http://sports.yahoo.com/mls/news?slug=takingadive&prov=cnnsi&type=lgns Blue just may well be his color! Tony
All sorts of food for thought from that article. If MLS is looking to buy LD's contract outright, the 2.5 from selling DeMarcus would be a nice step in getting the cash together. On an unrelated note: the crowd at the Portland game last night (nearly 10K) suggest to me that well established A-League teams with good local followings (Portland, Rochester, etc.) should at some point be invited into MLS. (Not talking about promotion/relgations here). It makes sense to capitialize on that ground work and would create enthusasim among the fans. Okay, not an original thought, but it bears repeating.
I thought this was already a consideration? Or at least for Rochester, and I'd heard mention for Seattle. Like you say, it would make a lot of sense. Does someone know if this is already happening?
Yes, Portland or Seattle deserve an MLS team. I KNOW Portland does. Their fans are awesome and there's a history there. A very nice (that's sarcasm) Timber's fan and I were discussing this in line to get to a stadium. Pretty much went "Damn shame Salt Lake got a team and not you or Seattle." (I sad thatto him after he warmed up to me after an uneducated comment on attendance - two words: 15 percent - end of convo). But I have to wonder what kind of deals the A-League teams have brought to the table to get MLS to expand there. MLS is going to go where they get the best deal.
I totally agree with what was said about Josh Wolff. When I saw that penalty against Poland I was hoping that we would miss it. He's a cheap shot and a phony.
This has been repeated elsewhere also, but its not that Portland or Seattle or Phila don't perhaps have the fan support, but they don't have an invester/operator. Well, ok, it looks like Seattle does have investors and may well join in 2006. Dave Checketts, in less than an hour (according to that column in the Salt Lake paper cited in today's soccer journal) went from a $1 million option to $10M and 'lets meet YOUR Salt Lake Pioneers' (or Gulls or whatever). As soon as someone from Portland does that, it will be great to have the Timbers in MLS. Of course, the idea that investors who tried to buy the Dodgers are now buying into MLS, and that Don Garber actually had leverage in this deal, speaks volumes for how far MLS has come. Donovan should have taken the PK, AND he was fouled on that breakaway, Balboa got it wrong. Tony
Sorry to hijack this attendance/expansion thread. Just a couple of comments... Completely agree with Grant Wahl's article. I don't care if it's Carlos Ruiz for the Galaxy or Josh Wolff for the U.S., nobody should condone or justify a dive. I really like Marcelo Balboa, but he simply blew the analysis on that one. I agree with the sentiment that Taylor Twellman is one of the best at staying on his feet. Kudos to Brian Ching for likewise refusing to go down easy. The only way to stop the practice of diving is to penalize it. Refs should be much more willing to card an attempt to cheat by feigning a foul.
Did you see Carlos"El Flopadillo"Ruiz last night against the Rapids? Three blatant dives and one well deserved yellow card for the little rat bastard. MLS referees are idiots but they are starting to get a clue about Ruiz's cheating ways.