For the Record…

Posted on January 28, 2015 by CT

Legendary Soccer Commentator Sir Ian Darke

I’ve always been torn on whether or not I should use “soccer language” when discussing the Beautiful Game. Silly thought maybe, why not use the language of the game to describe the game itself? But in North America we have our own brand of sports language which conflicts with soccer sayings from across the pond. Americans call athletic shoes cleats, but Brits refer to soccer footwear as boots. I have always referred to a playing surface as a field, but in soccer (or “footy” as some say) it is the pitch. The list of little differences in sports language when comparing American English with England’s is endless:

USA Version = English Version
Cleats = Boots
Field = Pitch
Sideline = Touchline
Doctor = Physio
Coach = Manager
Team/Franchise = Club
Fans = Supporters
Speed = Pace
Mental Toughness/Bravery = Bottle
Amazing/Incredible = Brilliant

Okay, that last one was a half joke. The point of this column is that I am especially torn when it comes to the grammar I should use when discussing teams (clubs). In American sports, teams are often referred to in the singular form, for example:

“FC Dallas is a really classy club.”

But in footy language, soccer clubs are referred to in the plural.

“FC Dallas are a really classy club”

My concern is that I would hate for a friend, colleague, potential employer etc. to read this blog and think it is filled with grammatical errors. That is why I am writing this column, because from here on out I will be saying “FC Dallas are a classy club” – just as the rest of the soccer world would. And hopefully, for those who come across this blog and aren’t entirely familiar with the language of the game, they will see this post before coming to any conclusions. Despite my new found commitment to using the language of the game, I will still use the word soccer and reserve the word football for the American version.

While on the subject, I’d like to add that saying “the MLS” is becoming a real problem. It is Major. League. Soccer. Unless your are referring to the MLS Draft or the MLS Cup, it’s just MLS, no the is necessary, unless you want to say “The Major League Soccer is good. I really like the Major League Soccer “

Like I said, the list is truly endless:
game = fixture
standings = table
tie = draw
skill = quality
playing well = good run of form
appearance = cap

Soccer Therapy Goes to the ATX Pro Challenge

Posted on January 20, 2015 by CT

The greatest soccer tournament in the history of Austin, Texas is happening in February. Why is it so great? My club, FC Dallas, the classiest club in all of sports, is coming to town. This post details all of the need-to-knows for those interested in celebrating this unbelievable occasion.

WHAT: Basically the most awesome thing ever. The inaugural ATX Pro Challenge is a preseason soccer tournament consisting of four games to be played between three MLS clubs and the Austin Aztex!

WHO:
Austin Aztex – Founded in 2011 after the old Aztex bailed for Orlando. The Aztex were champions of the USL PDL (4th tier of US professional soccer) in 2013. In 2014, the club earned a promotion to American soccer’s third tier, the United Soccer League (USL). They make their USL debut this spring against the likes of Sacramento Republic FC and LA Galaxy II.

Columbus Crew SC – Founded in ’94 as one of MLS’ 10 charter clubs. The Crew are a significant franchise in the history of US Soccer as they were the first MLS club founded and built Crew Stadium, the first ever soccer specific stadium in the United States. In addition to these momentous achievements, Columbus has been equally impressive on the pitch with one MLS Cup (2008), three Supporters’ Shields (2004, 2008, 2009) and one USOC Championship (2002).

DC United – Another MLS charter club. DCU are arguably the proudest and most successful club in MLS history. They have been rotting away in RFK, but with a new stadium deal secured, the franchise is certain to become one of MLS’ shining stars once again. They are one of only two MLS clubs (LA Galaxy is the other one) with a CONCACAF Champs League title (1998), they’ve won four MLS Cups (’96, ’97, ’99, ’04), four Supporters’ Shields (’97, ’99, ’06, ’07) and three USOCs (’96, ’08, ’13). That kind of trophy case can really take your breath away.

FC Dallas – Like the Crew and DCU, FCD is a charter club and has played in all 19 MLS seasons. Unfortunately, being a classy club is about all FCD supporters can brag about. Their lone trophy came in the ’97 USOC, back when the club was branded as the “Dallas Burn.”WHEN:
Friday 2/13: Semifinals
4:45pm – Gates open
5:45pm – Crew SC vs FC Dallas
8:00pm – Aztex vs DC United

Sunday 2/15:
12:00pm – Gates open
1:00pm – 3rd Place Game
3:15pm – Championship Game

WHERE: Mike A. Myers Stadium and Soccer Field – UT Campus (just behind the east stands of DKR Memorial)

HOW MUCH:
$20 – General Admission for each match day
$40 – General admission for the weekend
$8 – 16oz Beer

***For more info, or to purchase tickets yourself, click here***

The New Logo

Posted on January 10, 2015 by CT

The more I look at it and tinker with it, the more I have come to like this first Soccer Therapy logo.

