North American Pro Soccer 2022

[MJWalker45]

18 minutes ago, TrueYankee26 said:

(Assuming women's soccer in North America also belongs in this thread and there is no separate thread for women's soccer)

 

Oh my. It gets worse for NWSL.

 

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-nwsl/story/4760185/us-soccer-investigation-into-womens-game-finds-systemic-abusemisconduct

I don't know how Timbers and Thorns fans haven't burned down the stadium at this point. Wilkinson needs to be gone completely from that team now. Just cutting him off from interacting with the Thorns side of the house isn't really a punishment. And Paulson needs to be made to sell the team, just like they did with Hansen and RSL/Utah Pride.  If you weren't fine with your former coach taking on the USWNT job, maybe you should have had enough intestinal fortitude to tell everyone else why you fired him at Portland. Just disgusting behavior by too many teams in this league and the federation themselves. 

[FiddySicks]

6 hours ago, WestCoastBias said:

 

Let us dream man

I think if anyone has the right to dump on Sacramento’s pro sports team dreams, especially when it comes to a MLS bid, it’s me. 

I would love for it to happen, but I can tell you from first hand experience that it’s next to impossible. Sac just doesn’t have enough to offer. 
 

Edit: Thumbs down me all you want man, but I worked in that front office for five seasons and saw how underfunded, hapless, and straight up shady it all was first hand. I don’t just say that as speculation, I say it from actually experiencing it. 

[gosioux76]

19 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

I don't know how Timbers and Thorns fans haven't burned down the stadium at this point. Wilkinson needs to be gone completely from that team now. Just cutting him off from interacting with the Thorns side of the house isn't really a punishment. And Paulson needs to be made to sell the team, just like they did with Hansen and RSL/Utah Pride.  If you weren't fine with your former coach taking on the USWNT job, maybe you should have had enough intestinal fortitude to tell everyone else why you fired him at Portland. Just disgusting behavior by too many teams in this league and the federation themselves. 

 

The Timbers and Thorns supporters groups are suspending all relations with the club until its leadership is removed. In Portland, this isn't an empty threat. 

Also, the sports columnist for The Oregonian penned a pretty devastating column calling for Merritt Paulson to be sell. 

 

[Digby]

Every time I think it couldn't get worse, it does! Paulson has always had such an icky sheen to him and clearly that wasn't for no reason. And before anyone says "every billionaire would do the same thing" -- maybe that's true, but one of the most stunning, relatively small details in that report is that email from a redacted almost-buyer of the NWSL Boston Breakers who was doing due diligence but nope'd right on out when they found out what a culture was happening. I don't know how you save a league with a culture like this.

[gosioux76]

1 hour ago, Digby said:

Every time I think it couldn't get worse, it does! Paulson has always had such an icky sheen to him and clearly that wasn't for no reason. And before anyone says "every billionaire would do the same thing" -- maybe that's true, but one of the most stunning, relatively small details in that report is that email from a redacted almost-buyer of the NWSL Boston Breakers who was doing due diligence but nope'd right on out when they found out what a culture was happening. I don't know how you save a league with a culture like this.

 

It's a reasonable concern. I think one thing working in its favor is the fact that the league took on new leadership last year when some of the first of these stories began to surface.  The report yesterday also shows how the abusive culture wasn't limited to the NWSL, but has infected the sport at every level. 

 

Also, the strength of a league like this lies with the players, who are very clearly the victims in this scandal and deserving of continued support. This isn't their fault, nor is it the fans. I think recognizing that, and seeing real efforts to clean house among the leadership ranks and ridding the cancer from the system, might alleviate potential investor concerns. 

[MJWalker45]

59 minutes ago, gosioux76 said:

 

It's a reasonable concern. I think one thing working in its favor is the fact that the league took on new leadership last year when some of the first of these stories began to surface.  The report yesterday also shows how the abusive culture wasn't limited to the NWSL, but has infected the sport at every level. 

 

Also, the strength of a league like this lies with the players, who are very clearly the victims in this scandal and deserving of continued support. This isn't their fault, nor is it the fans. I think recognizing that, and seeing real efforts to clean house among the leadership ranks and ridding the cancer from the system, might alleviate potential investor concerns. 

