The Timbers Right back position is so weak he'll be fighting to start, and possibly even the favorite.
MLS 2013 -- Deuces Wild
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
- Start date
That would make me nervous were I a Timbers fan. Miller might be useful, but I would not bet the house on a player whose only career success came at a minor Scandinavian club. He's the sort of player you take a flyer on, or maybe bring in to compete for a starting place. He's not a guy I would hand a starting spot to.
Is there any thought given to playing Wallace at LB and Harrington at RB? Harrington is left-footed but he has played quite a bit of RB in his career.
Most Timbers fans don't want Wallace on the back line at all. He's a pretty good MF, but has been bad on the back line.
I wanted Ryan Kawulok to get a shot last year to see what he could do. He was a 4 year starter at the University of Portland, and on the Timbers PDL/U23 team for years. He was mostly a CB then but has the speed to play outside, and he is deep down on the depth chart in the center. Right back is the biggest question mark for the timbers for sure, there are lots of options at all other positions, but not much at RB.
I think all the chatte was that Harrington was going to be the LB, but he could be moved to the right.
I wanted Ryan Kawulok to get a shot last year to see what he could do. He was a 4 year starter at the University of Portland, and on the Timbers PDL/U23 team for years. He was mostly a CB then but has the speed to play outside, and he is deep down on the depth chart in the center. Right back is the biggest question mark for the timbers for sure, there are lots of options at all other positions, but not much at RB.
I think all the chatte was that Harrington was going to be the LB, but he could be moved to the right.
Wallace may not be anyone's dream at LB, but with the current roster construction there might not be much of a choice. Harrington and Miller are the only actual fullbacks with any track record. RB Kawulok never played last year and LB Chris Taylor is still on the roster after not playing for two years. Why are they keeping Taylor around?
It all seems pretty negligent. Even if Miller works out, there's very little depth in the event of injury or suspension. It's not like fullback hasn't been a problem for Portland for a while.
The Supplemental Draft was today. Basically, it's rounds 3-6 of the draft that are done later on a conference call because few of these guys will make an impact in MLS and many will struggle to even make a roster. Still, there are usually a few guys who turn out to be diamonds in the rough.
The Revs had a few interesting picks:
DM Jossimar Sanchez -- suffered a crucial injury during his senior season, otherwise might have gone higher. Good risk to take
FW Chris Thomas - led the country in scoring with 23 goals in 2012. He did so at a small program (Elon) against weak competition and may struggle to keep up athletically in the pros, but worth a flyer at this point
The Revs had a few interesting picks:
DM Jossimar Sanchez -- suffered a crucial injury during his senior season, otherwise might have gone higher. Good risk to take
FW Chris Thomas - led the country in scoring with 23 goals in 2012. He did so at a small program (Elon) against weak competition and may struggle to keep up athletically in the pros, but worth a flyer at this point
Crucial. It was a serious injury, I just forget exactly what it was. I probably should have just written serious....
* The league announced a new developmental initiative with the third-division USL Pro league. Teams have three options: (a)establish a formal affiliation with a USL Pro club, which means that the MLS club will need to have at least four players on loan with their affiliate at all times, (b)field a team in the MLS Reserve League and play the regular schedule, plus a few extra games against USL Pro teams, or (c) field the reserve team in USL Pro.
I like the affiliation system. I don't think MLS teams have a larger enough roster or enough worthwhile prospects who aren't already playing in MLS games to make a true reserve team work. The Reserve League schedule doesn't have enough games and the seriousness and quality of play are in question. If squad sizes aren't big enough for a good reserve league, teams will be even less equipped to enter a reserve team in the third division. Sending more players on loan seems like the solution that makes the most sense with current roster sizes and it's also the most cost-efficient. The quality of play in the third division is not that high, but it's still first-team soccer in real games that count against adult men.
IMO definitely a step in the right direction towards bridging the gap between academy signings/other youth and first team soccer.
* So Paulo Sousa won't be New York's manager after all; he apparently backed out of the deal. Instead, they've promoted assistant manager Mike Petke, who had basically been running the show since Backe was fired anyway. Petke is a longtime league vet who retired a few years ago.
* Chivas traded the rights to Nick LaBrocca to Colorado for the rights to Eric Avila. Both players are out of contract. The Chivas USA purge of non-Hispanics continues.