It certainly isn’t original in one sense. It seems at least 1 in every 3 MLS fans uses some altered version of this logo for their profile pic on Twitter (see more about this in my MLS Good, Bad and Ugly piece) . I went ahead and followed their lead, going the easy but stale route. However, I added a few tasteful Texas twists.

“1st Half”

I read somewhere that the three stars MLS’ new logo represent club, country and community. So I took the three teams I support, my three truly beloved clubs, and replaced the stars with each of their shields. It is convenient that I support three clubs, but my reasons for supporting each club align perfectly with each star in MLS’ logo. The Aztex are my hometown club and play just a few miles from where I grew up. FC Dallas is the be-all and end-all for me in soccer – My Club. And of course, the Stars and Stripes will always be number one.

“2nd Half”

I took the blank white slate that MLS so wisely offered to their supporters (see Good, Bad and Ugly article) and filled it with a beautiful ATX sunset and a 4th-division soccer match being played on a high school football field. But, it’s still soccer being played in Austin’s “venerable” House Park. The match took place during the Aztex PDL championship season, and, if you look hard enough, you can see the flag, drum and 20 or so folks representing Eberly’s Army (the Aztex lone supporters group as far as I know).

So there you have it, the new logo twisted into a nice little depiction of my soccer happy place. Maybe I’ll remove that stupid kick stand now that I think about it – MLS’ silly logo breakdown attempts to explain the meaning of that damn kick stand. From MLSsoccer.com (I’ve highlighted the key parts referring to the kick stand):

“SLASH: The slash refers to soccer’s speed and energy. The slash begins outside the perimeter and drives upward at a 45-degree angle to illustrate both the nonstop nature of our game and the rising trajectory of our league. It bisects the crest to create a “first half” and “second half.”

As far as I can surmise, the kick stand represents the “nonstop nature of (soccer).” Are you f***ing serious, MLS? Whatever, this is my logo now and I won’t be trying to incorporate any sillyness. Besides, we don’t need no stinking kick stands at Soccer Therapy. Up top is the cause I truly care about and really want to believe in, MLS. Below are the three clubs that make up my soccer fan hood. And below that is a picture taken on a great soccer night in ATX with great people.

I encourage any and all readers to offer feedback on the new logo, however minor, critical or insensitive.

The Good, Bad and the Ugly from MLS in 2014

Image

Major League Soccer’s 19th season has come to a close and I am taking a look at some of the biggest talking points from this World Cup year. I’ll also hand out some biased awards and share my favorite highlights from an amazing year of soccer in North America.

THE GOOD

MLS Next is Here

Earlier this year, in typical MLS fashion, the league put on a ridiculous branding show called “MLS Next” that was basically a glorified logo unveiling. I think most MLS fans were excited by the idea of a new logo, but also skeptical about the league actually getting it right. Since 1994, there have been five “different” MLS logos. Have a look:

As you can see, the league hasn’t exactly been getting creative. The newest edition, which will go into use in 2015 for the league’s 20^th season, was initially met with a negative reaction. Many thought it looked, cheap, thoughtless, lacked substance, and why is that damn kick-stand sticking out of the shield!?! Those are all fair assessments, because on the surface, it does seem overly simple to the point that it lacks identity. But since these initial reactions, the logo has started to grow on fans around the league. MLS was brilliant to observe that so many of its supporters liked to take the old logo and alter the image to do different things with it, including myself:

MLS took notice of the trend and really embraced it when designing the new logo. They gave some silly explanation about how the red half of the shield symbolizes the first 45′ and the white half symbolizes the second 45′, but I believe they wanted to engage fans with a blank space in the logo to let them play with. This is brilliant marketing, but enough about logos.

NYCFC – The Connection

Manchester City’s investment into MLS has blown open a number of really cool possibilities for the league. First of all, the New York market should be taken advantage of, and NYRB certainly aren’t doing their part right now. In terms of building a more prominent product within the American pro sports hierarchy, establishing a proud, dominant, inner city club in NYC is about the most obvious thing any league could do. MLS has yet to do this, but if the Yankees-ManC partnership can make a stadium happen, NYCFC could earn legitimate international popularity. They are certainly off to a good start with the likes of Super Frankie Lampard and David Villa set to take the pitch this coming spring. Beyond the two decorated designated players (DPs), I’d imagine NYCFC will find a way to incorporate ManC’s youth talent into their MLS roster and maybe even get around some salary cap restrictions as a result. NYCFC has a veteran MLS coach with a proven track record and an MLS Cup title to his name. They’ll pick up some MLS veteran household names, surround them with 18 year old English kids and three high profile DPs. For people who hold out hope that the U.S might one day become a soccer power (at the club and international levels), this tangible link between MLS and world soccer power Manchester City is absolutely a big deal.

