North American Pro Soccer 2014

[Gothamite]

Wow. That's absolutely shocking. Awful call, and it wasn't even close.

Worse yet, they got it right the first time. Why did they overrule the original call on the field?

[pluggerplugger1]

Wow. That's absolutely shocking. Awful call, and it wasn't even close. Why did they overrule the original call on the field?

I don't believe an explanation has been released yet, but you'd really hope that NASL or PRO would say something about this. It's only right.

[Gothamite]

Here's what the United recap had to say:

A ball played into the United box saw striker Martin Núñez get caught offside again as he volleyed a shot past United keeper Matt VanOekel. The goal was initially waved off, but after consulting his assistant, the referee changed his decision and allowed the goal to tie the match in stoppage. The goal was allowed because a United defender made contact with the ball while intentionally trying to clear the ball. According to the laws of the game, this would negate the offside call.

The announcers specifically say that the later deflection doesn't change the offsides, and I have to say that I understand them to be correct. The defender has to control the ball, and we didn't see anything close to that. A lucky deflection off him can't offset the advantage caused by the three offside players.

[Geoff]

It's the same as a delayed penalty call in hockey, the defending team has to maintain possession. Just as here, if the puck (ball in this case) just grazes the defender, he doesn't have possession. The defender makes contact and that stops the ball but in no way did he have control.

[Nyk33]

The Galaxy-RSL game just ended and I'm still waiting for RSL to show up to play.

That was a vicious demolition by the Galaxy.

[dbadefense1990]

The Galaxy-RSL game just ended and I'm still waiting for RSL to show up to play.

That was a vicious demolition by the Galaxy.

It's as if the Galaxy looked at the away-goals-rule in disgust, then decided to mercifully savage their opponent just because.

The Donovan/Dempsey WCF is halfway to completion; hopefully, Seattle doesn't gag their season away again tomorrow.

Meanwhile in the East, either the Revs or Red Bulls will continue to march towards ending their postseason suffering after that conference final.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The Revs and Galaxy are looking really good, but LA has made a habit of blowing out lesser teams, while still failing to win when it counts. I think I'm almost more comfortable against them than I am the Sounders/FC Dallas match tomorrow (which I'm going to).

All the same, the Revs have been playing scary good since the Jermaine Jones signing. I think they're the team to beat, though I'd still love to see a Sounders/Red Bulls final.

[Kevin W.]

Please, God, don't let LA win. The Donovan fawn-fest is bad enough as is.

[raysox]

I'm rooting for NYRB literally just because their logo wasn't made with crayons

[Gothamite]

All the same, the Revs have been playing scary good since the Jermaine Jones signing. I think they're the team to beat

And how crazy is that? A couple months ago, the Revs were the poster boy for " ty franchise". Now they're a legit threat to win the Cup.

[Nyk33]

I'm rooting for NYRB literally just because their logo wasn't made with crayons

How dare you?!

I bet you some third graders worked really hard on that logo.

[dbadefense1990]

The 2014 MLS Conference Finals are all set. It's the Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders in the West, and New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls in the East.

Juicy.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Seattle played great tonight, but couldn't convert. Dallas' goalie stood on his head all game, and willed his team to a tie. It was an aggressive game from beginning to end, and I'm really happy Seattle was able to get past Dallas. It easily could have gone the other way.

I hope LA got all its scoring out of the way last weekend; sometimes you really ought to save some of those goals. Seattle and LA have played two great games recently; here's hoping to two more with the same result.

[Nyk33]

The 2014 MLS Conference Finals are all set. It's the Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders in the West, and New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls in the East.

Juicy.

Indeed since every team has something special to play for:

Galaxy - They can be the first club to reach 5 MLS Cups and pass DC United while giving Donovan a great farewell.

Sounders - They can be the first club to win the treble (MLS Cup, Supporter's Shield, and Open Cup in the same season).

RBNY - They can give Henry a great farewell present with the club's first MLS Cup.

Revs - They are also competing for their first MLS Cup.

[crashcarson15]

All the same, the Revs have been playing scary good since the Jermaine Jones signing. I think they're the team to beat

And how crazy is that? A couple months ago, the Revs were the poster boy for " ty franchise". Now they're a legit threat to win the Cup.

