North American Pro Soccer 2022

[Digby]

Didn't see it, because east coast (fix that Concacaf!!!) and I don't really vibe with the "I'm rooting for my league" schtick. But better Seattle than, like NYCFC, so congrats to them. I wonder if this will prompt more US interest in CCL, or if it'll be an interesting blip on the way to Leagues Cup undermining it entirely. Oddly interesting subplot of the continent game right now.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I've heard Club World Cup might be canceled this year? That would be a bummer, but I also don't really need to see Real Madrid blow out Sounders 7-0.

 

Couple other notes from the game:

- It was loud as hell.

- MLS MVP candidate Joao Paulo went down with a knee injury early and was replaced by a 16-year-old. Amazing.

- The Sounders trophy chest now includes: four US Open Cup titles, two MLS cups, one Supporters Shield, and one CCL trophy. Amazing.

[Dilbert]

I missed watching the FC Cincinnati game tonight but a shocker in 90 minute stoppage time for a 1-0 win at Minnesota and the first ever 3 MLS game winning streak for the franchise. The three time wooden spoon holders are suddenly in fifth place in the East and 3 points out of first

[Digby]

Revs went from season points record to barely hanging on this year; turns out bringing in the garbage from failed World Cup cycles four years ago will only serve to make you lose games. The duality of the Bruce Arena experience.

[DoctorWhom]

And to think for 1 brief season, people in New England actually cared about the Revs. 

[Dilbert]

And up next for the Revs.... FC Cincinnati in the Open Cup in Foxborough. Last year I would have said FCC had no chance at this matchup. This year it may be the other way around

[Dilbert]

Round of 32 US Open Cup kicked off tonight.

 

Louisville City advances to the round of 16 defeating their USL Championship rival Detroit City. A bit of controversy coming into this match as DCFC reminded fans that for all home matches, apparel with profanity, actual or implied, is prohibited. One of their supporter groups, the Northern Guard has been vocal about their political opinions and have been known to shout profanities during the games. Making apparel (specifically scarves that said F*** Ohio. On several occasions, USSF has told them to censor or remove their profanity from their banners. Northern Guard says they do not want to do this because they believe that if they have to censor themselves, the USSF and leagues will come for banning rainbow/trans flags, anti facists and other political belief banners next. This is the hill they are prepared to die on. They realize that if they continue this behavior it can result in fines and even being banned but they dont care.

[Jer15]

10 hours ago, Dilbert said:

Round of 32 US Open Cup kicked off tonight.

 

Louisville City advances to the round of 16 defeating their USL Championship rival Detroit City. A bit of controversy coming into this match as DCFC reminded fans that for all home matches, apparel with profanity, actual or implied, is prohibited. One of their supporter groups, the Northern Guard has been vocal about their political opinions and have been known to shout profanities during the games. Making apparel (specifically scarves that said F*** Ohio. On several occasions, USSF has told them to censor or remove their profanity from their banners. Northern Guard says they do not want to do this because they believe that if they have to censor themselves, the USSF and leagues will come for banning rainbow/trans flags, anti facists and other political belief banners next. This is the hill they are prepared to die on. They realize that if they continue this behavior it can result in fines and even being banned but they dont care.

 

Get ready for a ban I guess. Can't see this going any other way

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Everything I know about Detroit City FC is related to their fans.

 

That seems bad.

[MJWalker45]

On 5/8/2022 at 12:11 PM, Digby said:

Revs went from season points record to barely hanging on this year; turns out bringing in the garbage from failed World Cup cycles four years ago will only serve to make you lose games. The duality of the Bruce Arena experience.

Columbus fans feel the same way about Caleb Porter, maybe the teams should trade coaches? 

12 hours ago, Dilbert said:

Round of 32 US Open Cup kicked off tonight.

