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MLS season to kickoff Tuesday

Started by RidgeRider, March 13, 2011, 07:37:56 PM

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RidgeRider

I say this every year but I am going to really try and follow this league more closely this year. I think one of the reason is that Seattle last year and now my team as a child, the Portland Timbers are in the league as well as Vancouver. From the age of 13-20 I lived in Portland and attended a few games at Portland's Civic stadium in the later 70's, probably 1976 or 1977. There were some English players on that team, I believe Clyde Best was one of them. Anyway it was my introduction to the Pro game.

At the same time my geographic team is the San Jose Earthquakes who also play at my alma mater. So I have two teams to follow.

Anyway, any of you have a strong feeling about who will win the conference tables? Or is the league just not interesting enough?

HatterDon

I'm going to give it more than a shot also. Despite the fact that I intended to watch more MLS last season, I actually wound up watching less. Why? Well, if they played at 0900 central on Saturday morning like the Prem does, I'd probably watch as often as I do then. Problem is that their midweek games are always when I have evening commitments and their weekend games are usually when I'm out working with the band.

With The Prem I can watch three complete games between 0630 and 1300. Not possible with MLS.
"As long as there is light, I will sing." -- Juana, la Cubana

www.facebook/dphvocalease
www.facebook/sellersandhymel

duffbeer

i would comment also if this were over on FulhamUSA


RidgeRider

Quote from: duffbeer on March 14, 2011, 02:56:33 AM
i would comment also if this were over on FulhamUSA

Would you stop! Why not right here? You know you want to.  :dft011:

finnster01

I will give it a shout this year. Looking into the New York RedBull situation (I will bring the vodka). Haven't watched a MLS game yet, but I will this season and certainly do a match report and experience ala Mr HatterDon but instead of South Texas, it will be from the heart of Harlem.

I don't know what to expect, so this could be real fun and an experience.  :045:
If you wake up in the morning and nothing hurts, you are most likely dead

duffbeer

#5
Quote from: RidgeRider on March 14, 2011, 03:15:28 AM
Quote from: duffbeer on March 14, 2011, 02:56:33 AM
i would comment also if this were over on FulhamUSA

Would you stop! Why not right here? You know you want to.  :dft011:

There's already a thread about this on FUSA, not gonna write all the same stuff on both sites like I did for the MLS draft.  That was just plain silly.


duffbeer

#6
Quote from: finnster01 on March 14, 2011, 01:20:34 PM
I will give it a shout this year. Looking into the New York RedBull situation (I will bring the vodka). Haven't watched a MLS game yet, but I will this season and certainly do a match report and experience ala Mr HatterDon but instead of South Texas, it will be from the heart of Harlem.

I don't know what to expect, so this could be real fun and an experience.  :045:


Now that is the way to win me over.  I look forward to your write-ups Mr. Finn.  

Ridge here is an interesting article on Portlands manager John Spencer.  Worth a read. I will be following Portland because of Darlington Nagbe.  He is an Akron alum and a really sweet kid.  He came from the same academy that my son will now play for.  They produced two of this year's 10 MLS generation addidas signings.  

http://sport.scotsman.com/football/Interview-John-Spencer-Portland-Timbers.6733172.jp

I have a love-hate relationship with MLS.  While I think Garber and Co. have done an excellent job in running the league, they really really piss me off on how they ignore the center of the nation(s).  Houston and the Crew are two of the most successful teams in MLS history, yet zero Crew games and one Dynamo game are being broadcast by ESPN.  Dallas made it to the Cup final last season and ESPN is broadcasting zero of their games.  In contrast, the Red Bulls will have 8 games broadcast, the Galaxy 5, and the Sounders 5.  This despite the fact that the best youth soccer talent is being developed right where I sit here in the Great Lakes Region (speaking of which, zero Toronto games are being broadcast by ESPN).  Since US soccer and MLS started the Youth Development Academy system, every championship, except for one, has been won by a team from the Great Lakes Division at each age group.  I could go on about  how this region performs at the high school and college level, but I'm sure I've already done that.  The fact is MLS is shafting us even though we obviously love and know the game.  I may wirte a letter

RidgeRider

Mo thanks for the link to that article. I enjoyed it and am feeling more more like Portland will be my team this year just because of my childhood memories.

