All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

The central point is this:

If you want Major League Soccer to become a truly world class league -- the kind of league the Europoseurs/snobs say they prefer to watch instead of their domestic league -- sitting on your keister, badmouthing the league and pledging allegiance to teams you'll never see live will not help that cause.

Nobody's saying you have to cheer for MLS and MLS only. It's possible to be a fan of a team on the other side of the ocean and support the growth and development of MLS at the same time.

 

Crass -- no one watches NFL pre-season -- so that's not the issue.

The problem with MLS on ESPN2 is that even the most minor college football game gets better ratings. At this point in America, soccer on TV needs as little competition as possible. Running the season during football's off-season makes the most sense. Instead, just as the season is winding up and the playoffs are starting, NFL and college football are in mid-season, MLB is going through its playoffs and both NBA and NHL are starting. Needless to say, there is minimal coverage of MLS as a result.

 

If FIFA gets its wish, MLS will be going against the NFL, NHL, NBA and both ends of MLB.

You'd really have to pack the games in to go February-September. Keep in mind the league is aiming for 16 teams by 2010, not to mention also factoring in things like friendlies against touring teams, US Open Cup, CONCACAF competitions and any potential Interliga/Merconorte/Libertadores dealings with Mexican clubs.

 

Speaking of the USOC:

Fourth round results
Real Salt Lake 0-1 Colorado Rapids
Charleston Battery 3-3 FC Dallas (Dallas wins 5-3 on PKs)
Rochester Rhinos 0-0 New England Revolution (NE wins 5-4 on PKs)
Houston Dynamo 4-2 Carolina Dynamo
Wilmington Hammerheads 1-2 NY Red Bulls
DC United 2-1 Columbus Crew
LA Galaxy 2-0 Dallas Roma (DR does win a $100K prize for being the last amateur team standing)

The Chicago-Kansas City game was postponed due to a rather impressive thunderstorm. Make-up is scheduled for August 14.

Quarterfinals on August 23:
LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids
Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas
DC United vs. NY Red Bulls
Chicago Fire vs. NE Revolution OR NE Revolution vs. Kansas City Wizards

 

Um, you can? The snow in Massachusetts doesn't usually get serious UNTIL February.

 

I think that they own plows. In the rest of the world, they play their soccer during the winter (often with some time off in the colder countries). Maybe a game or two gets cancelled, but it's better than finishing your season with no press coverage.

I realize that my idea would kill the lucrative pre-season friendly tour season for the Euro teams, and there are logisitcal problems with tourneys like the World Cup. But in order to be taken more seriously by the casual fan, you need press coverage. And you ain't getting any the way that the season is constructed.

 

In the rest of the world, they don't have NFL or NBA.
Going to a fall-winter-spring schedule would kill MLS.
FIFA will never get its way on this, and that's as it should be. All the money they just sunk into the park in Chicago, and you think people are going to go and sit out there for games in -12 degree wind chills?

 

Just read that FSC sold a lot of their EPL coverage to Setanta -- which I can't get at home. For FSC viewers, no more early morning match on Saturday and a lesser choice of the 10 a.m. Saturday match. On the bright side, they get the best Sunday match to show.

 

Setanta is starting to make some waves, it seems. They have the SPL and now some of the EPL.

For you, Webster, I suggest visiting Setanta.tv to see if you want to purchase their broadband package.

 

I'm not sure if I feel like paying $12 a month to watch games at the computer. I'll really miss my early morning Saturday game -- that's been an awesome way to start the weekend for years.

 

Web, they don't get 10 inches in an hour in England. Nor, really, in Germany. Russia? maybe, but trying to be like the Russian League probably isn't something MLS should be interested in. You can't plow an entire football field when it's under a foot in the morning, and that happens at least a few times a year up here. It's just not feasible, unless MLS wants to convert to a south-only league.

 

And it's the home of GAA hurling and football!

(Yes, I pay $12 per month for Setanta on my DirecTV. How else could I TiVo tomorrow's Chelsea v. Celtic friendly? Or tonight's replay of the Cork v. Waterford SHC semifinal match at Croke Park?)