I hope this is a case where this report, and the final reports that are still yet to be released, means a clear out for the NWSL and the USSF as well. Coaches being able to pretty much slide from one job to the next without getting black balled is more widespread than we want to believe, and it mirrors what I've seen in the Army, and others have seen in other businesses and churches. Reading what Cristy Holly did at Racing Louisville with one player, that team owed it to everyone in soccer to say what he did. Instead they gave some BS excuse to get rid of him. When Vlatko, who most fans of the USWNT don't like, says that Paul Riley should not have a role with USSF, believe him. He too should have just spilled the tea instead of letting that guy move to a new job. Just look at Hockey Canada and the Blackhawks. I think the first thing that has to happen is Chicago, Portland and Racing Louisville are going to have to make a bunch of changes, to include the ownership. They've already done that at Utah Pride, and had some financial shenanigans with teams like Washington Spirit, the team formerly Magic Jack FC, and the bringing in of players that are openly homophobic at NC Courage.  The only benefit of disassembling the league would be for the USL W, who would jump at the chance to bring in the remnants. The problems would still be there without immense changes.  And Merritt Paulson needs to be reviewed by MLS as well. It's so skeezy that he's had multiple issues at Portland, with both teams, and he still seems to feel he's bulletproof. 

[gosioux76]

1 hour ago, MJWalker45 said:

 And Merritt Paulson needs to be reviewed by MLS as well. It's so skeezy that he's had multiple issues at Portland, with both teams, and he still seems to feel he's bulletproof. 

 

I think the walls might be crumbling around him at this point. The Timbers supporters on Twitter are circulating a spreadsheet with contact info for the club's sponsors and urging its members to press them to pull their sponsorships. 

 

At this point, removing Wilkinson and team President Mike Golub won't likely be enough to quell the uprising. By not acting sooner, he very likely may have doomed himself. 

[Dilbert]

Statement from the Coopers, the Louisville City and Racing Louisville Supporters. The Coopers will hang no banners, beat no drums and stay silent during the first half of Wednesdays City match against Detroit.

[Digby]

 

I kind of never understood the animosity that Portland fans had toward Wilkinson -- after a rocky first couple years (Kris Boyd!) they've been consistently quite good for a small-market team, and obvi the Thorns are always elite -- but seems clear now that off the field he's been leaving wreckage all along. 

 

Of course knowing now how the Thorns parted ways with Paul Riley, a firing here probably means lifetime access to a luxury box and a secret side-hustle consulting gig as long as Merritt Paulson owns the team.

[MJWalker45]

6 minutes ago, Digby said:

 

I kind of never understood the animosity that Portland fans had toward Wilkinson -- after a rocky first couple years (Kris Boyd!) they've been consistently quite good for a small-market team, and obvi the Thorns are always elite -- but seems clear now that off the field he's been leaving wreckage all along. 

 

Of course knowing now how the Thorns parted ways with Paul Riley, a firing here probably means lifetime access to a luxury box and a secret side-hustle consulting gig as long as Merritt Paulson owns the team.

The fact they quietly moved him back over to the Thorns after saying GW would only focus on the Timbers, this was the bare bone minimum that could have happened. Alaska Airlines haven't dropped sponsorship but did say they are taking it under consideration, so that may have helped get the ball rolling with these two. 

[FiddySicks]

I have a little bit of a different exposure to this than most (none of the sexual assault allegations, or anything) but there really isn’t anything I’ve seen with US Pro soccer in the last five years that makes me think the whole thing isn’t toxic top to bottom. Absolutely astounding for a sport that’s, what, maybe fifth or sixth in most American’s minds? So much for ever breaking into the realm of the “big four”. It absolutely does not deserve that consideration. I mean, long term, why would anyone want to follow any of this as a fan? 
 

All of the toxicity of the bigger leagues with almost none of the same results. Good lord is that bleak. 

[gosioux76]

The Portland Timbers and Thorns today fired two of the central figures in their recent spate of scandals: President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson and President of Business Mike Golub.

 

Owner Merritt Paulson is still hanging on, despite the increasingly louder calls for him to sell the team. Meanwhile, the Timbers Army and Rose City Riveters Group have been applying pressure through the club's sponsors, urging them to pull their support of the team until Paulson agrees to sell it. 

 

It's been a remarkable turn of events for what many outside Portland had long considered a model franchise for the league. 

[Digby]

On 2022-10-04 at 12:49 PM, gosioux76 said:

Also, the strength of a league like this lies with the players, who are very clearly the victims in this scandal and deserving of continued support. This isn't their fault, nor is it the fans. I think recognizing that, and seeing real efforts to clean house among the leadership ranks and ridding the cancer from the system, might alleviate potential investor concerns. 

