Wednesday 15 May 2019

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by Stuart95, May 14, 2019.

  1. Stuart95

    Stuart95 Member+

    Mar 11, 2012
    NoVA
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pozuelo getting kicked, Atlanta streaking and more to watch Wednesday
    https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...ed-atlanta-streaking-and-more-watch-wednesday

    Has MLS expansion come at the expense of the league's established teams?

    https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...-the-expense-of-the-leagues-established-teams

    Does MLS know that it's a league in transition?
    https://ussoccerplayers.com/2019/05/does-mls-know-that-its-a-league-in-transition.html

    MLS comissioner Don Garber: ‘You’ll see more charter travels’ in new CBA
    https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/mo...er-youll-see-more-charter-travels-in-new-cba/

    MLS commissioner: We don't treat Impact differently
    https://montrealgazette.com/sports/...commissioner-we-dont-treat-impact-differently

    Montreal Impact’s Remi Garde ‘not waiting for excuses’ for officiating issue
    https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/montreal-impact-remi-garde-not-waiting-for-excuses/

    Bruce Arena is named coach of MLS' New England Revolution
    https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-bruce-arena-revolution-galaxy-20190514-story.html

    Colorado Rapids coaching search: 12 best candidates to fix the club
    https://www.denverpost.com/2019/05/14/colorado-rapids-coaching-search/

    Here's how FC Cincinnati's search for a soccer-specific GM affects the next head coach
    https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sp...soccer-focused-gm-mls-season-2019/3665676002/

    Ibrahimovic facing threat of suspension after latest on-field dust-up
    https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/ibr...-up-is-worthy-of-a/1bka8b4tyf4af1rfxc9zbusu4b

    'I feel like I owe them': Inbeom Hwang is becoming an icon in Vancouver's Korean community
    http://www.espn.com/soccer/club/van...coming-an-icon-in-vancouvers-korean-community

    Zack Steffen foot injury lingers, could impact Gold Cup options for USMNT
    https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...y-lingers-could-impact-gold-cup-options-usmnt
     
  2. rocketeer22

    rocketeer22 Member+

    Apr 11, 2000
    Oakton,VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Kind of strange timing to mention Chicago and New England. Chicago buying out Bridgeview lease and moving back to Soldier Field while considering longer term plans.

    In one of the articles about Arena, a rumored stadium site was raised again. So, maybe there is action going on behind the scenes.
     
  3. GunnerJacket

    GunnerJacket Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 18, 2003
    Gainesville, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I'm confused by this author's premise. If I'm reading it correctly the allegation ia that ongoing league expansion is compounding a myriad of other unique MLS traits (single entity, forced parity...) to stifle some clubs' development. I'm not sure those relationships are direct or exclusive.

    That other teams enter the league and raise the bar doesn't mean the struggling teams were devoid of issues or not already facing pressure to change. This may be amplified by the scope and pace of expansion but the threats that come with being a bottom team (staff turnover, rebuilding fan appeal...) are already there. Likewise, that the likes of Atlanta and LAFC have presented advanced models isn't exclusive to expansion because such levels of local success have long been the ambition for the league, owners, fans, etc.

    That the recent expansions have mostly (Miami?) panned out so well isn't the impetus for whatever issues cited by the writer, IMO, it's merely hastened the need for some teams to address what ails them.

    MLS knows full well it's a league in transition and it knows full well the aim with expansion, even if it can't say how large that # will be: The end goal is to create a top flight that not only stands as a viable peer to top flights around the globe but one that also encompasses a social and geographical reach within the US and Canada such that local fans are fully on board. The latter requires reaching across the country to connect with fans so that as many people as possible are exposed to and can embrace pro soccer, which given the size of the US is tough to do at 20 or so teams.

    These growing pains aren't exclusively problems. They're also a sign of progress in that teams are focusing on reaching a standard rather than merely surviving. I'll take that any day.
     
  4. Bill Archer

    Bill Archer BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 19, 2002
    Washington, NC
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #4 Bill Archer, May 15, 2019
    Last edited: May 15, 2019
    So the question is whether a league which has been in a constant state of transition for over 20 years is aware that it is in a state of transition.

    Seriously?

    Hucherson is a cheap hack. He's always been a cheap hack, but he believes he is just this big bundle of clever insights and brilliant thoughts instead of a rather pedestrian key pounder who can't write, as evidenced by that largely unreadable piece of garbage.
     
  5. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    I admit I only scanned that one, but my reaction was "well, that was a lot of words. Was anything said?"

    A previous article (might have been yesterday) claimed that expansion was coming 'at the expense' of previously existing clubs. Seems to me rather the opposite--the lowest-attended clubs in the league draw around 15k, which before the expansion era was considered just fine. The expansion clubs seem to be the drive forcing the current ones to re-evaluate.
     
  6. aztec21bas

    aztec21bas BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 24, 2009
    Mullica Hill, NJ
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    repped for appropriate level of grumpiness!
     
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  7. rocketeer22

    rocketeer22 Member+

    Apr 11, 2000
    Oakton,VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Change is the one constant MLS has. Didn't MLS just change the playoff format for this season (which is probably iteration # 8 or so)?

