Or the NYRB realized they should get what they can for Sasha while they can cause he's 32 and only has a couple seasons left.
I don't think the only problem was Porter. In other signings to expect, it sounds like the aforementioned young centerback and attacking player, but also an additional winger and a backup forward. #RCTID— Chris Rifer (@ChrisRifer) December 14, 2017
Nearly all the players you named are attacking players. Farrell's a RB, Rowe can kind of play everywhere, but his best position is as an attacking mid in the Bedoya, Arriola type of mold. They need a keeper, another CB, a LB, a few CM's. They need half a team.
Tyler Adams is 18. At that age, there is no need to be locked into a single position. He has played 2000 league minutes, more important numbers than position. The Revs are top-heavy in the attack but have solid talent in most areas. Friedel, who confirmed this, has stated the team don't need a major overhaul.
The pundits on ESPNFC doesn't see an issue with as many American teens receiving significant minutes in the Bundesliga as their own inferior domestic league (in response to Sargent's comments). Really need someone on their regularly who knows what they're talking about when talking about USS and don't have conflicts of interest. More hubris than actual insight. I like what LAFC has done individually so far. You can see a plan for a foundation in place. But I think for them to be among the league elites and a second LA team to actually be good for the league they need a strategy that offsets what the Galaxy already does in the market. They can have a couple little toys like Vela who might coast often times like GDS, but they need to create an integration system for prospects to break-in unlike LAG had in recent years. That area is the most talent-rich in the nation, and for it to have been producing so little recently is a joke.
Could not agree with this more. Burley and Hislop can't talk about MLS or US Soccer without visible 'I can't believe I'm being forced to talk about this garbage' on their faces. Their takes ooze snobbery, really hard to watch. Wish ESPN took MLS seriously enough to have a half hour show with people that are knowledgeable and give a ****. Tired of every accented pundit on ESPNFC feeding the eurosnob 'MLS isn't worth supporting' hipster soccer culture. /rant
Espin is about ratings. Entertainment sports network...and they know that more Amiercans watch Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga games on TV than they do MLS. And MLS vieweship has supposedly dropped on Fox in the past year and is still dropping. MLS and it's fans need to stop being so sensitive. Realize where the league is at in 2017. Hopefully they figure out how to raise the bar on quality of soccer and soccer fans will warm to them.
Just not true, your insecurities are showing Shaka is very, very complimentary of MLS and the USMNT. Burley has been consistent that the USMNT is mediocre and not as good as in they were in past. Missing WC2018 proves his point Carlisle is very complimentary of US Soccer to the point of coming across as a serious Arena ass-kisser. Herc Gomez, Keller, and McBride are very insightful. TT knows his stuff and tells it like it is.
I'm aware that the league doesn't have the audience to necessitate 30 min of airtime dedicated to analysis, but the 'takes' from any of the pundits that aren't American that are included on the top of ESPNFC articles are usually embarrassingly half-assed. While THHF is right that Herc, TT, Keller etc are insightful, my question is why have Hislop or Burley talk about MLS when they clearly don't follow the league? Let the American reporters do the MLS coverage then instead of forcing these surface-level takes.
Just empower Jason Davis to do some tv as well. I've asked him about it and he said they don't offer and there's no explanation why. Otherwise call up Sciaretta for a side gig. They have foreign reporters who cover Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and England. They generally give less emotional, biased, and knowledgeable viewpoints than the player analysts. For the U.S. perspective, they occasionally have mealy-mouthed Jeff Carlisle on. He kissed Jurgen's ass too, like he did Arena. He's a blind apologist for whoever is currently in power. He's the opposite of what we need from the media to hold those in power to account. As far as the player analysts, I'm fine with Herc. But have him on more regularly then. TT, Keller, and McBride have conflicts of interests. Keller had a major one being a US youth coach and sitting next to Klinsmann during games. Calling Keller and McBride insightful is pretty laughable. Most of the guys on the coach don't respect them, Burley especially. I don't have a problem with the amount of MLS and USNT coverage, rather the accuracy of the takes of those present. Nobody should take issue with that critique if they are an actual fan of the national team and want the sport to stay on the right track in the country. We need the problems identified by the media properly and focused on in order to solve them.
