T-Minus 1 Month Until MLS Starts

'Grape, thanks for resurrecting this thread. I'm a big soccer fan, haven't been into MLS that much because I generally didn't feel it was a product I wanted to watch. However, have been warming to it. I know a couple of the MLS referees personally and have met a few of the players. Attended three Red Bulls matches at their home last year, including a friendly with Tottenham during the Hotspur U.S. tour last summer. Tottenham held a fan appreciation day during their morning practice at Red Bull Stadium and I got the signatures of many players, including then brand-new manager André Villas-Boas. Super middie Gareth Bael was with the team but did not come out to meet fans or sign autographs. He did play that night. (During a visit to England last year my wife and I saw a match at White Hart Lane.)

Most MLS teams appear to be successfully establishing an identity with their local fans, which is key. As one of the first MLS squads in an area rich with other professional sports, the New York-New Jersey MLS team had trouble breaking into the pro sports market, even though soccer was played for much of the last half of the last century by Northeast clubs affiliated with historic ethnic social establishments of immigrants (Italians, Germans, Puerto Ricans, Irish, Russians.) Moving out of Giant Stadium to its own European-style smaller stadium has been a big step forward for the Red Bulls. Very enjoyable to attend games now, and you can easily get there by taking trains or other mass transit which is more accessible and accepted in the Northeast.

Wonder what you think about the Red Bulls strategy of rebuilding not so much with re-treads from Europe but with players developed in the US and also some from Latin America, as described in this Wall Street Journal story?
 
LawVHawk said:
'Grape, thanks for resurrecting this thread. I'm a big soccer fan, haven't been into MLS that much because I generally didn't feel it was a product I wanted to watch. However, have been warming to it. I know a couple of the MLS referees personally and have met a few of the players. Attended three Red Bulls matches at their home last year, including a friendly with Tottenham during the Hotspur U.S. tour last summer. Tottenham held a fan appreciation day during their morning practice at Red Bull Stadium and I got the signatures of many players, including then brand-new manager André Villas-Boas. Super middie Gareth Bael was with the team but did not come out to meet fans or sign autographs. He did play that night. (During a visit to England last year my wife and I saw a match at White Hart Lane.)

Most MLS teams appear to be successfully establishing an identity with their local fans, which is key. As one of the first MLS squads in an area rich with other professional sports, the New York-New Jersey MLS team had trouble breaking into the pro sports market, even though soccer was played for much of the last half of the last century by Northeast clubs affiliated with historic ethnic social establishments of immigrants (Italians, Germans, Puerto Ricans, Irish, Russians.) Moving out of Giant Stadium to its own European-style smaller stadium has been a big step forward for the Red Bulls. Very enjoyable to attend games now, and you can easily get there by taking trains or other mass transit which is more accessible and accepted in the Northeast.

Wonder what you think about the Red Bulls strategy of rebuilding not so much with re-treads from Europe but with players developed in the US and also some from Latin America, as described in this Wall Street Journal story?
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To your first few points - I understand why it has taken so long for people to warm to MLS. It is just now starting to put an attractive product on the field...which is what it has to do in order to attract non-regional fans. If the opening weekend was any indication, the league made another leap in quality this offseason. LA, NY, Portland, Houston, RSL, KC and Columbus all turned in attractive, skillful performances that were very much the exception even three years ago.

As you mentioned, the league has made good on it's tactic to create regional followings. Fanbases have become rabid. That's no hyperbole. Now, when you're talking New York Red Bulls, they've done a poor job of just about everything. In trying to become the marquee franchise, they settled for a ****** location in Harrison, NJ. They built too big too soon with their stadium (empty seats never look good). And they tried to become a global brand before they were even a local one to say nothing of a national. The new moves are smart, but the team has a long way to go. Henry is still very good, and has quite a bit of clout - but they really need to take a similar tactic that LA Galaxy took with Beckham. They need to surround Henry with good, well known national team player - try to bring in Howard or Onyewu - so that the public can really wrap their arms around the franchise.

