It's a special week of MLS action. It's RIVALRY WEEK people!!! This week features 5 straight days of matches kicking off on Wednesday. As always all game times are Eastern. Please remember to keep it NEUTRAL in the N&A game thread. National broadcasts are noted, otherwise you can watch the games on ESPN+. Wednesday August 22 NYC vs. NYR 7:00PM FS1 Thursday August 23 CHI vs. CBS 7:00PM HOU vs. FCD 9:00PM UniMas Friday August 24 ORL vs. ATL 8:00PM ESPN LAG vs. LAF 10:30PM ESPN Saturday August 25 PHL vs. NER 7:00PM TFC vs. MTL 8:00PM SKC vs. MNU 8:30PM COL vs. RSL 9:00PM SJE vs. VAN 10:00PM Sunday August 24 NYR vs. DCU 7:00PM FS1 POR vs. SEA 9:30PM FS1
The generic form: "How will (your team <here>) drive me (your synonym for "out of your freaking mind" <here>) this week?"
I’m unsure about the Crew and Fire being rivals at this point. It should be renamed Ownership/FO vs. Supporters/STH given what has transpired over the last several months.
I was surprised to see this was Rivalry Week, because I know RSL and Colorado are playing the final leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup but the series doesn't usually make the Rivalry Week slate of games.
Sorry, Thursday. Oh the Wednesday game is at NYCFC. This will be the smallest attended game between the two at Yankees stadium.
I'll make one attendance-related comment. Huge crowds are fun in the "omg I can't believe we can get this many people to an MLS game" sense, but the novelty of huge crowds has passed. Attendance numbers were a huge deal when the survival of MLS was in question, but now that it's not, I don't really care how many people show up to watch Dallas or the Red Bulls or Colorado or whoever. I care way more about the quality of play, and the size of crowds doesn't really matter in that context.
They did come into the NASL at the same time and played their debut game against each other, May 5, 1974, at Empire Stadium.
USSF lined up Region III pro soccer used to have two teams. Houston and Dallas. Now there are four, Atlanta and Orlando. With Nashville and Miami entering top flight MLS soccer we will have six MLS clubs in Region III. There is a true hate between Houston and Dallas. Neutrals ought to know that this rivalry is very true to sport and culture. Our FO's might be sub par and the marketing of the encounter might be lacking. Just know to us supporters, this derby is one of the most combative in MLS.
AKA "The Worst Owners in MLS Derby" It would be really cool if Crew and Fire fans intermingled, put their arms around each other, and held up signs that read both #SaveTheCrew and #HauptmanOut, while singing a rousing rendition of Kum Ba Yah. Take THAT, Rivalry Week!
Midwest Nice vs Minnesota Nice It's #RivalryWeek, ladies and gents. And @MNUFC is coming to town. Who needs Cascadia drama, an old Texas cannon and LA traffic when you have...MIDWEST NICE vs. MINNESOTA NICE *triple air horn*🎟️ https://t.co/QA1Sjlc47W pic.twitter.com/BEy6QnefDT— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) August 21, 2018 A tradition unlike any other... Or something like that— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) August 21, 2018 SKC and MIN both being snarky at the league and their manufactured rivalries.
Meanwhile its "I hate @Ismitje" week. Happens 4 times a year (3 Rocky Mountain Cup matches and the Apple Cup )
Referee Assignments for "Rivalry Week" are out: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/08/21/pro-announces-assignments-week-26-2018-mls-season Interesting.........Ted Unkel is the center ref for NYC-NYR AND also the center ref for COL-RSL....... Elfath is the man in the middle for the ORL-ATL game..........lots of potential for angry Orlando fans in that one........ Geiger in the middle for TFC-MTL. He should be able to keep control over the feisty matchup. Mairufo will oversee the third installment of El Traffico.
Unfortunately there are a few "rivalries" that exist solely because they were the teams left after pairing up the actual rivalries. As for the ref assignments, it looks like PRO is using what they consider their 10 best referees as centers this week. The only person missing is Alan Kelly.