MLS/American Soccer thread

http://americansoccernow.com/articles/mls-allure-why-wages-are-only-part-of-the-story

Recruitment brochure for MLS? Anyway, it puts a lot of the bits and pieces together that we always talk about with regard to the attraction of MLS other than money to players thinking of coming to 'Merica.

 

Very interesting article. It was an eye-opener to read about the differences of attaining citizenship of an E.U. nation and the U.S.A., it is no surprise that clubs try and green-card foreign players as soon as possible.

The wages are a massive draw though - wasn't Giovinco the highest paid italian footballer in the world upon signing for TFC? (Pretty sure I read that somewhere).

 

New England need to leave Foxboro. If Los Angeles can get on with building a new soccer-specific stadium, then surely somewhere in NE can get its act together and build them a stadium which they may occasionally fill.

 

I don't know what Giovinco is being paid, but it's worth it. The wages at the lower end aren't great though. I found another article about Englishman Dom Dwyer quitting English football to go to college in the U.S. I wil find and post it because that experience is more common than the Gio/Giovinco/Gerrard experience.

New England must get rid of the Kraft family...they are the problem for the Revs.... Once they are gone, a stadium will be built. They were instrumental in keeping the league afloat in the early days, so MLS treats them with too much respect for what they do today. They are dinosaur owners from a bygone era.

 

Giovinco has been completely awe-inspiring for TFC and he seems to enjoy the lack of pressure which there would inevitably have been in Turin.

Also, shout out to the Galaxians - still going in green and gold. Another comfortable win for Galaxy. That is a seriously good squad.

 

That was fun... Yeah, the Galaxians are dedicated sweet old ladies.
I'm heading to Seattle for an away game this weekend.

We always find an all night diner in Seattle that serves alcohol called the 5 Point and have whiskey and pancakes. Highlight of the trip!

 

Next weekend is the concacaf cup, between the 2013 Gold Cup winners (USA) and the 2015 winners (Mexico).
I think Galaxy will be the only team to have players on both sides.

 

I'm just glad the Galaxy and Hornets weren't playing last weekend. Every other team I follow got heartbreakingly crushed: Cal football, USA, Baltimore Ravens...
Put me out of my misery on Saturday when Arsenal plays WFC

 

Good looking game in a couple of weeks. I do enjoy watching the Bruins games at the Rosebowl.
Ravens at 1-4?! Ouch. An OT loss to Cleveland - not a great result.

I hear that J*rgen is beginning to run out of favour with the press - is he on his way out, do you reckon?
Also, this new idea of the Miami owner for a pan-continental champions league sounds as impossible to implement as an NFL franchise in London...

 

The Pan-Am champs league is a bit of a reach for MLS. We don't have the salary cap depth to make it work. It is espoused by the same sort of moron who is constantly talking about how promotion and relegation are super important for MLS, too.

Yeah, Klinsy is officially on the hot seat, but US Soccer won't even think about making until after Russia. It's mostly fans who are upset, rightfully so, in my opinion. He's got a great vision as a man to set up and retool the talent pipeline, but his tactical choices are chaotic and he's lost the locker room.

I think I'll be there for the Cal-UCLA game... Should be a shoot out! #GoBears!

 

So TFC finally do it. The second goal was pure artistry. Is Giovinco too good for the MLS?

Fewer than 10k in attendance to see the loss to Costa Rica. Maybe it's time for J*rg to choose between either being a technical director or a coach. I like his weather analogy.


Will certainly be a good game! Would love to see the Bruins play a home game one day. After this hype now it will either end a 0-0 tie, or something ridiculous like 9-6.

 

Giovinco is literally the only reason I watch MLS at all right now.

 

It should be noted you live in Houston.

 

The only thing that makes me feel better about Gerrard, Gio and Donovan Ricketts ******* soooo badly today is....
That our keeper didn't give up a goal in 4 seconds.


