Dilbert

MLS has suspended FC Cincinnati defender and MLS Defender of the Year Matt Miazga after a postgame incident following the series clinching victory in Round 1 at New York Red Bulls. He is suspended for three matches (which will carry over into next season), fined an undisclosed amount and will undergo behavioral assessment through the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program. Following the match PROs referee union put out a tweet claiming an unnamed player made access to the officials locker room following the game. Many reporters, as well as members of both FC Cincinnati and the Red Bulls acknowledged the incident but said that portions of what the referee union said was fabricated. Miazga was suspended for yellow card accumulation for last Saturdays game against Philadelphia.  With Nick Hagglund out with season ending injury, and Miazga suspended, FCCs back line is hurting.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-suspends-fc-cincinnati-defender-matt-miazga-x7002

6 hours ago, ORLMagic86 said:

Yes, it does, given that the franchise has been using the name since 1901.

and previous incarnations of the Philadelphia Athletics existing even before that. Pretty much since pro baseball has existed has there been a major league team known as the Athletics.

1 hour ago, Sykotyk said:

 

https://www.pioneerleague.com/sports/bsb/2023/releases/20231128g5j6bw

 

Pioneer League adding the Oakland Ballers for 2024. A bit outside their footprint, but it is what it is.

 

Sure you can copy us. Just make some slight changes so it wont be so obvious.

The awards are piling up for FC Cincinnati! Luciano Acosta was named the Landon Donovan MVP for 2023. This award joins Goal of the Year (Acosta), Save of the Year (Celentano), Defender of the Year (Miazga), Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year (Noonan), and the Supporters Shield.

22 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

 

The Cowboys are so established that a second NFL team in the area would be a disaster.  

I mean the Texans bolted after three seasons for Kansas City, and both teams began at the same time. Cowboys just had the advantage of being in the NFL compared to the upstart AFL

51 minutes ago, Rockstar Matt said:

I’m real annoyed that I have to pay for the MLS Season Pass to watch tonight’s Seattle-LAFC when the MLS said playoff games would be free. I’m not playing $15 to watch at most, 3 games. 

I dont remember them ever saying playoff games would be free.

Anyway. Conference Finals are set. Hell is Real in the East with Columbus at Cincinnati, and Houston at LAFC in the west

10 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

I feel like I should have already realized the first round was best of 3 followed by knockout.

We dont need three more months of playoffs

We got ourselves a HELL IS REAL Eastern Conference Final!

Columbus took advantage of an Orlando red in with two goals in extra time to win 2-0

Cincinnati saw a goal that may or may not have been offside (depending on who you ask) in 90th minute stoppage time to win 1-0

Western conference shakes down tomorrow night.

18 minutes ago, BottomlessPitt said:

 

Houston vs. Orlando for the MLS Cup. 

Im going Houston vs Cincinnati. Both teams faced each other in game 1 on February 25th this season in Cincinnati. Only fitting for Houston to come to Cincinnati to bookend the season.

After what seems like an eternity off , MLS Cup playoffs are back tomorrow night.

Heres a look at league awards thus far:

Supporters Shield- FC Cincinnati

Golden Boot-Denis Bouanga (LAFC)

AT&T 5G MLS Goal of the Year- Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati)

Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year- Pat Noonan (FC Cincinnati)

MLS Newcomer of the Year- Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United FC)

MLS Young Play of the Year- Thiago Almada (Atlanta United FC)

Allstate MLS Goalkeeper of the Year- Roman Burki (St Louis City SC)

Allstate Save of the Year-Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati)

MLS Defender of the Year- Matt Miazga (FC Cincinnati)

MLS Comeback Player of the Year- Alan Pulido (Sporting Kansas City)

MLS Referee of the Year- Victor Rivas

MLS Assistant Referee of the Year- Ian McKay

Still to be announced are:

Audi Goals Drive Progress impact Award (Finalists: Alejandro Bedoya-PHI, Darlington Nagbe-CBS, Taylor Washington-NSH)

Landon Donovan MLS MVP (Finalists: Luciano Acosta-CIN, Thiago Almada-ATL, Denis Bouanga-LAFC) (A press conference from MLS has been scheduled for Monday at TQL Stadium, where I expect Acosta to be awarded MVP. Last year MLS had a press conference at Geodis Park to announce Hany Mukhtar MVP)

18 hours ago, BBTV said:

I don’t think it’s even remotely possible but it’d be cool for the A’s to play a gap season in Phila, though they’d have to share CBP  

In that case lets split the home schedule. 20 games in Philly, 20 in KC, 20 in OAK, 21 in LV.

4 hours ago, GDAWG said:

 

That would be a mistake by the AFL because the Phoenix area is taken by the Arizona Rattlers of the IFL.  

I mean having a team in the same sport and different league isnt anything new for Phoenix. Despite the Coyotes coming to town in 96, the IHL Phoenix Roadrunners played one more season from 1996-97 and were then replaced by the WCHL Phoenix Mustangs from 1997-01 and the ECHL version of the Phoenix Roadrunners 2005-09

Take it with a grain of salt, but wikipedia shows the Arizona Bandits playing in Phoenix. Arena TBD

Nobodys safe in the MLS coaching realm. Red Bulls dump Troy Lesesne. He picked up two yellow cards in his final match.

Why do I have the feeling that they are just gonna play with no team name or logos this season?

