North American Pro Soccer 2015

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Well, you learn something new every day. I had no idea about Stanford Stadium.

Still seems like an odd slate of venues (and I'm mostly sore that there's two games in California and none in the PNW). Houston is likely Reliant, right?

Perhaps they're avoiding MLS stadiums on purpose. Lame.

[bosrs1]

Well, you learn something new every day. I had no idea about Stanford Stadium.

Still seems like an odd slate of venues (and I'm mostly sore that there's two games in California and none in the PNW). Houston is likely Reliant, right?

Perhaps they're avoiding MLS stadiums on purpose. Lame.

Based on the size they seem to be favoring with the ones we do know like MetLife, Stanford and Rose Bowl you'd have to assume Houston is Reliant and Orlando is Citrus Bowl.

[dfwabel]

Well, you learn something new every day. I had no idea about Stanford Stadium.

Still seems like an odd slate of venues (and I'm mostly sore that there's two games in California and none in the PNW). Houston is likely Reliant, right?

Perhaps they're avoiding MLS stadiums on purpose. Lame.

Based on the size they seem to be favoring with the ones we do know like MetLife, Stanford and Rose Bowl you'd have to assume Houston is Reliant and Orlando is Citrus Bowl.

50K was the minimum capacity for cities to bid.

[bosrs1]

Well, you learn something new every day. I had no idea about Stanford Stadium.

Still seems like an odd slate of venues (and I'm mostly sore that there's two games in California and none in the PNW). Houston is likely Reliant, right?

Perhaps they're avoiding MLS stadiums on purpose. Lame.

Based on the size they seem to be favoring with the ones we do know like MetLife, Stanford and Rose Bowl you'd have to assume Houston is Reliant and Orlando is Citrus Bowl.

50K was the minimum capacity for cities to bid.

Guess that means Landover is DC then since RFK wasn't in the bid.

[-kj]

Likely also avoiding artificial turf setups.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

All makes sense, though CenturyLink has laid grass before. In any event, I'm mostly excited it's happening and, even better, the US has an opportunity to be very competitive.

[Nyk33]

MLS created another new rule today.

http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/7/8/8913401/mls-targeted-allocation-money-giovani-dos-santos-la-galaxy

[NJTank]

Anything to allow LA to win eh

[crashcarson15]

Anything to allow LA to win eh

Anything that decreases parity in a league that has far, far too much of it is fine by me.

If that’s really the list of venues — which I’m still surprised they’d go with as few as 7 for a 16 team tournament — and there’s nothing within a half-comfortable drive of the Midwest, I might walk to Gulati’s office in Chicago and inflict bodily harm on someone.

[pcgd]

It's official - Andrea Pirlo is NYCFC's third DP. He joins the club on the 21st.

http://www.nycfc.com/post/2015/07/06/andrea-pirlo-join-new-york-city-fc-third-designated-player

But who is their "Core Player" or their "Double Secret Player?"

Lampard and David Villa were their only DPs before this. The Galaxy will likely be the first team to use the Core Player when Dos Santos signs.

I was making fun of all those dumb rules.

[ICTknight]

Anything to allow LA to win eh

Anything that decreases parity in a league that has far, far too much of it is fine by me.

If thats really the list of venues which Im still surprised theyd go with as few as 7 for a 16 team tournament and theres nothing within a half-comfortable drive of the Midwest, I might walk to Gulatis office in Chicago and inflict bodily harm on someone.

I just don't want MLS to turn into a league where 2-5 teams have a realistic shot at the championship and the rest of the teams are just there. That is one of the better things about MLS

[2001mark]

MLS created another new rule today.

http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2015/7/8/8913401/mls-targeted-allocation-money-giovani-dos-santos-la-galaxy

As a TFC supporter, I plead the 5th.

[2001mark]

I just don't want MLS to turn into a league where 2-5 teams have a realistic shot at the championship and the rest of the teams are just there. That is one of the better things about MLS

Agreed. However seeing the NYs & LAs go after veteran fish doesn't concern me much as a TFC supporter. Old guys from Europe either playing down to false MLS perception &/or losing their abilities themselves, shouldn't screw the league too much as a whole.

