One Strike and You're Out: The 2015 MLS In-Season Thread

[Titans Bastard]

TB, how much of the Revs growth is a result of having the confidence/professionalism of Jones at the training facility? If you had to guess, has Caldwell upped his game because he's got a better role model?

 
 

I don't see how there's any way any of us could guess as to that.

 
Yep, it's all speculation.  Jones does seem to like Caldwell.  The NT talk in the link, I think, is well-intentioned puffery from a teammate.  But the larger point is that Jones seems to like Caldwell and I'm sure playing alongside Jones is a good thing for Caldwell -- even if Caldwell's and Jones' skillsets are entirely different.  Caldwell's bread-and-butter is defensive positioning, cutting out passes, and quickly circulating the ball with quick passes.  He doesn't have Jones' athleticism, physicality, or ability to hit sweet bazillion-yard switches.
 
I do think that Jones' on-field presence has allowed Caldwell to grow as a player.  With Jones playing as a #8 ahead of him, it takes the edge off Caldwell's duties as a #6 and has given him space to refine his game.  When your midfield partner in MLS is Jermaine Jones, that covers a variety of sins.
 
Jones has only started one game at CM this season so far, so hopefully Caldwell's good play despite having Dorman as a partner is a sign he's continued to improve.  He just turned 24 and this is his third season in the league.  It's a common to see MLS guys take a step forward at this stage.

 

[robssecondjob]

Just read that Evan Bush is suspended for the second leg because of yellow card accumulation.  Montreal's backup Eric Kronberg is cup-tied.  Their third string Maxime Crepeau is injured.  They've taken FC Edmonton's keeper John Smits on loan for CCL matches because of Kronberg's unavailability - he may have to start next week, assuming Montreal's planned appeal of Bush's yellow isn't successful.
 
That's a bit frightening.

Montreal's appeal to have the yellow rescinded was not allowed (can't appeal official on-the-field rulings, basically).
 
Smits looks like he is going to have true baptism by fire if the Impact can't swing a loan or trade deal.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Montreal's appeal to have the yellow rescinded was not allowed (can't appeal official on-the-field rulings, basically).
 
Smits looks like he is going to have true baptism by fire if the Impact can't swing a loan or trade deal.

 
They've signed Kristian Nicht from Indy Eleven.
 
Nicht played a similar role to Smits (on-loan keeper as backup) in the Pachuca games and one of the Alajuelense games.  Given that they had him on their roster at times earlier this year, he doesn't feel like a ringer the way signing a top MLS goalkeeper on temporary loan would have felt.  I'm glad that idea was nixed.
 
Not sure if Smits will be around as the backup or Maxime Crepeau is fit enough to sit on the bench.

 

[Titans Bastard]

In local news, there's been some talk of an NASL team coming to Hartford and playing in a renovated Dillon Stadium.  There's nothing too solid yet, but from what I understand it's more than pie-in-the-sky nonsense that you often get with minor league expansion talk.
 
There haven't been two pro teams in New England since the Western Mass Pioneers dropped down to the amateur PDL in 2010.

 

[Titans Bastard]

One of LAFC's co-owners explains they aren't taking over Chivas USA's academy because they don't want to be associated with the Chivas USA brand whatsoever.
 
Dumb.  Chivas USA had some of the best academy coaching and players in the country.  And if LAFC took it over, nobody would even notice outside of the nerdiest of the soccer nerds.  It wouldn't have much of an impact on their brand at all, IMO.  Quick, what was the name of the existing youth club that the Portland Timbers absorbed to form their own academy?  San Jose?  Yeah...that's what I thought.
 