* Columbus signed a Brazilian CB named Gláuber. He has made the rounds -- Atlético Mineiro, Palmeiras, Nürnberg, Manchester City, São Caetano, Rapid Bucharest.
* Vancouver signed a trio of forwards: Paulo, Jr. (ex-RSL), Tommy "The Caveman" Heinemann (ex-Columbus), and Corey Hertzog (ex-NY).
* Real Salt Lake signed a defender from their academy, Carlos Salcedo.
* Portland has released Cameroonian winger Franck Songo'o. Songo'o is a little fragile and didn't produce as much as hoped in 2012.
* New York has terminated the contract of CB Wilman Conde, who was once a force but has been hobbled by injuries far too much lately.
I like the affiliation system. I don't think MLS teams have a larger enough roster or enough worthwhile prospects who aren't already playing in MLS games to make a true reserve team work. The Reserve League schedule doesn't have enough games and the seriousness and quality of play are in question. If squad sizes aren't big enough for a good reserve league, teams will be even less equipped to enter a reserve team in the third division. Sending more players on loan seems like the solution that makes the most sense with current roster sizes and it's also the most cost-efficient. The quality of play in the third division is not that high, but it's still first-team soccer in real games that count against adult men.
IMO definitely a step in the right direction towards bridging the gap between academy signings/other youth and first team soccer.
* So Paulo Sousa won't be New York's manager after all; he apparently backed out of the deal. Instead, they've promoted assistant manager Mike Petke, who had basically been running the show since Backe was fired anyway. Petke is a longtime league vet who retired a few years ago.
* Chivas traded the rights to Nick LaBrocca to Colorado for the rights to Eric Avila. Both players are out of contract. The Chivas USA purge of non-Hispanics continues.
* Columbus signed a Brazilian CB named Gláuber. He has made the rounds -- Atlético Mineiro, Palmeiras, Nürnberg, Manchester City, São Caetano, Rapid Bucharest.
* Vancouver signed a trio of forwards: Paulo, Jr. (ex-RSL), Tommy "The Caveman" Heinemann (ex-Columbus), and Corey Hertzog (ex-NY).
* Real Salt Lake signed a defender from their academy, Carlos Salcedo.
* Portland has released Cameroonian winger Franck Songo'o. Songo'o is a little fragile and didn't produce as much as hoped in 2012.
* New York has terminated the contract of CB Wilman Conde, who was once a force but has been hobbled by injuries far too much lately.
* Revs sign FW Matt Horth, who spent the last two seasons in the NASL with the Atlanta Silverbacks. It's rare to see a DIII (Gordon College) player sign with MLS.
* Vancouver waived CB Martin Bonjour. Lots of housecleaning going on these days.
* D.C. picked up last year's 5th overall pick, FW Casey Townsend from Chivas USA for a 2014 2nd round pick. Chivas USA is going to be an entertaining trainwreck this year. They are jettisoning all of their non-Hispanic players for pennies on the dollar.
* In one of the weirder transactions of the offseason, D.C. also picked up an Indonesian(!) midfielder named Syamsir Alam from a second division club. One of D.C.'s majority owners is from Indonesia and this looks like some sort of nepotism move.
* Vancouver waived CB Martin Bonjour. Lots of housecleaning going on these days.
* D.C. picked up last year's 5th overall pick, FW Casey Townsend from Chivas USA for a 2014 2nd round pick. Chivas USA is going to be an entertaining trainwreck this year. They are jettisoning all of their non-Hispanic players for pennies on the dollar.
* In one of the weirder transactions of the offseason, D.C. also picked up an Indonesian(!) midfielder named Syamsir Alam from a second division club. One of D.C.'s majority owners is from Indonesia and this looks like some sort of nepotism move.
* Andy Najar has been sold to Anderlecht. Word is that D.C. United is getting approximately $2m plus a sell-on clause. Najar is the first player signed via the Homegrown rule to be sold overseas.
* Kansas City has loaned Kei Kamara to Norwich City until the end of the English season, at which point the Canaries will have an option to buy. KC has reloaded with some good looking players, but losing both Espinoza and Kamara to England is going to hurt.
* Kansas City has loaned Kei Kamara to Norwich City until the end of the English season, at which point the Canaries will have an option to buy. KC has reloaded with some good looking players, but losing both Espinoza and Kamara to England is going to hurt.
