Don't want to belabor the point, but I will anyway. An English Championship team plays 46 games, not including cup games and the promotion playoffs. With 24 players per squad. MLS has 30 players on a squad, although admittedly the last 10 or so aren't high quality, and play 34 games plus cups. Make what you will of that.Originally Posted by Fort York Redcoat
English teams get heat stroke if the temperature gets above 18 Celsius and feel frozen if it gets less then 5.
And travel less then some of the 75 mile bastards are doing this season.
You can't compare MLS to European leagues as far as workload is concerned.
Fair enough, we have a bigger squad than the English Championship. Would you call us a deeper squad? I can't support these friendlies as training. Our reserve league should have more games to ensure those that come up could be as productive as it is when your Championship reserve kids get put in for a match.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Definitely not deeper!
I still think they can play one extra game. They have the support personnel to maximize recovery after games. As pros they can do it. Totally understand the objections though. Just didn't want it to look one-sided, as I do think there is a role for these games in selling the sport in North America.
I had no idea who Penarol are, and had to look them up. But if I was a TFC executive, I would NEVER, EVER, EVER want to be quoted as saying that, because it's unprofessional, disrespectful and says a lot about the attitudes of the organization.
As for friendly opponents, our sked's light this summer so bring it on as long as it's part of my season package already and I don't have to pay more. Well, maybe to see Chelsea or another major EPL squad, I'd drop a few extra dollars...
The xenophobic, small-mindedness of some folk is downright depressing.
Perhaps I should just leave it as "it's not you, it's me", but reading comments like "I don't follow the Uruguayan league" and "I don't give a shit who Penarol are" makes me sad.
If you love the game, you might learn about it beyond the range of your local club, World Cups, and other stuff that gets beamed into your living room.
I'm not suggesting following every domestic league, but if you dig a little into the history of the game, and find out about how it migrated around the world, you appreciate the history of clubs like Penarol.
If you love your team, and that is all, then you are missing out. Missing out on where it is placed on the tapestry of the history of football. Missing out on the complete story.
Anyway, if they do go ahead with this friendly with Penarol, I hope they are smart about it and market Penarol for who they are : a giant of a club from a football-mad country.
a ha ha heh he hoo.. ha
If Penarol was to agree to a friendly with us now following Beirne's idiotic comments, it would say more about them than us. That said, as (again) Beirne's idiotic comments spell out, TFC is aiming bigger with this one. Put it this way, when it's announced, you won't need wikipedia to look up the club and you'll know at least a few of the guys in their starting XI.
Yep I understand WHY they grow the league the way they do but I want to be consistent in saying that I aspire my team and the league to be better, and wish this wasn't such a market spotlight.
And the robot is right. If you consider yourself into this game, this team, our team, our league depends on leagues outside of Europe. At least half of Penarol would be welcome, helpful additions to our squad.
I'd love to see them play a friendly with them outside of the season.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Due to the draft system, one could easily make the argument (and to be clear, I'm not making it) that if you are out of playoff contention, it's in your best interests to finish as a low as possible to get a better draft pick.
Regardless of whether people are familiar with Penarol or not, the fact is, they are on a par with the Flamengos and the River Plates, if we are talking about S. American football. Even if Beirne wasn't familiar with them (as an exec of a MLS team, I would hope he should) he shouldn't have publicly said something like that and act so dismissive about them. It just shows how bush league some aspects of this organization still are.
There is a difference is squad quality though. They have depth, and while their bench players are not always going to be at the same level, most bench players at the big clubs would be starters for a lot of other teams in the league. In the MLS, you have steep drop in class.
They can also rotate the squad around a lot more to rest players while staying competitive.
Juventus coming to town? I was reading CSN article about this issue and end of the article it mention:
Anyway. This is probably happening. The harsh truth is that those pushing the no friendlies ever agenda aren't the target audience of these type of initiatives. The empty seats in the middle of BMO Field and those that don't fill them are. That's especially the case when those absent are usually found at Scallywags and The Football Factory watching their favourite Euro teams.
So this is probably happening and it will sell better than anyone in the supporter's community wants to admit.
Especially since it's probably going to be Juventus.
I do wonder if game day revenue continues to decline due to drops in ticket sales if we will start seeing more friendlies? The money is going to come from somewhere.
The length of this thread suggests to me that the average RPB is kinda bored right now! Let's bring on some summer signings and some wins for TFC and we will have something real and exciting to talk about
Stop...
Last edited by Fort York Redcoat; 06-19-2013 at 12:32 PM.
@ProfessorDamage ;
Sure. Which is the same thing as not going to see a film unless Tom Cruise is in it.If Penarol was to agree to a friendly with us now following Beirne's idiotic comments, it would say more about them than us. That said, as (again) Beirne's idiotic comments spell out, TFC is aiming bigger with this one. Put it this way, when it's announced, you won't need wikipedia to look up the club and you'll know at least a few of the guys in their starting XI.
edit - nice post there Fortsy.
edit 2 - bah.
Last edited by TOBOR !; 06-19-2013 at 12:37 PM.
I find these highlighted statements to be a bit much.
You don't have to dig deep into the history of football in every part of the world to love the game.
