Sylvae
16Jan/110

MLS Rivalry Week 2011: More Harm, Than Good?

Don Garber's at it again, making American soccer fans infuriated once again.  No, not with talk about conferences and a single-table format, but with the MLS Commissioner's rather gung-ho plan to create "Rivalry Week" during the MLS regular season.  This tentatively called "rivalry week" would consist of the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps playing against one another in the span of the week, and having all of MLS solely focus on the Pacific Northwest. In a nutshell, it's Garber's latest scheme in hopes of garnering television audiences that are complimented with unprecedented crowds out in the Cascades. Just the idea alone is very unsurprising, almost to the same degree of receiving a backlash of comments on MLS's website. However, what may shock you is where the core disapproval was coming from: Sounders, Whitecaps and Timbers fans. Most of it was either snickering at how married to rivalries Garber is, or how Garber is not foreseeing this rivalry as sport—but to showcase the league under a new light instead. Shaking his crystal ball, Garber is evidently hoping that this will create mass attention. Perhaps I'm taking a pessimistic approach, but I highly doubt this, so-called, "rivalry week" will do what Garber is hoping it will do. ...
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9Jan/110

CONCACAF Champions League: Can Real Salt Lake Emerge Victorious?

Ten days from now, Real Salt Lake will begin its preseason training, perhaps a bit earlier than most Major League Soccer clubs.  While most MLS clubs are either focusing on rebuilding from last year (ahem, D.C.), or thinking about long-term plans to nab the MLS Cup title, Salt Lake is putting its focus on one thing right now: its quarterfinal fixture in the CONCACAF Champions League.  Dormant for nearly three months, the Champions League will resume play at the tail end of February, and Salt Lake opens up the knockout stage, when the Royals will take on fellow domestic club, Columbus Crew, the Group B runners-up.  Given, the fact that Columbus has completely gutted out its roster, and seems to be starting from scratch, while RSL has practically the same squad assembled (minus Robbie Findley), it seems to be a no-brainer that RSL will have a huge advantage over the Crew.  Still, with MLS having a parity-ridden track record, and Los Angeles' embarrassing loss against Puerto Rico, one cannot presume that Salt Lake will have a cakewalk to the finals, even if RSL has most realistic chance of a non-Mexican club to win the Champions League. Even with such a humble outlook, Salt Lake will ...
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8Jan/110

MLS SuperDraft: Why the Rise of Youth Academies Causes the Draft To Be Obsolete

Earlier last month, D.C. United signed University of Maryland prospect Ethan White on a youth development contract, allowing White to bypass this month's SuperDraft, and to sign with the Black-and-Red's first team squad, with Major League Soccer paying for his contract.It is not only White, either. The United's rivals from up the I-95 corridor are in the same process, also with a fellow Maryland Terrapin. Maryland junior midfielder Matt Kassel has signed with Red Bull New York on a youth development contract as well, thus making him ineligible for the draft.Earlier this week, there was an article from MLSSoccer.com questioning whether this rise of youth academies will make college soccer for subpar players. With the rise of stars such as Tim Ream, Steve Zakuani and Danny Mwanga thrown into the argument, it reassures that college soccer (for the time being) will be a critical piece of developing American stars, whether they start their careers domestically or internationally. When you think about it, it seems that most youth academy prospects will be able to train in clubs' youth academies, go to college for some time and then enter the pros. While it may actually be a benefactor for college soccer, ...
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1Jan/110

Colorado Rapids: Is a Supporters’ Shield and Champions League Run Possible?

Regardless of how much we disapprove the 2010 MLS Cup outcome, the fact of the matter is that the Colorado Rapids won the Cup and are arguably the defending league champions going into their 2011 campaign.  While no club has won a consecutive MLS Cup title since the Houston Dynamo in 2007, there's evidently a myriad of things that the Rapids will need to live up to in 2011. Recent defending MLS Cup champions have had success in qualifying for the quarterfinals in the CONCACAF Champions League and either winning or falling short of winning the MLS Supporters' Shield, an award for the best regular season record.  The question that roams is, can Colorado be capable of doing that much? Do they have the potential to make a namesake for themselves in Champions League play and dominate the league simultaneously?  We can look back on Real Salt Lake's impressive 2010 campaign and say that it's very possible to even likely. However, the Rapids' cross-mountain rivals had much more attacking depth than they themselves have had.  Their depth will inevitably be thrown into question starting with offseason loans and maybe even transfers. One of their most dangerous attacking weapons, Mr. Omar Cummings, may be on is way to donning an ...
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4Dec/100

Did Major League Soccer Hurt America’s Chance of Hosting 2022 World Cup?

Ever since FIFA awarded Qatar the right to host the 2022 World Cup, the nation has made the inevitable leap from grief to pointing the finger and creating United States Soccer Federation guilt by association.Soccer purists have seen this as a golden opportunity to, once again, point out the flaws of Major League Soccer, claiming it could have even ruined the United States' chance to bring the World Cup back across the Atlantic.Breaking it down, the only eminent flaws with American soccer (that FIFA has pointed out) have been the ways MLS is structured and how it consistently refuses to abide to FIFA's guidelines. Though MLS takes a conservative approach in keeping everyone financially stable and maintaining parity, it is likely that type of organization has caused passive-aggressive action from FIFA. Simply, FIFA is telling the USSF to abide by their rules, which is met by collective unwillingness from the MLS and USSF.Certain comments include the season's format. The league does not abide to the FIFA calendar and runs from March to November. That is understandable since the MLS has just Major League Baseball as its sole competition for fan attention for most of the season, which MLS seems to be doing well ...
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29Nov/100

