MLS 2022

[Billy Dean]

NYCFC is the most plastic club in the entire league and it infuriates me they won an MLS Cup.

Nearly every other local or regional derby is better than that one. Portland-Seattle has the history, the LA derby has some proper hate and a genius nickname (El Trafico), and even a new matchup like Cincinnati-Columbus is intense. That one is named "Hell Is Real" after a billboard on the motorway between the two cities.

Yeah it's a shame that in a city like NY both of its clubs are plastic. Looking forward to watching more over the summer. I had the impression that Atlanta seemed like a "proper" club. Would that be a correct assumption? Their fans were generating a good atmosphere last night.

 

[mmmmsnouts]

Yeah it's a shame that in a city like NY both of its clubs are plastic. Looking forward to watching more over the summer. I had the impression that Atlanta seemed like a "proper" club. Would that be a correct assumption? Their fans were generating a good atmosphere last night.

Atlanta is a surprisingly good soccer city, but they also got the flavor of the year boost. Their owner also owns the Atlanta Falcons and he is happy to invest.

 

[Billy Dean]

Atlanta is a surprisingly good soccer city, but they also got the flavor of the year boost. Their owner also owns the Atlanta Falcons and he is happy to invest.

What is the flavour of the year boost?

 

[mmmmsnouts]

What is the flavour of the year boost?

There seems to be a different club every year that gets a big lift in their profile. Either they’re new to the league, or someone is trying to get them a lavish publicly funded ground to play in to guarantee the owner makes a profit, or both. Then a year or two down the road, after they get what they want, the club gets tossed on the pile with the other forgotten clubs so the league can hype up someone new.

 

[Deulofeumygod]

Union are smashing it. Their academy is incredible.

Was lucky to go to a game a few years ago. Stadium and fans are awesome.

Great club. Love Curtin.

 

[carolinablue232]

Union are smashing it. Their academy is incredible.

Was lucky to go to a game a few years ago. Stadium and fans are awesome.

Great club. Love Curtin.

Their story is pretty unique if you’re not familiar with it. They had a supporters group prior to actually having a club where the fans would go to other matches and cheer on their fictional team.

 

[Deulofeumygod]

Their story is pretty unique if you’re not familiar with it. They had a supporters group prior to actually having a club where the fans would go to other matches and cheer on their fictional team.

I did not know that!

 

[carolinablue232]

I did not know that!

Yeah, they did a documentary about it. Here’s a little preview. Worth watching the full one if you get a chance

 

[Deulofeumygod]

Thanks! I’ll try and hunt it down. I have friends with season tickets so maybe they can hook me up.

 

[Billy Dean]

 

[RFCbluenose]

I've been starting to watch a little bit of MLS on DAZN in the off season. Despite the lower quality I find it all quite interesting with it being a nascent league with all these new teams.

I think I'll watch Atlanta v Orlando and then the NY derby tomorrow night.

New York City have probably been the most entertaining side I've watched so far, but I really don't know anything about any of the teams really.

Any MLS fans around here?

Hi mate. I watch MLS when I get the chance. Totally agree that the quality isn't the best, but that tends to make the games more open and entertaining. My mates used to laugh at me when I would say that the crap quality makes it better to watch.

 

[Billy Dean]

Hi mate. I watch MLS when I get the chance. Totally agree that the quality isn't the best, but that tends to make the games more open and entertaining. My mates used to laugh at me when I would say that the crap quality makes it better to watch.

Who are your favourite teams to watch mate?

 

[TimHowardsBeardJuice]

Well they got the brace last night against the mighty PL.

 

[TimHowardsBeardJuice]

NYCFC is the most plastic club in the entire league and it infuriates me they won an MLS Cup.

Nearly every other local or regional derby is better than that one. Portland-Seattle has the history, the LA derby has some proper hate and a genius nickname (El Trafico), and even a new matchup like Cincinnati-Columbus is intense. That one is named "Hell Is Real" after a billboard on the motorway between the two cities.

I live in Brooklyn.

I prefer NYRB for a couple of reasons.

The stadium is great, and even though it's in New Jersey, it's closer by train than NYCFC's home at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

On that: a rectangular field overlays terribly on a baseball diamond, it makes for odd dimensions and bad sightlines. It just screams second class citizen. Playing American football and baseball in the same stadium was common through the early 80's but one by one the cities built new parks and the last remaining share went goodbye when the Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas.

