North American Pro Soccer 2019

[Gothamite]

10 minutes ago, DG_Now said:

Why Phoenix? Isn't it 100+ most summer days?

 

And why not Detroit?

 

Because I think Phoenix is much closer to being ready than Detroit.  And they have a logo.   

[MJWalker45]

16 minutes ago, Gothamite said:

 

Because I think Phoenix is much closer to being ready than Detroit.  And they have a logo.   

And a dome with grass

[dfwabel]

USWNT players have lost $1.7M in performance bonuses in the last two years in preparation for 2019 World Cup.

 

Quote

When the members of the United States women’s national team negotiated their current collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Soccer in 2017, they secured what seemed to be a significant victory on match bonuses.

Yet two years after striking their deal, the players are coping with the reality that winning isn’t always entirely within their control. Experiments with roster selections, starting lineups, tactical formations and even substitutions by Coach Jill Ellis — all within her purview and part of the normal evaluation period between major championships — have led to uneven performances and to frustration within a team that now has large payouts on the line every time it takes the field.

 

During the two years since the new C.B.A. took effect, in fact, the team has missed out on roughly $1.7 million in performance bonuses — sometimes as much as $200,000 for a single match. For some players, that is as much as $74,250 each. The analysis of bonus pay is based on figures contained in the team’s C.B.A., which has not been released publicly.

“We have a very bonus-heavy structure, purposefully — we win a lot of games and expect that we’ll win a lot of games,” forward Megan Rapinoe said. “That is part of the balance, understanding that we have a lot of money tied to wins and especially wins against top teams.”

 

 

[tBBP]

On 4/9/2019 at 1:40 AM, Viper said:

So... MLS scheduled MNUFC to open with five games on the road, mainly because of Minnesota's knack for getting blasted by snowstorms in March, including during the Loons' MLS debut game two seasons ago.

If forecasts are accurate, their reward will be having to clear up to three feet of snow from the Allianz Field pitch in the 24-48 hours prior to its grand opening, while St. Paul is digging out from the same, thanks to the mid-April mega-storm heading for the nation's midsection later this week.

They can't catch a break when it comes to their big opening events.

 

Soccer-unrelated: I'm also on a head-on collision course with this storm as well, traveling from Vermont. I should meet it somewhere hopefully west of Cleveland--with a 33000-lb HEMTT chained to the deck. Somebody pray for a brotha...

 

...Back on the topic of Allianz, I got to see both it and US Bank Field up close when I was up in Minneapolis back in the beginning of March. 1) US Bank Stadium is freaking HUGE; 2) I did like what I saw of Allianz from the outside; and 3) ain't y'all bout tired of the snow yet?? There was about 2-3 feet of the stuff on the ground then. (Don't ask what I ran into up in Grand Forks...)

[Digby]

All the bank stadia in the twin cities confuse me. That said, not sure I’ve seen a gargantuan stadium be a blight on a whole city’s skyline the way that Vikings building is. Good case for the suburban parking-lot stadium.

[Gothamite]

Or just for a less “out there” design. 

[4_tattoos]

Minnesota's new stadium looked good on TV

[Dilbert]

Although it was a loss for FC Cincinnati it was a better looking loss than Philly or Seattle. Hats off to @Rockstar Matt. Hell of a team in LAFC. Onto Salt Lake.

[JackieMoon]

Honestly I'm tired of this FloSports already. I can watch any Premier League or Bundesliga game halfway around the globe, but I can't watch a damn soccer team who is 40 miles away. Until MLS gets their stuff straightened out, I'll just keep up with the Reds.

[PrimalCookie]

Thanks, Orlando City, for not making it 2 for 2 on the night.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

44 minutes ago, sohiosportsfreak said:

Honestly I'm tired of this FloSports already. I can watch any Premier League or Bundesliga game halfway around the globe, but I can't watch a damn soccer team who is 40 miles away. Until MLS gets their stuff straightened out, I'll just keep up with the Reds.

