North American Pro Soccer 2018

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Seattle/Portland remains the best rivalry in MLS. What a game tonight.

[Red Wolf]

7 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

Seattle/Portland remains the best rivalry in MLS. What a game tonight.

It makes me jealous that Kansas City is in such a no man's land for geographic rivalries. Chicago used to be the team that we were supposed to hate, but it never rang true. Though the urinal pads that said Wiz on the Fire at the stadium were fun. Colorado doesn't really meet rivalry standards for SKC the same way it does for Chiefs vs. Broncos.

 

In fact, the teams that SKC fans hate the most would be Houston and RSL, who both of whom have closer geographic rivals for Rivalry Week (this time with rivalries!). So we just get stuck with... Minnesota? I mean, we won, but it's not a rivalry or anything. Kind of like how Vancouver and San Jose got shoved together this week.

 

Of course, nothing beats the phoniness of the Brimstone Cup from the days of Chicago Fire vs. Dallas Burn. MLS has come so far from those days.

[Wings]

27 minutes ago, Red Wolf said:

It makes me jealous that Kansas City is in such a no man's land for geographic rivalries. Chicago used to be the team that we were supposed to hate, but it never rang true. Though the urinal pads that said Wiz on the Fire at the stadium were fun. Colorado doesn't really meet rivalry standards for SKC the same way it does for Chiefs vs. Broncos.

 

In fact, the teams that SKC fans hate the most would be Houston and RSL, who both of whom have closer geographic rivals for Rivalry Week (this time with rivalries!). So we just get stuck with... Minnesota? I mean, we won, but it's not a rivalry or anything. Kind of like how Vancouver and San Jose got shoved together this week.

 

Of course, nothing beats the phoniness of the Brimstone Cup from the days of Chicago Fire vs. Dallas Burn. MLS has come so far from those days.

 

Maybe someday St. Louis will have a team and a rivalry can be born. St. Louis needs an owner who won't spend tax payer money on a new stadium. 

[Digby]

8 hours ago, Red Wolf said:

It makes me jealous that Kansas City is in such a no man's land for geographic rivalries. Chicago used to be the team that we were supposed to hate, but it never rang true. Though the urinal pads that said Wiz on the Fire at the stadium were fun. Colorado doesn't really meet rivalry standards for SKC the same way it does for Chiefs vs. Broncos.

 

In fact, the teams that SKC fans hate the most would be Houston and RSL, who both of whom have closer geographic rivals for Rivalry Week (this time with rivalries!). So we just get stuck with... Minnesota? I mean, we won, but it's not a rivalry or anything. Kind of like how Vancouver and San Jose got shoved together this week.

 

Of course, nothing beats the phoniness of the Brimstone Cup from the days of Chicago Fire vs. Dallas Burn. MLS has come so far from those days.

 

KC and New England and Vancouver and San Jose (RIP, Cali Classico) can maybe get stuffed in a revolving rivalry group and compete for the Third Wheel At Best Cup.

[Brian in Boston]

48 minutes ago, Digby said:

Third Wheel At Best Cup

 

The New England Revolution will soon be laying claim to "The Third Wheel At Best Cup" amongst the sports properties of the Kraft Group. After all, they've always been a distant second to the National Football League's New England Patriots as a priority to Bob and Jonathan Kraft. Soon the Kraft-owned Boston Uprising of the Overwatch League will bypass them in importance.  

[Red Wolf]

3 hours ago, Digby said:

 

KC and New England and Vancouver and San Jose (RIP, Cali Classico) can maybe get stuffed in a revolving rivalry group and compete for the Third Wheel At Best Cup.

I guess I need to come up with reasons to hate all these teams.

• New England Revolution: You big babies whined about SKC's jerseys possibly clashing so much that you threw a fit and had to wear your road jerseys at home. Then, in the playoffs, you just wore your navy jerseys against our blue/navy jerseys and there was no issue. You're a bunch of hypocritical babies!
• San Jose Earthquakes: Thanks for making your first team so worthless that they moved to Houston and became one of my most hated teams in MLS. Really appreciate it!
• Vancouver Whitecaps: Way to be the third most important team in a three-team battle for the Cascadia Cup. You may as well just give up on that whole endeavor.

[Wings]

Well if Sac Republic ever gets in, there is your new San Jose rival. 

