North American Pro Soccer 2015

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I'm a Sounders fan who has grown to be an MLS fan over the past two seasons. This is the second year that I'll be tracking MLS standings and stories from the offseason through the end of the year.

I think the NYCFC has received more attention than Orlando City, but I also don't think that's misplaced. It's New York City proper, in Yankee Stadium, with David Villa. Orlando might have more established start power (I didn't even realize until game 1 that Donovan Ricketts was in goal), but the market can't compare.

The attention only lasts as long as the team is winning. If Orlando makes the playoffs and New York doesn't, we'll only be talking about one of the two teams at the end of the year.

[Gothamite]

Yeah, if anyone is jealous, it must be the Red Bulls & their supporters. They've gone from champagne NY footballers to dishwater New Jersey misfits.

The Red Bulls have never been "champagne NY footballers". They are as they have always been, popular among a segment of area soccer fans but but largely ignored. What must gall them is we now have the closest thing to "champagne NY footballers", a team that can get halfway-decent media coverage and that sold out Yankee Stadium.

What I don't get is why Red Bull didn't do anything to set down roots in NYC. They've known for five years that this day was coming in the abstract, and known for almost two years exactly who the competition was. Where were the billboards? Where were the teams of interns at local street fairs? We had a World Cup in the interim, when everyone's paying the most attention to the sport, and Red Bull was MIA in the city. That was sort of a no-brainer, and they let a prime opportunity go to waste.

Hard to have a lot of sympathy for the Red Bulls when so many of their wounds are self-inflicted.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Red Bull Arena looks really nice on TV and from afar. Plus it's way better suited for soccer than Yankee Stadium. Shame they whiffed so bad on location. What a waste.

[pcgd]

This is a team that fired their coach months after winning their first ever hardware, bright decisions don't come easily.

Is it really that much harder for New Yorkers to get to Harrison vs the Meadowlands once a week? I think location is an excuse, not a reason.

[sportstar1212]

But the difference is that the Giants and Jets don't ignore NYC the way that the Red Bulls do. Personally, I think it's a case of "They don't give a :censored: about us, so why should we give a :censored: about them?" rather than "Ahh, it's in Harrison, it's too far!"

[Gothamite]

That's it exactly.

If they did as much outreach in Chelsea or Brooklyn as they do in Hoboken, things would be very different.

New Yorkers are used to going to Jersey for sports. We're not used to those teams caring more about Jersey than they do about us.

[Nyk33]

I love a good NYC Soccer discussion as much as the next guy but I'm going to interrupt to congratulate the Impact.

With a 2-0 lead going into the second leg they have a good chance of reaching the Champions League Final.

[Gothamite]

Outstanding.

[Nyk33]

Outstanding.

In order for MLS to advance they need teams to start having success in the Champions League. Hopefully Montreal can advance and do what RSL couldn't do a few years ago.

The only thing I'm concerned about with Montreal is that MLS teams can sometimes seriously up when it comes to away Champions League fixtures. The team Montreal's playing (Alajuelense) smacked DC United 5-2 in Costa Rica in the quarterfinals.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Cristiano Ronaldo to slum it in MLS in three years.

Not really surprising, if true. Even less surprising, he'd like to play in Miami, New York, or LA.

It reinforces how important it is for MLS to maintain a salary cap. It'd be really too bad if MLS followed the lead of every other soccer league in the world with four teams at the top and a bunch of scrubs picking up scraps. The big-time Euro stars will always be attracted to Miami, New York or LA (maybe Toronto too), but what long-term prospects do Kansas City, Houston or Columbus have?

[Nyk33]

Cristiano Ronaldo to slum it in MLS in three years.

Not really surprising, if true. Even less surprising, he'd like to play in Miami, New York, or LA.

It reinforces how important it is for MLS to maintain a salary cap. It'd be really too bad if MLS followed the lead of every other soccer league in the world with four teams at the top and a bunch of scrubs picking up scraps. The big-time Euro stars will always be attracted to Miami, New York or LA (maybe Toronto too), but what long-term prospects do Kansas City, Houston or Columbus have?

Am I the only one that finds it weird that the Fire aren't considered in the same conversation as the New York teams, the LA teams, Toronto, and the potential Miami team? Chicago is the third biggest market in the United States yet the Fire are treated like some random small market team in the middle of nowhere.

[Dexter Morgan]

The fledgling Los Angeles Football Club, which will join Major League Soccer for the 2017 season, is closer to picking a place for its new custom-built home.

A person with knowledge of the team's negotiations said the focus now is firmly on the site of the Sports Arena, next to the Coliseum in Exposition Park.