 

I don't disagree but despite that, the power has nonetheless been with the small group of outrageously rich guys who run the teams. A hopeful outcome of the "player empowerment" era would be curbs to this kind of thing. Certainly seems like we're getting more focus from that on players getting into ownership after retirement, and it's already kinda happening in NWSL with the ownership model of teams like Angel City.

 

I've said this before and I still think it's true (and relates to what @FiddySicks said as well) -- soccer in America, and particularly the NWSL, seems like a particular area ripe for abuse. Obviously the gender element is one part, but the fact that league was so shoestring and always barely hanging on... you have relatively little professionalism happening, plus an entry point for new-money grifters, plus a particular fear for victims to stay silent lest they disturb the entire thing being a house of cards... one would hope that getting more established and stable might make things better. But also, maybe not!

[MJWalker45]

31 minutes ago, Digby said:

I've said this before and I still think it's true (and relates to what @FiddySicks said as well) -- soccer in America, and particularly the NWSL, seems like a particular area ripe for abuse. Obviously the gender element is one part, but the fact that league was so shoestring and always barely hanging on... you have relatively little professionalism happening, plus an entry point for new-money grifters, plus a particular fear for victims to stay silent lest they disturb the entire thing being a house of cards... one would hope that getting more established and stable might make things better. But also, maybe not!

I think this applies to any sport in North America. How many of these stories have we gotten from American football, gymnastics, cheerleading and hockey? At the end of the day, we're more than happy to avoid looking at how the sausage is made because we've got to beat the Commies, Americans, Australians or whatever faux villains' we came up with for Olympic sports. And we've told boys and men that humiliation of the new guys coming into the team is a requirement to bond as one unit. We just had a sodomy case with one of the better football teams here in town, and the punishments are a joke. Counseling, no school suspensions and sitting out maybe one to two games against teams that they would have expected to either beat by 50 or lose to by that much. And those kids will go on to college and be allowed to do even worse things because of who their parents are. 

 

With the NWSL, it is just the ODP program with oversight from US Soccer. When your biggest players are going to the commissioner sand saying "Do your damn job"!, maybe it's time they follow the Athletes United model and the players run everything instead. One way to help those teams out is to get a TV contract similar to what the WSL has now in England. The fact some of those coaches that got fired did not have the minimum coaching certificates is also a problem. Why would you not require that? MLS would be laughed at if so many of their coaches didn't have the required training. Seeing that Richie Burke was already cussing out teenagers and his highest level of coaching was U15 boys. That's not someone you bring into a professional women's league. He even made jokes to black players about George Floyd when the team was trying to come up with a way to protest.  I watched the full ESPN show last night and the one thing I was disappointed to not see was the reporting on the Racing Louisville coach who was just as egregious in his actions as Paul Riley. But I think this was not released before they made this. 

[FiddySicks]

3 hours ago, Digby said:

 

Obviously the gender element is one part, but the fact that league was so shoestring and always barely hanging on... you have relatively little professionalism happening, plus an entry point for new-money grifters, plus a particular fear for victims to stay silent lest they disturb the entire thing being a house of cards...

God, you basically just described the feelings I had the entire time I worked for Republic. It was like, I know this is really :censored:ed up, but by saying something, I risk it all. Everyone involved with will lose the security they have, and it’s on my shoulders because I spoke up. Looking back, it was a really terrible situation that I didn’t even realize was that terrible until I was out of it. Getting let go (mostly for starting to speak up about it) was probably the best thing that could’ve happened to me. 

[Dilbert]

The format for the 2023 Leagues Cup has been announced.

 

- Both seasons will pause and the tournament will begin July 21 and end on August 19 with games played in the United States and Canada. No games will be played in Mexico.

 

-47 clubs in MLS and Liga MX will participate.

 

-Two clubs will have a bye into the knockout rounds of the tournament. For Liga MX that team will be between the recent champions in Clausura 2022 and Apertura 2022, the club with the most combined points accumulated across both tournaments in the 2022 calendar year. For MLS it will be the 2022 MLS Cup Champion. The remaining 45 clubs will be divided into 15 groups of 3, with the groups divided into four regions.

 

- For the Group Stage, the top 15 MLS Clubs  (outside the MLS Cup Champion) based on the 2022 Supporters Shield standings will be placed in groups based on seeding, as well as by region. They will host two matches each. The top 15 Liga MX clubs based on combined 2022 Clausura and 2022 Apertura standings will be placed into groups in reverse order from the MLS clubs (Liga MX 15 paired with MLS 1, for example). There will be at least 1 Liga MX club per group.