Now the cream of Chivas USA's academy is heading to the LA Galaxy.  I hope LAFC has fun with the painstaking process of building up a quality program over the next 6-8 years.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Oduro​

Duka - Piatti - Romero​

Mallace - Donadel​

Toia - Ciman - Soumare - Reo-Coker​

Nicht​

 ​

 
Bench: Crepeau (GK), Miller, Lefevre, Tissot, Bernier, McInerney, Cooper
 
Nicht, freshly acquired from Indy Eleven, steps in at GK with Bush suspended.  Nicht had been on loan with Montreal earlier in the campaign, but only as a backup.  Reo-Coker moves to RB, in place of Cabrera or Camara.  Donadel slides into central midfield.  Risky move for Montreal -- RB has been a problem, but NRC hasn't played there in almost a year.  Donadel will be less of a turnover machine in CM than NRC was, but can he keep up with America physically?
 
Montreal better hope that Piatti has a blinder.  Well, they need just about everybody to have a blinder.
 
 
https://twitter.com/DiegoBalado/status/593549602927878145
 
 
That's newly-capped USMNT defender Ventura Alvarado in the lineup.

 

[Billy R Ford]

Montreal up early, great goal from them. This should be real interesting with America having to score.

 

[moly99]

I'm not sure if this game has been awful or fantastic, but it's one of the two. It's going to take a couple more decades to develop the Liga MX vs MLS hate into a real rivalry, but you can feel it growing. We are never going to have the number of quality leagues to make CONCACAF Champions League rival UEFA's, but two quality leagues that genuinely hate each other would get us halfway there.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Solid first half from Montreal.  Both teams had one squandered chance each that they'll regret missing.  Montreal is looking dangerous on the counter and has several America defenders on yellows.  They need to continue to hold a respectable share of possession because they won't hold up with emergency defense for a lengthy period of time.  They look a little sketchy defending set pieces, but have been doing a good job breaking up plays in the midfield.
 
If America is still losing late, there's also a chance for them to go into Rafa Marquez-esque meltdown mode.  Mexican clubs don't like / are embarrassed to be losing to MLS in the same way that El Tri hated / was embarrassed to be losing to the USMNT 10 years ago.

 

[Titans Bastard]

At HT they show that America has had 67% of the possession.  It feels like less, though.  Montreal has been just as dangerous.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Montreal needs another goal, by the way.  I just don't see America being shut out.
 
They're going to score like they always do.  Stupid foul outside the box.  Free kick.  Oribe Peralta or whoever gets loose and nails the header home.

 

[Billy R Ford]

Two quick goals from America and it looks like its pretty much over for Montreal. That was some brutal defending to let that stretch happen.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Predictable. RIP Montreal. Never thought they'd ever get this far.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Welp.  4-2 final, 5-3 on aggregate.
 
Disappointing as always, but the best team won.  I'd lament MLS teams' unending commitment to nervously bunkering in these matches (which never, ever works), but I think Montreal just didn't have the horses.  They did really well to reach the final and earn a draw in Azteca.  Over 180 minutes, it was never likely to happen - the quality difference is just too much to overcome.
 
There's always next year.

 

[Billy R Ford]

Twellman posted this on Twitter this morning:
 

 

 

 
I think he has a point, though it's not exactly an earth-shattering revelation. MLS clubs don't have great depth, period.

 

[Titans Bastard]

For reference, team #1 I believe is the 2014 LA Galaxy.
 
$4.5m = Keane
$4.25m = Donovan
$1m = Gonzalez
$325k = Juninho
$200k = Ishizaki
$190k = Sarvas
 
Team #2 I think is the 2014 Revs
 
$3m = Jones
$450k = Goncalves
$275k = Castillion (lol)
$250k = Joseph (lol, again)
$175k = Nguyen
$145k = Bengtson (lol for a third time.....)
 
 
 
The issue is that MLS owners can currently spend an unlimited amount on salary, but past a modest threshold that salary can only be distributed to three players (i.e. the DP rule).  Combined with an inclination to sign big name players to drive ticket sales through publicity and name recognition, the system incentivizes huge investment in Kaka-type players.  Kaka is very good, but Orlando's level of play won't be determined by him; it will be determined by the quality of the worst players on the pitch and the roster's depth.
 