* After selling Brek Shea, Dallas has made a lot of moves with their offense. They traded a conditional draft pick to Toronto for Eric Hassli and allocation money to New York to bring home Kenny Cooper. They also released Pipico, a Brazilian forward they had signed just last month. All of a sudden they have quite a stable of forwards along with Blas Perez.
* Chicago traded Dominic Oduro to Columbus for Dilly Duka and the rights to Robbie Rogers. Oduro is a speed demon of a forward who is a wasteful finisher and hasn't been that good except for 2011. Duka is a guy who has shown flashes, but has never quite lived up to his potential and never gotten along with management in Columbus. A change of scenery could be good for him.
* Columbus signed MF Matias Sanchez from Estudiantes de la Plata.
* San Jose has lost English winger Simon Dawkins, who had been on loan for the last two years. Spurs are now loaning him to Aston Villa. However, they are now discussing loaning John Bostock.
* The Red Bulls signed Ruben Izquierdo, a Spanish winger last with Charlton Athletic, and traded for Portland's Eric Alexander as well.
* Montreal signed an Argentine forward named Andres Romero on loan from a small Brazilian club. Kind of a weird signing, but that's par for the course for the Impact.
* New England signed Wayne Rooney-lookalike and infamously frustrating forward Chad Barrett. They also inked Bilal Duckett, a versatile defender. Depth moves.
* Chicago traded Dominic Oduro to Columbus for Dilly Duka and the rights to Robbie Rogers. Oduro is a speed demon of a forward who is a wasteful finisher and hasn't been that good except for 2011. Duka is a guy who has shown flashes, but has never quite lived up to his potential and never gotten along with management in Columbus. A change of scenery could be good for him.
* Columbus signed MF Matias Sanchez from Estudiantes de la Plata.
* San Jose has lost English winger Simon Dawkins, who had been on loan for the last two years. Spurs are now loaning him to Aston Villa. However, they are now discussing loaning John Bostock.
* The Red Bulls signed Ruben Izquierdo, a Spanish winger last with Charlton Athletic, and traded for Portland's Eric Alexander as well.
* Montreal signed an Argentine forward named Andres Romero on loan from a small Brazilian club. Kind of a weird signing, but that's par for the course for the Impact.
* New England signed Wayne Rooney-lookalike and infamously frustrating forward Chad Barrett. They also inked Bilal Duckett, a versatile defender. Depth moves.
Titans Bastard said:
Well, Rogers just posted a letter on his website in which he came out of the closet and announced that he's stepping away from the game.
I have to wait 5 
Some quick thoughts on the Timbers:
--They are in trouble if Valeri goes down. He is a HUGE key to them bing able to play a high tempo possesion game.
--Will Johnson is important to letting the outside defenders attack, in the preseason games when they would attack he often help back a little and shaded to that side.
--They will primarily play a 4-3-3
--The Timbers will give up some counterattack goals this year. The back line plays HIGH and our CBs aren't that fast.
--To really contend playing the style they are looking for they'll need 1 better (IE faster) CB
--They are going to be fun to watch, the ball never stops moving and not much of the movement is at one players feet
Some quick thoughts on the Timbers:
--They are in trouble if Valeri goes down. He is a HUGE key to them bing able to play a high tempo possesion game.
--Will Johnson is important to letting the outside defenders attack, in the preseason games when they would attack he often help back a little and shaded to that side.
--They will primarily play a 4-3-3
--The Timbers will give up some counterattack goals this year. The back line plays HIGH and our CBs aren't that fast.
--To really contend playing the style they are looking for they'll need 1 better (IE faster) CB
--They are going to be fun to watch, the ball never stops moving and not much of the movement is at one players feet
Titans Bastard said:
What are your thoughts on the guy the Sounders are trying to get from Spain?
ThePrideofShiner said:
He is scoring in La Liga and he's only 28. That sounds like a good get for an MLS team to me.
Late-offseason developments
* Torsten Frings has retired, which opens up a lot of cap space for Toronto. In true TFC fashion, they are going after a bunch of players with EPL experience. They signed Hogan Ephraim on loan from QPR. Robert Earnshaw has flown to Toronto for talks. There are also rumors about Ji-Sung Park.
* Rumors are that Seattle is paying several million Euros for Obafemi Martins.
* Colorado acquired FW Danny Mwanga from Portland for a 2015 first round pick. Mwanga was the #1 overall pick in 2010 and is now on his third club. He's still 21, but he's looking like a real disappointment so far.