More importantly: I grew up in New England* and am a Boston Red Sox fan. I'd rather sit in an abbatoir for three hours than go to Yankee Stadium or put money into the Yankees' pockets, even indirectly.

that it's a joint venture between the Yankees and City makes it even less likable. City doesn't need my money or fandom either.

Now: although US sports have many faults, blatantly naming a team after a product is not one of them and most American fans consider that a turnoff. Red Bulls own teams in leagues around the world but most US fans don't know this and it doesn't help much, I don't like it either. There is an identity problem with teams that play in New Jersey, which is common because land in NYC big enough for a stadium parcel, there just isn't much, which is why NYC still play in a baseball stadium. NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets, who used to share Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium (with the NY Mets) respectively, now both play in MetLife Stadium in NJ. The Devils hockey team, whose arena is located within eyesight of the Red Bulls' stadium in Newark/Harrison, NJ, are the New Jersey Devils. Before Red Bull bought them, the MLS side was the NY/NJ MetroStars, which is warmed over dogcrap, trying to appeal to everyone at once and therefore appealing to no one.

The legendary name is, if you remember, Cosmos, which in the predecessor NASL in the 70's sold out stadiums with names like Pele, Beckenbauer, Chignalia. The logo was class and the merchandise is still often seen around the city. Unfortunately some knob owns the rights to the name and colors and he has attached them to a team in something called the National Independent Soccer Association, which Wikipedia tells me is third-tier and which even the players' mothers have never heard of. The team is on hiatus at that, having not played since before the pandemic.

I wish someone would throw $10M at this guy, buy Red Bulls out, change the name of the MLS side to Cosmos, and have at it. They'd be a smash hit instantly. As it is, they are kind of tired, as most of the original MLS teams tend to be. Not fair to them - they did the hard work of keeping the league afloat when it had not much of an audience, and the newer sides piggybacked on them and learned from their mistakes, but it is what it is.

*"New England" must amuse youze.

 

[Billy Dean]

I live in Brooklyn.

I prefer NYRB for a couple of reasons.

The stadium is great, and even though it's in New Jersey, it's closer by train than NYCFC's home at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

On that: a rectangular field overlays terribly on a baseball diamond, it makes for odd dimensions and bad sightlines. It just screams second class citizen. Playing American football and baseball in the same stadium was common through the early 80's but one by one the cities built new parks and the last remaining share went goodbye when the Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas.

More importantly: I grew up in New England* and am a Boston Red Sox fan. I'd rather sit in an abbatoir for three hours than go to Yankee Stadium or put money into the Yankees' pockets, even indirectly.

that it's a joint venture between the Yankees and City makes it even less likable. City doesn't need my money or fandom either.

Now: although US sports have many faults, blatantly naming a team after a product is not one of them and most American fans consider that a turnoff. Red Bulls own teams in leagues around the world but most US fans don't know this and it doesn't help much, I don't like it either. There is an identity problem with teams that play in New Jersey, which is common because land in NYC big enough for a stadium parcel, there just isn't much, which is why NYC still play in a baseball stadium. NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets, who used to share Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium (with the NY Mets) respectively, now both play in MetLife Stadium in NJ. The Devils hockey team, whose arena is located within eyesight of the Red Bulls' stadium in Newark/Harrison, NJ, are the New Jersey Devils. Before Red Bull bought them, the MLS side was the NY/NJ MetroStars, which is warmed over dogcrap, trying to appeal to everyone at once and therefore appealing to no one.

The legendary name is, if you remember, Cosmos, which in the predecessor NASL in the 70's sold out stadiums with names like Pele, Beckenbauer, Chignalia. The logo was class and the merchandise is still often seen around the city. Unfortunately some knob owns the rights to the name and colors and he has attached them to a team in something called the National Independent Soccer Association, which Wikipedia tells me is third-tier and which even the players' mothers have never heard of. The team is on hiatus at that, having not played since before the pandemic.

I wish someone would throw $10M at this guy, buy Red Bulls out, change the name of the MLS side to Cosmos, and have at it. They'd be a smash hit instantly. As it is, they are kind of tired, as most of the original MLS teams tend to be. Not fair to them - they did the hard work of keeping the league afloat when it had not much of an audience, and the newer sides piggybacked on them and learned from their mistakes, but it is what it is.

*"New England" must amuse youze.

Interesting post. I think Red Bull could at least be a bit more subtle about things and not have all their clubs with the same name and the same kit with their jarg logo plastered all over it.

Agreed it would be great to have the Cosmos back. Is it right that about 10 years ago it almost came to pass? I remember there being a lot of speculation in the media about it.