"I would be surprised if they announced a site other than the Sports Arena," said the person, who is not authorized to comment publicly about the negotiations until a deal is reached.

Team President Tom Penn would not dispute that, but he said no firm decision has been reached.

Continue reading: http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83092586/

[Camden Crazy]

Re: NYCFC, so glad I finally have a team in MLS to root for...the Manchester City ties made it a no-brainer. I just hope they can get the stadium situation figured out, because as an Orioles fan, I cannot and will not step foot anywhere near Yankee Stadium.

[Dexter Morgan]

Re: NYCFC, so glad I finally have a team in MLS to root for...the Manchester City ties made it a no-brainer. I just hope they can get the stadium situation figured out, because as an Orioles fan, I cannot and will not step foot anywhere near Yankee Stadium.

Your loss. I'm a Yankee fan and a baseball fan, I have thoroughly enjoyed going to Fenway and Camden Yards for games.

[Sodboy13]

Cristiano Ronaldo to slum it in MLS in three years.

Not really surprising, if true. Even less surprising, he'd like to play in Miami, New York, or LA.

It reinforces how important it is for MLS to maintain a salary cap. It'd be really too bad if MLS followed the lead of every other soccer league in the world with four teams at the top and a bunch of scrubs picking up scraps. The big-time Euro stars will always be attracted to Miami, New York or LA (maybe Toronto too), but what long-term prospects do Kansas City, Houston or Columbus have?

Am I the only one that finds it weird that the Fire aren't considered in the same conversation as the New York teams, the LA teams, Toronto, and the potential Miami team? Chicago is the third biggest market in the United States yet the Fire are treated like some random small market team in the middle of nowhere.

That's how the Fire operate and present themselves, so the treatment is fitting. This team should have grabbed this city by the stones through all those summers of bad baseball. Instead, they schlepped off to Soccer Glendale, fell flat on their faces again and again, and dared potential fans to care while setting an all-time record for draws. Now the Cubs and Sox both have justifiable buzz, and the Fire are as committed as ever to playing dull, poor football. The only hopes are for Hauptman to walk away, Bridgeview to fall into insolvency, or the club to get Chivas'd.

[Dexter Morgan]

A name change is in order... Chicago Fire is a pretty terrible name

[Camden Crazy]

Re: NYCFC, so glad I finally have a team in MLS to root for...the Manchester City ties made it a no-brainer. I just hope they can get the stadium situation figured out, because as an Orioles fan, I cannot and will not step foot anywhere near Yankee Stadium.

Your loss. I'm a Yankee fan and a baseball fan, I have thoroughly enjoyed going to Fenway and Camden Yards for games.

Camden Yards is the best ballpark in baseball. Yankee Stadium is a ridiculous monstrosity that stands for everything that is wrong with baseball. Big difference.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

They have a pretty nice logo, but that's it. Chicago is just kind of there as a franchise. I always forget they exist because they never do anything.

Jermaine Jones would have been a nice pickup, but Robert Kraft cheated on that one too.

[Gothamite]

Re: NYCFC, so glad I finally have a team in MLS to root for...the Manchester City ties made it a no-brainer. I just hope they can get the stadium situation figured out, because as an Orioles fan, I cannot and will not step foot anywhere near Yankee Stadium.

Your loss. I'm a Yankee fan and a baseball fan, I have thoroughly enjoyed going to Fenway and Camden Yards for games.

Camden Yards is the best ballpark in baseball. Yankee Stadium is a ridiculous monstrosity that stands for everything that is wrong with baseball. Big difference.

"Owners shouldering the load instead of soaking the taxpayers"? Yeah, that's terrible.

As he said, your loss. And after his kind words about your park, your post comes off as much more dickish and ungracious than I'm sure you meant it to.

As for "Chicago Fire", the city seems to like the historical reference. So the name's fine. The logo is fine. But in a city with an extensive public transportation system, why on Earth would you not put your stadium on the L?

Toyota Whatever is the best example of the failed MLS "build in the suburbs" model that they have finally abandoned.

[pcgd]

That's it exactly.

If they did as much outreach in Chelsea or Brooklyn as they do in Hoboken, things would be very different.

New Yorkers are used to going to Jersey for sports. We're not used to those teams caring more about Jersey than they do about us.

Which is exactly my point. Location of the stadium shouldn't matter in this case because everyone is used to heading to Jersey. It's not hard to get to. Talking a train from the airport and seeing it, I was shocked how close it was. I thought, "This is what people complain about?"