* Vancouver signed CB Johnny Leveron, who at age 23 is already a fixture in the Honduran NT.
* D.C. brought in MF Marcos Sanchez on loan from Tauro.
* Torsten Frings has retired, which opens up a lot of cap space for Toronto. In true TFC fashion, they are going after a bunch of players with EPL experience. They signed Hogan Ephraim on loan from QPR. Robert Earnshaw has flown to Toronto for talks. There are also rumors about Ji-Sung Park.
* Rumors are that Seattle is paying several million Euros for Obafemi Martins.
* Colorado acquired FW Danny Mwanga from Portland for a 2015 first round pick. Mwanga was the #1 overall pick in 2010 and is now on his third club. He's still 21, but he's looking like a real disappointment so far.
* Vancouver signed CB Johnny Leveron, who at age 23 is already a fixture in the Honduran NT.
* D.C. brought in MF Marcos Sanchez on loan from Tauro.
The Timbers also signed Frederic Piquionne who has played in both France and England, most recently with West Ham.
Hey steeple, were you there for the opener? I was mostly watching the U-20s, but it looked like a hell of a game.
This is probably the goal of the week, though:
Edit: Meh, the embed worked in preview mode.
This is probably the goal of the week, though:
Edit: Meh, the embed worked in preview mode.
I was. (I've been at every home match since early 2004 when I first stood with the Timbers Army.)
Valeri's coal was a thing of beauty. I think I saw that one Portland's 1st and second goals they connected something like 15 and 18 passes. No Timbers team that I've seen would have done that in the past, and the last time they came back for points down 2 goals was in 2004 or 2005. Another 10 minutes and I think the Timbers score again and win.
Valeri's coal was a thing of beauty. I think I saw that one Portland's 1st and second goals they connected something like 15 and 18 passes. No Timbers team that I've seen would have done that in the past, and the last time they came back for points down 2 goals was in 2004 or 2005. Another 10 minutes and I think the Timbers score again and win.
Houston beat Santos Laguna 1-0 last night in the CCL. Evenly-matched game until Brad Davis broke the ice in the 89th minute. Taking a lead to a 2nd leg in Mexico is absolutely necessary to even have a chance...Santos Laguna absolutely murdered Seattle and Toronto in Torreon last year. The Dynamo denied Santos Laguna an away goal, though, which helps.
Tigres (MEX) vs. Seattle tonight and Herediano (CRC) vs. LA on Thursday. MLS has a very poor record against Liga MX in home-and-away ties, but hopefully LA will at least get through.
Tigres (MEX) vs. Seattle tonight and Herediano (CRC) vs. LA on Thursday. MLS has a very poor record against Liga MX in home-and-away ties, but hopefully LA will at least get through.
The Revolution will be opening their season momentarily.
Two rookies (including first overall pick Andrew Farrell) in the opening night lineup. And Matt Reis retains his role as the starting GK, at least for now, despite heavy competition from Bobby Shuttleworth in the preseason and late last season.
Two rookies (including first overall pick Andrew Farrell) in the opening night lineup. And Matt Reis retains his role as the starting GK, at least for now, despite heavy competition from Bobby Shuttleworth in the preseason and late last season.
Watching the Revs game, was curious if anyone has tips on going to a game at Foxboro. Where is good to sit, what's the best way to get tickets if not the main box office?
Mods please move if this isn't the right place to ask.
Mods please move if this isn't the right place to ask.
You might as well just get them at the box and save yourself the convenience fee.saintnick912 said:
Get yourself a general admission ticket and head to the Fort -- the area behind the goal when you walk in. That's where the songs, etc. happen, and you can easily sit within the first 10 rows.
Thought that was a decent performance. A lot of route 1 long ball, especially early, but there were some good combinations in the second half. Toja is slow but has good ball skills, Rowe was good when he came on, and those two combined to create the goal.
Farrell may have terrible hair, but man is he fast.
Farrell may have terrible hair, but man is he fast.
Fast, and good with the ball too. He got caught in possession a couple of times, but I'd guess he'll learn what he can and can't get away with. It was heartening to hear Heaps speaking positively about Farrell at the half without mentioning the times he lost possession.
Yes, between Farrell and Alston that's a lot of speed on either side of the back line.
I'm hearing a lot of negativity about Toja following the game and I don't get it. He looked like the most creative player out there last night, to me, at least until Rowe came on.