Player Acquisitions

MLS took a massive step forward when Seattle signed Captain America (C. Dempsey) back in the summer of 2013. The league validated that step forward when it brought in USMNT stud midfielder Michael Bradley and Premiere League talisman Jermaine Defoe in January. Orlando City SC signed the Brazilian Kaka – sure he may be old, but this is the kind of acquisition that has alluded MLS in the past. It’s also nice to see an expansion club in Orlando contribute to the league with a marquee signing before even taking the field (Note for Austinites: this Orlando City Soccer Club, which will make its MLS debut next spring, is actually the original Austin Aztex, who controversially left town, set up shop in Orlando, and now the rest is history). The Houston Dynamo signed two players that got serious time in Brazil this summer, although one of them is Honduran and the other is quickly becoming a washed up American fullback (Beasley). I already mentioned Frank Lampard and David Villa signing with New York. The number of DPs in MLS is growing. Owners and technical directors across the league are faced with constant pressure to sign real talent just to avoid a bottom table finish (Case in point: Colorado Rapids). As a result, North American clubs are making bigger moves with each coming transfer window, and it is becoming less of a stigma for star players to sign with an MLS club.

Keeping Players Too!

USMNT regulars Graham Zusi and Matt Besler signed with SKC rather than a European club when the option was theirs. The league is doing everything in its power to hang on to Cubo Torres, the Mexican striker who followed up a breakout year in MLS with a national team call up and a goal for El Tri. FC Dallas will be desperate to hang on to their young super talent, Colombian winger Fabian Castillo, after Mexican powerhouse Club America showed interest in the 22 year old earlier this year. Here is a pair of highly recommended highlights from each of the young attackers – one from Cubo Torres and one from Fabian Castillo.

The Homegrown Initiative

In my MLS All-Star* 2014 piece, I mentioned the inaugural Chipotle Homegrown Game and the league’s effort to showcase the talent produced by its club’s youth academies. MLS clubs will eventually be required to start their own lower-division team or affiliate with one. Austin’s Aztex just affiliated with the Columbus Crew while FC Dallas just partnered with Arizona United SC for the 2015 season. LA Galaxy became the first MLS club to field their very own lower-division club, the Galaxy II, who just completed their inaugural season in USL PRO (3rd tier of US Soccer pyramid). They will be joined by RSL, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto as each of these clubs will be fielding a USL PRO squad in 2015.

Perhaps the truest sign that player development in the U.S. is improving is the sale of DeAndre Yedlin to Tottenham earlier this year. He is a great young talent and the league will miss his marketability, but the fact that an MLS homegrown was granted a work permit in England so quickly after Totttenham showed interest suggests that maybe even the English are starting to take MLS seriously. 2014 was genuinely a landmark year for homegrowns in MLS. FC Dallas saw the rise of Moises Hernandez at left back and Victor Ulloa at d-mid, two very young players who look to be MLS regulars for the next decade (Hernandez could eventually garner European interest – he looks that good). Seattle Sounders homegrown Jordan Morris (currently playing college soccer at Stanford) received a call up to the national team earlier this year. Gyasi Zardes bagged a goal in MLS Cup and is garnering national team interest himself after a 16-goal season up top for the Galaxy.

We are seeing MLS’ player development efforts pay off before our own eyes. At the same time, the league and the U.S. Soccer Federation continue to ramp up these efforts and establish a more thorough and intense player development system resembling that of a European country. If the league and its clubs continue to take player development seriously, it could lead to great things for both MLS and the USMNT.

Stadium Movement

As fans of MLS know, soccer specific stadiums have played a massive role in the league’s growth by offering passionate supporters a place to call their own. Beautiful stadiums that sell out at 20,000 tickets rather than 50,000+ make it much easier for clubs to create a fun and exciting atmosphere for fans and players alike – make no mistake, that “Player Acquisitions” section above would not exist if teams were playing in half empty NFL stadiums. The point is that soccer specific stadiums are critical to the success of MLS and the league is making real progress in finding suitable venues for each of its franchises. The New England Revolution remain a concern as they play in Gillette stadium, a massive NFL venue with an artificial surface. But one of MLS’ proudest franchises, DC United, seems to have secured a new stadium deal so they can finally escape the laughable RFK. The Earthquakes will play their first game in their new San Jose stadium this spring. Orlando City has broken ground on the site where they will build their new soccer specific stadium. Here is a great view of one of SKC’s many supporter’s sections – this scene is becoming commonplace across the league:

The Bad and the Ugly
I spent so much time talking about the good things going on in Major League Soccer that this column couldn’t possibly squeeze much more into it. I’ll just list some of the “bads” and “uglys” with a quick thought to keep it brief. After all, Soccer Therapy is a place for happy thoughts. Then, it’s onto awards and highlights!

