Zlatan isn't being played on turf for our games either(except I think he played some minutes in Portland) to save his 37 year old legs and minimize risk of injury. Wouldn't that be a footballing decision? He'd been playing a lot recently so the extra rest is probably welcome but, I do like any exposure of the idea that turf is not an acceptable professional playing surface.
Hopefully this will help MLS realize they are just hurting their fans and come up with some other sanction for missing the ASG.
Not saying MLS isn't to blame, and back in 1998, they would have let teams play on a high school field (or maybe even a baseball diamond ) if someone wanted to sign up to MLS. But today MLS has more leverage to maybe demand natural grass. At some point, it will likely happen, similar to the EPL. Rules change all the time. Unless they have some explicit contract clause that says they can play on turf forever, which I hope MLS wasn't stupid enough to agree to (and highly doubt).
I think his play demonstrates his commitment to the game here louder than any inference you draw from his comments. And to the extent that he craps on ASG, GOOOOOO ZLATAN
League over club, every time. One day I want to be able to go to a Galaxy game without wondering why I'm paying Epl soccer prices for league two quality...
MLS isn't like MLB of recent years. The MLS Cup game is held in the stadium of the participating team with the best record. I don't see that an extra midweek game as that big of an issue. Asking players to play in 4.5 games in a 14 day span with travel is the issue. The season could also easily start a week earlier to avoid the impact. If you want the game to be more real get rid of fan voting while you are at it.
Nobody wants it to be more real - that would lead to more injuries! I just understand why MLS keeps it around.
I already suggested a double headed USOC final & friendly btwn big foreign clubs. Other options: -Replace it with a "community shield" style season opener btwn the MLS champs and SS winner (team with best record if same). -Make it an "international friendly" btwn MLS champs & visitors and include the result in the standings. -Simply move all the hoopla and razzmatazz to the season opener. Handpick the fixture. All this of course assumes that the event is actually good marketing for MLS. It may get good ratings but is that because of MLS or the opponent? And are we advertising the league very well, if it's just a mashup of players in a game where few will take the result seriously? When MLSAS gets outplayed by a Man United or Real Madrid, does that turn people off the league? Just some thoughts.
If the ASG is that important, play it on a weekend and have that weekend be off for all teams, with no mid-week games the following week. Solved.
It's not important, it's a commercial money grab from the league and an absolute farce as far as football is concerned. I'm with Zlatan when he said," it's ridiculous, they (league) do whatever they want. I come from a different world, I come from the real world". He ain't lying football in the rest of the world don't go through these shenanigans!
Zlatan it's an embarrassment to the Galaxy and all of MLS. I've never been more ashamed of a Galaxy member.
Why? If it's because he sits out games on turf? He certainly wasn't the first player in the league or the Galaxy to do it. IIRC, both Beckham and Keane did it upon occasion, and Zlatan is 40 and 45 lbs heavier respectively not to mention older. If he does it in a playoff game, I would take it differently.
The main difference was that I didn't have that moment around the 70th minute when he gets subbed off and I think "Oh, I forgot he was playing".
zlatan to pyramids? https://talksport.com/football/4195...laxy-mls-egyptian-premier-league-pyramids-fc/
Given our FO, I wouldn't be surprised if Zlatan doesn't have an actual contract, as we feel that the pinky-swear was legally binding.