It's too bad you don't know how to cut and paste your comments, on FUSA, over here so you can share with another group, who respect your views. I wish you would.

I had no idea that the coverage was so lousy for mid-America teams on the national broadcasts. I guess it comes down to ratings but still. Can you watch matches on Fox or the local cable sports channels in your area?

RidgeRider

Quote from: finnster01 on March 14, 2011, 01:20:34 PM
I will give it a shout this year. Looking into the New York RedBull situation (I will bring the vodka). Haven't watched a MLS game yet, but I will this season and certainly do a match report and experience ala Mr HatterDon but instead of South Texas, it will be from the heart of Harlem.

I don't know what to expect, so this could be real fun and an experience.  :045:


Good on ya Finn. We can have East Coast-Best Coast rivalry weeks when the your Vodka boys play the tree-huggers or the tech-boys.


Steve_orino

#9
I kept up better last year than years previous but not as much as I hoped...the local club, FC Dallas, was quite good.  As Mo alludes to though, coverage is sparse, even locally.  The Club had to petition local media just to cover them in the Final.

With Mo & Hatter, I wished coverage was more diverse.  I hoped a deal would have been reached between MLS and a station like Versus.  Have games on certain days and set times as often as possible - showcase the entire League, not just the teams you think the fans want to see.

An attempt at looking at the teams:
In non-abbreviated terms (for you Finn)
Tier 1:  These teams have every reason to believe that 2011 is their year
LA Galaxy
Real Salt Lake
New York Red Bulls

Tier 2:  May not be in contention for the Supporter's Shield but they have every reason to believe they can raise the Cup
Seattle Sounders
FC Dallas
Colorado Rapids
San Jose Earthquakes (condolences to those in Japan)
Columbus Crew (East will be weak)

Tier 3: These teams need a couple of things to close the gap : 2 teams will get in with the extra playoff spots.
Sporting Kansas City
Houston Dynamo (Eastern team this year)
Philadelphia Union
DC United (Great off-season; no where but up this year)

Tier 4: As Biden said, "God love 'em"
Chicago Fire
Toronto FC
Chivas USA (could do better with Fraser, interested to see how he does)
New England (see DCUnited last year)

Expansion Tier:  Can these teams get 25-30 points?  Who knows but we'll find out...
Portland Timbers
Vancouver Whitecaps
Go FCD!
Fulham Supporter - Est. 03/2008
"My aim is to stabilise, sustain, and have the club move forward." Shad Khan 07/2013
@Borino09

HatterDon

Quote from: RidgeRider on March 14, 2011, 06:35:11 PM
Mo thanks for the link to that article. I enjoyed it and am feeling more more like Portland will be my team this year just because of my childhood memories.

It's too bad you don't know how to cut and paste your comments, on FUSA, over here so you can share with another group, who respect your views. I wish you would.

I had no idea that the coverage was so lousy for mid-America teams on the national broadcasts. I guess it comes down to ratings but still. Can you watch matches on Fox or the local cable sports channels in your area?

We get the occasional Houston match, but never Dallas. The problem with the national matches is that there's the usual TV bias towards NYC and LA. The latter having two sides makes it worse.
"As long as there is light, I will sing." -- Juana, la Cubana

www.facebook/dphvocalease
www.facebook/sellersandhymel



Tom

Fulham for life!

HatterDon

And here's one of the problems with soccer in the USA.

Marquee opening night matchup between Galaxy and Seattle

Great gaggle of looney fans dancing and singing all night in the rain even in defeat

One time zone over, and on the ONLY other English-language network to show football, Rio Salt Lake is playing a CONCACAF Champions League Semi-final first leg against Saprissa.

