2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League - Preliminary Round [R]

Two spots in the preliminaries for Panama are well deserved. Everyone seems to underestimate them, but there not as bad a people think.

 

The really sad part is that even though MLS players get reamed in the superliga deal, they still get paid more participating in that tourney than in preliminary rounds in this CL. What's the matter with these players? Caring more about adding a small bonus onto their relatively paltry salary rather than a half-assed, tossed together tourney in which crooked beaurocrats pay them in magic rocks.

Both SUM and Primera benefit more (as far as revenue goes, not necessarily competition wise) from the exposure in SL than in the CL current form. It's a sad reality, but it's true. I do hope, and have faith that with time this will change though. Now, does this justify MLS teams' horrible performance...NO! But are there other factors that can be taken into account? I think so. It's not completely black and white, there is some grey in the matter. But in the end, these teams lost out in a big way to teams from "supposedly" inferior leagues and I believe there should be repercussions. Now, will there be any? I doubt it, and that's not fair to be honest...but lining warner's pockets has nothing to do with fair, or deserve.

Good news is, that old crooked fart can't last forever. Bad news is...we're stuck with him for now.

 

They did. They put on a clinic. If I were a Revs fan I'd be livid. The coach and the team were all smiles and joking at the end of the game...as if they didn't give a shit. I would've started a riot...but there weren't enough people at the stadium for that either...

 

1) The Revs are still near the top of the league from earlier play. If you look at the way they've been playing

2) MLS fans in general are getting tired of getting trashed by people who can't figure out where the blame really lies.

Well, that and we had to absorb two losses to the Revs while they were still playing well. Now that they're playing like crap...

 

What about pride? Do the MLS players have no pride that they would really tank a game in this tournament just because they aren't getting paid as they did in the Superliga? That's stupid. the MLS players and coaches should be fired up to prove how good they and the league is.

 

Maybe you forgot, we did in the 2006 CCC. The eliminated Saprissa to get there and we knocked them out. I still say we would have gotten by your guys this year if we had the team we won the MLS Cup with just a hand full of months before. The team Saprissa faced was a shadow of that one, just look at our early season record if you don't believe it.

 

I'm going to go way out on a limb and suggest that maybe MLS players aren't that good.

If anybody wants to dispute that, I have one word: scoreboard.

 

Forget it. I've been trying to explain that as well. But they stick by that JPFC beat the "top team in the league" even though they've won 1 game in the last 7, and that Chivas is but a memory of what they were when they originally qualified...as were we at the start of the year, not forgetting the fact that they scored those goals against Tony fkn Caig (aruably the worst GK in the league...Onstad was out)! Also two forwards that had together accounted for 14 goals in a half season (Ngwenya and Jaqua) had gone off to europe. But facts don't need to get in their way...it is afterall MLS's fault somehow.

 

This is so asinine, it doesn't even merit an actual response.

 

excuses excuses, at the end of the day its all history and we are in the present. MLS teams have fail to impress me. Hopefully this year its different.

 

You see the thing that gets up people noses is the fact that before the tournament even started, MLS fans began to talk up there chances and saying they have as much of a chance at winning the tournament as any Mexican or Costa Rica side. Then when something like this happens, and all you here is excuses. Fair enough maybe both teams aren't in the best of form, but most MLS fans would have the world believe that even the worst MLS team could still easily beat any team from the "minnow" leagues like Panama and Jamaica.

 

I think you misunderstand me. It doesn't make me 'feel better'. I'm pissed.

No one is in the stands, the Revs played nobodys save Reis and Heaps...they aren't respecting the tournament and that is stupid. At least Chivas tried to play even though no one went to see them.

That's pathetic.

I don't know why MLS cares more about Superliga, but I sure did enjoy it last season. This season, meh...

 

They deserve as much credit as one of the worst team in MLS, San Jose Earthquakes, who beat the Rev 4-nill about 2 weeks ago. Go look at the train wreak that is the Revs season of late. Considering how many reserves the played today, and how much effort and money the apparently spend on them, the got what they deserved. Run out of CCL.

