, but the SS race only involves the top few teams.  Then you have the playoff bubble teams, but 10 teams make the playoffs.  So what about teams in the #4-#6 overall range?  What do they have to play for?  The answer should in part be playoff seeding, but playoff seeding doesn't count for much right now.
 
 
- And speaking of playoffs, Straus reports that they will be expanded to 12 teams next season.  Two more play-in games, involving #6 @ #3 in each conference.  I have to say, I'm not a fan.  The play-in games have rarely been very compelling and adding two mediocrities to the mix won't help.  I don't like it when more than 50% of the teams get in.
 
- The NE vs. NY second leg marked the official end of NBC Sports coverage of MLS.  I, and many others, will be sad to see them go.  They did a great job of producing MLS and I am not overly optimistic that Fox will be able to match them.  We'll see.
 
- Thierry Henry officially announced his departure from NYRB, which is no surprise.
 
- Montreal signed 31 y.o. Italian defender Marco Donadel, who has been out of contract since September when he and Napoli mutually terminated his contract.  We all know that the Impact love their aging Serie A players.  Di Vaio retired and they dumped Ferrari, so I guess the re-stocking begins.  Donadel hardly played for Napoli over three years, in part due to injury, and spent all of last season on loan at Hellas Verona.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

Thanks TB - did not know they had been at a neutral site for so long previously, but definitely agree with point (b) re: the atmosphere. That was really what I meant by 'unfeasible' - more just undesirable to have a couple of small supporters' sections then neutrals for the Cup Final.
 
(though typing that, I feel I am describing the Super Bowl  :nsmith: )

 

[nickandemmasuncle]

Thanks TB - did not know they had been at a neutral site for so long previously, but definitely agree with point (b) re: the atmosphere.

 
Thirded, and for context, here's the 2010 final, held at BMO Field in Toronto, between Dallas and Colorado. Neutral site, freezing cold weather, and two teams from thousands of miles away that had essentially zero widespread appeal to nonpartisan fans. In previous years, the neutral-site finals had decent-to-great atmospheres. I think this was the turning point where MLS started warming up to having the higher seed host the final, but I could be remembering wrong.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7RcdG17c4g
 
That atmosphere is not something you want for an event that's supposed to show your league off to the public.

 

[Titans Bastard]

- A.J. DeLaGarza is fit again, which is bad news for the Revs.  His partnership with Omar Gonzalez is so much stronger than the Gonzalez/Leonardo duo.
 
- Chicago signed a DP forward, Kennedy Igboananike.  He's a 25 year old Nigerian who comes from AIK in Sweden and frankly, his resume doesn't look too impressive.  The Fire have a history of dumb DP signings - Cuauhtemoc Blanco is pretty much the only success.  Hopefully for their sake they aren't paying Igboananike huge bucks and that they don't view him as a centerpiece.
 
- Ben Olsen won coach of the year.  No surprise - DC United went from 16 points in 2013 to 59 points in 2014.  It's rare to see a club stick with a third-year manager who went 3-7-24 but they did and it somehow paid off.
 
- RSL declined options on five players - oft-injured fullback/DM Rich Balchan, Dorchester's own Aaron Maund, former Rev LB/LM Abdoulie Mansally, academy forward Benji Lopez, and World Cup Forward Robbie Findley....

 

[steeplechase3k]

The Timbers are rumored to have signed Adam Larsen Kwarasey, a Ghanaian GK.  He played for the Ghana National team and has been in Norway recently.

 

[ThePrideofShiner]

The only MLS Cup I've been to was when the Dynamo beat the Revolution in 2006 in Dallas. The place had a fantastic atmosphere, but only because it was basically a home game for the Dynamo.
 
It was one of the best sporting events I've ever been to. Two goals back-to-back deep into extra time, and then on to PKs. I was in the press box for most of the match, and then wanted a better view for the PKs, so moved out onto these big platform areas they had above the seats. I stood next to some guy in a suit, who was drinking champagne, and watched the PKs. After it was over, he invited me to drink as much champagne as I wanted. Asked one of the workers who the hell that guy was, and he was like, 'Oh, that is Don Garber.'
 
Holy shit. Great dude.
 
Anyway, here is that match in its entirety. I can't figure out how to post it right when the goals start - 2 hours, 5:11 in - which is right before Taylor Twellman's goal. The camera barely catches the tying goal, as it came off the ensuing kickoff to Brian Ching.
 
http://youtu.be/rxy-6F9PTD0?t=2h5m11s

 

[Awesome Fossum]

Washington Post: D.C. United’s stadium wait is almost over
 

In 15 years as MLS commissioner, Don Garber has encountered a multitude of challenges in building the league and growing the sport.
 
