MLS 2009

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Blatter chimes in on the MLS again:

MANCHESTER, England — FIFA president Sepp Blatter wants Major League Soccer to switch to a traditional schedule that starts in late summer and ends in the late spring.

Currently, several MLS teams share stadiums with NFL teams and don't have access to arenas on many weekends in the autumn. The schedule creates difficulty when players transfer from MLS to Europe and back and causes MLS matches to be played on days set aside by FIFA for national teams.

"American football plays in winter, so they can only play from March to October, which means you are not in the right season," Blatter said on Wednesday. "The best American players are playing here, and this is the basic problem with the MLS."

MLS has said it hopes to eventually make the switch but it can't for now because it shares several stadiums with NFL teams. Eight MLS teams are in football stadiums built for the league, two share with NFL teams that are controlled by the same owners as the football club, and New York shares with NFL teams through 2009 before moving into its own stadium.

DC United plays in a city-owned ground where it was the primary tenant, Houston was at the University of Houston's college football stadium and San Jose and Kansas City are at temporary homes.

"This league was founded after the 1994 World Cup, but is still struggling to get the position they should have according to the number of football players there are in the United States," Blatter said. "It has the highest number of young players in any sport. But the league has not found yet its position. It can only find its position if the league has its own stadiums."

This really is nonsensical. All the criticisms that he's levelled against the current season either apply to other leagues like Brazil and Russia (problems with international calendar, the transfer window and players transferring to/from summer-season league) or make no sense (leads to players moving abroad.) Yeah, the reason Americans move abroad is because the MLS has a summer season. Is that why Brazilians move abroad as well? No, it's for the cash more often than not. At the very highest level, a few Americans and Brazilians probably move for the sake of competition, but that isn't affected by the summer season.

Forgetting all of which ... the MLS is clearly trying to move in this direction. More clubs are moving into their own stadiums and it's definitely on the agenda. I do firmly agree that it would be an advantage for the whole world to be on the same calendar, but the reasoning he's using is bizarre. I'm convinced that this is just a way of Blatter bitching about Beckham's time share agreement, but in his PR-obsessed mind he realises Beckham is more powerful than FIFA.

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

How about the fact that Toronto and other MLS cities probably don't want to play in -10C conditions every home game?

[HailtotheYo]

While I agree that the MLS eventually needs to be on the same season schedule as the rest of the world, there's more pressing issues. He hit on the biggest one. In order for the MLS to completely capture its identity it has to seperate from the ties that bind it right now. The biggest of which, is the stadium issue. They're being addressed though. In the very near future virtually all of the MLS teams will be in "their" stadiums.

The MLS is still at a stage in which it needs to continue to rely on the business model that has brought them to this point. You branch out slowly and make sure you get a foothold before you do any kind of jumping. That's exactly what is going on. The league is expanding (and stadium deals are a heavy portion of that selection process now), they are going to review the DP rule at the end of this season, they are more open to transfers, and the league is in a push to get the teams seperate ownership and out from under the MLS control. All of things will help the league in a bigger fashion at this point than changing the schedule. That's the LAST thing to worry about. We're in a country that holds soccer at about #6 on the list of sports importance. No matter how big the MLS gets here, it will NEVER be as big as football. That's just fact. In essence the schedule change will always be on the negative side as it will pit the MLS against the NFL directly. For the president of FIFA to apparently not have that comprehension is pathetic. Sure, it'd be the first step in a nice ladder of things but the picture at home (where it matters) would get dimmer before brighter with that move.

EDIT -

How about the fact that Toronto and other MLS cities probably don't want to play in -10C conditions every home game?

man up, the Germans do it

Edited March 12, 2009 by HailtotheKing

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I remember reading about proposals for extensive youth-team set-ups and the potential for allowing clubs to develop home-grown players. Has anything come of that?

[HailtotheYo]

Initial Article

They've got the youth development, but they've scraped the Reserve League ... so yes and no.

[EddieG]

So.. new MLS team eh? Owned by Drew Carey..

lol, Seattle

[HailtotheYo]

What a maroon. You clearly haven't been paying attention at all.

