The referee was the biggest outside influence on the final, even more than weather. Just like the referee that we had for the HOU-SKC playoff, he favored SKC's physical style. If you are a club like Sporting that uses fouls tactically more than any other club, and the referee is fine with it, it is a tactical edge.
You could also be the fan of this little team that also endured our 3 other outdoor team incarnations and 1 indoor team in this city and what a man or woman has ended up with in MLS....well....it's like living a fuking footy fan's dream!!!!!! The ONLY thing cooler I have witnessed is our Naranja Babies that are born into this club of ours.
This Collin did enough in both legs to receive yellows but nothing while Boniek who got trucked gets payback and only he got a yellow.
Where is @newtex to dispute all this "midtable" garbage? I know he has the numbers showing that we are near tops in almost every category since '06.
06', 07', and 09' were the good years as far as table standings. We've been in decline since as far as standings, but standings don't matter, because we went to MLS Cup twice with around 9th-10th place in standings. Statistically we're the best team the last 7 years though, in comparison to the league, which doesn't matter either, because we've nothing to show for it since 07', if the MLS Cup is the measure.
Your right in that it has been too long; although it has also gotten increasingly difficult with the addition of teams and spending. I will point out, that even though we haven't won since 2007 - only LA can match our Cup total since we came into the league and there are 13 teams that don't have a Cup at all over that period much less two.
It is interesting. Because our overall place has dropped a bit in the standings over time (5th, 3, 2, 3, 12, 6, 9, 8) But, we aren't really doing anything different. Our PPG this year were the same as 2006. Last year was the third best PPG we have had in a regular season but our second worst finishing position (whole table). (rounded; 1.5, 1.7, 1.7, 1.3, 1.1, 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, 1.5ppg) But in addition, things have just gotten tighter. In 2006 there was 16 points between the last playoff spot and the first; with ONLY eight teams. This year, only a ten point difference with TEN teams in the playoffs. I think Dom tends to put together consistent teams and as teams have spent more you end up with some teams having explosive years while some teams have stinkers creating a spread between top and bottom. We just keep chugging along.
That's what makes him one of my favorite coaches/managers of all. He knows how to tweak things, fix problems, and manage teams that are not always thought to be contenders. He knows how to make adjustments so that when slides do occur, they aren't bad slides.
With this dawning "all in" for the World Cup year, do you think MLS will up salary cap publicly before the season begins?
Grant Wahl just tweeted that Garber said the league was losing between 75m - 100M a year. Sounds to me like it's time for a new commish if he thinks he can use those numbers to beat the union into a more advantageous position for the owners in regards to the CBA.
yep. Team loses five million while the organization in charge of stadium makes 2 million and the owner makes another 5 million from SUM. Or something like that.
Also regarding losing the money, it doesn't include renegotiated TV deal. On top of that, league is not getting expansion fees like they are getting and paying transfer fees like they are paying if they are losing that much money.
Hey there is a difference between "losing money" and LOSING MONEY. Legally, I am sure MLS is losing money. But I highly doubt many of the owners are losing on the whole enterprise at this point.
Right. SUM + Stadium company profits + Expansion fees + TV deal = Large quantities of money next to paltry salaries. It's funny that Garber had to start laying the groundwork on the MLS is losing money front less than a week after Toronto spends $100 million in expansion fees.
You see the problem is . . . there is no such thing. Or rather, because they are different LLC they don't net. SUM especially since all the money from other things (US Soccer, MX Soccer in US, MLS) are all intermixed.