 

- The remaining 13 MLS clubs and the 2 remaining Liga MX clubs will be divided geographically and drawn into groups. The 13 MLS clubs will each host one group stage match each. Liga MX vs Liga MX matches will be played at select venues depending on region.

 

- Every team will play two matches in the group stage. Top two teams from each group as determined by points advance to the knockout stage of 32. There will be no ties in the group stage. Each team receives a point if the game is tied after 90 minues. The winner of the subsequent penalty kicks will earn an additional point. Regulation wins count as 3 points.

 

-In the knockout rounds the two teams with the bye  along with the advancing teams from the group stage will be placed in a fixed bracket and compete in single elimination rounds.

 

- The Leagues Cup Final and Third place game will determine qualifiers for the Concacaf Champions League. The winner will qualify directly for the Champions League round of 16, the second and third place clubs will qualify for Round One of the Champions League.

[MJWalker45]

16 hours ago, Dilbert said:

- Both seasons will pause and the tournament will begin July 21 and end on August 19 with games played in the United States and Canada. No games will be played in Mexico.

 

I'm not a fan of playing the whole thing in MLS stadiums. 

16 hours ago, Dilbert said:

- For the Group Stage, the top 15 MLS Clubs  (outside the MLS Cup Champion) based on the 2022 Supporters Shield standings will be placed in groups based on seeding, as well as by region. They will host two matches each. The top 15 Liga MX clubs based on combined 2022 Clausura and 2022 Apertura standings will be placed into groups in reverse order from the MLS clubs (Liga MX 15 paired with MLS 1, for example). There will be at least 1 Liga MX club per group.

 

- Every team will play two matches in the group stage. Top two teams from each group as determined by points advance to the knockout stage of 32. There will be no ties in the group stage. Each team receives a point if the game is tied after 90 minues. The winner of the subsequent penalty kicks will earn an additional point. Regulation wins count as 3 points.

 

-In the knockout rounds the two teams with the bye  along with the advancing teams from the group stage will be placed in a fixed bracket and compete in single elimination rounds.

 

- The Leagues Cup Final and Third place game will determine qualifiers for the Concacaf Champions League. The winner will qualify directly for the Champions League round of 16, the second and third place clubs will qualify for Round One of the Champions League.

So making the playoffs is a big benefit for MLS teams, since they basically serve as a tournament host. So I'm guessing with the Liga MX /Liga MX games they are hoping to make more money by finding the biggest venues by region to squeeze some more juice out of some lemons. Using the NHL point system for ties in regulation is interesting. I wonder if other FIFA tournaments (youth team first) might consider this in the future, especially since the World Cup will also feature groups of 3 starting in 2026. 

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/final-playoff-spots-seeding-golden-boot-what-s-at-stake-on-decision-day

Speaking of playoffs! Here are the permutations that will decide the last couple slots in the playoffs. In the East, it's win and your in for Cincinnati, Orlando and Columbus. If both games end in ties, the Crew and Fussball Club are in and the Lions are out. Knowing Columbus, they'll blow it after minute 85, because that's been the M.O. for the last two months. 

[Digby]

2 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

I'm not a fan of playing the whole thing in MLS stadiums. 

 

Clear, though, that it's not meant as an actual sporting tournament but as a cashgrab to stage Liga MX in lucrative USA/Canada markets. More akin to the NFL games in London than anything else. Though the structure also means we'll also get yet more limp, half-empty San Jose/Colorado matches or something.

[Dilbert]

6 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

In the East, it's win and your in for Cincinnati, Orlando and Columbus. If both games end in ties, the Crew and Fussball Club are in and the Lions are out. Knowing Columbus, they'll blow it after minute 85, because that's been the M.O. for the last two months. 

We are Football Club Cincinnati. 

 

From the FC Cincinnati website.

 

"The much-speculated name Fussball Club Cincinnati – or Fußball Club Cincinnati using the German character – is the formal, legal name of the club and its business units. It is not to be used in any sporting references to the team, or in any public discussion."

 

Anyways, the only way Cincinnati misses is if DC wins and Orlando and Columbus draw. Knowing the city of Cincinnatis cursed sports history, that shouldnt be hard to do.

[Brian in Boston]

Columbus Crew 2 have captured the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro Cup championship via a 4-1 victory over St. Louis CITY2 at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.

Isaiah Parente (45' PK), Marco Micaletto (45'+3'), Jacen Russell-Rowe (58' PK), and Ryan Telfer (83') scored for the victors, with Celio Pompeau (80') notching the lone goal for St. Louis. Micoletto was named the MLS NEXT Pro Cup MVP.

Attendance for the match was reported to have been 7,446.