2020 mls

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

While there are certainly aspects of the game that annoy me, primarily diving . . .

"Diving," is that the thing I was talking about earlier? Player gets tripped, proceeds to writhe in agony ("for God's sake, call an ambulance!"), gets up a few minutes later, and proceeds to play as if nothing had happened?

[dkgo]

Sort of. People overrate it though. Simulation is definitely a problem, but anyone who has ever stubbed their toe knows sometimes you can hurt like a bitch for 30 seconds then be fine.

[rudel.dietrich]

It would be nice to see DC United return to relavance

[Déjà Bru]

I see expansion is in the works:



Makes sense, I guess, with 26 teams now . . . making for 13 per conference! Highly unlucky! Especially this Friday; maybe I should avoid MLS on that day.

But no more than 30, I would say.

[Déjà Bru]

Incidentally, I was somewhat astounded to learn that while the MLS season is progressing, teams are participating in this: "The CONCACAF Champions League (also known as CONCACAF Champions Cup) is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONCACAF for the top football clubs in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean."

Indeed, "Major League Soccer teams have participated in the CONCACAF Champions League each season since the tournament began its current format in 2008–09. Previously, MLS teams played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. MLS may send up to five teams to the CONCACAF Champions League each season — up to four from the United States, and up to one from Canada."

I started learning about that when I went to the NYCFC schedule to confirm their next MLS game on Saturday, and I found that they are playing tonight!



Two thoughts: More money for the players, but what about injuries? I guess MLS organizations are not strong enough, or paying their players enough, to forbid this. That's if they even would want to forbid it - maybe it's seen as good for the sport, growing and showcasing potential talent.

It's just a bit odd to this newcomer, that's all.

EDIT: Good grief, there's also this: "MLS teams also play in domestic competitions against teams from other divisions in the U.S. Open Cup and in the Canadian Championship." Maybe team owners share in the profits from these events.

EDIT 2: Just after typing that last sentence, I read "Instead of operating as an association of independently owned teams, MLS is a single entity in which each team is owned by the league and individually operated by the league's investors." I have a lot to learn.

[Boomcoach]

In Soccer, world-wide, teams compete in multiple competitions at the same time. When I first picked up a channel to watch English soccer, I was confused to see games against various teams that were not in the Premiere League.

In general, there are the following types of competitions, all over the world.

Domestic League - be it the MLS, the Premiere League, Serie A, la Liga, this is what most people would think of as a League.

Regional Champions League - the is a competition of the top teams from each league in the FIFA region, ConCaCaf for North America, UEFA for Europe, ComNeBol for South America.

Domestic Cup - Single Elimination tournament (usually) for the teams within a country, of all levels. In the US, this is the U.S Open Cup and includes the MLS, two divisions of the USL, Independent teams from the NISA as well as some amateur teams. In England, this is the FA Cup, which had 736 teams at the start.

It can be confusing, but it is also a chance for hardware outside of the MLS championship.

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

It's just a bit odd to this newcomer, that's all.

Wikipedia is a great help!

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

Wikipedia is a great help!

Oh yeah. That's where I learned about my latest flub (EDIT 2, above).

[Boomcoach]

For most of the world, it is not really about teams not making enough so they have to play more games, but about an appetite for the sport that demands more competitions. Not to say that the teams don't like getting the money!

In the UEFA Champions League, for instance, the top 4 Teams from the Premiere League this year will play in the Champions League next year. The number I hear most often is that making a Champions League spot is worth about $100 million. So there is certainly a financial benefit to making it.

This also makes the EPL continue to be interesting even after the Champion may have been decided. EPL (and most European leagues) do not have playoffs. You play everyone home and away and the best record wins. This year, Liverpool should seal up the title with 5 or 6 games remaining. The fight for the European spots, however, may well go down to the last week. The relegation fight also becomes fun at the end, but that is opening a whole 'nother can of worms!

[Déjà Bru]

Reading as we type. It's making my head spin.

[Déjà Bru]

Heh, I'm just reading about how you almost lost the Crew a few years ago. Previous "owner" Anthony Precourt wanted to relocate the franchise to Austin but was stopped when "fans and supporters of the club began a campaign and movement being known as #SaveTheCrew. Many had been present in the city's council building on behalf of the cause." No doubt you were there!

The city filed a lawsuit which apparently got Precourt to back down because "the owner of the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy Haslam, released a statement stating he was in the process of buying the Crew, along with other local groups. MLS later released a statement stating their willingness to keep the Crew in Columbus, and that Precourt will get the rights to start a team in Austin," one of the expansion teams shown above.

