I can. MLS needs a team to win the CCL. It would be great for the league and just another step forward in getting out of the shadow of Liga MX.
When SKC change their logo, hopefully they actually do a better job of engaging fans so a year later they aren't putting out a statement like this like Chicago and Columbus also have. #CFMTL #AllezMTL pic.twitter.com/6wuRE1WpZA— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) May 4, 2022
Have to hand it to Seattle. I was rooting for them and MLS. Quite an accomplishment to overcome 2 early injuries and stick it to Pumas.
It was a complete and convincing win over a Liga MX side. I have got to think that the huge crowd really propelled the Sounders to that beat down over the Pumas. Two big records broken last night : the first MLS team to win the CCL and the first MLS team to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup. Say what you will about the CCL competition, but this is a major status boost for MLS. I can’t wait to read the stories in the Mexican Sports reporting of the game. i think this achievement show the importance of a forward thinking and competent front office. Garth Lagerway was the guy behind RSL being the first to get to the CCL final and the guy that got Seattle the Championship. SKC should take note.
Injuries to two very important players, no less! And how about former SKC reject, Rowe, filling in for Nouhou. Yet another SKC player finding success at a new home. Watching that game, I couldn't help but think about the gap between the Sounders and Sporting. Their three players up top (Loidero, Ruidiaz and Morris) are a little (not a lot) better than Pulido, Kinda, Russell. They also have two Roldans, and Jauo Paulo in the midfield that are much better than anything SKC has to offer. The defense includes Yaimar, Arreaga, Nouhou, and Frei. Also better than the SKC back 4. Off the bench, they're brining in Montero and Bruin to bolster the attack, or to fill in for injuries. They had a 16 year old playing in the midfield. They brought in the Big 10 defensive player of the year as a late sub. Their coach changes tactics to fit his players strengths and doesn't try to fit square pegs into round holes and adjusts to in game changes. Forget our injuries and their injuries for a minute and just look at the rosters. The difference is huge.
MLS needs to have a serious reckoning about stadiums and playing surfaces. So many injuries on artificial surfaces. NYCFC stadium situation is a disaster. Sharing stadiums with NFL teams that play on turf should be banned.
I think the big problem with NYCFC is they rushed them into the league without having a clear path to a soccer specific stadium. Big mistake. Their field sucks. Artificial turf is a lot better than it used to be but not up to par with a natural surface.
They just couldn't resist the dollar signs in their eyes. They said years before that particular expansion came along that they wouldn't expand again if the new franchise didn't have a concrete stadium plan already in place. That's what's so galling about their current situation. To have owners with a limitless pocketbook, but still look like a tin-pot club. They are, in my opinion, a disgrace.
NYCFC stadium situation is a disgrace. All other expansion teams had a decent interim stadium option. These clowns have played in 5 different home stadiums this year, two being baseball and one in California. Regarding turf, it's a shit playing surface no matter how much "better" it has gotten. A non contact ACL in Seattle and a non contact Achilles in Atlanta in 4 days is unacceptable. If I was a pro, I would never play on that Atlanta surface.
I agree that turf fields don’t work well for soccer. If a MLS team is going to share a field with a NFL team, it’s going to be on the surface preferred by the NFL team. And by the way, Vancouver has the worst turf field I have ever seen.
So where does Providence Park rate as far as an acceptable pitch? I believe they have artificial turf.
IIRC it's "Soccer turf" instead of "Football Turf". From that standpoint it's better, but it's still plastic turf.
Wow, Charlotte half way through the season sacks their coach and a couple of his staff. Brand new team in the middle of the table doing about as good as can be expected for an expansion side and they fire their coach? I wonder what the back story is. https://www.espn.com/soccer/charlot...gel-ramirez-after-just-14-mls-games-in-charge
It looks like LA continues to be a top destination for retiring European soccer stars as Giorgio Chiellini is going to be joining the Galaxy. He is 37 and retired from both Juventus and the Italian national team but I guess will pick up some extra bucks playing a season or two in La La land.
Technically Sporting related as well, but the new TV deal has been announced with Apple TV. No more local broadcasts, games will be carried on Apple TV but separate from Apple +. Will be included for all season ticket holders. https://www.mlssoccer.com/apple/
This is a step in the right direction, but I will reserve more comment until I see all the details and fine print.
welp... guess this means i'll never be watching another skc game after this season. if there's really no other option than to subscribe to apple, then i guess i'm out. that sucks. i really hope i'm misunderstanding this.
I guess I can see how it wouldn't work for everyone. Hopefully it works for far more people than not. Personally, there is not a single angle or element that isn't massively improved by this switch. No more local blackouts, streaming in full HD quality, structured game schedules, no more hometown announcers, one step closer to cancelling cable for good... I've seen far too many Sporting games in low quality streams on their terrible app, in tiny twitter windows, in Spanish, or just not available at all to feel anything but excited about what this could mean for me. So I hope it can pan out for others too.
Also, this: "Fans will not need to subscribe to Apple TV+ in order to subscribe to the MLS streaming service; it will be a standalone service within the Apple TV ecosystem."
Season ticket holders get the service for free and it's standalone from Apple TV. I get the hatred for Apple, I also avoid them like the plague. But the only way you're opting out of this one is on sheer principle, and kudos to you if you're really that stubborn.
The only reason I have Apple TV is that T Mobile gave it to me free, but I rarely even look at it. It’s not a very good streaming service as far as programming, but,,,,,, I think that it will be better than the experience I had with ESPN+. Living far away from KC, its the only way I will see the team I have been following for over 2 decades, so Apple TV it is. At least now I can drop ESPN+ after this season is over.