Lampard has confirmed what the world has long suspected: the MLS is viewed as a retirement home for aging European stars who hang on to the very last day before they're finally kicked out, whereupon they condescend to come over to America. The huge money spent on these jokers would be better spent on developing American players.
5
Agree, wholeheartedly.
Will NYC soccer fans every get a team they can really get behind? Now the choices are: an Austrian energy drink team that can't do anything right. Or the petrodollar team run from Abu Dhabi.
Please Cosmos. Come rescue us!
Please Cosmos. Come rescue us!
1
Ali Curtis wanted his guy supposedly, but it has also been reported that he looked into 4 other coaches before quickly settling on on Marsch. Not sure what Marsch bring to the table that Petke couldn't. Both (along with Ali) are MLS veterans and only know the American system. So really seems like anyone but Petke was Curtis' plan. The NYRB team will be drastically different from last year having already lost several key players from all positions. If I was to guess Ali came in to dismantle the team for an upcoming sale. We'll see who the starting 11 are in March then we will know his plan for NYRB 2015 and on.
MLS is absolutely NOT a place for the formerly great, or almost-great, who are looking for one last big paycheck and a slower pace before hanging up the boots for good. Oh, wait a minute...
And TWELVE teams out of twenty will make the playoffs? So what's the point of the regular season if you don't need to be the best team to win the league? Someone please tell me why they have playoffs at all? Oh, right, because that's what the NFL does....that's what AMERICAN professional leagues do!
And TWELVE teams out of twenty will make the playoffs? So what's the point of the regular season if you don't need to be the best team to win the league? Someone please tell me why they have playoffs at all? Oh, right, because that's what the NFL does....that's what AMERICAN professional leagues do!
4
Precisely. The NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL all seem to be more successful than MLS in North America, which is where MLS happens to operate. I suspect that most MLS fans also follow one or more of these other sports, and that they have little or no problem with the divisional and playoff structures of these leagues. Just maybe there are tradeoffs involving factors such as geography that aren't present in most countries. If you can't come up with a genuinely soccer-specific reason why it is so obvious that playoffs be eliminated (i.e., something other than slavishly imitating what other countries do), you are insinuating that the majority of North American sports fans, including the majority of current and potential MLS fans, are a bunch of half-wits. That doesn't seem to be a particularly effective way of reaching out to them.
"...that's what AMERICAN professional leagues do!". It's called a TV contract as in $$$$.
1
Gerard should be good if he can stay on the pitch. I lived in Blighty when he first came up and he was incredible. Unmatched passion for winning. Will have to get used to nice weather and the sun, two things that are not in abundance Merseyside. Will the LA faithful come to grips with understanding his local dialect?
1
Talking to another coach when you have one - major league sleazy. Not having a season that runs when the rest of the world is playing - short sighted. This team is desperate for some defense, not a new coach. I fear the Red Bulls are the Jets of soccer.
2
We don't play in the winter here because of shortsightedness. It's because of days like today. Stop trying to force a square peg into a round hole.
5
No winter play because of NFL, also NHL competition for sports dollar.
Don't understand firing petke. It better yield results or the fan base is going to dwindle.
8
I agree. I like the guy. He tried to overcome the star scorer system to instill some defense. The lacking ingredient in the franchise for some time.
1