MLS Non-Sporting Discussion [R]

Wait, Reus won't be playing either? So Fagundez and Delgado or something? Step down, but not horrible. I mean, there's a lot to envy in this roster from our perspective.

 

I don't know anything about Reus! I mean, I know he went there from BVB but I have not heard a thing about how he's fit in or how much he's playing - or if he's available/desirable for the final.

 

wow. i've been so detached from skc and mls that i didn't even know reus was in the league. i really liked his play back in the day; does he have anything left?

 

I was gonna say yes before this game. His injury came on a sprint in the 38th minute. It was simple I'm too old for this shit stuff.
Before that, he'd been starting sometimes, subbing others, playing really smart soccer, making stuff happen and a great balance to Puig in their single pivot midfield.

 

IMO, Puig is the most exciting player to watch in MLS. I didn't understand why he was hugging everyone for so long after the Seattle match, but I guess he knew he tore his ACL. Terrible injury. Both the LAG and MLS are worse with him not playing.

As for the final, NYRB are a garbage team that play garbage soccer. What is it with these German mangers and their rock and roll soccer crap? If anyone needs proof that the MLS playoff format is idiotic, here's your proof. You can't play high press run like idiots soccer effectively during a 34 game season. But you can play that during a short tournament played in the winter with weeks between games. If they win, are NYRB the best team in MLS? Hell no.

 

Which is the reason playoffs don't really tell us much about anything other than who won the end of season tournament. With 30 teams, can't have a true champ, but could have 2 true conference champs with a single one off between those. And then, the end of the season League's Cup since we seem to need these playoff type situations.
This would never be popular in the US, but playoffs aren't about figuring out the best team

 

Okay, they changed the format on the CG^ to midweek.
As per The Athletic: The Leagues Cup will undergo drastic changes in 2025, abandoning the previous format where it was played during a month-long midseason break for MLS and Mexican teams, Liga MX president Mikel Arriola told reporters on Sunday.

 

LAFC, replaced Kei with Ebobissie as depth at the 9, behind or with Giroud.

 

Chicho Arango to San Jose.

MLS tansfers of note (not an all inclusive list, just players I think are good to really good):
Chicho,
Ebobissie,
Campana,
Jesus Ferreira,
Leo Chu,
Brandon Vazquez brought back in to MLS
Giacomo Vrioni

A week or so ago the SKC media puppets tweeted out for fans to be patient. That oversees transfer windows don't open and to stop crying, you whiny fanbase. I mean, I certainly would not want Campana/Ferriera/Vazquez/Chico and even Vrioni on this stacked roster.

 

Goal scoring aside, based on stuff people have said about Arango who are involved in the league and his suspension, and his drop off scoring wise in the league after it I wouldn't touch him.

As for the rest,
Ebobisse is fine,
Campana was a LOT of GAM when KC didn't have a ton before the Pulido transfer,
Ferreira good, but $1.5m in GAM this year is closing in on half KC's available GAM. He also said he wanted to win trophies, and even if we added him we're not winning a trophy outside the USOC in the next couple years.
Chu looked good against us when Morris scored his hattrick, otherwise he's seemed fairly pedestrian, and his stats back that up.
Vazquez seemed a big overpay at $10m imo, especially without a 10 in Austin,
Vrioni the price is odd at only $50K, but he's also a DP and I assume he will be in Montreal, and I don't think he's DP good.

I'm frustrated at the lack of contributor additions as well, but most of these were a pass for me.

 

Rumors from Bogert over just the past few days.

Luca de la Torre to San Diego. Wilfred Zaha to Charlotte. Neymar and Johnathan Bamba to Chicago.

 

Neymar is such a bad idea, haha.

But yeah, the point being that the rumor mill is quiet and not very optimistic for SKC... Feeling that.

 

At least we're not Cincinnati though. That's at least three important players who are not reporting for training. We're just struggling to rebuild efficiently, while they are actively autophaging.

 

I'd like to see Neymar in MLS, just not on my team! Would be nice to see him play in person and to follow the soap opera.

Now Luca de la Torre....I'd love that for SKC.

 

Neymar feels so much like the Ronaldo to SKC rumors, just happening in real time instead of after the fact.

 

I think Neymar to MLS makes sense, from his perspective. He's apparently pissed off Al Hilal to the point where they're preparing to cancel the contract. His last two seasons there, he's played 8 percent and 10 percent of the possible games. And he wasn't really super healthy at PSG in his prime, typically playing just barely more than half the time.
He is going to have a hard time finding a place to pay him serious money at this point.
From the MLS perspective, he does raise the profile, but he has to play more than two or three times a year to have any kind of impact.
There is no indication he is healthy enough to do that at 32, when he couldn't at 30 or 31

 

Acosta to Dallas. Dallas add a top class 10 to pair with Petar Musa.

The West teams that missed the playoffs all trying to get better. Dallas, SJ, Austin and SKC all should be much more competitive in 2025

 

The team that improves the best is the one whose defense steps up from last year, because none of the 4 really improved their defense this offseason.

 

Agreed, but they have all made an effort to improve their rosters where the most impact typically occurs (on the attacking side). I expect these clubs to rise a little. Not sure which ones will fall. LAG and RSL?

 

I think Vancouver will drop. Portland too, what happened there?

I would pay good money to see RSL and St Louis finish bottom of the conference, even if it meant we were third bottom.

I think San Diego challenges for a playoff spot too, but not a high one.

I expect the top slots will be mostly made of the two LA teams, Seattle, and Houston. I don't feel like anyone has really moved the needle this offseason, but those four have had the most stable and efficient roster building for a bit now.

 

You're down on St. Louis more than I am, I think the work they did this summer that helped them out will work well this year.

San Diego may be good, the question is depth, I don't think they're deep enough to compete.

 

I know you're right but I'd rather you not be on this one.

 

Two weeks in, and i think I'm going with the RSL checkerboard as my favorite new jersey.

 

i can't believe it took this long to get a checkerboard in this league, and i'm seriously aggravated that it wasn't us to do it. i remember lobbying for it 10 years ago. then again, if we would have done it, it would've been our terrible two shades of the same color type of checkerboard... which wouldn't be nearly as good as our old brilliant blue and white.

 

Seattle looked really good in dismantling LAFC tonight. LAFC have several defensive injuries, so maybe it was that, but Seattle looked really sharp. For the first time this season, they looked like a good CWC entrant from MLS.