The MLS Soccer Thread

The Sandbox Sports
425

The offseason has been a clusterf**k in Minnesota. They fired their Head Coach on October 6th, and still don’t have a permanent one today. MLS players and coaches report next week for preseason.

The prior coach Heath had been operating as both head coach and personnel guy. They decided to split that job into 2: a head coach and a technical director/chief soccer officer (their term, not mine). That was probably a good move. They hired their technical director 11/8. The problem was he was still under contract with Barnsley and they don’t want to let him go midseason until they find a replacement. That hasn’t happened yet.

Their interim HC was originally going to stay on for a while, but with the uncertainty of whether the team would keep him and the time dragging on the new CSO coming he decided to jump ship when a USL side offered him a job. So now they are on interim coach number 2.

They have a few nice players, but how the hell do you fill out the remaining pieces of the roster for the season with no HC and no technical director? What a dumpster fire, and what disgraceful inaction/mismanagement by ownership.

426

Wow, this could lead to relegation…

427

Sporting KC does a u-turn on an idiot who doesn’t know how to be a GM and President of an MLKS Soccer team.
I mean, who wants to double-check everything this guy does? Gave out positive references to an abuser?

428

Seems highly likely that MLS refs will go on strike before the season. They are out of contract, with a temporary extension through January. Sounds like the sides are far apart.

Paywalled link, but most of what you want to know is above

429

Ah, the dangers of scheduling during international breaks:

And, someone wants to help #murican soccer:

Notables that I want to comment on:

In terms of the former, he chafes at the notion that MLS is a retirement league, especially given the opportunities young players have both to break through and establish themselves. He feels there is immense potential in what is a vast and varied player pool, one rich with athleticism as well as the aforementioned ability to take on new concepts.

Well, it is, for a few players for certain. For others, from South and Central America, it is where they are “discovered” by Euro teams. Americans, though? Players mainly that Euro’s have decided not to want or who just don’t have the courage to take on Europe.

When asked where the U.S. needs to improve in terms of player development, he points to two areas: the quality of coaching at youth level, and the age when players begin specializing in soccer.
Currently, the youngest Austin FC academy side is U12 – most top European sides start at U6. Borrell is aware he’s up against some cultural hurdles. There is a desire for kids in the U.S. to start out playing several different sports and begin specializing later, but he still feels this needs to change.

Completely agree, however, the #murican mentality is away from soccer, and toward bigger American money American sports. Our top athletes, genetically gifted from birth, simply won’t choose soccer only at Age 6, or soccer after participating in several sports, mainly because their parents won’t choose it, who prefer the pausing sports over the continuous ones.
One thing that might change hearts and minds: the wallet. Don’t make it cost so damned much (“pay to play”) and soccer will attract better athletes.

I mean, when I am out refereeing on a soccer field, I will always see either a #murican football or a baseball being tossed off the field. Not kicking a soccer ball which should be a natural thing to do while watching siblings or sons/daughters playing soccer.

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Hong Kong fans not happy that Messi didn’t play in the Miami exhibition match

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This is the problem when one person is hyped/promoted (for money) for a team game.
It is at odds with the goal of the game: to win and to become the champion of the league and to win tournament trophies – which also are sometimes at odds with each other.

Would the reaction be the same if Messi went onto the pitch for the final five minutes? How many minutes would Messi have had to “play” (honestly, he could go on the pitch and not do anything so he won’t hurt himself for the coming season, but satisfy some butt-hurts) in order for “the Hong Kong government” to be satisfied?

Talk about politics and sports colliding… hey, I think we have a thread on this subject!

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Per the Athletic, MIA is in desperation mode to be roster compliant before the 2/20 deadline. Their first match is 2/21.

They are trying to dump a bunch of players+salaries for GAM to become compliant. However everyone knows their situation so are looking for fire sale bargains.

“They are screwed,” said a high-ranking sporting executive at another club. “Trust me.”

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Who told them that they were allowed to run the team like a La Liga or EPL team?

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They know that better than most, having already received a record MLS fine for roster shenanigans in the recent past

435

I assume you want us to say Beckham?

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Suarez clueless about his current status:

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They are absolutely anhilating him in the media. No way he recovers from this without eating major crow and publicly apologising.

This quote is from a HK editor. I laughed out loud when I read his latest fusilade.

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438

MLS will start the season with replacement refs.

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From what? Being the greatest player of all time?
Don’t need some state-run newspaper whining about a player not playing, because shit happens.

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Honestly not sure. They take this whirlwind worldwide tour, I guess to drum up money or interest or jersey sales so their revenue is up so they can spend more because FFP, and, “what, that revenue is irrelevant? there’s a salary cap no matter how much money we make?? But we might get relegated…WHAT???”

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Beckham’s investment in Miami was $25 million and it is now valued at $1 billion. He owns a significant % so he has been a smart investor.

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Good for him, making money.
It is what every owner of every American Sports team does while not doing a damned thing. He wins… the money.

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US to China: Thank you for being petty little babies."

LA Coliseum, eh?

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Gonna try to count how many matches Messi will miss this season to International Duty.
At NYRB 3/23. Playing in L.A. for ARG.
At PHI 6/15, as ARG play a friendly 6/14.
One home match vs CMH 6/19, as ARG play on 6/20.
Three more away matches during Copa America! (Assuming ARG advance.) At least MLS could have made those home matches so that the away crowds could see The Greatest One play. I guess MIA wanted it this way. Sorry, NSH (6/29), CHA (7/3), CIN (7/6).
September IB: MLS is taking this off! Good for them!
October IB: MLS is taking this off! Good for them!