MLS 2022: Our Weird, Fun, Chaotic, Dumb Domestic League

swiftaw

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Jan 31, 2009
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Anyone following the US Open Cup? My local team, Union Omaha of USL1 in only their 3rd ever season and first in the US Open Cup have reached the quarter finals, having knocked out 2 MLS teams (Chicago and Minnesota) along the way.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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Anyone following the US Open Cup? My local team, Union Omaha of USL1 in only their 3rd ever season and first in the US Open Cup have reached the quarter finals, having knocked out 2 MLS teams (Chicago and Minnesota) along the way.
Cool! That’s a tidy little club that perfectly executed their match plan against the Fire. That’s a well coached squad.
 

Arroyo Con Frijoles

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Jul 19, 2005
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Cupset!

A slapped together mess of a lineup for the Revs got almost nothing going against NYCFC, didn't deserve to go on, and didn't.
 

Senator Donut

post-Domer
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Apr 21, 2010
5,502
I’m hesitant to post this since it’s worded vaguely enough to probably be technically correct even if nothing comes of it, but Real Madrid are "are preparing opening bid" for Gaga Slonina.

View: https://twitter.com/fabrizioromano/status/1531310459017908224


Presumably any bids are going to come with a loan back through at least the World Cup, as I don’t think a Champions League quality team views him even as a cup goalkeeper at this point. USA goalkeepers seem to be returning to the top clubs of Europe after a long absence.
 

67YAZ

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I’m hesitant to post this since it’s worded vaguely enough to probably be technically correct even if nothing comes of it, but Real Madrid are "are preparing opening bid" for Gaga Slonina.

View: https://twitter.com/fabrizioromano/status/1531310459017908224


Presumably any bids are going to come with a loan back through at least the World Cup, as I don’t think a Champions League quality team views him even as a cup goalkeeper at this point. USA goalkeepers seem to be returning to the top clubs of Europe after a long absence.
There’s been tons of scouts at Fire matches lately, which probably does Slonina no favors. Buffon would look bad behind this defense.

The strongest sounding big club interest so far has been Wolves. Their keeper, Sa, just had a great season, with the Athletic rating it as the best in the EPL per their xg allowed measure. Big clubs definitely see Slonina as one for the future.

It’s going to be a journey for Gaga. He has some key areas that still need major development - consistency on high balls, distribution, and organizing the backline. He needs match time, good coaching, and a manager who’ll support his learning curve.

Again, the word on Slonina is that he’s exceptionally mature. Like his USMNT decision, I trust he’ll take his time and a make a well considered choice.
 
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Senator Donut

post-Domer
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Apr 21, 2010
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Not to be an ass, but "two points out of a playoff spot" describes 11 of the 14 eastern conference teams. Everyone except Chicago (sorry @67YAZ) is within 5 points of the red line.

There were signs that the club-coach relationship was headed in the wrong direction, when Ramirez decided to give a way-too-honest description of his roster back in February (emphasis added).

“We need to reinforce the squad,” said the Spaniard. “We need to have something else to be more competitive."

“Let's wait and see how the roster-building finishes,” he said later when asked in Spanish what should be expected of his new squad. “When we finish that, I will answer that question and tell you how I see things. Right now, we're screwed.”​

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/screwed-charlotte-fc-frustrated-but-not-finished-as-roster-build-continues
 

Titans Bastard

has sunil gulati in his sights
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Not to be an ass, but "two points out of a playoff spot" describes 11 of the 14 eastern conference teams. Everyone except Chicago (sorry @67YAZ) is within 5 points of the red line.

There were signs that the club-coach relationship was headed in the wrong direction, when Ramirez decided to give a way-too-honest description of his roster back in February (emphasis added).

“We need to reinforce the squad,” said the Spaniard. “We need to have something else to be more competitive."​
“Let's wait and see how the roster-building finishes,” he said later when asked in Spanish what should be expected of his new squad. “When we finish that, I will answer that question and tell you how I see things. Right now, we're screwed.”​

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/screwed-charlotte-fc-frustrated-but-not-finished-as-roster-build-continues
More details on the firing:

View: https://twitter.com/JohnHayesOnAir/status/1531739373875740675
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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Looks like Mansueto is flexing his connections and getting a new HQ + practice facility built on city-owned land. The complex will include 6 pitches and host youth and community programs along with being the base for training, youth development, and scouting.