THE BAD

Scheduling – Unlike most domestic leagues, MLS’ schedule does not accommodate to the FIFA international calendar. Like Scandinavian leagues, MLS doesn’t want to play soccer in the ice and snow, and nature forces the North American soccer season to run from spring to fall. That is fine, but I would like to see the league make some effort to give its clubs a break during FIFA international dates. Currently, MLS does not recognize these dates and it is incentivising clubs to target players who don’t factor into their respective national team pictures.

Secrecy – I have not read them in detail, but those who have assure me that the league rules make no sense, and if they did it would not matter. Many felt the league basically just made up the rules as it went along so that it could bring in stars Dempsey and Bradley. If this is the case, we are better off with these guys than without them, but it severely damages the young league’s credibility when it contradicts itself with one player acquisition after another.

Salary Cap – The “secrecy” concern is legitimate, but also understood because MLS is operating in an environment where it is destined to fail. A domestic soccer league has never thrived north of the border, and if it means ridiculous levels of control by the front office to keep the league afloat, I suppose that is better than the league collapsing like its predecessors. I think the league is trying to keep the cap figure low as its core of investors turn soccer franchises from debts into revenue generating businesses. Not all owner pocket books are created equal, and a salary cap represents the best way to maintain parity and excitement. But MLS has stated that it would like to be considered a top league in the world at some point. It would also be nice if MLS clubs could compete with LigaMX clubs: In the last six editions of the CONCACAF Champs League, only four MLS clubs have reached the semis, only one has reached the final, and none have managed to win the cup. MLS is walking a fine line between being a growing league and one with real aspirations. But until teams are given the salary cap freedom to sign DPs and still fill out a deep, solid, veteran roster, the league will not be able to compete with Mexican clubs.

THE UGLY

TV Ratings – As an avid MLS supporter I have a hard time finding anything “ugly” about the league, but the TV ratings have been objectively hideous. The biggest problem is that I do not see where the league can showcase its product without going up against a much more popular American sport. Summer time seems like a good window as many American sports are on break as well as popular European domestic leagues. The ideal time to show MLS games would be at the conclusion of the season when playoff spots are on the line and then the playoff games as well. In 2014, the MLS Cup playoffs began on 10/29 and ended on 12/7. There is this little thing called the NFL that happens to be going on four nights a week during this stretch. I truly have no idea how MLS is going to get TV viewers going forward. Maybe, just maybe, this is real cause for the league to consider getting on the FIFA calender so they can showcase their product without competing against the NFL. But again, the weather in North America simply does not allow for that.

Awards:

Commentary Highlight of the Year: watch (and listen) as commentator Paul Mariner encourages his beloved New England side to keep a clean sheet in the opening minutes of a match only to see the boys give up a goal within seconds of saying it: “Well there I am, Brad, talking about keeping it clean…” – this is priceless.

Rookie of the Year:
Harrison Shipp, Attacking Mid, Chicago Fire

The young homegrown (more homegrown love!) played his first MLS season after a standout career at Notre Dame and absolutely tore it up. After 7 goals and 6 assists, he finished 2nd in the real rookie of the year voting to FC Dallas’ Tesho Akindele. Tesho had a great season and was deserving of the attention, but his winning the award was a result of a great social media campaign by FC Dallas. Shipp is the rare American footballer with European skills and vision. While he is great over the dead ball and a lethal finisher in front of goal, his ability to find and make the pass is what truly separates him. This 15-second highlight is a little fuzzy, but you should get the idea. The voters had their reasons though: this is the best highlight from Tesho’s 7-goal rookie campaign.

Coach of the Year
Oscar Pareja, FC Dallas

Oscar took over a team that had the 5th overall pick at each of the last three MLS Superdrafts. He led the club through an absolutely brutal western conference and got FC Dallas their first playoff win since 2010. He took the squad to the USOC semifinals as well. FC Dallas was never beaten when they were ousted – losing on PKs in the USOC semis and an away-goals-tiebreaker in the playoffs. How did Pareja do it? He wasn’t afraid to put the young kids out there. He gave everyone on the roster a chance and really brought along the young talent that former manager Hyndman refused to give playing time. The team also set a franchise record for goals scored in a season, playing some exciting soccer at times. I may be a homer, but this seems like a no-brainer of a decision.

Team Bust: Toronto FC

Portland was at least expected to make the playoffs after finishing top of the table in the west last year. Houston is always expected to make a run at MLS Cup rather than take a dump in August and September. Philly had a much better squad than their place in the table would suggest. But the winner of this award has to go to Toronto FC. After all the talk this off-season about ending the playoff drought thanks to their big player signings, they came out of the gates hot, only to stumble to the finish. They dropped 14 out of 15 points in their last five matches, missing the playoffs by eight points. The signing of Bradley in a World Cup year hurt them badly, and their other big signing, Jermain Defoe, was bugged by injuries throughout the season. Still, more was expected of this squad and the loyal fans in Toronto deserve much better.