Among the most daunting, enduring and frustrating: a new stadium for D.C. United.
 
While original teams, expansion clubs and relocated organizations have found their way into proper homes, MLS’s first on-field dynasty had become an off-field drag to the blossoming league.
 
But when the D.C. Council voting unanimously Tuesday in favor of a 20,000-seat project at Buzzard Point, United moved to the brink of realizing its dream of breaking ground on a new venue. A final vote by the council is scheduled for Dec. 16. The club and city are aiming for a 2017 opening.

 

[Titans Bastard]

- Don Garber did a "State of the League" roundtable yesterday with a bunch of journalists.  They actually asked him some tough-ish questions, which was a surprise to me.  In any case, some highlights:

• He repeatedly claimed that MLS is losing $100m a year, which I find to be laughable.  While that may be true from a pure accounting perspective, it probably includes investments the league is making in infrastructure, and doesn't include the revenue from SUM.  To say nothing of the fact that each team is playing their own corporate shell game - one legal entity is the team, another is the stadium, another is the concessions, etc.  If the league were truly losing $100m year with record high attendance and a new TV deal locked in for the next eight years, it would be fucked.  But someone, people are still falling over themselves to get in
• He sent some not-so-subtle messages to Miami that they aren't getting a team without the right stadium
• The next few expansion teams could be announced in 2015
• Garber confirmed that the league is looking to expand the playoffs to 12 next season.  His rationale is that the league is definitely going to 24 teams, so it's better to set one playoff format now, rather than tweak with every individual expansion.  I still don't like it very much.
• Shot down the fall-to-spring schedule idiocy yet again

 
- MLS Best XI announced.  A GK, three CBs, and seven attackers.  Not exactly a team....
 
- NY re-signed Bradley Wright-Phillips to a DP contract.  They'd better be careful - despite all the goals BWP banged it, he's not a versatile player and without Henry his production could slip considerably.
 
- Portland signed on-loan Jamaican fullback Alvas Powell to a permanent deal, reportedly for the modest price of $100k to Portmore United.
 
- Chicago also signed a fullback from the Caribbean - Trinidadian Joevin Jones, who comes from W Connection.
 
- Toronto cut loose Ryan Richter, Andrew Wiedeman, Jeremy Hall, and the ancient Dwayne de Rosario.  They've also let loanees Bradley Orr (Blackburn) and Doneil Henry (Apollon Limassol) return to their clubs.
 
- NY also cleaned out some international deadwood - former Rev Saër Sène, Kosuke Kimura, Marius Obekop, Richard Eckersley, Damien Perrinelle, and Ibrahim Sekagya - as well as one piece of domestic deadwood (Bobby Convey).  Some of these guys may re-sign on smaller deals.
 
- Dallas cleaned out a TON of cap space and international slots - Peruvian NT goalkeeper Raul Fernandez, Andres Escobar, Henry Thomas, George John, Jair Benitez, Adam Moffat, Peter Luccin, Nick Walker, Walter Cabrera, and Jonathan Top.  I'm really interested to see what Oscar Pareja does over the course of the next few seasons given the talent coming through FCD's academy.  His predecessor Schellas Hyndman didn't give the kids a chance, but they really rewarded Pareja for taking risks on them in 2014, particularly Victor Ulloa.  Hopefully that progressive attitude continues.

 

[Youkilis vs Wild]

Yeah, Garber's statement re: money felt like posturing ahead of the CBA negotiations...which are going to be very interesting to follow indeed.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Yeah, Garber's statement re: money felt like posturing ahead of the CBA negotiations...which are going to be very interesting to follow indeed.

 
The $100m number could also simply be a case of not counting the $100m fee from LA2 until they come into the league in 2017.  Since the league spent almost as much buying the franchise from Jorge Vergara, they'd be in a temporary hole.
 
Regardless, the franchise valuations, expansion fees, interested new ownership groups, and rising attendance and TV revenue do not square up with Garber's claim...at all.

 

[soxfan121]

 
The $100m number could also simply be a case of not counting the $100m fee from LA2 until they come into the league in 2017.  Since the league spent almost as much buying the franchise from Jorge Vergara, they'd be in a temporary hole.
 
Regardless, the franchise valuations, expansion fees, interested new ownership groups, and rising attendance and TV revenue do not square up with Garber's claim...at all.

 
It's almost like, given a pending CBA negotiation, the f(r)ee spending ways, the on-going feud with the National Team Coach (partly) over how developmental prospects should be (paid) handled...Garber is gonna cry poor. 
 