 

Louisville City advances to the round of 16 defeating their USL Championship rival Detroit City. A bit of controversy coming into this match as DCFC reminded fans that for all home matches, apparel with profanity, actual or implied, is prohibited. One of their supporter groups, the Northern Guard has been vocal about their political opinions and have been known to shout profanities during the games. Making apparel (specifically scarves that said F*** Ohio. On several occasions, USSF has told them to censor or remove their profanity from their banners. Northern Guard says they do not want to do this because they believe that if they have to censor themselves, the USSF and leagues will come for banning rainbow/trans flags, anti facists and other political belief banners next. This is the hill they are prepared to die on. They realize that if they continue this behavior it can result in fines and even being banned but they dont care.

I think claiming banning profanity in public is the slippery slope towards banning LGBTQ, Antifa and other types of support banners is a bit of hyperbole. Didn't the Rowdies and Orlando City have to deal with this stuff, the profanity and bad fans not the BS excuse? 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

What is it about a certain sect of soccer fans that absolutely have to be :censored:s?

 

It's a game. Why does it need to be so militant? Why the vulgarity? What is it about burly guys in second-tier cities who have to insist upon themselves in a sporting event?

[MJWalker45]

Just now, DG_ThenNowForever said:

What is it about a certain sect of soccer fans that absolutely have to be :censored:s?

 

It's a game. Why does it need to be so militant? Why the vulgarity? What is it about burly guys in second-tier cities who have to insist upon themselves in a sporting event?

They copy European fans because they are, "trying to be authentic to the game of football". 

[Sport]

46 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

What is it about a certain sect of soccer fans that absolutely have to be :censored:s?

 

It's a game. Why does it need to be so militant? Why the vulgarity? What is it about burly guys in second-tier cities who have to insist upon themselves in a sporting event?

 

These nerds are so lame. Nobody should take sports this seriously.

 

 

It's a minor league soccer team, ya dorks. Inventing oppression so that you can play victim is never cool. 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Oh I hate them.

[PaleVermilion81]

If that's the hill they want to die on, then I hope they do indeed die on it (figurative death of course, not actual, real death). Supporter's groups in general are the most annoying thing in US soccer. As a Minnesota United fan, the supporter group drama I see happen here is just beyond stupid and does more to hurt non-SG fandom than it does to help. SGs are one of the main reasons why I don't think MLS will ever over take the major sports in the US.

[Digby]

Supporters group people are generally severely cringe and you do not want to get stuck sitting next to one in a bar, totally agree, but most also do a better job of being involved in the community despite having a fraction of the resources of the teams themselves. So I think "annoying" is not as bad as "actively evil" which about 3/4 of the powers that be in American soccer seem to be. 

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I like what the Emerald City Supporters provide to the atmosphere at Sounders games. I would just never, ever sit near that section; it's too much of everything for me. But that's okay! Not everything's for everybody.

 

But this Detroit group is taking it WAY too far. There is no "us vs. them" with the corporatization of soccer.  There's just people trying to do a sports entertainment property and a bunch of dweebs with too much time on their hands and too much internet access.

[PaleVermilion81]

I think if you gave some of these SGs the power that a lot of American soccer has they'd be just as "actively evil". 

[Dilbert]

The thing that the Northern Guard cant grasp is that now that the team is in the USL it has a national contract for games on ESPN/ESPN Plus.  The supporter group does go out to serve and support the community, by going out to support a neighbor near the stadium clean up his yard to avoid fines from the local government, to volunteering at a local LGBT center just for example. With the team in the USL it now gets the club more exposure on television and to the country and soccer community, bringing in more television revenue, game revenue, new fans and potentially new supporters to the group. Instead the NGS continues to embarrass themselves, and could cost the team and supporters group more exposure and money that can be used to further help support the groups community and causes.  Instead they are stuck in believing that censoring themselves will snowball into no longer being able to wave pride flags (even though the league supports LGBT community), and other causes important to them.

[Sport]

I thought this was a nice summary and take on the Detroit City supporters group

 

https://www.thepostcincy.com/stories/the-northern-guard-doesnt-understand-what-sg-means