Benny Is Back: D.C. United Sign Ben Olsen as Head Coach

Until an earlier announcement from the local media, there was much conversation across MLS as to whom would become the head coach for D.C. United next year. Given the fact that Kevin Payne even said that Ben Olsen, the interim head coach at the time, was not going to be taking the full reins next year, there was even more question as to who would become the Black-and-Red's seventh head coach. When the news broke that Olsen was going to be the new coach, it even surprised Olsen, himself. “I was surprised; I was,” he said. “I had my mind fully prepared to go back into an assistant coach role and resume learning the trade." That all changed when the United not only announced that Olsen signed a three-year contract as head coach, but when Payne said that he was the best fit for the job based on their knowledge of not only the game, but of the D.C. community in general. “It just became more and more apparent to us that Ben Olsen fit that bill better than any of the other candidates with whom we were speaking,” Payne said when describing why the United hired Olsen.  Ready or not, the United will begin their ...
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25Nov/100

DP Geovanni Released by San Jose Earthquakes

Earlier today, the San Jose Earthquakes released their first ever Designated Player, Geovanni. The ex-Hull City striker was released because of his high expenses and his lack of scoring, according to San Jose Earthquakes staff. The Brazilian was a critical factor in the Earthquakes' late-season push for the playoffs, which was highlighted by a semifinal run before bowing out to the eventual MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids. He came in midseason and made an immediate impact in the club's midfield, tallying a goal and three assists in his debut season.  This has become a more commonplace trend, as clubs begin to emphasize building a core team of inexpensive, hard-working individuals that fit within a club's salary cap, which is currently $2.55 million. MLS is currently the one of the few premier soccer leagues in the world that implements a salary cap on its clubs. Another notable league is Australia's A-League. Ever since the DP rule was introduced in 2007, only one club with a DP has won the MLS Cup, the Columbus Crew in 2008. However, 2009 was the only year a club won the MLS Supporters' Shield without a DP.  Perhaps those statistics of clubs with cheaper rosters and success are what San Jose is trying to mimic next season.Read ...
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25Nov/100

MLS Cup TV Ratings Down 44 Percent From 2009: Why MLS Should Worry

Yesterday afternoon, Goal.com reported that the recent television ratings for the MLS Cup final were lower—much lower—than the previous year. They were the lowest ratings in over a decade. The 2010 MLS Cup drew a nation-wide audience of about 1.1 million viewers, resulting in a 0.5 TV rating, down from last year's 0.9. We can look at these depressing statistics and presume that's the result a few things: unpopular teams playing in the final; it was prime-time on a Sunday; the American Music Awards were on; or there was an National (American) Football League match-up between Philadelphia and New York. However, Major League Soccer cannot use these excuses for their cup final; the match that's supposed to be the flagship of the league, to show the league's best, drew weaker ratings than regular season matches. MLS needs to accept the unfortunate realities of the American mainstream.   Sunday Night and MLS Don't Mix Well If there's an NFL game on TV and Major League Soccer teams playing, odds are most people would pick NFL over MLS.  Even the World Cup final drew twice as fewer ratings than last season's Super Bowl (28.5 and 53.0 respectively).  It's not to say that MLS should not have their cup final on that ...
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25Nov/100

BREAKING NEWS: Dax McCarty Traded from Portland Timbers to D.C. United

Well that was quick. Earlier today, the buzz around American soccer was Dax McCarty being the first pick in the MLS Expansion Draft, surrounded by talk as to why FC Dallas would ever not protect McCarty. In the blink of an eye, the redhead has moved from the Pacific Northwest to the nation's capital. McCarty, was traded to D.C. United from Portland for a pair of fourth-round picks in next year's Super Draft, and in exchange for United's Rodney Wallace.  In ways it seems fair. Solid defender for solid midfielder and the United with a need for a young mid with control, toughness and a controlling mentality.  Then again, they're in need of a defense. However, the question is whether or not the United can make up for that in the off-season with trading, signings or new transfers by the time the window closes on New Year's Day? Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com
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24Nov/100

2010 MLS Expansion Draft: Pick-By-Pick

This afternoon, or this morning depending on where you are, Major League Soccer will be having its 2010 MLS Expansion Draft. The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC will be selecting 10 players each from the field of available candidates. I'm your host Tyler Walter, and I will be covering each pick selection live:  PORTLAND ROUND VANCOUVER Dax McCarty 1 Sanna Nyassi Eric Brunner  2 Atiba Harris  Adam Moffat  3 Nathan Sturgis  Anthony Wallace  4 Shea Salinas  David Horst  5 Alan Gordon  Robbie Findley  6 O'Brian White  Peter Lowery  7 Alejandro Moreno  Jonathan Bornstien  8 Joe Cannon  Jordan Graye  9 Jonathan Leathers  Arturo Alvarez  10 Joe Thorrington    3:15 PM: That will do it for live commentary on the MLS Expansion Draft. Thanks for tuning in! 3:06 PM: In my opinion, I would say Vancouver won in this expansion draft. Primarily because Portland has selected players that are likely to stay abroad for some time. They did select a strong midfield, but that does no good if you lack a defense and offense. If I were to predict the final standings right now, I would say Portland finishes just shy of the playoffs, while Vancouver could potentially be a wildcard in next year's playoffs. Vancouver will be praising Garber if that happens... 2:54 PM: Houston, LA, New York and New England escape the draft without anyone stolen. Flustering if you're a Revs fan. 2:53 PM: Vancouver on the clock for their final ...
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