JP played their asses off and got what they deserved, a win in both legs.

I have a feeling there are bigger surprises coming in the group stage. No idea who or were, but there you go. I guess if I'd paid more attention to the Revs after they beat us in SL I wouldn't be so surprised about the game tonight.

I kind of like the way it is. If four MLS teams had auto bids to the group stage I could see people getting bent, but getting bent because we got more slots? No. We didn't make good us of them so who cares.

If we get the same slots next year and all four teams make it to the group stage, they'll be crying about that too. So basically we're engaged in a no-win here.

If Dynamo does that, I'll be waiting to verbally assault the smile right off their faces for it. But I seriously doubt we have to worry about that. Our guys play for the shirt, Revs for the paycheck...

I would say now would be a good time to send an email to Don Garber to tell him how MLS's restrictive rules have made his league look like a joke.

Unless international credibility is an afterthought to the league that cares more about building concert venues for it's teams to play in. In which case we should stop calling it soccer and start calling it soccer entertainment.

Some teams have a bunch of players looking to play out their contracts and get a high value contract in Europe. The couldn't care less about the team or the fans. And considering the way the league treats the players I can hardly blame some of them. (Twellman & Cooper spring to mind.) A few teams learn to play for each other, the shirt and the fans. Luckily enough one of those is my Dynamo!

 

Grats to Montreal... this must bode well for their chances at an MLS bid in 2011.

also maybe USL teams winning will be noticed by the MLS and they will kick it into gear..... after this and disappointing showings in US Open cup as well I would hope it opens up their eyes.

 

Really, because we didn't bow before your team and talk about how crappie our teams are compared to your? Because we actually beleive in our leage and what we're trying to build here?

Excuses are what we hear when our teams beat your teams. We don't even come close to the kind of carping I read here after some games. If you go back and look at our posts, most of what really angers us is the way our teams treated this. Chivas had more of an excuse then Revs, the poor baby goats are missing so many starters it's unreal.

I could go on a long diatribe about how dumb that is, but I think I'll just let it stand on it's own. I've written too much already.



One parting shot. All this typing for two teams I don't even like. I've thought the Revs were a joke for years now and I absolutely hate the ********ing baby goats (momma goat too) but they represent my league. If you can't understand that, there's not much I can do to help that.

 

You too misunderstand me.

Did you see the 94 people in the 27,000 seat Home Depot Center tonight? I did. That's pathetic.

Did you see the 200 people at 50,000+ seat Foxboro for Joe Public's clinic on the hapless Revs? I did.

So yes, I can conclude nobody cares.

The ownership of the teams didn't respect the game of soccer to play it for real. Why bother to RSVP to the tournament if you aren't going to try? It's weird.

US soccer culture has a LOT to learn, and we here show no sign of making any progress towards learning it.

 