They've been professional from day one. The team they've put together certainly doesn't look "expansion" by any means and has the talent to compete from day one. The fan base in the Northwest is unbelievable for soccer (as illustrated by the Timber's Army - the Portland fan club). They landed arguably the best sponsorship deal for their kits, and as for the ownership ... yeah Carey is involved but you might want to check on who else is involved. I'll give you a hint, it involves an NFL Franchise and that big ass company on their kit. Also, they've sold a league leading 22,000 season ticket deposits and 32,400 tickets sold for the opening game. Oh, they also managed to snake the manager that won the MLS Cup last year as well as players the caliber of Keller and Lungberg.

Indeed, lol Seattle.

I hope you were being sarcastic, but in case you weren't ... and if you were, then consider this me saying how impressed I am with how Seattle has started their franchise.

I'm really interested to see how this season is going to play out. There have been some really good internaitonal signings such as Celades with NYRB and Ferraria with FC Dallas. Gomez going back to DC might be the biggest move of the season though I wish Gallardo would have stayed. Hell, Gomez with Fred, Gallardo, Moreno, and Emilio ? Holy crap that would have been impressive.

[Green Demon]

Along with that I think that Seattle had one of the top signing this year with Fredy Montero. They are already predicting him to have around 15 goals and he will probably be one of those players that spends a couple years in the MLS and then make the jump to Europe once he proves that he is a pretty good player in the MLS. I really wouldnt be suprised to see Seattle make the playoffs as well they have a good base for the team and if things fall the right way I wouldn't be surprised to see them as one of the top teams in the west.

[HailtotheYo]

So 26 minutes in and Seattle is already up 2-0 on MLS Cup runners up NYRB. 32K for First Kick.

Vancouver has been announced for '11 and at halftime Garber will make the announcement of the team joining them and it is expected to be Portland. That would fucking own.

Edited March 20, 2009 by HailtotheKing

[Green Demon]

Yeah it looks like Portland is the next expansion team, with that being said it seems like Seattle has a good shot at doing well this season if tonight is any sign of how the team will look. Montero looks like a very good young player and they dont even have there DP at the moment in Fredrik Ljungberg.

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I honestly think there is something proofoundly wrong with Ljungberg health-wise. I can't remember specifically (did he have knee problems? I remember broken ribs) but he went from playing 25 games for West Ham in one season to getting paid £5m+ to get rid of him ASAP. Part of that was that he was horrendously overpaid, but I can't see why we'd have thrown away a lump sum on a player who was still only 30. General injury-proneness doesn't really cover it.

[Darloboy]

I watched the first half of the Seattle game before my stream started playing up, that Montero looks a good player.

[Toe]

9 games of the Toronto FC season are being broadcast on GolTV. We don't subscribe to that channel in my house, so that kind of sucks. However, the first game of the season is on that channel and it coincides with a free preview of the station. Awesome!

[Clawson]

9 games of the Toronto FC season are being broadcast on GolTV. We don't subscribe to that channel in my house, so that kind of sucks. However, the first game of the season is on that channel and it coincides with a free preview of the station. Awesome!

Really? With Rogers? What channel?

[Toe]

9 games of the Toronto FC season are being broadcast on GolTV. We don't subscribe to that channel in my house, so that kind of sucks. However, the first game of the season is on that channel and it coincides with a free preview of the station. Awesome!

Really? With Rogers? What channel?

428. It comes on at 8 PM though.

[The Future]

So...how has Ljunberg done so far?

[Darloboy]

He's injured.

[Ananas]

I've never seen the TFC attack look that good on the road. They were varied, they had pace, and with the exception of Barrett they had finish. The back line continues to be a big question mark, but I think they're one defender away from being a serious contender. Nonetheless, a seriously encouraging start to a team that has never won to open a season before.

[HailtotheYo]

I'm hoping DC/LA can cap off a fantastic opening weekend for MLS.

Seattle was a great moment, Kenny Cooper might have already scored the goal of the year from 60yds out, Chicago's strike force was in effect, TFC showed their offensive ability, CLB/Hou showed how tough they're probably going to be, and even Col/Chv put on a show. Only the NE/SJ match was "boring."

If DC/LA can finish off with the momentum that yesterday built, holy crap. This is exactly what the MLS needed (Y)

[The Quasi Juice]

Can anyone tell me why the MLS doesn't have the same rules as all the other leagues in the world? I mean by that; MLS has drafts right? And I read somewhere that a player cannot choose where to go himself, the federation chooses for him? That would be insane.