I'm hearing a lot of negativity about Toja following the game and I don't get it. He looked like the most creative player out there last night, to me, at least until Rowe came on.
An elbow to the back of the head is now apparently a legitimate tackle:
http://www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/03/09/miller-goes-down-box-no-pk-given
http://www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/03/09/miller-goes-down-box-no-pk-given
Obafemi Martins confirms on Twitter that he is a member of the Sounders.
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundersfc/2013/03/11/obafemi-martins-confirms-on-twitter-hes-a-sounder/
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundersfc/2013/03/11/obafemi-martins-confirms-on-twitter-hes-a-sounder/
In the CCL against Tigres, Seattle was down 1-0 on the night, 2-0 on aggregate and even further behind because of the away goals rule. Tigres had a guy sent off right before halftime. Since then the Sounders have scored 3 times (including one by ex-Liverpool European Champion Djimi Traore!) and lead the tie with 11 minutes to go.
SoxFanInCali said:
I checked the score at 1-0 last night, figured it was over and headed to bed. I caught the second half highlights this morning, though, and those were three nice goals by the Sounders. Seattle isn't exactly known for buckling down in big games, so color me surprised at the comeback. This is the first time an MLS team has beaten a Mexican team in a home-and-home since KC beat Santos Laguna in 2002 (and second ever). It was against a Tigres B team that went down a man after 45 minutes....but I guess we'll take what we can get.
Houston travels to Torreon tonight with a tenuous 1-0 lead over Santos Laguna. An away goal would be absolutely crucial -- and probably necessary. LA hosts Herediano after a 0-0 first leg. The lack of away goals makes me nervous, but the Galaxy really should be able to put away the Costa Ricans at home. They won't be hindered by the awful pitch in Heredia this time.
Houston lost to Santos Laguna 3-0, giving up a bunch of f-ing stupid goals in the process. Clumsy challenge to give up a PK, utter idiocy from Bobby Boswell on the second. I thought they would pay for Andrew Driver's horrible miss at the end of the first leg, but that didn't even matter in the end.
LA beat Herediano 4-1 with goals from Omar Gonzalez, Jose Villarreal, Robbie Keane, and Jack McBean. We are going to be seeing a lot of Villarreal this year.
LA beat Herediano 4-1 with goals from Omar Gonzalez, Jose Villarreal, Robbie Keane, and Jack McBean. We are going to be seeing a lot of Villarreal this year.
As a Timbers supporter, I'm glad that the Sounders played their starters in the Tigres match. As usual, another awesome Cascadia Cup match this Sunday in Seattle. Won't be heading up north for this one (damn finals). I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really concerned about the backline. Of the first two matches, simple clearances have been an adventure to say the least.
http://nasn.tv/2013/soccer-made-in-portland-episode-110/
Caleb Porter knows soccer. And I could listen to him talk for hours.
I am soooooo happy that the Timbers picked him up as coach.
Caleb Porter knows soccer. And I could listen to him talk for hours.
I am soooooo happy that the Timbers picked him up as coach.
Terrible news as Kevin Alston diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia.
[twitter]soccerbyives[/twitter]
RT @NERevolution: #NERevs defender Kevin Alston taking a leave of absence from team after chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) diagnosis
Edit: Looks like survival rates are pretty high for this kind of leukemia, says Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_myelogenous_leukemia
[twitter]soccerbyives[/twitter]
RT @NERevolution: #NERevs defender Kevin Alston taking a leave of absence from team after chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) diagnosis
Edit: Looks like survival rates are pretty high for this kind of leukemia, says Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_myelogenous_leukemia
@GrantWahl: Context on Kevin Alston's leukemia: Treatable, expected to return to team. Indefinite leave for now.
--
In a sense, this is about as (relatively) positive a diagnosis as you could hope for. Pulling for KA to be well and maybe even back with the team this season.
--
In a sense, this is about as (relatively) positive a diagnosis as you could hope for. Pulling for KA to be well and maybe even back with the team this season.
dirtynine said:
It was inevitable after LA and Seattle lost their first leg matches at home. I had no hope for the Sounders, who are too soft and have too many weak links in their lineup. How can you expect to win the regional title when you are starting Zach Scott, Alex Caskey, and Sammy Ochoa?
LA is a little more disappointing. They outplayed Monterrey for much of the game at the HDC, only to piss it away in the last ten minutes.
