That's cool! I bet Edson was suprised that the Angel City Brigade and the LA Riot Squad showed up at the airport to greet him.
Thats a great sign of real and passionate support. Another cool little thing I saw recently was in the new movie "Chronicle". It's set in Seattle and, to avoid any spoilers, a Seattle Sounders billboard is featured in the movie. Its nice to see anything that shows the leagues growth.
No one's going to point out the anchorwomen drooling all over Beckham's ad from the SuperBowl? It doesn't get more "big time" than that!
I'd say it was more like when Toronto joined. That's when it was clear to me that expansions were going to boom.
Three MLS players (Donovan, Keane and Henry) making important and substantial contributions in the EPL during the MLS off season, another one (Ream) being transferred to Bolton, and 2 more being transferred (well, one on loan with an option to buy) to Champtionship teams (Rogers and John). Am I forgetting anyone? Not bad.
Red Bull Arena. http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/red_bull_arena Livestrong Sporting Park. http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/sporting_park Columbus Crew Stadium. http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/columbus_crew_stadium PPL Park. http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/ppl_park Jeld Wen Field. http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/jeld_wen_field BBVA Compass Stadium. http://www.houstondynamo.com/news/2012/02/video-sod-and-seat-installation-bbva-compass-stadium
Oh yea, more signs I've noticed this offseason of MLS players (or ex-MLS players in this case) going onto (allegedly) bigger and better things: I've watched more Mexican Primera League footie than I ever have this offseason, and Pablo Vitti is now a star for Queretaro, Andres Mendoza is the lead forward in a 4-5-1 for Atlante, and Luis Landin is the lead forward in a 4-5-1 for Puebla (and scored a nice goal today). Two of those three players were total busts in MLS but do a nice job for their Mexican League teams (Vitti in particular was miscast as a forward for TFC; for Queretaro he plays just behind the forwards like a #10 and is exceptional), and Mendoza, who had a decent career in MLS, used it as a steppingstone to a "higher" league, and is playing well so far this year. I don't know if that's a sign MLS is making it to the "Big Time", but it certainly provides a few examples of how MLS has become integrated in the global soccer universe.
Big time will be when we win the Concacaf CL. I think we are on the brink. If not this year, certainly in the next couple years. Once the first one comes, more will follow. And then the Club World Cup will be that next step to ultimately measure MLS. That's the ultimate question for me. Can we make ourselves best in CONCACAF? And if yes how would we match up with the best from CONMEBOL, Asia and Africa?
A couple of weeks back the four host of one of the Bay Area's nightly sports shows were asked to answer who they felt was the reigning king of Bay Area sports. Two of the four said Chris Wandowlowski, one said Monta Ellis, the other said Andrew Luck.
Watching this league improve year after year has been very fun, but not yet satisfying. Whenever MLS does win the CCL, which was already stated as "we're on the brink", that will light up the Mexican league and the battles with each other after that will be tremendous and will help contribute to the rise of MLS.
If and when an MLS club plays in the Club World Cup for the first time I'd be happy with one win and a fourth or fifth place finish. On that note, does anybody know how Los Angeles Galaxy's payroll compares to recent African and Asian Champions League winners?
How the hell did i miss that! Vitti is doing a great job, unfortunately, the team overall is suckin all kinds of bad right now.
Pescado Ruiz went from Philly to the Veracruz Red Sharks (D2) and has 9 goals since his arrival. Then again Conde and Puerari (from the FIRE) did not do much in Mexico (Atlas) Puerari is back in Uruguay and Conde to the NJRB.
Well MLS has never eliminated a FMF team (no non-FMF has) since the CCL started. This year an MLS team has to defeat at least 2 FMF teams to be champions, hard to do. Maybe 2013 if Concacaf places all Mexican teams on one side of the quarterfinals and all non-Mexico teams on the other, that way an MLS (or CFU, CA) team would only have to win 1 home-home elimination game against a Mexican team.
LA will win it (again) this year, even w/out Gonzalez. Donovan, Beckham, Keane, Buddle, Juninho + Franklin, De La Garza, Dunivant, and the rest should be enough to bring it home.
= Straight to the point and absolutely true. This league is so much better that NASL was back in the day. Great Stadia, lots of TV, balanced competition, a sprinkling of stars, logical budgetary plans, and some teams even making money. - 17 years of MLS better than the 17 years that was NASL.
They finally have one German in the league. lol. http://www.torontofc.ca/players Oh, I mean two Germans - San Jose has one too, but he doesn't even get a number: http://www.sjearthquakes.com/players What is UP WITH NO GERMANS IN THE MLS??!!!! I mean, really. Their country has some of the best overall players on the planet. Americans play in the Bundesliega, but not the other way around. The USMNT has a German coach. But there are no Germans in the MLS aside from the two above. WHAT IS THE DEAL??
I've wondered that myself. Germans very rarely leave the domestic system. There are a few reasons Germans stay. 1) It's a great league. Leaving to play in England is only a small step up in terms of quality. 2) Culture. Most Germans would prefer to stay in the BuLi because they speak the language and feel more comfortable. In fact, only 33 Germans have ever played in the EPL. I think it says more about German culture than the quality of MLS. http://backpagefootball.com/premier...man-in-the-premiership-why-aren’t-there-more/
I think Germany as a country is on MLS's radar, but we're not at a point where we can afford Bundesliga players, unless it's a DP like Frings. But both San Jose and New England have recently plucked players from Germany's lower leagues, which is a start. MLS today in 2012 has had better luck scouting the 2nd tier leagues in Europe which have been a gold mine. I mean Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Greece and Turkey. These leagues have provided some of the most exciting players in MLS like Lindpere, Hassli, Collin, Solli, Nielsen, Chiumiento, Saborio ... not to mention returning Americans like Adu and Feilhaber. As far as MLS scouting in UEFA, there are places that are more shockingly overlooked in my opinion. Me personally I would spend more time in Spain digging for talent, even if it means going into Spain's 2nd division. In Spain you can't walk on the sidewalk for 5 minutes without walking by someone good enough to play in MLS. I think I could count on 1 hand the number of players that have come to MLS from Spain in the whole history of the league.