As far as the move to Latin American talent - that's how you win in MLS - no secret there. NYRB is just late to the party, as per usual.

THIS WEEKEND'S NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES (with wunder's watch rank):

SAT: New England at Chicago, NBC Sports, 6:30 Central (6 out of 10)
SUN: New York at San Jose, ESPN2, 9:00 Central (7 out of 10)

Game of the week (if you can find it):

SAT: Montreal at Portland, 9:30 Central (8 out of 10)
 
Last year. The Impact, they're called. They've taken an interesting tactic of signing a number of aging Italian players. They have on their roster Alessandro Nesta, Marco Di Vaio, Matteo Ferrari and Andrea Pisanu.

They've been a good addition to the league. Good supporters, decent stadium. Attractive play.
 
wundergrape said:
Last year. The Impact, they're called. They've taken an interesting tactic of signing a number of aging Italian players. They have on their roster Alessandro Nesta, Marco Di Vaio, Matteo Ferrari and Andrea Pisanu.

They've been a good addition to the league. Good supporters, decent stadium. Attractive play.
Click to expand...

Im like Law haven't been able to really get into MLS. Have to give it another try this year. I didn't no they had a team till I watched that highlight video
 
I hear you, Tmoney. 'll try to keep everybody up to date with games to watch and goals of the week. Make it easy on yall and whatnot.
 
wundergrape said:
I hear you, Tmoney. 'll try to keep everybody up to date with games to watch and goals of the week. Make it easy on yall and whatnot.
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What's up with Adu? See he is on a roster but inactive. Donovan still not going to play this year?
 
imported_Tmoney12 said:
What's up with Adu? See he is on a roster but inactive. Donovan still not going to play this year?
Click to expand...

Adu's a bit of a trainwreck. He was alright with the Union, but made noise about jumping ship to Europe again before he found he wouldn't have any takers. The Union's doing the smart thing and moving on. If he plays, he plays, if not...no biggie. The Union's trying to shop his contract around the league, but his $500,000 tag is way beyond market value. Think A-Rod.

Donavan will be back at the end of March.
 
Am I the only one to think American soccer more or less ruined Freddy Adu? Too much, too soon; expectations far too lofty? Plus, the abuse he took as a 14-year-old playing in what I've always felt is one of the most poorly officiated leagues in the world (MLS) had to have taken a toll.
 
I have only been to two MLS games, the 2001 MLS Cup and last years San Jose vs LA Galaxy game. Last years game was a lot of fun. 50k fans going crazy.

I went to a bunch of NY Cosmos games as a kid. They were a blast. I still have a ton of great autographs from those teams.


The earthquake choked last year against the galaxy, time to turn it around this year.
 
wundergrape said:
To your first few points - I understand why it has taken so long for people to warm to MLS. It is just now starting to put an attractive product on the field...which is what it has to do in order to attract non-regional fans. If the opening weekend was any indication, the league made another leap in quality this offseason. LA, NY, Portland, Houston, RSL, KC and Columbus all turned in attractive, skillful performances that were very much the exception even three years ago.

As you mentioned, the league has made good on it's tactic to create regional followings. Fanbases have become rabid. That's no hyperbole. Now, when you're talking New York Red Bulls, they've done a poor job of just about everything. In trying to become the marquee franchise, they settled for a ****** location in Harrison, NJ. They built too big too soon with their stadium (empty seats never look good). And they tried to become a global brand before they were even a local one to say nothing of a national. The new moves are smart, but the team has a long way to go. Henry is still very good, and has quite a bit of clout - but they really need to take a similar tactic that LA Galaxy took with Beckham. They need to surround Henry with good, well known national team player - try to bring in Howard or Onyewu - so that the public can really wrap their arms around the franchise.

As far as the move to Latin American talent - that's how you win in MLS - no secret there. NYRB is just late to the party, as per usual.

THIS WEEKEND'S NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAMES (with wunder's watch rank):

SAT: New England at Chicago, NBC Sports, 6:30 Central (6 out of 10)
SUN: New York at San Jose, ESPN2, 9:00 Central (7 out of 10)

Game of the week (if you can find it):

SAT: Montreal at Portland, 9:30 Central (8 out of 10)
Click to expand...

