The MLS 2017 Season Thread

Let's be honest it's still a retirement league

 

Hardly so when you have players joining the league in their prime, such as Bradley and Diskerud. The league has taken big steps, as others have pointed out, and it will soon be one of the top 5-10 leagues in world football.



Meanwhile, Mon the Rapids! :icon_mrgreen:

 

The only older players are ones that are getting solid contract offers to stay in Europe. And there aren't very many either. I have no idea why Europeans are so delusional about football outside of their continent and MLS in particular - it actually gets a fair amount of respect in South America and even Mexico (those are two different places, for the geographically challenged among you). Just a few months ago the manager of either the Colombian or Uruguayan U-20 side said that MLS is a great place for young South Americans to go to as a place to develop.

 

One thing I hope doesn't happen (although it probably will) is MLS adopting the European model when it comes to wages and transfer fees.

MLS appealed to me initially because of its refreshing model and the competitiveness of the league, as well as the draft system to ensure a steady stream of young players coming through the ranks of each club.

 

While the draft still is somewhat relevant it is not as significant a factor anymore as most of the young players in college are already tied to an MLS club through the new home grown rules which basically means if they have been in an MLS clubs system a few years they cannot be drafted by anyother club unless the homeground club doesn't want to sign them out of college.

 

Its still relevant though, and the cap on salaries and DP's ensures that MLS doesn't really have the issue of a small group of sides winning consistently like we have in Europe.

Their system is bang on in my opinion, and makes for an exciting product.

 

Watching MLS improve has been offset by seeing the national team descend into free-fall mode after the World Cup (and during the World Cup, if you look at the statistics). Europeans outside of Germany think that Klinsmann has been good for the US, but he really hasn't. I just saw one of the most embarrassing and disjointed performances against Denmark last night. Everything that the US side used to be (fight, fitness, never giving up) is now gone. Our strengths are now our weaknesses. Blah.

 

How did Bradley and Altidore do?

 

Altidore, actually, was phenomenal. Had our goal and assist for the two goals. Bradley was mediocre, but it was a 3-man midfield from Denmark against a 2-man midfield of the US. He had a great pass from deep midfield to set up Altidore's assist to Johannsson as well. He still wasn't very good for most of the match though. Here's Altidore's goal:

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5wRCV0jxlc[/YOUTUBE]

 

Is anyone else seeing the video? Or is just me?

 

Yeah...might want to repost the link, Diegan.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5wRCV0jxlc

Apparently I'm failing at embedding it so there's the link.

 

Great finish! I caught a little of the game yesterday and it looked like the US was going to win. It was 2-1 towards the closing stages...crazy to see how it finished.

 

The US has been giving up late goals at a very alarming rate over the last year and that was much in evidence once again yesterday.

 

Minnesota United FC to join the league in 2018.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/03/25/major-league-soccer-awards-expansion-team-minnesota

 

That Altidore finish was class.

 

First Cascadia Cup match of the season tonight. Timbers in Vancouver.

 

Hot *.

 

In fairness, these are the two worst teams in the league playing at what can now be considered to be one of the worst-kept fields in a stadium with the worst fans - and they're missing a few players to international duty. But it's a * horrible match. TFC-Real Salt Lake will be a much higher quality affair.

I have no idea why MLS scheduled a match like this to be shown in Europe though.