DC United/NYCFC

forgive my ignorance, but what is the reference to the "the meteor" about?

 

When you don't want either time to win, a meteor strike is the preferred outcome.

 

...or a large sinkhole opening.

 

ah, got it....thx.

Yes, there is definitely truth in that statement about the international tournaments. In fact, I only want DCU to do well in the league not because of the Rothenberg trophy but because it provides entre to the only true measure of the quality of our team. I remember not being the only one to be shouting "We want Real" after beating Vasco in the '98 InterAmerican Cup (Vasco got to play what should have been our spot in the InterContinental Cup). I would have sold my soul to be at that game in Japan!

And it is true that back when we were competitive once or twice over the years we received some accommodation in scheduling due to fixture congestion. But more times than not, when we were regularly in meaningful tournaments, we didnt get any accommodation. And there is a long history of other teams, especially the Laxatives and the Metropukes (now eff'nRB), receiving preferential treatment over DC by the league in player acquisition and assignment (even giving a Ferrari to a player!), budgeting, travel, and all sorts of other administrative stuff. And it goes WAY back, to the early years.

And it was openly acknowledged by HQ. To wit: in '98 after we lost the Cup to Mike Bradley's dad I was walking out of the Rose Bowl to the league post-game tent alongside the commish, Doug Logan. He looks at my DCU gear and carrying the "3-peat" banner I brought to every game that year and says, "Tough loss. But it's best for the league you lost."

As we can see, things have changed, maybe a lot, but not too much.

 

Exactly. IDGAF about any other team in MLS. As far as CCL, I'd like to see them all get bounced in the first round every year. I don't get how anyone can justify our team or any team in the league taking on an extra burden to accommodate the teams that are in it. Salary cap or not, the league's success in CCL is literally the last thing I care about in the world of soccer. I have yet to see anyone make an argument that an MLS team winning it, does anything appreciable for DC United or any other team in the league.

The perceived biases toward LAG and the nouveau riche teams joining the league is something that a credible league would make sure it discredits instead of just sweeping it under the rug and saying that there's not much to see here. The $2.3M GAM reduction over 2 seasons is a pittance compared to how the NFL would have handed someone circumventing the salary cap. Goddell would have taken multiple first round picks which are far more impactful than a 2 year reduction in GAM for a team with extra from their expansion period which forces them to invest playing time in young homegrown players which could end up being a positive.