Give it 5-10yrs... we'll see how many MLS trophies these Lampards & Pirlos are holding.

Toronto throws money around like its water at younger DPs. Who am I to complain.

[Nyk33]

Anything to allow LA to win eh

NYCFC is going to be one of those teams that is going to take advantage of this rule as well so you should be happy.

[Kevin W.]

[crashcarson15]

Anything to allow LA to win eh

Anything that decreases parity in a league that has far, far too much of it is fine by me.

If thats really the list of venues which Im still surprised theyd go with as few as 7 for a 16 team tournament and theres nothing within a half-comfortable drive of the Midwest, I might walk to Gulatis office in Chicago and inflict bodily harm on someone.

I just don't want MLS to turn into a league where 2-5 teams have a realistic shot at the championship and the rest of the teams are just there. That is one of the better things about MLS

As long as MLS has playoffs, there will naturally be parity in its champions. Knockout tournaments in soccer are inherently fluky — all you need is a couple good games and all of the sudden, you might be in the final.

What MLS needs is “must-watch” matches during the regular season. When Seattle and DC United got together last week (if Seattle was at full strength), it should’ve been the game every soccer fan in the United States had on. But it was an 11 pm Eastern kick-off, and not too many people would’ve watched.

People watch, say, an NBA regular-season game between the Spurs and Cavaliers because we all know it’s going to be a really high-level contest. There’s that group of five or six teams that, when they play each other, you want to tune in. Same thing with the Prem — if it’s an intra-Top 6 contest, everyone’s got it on. MLS needs that.

Plus, if LA Galaxy and other big-market clubs are allowed to spend more, it increases the overall quality of play in the league, and forces the smaller-market teams to spend a little more. That’s good.

[The Giant Pacific Octopus]

I don't watch or even remotely follow MLS but can someone explain things to me

1. Why do some teams have names and others don't. New York Red Bulls vs NYCFC?

2. Why are teams called "Football" clubs when they play in Major League SOCCER? And why is Orlando called SC when everyone else uses the FC moniker?

3. With Atlanta and Minnesota coming onboard why do we have three teams all called "United"?

[sportzfan]

I don't watch or even remotely follow MLS but can someone explain things to me

1. Why do some teams have names and others don't. New York Red Bulls vs NYCFC?

2. Why are teams called "Football" clubs when they play in Major League SOCCER? And why is Orlando called SC when everyone else uses the FC moniker?

3. With Atlanta and Minnesota coming onboard why do we have three teams all called "United"?

It's just a mix of different American and European style team names. And there is no problem with there being 3 uniteds because there are 3 in the EPL and they have even less teams

[Billy B]

I don't see how this new rule is anything but good for MLS. Teams with 3 DPs where one isn't making huge money (LA, Seattle, Orlando, Portland, SJ, Vancouver) can use this to either sign a big name, star player or just another guy in the $500k+ range. Teams with 3 big money DPs (NYC, Toronto) can pick up a quality player in the $500k+ range they otherwise wouldn't be able to get. Even a team like Chicago that won't spend a ton on one player can use this to sign another disappointment. It will also be helpful in letting teams give raises to breakout players that start featuring in the national team.

[Gothamite]

I don't watch or even remotely follow MLS but can someone explain things to me

1. Why do some teams have names and others don't. New York Red Bulls vs NYCFC?

2. Why are teams called "Football" clubs when they play in Major League SOCCER? And why is Orlando called SC when everyone else uses the FC moniker?

3. With Atlanta and Minnesota coming onboard why do we have three teams all called "United"?

1. Because teams have wide latitude in their own names. Some teams adopt European convention, some traditional American naming convention, some single nouns, some plural nouns.

2. Because teams have wide latitude in their own names. Teams like NYCFC are appealing to fans of European or global soccer, where it is known as football.

3. Because "United" is a common name in England. It's not a team nickname - players aren't known as Uniteds - but a modifier of the city name. There are currently three Uniteds in the Premier League, and have been as many as five without any confusion.