All because of their name being drawn out of a hat.

[Brian in Boston]

All the same, the Revs have been playing scary good since the Jermaine Jones signing. I think they're the team to beat

And how crazy is that? A couple months ago, the Revs were the poster boy for " ty franchise". Now they're a legit threat to win the Cup.

All because of their name being drawn out of a hat.

Not to give the impression that a tinfoil hat is a regular part of my wardrobe, but I'm of a mind that Don Garber and Major League Soccer's management brain-trust flat-out manipulated the so-called "blind draw" (cough, cough... BULL !... cough, cough) for Jermaine Jones as a last-ditch attempt to save a franchise on the verge of collapse.

Look, I'm a long-suffering Revolution supporter (well, I support the players donning the uniforms... I have absolutely no use for the team's disinterested-to-the-point-of-inept investor/operators), but I'll feel a bit sheepish if the team should win this year's MLS Cup. It will strike me as being just a bit unseemly. I mean, it is apparent to me that Jermaine Jones was handed to the New England Revolution because league officers recognized that without something to engage the team's fan-base, MLS in the nation's 6th-most populous metro area and 7th-largest media market was about to fail completely.

A scathing piece in the April issue of Boston Magazine opined "The Krafts Are the Worst Owners in the League", went on to point out that said league was MLS, then juxtaposed Bob and Jonathan Kraft's engaged, energized, wildly successful ownership of the NFL's New England Patriots with their "hands-off", disinterested stewardship of the Revolution. Local sports-radio hosts Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti responded to said article by discussing the topic on their afternoon drive-time program, a rare occurrence of pro soccer grabbing air-time in Boston, though embarrassing given the gist of the conversation. Prior to Jones signing with the Revolution, the team was an uninspired 9-12-1 in MLS play and minus-5 in goal differential (31-for to 36-against). Progress on a promised soccer-specific stadium within the Greater Boston urban core was non-existent, as it has been since the subject was first broached 8 years ago. Which was unfortunate, given that the Revolution's average home attendance of 15,342 per match to that point in the 2104 season was lost in Gillette Stadium's cavernous 68,756-seat expanse. The mindset amongst the majority of die-hard Revolution supporters ran from resigned to apoplectic. The situation looked as dire as it ever has.

Frankly, I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that an individual at MLS HQ - most likely, Garber - said to the Krafts something on the order of, "Look, something has to be done in the Boston/New England market. It doesn't look good for Major League Soccer to have a pair of businessmen who run one of the most successful operations in all of pro sports - the Patriots - treating their MLS franchise like an afterthought. Jermaine Jones is open to playing in MLS and, while he'd prefer to sign with the Galaxy and the Fire want him to play in Chicago, we're going to steer him to the Revolution. You guys haven't, to date, committed the resources necessary to signing a 'true' designated player, but the league needs you to get on board with signing Jermaine. Best case scenario, he leads you guys deep into the playoffs... maybe, a berth in MLS Cup. At worst, his signing quells the unrest amongst your die-hard supporters who don't feel you're committed to operating the Revolution as a first-rate organization. Hell, if we get really lucky, Jermaine helps you win a title and, suddenly, the Revolution are in the spotlight... another championship team in a city that's used to its pro franchises bringing home hardware. Maybe that even helps you gain some traction on the stadium front."

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Obviously Jones to New England is bogus, but so too was Dempsey to Seattle, and so will be Cubo to a different marquee market.

I just take it as soccer is a great sport, but it's corrupt at pretty much all levels.

[Gothamite]

Hey, if we're talking corruption, then "spread the best players around" is an acceptable level.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Hey, if we're talking corruption, then "spread the best players around" is an acceptable level.

Sure, which is why Jones should have been playing in Chicago this season.

[Kevin W.]

All that and no mention of how Chicago is in need of a star player? Not even Mike Magee having an MVP season last year was enough. The team has been suffering non-stop under Hauptman. They desperately need something to revive them too. The Revs aren't the only bad franchise in the league, and they got screwed over by the league, plain and simple. Jones should be playing for the Fire right now.