Surprise Team: DC United

FC Dallas might even get a look here as many expected us to struggle in a stacked western conference. But no one could have expected the turn around made by DC United this year after a historically bad 2013. They finished top of the table in the east only to tumble out of the playoffs in the conference semis. It must be nice to be a DC United fan: the proud franchise still managed to shock the world during their miserable 2013 campaign by winning the US Open Cup at Rio Tinto over RSL. Even in the bad years they bring in silverware. Then, they seem to put those bad years behind them overnight.

MVP
Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy

Some say Obafemi Martins of Seattle was the MVP while others say the Revolution’s Lee Nguyen was more deserving. I actually saw Keane and Nguyen live, but did not see Obafemi. I am not going to go into any analysis here, but Robbie Keane has been far and away the most valuable player in MLS ever since he joined the league in 2011 – as evidenced by his club’s winning three of the last four MLS Cups.

Goal of the Year

These things are biased – do you like the upper90 screamer from 30 yards out? Maybe you prefer a beautiful team build up or some spectacular individual technical ability. I settled on this goal as the best of the season because it is simply absurd. Some of the coolest goals you will see are met with a debate: did he really mean to do that? In this case, we can all be certain that the chip is exactly what Obafemi was going for. And if you are all about the build up play, check out that chip through ball that led to the goal.

Breakout Player
DeAndre Yedlin, Seattle Sounders FC

Tweet of the Year – this is pure gold

And there you have it – MLS 2014. Hope you enjoyed it and I will try to post a little more frequently.

US Open Cup Semifinal Thoughts

Posted on August 11, 2014 by CT

Philadelphia Union @ FC Dallas – 8/12/2014, 8pm CST

Tomorrow night FC Dallas will play their most important match since losing 2-1 to Colorado Rapids in the 2010 MLS Cup Final. Dallas gets a beatable opponent in the Philadelphia Union, a team they beat 2-1 in Frisco on July 4^th. The stakes are high: on the line for Dallas is an opportunity to a host a Cup Final on their home pitch. During the MLS All Star festivities, US Soccer conducted a coin flip that awarded the right to host the US Open Cup Final to the winner of the FCD v Philly semifinal. Home field is great, but potentially avoiding a final in Seattle, on turf, and in front of 40,000 fans is a huge break.

FC Dallas comes into this game on a fantastic run of form, going unbeaten in their last 11 matches across all competitions. Since a 2-1 loss to San Jose on May 31^st, Dallas has 5 wins and 3 draws in MLS play, taking 18 of 24 possible points and moving up to 3^rd in the Western conference. After outclassing Colorado on Saturday night for a 3-1 win, FCD is tied with Portland for most goals in MLS play, having scored 38 times in 23 matches (Philly is not far behind though, leading the East with 36 goals in 23 matches).

Dallas’ season can be broken into three different stretches:

Stretch #1, games 1-5: 4 wins, 1 draw. They began the season on fire, leading the league in scoring and taking a nice lead in the standings after the 5 game unbeaten run. The 5^th match of this stretch saw FC Dallas absolutely destroy their in-state rivals, Houston Dynamo, 4-1 in Houston.

Stretch #2, games 6-15: 1 win, 7 losses, 2 draws. Dallas goes 10 games with only 1 win (which came at home against a Jermaine Defoe-less Toronto FC). The other 9 games in this stretch saw FC Dallas drop 25 of a possible 27 points, losing 7 matches and drawing 2. Just like 2012 and 2013, FC Dallas’ season was off the rails with a disastrous late spring/early summer winless slide. The team was ravaged by injuries, missing their best defender in George John (out for 2014), their best D-mid in Hendry Thomas (also out for the year now), and their critical #10 Mauro Diaz (fully returned from injury now). The team also dealt with injuries at FB and racked up a ridiculous number of red cards. Through 15 MLS games, FC Dallas had managed just 1 clean sheet (against RSL at Rio Tinto, oddly enough). Unfortunate scheduling in the month of May was also a reason for FCD’s poor play in stretch #2. In mid May, FC Dallas played five matches in 18 days, including two brutal double-game weeks. All five of these matches were against Western conference opposition and four of the five were on the road. The club took 1 of a possible 15 points in those 18 days. It was painful to watch, but it is history now, and the injuries gave manager Oscar Pareja a chance to develop young players who now make FCD a deeper squad (namely, homegrown D-mid Victor Ulloa, homegrown left-back Moises Hernandez and rookie Canadian striker Tesho Akindele).