 

Forcing people to use online-only platforms to watch local sports is so objectively stupid. I'm sorry for Cincinnati and DC. Just put it on local TV; don't make it hard for people to watch your relatively new, relative niche sport.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Seattle and both LA teams seems like the class of the league so far; Galaxy at least while Zlatan is healthy.

 

It really is a shame that Seattle plays LAFC twice in April and then not again the rest of the season.

[Dilbert]

2 hours ago, DG_Now said:

 

Forcing people to use online-only platforms to watch local sports is so objectively stupid. I'm sorry for Cincinnati and DC. Just put it on local TV; don't make it hard for people to watch your relatively new, relative niche sport.

It is on local TV but not everyone has cable or antenna to watch so they watch it online. I had to break down and purchase an antenna just so I could watch the game on TV because FloSports isnt worth it.

[Viper]

Here's the epic six-part tifo unfurled before kickoff of the Allianz Field opener, featuring all previous incarnations of pro soccer in Minnesota.

The slogan: "A storied past/Flies home at last".

 

 

The stadium design definitely worked as advertised when it came to amplifying the crowd noise. My seats are about the same distance from the supporters' section as they were last season at TCF Bank Stadium, but they sounded twice as loud. Also, earlier today I watched a replay on the ESPN app and the supporters' chants and songs came through much more loud and clear than in telecasts at most other MLS stadiums of comparable size. It sounded more like a game in Atlanta or Seattle than, say, Kansas City.

 

The game itself was insane: Four goals in an eight-minute span, followed by an own-goal by each side (NYCFC's was an epic howler by the keeper, something the Loons have their own history with), Loon defender Michael Boxall's bloody nose forcing him to change into a "blank" jersey, players from both sides laid out by a clash of heads, and a scuffle in stoppage time. The result (a 3-3 draw) wasn't what I'd hoped for, but it certainly got the Allianz Field era off to a rousing start.

[4_tattoos]

Did part of the middle tifo (behind the loon tifo) tear, or was it supposed to be separated in two parts? Was confused seeing that unravel on TV.

[Viper]

14 minutes ago, 4_tattoos said:

Did part of the middle tifo (behind the loon tifo) tear, or was it supposed to be separated in two parts? Was confused seeing that unravel on TV.

 

You'd probably have to ask Mockba about that to be sure, but my guess is that it was either damaged before the event or not fully stitched together in time.

Also, about a second after I took that photo, the loon tifo tore away at the top and fell onto the Wonderwall.

[Red Wolf]

I expect Kaku will be gone for a while after this tantrum.

 

https://www.clippituser.tv/c/vbylbx

[MJWalker45]

Santos played Monterey last night and both wore their primary kits. That meant white with blue stripes for Monterrey( home team), blue shorts and socks. Santos wore green shirts with white hoops, green shorts and socks. Close up was fine but when the camera covered the whole field it was difficult to tell which team was which when they were all grouped together. It was worse than orange vs red in basketball. 

https://elcomercio.pe/deporte-total/futbol-mundial/monterrey-vs-santos-laguna-vivo-pizarro-abrio-marcador-rayados-torneo-clausura-liga-mx-video-noticia-626631

[DG_ThenNowForever]

8 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

Santos played Monterey last night and both wore their primary kits. That meant white with blue stripes for Monterrey( home team), blue shorts and socks. Santos wore green shirts with white hoops, green shorts and socks. Close up was fine but when the camera covered the whole field it was difficult to tell which team was which when they were all grouped together. It was worse than orange vs red in basketball.  

https://elcomercio.pe/deporte-total/futbol-mundial/monterrey-vs-santos-laguna-vivo-pizarro-abrio-marcador-rayados-torneo-clausura-liga-mx-video-noticia-626631

 

I watched some of that and was annoyed by the lack of contrast, so I turned it off. I can't believe that game was allowed to be played with those uniforms.

[Kramerica Industries]

Nothing new on Tyneside.