North American Pro Soccer 2018

[Digby]

As usual, I remain at a loss as to why MLS doesn't schedule a near-full slate of matches for the day after the MLB All-Star Game. Luckily it looks like the cup tournaments have filled that gap for a lo of places, but otherwise, just a Minnesota/New England matchup, which doesn't exactly get one excited.

[MJWalker45]

4 hours ago, DG_Now said:

Ah, got it. I thought so.

 

I really liked their Nike kits. I hope they end up with something similar:

 

I really wish MLS would follow the A League and open up the possibility of each team doing a  kit deal. Three or four manufacturers fighting over 22-26 teams could be a good thing for the league. 

[Gothamite]

4 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

I really wish MLS would follow the A League and open up the possibility of each team doing a  kit deal. Three or four manufacturers fighting over 22-26 teams could be a good thing for the league. 

 

If that was the case, then one of the other top-level pro leagues in this country would adopt that model.  There's a reason that the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS all negotiate league-wide contracts, and it's not just that they can't be bothered.

[Viper]

The Loons beat Revolution tonight 2-1 - but it turns out the New England goal isn't the only thing MNUFC lit up this evening. Having been wrapped around the under-construction new stadium last week, Allianz Field's PTFE skin was fully illuminated for the first time tonight.

 

 

 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

That is really cool. MLS 3.0 is awesome.

[Sport]

25,000 people were at the FCC game last night. I wasn't one of them, but it was cool seeing the game on ESPN 2. 

 

The Reds might have a problem on their hands because this soccer thing isn't going away and for the first time ever they have actual competition for sports dollars in the summer. My hope is that it starts a competitive arms race and both teams benefit. High tides raise all boats. 

[WJMorris3]

Open Cup quarterfinals were last night. On the field, Philly, Chicago, Houston, and LAFC won. Portland is protesting that LAFC used too many foreign players in their matchday 18 last night though, so the draw has been postponed.

[Gothamite]

The question seems to come down to the status of a couple Canadian players, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Dejan Jakovic, who don't count as internationals in MLS play, but do in US Open Cup matches.

 

 

If they have green cards, then they're counted as domestic players.  There are conflicting reports on that, though.

 

 

[Rockstar Matt]

That’s a sore loser move from Portland.

 

Lose the match and only then complain about LAFC using too many international players.

 

It’s even more of a pathetic move when considering that the player in question, Kaye, was listed in the pre-match starting eleven, along with 5 other internationals. They should have raised the issue then. Seems like to me had they won, they wouldn’t have complained about it. 

 

If I were them, I’d be a bit more concerned about the allegation that a Timbers player used the N-word at Dio last night.

 

 

[WJMorris3]

28 minutes ago, Rockstar Matt said:

That’s a sore loser move from Portland.

 

Lose the match and only then complain about LAFC using too many international players.

 

It’s even more of a pathetic move when considering that the player in question, Kaye, was listed in the pre-match starting eleven, along with 5 other internationals. They should have raised the issue then. Seems like to me had they won, they wouldn’t have complained about it. 

But at the same time, only under rare circumstances would you protest if you had won. (For example, an amateur team that had advanced via kicks from the penalty mark protesting the other team's ineligible player in order to claim a win.) That tends to be how a protest in sports works.

 

32 minutes ago, Rockstar Matt said:

If I were them, I’d be a bit more concerned about the allegation that a Timbers player used the N-word at Dio last night.

That allegation is troubling indeed.

[Digby]

1 hour ago, Rockstar Matt said:

That’s a sore loser move from Portland.

 

Lose the match and only then complain about LAFC using too many international players.

 

It’s even more of a pathetic move when considering that the player in question, Kaye, was listed in the pre-match starting eleven, along with 5 other internationals. They should have raised the issue then. Seems like to me had they won, they wouldn’t have complained about it. 

 

If I were them, I’d be a bit more concerned about the allegation that a Timbers player used the N-word at Dio last night.