Stretch #3, games 16-23: 5 wins, 3 draws. The summer has been good to FCD. MLS powerhouses like Real Salt Lake, LA Galaxy, Seattle, Sporting KC, NY Red Bulls and Houston were without some their best players for about two months due to the World Cup – The USMNT camp began on May 14^th and most players didn’t get back into their respective MLS squads until mid July. Last week’s All-Star festivities brought unwanted midseason travel demands on a lot of those same star players (see ASG preview below). But not a single FCD player was voted onto the All-Star roster or selected for a final World Cup roster (or preliminary roster for that matter). It’s not very exciting/sexy for the fans or very useful for FCD’s marketing team, but it gave the injured players time to recover and the healthy ones a chance to get their legs back. FC Dallas played Portland to a 2-2 draw at Providence Park on June 11^th, World Cup Eve, and Major League Soccer began a break that lasted through the group stages in Brazil. The draw versus Portland was the second game in FCD’s current 8 game unbeaten run. Since the break, FC Dallas is not only getting results, but playing really good soccer. Manager Oscar Pareja has been flexible, using a 4-2-3-1 formation during stretch #1 that featured the dynamic Argentine playmaker, Mauro Diaz. FC Dallas was averaging 2.4 goals per game before Diaz was injured vs. DC United in the club’s 8^th match of the season. However, stretch #3 has seen Pareja go to a 4-4-2 as FC Dallas does not have an ideal replacement #10 for Mauro Diaz at this point – interesting side note: FCD management made a move during this transfer window to get Sacha Kljestan, but came up short. The new 4-4-2 has been a great formation for a team that struggled to keep clean sheets early on, and with the emergence of large, strong (and pretty good) rookie striker Tesho Akindele, FC Dallas now has the additional forward required to produce in the 4-4-2. However, now Mauro Diaz is healthy again and Pareja has tough decisions to make. Mauro is too good to no start in this league, but it will be hard to abandon the 4-4-2 that saved Dallas’ season.

That is sort of an update on what FCD has been through this year and where they stand heading into this cup semifinal. I didn’t even get to the wingers, but both are stupid fast and have played for Colombian youth national teams. If you do tune into an FCD match, watch out for #11 and #91, very entertaining. Check out these two quick highlights of Fabian Castillo in a recent match (#11) if you like:

1) True separation speed, some filth, and a nice cross

2) Speed kills, still working on that last touch

On Saturday night, just 72 hours before the semifinal kicks off, FC Dallas took a 3-0 against Colorado and was able to sub out some players and keep some fresh legs heading into Tuesday. Philadelphia also played on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the 63’, eventually beating Montreal 2-1 in a game where they were able to make key subs for the upcoming semifinal. Dallas and Philly both played at home last weekend, but I love the fact that we will not have to travel, while the Union will face a trip down to Texas and a bout with the summer heat, not to mention a hot FCD squad. If we play our game and don’t make a massive mistake (red card, PK etc…), then I believe we are the favorites.

I don’t exactly follow other teams, but I keep an eye on the league and here is my take on the Union in 2014:

Philly has had a bit of an up and down year in MLS play; a lot of writers feel they have underachieved to this point, having collected 27 points in 23 matches, good for the 5^thplace in the relatively weak Eastern conference. Due to their inability to close out a few games, perform up to their potential with healthy XIs, and their poor standing in the table, the Union fired manager John Hackworth in early June. They replaced him internally with Jim Curtain and the team is getting better results. Philly was active in the transfer window, bringing back a former player, CB Carlos Valdes, that most seem to think is a massive upgrade for a team who has leaked some silly goals at inopportune times in 2014. Amobi Okugo and Maurice Edu, two guys I think of D-mids, have been playing a lot of CB for Philly recently, so it is possible this transfer for a CB actually upgrades Philly’s defense and their midfield. Philly also brought in a good GK, picking up the fella who started in goal for the impressive Algerian squad at this year’s World Cup – have no idea how to spell or pronounce his name, but he’s good. Lastly, Philly brought in a guy who was leading the Jamaican league in scoring. Check out this awesome highlight video if you feel like it:

Some highlights were better than others, but I think Brian Brown could be pretty productive here in MLS. For what it’s worth, in his debut MLS appearance, after being subbed on in the 69^th minute, he scored an equalizer at SKC in the 71^st minute. I believe it was his first or second touch in Major League Soccer. The new CB should definitely play on Tuesday, the GK is a strong possibility and the striker may come off the bench if I had to guess. Like Dallas Philly has been in a pretty good run of form, I saw this on Twitter earlier:

Both the Union and FC Dallas are in extremely competitive playoff races. However, I believe this semifinal is a higher priority for FC Dallas, which had lower MLS expectations prior to the season (new coach + the West is stacked). Philly has a quicker turnaround, playing on Friday night while FCD does not play until Saturday.

Should be a fun match tomorrow night. There is a lot on the line. I’ll take FC Dallas 2-0 in the end. In the other match Seattle hosts Chicago Fire. I give Chicago about a 10% chance.