If MLS is $100M in the hole, it's because of Garber. If MLS locked into a TV contract and losing money, it's because of Garber. 
 
Perhaps it would be best if we just took Garber at his word and fire him for mismanagement instead of taking the minor amount of effort necessary to proving him a liar. 
 
Garber makes Gary Bettman look like Pete Rozelle.

 

[Titans Bastard]

 
It's almost like, given a pending CBA negotiation, the f(r)ee spending ways, the on-going feud with the National Team Coach (partly) over how developmental prospects should be (paid) handled...Garber is gonna cry poor. 
 
If MLS is $100M in the hole, it's because of Garber. If MLS locked into a TV contract and losing money, it's because of Garber. 
 
Perhaps it would be best if we just took Garber at his word and fire him for mismanagement instead of taking the minor amount of effort necessary to proving him a liar. 
 
Garber makes Gary Bettman look like Pete Rozelle.

 
Are you even serious?  There's no chance Garber would be fired.  I have a few bones to pick with Don, but he's done wonders for this league.  The "$100m in the hole" line is transparent posturing, but it's clearly the line that ownership wants him to tout.  So, there it is.  There's no need to overreact to CBA posturing.  Every league's management comes out with the bullshit come CBA time.
 
The funny thing is that the league provided financials to DC's city council to demonstrate that MLS is on solid financial ground prior to the DC city council approving a stadium...and of course, the DC city council was impressed.

 

[The Talented Allen Ripley]

Garber makes Gary Bettman look like Pete Rozelle.

 
This is an absurd statement. You have no credibility when it comes to the topic of MLS because of your extreme bias (which you've copped to, so kudos for that, I guess). Don't bother posting about MLS if this is the godawful dosghit you're going to come up with.

 

[soxfan121]

Eh, you're both right. I have no perspective on MLS and I'll read only from here on out. My apologies.

 

[Infield Infidel]

 
Yeah, but the SS race only involves the top few teams.  Then you have the playoff bubble teams, but 10 teams make the playoffs.  So what about teams in the #4-#6 overall range?  What do they have to play for?  The answer should in part be playoff seeding, but playoff seeding doesn't count for much right now.
 
- And speaking of playoffs, Straus reports that they will be expanded to 12 teams next season.  Two more play-in games, involving #6 @ #3 in each conference.  I have to say, I'm not a fan.  The play-in games have rarely been very compelling and adding two mediocrities to the mix won't help.  I don't like it when more than 50% of the teams get in.
 

 
They'd never do it, but a part of me thinks a hybrid best-of-three could be interesting.
 
Games 1&2
Win+Win= win series
Win+Draw= win series
Win+Loss w/ GD>0 = Win series
Win+Loss w/ GD=0 = Game three
Draw+Draw=Game three
 
It would help the higher seed more. frankly the play-in and final are the only instances where the higher seed has any real advantage.

 

[nickandemmasuncle]

 
Are you even serious?  There's no chance Garber would be fired.  I have a few bones to pick with Don, but he's done wonders for this league.  The "$100m in the hole" line is transparent posturing, but it's clearly the line that ownership wants him to tout.  So, there it is.  There's no need to overreact to CBA posturing.  Every league's management comes out with the bullshit come CBA time.
 
The funny thing is that the league provided financials to DC's city council to demonstrate that MLS is on solid financial ground prior to the DC city council approving a stadium...and of course, the DC city council was impressed.

 
Garber is probably the best commissioner in US sports right now. The league was headed for extinction when he took over, he oversaw some pretty dramatic changes to how things worked on the field and off, and suddenly we have a stable league with constantly improving quality of play, good attendance, strong fan culture, rich investors lining up to get in, and appreciating team values (which are a hell of a lot more important than a little bit of highly engineered operating loss on some accounting statements).
 
The stuff with Klinsmann and the $100M loss is all just sideshow BS. There are still some issues, like getting anyone to watch these games on TV, and the god-awful officiating, but overall, post-Garber MLS is light-years better than pre-Garber MLS.
 
Some of it is just down to general social / demographic changes in the US, but a good chunk of it was Garber undoing much of the dumb-ass shit Doug Logan did and putting the league on a sensible strategic course.

 

[Titans Bastard]

- Robbie Keane wins MVP.  It's hard to argue with his output this year (19g, 14a) which has been outstanding.  MVLee had 18g, 5a.  You can make the case that Nguyen was more crucial to the Revs than Keane was to the Galaxy, but I've never liked that interpretation of the MVP.
 