 
If the owners boosted the non-DP salary cap, there would be more money to invest in spots #4-28 on a roster.  However, there's a limit of eight foreigners per team, although that has some flexibility because green card holders count as domestics and teams are getting good at hooking up their players after 1-2 years.  So from the owners' point of view, raising the cap would help attract a somewhat higher caliber of foreign player, but much of that money would simply go to raises for American players -- raises that aren't necessary because for most a lack of quality and/or barriers to entry in most Euro markets mean there isn't any competition for their signatures.
 
In some ways it's too bad that England is impossible to sign in these days unless you are a dual national or a NT player.  If the Championship and League One (which isn't as good as MLS but has outsized financial clout relative to its quality because it's England) had free rein to raid the shit out of MLS, it would speed the process.  MLS is very protected thanks to work permits, foreigner quotas, etc. which make signing an American player impossible or impose a significant opportunity cost on doing so.
 
Once we get to a point where every team has a couple additional ~$600k types from Latin America, I think the league will really turn a corner.  But based on the current realities, the quality of the domestic player has to improve as a prerequisite step to unlocking that sort of funding.  Unless MLS decides to create more alphabet soup roster/salary cap regulations/slots.

 

[Titans Bastard]

It looks like the Revs are signing Zachary Herivaux.  He's a 19 year old central midfielder from the Revs academy who had committed to play at Providence this fall before deciding to forgo the NCAA for the pros.  He's a dual citizen who played for Haiti's U20 team in the recent CONCACAF championship.  Herivaux had trained with the first team sporadically and was one of two academy players invited to preseason in Arizona, so it's not too surprising to see this happen.  I wouldn't expect too much from him this season - perhaps he'll go on loan to Rochester.
 
 
In other news, MLS has publicly released the official 2015 roster rules now that the CBA has been finalized.  It's some nice beach reading.

 

[Titans Bastard]

The Rapids have acquired Argentine striker Luis Solignac from Nueva Chicago.  He's 24 and doesn't have a super impressive track record - he spent 2014 and part of 2013 in Finland.  But the Rapids badly need depth at forward after selling Deshorn Brown a few months ago.  Kevin Doyle will also be joining them soon.
 
Bill Hamid has signed a multi-year extension with D.C. United.  His old contract was due to expire at the end of the year and it was widely predicted that he'd be sold this summer.  Now, that seems less likely.
 
Philadelphia striker and former rookie of the year C.J. Sapong was arrested for a DUI.  He will be out of action for a while....
 
 
FC Dallas ripped Houston apart last night at the Dynamo's own stadium, 4-1.  Dallas is now on top of the league, although a few teams have games in hand.  It's impressive how young and good they are.  They're now starting three academy products who have been improving steadily.  And Fabian Castillo is just frightening on the wing at this point now that his decision-making is catching up to his physical tools.  If they choose to sell him eventually, they are going to get a lot of money - he's still only 22.

 

[Arroyo Con Frijoles]

Revs roll on at home agaist NYRB, two very nicely executed goals.  Glad Goncalves is back because Jones scares me at center back (the NYRB goal was on him), but credit where credit is due, his distribution, good God.  Farrell looking better with each game, and I think the same is true for Caldwell.  Dorman is just a guy at this point, so I suspect he's back to the bench next week.  

 

[Titans Bastard]

Revs roll on at home agaist NYRB, two very nicely executed goals.  Glad Goncalves is back because Jones scares me at center back (the NYRB goal was on him), but credit where credit is due, his distribution, good God.  Farrell looking better with each game, and I think the same is true for Caldwell.  Dorman is just a guy at this point, so I suspect he's back to the bench next week.  

 
Caldwell is turning into such a pest.  He broke up all sorts of plays in the midfield yesterday.  Offensively, you can see that this team still has another gear that's attainable when they are fully clicking.  Even at the level they showed yesterday, they'll score a lot of goals.
 