Speaking of watching, here are a few general thoughts on the coverage of the USOC:

The tournament is still mostly unknown or overlooked (see “Soccer Therapy: USOC Style” below) but it is a little more accessible to viewers across the nation every year. This year, US Soccer has been live streaming the USOC “match of the round” on their website. Naturally, Seattle v Chicago on Wednesday is that game for the semifinal round – the FC Dallas game can be found on either FC Dallas’ team site or Philadelphia’s. The cup final will be broadcast on live cable television! It will be on GolTV, a small Florida based station that shows cool soccer stuff (including “Oh My Goal” and Live Bundesliga matches). GolTV isn’t exactly ESPN, but I did not think the US Open Cup would be getting live matches on cable TV in 2014, so this is a step in the right direction.

MLS All-Star* Game: August 6th, 2014 – Portland, Oregon

Posted on August 6, 2014 by CT

MLS Popular Names vs. Bayern Munich

Notice the asterisk by All Star in the title and the match-up: Popular names v. Bayern. Unfortunately, like the last few editions of this game that I’ve watched, MLS will not be represented by its most deserving performers. Instead we see a player like Landon Donovan selected as an All Star, despite struggling to find consistent form throughout the season – I will say his form improved in a big way when JK left him off the 23-man WC squad. MLS isn’t exactly overflowing with world class players, but most of us who follow the league believe there are more deserving selections than Landon Donovan for this spot, given that he was voted onto the team as a forward. MLS’s all time leading goal scorer is certainly an All Star caliber player in this league and still manages to produce like crazy: he has 4 goals and 7 assists in 17 appearances with the Galaxy so far in 2014. But I think many fans are disappointing to see LD in particular get the nod when Dom Dwyer, the young Englishmen, has been ripping it up with 14 goals in 22 appearances for Sporting KC this season. Omar Gonzalez, the USMNT World Cup vet, is an All Star despite appearing in only eight games for the Galaxy in 2014. I can excuse selections like these due to this being a World Cup year. The league succeeded in its massive push to acquire as many WC2014 participants as possible prior to the start of the tournament. Now MLS is trying to promote their World Cup veterans to boost the league’s profile and the ASG represents one of their best chances to do this. I counted 9 players from 2014 World Cup rosters on the original MLS ASG roster, and that doesn’t even include the likes of Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe and a fella Nigeria really could have used in Brazil, Obafemi Martins (if you haven’t seen it already, check out this goal, GK’s reaction is awesome):

The All Stars MLS will be showcasing tonight in Portland are an exciting group in terms of names. Many of these big names are deserving of that selection too, and even for those less deserving, I understand why World Cup veterans in MLS get a free pass to the ASG as the league tries to build its brand. But with a large roster, I would like to see a few more spots dedicated to the players who are most deserving of the honor. Breakout performances from unknowns should be rewarded with these kinds of accolades, which mean so much more to a young American trying to make it in MLS than the set-to-retire legend Thierry Henry (19 games, 5 goals and 10 assist for Red Bulls in 2014). In conclusion, I am totally okay with MLS constructing an All Star roster of mostly big names, I understand the reasoning behind it. But going forward, this event could be used as a way to promote some of the young talent around the league and contribute to the building of America’s youth system.

Speaking of young talent, MLS introduced a new concept to the All Star festivities for this year: The Chipotle MLS Home-grown game – great sponsor. With the All Star festivities starting over the weekend and wrapping up tonight with the match v. Bayern, the homegrown match actually happened on Monday night in front of a pretty solid crowd from what I hear. The game was streamed online, I certainly did not watch, but heard good things about it on Twitter. The matchup featured Portland’s U23 side vs. a selection of the best homegrown players from MLS academies across the league. I was skeptical about the concept at first, but the league promoted the game really well and I think going forward, this will be a much bigger deal. For all those out there wanting to see the USMNT program grow from the ground up, a homegrown game is a great idea. It encourages MLS clubs to strengthen their academies so that they can get those homegrowns on the pitch for MLS action and then get them into this “U23 ASG” of sorts. Not shockingly, the little lads played out to a 0-0 draw.

One of the reasons for my optimism about this homegrown game going forward is that MLS has done a brilliant job turning their All Star game into a huge event and city wide party. I remember watching MLS beat Chelsea 3-2 in Philly’s gorgeous riverfront stadium in 2012.