Will disagree with you on this. It might take time but I think Harrison is going to prove to be a good location for the team. As I said, it is easy to get to you if you take a train to Newark or Harrison Street (two different commuter lines) or take a bus, which a lot of people in New York and New Jersey are accustomed to doing. The stadium is an easy walk across a bridge from the Iron Bound, a section of immigrant housing and great restaurants -- mostly Spanish and Portuguese -- in Newark. Several of the restaurants have added parking just because of the stadium; you can pay to park in their guarded lots during matches. Or, if you eat or even have drinks, the parking is free. The Red Bulls have definite cheering "clubs" and each club has adopted its own restaurant or bar to patronize prior to a match and to get in tune, so to speak. Those clubs largely are made up of Portuguese, Spanish and Latin American immigrants, which will be important to building a Red Bulls fanbase. For years they shunned American soccer, but gradually it is becoming part of their fabric. Not unusual to see immigrant couples with their young children all decked out in Red Bulls attire, grabbing a bite and a drink before heading across the river.
 
LawVHawk said:
Will disagree with you on this. It might take time but I think Harrison is going to prove to be a good location for the team. As I said, it is easy to get to you if you take a train to Newark or Harrison Street (two different commuter lines) or take a bus, which a lot of people in New York and New Jersey are accustomed to doing. The stadium is an easy walk across a bridge from the Iron Bound, a section of immigrant housing and great restaurants -- mostly Spanish and Portuguese -- in Newark. Several of the restaurants have added parking just because of the stadium; you can pay to park in their guarded lots during matches. Or, if you eat or even have drinks, the parking is free. The Red Bulls have definite cheering "clubs" and each club has adopted its own restaurant or bar to patronize prior to a match and to get in tune, so to speak. Those clubs largely are made up of Portuguese, Spanish and Latin American immigrants, which will be important to building a Red Bulls fanbase. For years they shunned American soccer, but gradually it is becoming part of their fabric. Not unusual to see immigrant couples with their young children all decked out in Red Bulls attire, grabbing a bite and a drink before heading across the river.
Click to expand...

That's really good to hear about Harrison. I've never been there myself, but have heard a lot of negative things - probably from people who have never been there either.
 
Converted to a Sounders fan from a Galaxy fan. Something about that fan base, xbox, and that green...
 
wundergrape said:
That's really good to hear about Harrison. I've never been there myself, but have heard a lot of negative things - probably from people who have never been there either.
Click to expand...

Right now there's nothing immediately adjacent to the stadium except a couple old factories (now used for stadium parking) and vacant lots. No shopping, bars, restaurants. The Iron Bound is a healthy 10-minute walk and across the Passaic River. It's an old, authentic neighborhood of Spanish and Portuguese immigrants, hardly gentrified or trendy. But it works and hopefully having an MLS stadium there will lead to further development.
 
Don't know if any of you saw this, but an MLS team (Sounders) beat a Mexican team (Tigres) in a home and away series in the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time ever last night. Houston and LA have a chance to do the same tonight on Fox Soccer. There is a chance that we will have 3 out of the 4 semifinalists, which would be just a huge leap forward.

Kick Off: Seattle Sounders rivals celebrate historic ouster of Mexican side Tigres | MLSsoccer.com

Sounders soar into CONCACAF semis for 1st time - ESPN FC
 
wundergrape said:
Don't know if any of you saw this, but an MLS team (Sounders) beat a Mexican team (Tigres) in a home and away series in the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time ever last night. Houston and LA have a chance to do the same tonight on Fox Soccer. There is a chance that we will have 3 out of the 4 semifinalists, which would be just a huge leap forward.

Kick Off: Seattle Sounders rivals celebrate historic ouster of Mexican side Tigres | MLSsoccer.com

Sounders soar into CONCACAF semis for 1st time - ESPN FC
Click to expand...

Saw the match. Great comeback by Seattle and tremendous shot by Djimi Traore to put the home side up 2-1.
 
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