- Seattle GM Adrian Hanauer said that he expects Yedlin's deal with Tottenham to be finalized by the end of December.  I'm not sure if that means his Latvian passport has come through or if his World Cup status with the US is enough to get him through the WP process on appeal.
 
- Seattle also made some cuts.  Marcus Hahnemann and Djimi Traoré are retiring.  They also declined options on Sean Okoli, Eriq Zavaleta, Josh Ford, Onyekachi Apam, Tristan Bowen, and Cam Weaver.  The core is mostly intact - even Traoré lost his place in the starting XI by the end of the season.  I was a little surprised they cut bait on Zavaleta, but maybe they'll bring him back on a cheaper deal.  Leo Gonzalez and Zach Scott are both 34, Yedlin is leaving - they really need a CB, a RB, and a LB option if they don't think Dylan Remick can hack it.
 
- Cal Poly has hired a new coach for their men's soccer program.....Steve Sampson.  He hasn't coached since the Galaxy fired him during the 2006 season.
 
- Grant Wahl is reporting that RSL has traded CB Nat Borchers to Portland for allocation money.  It's always tough to judge these trades because it's never reported how much money is going the other way, but as good as Borchers has been, he's turning 34 and now might be a good time to cash in before his value really plummets.  Borchers will fit right in with the Portland scene:
 

 

[Vinho Tinto]

What has Sampson been up to? He was so young when he took over the U.S. job (38) that he was treated like a has been when he was still under 50.

One chip for 121's take on MLS: Is there any club in the world that lets all the supporters know the chairman will grace the stands for a title decider? I understand that the Patriots-Chargers game is guarenteed to be a week 14 game for the ages, but youre not doing your fanbase a favor by attending, Bob.

 

[Titans Bastard]

https://twitter.com/AndrewDasNYT/status/540966911232995328
 
 
Pathetic.
 
It will be embarrassing and a bad first impression is Lampard isn't playing when the season begin.  To me, this shows a worrying lack of understanding of NYC.  NYC demands first-rate everything.  Being a second-rate affiliate of an overseas club isn't going to look good.
 
Even if Lampard comes back at the end of December, or sometime during preseason, it's clear that NYCFC has no control over a player they've signed.  Not a good start.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Here's a brief tactical preview of MLS Cup.
 
 
In local soccer news, Providence just reached the NCAA Final Four with a win over Michigan State.  They've gotten significant contributions this season from two Revs academy products, Fabio Machado (Leominster) and Dominik Machado (Attleboro) - who aren't related.  Not sure if either is a real pro prospect, but since New England isn't exactly the country's greatest hotbed of youth soccer it's nice to see some local kids and a local program do well.

 

[lars10]

What has Sampson been up to? He was so young when he took over the U.S. job (38) that he was treated like a has been when he was still under 50.

One chip for 121's take on MLS: Is there any club in the world that lets all the supporters know the chairman will grace the stands for a title decider? I understand that the Patriots-Chargers game is guarenteed to be a week 14 game for the ages, but youre not doing your fanbase a favor by attending, Bob.

Apparently he's the new coach of Cal Poly... Apparently he was/is president of 'Global Sports Institute'
 
Anyway watching the final today?

 

[Senator Donut]

By the way, the game doesn't kickoff until 3:25 if you want to sneak in some more Red Zone channel until then.

 

[robssecondjob]

I wonder if the announcers are aware that there are two teams here.

 

[BoredViewer]

Aloe Blacc sounds like a character from an Eddie Murphy movie.

 

[Harry Hooper]

A near-death experience to start for the Revs, whew.

 

[Luis Taint]

If the Revs win this what tourney are they automatically in?

 

[Mr. Wednesday]

If the Revs win this what tourney are they automatically in?

The CONCACAF Champions League.

 

[PedroSpecialK]

"Yer not American you f*ckin German" - LA fan to Jones
 
Pure class

 

[Harry Hooper]

ugh

 

[Luis Taint]

Both of these teams would beat Arsenal

 

[Mr. Wednesday]

Oops, never mind.

 

[Reardon's Beard]

Revs need to shoot the damn ball.

 

[SoxFanInPdx]

This match looks like crap on my tv. Looks like they're using non-HD cameras. And I have a great tv.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

I gotta leave my house, is this on audio stream anywhere for free?

 

[Dollar]

GOAAAAAAL!

 

[Reardon's Beard]

YEAAAAAAHH!!!!

 

[Mr. Wednesday]

Great ball by Mullins to set the stage for Tierney.

 

[Harry Hooper]

Great ball by Mullins to set the stage for Tierney.

 
 
Good work all around there.

 

[Reardon's Beard]

Seeing the Revs dig down deep here - they want it now.