I enjoyed the match and thought it was good for the league to get some exposure on the World Wide Leader. Americans have shown for years how much they enjoy watching big European clubs in the summer months. Playing these high profile opponents is good for the league, but more importantly, MLS found a way to make soccer cool and fun with their All Star Game “festivities” model (that is what I am calling it). Last year in Kansas City was a completely different animal. Media members and club supporters from around the country flooded the City of Fountains for a series of events that turned KC into Soccer City USA for a few days – this occurred in 2013, but try to recall those viewing parties ESPN kept showing in the Power and Lights district of KC during their World Cup coverage, Kansas City loves them some soccer. Participants flew in over the weekend and many attended a Gold Cup final viewing party on Sunday night. There was a concert with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis on Monday, and finally the All Stars got their pants pulled down by Totti and AS Roma on Wednesday night. Despite the beat-down, the concept of All Star Festivities, rather than just a game, was a huge success. Like Philly in 2012 and SKC in 2013, Portland Timbers were awarded the right to host the 2014 All Star Game because of their sellout crowds and incredible fan base.

MLS is using the ASG as a way to incentivize its clubs to create world class, European soccer atmospheres inside their stadiums. This year, it seems like even more soccer people around the country are joining in the All Star festivities. The schedule is similar to last year: the Flaming Lips put on an outdoor concert but the addition of the homegrown game on Monday was great touch. MLS is not only incentivizing clubs to create great atmospheres with their All Star Game location. By selecting markets like KC and Portland, which have unbelievably passionate but still classy supporters, MLS ensures their All Star event will be fun and buzzing with excitement emanating from that local fan-base. I honestly think Bayern Munich has been impressed with Portland and MLS from a business, marketing and supporters standpoint. This is a unique game for MLS simply because they were able to draw the Bavarian Giants. Something about the super snazzy Germans coming to the relatively small Portland media market is bizarre to me, in a good way though. Bayern Munich playing in the MLS ASG seems to be raising more eye brows in my little soccer world than when a big time Premiere League team does so. Maybe that is because BPL teams have been making stateside tours for years now and Bayern feels a little fresher. Maybe it is because Bayern is perceived to be (and probably is) stronger than all the English sides. Major League Soccer’s top priorities are building the brand, establishing credibility and increasing viewership. The league has literally selected the best ASG opponent on the planet for achieving those goals.

Now to the game: No analysis needed. It is Bayern Munich. The only question is can Julian Green get a goal? And, are the MLS players able to stay healthy? At least FCD didn’t send anyone! I’ll go 5-1 Bayern, with a Julian Green goal, for the girls (see below).

Excerpt from some SI article:

“While the German players who played in the World Cup won’t play more than 15 minutes, Green should get more playing time on Wednesday, according to Guardiola. “He’s going to play a little bit more — for the fans, for the girls,” Guardiola said, clapping a hand on Green’s neck and smiling. “Yeah? Do you want to play?”

Green responded “yes” with a shy smile.”

Link

In honor of Wayne Rooney’s superb strike against West Ham over the weekend, MLSsoccer.com has compiled five of the best long bombs in MLS history. Check out this short read and five pixeled but awesome video clips. FC Dallas makes the cut as our fans had the pleasure of watching Jair put one past an absolutely FURIOUS David Ousted (pictured below).

Social Media a Catalyst for MLS Expansion Efforts

Posted on March 24, 2014 by CT

When MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the league’s plans to expand to 24 teams by 2020, supporters groups and soccer cities around the country began their respective campaigns to bring MLS to their home. Since its inception in 1996 the league has steadily grown from 8 to 19 franchises. Historically, MLS can attribute this growth to the incredibly passionate fans and “supporter’s group culture” in markets like Salt Lake City, Portland and Toronto. MLS fans (average attendance of 18,600 fans per game in 2013) have surpassed NBA fans (17,300) and shockingly, America’s top soccer league now outdraws its top basketball league.

what IS in Orlando

As cities across the country make their expansion bids, supporter’s groups are turning to social media as a unifying force to gain followers (literally and online) and strengthen their cities chance at being awarded one of the 24 franchises. Orlando City SC was awarded MLS’ 21st franchise last November after a strong online effort and social media driven expansion campaign. OCSC launched an online petition that reached its goal of 15,000 signatures in less than two weeks thanks to Twitter and their #Mission15K hashtag. They also created a website home for their expansion campaign “OrlandoBelievesInMLS.com.” Orlando City SC’s efforts yielded their city and fans MLS’ 21st franchise. Around the country, places like St. Louis, Atlanta and Minneapolis are selling MLS on the viability of pro soccer in their city. The San Antonio Scorpions are following Orlando’s lead and unifying their support for a new franchise online. They also started an online petition and are using the hashtag #MLSready along with a newly created Twitter handle, @MLSinSA.

What COULD be in San Antonio

Major League Soccer lists critical prerequisites for any aspiring MLS club. These pre-requisites include deep-pocketed owners, a soccer specific stadium and legitimate fan interest. The first two prerequisites are very easy to prove, either you have them or you don’t. Social media is making it much easier for clubs to prove they have the third prerequisite, legitimate fan interest.

Soccer Therapy

Because I have no one else to tell

Tag Archives: MLS