2011 MLS Season Thread

[HailtotheYo]

Holy hell .... Dax at NYRB is fantastic. Only bad thing about that 5-0 spanking, is that Henry only had 1pt out of it

[3pointtally]

Well this is what I get for LOLing the fuck out of Toronto:

Frings and Koevermens ... that's a win.

GoGo, Kitsap actually has some talent. They've got a guy that is a Bahamanian NT player, Besagno is a former Superdraft #1 pick, and their GK is your very own 29th pick in the 2011 SuperDraft.

They can't arrive fast enough, the game against New York last night was a disgrace on so many levels.

[Lineker]

So I'm about to give the MLS a go for the first time and watch the second half of NYRB vs. DC Utd on the bet365 live streaming.

[Meacon Keaton]

Good call. We're no Premiership, but it's not as terrible as people like to pretend it is. (Y)

[Lineker]

Well, I despise Henry, the talented cunt, so lets go DC!

[Lineker]

Pretty nice move against the run of play from DC, culminating in a good finish be de Rosario.

[Starvinho]

Beckham for England

[HailtotheYo]

Good call. We're no Premiership, but it's not as terrible as people like to pretend it is. (Y)

Yeah the big issue I have with people that crap on the MLS, is that the majority of them haven't ever actually watched or it's been 5 or more years.

RSL made a statement with that win over Dallas. I hope they aren't about to find a stride again like they did last year. If they do, oy they'll be really tough.

Big match tonight with SEA/POR.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/nDST5TCwPgg?rel=0

[TCO]

Holy shit that legitimately might be the best finish of all time

Such technique an d composure involved in that.

Edited July 10, 2011 by The Cool One

[HailtotheYo]

Yeah he's going to have a hell of a time bettering that. What a way to score your first ever goal eh ?

[GoGo Yubari]

Amazing game.

Not that I'm biased

[Lineker]

If the fan vote is any indication, the MLS All-Star team will be heavy on the stars when they take on English Premier League champions Manchester United in the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 27 at Red Bull Arena.

Marquee names including Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Rafa Márquez highlight the "First XI" — the 11 top vote-getters in the fan vote — revealed on Sunday. The announcement came at halftime of the Portland-Seattle match on ESPN.

LA's Donovan and New York's Henry currently share the lead in the race for the Golden Boot, with nine goals each. Galaxy midfielder Beckham is second in the league in assists with eight, one fewer than Houston's Brad Davis. Márquez has been a mainstay in the Red Bulls' defense, though he has missed time through injury and international duty.

The First XI is particularly heavy on players from the Western Conference-leading LA Galaxy and Eastern Conference powerhouse New York Red Bulls.

The Galaxy have four players represented, with defenders Omar Gonzalez and Sean Franklin joining Donovan and Beckham. Gonzalez and Franklin have led an LA defense that averages .76 goals against.

The Red Bulls boast three on the list, including Henry, Márquez and second-year center back Tim Ream, whose performances garnered him a call into the US national team for last month's Gold Cup.

Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller received the most votes of all the netminders. This is his third straight All-Star nod since returning to the United States in 2009.

The First XI also includes three players who have never been named to the MLS All-Star team.

San Jose's Chris Wondolowski, the 2010 Golden Boot winner, has obviously earned the respect of fans across North America for his consistent scoring. Brek Shea, the young attacker from FC Dallas, is enjoying a season some pundits call worthy of MVP consideration. And Portland captain Jack Jewsbury, who leads the Portland Timbers with four goals and is fourth in MLS with six assists, is the lone representative of either of this year's expansion teams.

Sporting Kansas City defender Matt Besler was also selected for the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star team as the player with the most fan votes via text. Besler received an astounding 30 percent of all text votes submitted between June 8 and July 5 and he received nearly three times as many text votes as the next closest player.

The First XI received the most votes at their respective positions from combined fan voting on three platforms: online at MLSsoccer.com, via text message and via Twitter. The online and text voting ballot consisted of six players from each club, as chosen by a panel of media members.

Sunday's announced First XI is not necessarily the starting lineup for the match. MLS All-Star coach Hans Backe will select the starters based on player availability and tactical considerations. If First XI selections are unavailable due to injury, international duty or other commitments, Backe will select alternates for the game-day roster, but all First XI players are All-Stars.

Two selections by MLS Commissioner Don Garber will be announced July 16. The complete game day roster will be announced on Monday, July 18.

MLS All-Star First XI

Goalkeeper: Kasey Keller (SEA)

Defenders: Omar Gonzalez (LA), Sean Franklin (LA), Rafa Márquez (NY), Tim Ream (NY)

Midfielders: David Beckham (LA), Jack Jewsbury (POR), Brek Shea (DAL)

Forwards: Landon Donovan (LA), Thierry Henry (NY), Chris Wondolowski (SJ)

AT&T Text Voting Winner:

Defender: Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)

[GoGo Yubari]

Keller will most likely be amongst the players who won't actually be in that match in spite of the votes, since the all-star game is the day after we have to go to Panama for a Champions League qualifier.

[HailtotheYo]

I think it's awesome that Besler won the Text Vote. Shows that there are actually a good number of soccer savvy fans here in the states, that actually follow the MLS.

[GoGo Yubari]

Vancouver signs Mustapha Jarju as a DP. I'm assuming there's transfer fees factoring into why he's a DP, for the same reason as why Alvaro Fernandez is a DP for Seattle. Not a big name in the slightest and there was a lot of speculation as to who the DP was going to be because he's apparently the first African DP in MLS (some people were seriously predicting Drogba, which was amusing to me) and this certainly wasn't who anyone was guessing, but good for him. I hope he plays well for Vancouver (but not too well ).

[HailtotheYo]

Yeah, everything I'm hearing is that he's a DP because of the transfer monies. Not a huge name or anything like that, but he's young - has size - and apparently can finish. He's played and has a decent scoring record in the Belgian Pro League, and tore up their 2nd division. Eh, it's a much more promising signing than the likes of Landin. I think this is the type of move that MLS clubs should be making in this regard.

I just wish it would have been Niang ... or Seattle signing Prince Tagoe. Damnit GoGo, sign a fucking forward would you ?

[GoGo Yubari]

I will get on the phone with Sigi right away.

[GoGo Yubari]

In US Open Cup news, Richmond Kickers have defeated another MLS side to advance to the semi-finals, this time Sporting Kansas City. The Chicago Fire are all that stand in the way of them making the finals, which would be so tremendous. My ideal final for the tournament would definitely be Sounders vs. Kickers, assuming we can beat LA and RSL to get there.

Also, New York has signed Frank Rost as their new keeper.

[HailtotheYo]

Frank Rost is awesome. If NYRB can figure out the Roy Miller problem ... they're going to be fucking scary good.

Fire sign Grazzini

Also SJ had a nice goal in the USOC match:

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[HailtotheYo]

This is awesome