    MLS has just announced it is transitioning to PlutoTV and there could be a lot of other items to list. The thing that has been the most stable has been the tenure of the league's Commissioner.
     
  8. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #BringBack1stTo5
     
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  9. CeltTexan

    CeltTexan Member+

    Sep 21, 2000
    Houston, TX USA
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Bring back that Mitre ball.
    Tampa Bay Mutiny vs. Miami Fusion. That old Florida Derby.
     
  10. Sounders78

    Sounders78 Member+

    Apr 20, 2009
    Olympia
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Bring back the Central Conference!
     
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  11. rocketeer22

    rocketeer22 Member+

    Apr 11, 2000
    Oakton,VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Eliminate ties....bring back the shootout tie-breaker.
     
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  12. rocketeer22

    rocketeer22 Member+

    Apr 11, 2000
    Oakton,VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Bring back the clock that counts down. Stop it for injuries and VAR ;)
     
  13. rocketeer22

    rocketeer22 Member+

    Apr 11, 2000
    Oakton,VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    When best of 3 just won't cut it.
     
  14. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Anyone else catch this nugget in PT's article about the Revs hiring Arena??

    "The Kraft’s commitment to spending in New England remains the most intriguing part of this deal. Will they allow Arena to build out the type of staff he will need in order to grow the Revs’ organization? Will he have the budget to convince someone like Dunivant, who played for Arena in LA and is now the general manager of the MLS-bound Sacramento Republic, to join his staff as technical director?"

    https://theathletic.com/977825/2019...na-do-it-on-a-cold-rainy-night-in-foxborough/

    hmmmmm.............insider slip?
     
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  15. 007Spartan

    007Spartan Member+

    Mar 1, 2006
    Scottsdale, AZ
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Noticed the same thing. I posted a few days ago a blurb from Ives Galarcep that mentioned that the Revs had considered turning the keys over to Arena over a year ago. If that is true, this probably wasn't a shotgun marriage and perhaps that means that the Revs were ready to pony up and get serious about competing. I hope that is that's the case, I really do.
     
  16. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Was referring to the part I put in Bold.
     
  17. NashSC

    NashSC Member+

    Nashville SC
    United States
    Jan 3, 2018
    I have thought about this often. It used to bother me...a lot. Then I realized other very established US leagues (including college) constantly change their playoff formats too. It is very common for US leagues to make changes. They change their rules constantly. It is not just MLS by any means. I know you didn't say it was. Just thinking out loud.
     
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  18. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    I once saw an article about scoring in the NFL basically stating that rules changes are made whenever scoring per team goes below 21 points. It's just a way of life in US sports.
     
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  19. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    I don't know if I buy that. At least as the primary cause of rule changes. Average scoring in the NFL has been above 21 points per team every year since 2006. There have definitely been rule changes in that period.

    The change in the extra-point distance was a pretty major change in 2015. They have made changes to the overtime rules over that period. There have been several safety-related changes in the last 10 years. The catch-rule has been tinkered with quite bit recently.

    Here are the stats:

    https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/NFL/scoring.htm

    It is pretty amazing that the average has been between 18.3 and 23.4 every single year of the last 40.
     
  20. NashSC

    NashSC Member+

    Nashville SC
    United States
    Jan 3, 2018
    They also keep tinkering with the kickoff yard line, fair catch, touchback being brought out to different yard lines. Some of those would fall in the safety-related, but not all.
    NFL changes rules so much it is hard to keep up.

    College basketball does this weird thing where they chose rules to put extra focus on certain years. I don't think they are an actual rule change. They just tell the refs to focus and call a certain rule more often. One of the ones recently was calling waaaay too many pump fakes a travel. It really got out of hand and they were calling stuff that wasn't even close to a travel.
     
  21. Honore de Ballsac

    Oct 28, 2005
    France.
    Bring back Joey DiGiamarino.
     
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  22. TheRealBilbo

    TheRealBilbo Member+

    Apr 5, 2016
    It's been a consistent fait accompli that has yet to be accomplished. I'll believe it when I see it, just like the two current expansion markets that have yet to have yellow equipment at a proposed stadium site.
     
  23. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    MLS does the same, as done the NFL. There's always a story in the NFL preseason about what things the refs are focusing on this year to cut down on. PRO also informs teams (reported on or not) that they're focusing on certain things in a given year. Generally its because there were increased incidents of that foul in prior years and/or a few very public incidents that changed a game or resulted in significant injury.
     
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  24. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    I don't mean to say it's the primary driver of all rule changes, just that (and I could be wrong about the exact number, or the article writer could have been) when scoring crosses below a threshold, they allegedly do something to change it. It would only explain some of the rule changes, but not things like the extra point, which was changed not to engineer scoring by because it feels so easy as to be a pointless waste of time. (I think they should have taken a page from rugby and forced the kick to be taken from wherever the TD was scored left-to-right.)

    Yeah, to me that tells the story--it's too consistent to be coincidental.
     
  25. JayRockers!

    JayRockers! Member+

    Aug 4, 2001
    Best to five by two. Ties count. No ET, no PK's.

    Thx,

    Jay!
     

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