There's been a steady progression:
2008-09: 2 teams eliminated in the qualifiers, 1 in the group stage, 1 in the QF.
2009-10: 1 eliminated in the QR, 2 in the GS, 1 in the QF
2010-11: 1 eliminated in the QR, 1 in the GS, 1 in the QF, 1 in the final
2011-12: 2 eliminated in the GS, 2 in the QF
2012-13: 1 eliminated in the GS, 1 in the QF, 2 in the SF
We got three American teams into the knockout round for the first time this year. Seattle became the first MLS team to eliminate a Liga MX club in a home-and-home since Kansas City in 2002.
But even the better MLS teams don't have the depth or the killer instinct to go all the way. MLS lineups always have a couple weak links that result in squandered chances or critical defensive mistakes. Mexican clubs capitalize on these miscues with a far greater efficiency than American clubs do.
Seattle and the revs just drew 0-0. Seattle's 19-yr-old right back, Deandre Yedlin, looked really great I thought. He's generated a lot of buzz so far this year and I definitely see why, has a ton of talent going forward. Didn't have any problems defensively either.
New England has their own quality young right back in Andrew Farrell as well, who on the whole tonight I thought played well, just didn't stand out quite as much as Yedlin.
New England has their own quality young right back in Andrew Farrell as well, who on the whole tonight I thought played well, just didn't stand out quite as much as Yedlin.
Billy R Ford said:
In Farrell's defense, he's not really a right back. He's playing there because the Revs have almost no quality depth at the fullback positions, and that was true even before Alston's diagnosis.
After five games now, the Revs have scored one goal and conceded two. The defensive numbers are good, but that's because nobody is getting forward and we can't score any goals. We don't have any speed in the attack and guys like Simms and Cisse are unable to keep possession in the midfield. Hoofing long balls to slow attackers who have no support isn't a very effective strategy.
Not much hope for this season, not that I had much before.
It's a Thursday (May 2) so I assume no, but are any Revs supporters (on SOSH) coming to Portland this year?
steeplechase3k said:
If I traveled all the way to Portland to catch a Timbers game, surely I'd choose a more appealing opponent than New England?
Garber says that there could be a NYC expansion announcement in 4-6 weeks.
It's unclear who the potential owner of the second NY team would be, but speculation is that the leading candidate is Manchester City's owner Mansour bin Zayed. I'll say one thing, if this happens and there's any brand linkage at all between NYC2 and Man City, it will be a total catastrophe for the league.
It's unclear who the potential owner of the second NY team would be, but speculation is that the leading candidate is Manchester City's owner Mansour bin Zayed. I'll say one thing, if this happens and there's any brand linkage at all between NYC2 and Man City, it will be a total catastrophe for the league.
Yay, here comes the Cosmos...another NY team that is just going to buy a bunch of talent and win right away. Unlike the Red Bulls, they'll have an owner that will copy and paste the model he's implemented in the EPL, but with obviously less competition.
OilCanShotTupac said:
MLS teams should have their own identity and not be the second-rate knock-off of a more famous club abroad. I have nothing against Manchester City -- I also hated talk of "Barca Miami" during the last round of expansion. It's a self-limiting long-term move to let "brand awareness" projects into the league, even if they come bearing a lot of cash.
Everyone recognizes that Chivas USA has been a total disaster. Manchester City Jr. wouldn't necessarily be as poorly-run, but the identity places needless limitations on the growth of the club. If you are a soccer fan in NYC and you are a fan of a non-ManCity EPL club, are you going to root for Manchester City Jr.? If you are a Man City fan, are you going to watch Man City or a shittier version of Man City? The "Famous Club Jr." model is an ever-present reminder of the inferior status of the club. That's a pretty crappy self-imposed limitation. The Columbus Crew are far from the best club in the world, but they are the best Columbus Crew in the world, and that matters.
MLS has worked hard to gain a lot of fans over the last 10 years and none of these fans are watching because it is the best soccer available. So why are they watching?
1. It's live soccer. You can actually go to the games, which is fun.
2. It's our league. Part of the joy of MLS for me (and, I think, for a lot of other fans) is that we now have an American league filled with American players and American clubs that have slowly been developing their own identities. American soccer culture is growing before our eyes, organically. There's no need to pollute it with this brand-growth, marketing nonsense.
Now, if the Sheikh operates an NYC club that's completely independent and does its own thing, I'm okay with that. But right now, I'm a little wary.