News: 2016 Other Teams Discussion thread (spoilers)

I wouldn't whine, this is an opportunity for MLS to grow; it's going to be tough, true, it's going to be in or out from the beginning and many times it's going to be out; it's going to take time. The teams that qualify for CCL are going to have to cut short their off season, restart working early, and maybe have a short X-mas break; if MLS wants to become a top league, and I really hope so, they have to reduce the off season time, or to distribute it in a different way. No top league in the world has an off season of 3 to 4 straight months. MLS will have to seriously ponder (and I think DG is already doing it, despite what he says to the media) whether to move to a July to May schedule, with a winter break in between. MLS also has the huge advantage to have an unbalanced schedule, which means enough southern teams could actually play home during the coldest weeks; and if some games have to be postponed, well, so be it, it happens almost everywhere. I know most people are going to say that it will never happen, probably the same people who said playoff would have never been played on Thanksgiving weekend, but I am persuaded we'll get there some day. It's a must do step to ultimately grow. Either that, or adopt the same formula of most other central-south American countries.

 

Speaking just for myself (obv) I hope this is never given serious consideration as I find it stupid - but I guess depending on where they moved the transfer window(s), the college season, and the draft I might only find it silly instead.

I'm all for moving the start of preseason to Jan 1st and making it longer, then extending the season further into November; helping to meet my life goal of seeing an MLS Cup played in a blizzard

 

Maybe extend the season a little longer in fall and spring, but have the cup in a neutral warm weather stadium.

As Kevin Payne pointed out in an interview about 4-5 years ago, the basic problem that MLS has faced since the beginning is that the US (and now Canada) has 3 time zones and at about 5 climate zones. We can't play through the winter. Its just too much in half the cities. The best thing maybe would be to ease up the schedule in July & early August.

 

... well, actually ...
There are 6, but MLS teams only play in 4 of them

But, point taken.
If you count fire and rainy seasons, even more temperate/weather zones

 

Hot & murderously humid Southeast. Cold Northern tier (early winter, etc). Murderously hot Southwest. Pacific northwest. Plains states. And then Mile High.

 

if the CSA had been more successful they could have played the same time as most of the European leagues while we could keep our Mar-Oct schedule.

 

Spector to Orlando official

Can confirm that Spector salary is at upper end of range; around 575k 1st year & 600k 2nd. Both years guaranteed. 2 option years after. https://t.co/FJLioKGBxj

— Jeff Carlisle (@JeffreyCarlisle) January 24, 2017

 

yep - my mistake - its THREE HOURS time difference over FOUR time zones

 

C'mon. Does Colorado really exist?

 

You're thinking of El Dorado. It's a common mistake.

 

Depends on how high you are at the time.

 

Eldorado Springs, Colorado - Elevation: 5,732 feet

 

RSL signsLuis Silva.

 

At his age, is he really worth that much?

 

Holy cow, he's 30, you ageist bastard.

 

Good for them, better for him. He deserves to play somewhere. Hopefully those bench-sitting calluses won't hamper his free kick ability.

 

True, but he's had a long history of injuries and that will only get worse at his age. Besides, he's never been a great player but a solid player. I just don't see him worth that much.

 

I would agree. I think he's a 350K player in the MLS market. But that's a long way to come down from $1M+, when you're only 30.

 

Bruce Arena 's first team selection is ugly.

Bedoya, Beckerman/Jones, Zusi, etc

 

January camp...if there were a WCQ tomorrow how many of those guys would start? Bradley, Altidore and maybe Jones?

 

Based on the last 5 or 6 games (or so) I'd only take one of those.

 

Hopefully only Bradley.

Too many familiar faces in the camp to begin with. Wondo ffs.

 

I question the premise that Cap'n Bradley is a lock to start. His motor is his best asset at this point in his career, but when he gets into the attacking third I'm not sure he offers more than, say, Feilhaber or Kljestan. I could see Jones being a Bradley-like DM, but Jones at least threatened to score last night. Since Jones can't play in the next match, let's see who Bruce puts in his place.