Why, when there's such a small television audience for the sport do they do this?

By the way, the Galaxy looked as if they'd just been introduced to each other about 45 minutes before kickoff. Terrible passing by both teams all night long, and Beckham looked as if he were having a back garden kickaround with his kids. Poor advertisement for MLS in my book.
"As long as there is light, I will sing." -- Juana, la Cubana

www.facebook/dphvocalease
www.facebook/sellersandhymel

duffbeer

I read that the MLS expansion fee is now $40 million.  My stomach now hurts, Cleveland doesnt stand a chance, at least not until California runs out of water and they all move to the North Coast.  Garber bragged about it so I'm beginning to wonder if my opinion of him is too high.  Can someone explain the positive aspects of that fee to me?  In a league that has less TV coverage than poker and the WNBA?  Oh well, I'll just have to be happy being an Akron supporter.   Caleb Porter is the best man in the business over here anyway so it's not so bad.

Just for you Ridge, here is a video for Portland fans. BTW, the sentiments in this video are kind the same ones that led me to "attack" you for not supporting the US MNT. 

http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2011/03/must-see-commercial-portland-timbers.html


HatterDon

"As long as there is light, I will sing." -- Juana, la Cubana

www.facebook/dphvocalease
www.facebook/sellersandhymel

Steve_orino

Quote from: HatterDon on March 16, 2011, 01:57:56 PM
And here's one of the problems with soccer in the USA.

Marquee opening night matchup between Galaxy and Seattle

Great gaggle of looney fans dancing and singing all night in the rain even in defeat

One time zone over, and on the ONLY other English-language network to show football, Rio Salt Lake is playing a CONCACAF Champions League Semi-final first leg against Saprissa.

Why, when there's such a small television audience for the sport do they do this?

By the way, the Galaxy looked as if they'd just been introduced to each other about 45 minutes before kickoff. Terrible passing by both teams all night long, and Beckham looked as if he were having a back garden kickaround with his kids. Poor advertisement for MLS in my book.
I coach my boys U9 team and for "homework" I asked them to watch the game and answer 4 questions.  To my horror, the game didn't start until 9pm CST because of a half hour pregame.  I'm pretty certain all my boys were in bed by 9:30, even if it is spring break.  IDK, I guess its my fault, I knew the game was on at 8:30 but throw me a bone here, I'm trying to boost ratings here!

The game was very poor aesthetically.  And then we get called snobs...The difference in quality is plain to see.  I am going to do my best to support MLS though.  Its the Major League that we have, so I'll have to watch as it goes through its growing pains.
Fulham Supporter - Est. 03/2008
"My aim is to stabilise, sustain, and have the club move forward." Shad Khan 07/2013
@Borino09

Steve_orino

Thanks for posting that Mo, great commercial!  Need to come up with something like that here in Dallas.
Fulham Supporter - Est. 03/2008
"My aim is to stabilise, sustain, and have the club move forward." Shad Khan 07/2013
@Borino09


RidgeRider

Quote from: HatterDon on March 16, 2011, 03:58:15 PM
wow, Mo. I got chills.

Gave me chills too. Heading up Tuesday to see my Dad again. Thanks for sharing Mo. You are forgiven for the "attack".  :dft012:

duffbeer

Quote from: RidgeRider on March 17, 2011, 01:36:22 AM
Quote from: HatterDon on March 16, 2011, 03:58:15 PM
wow, Mo. I got chills.


Gave me chills too. Heading up Tuesday to see my Dad again. Thanks for sharing Mo. You are forgiven for the "attack".  :dft012:

I wouldnt go forgiving me too soon Ridge.  I havent forgiven you for not properly supporting the USA, or for not recognizing how exceptional they and how truly blessed we are to be witnessing this era of soccer in the USA.