Ah, Friday. MLS players supposedly voting to strike, the league talking about progress, nothing at all happening, pre-season matches continuing as usual. Gotta love it. None of us over here are expecting a work stoppage. I think it’s just some last minute hardball before some signature pages get executed. But what do I know. Fans are excited about new teams, new arenas, and the energy is palpable. So let’s just wrap up. Okay?
The pitch during the CONCACAF Champions League match last night between the Columbus Crew and Mexican club Toluca was comical. It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again. How about some pitch consistency? MLS plays on everything from wonderful grass to American football fields with lines, to last night’s cow grazing pasture (post-graze). Is groundskeeper one of the positions that have been eliminated to cut costs?
Major League Soccer (MLS) wants to be popular. Looking at the professional sports landscape in the United States, the market is arguably already saturated. Instead of just competing through measured, strategic growth, MLS may need to think outside of the box to make its mark.
In the history of MLS, steps have already been taken to think outside the box. Remember the thirty-five yard penalty shootout? Yeah, I’m trying to forget it too. But at least it showed a genuine interest in devising ways to make the game more user friendly to a new market. I’m of the opinion that the game on the field needs to be left alone. It seems the league now gets that too. But there is much to be done off the field to change how soccer is perceived by the general public. The game needs to be cooler and needs to lose its suburban feel.
So where should MLS start? Start by hanging out with some reputable celebrities who have actually already expressed an interest in the game. Enter Brooklyn’s Finest, former street pharmacist and current businessman, Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z. (more…)
Since arriving at Goodison Park, Landon Donovan has been an enormous hit with the Toffee faithful. He was recently named Everton’s February Player of the Month. His run of form has coincided nicely with Everton’s resurgence in the league and it appears that he can do no wrong. During his tour de force, the club has gone 5-1-1 in the league, with victories against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United. He’s even done Team USA a favor by jacking up Ashley Cole for the next couple of months, much to the delight of women everywhere.
All this has many in England and in the U.S. wondering if Landon will (more…)
After the dramatic “Countdown to 5pm” yesterday, here’s a list of what we know:
Not much.
However, looking at the statements released from both sides yesterday, a few things stand out. I’ve translated both statements below. First up, the Major League Soccer Players Union (MLSPU): (more…)
Most of us who follow MLS are paying attention to the labor negotiations between the league and the MLS Players Union. One thing is certain, no one wants to see a strike. We all want to see matches, and we are all aware that a strike right before the World Cup will be bad for the league, bad for the owners, bad for the fans, and bad for the players (particularly those who want to be on the plane to South Africa).
Free agency is one of the issues on the table. The players seemingly want it. But the league says in no uncertain terms that they don’t. As it stands, out of contract players can be held in limbo if they can’t agree on a new deal because their teams still hold their rights. Free agency would allow these out of contract players who are unwanted or unused by their teams to find a new home if there is a demand for their services. (more…)
FIFA recently released the final list of referees for the 2010 World Cup. The referees from North and Central America are from EL Salvador, Mexico, and Guatemala. That’s right. No referees from the the United States. Sad, but not too surprising considering Major League Soccer (MLS) referees don’t have the best reputation, even within MLS.
The U.S. Soccer Federation is understandably disappointed, but has stated that it will just keep plugging away to improve the standard of refereeing in MLS. A recent Soccerlens article details several steps that the Federation is taking to improve refereeing standards. Some of the steps are clearly a move in the right direction. But others might answer your questions about why certain players seem to be penalized more than others and may aggravate fans who already think that the fix is in. (more…)
If you love perms or Didier Drogba, you’ll love the Les Éléphants shirt …
Spain is trying to conquer the world again. This time, they might succeed.
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