The Best MLS Season Ever Thread (2016 obviously)

[GoGo Yubari]

If he can make it out of an eight-day span that started with getting stomped by an incredibly mediocre Timbers team, continued by throwing away a US Open Cup semifinal spot to the team that gives zero fucks about the US Open Cup, and ended in the most pathetic performance in MLS history, he is straight-up teflon for the year.

but whatever. Lodeiro is coming tomorrow.

[HailtotheYo]

So Fabian Espindola was just traded to Vancouver .... and it is being reported that his agent is already looking for 'other options' and that Espindola won't play a minute up there.

[GoGo Yubari]

not that I'm encouraging Fabian Espindola playing for the Whitecaps, because that team is full of enough absolutely insufferable players as it is, but if he has serious issues with living in Canada he could just live in Port Roberts and carpool with Kekuta Manneh. It's entirely possible to just live in Washington and commute if it's that important.

[GoGo Yubari]

8 hours ago, GoGo Yubari said:

If he can make it out of an eight-day span that started with getting stomped by an incredibly mediocre Timbers team, continued by throwing away a US Open Cup semifinal spot to the team that gives zero fucks about the US Open Cup, and ended in the most pathetic performance in MLS history, he is straight-up teflon for the year.

but whatever. Lodeiro is coming tomorrow.

And, in the most disorienting half-hour span I've ever had as a Sounders fan, Nicolas Lodeiro has arrived and been greeted by Garth Lagerwey at about the same time as the Sounders and Sigi part ways.

[HailtotheYo]

Yeah, there was no saving it even for the rest of the season.  The players gave up on him ... and in part, rightfully so.  

[GoGo Yubari]

Not really rightfully, but that's another story. The problem is really that until now, it's been borderline-impossible to determine which signings were championed by which person out of Sigi, Hanauer, and Lagerwey, but what's clear is that long-term roster construction was a problem and to a certain extent, so has misfortune that's basically out of anyone's hands (something like Oba Martins bailing out at the last minute on a team that was basically built around him would basically fuck over any team in MLS).

I don't think the blame lies solely at his feet, but definitely partially and Lagerwey and Hanauer aren't going anywhere. From here on out, Lagerwey is clearly going to be the one held accountable for everything and I'm looking forward to that clarity. Signing Lodeiro and parting with Sigi simultaneously is basically the end of an era.

[HailtotheYo]

Eh, he'd gone rather bland with his line up choices.  He's also had some head scratching strategy lately as well (like, having a proven ST just sit on the bench and hardly play any minutes at all when you can't form an attack).  Regardless of who is signing/selecting the players to put the shirt on, your HC is supposed to give whomever that ends up being ... a direction.  He hasn't done that in a while.

 

Looks like Fabian Castillo is going to Turkey

 

and yeah wow, so Fabi won't be playing in Canada, he's been transferred to Necaxa

 

MLS TV numbers up !

[Meacon Keaton]

It's going to be odd not seeing Sigi on the Seattle sidelines. But at the same time, managerial changes sometimes bring out the best in players, so this may be what the Sounders need.

And speaking of needs, Philly needs a swift kick in the arse. I knew the run on top wouldn't last all season, but if we continue playing the way we've played the last few weeks, we may crash and not even make the playoffs.

[HailtotheYo]

Dempsey unhappy in SEA

 

Some MLS clubs looking into possibility of getting Tony Tchani from CLB.

[HailtotheYo]

 

 

hhhhmmmmm pregnant wife that did what she had to do in order to play in the same city and be with him ..... interesting.

 

 

[HailtotheYo]

Looking like Flaco will be back in SEA

[GoGo Yubari]

On 7/27/2016 at 05:27, HailtotheTortureRack said:

He's also had some head scratching strategy lately as well (like, having a proven ST just sit on the bench and hardly play any minutes at all when you can't form an attack).

Who? Surely not Valdez or Herc.

[HailtotheYo]

Um yeah, Herc .... He may not be 90m man but to literally just sit on the bench?  yeah, that doesn't make sense.  Valdez makes me sad ... he's just forgotten how to play soccer apparently.

 

 

[HailtotheYo]

Well then, DCU needs another CHI Fire attacker I guess .... oh, and on THEIR dime.  apparently CHI is keeping the DP tag to the point that he won't count as a DP for DCU.  Lovely.

 

 

 

 

[GoGo Yubari]

Herc has gotten starts. They weren't good. He's better than maybe Nelson Valdez and Oalex Anderson on the forward depth chart, the former of whom is a shell of a player and the latter is just extremely, extremely raw. Given the weird formation the Sounders are playing and the fact that Morris and Dempsey are on the team, the only way Herc can get on the field is if he's playing wide, and his service is an absolute nightmare.

[HailtotheYo]

Agreed ... but the formation doesn't work if you don't have the personnel to run it.  They don't at the moment.  They need to go with 2 up top .... but aren't.

In other news, what the absolute fuck houston:

 

 

[HailtotheYo]

Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League 2016/17 Schedule

ROUND 1

Tuesday, 2 August, 2016
Central FC (TRI) v Vancouver Whitecaps FC (CAN) – Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago – 8 pm ET
CF Pachuca (MEX) v CD Olimpia (HON) – Estadio Hidalgo, Pachuca, Mexico – 10 pm ET

Wednesday, 3 August, 2016
W Connection (TRI) v Pumas UNAM (MEX) – Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago – 8 pm ET
New York Red Bulls (USA) v Antigua GFC (GUA) – Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ – 8 pm ET
Portland Timbers (USA) v CD Dragon (SLV) – Providence Park, Portland, OR – 10 pm ET
Don Bosco FC (HAI) v CF Monterrey (MEX) – Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti – 10 pm ET

Thursday, 4 August, 2016
FC Dallas (USA) v Real Esteli (NCA) – Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas – 8 pm ET
Plaza Amador (PAN) v CS Herediano (CRC) – Estadio Maracana, Panama City, Panama – 10 pm ET
 

[GoGo Yubari]

Sounders looked better today. Lodeiro is the truth; I cannot believe how good he looked with only three days of time to gel. Valdez also had his best game since last year but the fact that he needed to be subbed off because he was injured at the 55th minute sums up where his body's at. It's a shame because in terms of mental attributes he seems like exactly the player you want, but physically he's just not there anymore. Should have won, really, but Morris' finishing is operated by a random number generator.

[Szumi]

Philly blew a halftime lead, lost again at home. My optimism is evaporating as quickly as their form

[Meacon Keaton]

Yeah, the hot start appears to be just that. We're quickly slipping back into the form I expected us to be in all season. Boo.