You saved your Crew. Democracy at work!

Heh again, I see you mentioned the episode in your OP. Let's just say that I wasn't as much into this then as I am now.

[Boomcoach]

Yeah, as I said, I picked up Setanta Sports, through Direct TV many moons ago, because it carried EPL. It also carried Rugby, which was my first real exposure to that. I didn't even know that there were two different rugby rules-sets (Union and League) so trying to make sense when so much varied from game to game was nuts.

They also carried Gaelic Football and Aussie Rules Football. There even showed a game between Gaelic and Aussie rules players trying to play a hybrid set of rules, which got really ugly as the Irish players were giving up about 30 pounds each (or a couple of stone, if you prefer) and the Aussie players just started kicking the %$^%$ of the Irish players and it wasn't much of a game.

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Heh, I'm just reading about how you almost lost the Crew a few years ago. Previous "owner" Anthony Precourt wanted to relocate the franchise to Austin but was stopped when "fans and supporters of the club began a campaign and movement being known as #SaveTheCrew. Many had been present in the city's council building on behalf of the cause." No doubt you were there!

The city filed a lawsuit which apparently got Precourt to back down because "the owner of the Cleveland Browns, Jimmy Haslam, released a statement stating he was in the process of buying the Crew, along with other local groups. MLS later released a statement stating their willingness to keep the Crew in Columbus, and that Precourt will get the rights to start a team in Austin," one of the expansion teams shown above.

You saved your Crew. Democracy at work!

Yeah, that was a tough couple of years. Don't know that I will be able to root for the Austin team at any time in the near future. Will also HAVE to get tickets the first time they visit the Crew! (in what should be our sparkly new stadium, by that time!)

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

Yeah, that was a tough couple of years. Don't know that I will be able to root for the Austin team at any time in the near future. Will also HAVE to get tickets the first time they visit the Crew! (in what should be our sparkly new stadium, by that time!)

I was just editing my comments above with "Heh again . . ." when you posted this. Sorry about that; I had glossed over your original mention of this in the OP and forgot about it.

Without revealing anything too personal, do you live in Columbus or nearby? The only reason I am asking is that I am curious about "Don't know that I will be able to root for the Austin team at any time in the near future." Do you mean that from a Cleveland Browns to Baltimore Ravens aspect (I don't see how you could root for the Ravens if you were a Browns fan back then) or are you elsewhere and just picked the Crew to be involved with?

I've known some fans who are like that; no where near Liverpool, not even English perhaps, but love them with a passion. Like Westheim with the Mets.

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

I was just editing my comments above with "Heh again . . ." when you posted this. Sorry about that; I had glossed over your original mention of this in the OP and forgot about it.

Without revealing anything too personal, do you live in Columbus or nearby? The only reason I am asking is that I am curious about "Don't know that I will be able to root for the Austin team at any time in the near future." Do you mean that from a Cleveland Browns to Baltimore Ravens aspect (I don't see how you could root for the Ravens if you were a Browns fan back then) or are you elsewhere and just picked the Crew to be involved with?

I've known some fans who are like that; no where near Liverpool, not even English perhaps, but love them with a passion. Like Westheim with the Mets.

I live near Ft. Wayne Indiana, so I am about 2.5 hours from Columbus. I have always enjoyed soccer, and my daughter was a fan, so we started going to Crew games around 2003-4. Usually make it to 4-5 games a year, plus any home playoff games.

If the team had moved, I would have had some residual feeling for players I had come to know, if not for the club itself. With the club staying and Precourt getting a new one, can't find any sympathy if they lose many many games for many years after the crap Precourt did in Columbus.

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

It would be nice to see DC United return to relavance

Yeah, they have really fallen of the face of the world. They have a great history, but certainly struggling now.

[Déjà Bru]

Boomcoach, MLS was my last resort and refuge. "Surely they will play in empty stadiums and grab attention while the other major sports are on hiatus," but alas, it was not to be.

[PocketsAintFull]

'The English Game: Netflix replays the birth of modern football'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51574065

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by PocketsAintFull

'The English Game: Netflix replays the birth of modern football'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51574065

"I'll take it!"

- Mr. Sports Starved

[Boomcoach]

I found myself watching Teqball on YouTube the other day. Its ping-pong with a soccer ball. Ferthelovvagawd, kill this damn bug and get me some real sports!!!!

Ready for PT21!