Very positive to see Nguyen look so sharp in the second half.  He showed 2014 form out there.

 

[ThePrideofShiner]

Seattle had a couple of awesome goals against New York tonight, including one set up by a wicked back-heel pass from Dempsey. Dempsey and Martins are really clicking together. Lots of fun to watch.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Nguyen is unhappy about his contract.

 

[Titans Bastard]

- Sebastian Lletget, who must be near the top of the all-time appearances chart for the U21 Premier League, is reported to be finally leaving West Ham for the LA Galaxy.  He's a 22 year old central midfielder who's been with the Hammers since 2009.
 
- Birmingham City announced they won't renew CB Will Packwood's contract.  Packwood's career has been derailed by a bad leg break that caused him to miss all of 2013.  Despite a run in the starting lineup last season, he couldn't get into the team at all this year and had two loan stints cut short by injury.  Today, BCFC announced his current contract has been terminated early (before June 30) so that he has time to sign with an MLS club before the deadline closes.  BCFC's website even mentioned that he'll be trialing with New England.  This would make a lot of sense because the Revs badly need depth at CB and they have become career rehab specialists in the last few years.  He'll turn 22 later this month and still has some potential.  Packwood is also a local Massachusetts kid, from Concord.
 
- A nice feature on Detroit City FC, an NPSL (amateur / fourth division) club that's done exceptionally well on and off the field.  There's talk they might step up to the USL Pro at some point, which would be a good get for the league.  It's the second largest metro in the US without a pro soccer team at any level (behind the Inland Empire), but doesn't seem to be a likely MLS target in the near future.  Hopefully DCFC can make it work financially in the professional ranks.

 

[robssecondjob]

 
- Birmingham City announced they won't renew CB Will Packwood's contract.  Packwood's career has been derailed by a bad leg break that caused him to miss all of 2013.  Despite a run in the starting lineup last season, he couldn't get into the team at all this year and had two loan stints cut short by injury.  Today, BCFC announced his current contract has been terminated early (before June 30) so that he has time to sign with an MLS club before the deadline closes.  BCFC's website even mentioned that he'll be trialing with New England.  This would make a lot of sense because the Revs badly need depth at CB and they have become career rehab specialists in the last few years.  He'll turn 22 later this month and still has some potential.  Packwood is also a local Massachusetts kid, from Concord.
 

Per Revs GM GM Michael Burns, American Will Packwood is scheduled to begin training with the Revs next week.

 

[Titans Bastard]

The Voyageurs Cup semifinal first leg between FC Edmonton and the Vancouver Whitecaps has been postponed because Edmonton's field currently looks like this:
 

 
 
Ouch.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Philadephia's GK situation continues to be a source of never-ending hilarity.
 
John McCarthy and Andre Blake are both dealing with injuries.  Earlier this week, it was reported that Rais M'Bolhi had been called back into camp after being banished to somewhere in Europe where he was training / hanging out.  But for this weekend's game at Vancouver, they have negotiated a short-term loan for Brian Sylvestre of the Carolina RailHawks and called in MLS pool goalkeeper Trey Mitchell instead of having M'Bolhi travel to Vancouver.
 
Meanwhile, Zac MacMath is backing up Clint Irwin on loan in Colorado.
 
---
 
 
The Revs are playing Orlando tonight.  A winnable road game, but we'll see....
 
NYRB and NYCFC are playing their first match ever at Red Bull Arena on Sunday night.
 
 
Also on Sunday, Toronto plays their first home game in the new expanded BMO Field after their seven-game road trip.  They're increasing capacity to 30,000. 
 
For now, they've built an upper deck across from the main stand:
 

 

 
 
This offseason, they'll be building a roof on three sides.  It's going to be pretty sweet:
 

 

 

[saintnick912]

Is the Revs game on TV?