 

 

 

The rule is the rule. I think it's a bit of a strange rule, maybe because of the political environment or something. Is pro soccer a jobs protection program? But I get that it's a USSF tournament, on the other hand.

 

As to the racism allegation, I thought I'd read it was alleged to have occurred with a fan?

[Gothamite]

2 hours ago, Rockstar Matt said:

It’s even more of a pathetic move when considering that the player in question, Kaye, was listed in the pre-match starting eleven, along with 5 other internationals. They should have raised the issue then. Seems like to me had they won, they wouldn’t have complained about it. 

 

Except that apparently nobody realized it until after the match, because he’s not listed as an international on the MLS roster. It’s not on Portland to know his green card status ahead of time. 

 

But you know who should be expected to know who’s eligible? LAFC. No sympathy there.

 

As much as I’d love to see them win silverware in their first season, and drive a stake through the heart of the Galaxy in LA, rules are rules. And fair is fair. 

[Gothamite]

2 hours ago, Rockstar Matt said:

If I were them, I’d be a bit more concerned about the allegation that a Timbers player used the N-word at Dio last night.

 

Conflating the two runs the risk of equating them.  Which would be bad. 

 

While not of equal severity, they both need to be investigated.  And they will, by the respective oversight bodies. 

[Red Wolf]

Toronto FC has suspended the privileges for all of its supporters' groups after they started a fire in Ottawa's stadium. So that's... interesting. 

 

In better news, NPSL's Little Rock Rangers needed $20,000 to be able to travel for their playoff game against Miami FC 2. They made the goal in less than a day! I was thinking about chucking in a buck or two, but they got all the money they needed before I even had the chance. 

[Dilbert]

31 minutes ago, Red Wolf said:

Toronto FC has suspended the privileges for all of its supporters' groups after they started a fire in Ottawa's stadium. So that's... interesting.

Wow thats messed up. Id expect that out of a European/Asian clubs supporters group but not in Canada.

[Burkell007]

10 minutes ago, Dilbert said:

Wow thats messed up. Id expect that out of a European/Asian clubs supporters group but not in Canada.

If it Toronto vs Ottawa in anything I’d expect it to go down but that’s just me...

[4_tattoos]

2 hours ago, Dilbert said:

Wow thats messed up. Id expect that out of a European/Asian clubs supporters group but not in Canada.

May be naïve to think hooliganism wouldn't spread to MLS on some level.

[Rockstar Matt]

10 hours ago, Gothamite said:

 

Except that apparently nobody realized it until after the match, because he’s not listed as an international on the MLS roster. It’s not on Portland to know his green card status ahead of time. 

 

But you know who should be expected to know who’s eligible? LAFC. No sympathy there.

 

As much as I’d love to see them win silverware in their first season, and drive a stake through the heart of the Galaxy in LA, rules are rules. And fair is fair. 

 

Except that LAFC specifically asked the USSF if Kaye counted as a domestic player, and someone in that organization told LAFC, yes. 

 

Here’s J.Carlisle’s tweet which provides a picture of a copy of the game day roster as provided by the USOC itself, clearly showing that they (meaning the USOC and USSF) have marked Kaye as a domestic player.

 

https://twitter.com/jeffreycarlisle/status/1020114708861399041?s=21

 

And here’s an article from the LA Times where LAFC claims they have written documentation from the USOC declaring Kaye to be a domestic player. 

 

Can’t fault LAFC if USSF itself told them Kaye was eligible as a domestic player. 

[Rockstar Matt]

10 hours ago, Digby said:

As to the racism allegation, I thought I'd read it was alleged to have occurred with a fan?

 

He’s definitely accusing a player not a fan, which really explains why he became so fired up in the game, more so than usual. 

 

And the game was at the Banc of California too, I’d highly doubt a LAFC fan would use that word to one of our own players. 

 

[4_tattoos]

Well, looks like DC United settled it's supporter group issue....

https://www.dcunited.com/post/2018/07/20/dc-united-la-barra-brava-district-ultras-and-screaming-eagles-join-forces-audi-field