Looking at you, Ben

 

Ernie Stewart! There is hope in Philadelphia

 

http://www.socceramerica.com/articl...rises-a-record-127-percent.html?edition=14647

Attendance continues to grow in MLS. Good news for the league. It'll be interesting to see how Galaxy attendance changes when LAFC starts up. If it starts up.

 

http://www.brotherlygame.com/2015/12/1/9829342/report-union-acquire-chris-pontius-from-dc-united

Wooo! a player

 

So the Portland Timbers are MLS champions, with Liam Ridgewell lifting the trophy.

What's the standard of the MLS like nowadays? Is it getting better season on season?

Also, what's the latest with Beckham and Miami? Has he found a suitable place in which to build a stadium?

 

Here Cheeky, read this first:
http://m.bbc.com/sport/football/35012676

 

To get everyone ready for the MLS silly season, a light read on the roster rules and regulations of MLS
http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/roster-rules-and-regulations

 

Well the Union have signed James McFadden, that's a thing I guess....

 

Dp? Jk.

 

1 goal in 16 for Motherwell, so maybe seeing as how a goal in Europe is worth 10 MLS goals, and he is giving up the glamer of the Europa League Qualifying rounds

 

In all seriousness, the Scotsmen are generally up for the task here. If it is possible to work out, it might. How's that for qualified approval?

 

Galaxy just sold Omar Gonzalez to Pachuca in Liga MX. Didn't see that one coming, but he's been in a huge slump and needs to get his **** together. Could be just the ticket.

 

Ashley Cole and Lescott, going for that youth movement eh Fitz?

 

DeJong, too. Good lord. Not really looking forward to this season.

 

Love a nice draft. New center-back and Right back some depth, woo excitement.

 

Ben, your real name isn't Garrett Sothersby, is it?
http://www.thenutmegnews.com/curren...eattle-sounders-for-targeted-allocation-money

 

ha ha, that is some quality satire.

 

With China saying fúck it and spending money left right and centre, how do you think this will impact the MLS?

 

Not related much at all in my opinion. "Again, it all comes down to the salary cap", as has been said so many times on this thread. MLS teams are limited in what they can spend, with a couple exceptions known as "Designated Players". Maximum 3 per team can receive a salary that exceeds the salary cap.

In practice, few team have all three DP slots filled on their team, and most of the typical MLS team's roster is filled with your typical American player who at this point are mostly products of the US college system (though that will begin changing over the next decade).

The type of player that China will attract are the DP mercenaries, guys like Drogba and Oba Martins. MLS got Drogba from China. Oba Martins is going to that same team IIRC that Drogba came to MLS from. With a limit of three per team, there are a very finite number of slots to fill with an infinite number of fantastic global players.

China can have some, too. There are plenty to go around...

Now, the question one ought to be asking is how long can Chinese football sustain that level of spending? Do they have the financial maturity to not destroy their own league with such spending? That's the very reason why MLS has a salary cap in the first place.

 

Well it has started in MLS.. Obafemi Martins one of the best attackers in the league gone. http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35573893

 

As constantly mentioned by yours truly, it's "all about the salary cap" and also allocation money used to pay outside of it.

The Sounders fans in this article conclude his transfer to China will not yield allocation money.
http://www.sounderatheart.com/sound...ransfer-is-unlikely-to-yield-allocation-money

That is bad for the Sounders and good for all their competitors. It opens the door, however, to Sounders getting a new DP since Oba's spot has opened up. As one of the richest premier sad sack losers in MLS, they will certainly get a replacement for him, and in all likelihood, that player will be very good. He may not bring the kind of numbers Oba gave the Sounders though. He was very good stats wise...but only a single supporters shield to show for it. No wonder he got sick of it and left. I'm not certain how savvy the Sounders owners are when it comes to recruiting. I can't tell if they've just randomly gotten dumb lucky, or actually know what they are doing.

 

It's gonna be a long year...