 

[Billy R Ford]

Its on Univision if you have it. This is what I've started using for streams as well:
 
http://livetv.sx/en/eventinfo/313083_orlando_city_new_england/

 

[Senator Donut]

Its on Univision if you have it. This is what I've started using for streams as well:
 
http://livetv.sx/en/eventinfo/313083_orlando_city_new_england/

It's actually on Univision Deportes, not regular Univision. They stream through their app and http://deportesenvivo.univision.com but very few providers have signed up.

 

[Titans Bastard]

What a waste from the Revs.  Sloppy night for Nguyen, Bunbury, and Agudelo, but two goals from Orlando mistakes were canceled out and two points were lost.
 
We need Goncalves back in the lineup at CB so that Jones can shift to CM.  He does a lot of things well back there, but he is a big liability in the air.  If he were partnered with someone like Omar Gonzalez perhaps it could work, but Farrell isn't great in the air either.

 

[Billy R Ford]

Yeah the Revs played like crap in the second half, normally you'd be happy to get a point on the road, but blowing a two goal lead is always a tough pill to swallow. They have a fairly tough schedule over the next several weeks as well - Toronto, midweek game @SKC, DC, LA - so it would have really helped to get the full three points.
 
 
On the bright side for the Revs today, Sebastian Lletget to Los Angeles is official. Why is that a bright side for the Revs? Apparently both teams put in a "discovery claim" on him (per the league rules) and New England had priority (somehow), so to sign him, LA had to pony up $50k to the Revs.
 
The discovery rule is pretty fun. Teams can put in a claim on certain players in other leagues, and basically have "dibs" on the player if they become free agents and want to sign with MLS. The Red Bulls are supposed to have made a discovery claim on some African midfielder named Kevin-Prince Boateng. I love MLS.

 

[Arroyo Con Frijoles]

Painful to drop those points up two with less than twenty minutes to play, blech. Get Goncalves back, sign Packwood for depth, roll on.

 

[Titans Bastard]

 

[Youkilis vs Wild]

A waste of two points last night for sure.
 
If I wasn't there already I am now -- Caldwell has been about our best player this year. Whether that's a positive or not depends on your perspective...

 

[Titans Bastard]

NYRB claimed the first NYRB vs. NYCFC derby match by a 2-1 scoreline last night despite playing down a man for 55 minutes after Matt Miazga foolishly took a second yellow.  They really could have had more, too.  Bradley Wright-Phillips made an atrocious decision in a 2v1 against the keeper, electing to shoot as Saunders closed him down instead of laying it off to a teammate who had all day.  Nonetheless, BWP had a very good day with two goals and some solid hold-up play as the sole forward.  I thought he would be useless without Thierry Henry, but he has more dimensions to his game than I realized.
 
Kreis is clearly missed with his team.  He yanked Mix Diskerud and David Villa with his first two substitutions.  It was later claimed that Villa was subbed because he's coming off an injury, but it didn't really feel like it at the time.  Later, Villa's replacement Patrick Mullins scored NYCFC's only goal.
V
NYCFC's defense is really terrible.  RJ Allen delivered a nice assist to Mullins from LB, but was beaten like a drum by Lloyd Sam all night.  Their center backs...yeesh.  Frank Lampard is a good player, but he doesn't any address any of their key needs.  They need help.
 
I enjoyed this:
 
https://twitter.com/cboehm/status/597540496848850944
 
 
 
 
Elsewhere, Dallas had a nice late comeback over LA to move into a tie with Vancouver at the top of the league with a game in hand, despite a very makeshift backline with regular CBs Matt Hedges and Zach Loyd injured.  Fabian Castillo is a beast and Mauro Diaz is a magician.  They are really good when both are in the lineup, but Diaz is made of glass.

 

[Arroyo Con Frijoles]

Oh, Mullins, how the expansion draft stings.  

 

[Titans Bastard]

- Sebastian Lletget's move to the Galaxy is complete.  I'm curious to see how he does when stacked up to the rest of MLS.
 
