MLS is back!

[Déjà Bru]

The rematch tonight at 7:30. Be there or be square! And fear us, for we blasted Orlando City in our last match.

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

The rematch tonight at 7:30. Be there or be square! And fear us, for we blasted Orlando City in our last match.

Wellll, that was pretty ugly. I thought their last 2 wins were definite TEAM wins, with contributions from all over. This one was definitely a team loss, everyone helped!

[Déjà Bru]

Sorry that it had to be at the expense of your team, but NYCFC jumped up to a tie for third place in the Eastern Conference with this win.

[dkgo]

great showing from the all mls usa b-team. mexico brought basically their regular team to win it and still lose. miles robinson looks like he should be playing in qualifiers, but no one impressed at striker

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by dkgo

great showing from the all mls usa b-team. mexico brought basically their regular team to win it and still lose. miles robinson looks like he should be playing in qualifiers, but no one impressed at striker

Even though I am a Zardes fan, I would love to see a better option come along. He is certainly not world class. Sargeant does well for club, but hasn't shown that well for the USMNT. Dike looks to be a bundle of power and talent, but he also hasn't shown it for the US.

In the end, Zardes is going to make good runs and finish an appropriate amount of chances. He works hard on both ends of the field and his passing and hold-up play has improved. In my mind, he is still our best striker until someone can take it away.

I kept hoping that a healthy Altidore would be the solution but a "healthy Altidore" is about as common as a left-handed unicorn.

[dkgo]

I'm holding out hope one of the young guys can take a leap over the next year. Zardes might be a bit better now (though very debatable) but he's not going to improve anymore. Sargent, Weah, Hoppe someone just take over the spot.

We saw Dest go from making his first appearance for Jong Ajax to starting for Barcelona in the champions league in just two years(!) and permanently answer one of the questions at fullback which had been a weakness forever. It can happen quickly.

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by dkgo

I'm holding out hope one of the young guys can take a leap over the next year. Zardes might be a bit better now (though very debatable) but he's not going to improve anymore. Sargent, Weah, Hoppe someone just take over the spot.

Zardes doesn't have the tools that these others do, but so far, he has produced for the USMNT and the others have failed to do so. I am not really arguing with you, but I do think Zardes is undervalued by a lot of people.

I think that Zardes got a bad rap early on and a lot of it stuck in people's minds. I still hear commentators talking about him failing to convert chances, when the data shows he has a very good conversion rate. I think that there is a lot of confirmation bias when people watch Zardes.

In the end, I want the US to have a better option that Zardes, but I think he has earned the spot until someone takes it away. It can't just be given to the new hot in hopes that it will work.

[CONN CHRIS]

The kids and I went to see Hartford Athletic host Miami last night. Light crowd which is to be expected for a Wednesday night with rain in the forecast but it was great fun.

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS

The kids and I went to see Hartford Athletic host Miami last night. Light crowd which is to be expected for a Wednesday night with rain in the forecast but it was great fun.

Looks like fun!

[CONN CHRIS]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

Looks like fun!

The most entertaining thing was the English guy sitting behind us yelling at the Hartford players all night. "What was that you bloody bastard!" "Nice ball!" "You need to body that up you useless twat!"

Felt like we were in a seedy pub with a gruff sailor yelling at the telly.

[Déjà Bru]

Tonight's game against Nashville put the lie to the belief that NYCFC belongs up there with the elite of the Eastern Conference. NYC avoided a shutout with an almost literally last minute goal.

[monkeyman576]

I really don't understand the women's soccer equal pay argument. While in the USA the men's soccer team isnt hugely ahead of women's soccer in popularity, worldwide men's soccer generates significantly more revenue. That would be like saying baseball and rodeo should be compensated the same.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

I really don't understand the women's soccer equal pay argument. While in the USA the men's soccer team isnt hugely ahead of women's soccer in popularity, worldwide men's soccer generates significantly more revenue. That would be like saying baseball and rodeo should be compensated the same.

Good argument until that last sentence which is a bad analogy. Within each sport, be it soccer, baseball, or rodeo, the profitability of leagues should be the determinant of pay scale, gender notwithstanding. If men's soccer leagues blow away women's soccer leagues in popularity and cash flow, then it is not reasonable for the women to expect to earn the same pay as the men. So, if such leagues were comparable for those parameters in baseball or rodeo, then pay should be comparable by gender in each sport.

[Déjà Bru]

Headline: Can NYCFC finally capture attention of New York sports fans with MLS Cup berth in sight?

New York City FC is deeper in the MLS Cup playoffs than ever before as they visit Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference final at 3 p.m. This New York-Philly matchup won’t draw the same viewership as Jets-Eagles up the turnpike at MetLife Stadium, or Giants-Dolphins from Miami. Those who prefer their football to be soccer, or any New Yorker parched for a winner amid the region’s nearly decade-long championship drought, may be inclined to switch channels. (The game is on ABC, by the way.)

God, you said it. Though, not from the "nearly decade-long championship drought" but in general from the dreadfulness of New York teams in recent years.

[knightdreamer2k]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Headline: Can NYCFC finally capture attention of New York sports fans with MLS Cup berth in sight?

God, you said it. Though, not from the "nearly decade-long championship drought" but in general from the dreadfulness of New York teams in recent years.

i am a fan of many NY/NJ teams and I was just thinking with the exception of the Devils and Yankees, none of the teams I follow have won a championship. I have seen the Knicks and Nets in the finals but still no championship. I like both the Red Bulls and NYCFC, so it would be nice to have a championship in soccer.

[mytreds]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

I really don't understand the women's soccer equal pay argument. While in the USA the men's soccer team isnt hugely ahead of women's soccer in popularity, worldwide men's soccer generates significantly more revenue. That would be like saying baseball and rodeo should be compensated the same.

The women negotiated themselves into a contract stating they’d be paid a flat rate and not based on their win:loss rate and title wins (which is what the men team does). Their argument “we win moar” is lost when you put into context they benefit in a nation that spends its male athletes on three (four if you count hockey) major sports, whereas the rest of the world focuses their elite male athletes on soccer/football/futbol. Thus, the rest of the world cares little about women’s soccer, and crushes our nations men’s team, which is constantly punching up due to losing potential athletes to baseball, football, and basketball. Plus the fact that the people who watch/follow sports (overwhelmingly male) care little about watching women’s sports.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by knightdreamer2k

i am a fan of many NY/NJ teams and I was just thinking with the exception of the Devils and Yankees, none of the teams I follow have won a championship. I have seen the Knicks and Nets in the finals but still no championship. I like both the Red Bulls and NYCFC, so it would be nice to have a championship in soccer.

Well, they are on the threshold, thanks to a goal in the 88th minute by a 19-year-old kid. Imagine that; perhaps the most important thing to happen in your life, at age 19.

[dsvitak]

I am very fired up for the St. Louis new MLS team. The statium is more than halfway completed, and I challenge anyone to find a bigger hotbed of soccer in the US than St. Louis.

[Déjà Bru]

Kudos both ways. Portland for not giving up and scoring the game-tying goal in the 93rd minute, and NYCFC for not giving up after that. Here's to the champions!

[Déjà Bru]

Heh, ABC is having a hard time keeping the camera away from Timbers fans holding up their middle fingers. The usual clueless and classless behavior expected from sports fans these days, but I will say this: A rather excessive celebration by NYCFC on the opponent's home pitch! They ought to have celebrated a bit on the field in a natural way, their exuberance boiling over of course, then taken the party indoors.