It’s located on the Near West Side, just past Little Italy. Centrally located, but not particularly well served by public transportation for youth/community programs. The space was home to public housing that was torn down almost 20 years ago and then left vacant. Community activists are pushing back that the city never fulfilled its promise to replace all the units destroyed during that wave of renewal - there’s over 3000 applications on public housing waitlists in Chicago, yet this space will be leased to a sports team instead of developed for more housing. This being Chicago, I don’t see community activists getting the mayor to change her position.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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The Athletic reporting that Chiellini has signed on with LAFC for 18 months. That should be a lot of fun.
 

67YAZ

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Fire win! First victory in 11 matches, including 7 losses.

It’s no coincidence that Czichos was back & everything clicked. But can you really be a good team if your linchpin is a CB?

Brian Gutierrez had the best match of his young career. Can’t wait to see him repeat the performance.
 

ThePrideofShiner

Crests prematurely
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Jul 16, 2005
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Is Apple tv on Hulu ?
Apple TV is the same as Hulu, in the sense that it is a streaming service that you pay for monthly and it has its own platform. The biggest problem with Apple TV that I can tell is that there is no app for Android native devices. Hopefully that is being figured out before the MLS streaming launch.
 

67YAZ

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Maine’s finest, Wyatt Omsberg, out 3 months following foot surgery. He’s been a first choice CB all season and partnered reasonably well with Czichos.

Omsberg has 2 team option years after this. He’s got MLS talent, but picking up a major injury just when you’ve broken in as a starter really screws with your career trajectory.
 
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67YAZ

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After an encouraging win in DC, I just watched the most inept half of professional defending I’ve seen in a long, long time. Houston unlucky to be up only 2-0.
 

Pesky Pole

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Standard Union-NYCFC game. Union play a great first half but only lead 1-0, let NYCFC hang around and tie on a handball on a harmless cross. Then their trainer gets a red card while Glesnes saves Castellanos life (Paul Rushing would have killed him). Union win it in the 96th minute on a deflection that has to be reviewed by VAR. The Paul Rushing statue is being cast right now.
 

ThePrideofShiner

Crests prematurely
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Their trainer got a red card? What in the world?

Also, is Bale better than Rooney? I assume the reason Bale is on TAM and not a DP slot is because the LA teams have special rules that only apply to them?
 

Senator Donut

post-Domer
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Apr 21, 2010
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Their trainer got a red card? What in the world?

Also, is Bale better than Rooney? I assume the reason Bale is on TAM and not a DP slot is because the LA teams have special rules that only apply to them?
Yeah, it’s pretty obviously the case. I mentioned Pavón and Zlatan upthread. Zlatan got a sweetheart deal on Hammarby IF from the Galaxy owners (AEG) and Pavón got a wink-wink pay increase once the team was able to clear salaries. To be determined in what exact method of cap circumvention LAFC used here.

https://theathletic.com/2641577/2021/06/09/inter-miami-mls-blaise-matuidi-violations/
 

67YAZ

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Also, is Bale better than Rooney?
Is Bale better now than Wayne Rooney when the latter came over?

the season before Rooney came over, he played 36 times for Everton, totaling 2600 minutes, 11 goals, and 2 assists. He also played for England 5 times totaling 300 minutes without adding anything to the scoresheet.

Bale only hit the pitch 7 times for Madrid this year, a whopping 289 minutes and 1 goal. But for Wales he’s played 11 times, racked up 686 minutes, and netted 6 plus 4 more assists.

So…On a squad tailored around him, Bale has ripped up it this season. But he hasn’t played much overall. I’d say yeah, Bale has a much higher ceiling on day one of his MLS career, but there’s going to be a fair amount of adjustment for him to integrate into the LAFC squad and for the squad to accommodate him.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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I had good seats for a Red Bulls-DC United game- outing by the NYC Evertonians- right behind a corner flag. Was able to see Wayne mix it up. He wasn’t a passenger or a diva, he was banging bodies in the box. It was fun, the Red Bull CBs were, of course, some big fellas, and when the play moved down to the DC end, so it was just Rooney and the CBs loitering in the middle of the park for the play to come back their way, you’d see the odd elbow to Rooney’s ribs or knee to the kidneys. He paid it no mind. Didn’t score, RB won 1-0, but looked a threat throughout and was both the leader of the team and another one of the eleven. He wasn’t a dilettante.