- Columbus and Hernan Grana agreed to mutually terminate his contract.  His wife had a kid back in Argentina and he wanted to go home.  That's an unfortunate loss for the Crew, who had built good depth at fullback.  They have reasonable alternatives at RB, but the depth won't be what it was.
 
- NYCFC waived Andres Mendoza.  The Ecuadorian CB was signed over the winter and had no impact.  He must have been pretty bad in training if he couldn't crack their 18, given how NYCFC's defnese has struggled.
 
- Good read on the 1996 MLS season and the early struggles of the league.  A crazier time, for sure.  And maybe this makes me crazy, but I found Eric Wynalda to be particularly on point (except for his comment about the summer schedule).

 

[dirtynine]

Any domestic diehards going to the US Open Cup match in Cambridge tonight?  BSSL's best club, GPS Mass, is carrying the local/amateur flag into battle.  I don't think I can make it myself but I'm betting it'll be a surprisingly fun time.  There's an American Legion Post pre-party and everything. 

 

[Titans Bastard]

Any domestic diehards going to the US Open Cup match in Cambridge tonight?  BSSL's best club, GPS Mass, is carrying the local/amateur flag into battle.  I don't think I can make it myself but I'm betting it'll be a surprisingly fun time.  There's an American Legion Post pre-party and everything. 

 
I thought about it, but I couldn't make it either.  GPS Mass lost to the Seacoast United Phantoms.  In all, three out of eleven low-level amateur clubs advanced over the relative big boys of the PDL and NPSL.  Chula Vista FC beat FC Tucson, Harpo's FC advanced over BYU on PKs, and PSA Elite destroyed the Golden State Misioneros 7-1.
 
BYU doesn't sponsor D1/varsity soccer, but they have a club team that plays in the PDL.  Naturally, in Provo they lost to a team formed in a bar and nicknamed "The Brewers".
 
 
In the second round, the first wave of pro teams take part - the 21 US-based teams of the USL.  With the way the works, all 21 matches will be pros (USL) vs. amateurs (1st round winners).
 
 
Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL) vs. West Virginia Chaos (PDL)
Wilmington Hammerheads (USL) vs. Chattanooga FC (NPSL)
Richmond Kickers (USL) vs. Virginia Beach City FC (NPSL)
Lansing United (NPSL) vs. Louisville City (USL)
Reading United (PDL) vs. Harrisburg City Islanders (USL)
Rochester Rhinos (USL) vs. GBFC Thunder (NPSL)
Charleston Battery (USL) vs. Miami United (NPSL)
Charlotte Independence (USL) vs. Upward Stars (NPSL)
Michigan Bucks (PDL) vs. Portland Timbers 2 (USL)
Long Island Rough Riders (PDL) vs. Real Monarchs (USL)
Jersey Express (PDL) vs. New York Red Bulls II (USL)
Tulsa Roughnecks (USL) vs. Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL)
Saint Louis FC (USL) vs. Des Moines Menace (PDL)
Midland/Odessa Sockers (PDL) vs. Oklahoma City Energy (USL)
Austin Aztex (USL) vs. Laredo Heat (PDL)
Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL) vs. Harpo's FC (USSSA)
PSA Elite (USASA) vs. Orange County Blues (USL)
Arizona United (USL) vs. Chula Vista FC (USASA)
LA Galaxy II (USL) vs. Ventura County Fusion (PDL)
Sacramento Republic (USL) vs. Sonoma County Sol (NPSL)
Seattle Sounders 2 (USL) vs. Kitsap Pumas (PDL)
 
 
 
The draw is highly regionalized to avoid travel, but the last amateur New England team (Seacoast United, out of Portsmouth) has a tough trip to Tulsa.
 
NASL teams join the draw in the third round.

 

[Billy R Ford]

Revs line-up vs Toronto: Shuttleworth; Tierney, Goncalves, Farrell, Woodberry; Caldwell, Jones; Agudelo, Nguyen, Bunbury; Davies
 
Probably the Revs' full first-choice 11 for the first time this year. Looking forward to seeing how Caldwell and Jones play together in midfield in particular.
 
