North American Soccer 2008

[CarlosDanger]

Yeah...

Our problem is coaching. We have no system and the players are running the team. Dale Mitchell has no clue.

We really should have put Honduras away in Montreal (despite the fact that it felt like a ******* road game for us) The CSA and the Limp Act are to blame for that one.

 

[Bobby]

The CSA and USSF are both crappy, crappy organizations. The US manages success through sheer numbers, if you throw enough in something good is going to squeeze out.

Canada doesn't really have that luxury so you can see where the bad management at the top hurts the game all the way to the bottom.

 

[Avalanche]

You guys also forgot to mention the talent drain of players that were born and/or raised in said country. Canada would have benefitted enormously if Owen Hargreaves and Jonathan de Guzman had decided to suit up for the country of their birth, rather than become glorychasers on the Auld Continent. It also goes without saying that we have also been affected by this mini-exodus. We've already lost Giuseppe Rossi, and I also wouldn't be suprised if Neven Subotic decided to abandon the US setup to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, or any other country he may be eligible for.

 

[Bobby]

At least Gabe Ferrari knows what's up.

 

[Chacarita Juniors]

Look at Mexico today, I know Canada is getting better, but Mexico needs to beat them by a bigger margin in Mexico.

The thing is that this is the 3rd game with Sven as our coach and the players are still trying to figure out the system he wants. A combination of Canada being very organized with 10 men defending and Mexico's forwards bieng waaay too young and inexperience to finish a game off resulted in that 2-1 score the other day.

I figure that if he takes out Gio and starts Bravo, Mexico would have had that bigger margin you're talking about. Bravo comes in and scores but Sven wants to give the two kids up front as much experience because both will probably start in the WC (counting on us qualifying of course).

Fernado Arce (some of you say WHO?) is the absolute REAL DEAL. The right midfielder adjusts himself to any system because with Hego at the helm he played balls out and the same now with Sven. These are the types of players we need on the national team, as we latinamericans like to say "he sweats the shirt".

Goodbye Cuauhtemoc Blanco...gone from the NT but NEVER fogotten, NEVER!

 

[CarlosDanger]

Arce has always been good.

 

[Elber2k3]

I also wouldn't be suprised if Neven Subotic decided to abandon the US setup to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, or any other country he may be eligible for.

He will probably play for Germany in the future as he grew up over here and blabla... The DFB is currently checking if he is allowed to play for Germany or not.

 

[Chacarita Juniors]

Arce has always been good.

At club level with Atlante, Morelia and Santos yeah, but there was a time where he was virtually erased from the NT and now that he's back it's like a revelation to some, not to me though. I wondered for the longest time why he wasn't called up during his Morelia years, when he carried the team on his back.

 

[Bobby]

So, there's a new PDL team in Midland, Texas called West Texas United. Anyone seen their stadium?

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/united_states/texas/midland_grande.shtml

High school venue. That's INSANE.

Large swaths of the county are covered by soccer teams now, even though most aren't professional. In the 80's such a network of teams would be an impossible dream.

 

[$teauA]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0C2715GX9S0/SNHBpXaehwI/AAAAAAAAA5M/FNLs31uf6O8/s1600/DSC_0217.JPG

Good for them! I believe that unlike Dallas and Rapids fans, RSL fans will sell out that place on a regular basis. They like their soccer up there in Utah.

 

[$teauA]

MLS clubs STILL without a win in the CCL. I'm having a hard time believing that they are taking this tournament seriously.

 

[Bobby]

MLS clubs STILL without a win in the CCL. I'm having a hard time believing that they are taking this tournament seriously.

While it's still early, it's worth noting that the USL teams are winning their groups...

Puerto Rico beat Santos 3-1, and Montreal got a 0-0 against Atlante.

 

[$teauA]

While it's still early, it's worth noting that the USL teams are winning their groups...

Puerto Rico beat Santos 3-1, and Montreal got a 0-0 against Atlante.

I think that only enhances my point. People can say whatever they like but USL-1 clubs are not better than MLS clubs, they just aren't. I wouldn't be surprised if the MLS is now sort of ticked off that CONCACAF created the CL a season after they put all this money into the SuperLiga. Garber probably told the owners to tell their managers to not take this tournament seriously, at least this season.

 

[Bobby]

I think the non-MLS and Mexican teams are A LOT better than you guys give them credit for.

MLS knew CONCACAF was making this, they announced it in 2005.

 

[$teauA]

I think the non-MLS and Mexican teams are A LOT better than you guys give them credit for.

MLS knew CONCACAF was making this, they announced it in 2005.

Who said anything about the Mexican teams? The Mexican league is miles ahead of MLS in terms of level of play. All I said was that the MLS was better than the USL-1.

I actually believe most of the big clubs in Central America are better than MLS sides. The reason for this is the salary cap, a method which works when trying to keep a level playing field within your own league, but which brings on great suffering for your league's teams when they have to play clubs from countries where salary caps are unheard of.

Truth is though, the most global sport in the world, soccer, should not have a salary cap at any level. It's terrible but it's the truth.

 

[Bobby]

Who said anything about the Mexican teams? The Mexican league is miles ahead of MLS in terms of level of play. All I said was that the MLS was better than the USL-1.

I actually believe most of the big clubs in Central America are better than MLS sides. The reason for this is the salary cap, a method which works when trying to keep a level playing field within your own league, but which brings on great suffering for your league's teams when they have to play clubs from countries where salary caps are unheard of.

Truth is though, the most global sport in the world, soccer, should not have a salary cap at any level. It's terrible but it's the truth.

I meant "Non-MLS and non-Mexican teams".

Speaking of Central America, has an MLS team ever gone into Costa Rica and won?

I understand if MLS is pissed about this overshadowing the Sierra Mist Cup, i mean, SuperLiga. But this is a real tournament and not a glorified pre-season for Mexican teams.

 

[$teauA]

I meant "Non-MLS and non-Mexican teams".

Speaking of Central America, has an MLS team ever gone into Costa Rica and won?

I understand if MLS is pissed about this overshadowing the Sierra Mist Cup, i mean, SuperLiga. But this is a real tournament and not a glorified pre-season for Mexican teams.

Yup. SuperLiga should just go ahead and fold.

 

[Bobby]

You can see that it's hurting the team in this competition. Because their legs are heavy. And what's worse is, how fit are these teams going to be in the playoffs?

You can't give them a roster that small and throw all these games at them.

 

[$teauA]

You can see that it's hurting the team in this competition. Because their legs are heavy. And what's worse is, how fit are these teams going to be in the playoffs?

You can't give them a roster that small and throw all these games at them.

30 man rosters now, kthxbye

 

[Run DMB]

I knew Houston were going to represent MLS well. Great result tonight.

Was that really Kei Kamara out there? Really? Kei Kamara? He looked like Didier-f'in-Drogba.

The difference between Houston and DC United/Chivas USA/New England? Two things:

a.) Houston have not been decimated by injuries
b.) unlike most (or actually, all other) MLS teams, Houston have depth

But MLS definitely needs to expand the rosters. It doesn't have to be 30; a 22-man senior roster would do wonders for depth. Every season MLS teams are forced to cut perfectly good players in mid-season, due to roster spot considerations. But it's precisely those players that they need to help them down the road, when injuries hit.

I don't see a problem with the concept of a salary cap in MLS; in fact, I think it's necessary. However, MLS needs to raise the cap if it is serious about becoming a good league. Let the owners who want to spend money on their teams spend money on their teams. It might create a little bit of inequality between the teams, but it's only going to put more pressure on the tightwad owners to invest in their teams.