2 hours ago, GDAWG said:

 

I can't see how this AFL Arizona team is able to compete with an IFL team with an already established fanbase dating back 30 years.  The AFL has said that they are competing against the IFL and they are playing at the same time.  They might be able to get some Rattlers fans who were upset by the move to Glendale, but like 99% of them will still remain loyal to the Rattlers.  

I mean this is a league that is putting teams in Salem, Oregon, the VooDoo in Lake Charles, and Chicago in Rockford. They might as well have a team in Phoenix and call them Utah

Just now, GDAWG said:

 

An AFL team in Phoenix makes no sense when the Rattlers are still around and have a 30 year head start over this proposed AFL team.  They are going to have nobody in attendance, especially if they go up against a Rattlers home game on the same day.  

Thats true however you also said:

3 hours ago, GDAWG said:

.......in the same metro are where the Rattlers have a 30 year head start.  

Glendale is out as its now home of the Rattlers. NAZ and Tucson are out too. That leaves the Footprint Center (not likely, they would probably just stick to the Suns, Mercury, and concerts.), the Coliseum, an equine arena in Scottsdale (that would seem on brand for this AFL), or they will do the whole Coyotes schtick an saddle up at Mulet at ASU.

Just now, Sykotyk said:

Hmmm... doubt they'd go to Prescott. But you never know.

Prescott (Northern Arizona Wranglers) is in the same league as the Arizona Rattlers and the Tucson Sugar Skulls. At this point if I had to guess knowing how this AFL is going it'll probably be in Phoenix at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Rattlers just left their longtime home at the Footprint Center for Glendale.

Outside of the chrome butthole, it looks like a nice facility.

1 hour ago, LaGrandeOrange said:

CFM sacking Losada is a joke but not unexpected given how short a leash everyone gets. Losada seems like he may be a good coach but he has yet to be given a real chance.

Best way I saw someone put it was Saputo treats his coaches like his companys dairy products and gets rid of them at the sell by date.

Eddie Firmani 1993

Valerio Gazzola 1994-97

Paul Kitson 1998

Tasso Koutsoukos 1998-00

Zoran Jankovic 2000

Valerio Gazzola 2000-01

Nick DeSantis 2001

Bob Lilley 2002-03

Nick DeSantis 2004-08

John Limniatis 2008-09

Marc Dos Santos 2009-11

Nick DeSantis 2011

Jesse Marsch 2011-12

Marco Schallbaum 2013

Frank Klopas 2013-15

Mauro Biello 2015-17

Remi Garde 2017-19

Wilmer Cabrera 2019

Thierry Henry 2019-21

Wilfried Nancy 2021-22

Hernan Losada 2022-23

5 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

Why are they doing this? So someone can charge $500 a seat? I know the China deal feel through, but if I was a regular starter for NYCFC I'd be pissed to be doing this instead of enjoying my offseason. 

MLS and Apple want to celebrate Messi becoming the first player in MLS to win the Ballon d'Or award and with the China games cancelled yes. Its all about the money, and MLS and Apple showing off Messi. They gotta makeup for the fact that he is not playing in the playoffs right now. I wouldnt be surprised if another friendly was scheduled. Maybe a friendly to celebrate Messi taking his kid to the park or something absurd like that. Its rediculous.  Honestly winning the Ballon d'Or award is nothing special at this point. Outside of three times ( one of them not being awarded due to the pandemic) the award has been won by either Messi or Ronaldo every year since 2008

17 hours ago, Dilbert said:

Another coach gone.  Charlotte parts ways with Christian Lattanzio. Thats 18 coaching changes since the end of last season.

 

NYRB-Struber and CHI-Hendrickson (5/8, mutual agreement)

MIA-Neville (6/1, fired)

TOR-Bradley (6/26, fired)

MIA- Morales (6/28, end of interim period)

POR-Savarese (8/21, fired)

COL- Fraser (9/5, fired)

NE- Arena (9/9, resigned) and Williams (9/12, mutual agreement)

TOR-Dunfield (9/30, end of interim period)

MIN-Heath (10/6, fired)

DC- Rooney (10/7, mutual agreement)

POR- Joseph (11/6, end of interim period)

CLT-Lattanzio (11/8, mutual agreement)

 

add the four offseason changes before the 2023 season began:

CBS- Porter (10/8/22, fired)

HOU- Bundy (11/8/22, end of interim period)

MTL- Nancy (12/6/22, signed with CBS)

SJ- Covelo (1/3, end of interim period)

Another one bites the dust. CF Montreal has now parted ways with Hernan Losada after one season. 19 coaching changes since last season now.

So only 3 series made it to a  game 3 for the first round. Add in the "Lets play a game to celebrate Messi" friendly between NYCFC and Miami next weekend for four matches this weekend before we have another international break before the conference semifinals begin.

LAFC awaits the Seattle/Dallas winner

Kansas City awaits the Houston/Salt Lake winner

Orlando awaits the Atlanta/Columbus winner

Cincinnati will host Philadelphia in a rematch of last years semifinal. This time in Cincinnati

Also this weekend we have the NWSL Final between Gotham and OL Reign and we have the USL Championship Final between Phoenix Rising and Charleston Battery. The fledgling NISA will have its final between City Union and the Michigan Stars

Another coach gone.  Charlotte parts ways with Christian Lattanzio. Thats 18 coaching changes since the end of last season.

NWSL Final is now set as OL Reign will take on NJ/NY Gotham FC. Rapinoe looking to go out a champion.