[4_tattoos]

Thought Philadelphia was Boston's 2nd historic rival city after New York? Any bad blood between the Union and Revolution?

[4_tattoos]

9 hours ago, Red Wolf said:

• Vancouver Whitecaps: Way to be the third most important team in a three-team battle for the Cascadia Cup. You may as well just give up on that whole endeavor.

Well... it's possible that some billionaire could place a second MLS club in Western Canada. Just trying to be optimistic.

[Digby]

11 hours ago, 4_tattoos said:

Thought Philadelphia was Boston's 2nd historic rival city after New York? Any bad blood between the Union and Revolution?

 

Not to my knowledge. Perhaps they're TOO similar as clubs: Revolutionary War branding, navy blue kits, dicey FO situations, nowheresville stadiums...

[MJWalker45]

Arthur Blank was asked about the Crew. I know he can't get too into depth but I wonder how much transparency has been shown to the other owners regarding the move:

 

Q. Were you for, against or neutral, regarding Columbus’ move to Austin, and why?

Arthur Blank: I don’t know all the details. From what I understand, the city hasn’t been as aggressive as it coulda/shoulda been to try to keep the team there. I understand the soccer fans are very disappointed. Soccer fans everywhere are avid, so it’s hard to move a team.

On the other hand, you want a community, a city, that can not only support, but help elevate not only their club but Major League Soccer to another level. Austin is a great emerging American city. It has great population, great demographics for soccer. I understand it from that view point. If I were a soccer fan in Columbus, I sure would be disappointed. I certainly understand that. The league, much like the NFL, you listen to a lot of conversations, the league takes the same view that the National Football League does: the first obligation is to try to stay where you are and make it. So you do everything you can to make a deal, make the economics work, have a viable venue to play in. If that becomes an impossibility, then you end up making the decision to move. I think that’s as much as you can ask for and you should ask for that. 

[Kevin W.]

Quote

Austin is a great emerging American city. It has great population, great demographics for soccer.

Then give Precourt a :censored:ing expansion team! Don't move one of the league's inaugural teams.

[Dilbert]

6 hours ago, Kevin W. said:

Then give Precourt a :censored:ing expansion team! Don't move one of the league's inaugural teams.

Exactly. There are people in Columbus who would love to buy the team but Precourt is so checked out to even care. If he wants a team in Austin he should go through the process like Nashville, Cincinnati and the other 10 clubs that were fighting for a spot. Now thanks to him San Antonio who was high up on the list to get in became DOA as soon as he mentioned Austin. I think San Antonio would be much better a supporting a pro club. San Antonio already has a pro team with the Spurs. Austin has never had a pro team, in fact they have barely had any minor league teams. Sure Austins the bigger city but leave the sports to San Antonio and leave the music to Austin.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Not a huge surprise, but Clint Dempsey retired today. He hasn't played much this season, got jerked around by MLS refs, and his last moment on the field was just barely missing an open net against San Jose.

 

Dempsey and Obafemi Martins made me love soccer and the Sounders, and I'll always appreciate his time here.

 

The team is playing significantly better without him, and it was clear he wasn't coming back. That doesn't make it any less crappy though.

 

Dempsey is among the greatest American soccer players of all time and had a huge hand in MLS' resurgence earlier this decade. I'll miss him, for sure.

[Digby]

What a legend. Dempsey was my favorite player on those early/mid 00s Revs teams in all his Hot Topic haircut glory. But even back then he was utterly unafraid and a real blast to watch. Seeing him not only go to Fulham but become established there for a number of years was such a joy; first time I really watched an American player get to make that leap successfully. And he was about as consistent a performer on the biggest stages for the national team that you'll ever find. Still remember his breaking down in tears after that heartbreaker of the 2009 Confederations Cup, still the best performance I've seen the USMNT give.

 

 

[Brian in Boston]

I was just in Columbus, Ohio, helping a colleague scout venues for an upcoming project that he's working on. While there, I met up for dinner with a long-time friend. He and his wife are Columbus Crew SC season ticket-holders who have been following the machinations surrounding Anthony Precourt's attempts to relocate the team to Austin. As such, they've also been keeping their ears open with regard to news about efforts to save the Crew for Columbus. 