MLS schedule intersects with ESPN broadcasts. EPL and other Euro soccer is early morning Saturday here when there's no scheduling conflict for ESPN. It's not rocket science. It's $$
I know and don't mean to sound condescending about it. But they are human and there's a big difference in soccer play. To fawn over MLS would seem scripted, so they seem to go in the opposite direction (thanks in part to Rhome and others) to seem edgy.
That is very MLS type of view and continues to harm the league. Reporting isn’t marketing. The more people knowledgeable of the game and from more perspectives reporting on the game the better.
Your statement on realizing where the league is at in 2017 is also equally applicable to a lot of national media, who seem to loathe MLS for having the temerity to not be La Liga or the BPL less than 25 years into its history. As much as there’s a segment of fans need to accept it, the media should probably appreciate it for what it is rather than mock it for not being something it can’t possibly be at this point.
I'm not talking about their commentary on the quality of the league. I'm not talking about marketing. I'm talking about having more to say than 'Toronto has a good team I think they'll win' when asked a question about MLS. There's a difference between trying to talk up MLS and paying enough attention to the league to have anything insightful to say about it at all, especially when you are getting paid to talk about it on TV. I'm asking for the latter from them, not the former as you two are insinuating. I'll leave it at that.
MEDIA MICROSCOPE: MLS TV RATINGS EXPERIENCE SLIGHT UPTICK IN 2017 http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/medi...ce-slight-uptick-in/xzu0158zao891v5alrv3vm9nn
I can't argue what they should or shouldn't do. Mocking it or delivering the updates with a smirk is as much the dinosaur focus on 'Murican' sports like football, basketball, baseball, Nascar, etc. and a profound ignorance towards soccer. They use MLS as their whipping boy while tiptoeing around Barcelona and Real Madrid news. I don't watch much Espn anymore. Bein and Fox are more soccer savvy and I don't need the corporate media spin on traditional sports in America. Heck, they hired Rongen to be their laugh track fool so there's at least some American soccer focus.
So looks like a mini-goalkeeping carousel happened to make things a taaaaad bit more interesting at the GK position. Bingham looks well on his way to LA, Tyler Miller looks like a strong shout to start at LAFC, giving us exposure of another young goalkeeper, and Id bet money on Marcinkowski taking Tarbell's starting spot before the end of the year at San Jose unless the later shows marked improvement. and personally Im happy to see Seitz move on and get what looks like a starting gig at Houston. Great guy from a personal standpoint. Hes earned it. Hoping someone next expansion cycle can pick up MacMath and/or Edwards.
I can't be the only one excited to see Nagbe in Atlanta. Perhaps this could be the resurgence he needs.
They seem to be following the Atlanta script more or less. As unexcited as I was to have another franchise owned by an NFL owner playing in another artificial turf NFL stadium, and a dome no less, it's difficult to argue that they've done anything but really raise the bar for what an MLS franchise, particularly a new one, can aspire to be.
I don’t get why a direct attacking team like Atlanta would want Nagbe, who’s habit of dribbling aimlessly can’t possibly help them.
Nagbe takes way more heat around here than he should. He'll fit in perfectly to their midfield. He'll have a six behind him and a ten in front of him. All he needs to do is break the pressure and move into space. By doing that he will create a lot of space for ATL's attacking front. For that reason alone they bought him. Tata will maximize him within his scheme. He's also versatile which will help them rotate their squad more effectively. Something that cost them down the stretch of last year.
Boca's viewpoint: So Darlington fits our lineup perfectly. Whether he’s deployed centrally or on the wing – he will chip in with a few goals and assists but he’s going to be the connector. He had one of the highest possession retention rates in the league, which is perfect for our team and style building out of the back and playing through the lines. https://www.atlutd.com/post/2017/12/13/bocanegra-addition-darlington-nagbe
Fair enough. It’ll be interesting to see if being coached by someone other than Caleb Porter brings some late development out of him, and Martino is a very good coach.