You and me both. It is frustrating to watch the inconsistent level of play in MLS season after season. The top teams all have their moments of decent play over the course of a season, but top to bottom, it really is frustrating. Just from watching some of the Chivas USA game tonight, you see guys take two and three touches when it should only take one touch. There are talented US players in MLS, the league just doesn't pay enough money to keep them here. People make excuses but the bottom line is it comes down to money. I know people get tired of that excuse and think it's lame but it is what it is and I don't know why people are so surprised when MLS teams come up short. It would be a monumental upset for an MLS to win a major international tournament with the amount of money they have invested in players. I'm not sure what Saprissa's payroll is but I doubt it is not much less if any at all to MLS teams; and keep in mind they are the flag ship club of Costa Rica and usually feature a large amount of starters from their National side. If any MLS club had an equal proportion of US regulars on their team, they'd be a very formidable foe in these Concacaf international tournaments. Some may perceive this being bias, but I really do believe DC United can make some noise in this tournament if they get everyone back healthy. Do I realistically think they can win it? Probably not, their defense isn't good enough and I don't think Jaime Moreno is nearly as effective internationally anymore. If DC isn't at full strength, it'll be embarrassing as was SuperLiga. Anyone else think it would be hilarious if the USL and as many teams in the tournament as MLS? They could possibly have more in 2009 if Charleston beats DC tomorrow night.
And in regards to NE flaming out, personally, as a neutral observer putting my allegiance to DC aside, I've never been that impressed with NE. I personally think defenses in MLS are just bad for NE's tactics to work over the course of an entire season and especially come playoff time. Their British coach has a defense that predictably clogs the middle, an above average midfield by MLS standards (Joseph and Ralston) and strikers that are capable enough to finish the constant long balls that they are supplied with (Twellman, who by the way outside of MLS has done nothing, what a coincidence). If SuperLiga was played with Mexican teams in mid season form, they would not have had the same type of success. Chivas USA has been decimated with injuries this season but I even think they over achieved last season.
Bottom line, MLS just isn't good enough and hopefully throwing more money at the problem will fix it. Seems to work that way the rest of the world when it comes to soccer (Chelsea, Man City) so maybe with a $10 million dollar salary cap MLS will be able to compete with Mexico. Until then, I will continue to enjoy our glorious run against them and the rest of Concacaf on the National Team end of things. I will continue to support MLS and DC United as well as the USL, but will not make pointless excuses to why we constantly come up short in these tournaments. But for all the MLS haters, enjoy it while you can, pardon me while I display a little Nationalism, the US is the best at pretty much every legitimate sport in the world and it is, only a matter of time before we catch up. It may take 20 or 30 years, and I may be an old man when it happens, but we will be the top league in North and South America. Only a matter of time, so enjoy it while it lasts.

 

Well, I'm really glad to see the Impact made it to the next round as I have a personal connection with the city of Montreal.

As for the two MLS clubs tonight, well is kind of unfair to measure them with the same stick, Chivas kind of tried, they couldn't come back from a poor result in Panama but they fought, as for NE, well I guess people that follow them know if their club is really as bad as it looked tonight, but they certainly left a poor impression of themselves and their league.

 

First off, i think you may have me confused with someone else, cause for one, i don't expect anyone to bow to my team. My team (Firpo) qualified directly to the group stage and in these preliminaries the only games that truely interest me are Metapan v Marathon and LDA v PRI. If got no beef with the MLS and even though they lost these two games, i still think that the the 2 preliminary and 2 group stage spot are deserved, if not for the quality of the MLS teams but rather for the revenue, exposure that comes with them.

Now no doubt there are those that will want to lag on the fact that not many turned out at either of your home games today, but fact is, even though the turnout was small, the USA market is if not the most important place that this tournament needs to win over in order for it to succedd.

As for me making excuses when our team losses, again, you might be thinking about someone else. Cause i'm not one to harp on the fact that we lost a game, i'm not one to make excuses and say this or that, cause in reality, what's the point. The game at that stage is over and the result is final, having a whine about it wont change a thing. Of course if the game does end in an odd way (USA v Canada in last years Gold Cup) then i probabaly would say something, but i'd quickly get over it.

And as for the much fancied excuse that Chivas USA was not playing at it's full potential, well, after having a look through the Chivas forums, i'd think that their true fans, see it much differently.

From the Chivas forum:

 

Really? Lets see
Team Sports only
Hockey- Nope
Rugby- Nope
Basketball-Yes
Soccer- Nope
Baseball-Nope- No gold Medal and didnt do anything in the World basball classic (or whatever its called)
Volleyball- Yes. It can be argued Russia is the best historically but the US did win the gold this Olympics so will say Yes.
Cricket- Nope

Im not sure what other legitimate sports are out there, I think those are good enough. Football doesnt count, cuz nobody else in the world has a pro league.

So out of the 7 most popuar sports I could think of, the US is only the best in two. 2 out of 7 doesnt count as pretty much every sport out there.

 

Well put. We are not anywhere near as good as most people think we are. When put our mind to it, we can rule...but we are usually too busy trying to see up Britney's skirt or trying to find out where to get a $1 burger for that.

I myself am like chocoholic...only with booze.

 

I seriously doubt it.