Bale would do well to do as much. A Guardian column argues, and I agree, that Bale needs LA and MLS more than they need him.
 

67YAZ

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Oh god, I love this play in no small part because Rooney is too tired to celebrate. He gives that weak thumbs up while grabbing his shorts. I’ve never felt so represented before.
 

ThePrideofShiner

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Thanks for all the insight. I knew Rooney worked hard when he was in MLS, but I don't know that he was quite the game changer that some folks thought he would be. As always, it seems non-MLS fans assume aging stars from Europe will come over and dominate but that is not the guaranteed case.

From the travel to the weather to the playing surfaces it will be interesting to see how Bale does.
 

ThePrideofShiner

Crests prematurely
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Jul 16, 2005
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I'm going to see Montreal play for the first time tonight. That will give me 17 of 28 teams I have seen play. I will add Cincinnati to my list later this summer. What is everyone else at?

Seattle
Vancouver
Portland
LAFC
LA Galaxy
FC Dallas
Houston
Nashville
NYCFC
Philadelphia
Inter Miami
Sporting Kansas City
Real Salt Lake
Colorado
Minnesota
Toronto
 

Senator Donut

post-Domer
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Apr 21, 2010
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I'm going to see Montreal play for the first time tonight. That will give me 17 of 28 teams I have seen play. I will add Cincinnati to my list later this summer. What is everyone else at?
I'm at 24/28

Haven't seen
Charlotte FC
Austin FC
Minnesota United FC
Nashville SC

Never saw Fusion, Mutiny, or Chivas

I missed Nashville last summer, now they're in the west. I missed Charlotte earlier this year. Austin has never played in Foxboro. I've missed the Loons twice, ironically I was in St. Paul one of those times.
 

ThePrideofShiner

Crests prematurely
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Jul 16, 2005
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I'm at 24/28

Haven't seen
Charlotte FC
Austin FC
Minnesota United FC
Nashville SC

Never saw Fusion, Mutiny, or Chivas

I missed Nashville last summer, now they're in the west. I missed Charlotte earlier this year. Austin has never played in Foxboro. I've missed the Loons twice, ironically I was in St. Paul one of those times.
Damn, that is good penetration. 24 teams!

Wait, I just remembered I saw Charlotte earlier this season. So, I guess I'm at 18. Nashville is headed back to the East next season, I think.

I wish MLS would go to a balanced schedule so that I could potentially see some of the East teams more often.
 

Senator Donut

post-Domer
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Apr 21, 2010
5,502

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Jan 10, 2004
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The 718
Thanks for all the insight. I knew Rooney worked hard when he was in MLS, but I don't know that he was quite the game changer that some folks thought he would be. As always, it seems non-MLS fans assume aging stars from Europe will come over and dominate but that is not the guaranteed case.

From the travel to the weather to the playing surfaces it will be interesting to see how Bale does.
Gerard, for one, didn’t much have the stomach for it. The extrene weather, travel, and CONCACAFery are not to the liking of some.
 

ThePrideofShiner

Crests prematurely
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Jul 16, 2005
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I'm at 18. By the end of this season I'll be at 21. I'll still be missing NE, PHI, NYCFC, CHA, CHI, TOR, and MTL (plus STL when next season starts). Still, not bad for someone who attended his first MLS match in June of last year.
That's legit. I assume you are a season ticket holder?
 

67YAZ

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Yeah, it’s pretty obviously the case. I mentioned Pavón and Zlatan upthread. Zlatan got a sweetheart deal on Hammarby IF from the Galaxy owners (AEG) and Pavón got a wink-wink pay increase once the team was able to clear salaries. To be determined in what exact method of cap circumvention LAFC used here.

https://theathletic.com/2641577/2021/06/09/inter-miami-mls-blaise-matuidi-violations/
LAFC's accountants must be fucking amazing if they are in on Lingered...

 

67YAZ

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Gutierrez’s physical development is allowing his technical skill to shine this season.


Edit: Duran also had a great match - 2 goals that showed off his strength, pace, and calm finishing. He also pressed hard and drew a slew of fouls. Duran is an excellent starlet for a team that has to defend deep and hit on the break…so long as he keeps his composure and doesn’t let his immaturity flare up again.
 
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