Bradley and Altidore both starting for Toronto as well.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Grr.  Another draw that feels like it should have been more.
 
Overall I thought it was really a quality game played at a high level from both sides, but the Revs were a bit better.  Jermaine Jones didn't look very good and came off early.  I wonder if he was injured - Dorman was an improvement tonight.  Farrell's anticipation and positioning has improved a lot so far this season.  Nice cross from Woodberry who largely had a good game, but his totally ran out of gas at about the 65th minute.  Fagundez looked dangerous and should have been given more time.  Nguyen created some danger.
 
Really great run/goal from Bradley, too.  Cheyrou played well for Toronto also, and if he can be a reliable #6 it will be huge for them (and Bradley's performances).
 
I hope for the US sake that Altidore's hammy isn't bad.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Rendering of LAFC's proposed stadium at the site of the LA Sports Arena.
 
https://twitter.com/LAFC/status/600109010839216129
 

 
 
The $250-million complex, covering 15 acres in the shadow of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, would include a conference center, restaurants and a soccer museum. At its center would be a 22,000-seat stadium, home to the new Major League Soccer franchise when it makes its debut in 2018.

 
Privately financed, which should hopefully help the political process.  The LA Times also reports that LAFC will begin play in 2018.  Previously, the league had tentatively announced they'd play in 2017.  It is not surprising or alarming to learn that they will take an additional year to get their ducks in a row, though.  It's also possible now that Minnesota United will move up in 2017 instead of 2018 now, but that's not certain at this point.

 

[robssecondjob]

Look like the Revs are going to take a pass on signing Will Packwood.

 

[Titans Bastard]

Look like the Revs are going to take a pass on signing Will Packwood.

 
I wonder if it's because he didn't impress in his trial or because he's pursuing other options.  It's hard to gauge how good he actually is right now.

 

[Turrable]

Did the away fan section thing at the D.C. United game in Philly last night. They have a gorgeous stadium.

 

[Awesome Fossum]

This isn't much of anything, but the Chargers Stadium Advisory Group released their Site Selection and Financing Plan for a New Multi-Use Stadium in San Diego report. In it, they list "MLS Expansion" as an expected revenue stream.

 

[Snakebauer007]

https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11148500_10204161178218370_6342120147316935425_n.jpg?oh=b4fb1904d63b11ed894e1c402935fb7d&oe=560300BD

The atmosphere in the supporter section at OrlandoCity games has been nothing but stellar this season. I really cannot think of a better game to attend for teams I have followed throughout my life and to finally get the first home win(even against a severely weakened LA team) will hopefully give the team some momentum. Despite Larin's goal return this season, some attacking punch is much needed. Brek was moved back to the wing when Molino went down for the season, a moved that has helped strengthen the attack and defense, but there's still some more firepower needed. Getting Tally Hall into the action finally will also be a big boost.

https://scontent-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/11246853_10155785277665179_4497415877201004470_n.jpg?oh=3e589e0795878893b51b4f3e753d9a3e&oe=5600A851

 

[Titans Bastard]

It's still early, but it feels like Orlando has already outgrown their planned 19.5k capacity new stadium.

 

[Snakebauer007]

It's still early, but it feels like Orlando has already outgrown their planned 19.5k capacity new stadium.

Quite possible, lowest attendance has been 27,000, and 14,000 season tickets were sold, but like you said it is very early. The new stadium(if finished) is capable of expanding to 26,000.

 

[MetSox1]

Did the away fan section thing at the D.C. United game in Philly last night. They have a gorgeous stadium.

Wish I'd known, would have had the Ole philly dc bash with, you know, two people.

Such a fucking depressing situation in philly. Nice for a night (thanks for that) on what was a great night of soccer, but as a day 1 season ticket holder, sheesh... it just never gets better, they always find something else to make it just that little bit worse.