Apparently, word in Columbus is that a group of local investors have approached Major League Soccer with an offer to buy-out Precourt. Said group has gone so far as to present MLS officials with information regarding a parcel of land on which they propose to build a new soccer-specific stadium for the team. MLS personnel were intrigued enough by said proposal that a meeting is rumored to be taking place in New York in the next couple of weeks. At that time, it is thought the consortium of Columbus investors would make a formal offer to buy-out Precourt's investor/operator rights for the Crew. Precourt would then take his proceeds from the sale and put them towards securing an MLS expansion team for Austin, as well as investment in stadium construction, establishment of a training facility, etc.

All of this is according to a dear friend I have known since college. He works for a firm with deep ties to Columbus. I have no reason to doubt his veracity, just as he has no reason to doubt the trustworthiness of his sources. That said, until proven otherwise - one way, or the other - this is still just hearsay. Still, my buddy and his wife seemed cautiously optimistic while sharing the rumor, so I'm going to choose to believe that the fate of Major League Soccer in Columbus may not be as dire as I thought it was on Monday morning. 

Fingers crossed for soccer supporters in Ohio's capital.              

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

On 8/29/2018 at 12:20 PM, DG_Now said:

Not a huge surprise, but Clint Dempsey retired today. He hasn't played much this season, got jerked around by MLS refs, and his last moment on the field was just barely missing an open net against San Jose.

 

Dempsey and Obafemi Martins made me love soccer and the Sounders, and I'll always appreciate his time here.

 

The team is playing significantly better without him, and it was clear he wasn't coming back. That doesn't make it any less crappy though.

 

Dempsey is among the greatest American soccer players of all time and had a huge hand in MLS' resurgence earlier this decade. I'll miss him, for sure.

 

Dempsey is indeed one of the greatest American players ever, even if he was never a favourite of mine.  However, he once did something in a goal celebration that was brilliant.  After he scored a goal for New England in a game against DC United at RFK Stadium, he ran to where home plate would be and mimed swinging a bat and hitting a home run.  I want an NYCFC player to do that at Yankee Stadium.

[FiddySicks]

On 8/27/2018 at 9:34 AM, Wings said:

Well if Sac Republic ever gets in, there is your new San Jose rival. 

 

And they know this, too. That’s a big reason why their Ultras group absolutely insists on acting like complete dickheads every time they play a match at our park. 

 

Well, they’re terrible anyway (as most “Ultras” groups are), but they make a special point of adding some animosity to that rivalry. 

[MJWalker45]

7 hours ago, Brian in Boston said:

I was just in Columbus, Ohio, helping a colleague scout venues for an upcoming project that he's working on. While there, I met up for dinner with a long-time friend. He and his wife are Columbus Crew SC season ticket-holders who have been following the machinations surrounding Anthony Precourt's attempts to relocate the team to Austin. As such, they've also been keeping their ears open with regard to news about efforts to save the Crew for Columbus. 

Apparently, word in Columbus is that a group of local investors have approached Major League Soccer with an offer to buy-out Precourt. Said group has gone so far as to present MLS officials with information regarding a parcel of land on which they propose to build a new soccer-specific stadium for the team. MLS personnel were intrigued enough by said proposal that a meeting is rumored to be taking place in New York in the next couple of weeks. At that time, it is thought the consortium of Columbus investors would make a formal offer to buy-out Precourt's investor/operator rights for the Crew. Precourt would then take his proceeds from the sale and put them towards securing an MLS expansion team for Austin, as well as investment in stadium construction, establishment of a training facility, etc.

All of this is according to a dear friend I have known since college. He works for a firm with deep ties to Columbus. I have no reason to doubt his veracity, just as he has no reason to doubt the trustworthiness of his sources. That said, until proven otherwise - one way, or the other - this is still just hearsay. Still, my buddy and his wife seemed cautiously optimistic while sharing the rumor, so I'm going to choose to believe that the fate of Major League Soccer in Columbus may not be as dire as I thought it was on Monday morning. 

Fingers crossed for soccer supporters in Ohio's capital.              

There were reports MLS reps were given a tour today. They were talking about using the land where the remains of Cooper stadium are for a new training facility if the Crew are retained.

[Digby]

Interesting development. Hope it works out for Columbus no matter which route that requires. But I'd not be too wild about the precedent set by declaring a stadium to be useless if it's also 20 years old/praised for its innovation/has hosted the most important USMNT match for 15 years or so. (I also think that's why this won't happen. unfair as it is.)