Don't know how they made it in. Does concacaf have an odd number of countries so it makes sense to invite someone? I do know they talked about Qatar working hard to play in the World Cup considering they are an automatic bid for hosting so it makes sense they would take every opportunity to play competitive tournaments/games.
Concacaf expanded from 12 to 16 teams this year so there was space for a guest, and since Qatar Air is the main sponsor of the tournament, something of a quid pro quo was worked out.
Magnificent free kick in the Danish League tonight. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/alYnLcdH3I— BenBuford11 (@BenBuford11) July 26, 2021
Qatar (and Australia) was originally slated to be in Copa America but pulled out due to South America being a shit show with covid which timing has made that decision (and subsequent decision to come to Copa America) really funny
For the Serie A fans amongst us: CBS Sports Introduces Serie A Studio Show “CALCIO E CAPPUCINO” on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Networkhttps://t.co/BWN0VeRZUU pic.twitter.com/ySaNYvVLvK— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) September 9, 2021
I watched this after the Milan game yesterday. It was... weird. Having Rossi commentate on the game was especially strange.
In 2023 MLS will not have league games for an entire month in the summer. Neither will LigaMX. That’s because the two leagues will play against each other during that month. In the attached article, Garber doesn’t explain how the MLS season’s schedule will be revised to accommodate the “reimagined” tournament. My guess is that there will be more mid-week games for every team. https://www.dcunited.com/news/all-m...ons-for-historic-leagues-cup-starting-in-2023
That’s my thought too. I guess the reason for it is…follow the money. No one knows the format of course, but I expect lots of Liga teams playing in full stadiums in the USA.
yeah, though getting the money from this requires some actual legitimate TV contracts. The CCL barely moves the needle / brings in cash, so why would a second and third tier competition do that?
I don't know what everyone is complaining about. A 47 team tournament featuring all MLS and Liga MX teams with three CCL entry tickets on the line? Get that Leagues Cup title out of here! This is a King of Most of the Continent tournament! I'm all in on this silly cash grab, but I have so many questions. Where will the teams play? Will they rotate hosting duties (Western Conference hosts 2023, Eastern Conference hosts 2024, Mexico hosts 2025, the Moon hosts 2026, etc.), or will they play in home stadiums and have a ridiculous one-month travel schedule? Will MLS decrease the number of league games to accommodate the tournament, or will we see more mid-week empty stadium games to make up for the lost month? Will MLS change their roster rules to increase team rosters to handle the additional games? Will MLS finally beat an LMX team, or will this end up being an all LMX final four for years to come? I don't know, but I'm beyond excited for this silly tournament. And unlike CCL, you can bet this is going to get good TV coverage. Univision, Fox, ESPN, Telemundo, etc., will need something to fill the gap in their regular coverage of the leagues.
You used too much punctuation. Remove all the commas, periods and question marks, and your post becomes complete.
I tend to agree about the CCL/new revisioned tournament difference. Ask any American who isn’t a fairly avid soccer fan about CCL and they will have no idea what you are referring to. A month long tournament of just MLS/LigaMex teams will definitely move the needle and gain fairly popular interest. Beyond the 2023 money grab, I have to admit that my understanding of the apparent growing partnership between MLS and LigaMex is still sketchy. What are the long term benefits? What are they trying to achieve? Will this stimulate the growth of soccer as a major professional sport in the USA?
most comprehensive and complete game from USMNT under Gregg. I was especially impressed with the much hyped midfield trio of Adams/McKennie/Musah playing to their potential. Pulisic off the bench was a crazy nice luxury. Weah looked incredible (MOTM for many) Makes you wonder where a guy like Reyna fits in All good problems A win tomorrow (3pm MT, WTF?!) and we're cruising. Had Honduras held on against Panama then the window would have been especially awesome.
I couldn’t find a great fit to put this, so I’m putting it here since he is mostly associated with Irish soccer. Alan Kelly was a breath of fresh air in MLS officiating. I hate to see him retire. pic.twitter.com/76pLKBkdma— Alan Kelly (@alanrefkelly) December 17, 2021
FIFA did what the IOC has and banned them from hosting games and using name, anthem, and flag, but they are still the Football Union of Russia or something like that. Their upcoming opponents in WCQ are unhappy with that.