Preseason MLS Supporters’ Power Rankings
Posted on March 27, 2008 - Filed Under MLS | Leave a Comment
So, every soccer pundit has their own 2008 MLS Power Rankings debuting this week in honor of this weekend’s season kickoff. But what about a rankings for the team’s supporters?
Sure, its almost certainly a way to inspire supporters of the lower ranked teams to spew hatred my way, but I am used to such things. Did I mention I’m married?
Here is how I came up with the rankings.
First of all, the most important statistic has got to be attendance. If the fans don’t show up, the team suffers both on the pitch (emotionally) and off it (financially).
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Missing the Mutiny
Posted on March 27, 2008 - Filed Under MLS | 3 Comments
The impending start of the 2008 season on Saturday has me nostalgic for a time in the not too distant past when I actually had an MLS squad to support.
That’s right, I wasn’t always so bitter about every team in the league, there was actually a time when I once (gasp!) displayed unadulterated bias towards a single squad.
The squad? The beloved Tampa Bay Mutiny…
Sometimes its hard to believe we even had a team, but back in 1996, professional soccer came (though not to stay) to Tampa Bay.
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U.S. Impressive in 3-0 win over Poland
Posted on March 27, 2008 - Filed Under News | Leave a Comment
The U.S. National Team beat Poland 3-0 in Krakow, which showed that the Americans can beat a good team on European soil. Europe has been an Achilles Heel in recent years, as since 1998, their last 3-0 victory over Austria, they are 4-14-3. It is interesting that of the 4 games the Americans have won they have beat Poland 3 times. This was only a friendly game, but one that the Americans can be proud of, as it was not a meaningless game as Poland, as well as all the other European teams, played their best lineups in order to get ready for the 2008 European Championships that will be held in June.
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Is There Even a Debate on the Best Soccer League in the World?
Posted on March 26, 2008 - Filed Under Europe, Premier League | 3 Comments
For many years the debate has been, which is the best soccer league in the world: the Italian A League or the English Premier League. Taking a look at the last two years of the Champions League Tournament it is pretty obvious that the choice has to be the Premier League. There are some that think the Bundesliga from Germany should be in the debate as well but they only have one team in the Champions League final 8, in Schalke 04, and their powerhouse team, FC Bayern München, did not even qualify for the group phase of the Champions League, as they are currently in the UEFA Cup Tournament.
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MLS Media Blitz Should Result in PR Sacking
Posted on March 26, 2008 - Filed Under MLS | 4 Comments
Explain this to me MLS front-office PR-type people…
You have a 20 week offseason, but you wait until the last week before the season starts to send four guys (Olsen, Twellman, Conrad, Davino) to NYC for one day to take MLS’s “message to the masses“? The PR masterminds behind the “Gigli” campaign did a better job of promoting their product.
This raises another interesting question, how many people does MLS’s PR department consider a “mass”? Anything more than a baker’s dozen would probably be one too many (so, basically a dozen).
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U.S. Loses in Final of CONCAF Tourney But Still Qualifies for Olympics
Posted on March 26, 2008 - Filed Under News | 1 Comment
Even though the US lost to Honduras in the final of the CONCAF Olympic qualifying tournament, held in Nashville, the Americans still earned a berth in into this summer’s Olympic soccer tournament to be held in Beijing. Both teams had already earned Olympic berths after the semifinals of the tournament. Honduras was happy with the victory as they avenged their last loss to the U.S., which gave them the Group A title. The only goal of the game came late, as Georgie Wilson Welcome fired a shot from 23 yards out in the upper right hand corner of the neat beating U.S. goalie Dominic Cervi in the 103rd minute.
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Hartman Nearing Saves Record
Posted on March 25, 2008 - Filed Under Kansas City Wizards, MLS | 1 Comment
Another MLS story not getting enough press: Kevin Hartman’s assault on the All-Time Saves Record…
Hartman, 33, spent his entire career with the Galaxy until moving to the Wiz last year. In a legendary career spanning over 250 games, he has won two MLS cups and the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award (1999). Despite being infrequently selected for national team duty, Hartman has had a career most American keepers would envy.
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U.S. MNT Set to Face Poland
Posted on March 25, 2008 - Filed Under Europe, News | 1 Comment
Tomorrow at 3:30 EST the U.S. MNT will take on Poland in a friendly in Krakow. Bob Bradley recently released the U.S. roster for the affair:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Marcus Hahnemann (Reading FC), Tim Howard (Everton FC)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Cory Gibbs (Charlton Athletic), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Lewis (Derby County)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich)
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My MLS Season Predictions
Posted on March 24, 2008 - Filed Under MLS | 1 Comment
Randall did a great job looking into his crystal ball and putting together his 2008 MLS Season Preview: Prediction Edition. Rather than trying to duplicate the great work that Randall did, here are some of my general thoughts heading into this MLS season.
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned yet is what impact the European transfer window opening in August will have on the MLS race. We know that Brad Guzan of Chivas USA will probably be sold in this window, but what happens to say NYRB chances if Jozy Altidore is sold to a big European club in late August? Any chanches of NY putting together a run for the cup will probably go out the window if Jozy leaves.
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MLS All-Time Top Scorer Title Up For Grabs
Posted on March 24, 2008 - Filed Under MLS | 2 Comments
There are merely a few days left now until the season kicks off. So for the last few days, I will cover some storylines to follow this season that I think have flown a bit under the radar. But then again, since we are talking about MLS, pretty much everything except for David Beckham’s private plane flies under the radar…
For today we will discuss: Who will end the season as the MLS All-Time Leading Scorer?
The Career Goals Scored Title is (or at least should be) to MLS fans what the Career Homerun Title is to MLB fans and the Career TDs title is to NFL fans (i.e., a big deal). Yet, the battle for #1 overall seems to get very little ink.
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