North American Pro Soccer 2023

[Digby]

How does the Apple/MLS thing not have a halftime show? All the games are happening at the same time, feels like an obvious opportunity for a shared whip around. Instead I’m seeing 5 minutes of ads, 30 seconds of random stadium crowd shots and the announcer repeating the score and to stay tuned, then we do it all again.

[Dilbert]

1 hour ago, Digby said:

. Instead I’m seeing 5 minutes of ads, 30 seconds of random stadium crowd shots and the announcer repeating the score and to stay tuned, then we do it all again.

Gotta pay the bills somehow.

[McCall]

Can't even watch the St. Louis-Cincinnati game because the stupid Apple TV app is messed up. People all over are unable to sign-in.

[MJWalker45]

10 hours ago, McCall said:

Can't even watch the St. Louis-Cincinnati game because the stupid Apple TV app is messed up. People all over are unable to sign-in.

I didn't have any problem last night for the late games. But I did have an extra step before going to the main Apple TV screen. I wasn't tracking the earlier issue, but I had my TV randomly sign out my accounts last week.

[McCall]

4 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

I didn't have any problem last night for the late games. But I did have an extra step before going to the main Apple TV screen. I wasn't tracking the earlier issue, but I had my TV randomly sign out my accounts last week.

I had one of my tvs on MLS 360 while had the main one on something else during the rain delay. And when it was about to start, I switched it over to Apple and it kept telling me to enter my login and would never work or just keep saying "signing in". I switched off the smaller one in case it was interfering (which it hadn't before) and then neither one would. I went on twitter and found I was not the only one having the issue. Yeah we had storms, but my internet was on and working fine for everything else. I was able to get it to work on Chrome on my laptop and then about 10 minutes before half, it was working again.

[Dilbert]

Last night was rough for FC Cincinnati. A few weeks ago I said that the match with St Louis was the one I was worried about the most. Its hard enough to win or draw on the road, especially against a team that started so hot. Then when we lost Acosta, that pretty much sealed the loss for me.  The long weather delay didnt help either. For some reason, when we are without Acosta we revert back to our 2019-21 form.

[Sport]

I tried to watch and couldn’t because of the technical issues and grew frustrated with Apple’s interface. First, they didn’t have the FCC-StL game listed under the games that were happening live because of the weather delay so I had to search for the game. Then it kept telling me I had to subscribe, but wouldn’t give me any option to login so I’d click subscribe and then it’d tell me I was already subscribed and then give me a path to logging in on the appletv box’s settings which means I had to leave the apple+ app every time, which means I had to re-search for the game the ten or so times I went back into the apple+ app. That path they told me to follow to login on the appletv settings doesn’t actually exist in their settings. I was so frustrated and it was already 2-0 so I gave up. 
 

Their own tech issues aside, my inability to easily navigate through their app because of their insistence on being all “Appley” made things incredibly difficult. And I’m not 1,000 years old, I’m somewhat tech savvy. 

[TrueYankee26]

2023 New York Red Bulls. On and off the pitch.

 

 

[Digby]

Expansion/stadium breadcrumbs...

 

San Diego apparently has real MLS momentum now, and SDSU seems on the record about being willing to hand over everything to let them use the stadium, which might solve the "MLS teams own, don't rent" issue. https://www.espn.com/soccer/mls/story/4933435/mls-expansion-san-diego-has-momentum-to-become-club-no-30

 

Meanwhile the city of Boston put out an RFP to private entities to renovate a stadium that was rumored to be an NWSL site... but it sounds like they'd still want it to be primarily a high school stadium. I still don't see how that would fly in the modern NWSL. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/25/sports/boston-nwsl-team-stadium/?p1=StaffPage

[SCMODS]

I think MLS should be the one league that avoids Las Vegas and just let it play out with MLB & NBA eventually going there. 

[MJWalker45]

9 minutes ago, SCMODS said:

I think MLS should be the one league that avoids Las Vegas and just let it play out with MLB & NBA eventually going there. 

The fact that they would almost be hemmed in to playing night games for 3/4 of the season should be enough to stay away. 

[Dilbert]

22 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

The fact that they would almost be hemmed in to playing night games for 3/4 of the season should be enough to stay away. 

With Apples broadcast scheduling, most games are already at night anyway.

[MJWalker45]

1 minute ago, Dilbert said:

With Apples broadcast scheduling, most games are already at night anyway.

True, but hopefully we'll start to see those time frames change a bit as we get to summer. It doesn't make sense to have everyone playing at the same time outside of decision day. 

[4_tattoos]

First time watching MLS on on Apple TV (DC United match was free to watch and Apple TV is a preset app on my Roku). Quality seems decent. Then again, I've gotten used to their production via the highlights on YouTube. If DC United is playing in another free match this season I'll definitely tune in again.

[Rockstar Matt]

Hypothetical question, if LAFC wins the CCL, does that make them one of the all-time great MLS teams? If they beat Tigres/Leon they will be the MLS Cup, Supporter's Shield and CCL champions. How many other MLS teams have accomplished anything close to this?

 

Another impressive win tonight, thoroughly dismantling the Union 3-0 and 4-1 on aggregate. 

 

EDIT: Just saw a stat that stated LAFC are the first team from the MLS to have gone to the modern iteration of the CCL Final twice.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

4 minutes ago, Rockstar Matt said:

Hypothetical question, if LAFC wins the CCL, does that make them one of the all-time great MLS teams? If they beat Tigres/Leon they will be the MLS Cup, Supporter's Shield and CCL champions. How many other MLS teams have accomplished anything close to this?

 

The Giavanco Toronto FC, but they never won CCL.

 

But yes, this LAFC squad is already among the greatest ever.

[Digby]

Those O.G. DC United and LA Galaxy teams both won all three plus Open Cup in three-year spans in the early years, when it was still called Champions Cup. I know everyone thinks 90s MLS was just bad uniforms and the giant shootout clock, but there you go.

[Jer15]

9 hours ago, Rockstar Matt said:

Hypothetical question, if LAFC wins the CCL, does that make them one of the all-time great MLS teams?

I'd say they are in that conversation, no doubt. Possibly the best. 

9 hours ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

 

The Giavanco Toronto FC, but they never won CCL.

As a TFC fan Of course I agree that team is in the conversation but If i'm stepping aside from fandom, I'd say LAFC has topped it.

[4_tattoos]

Groups selected for The Soccer Tournament.

 

 

[4_tattoos]

Random NWSL questions brought up by a friend earlier today. Once NYCFC's new stadium is built, what is the likelihood of Gotham FC moving in with them? And how soon would Gotham leave Red Bull Arena after the new stadium opens?