I personally could care less about the Central and South American leagues, add to that the Asian, African and Middle Eastern leagues and Multiple European leagues. I understand that there are good players and good teams that come out of these locations, and I don't mind watching how they develop on the world stage, but to be honest, they are just not on my radar in terms of interest in the sport.
I devout a huge portion of time and money and effort into my adopted EPL team and my local team. Then fill the rest of it engaging with multiple European leagues and teams.
You seem to be insinuating that because I only focus on those two parts of the world (North America and Europe) and could care less about a team that dominates a league I have no interest in, it makes me a small-minded follower of the game - which I find very insulting TBH. It wreaks of soccer snobbery that doesn't really prove you understand the game more than someone else.
Football is football. Doesn't matter what part of the world it's played in or the history of the sport in that country. You play it, you watch it, you argue about it you get divorced because of it - it becomes your life - That is what makes the love of the game what it is. If you believe that knowing the complete history across the globe and caring about every single team that dominates each league makes your love of the game legitimate - then my friend, I think you've lost the plot.
@jabbronies ;
I saidYou saidI'm not suggesting following every domestic league, but if you dig a little into the history of the game, and find out about how it migrated around the world, you appreciate the history of clubs like Penarol.I'm saying that people should be interested in seeing a club like Penarol, you're just looking for an argument.If you believe that knowing the complete history across the globe and caring about every single team that dominates each league makes your love of the game legitimate - then my friend, I think you've lost the plot.
Well said. Penarol is club with a rich history. I wish people here open up their minds to global football instead of just following EPL and TFC.
I think many here are overlooking a major point. If one of the big clubs from a big league comes to play TFC, great! They would definitely sell tickets for the match but it's not likely that we will EVER see any of the players on said club play for TFC. They would be far too expensive obviously (amongst other things). However, a team like Penarol coming to play TFC in Toronto may shine some light on the city, the team and the league, encouraging players from Penarol or the Uruguayan league to consider the MLS as a career option.
I look at a match like this as a marketing thing. Not to get bums in seats directly, but to expose the MLS and TFC to better, obtainable players.
Hope what I'm saying is clear.......
Personal interest as a fan aside, our team's management should be well aware of the South American, Asian, African and Middle Eastern leagues. MLS is on or lower than their level. If you want to improve your team you damn well better know what leagues are producing a superior product and what leagues are beneath you. It is in the best interest of OUR club for them to know what to look for in players from other leagues and try to make our team better.
I totally agree with this. Some of the things I have read here are crazy. Penarol are one half of arguable the most historic derby in world football.
What any of us think or say about Penarol means nothing.
That one of the execs of TFC happily said in an interview he had to look them up means something.
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1186...rol-montevideo
Announcement tomorrow for sporting vs penerol.
He's a business exec, so I could really care less if he knows who they are. The staff in charge of the playing side are the ones I'd expect to be in the know. He should know better than to insult them like that though.
@brad ; I don't think he insulted them, or even if he meant to. However, out of arrogance he has revealed his own ignorance.
Better to be thought a fool and remain silent, etc.
I had no problem with the above line you posted that's why I didn't bold it - it was the other stuff that I did bold that I had the problem with and brought me to the conclusion of what I said.
There are hundreds of teams that have rich history in football that can be compared to the rich history of this team. At the end of the day, they play in a league that some of us just don't care for. Their impact as a club to any club I follow is very minimal, if anything almost non-existent.
I don't think it's that audacious that people don't really care to watch them play, or really care who they are or what they've done in their lifetime.
You guys make it seem like it's the worst thing any supposed football fan could do:
Making assumptions like this one over and over and over again is pretty small minded and ignorant:
I follow the EPL because that is the game that I enjoy watching. I supplement it with Portuguese, German, French and Italian league.
Why do you think that just because people are not interested in a club that is rarely televised here from a country who's league is pretty much a two team league, they are automatically just following EPL and TFC?
You people make them sound like this International powerhouse that we should all recognize. Most of their success was in the 60's with a couple trophies in the 80's. For those who were born in the 80's, none of this means anything to us. They were a team of yester-year. Good for them that they have won some big trophies in their lifetime, but does not following them deprive me of something another team around the world that I may follow can't give me?
Is their style of play, tactics, management style that unique that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it elsewhere...I highly doubt that.
Lol all this time were not even playing
I think this post makes the point of this discussion. While you don't care for or follow the Uruguayan League you would care enough about our team to look up their history now that there was the rumour of our playing them. I don't think it's important to follow every league in the world or follow another league every week but it doesn't take much research nowadays to be informed about clubs worldwide. Even if you don't rate the league for quality or entertainment you care enough to learn about it.
All is well.
I'm happy for Sporting and Penarol fans in the area. Enjoy.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
@jabbronies ;
That statement could apply to many other countires. Anyway, they have done well internationally of late, it may well be worth the while taking note of their league and the players they're producing.Why do you think that just because people are not interested in a club that is rarely televised here from a country who's league is pretty much a two team league, they are automatically just following EPL and TFC?
Ha ! Change 60's to 70's there, and you've pretty much just described Liverpool.You people make them sound like this International powerhouse that we should all recognize. Most of their success was in the 60's with a couple trophies in the 80's. For those who were born in the 80's, none of this means anything to us. They were a team of yester-year.
Listen, I don't begrudge you being a cheerful consumer of top-brand football. However, one day it may not be enough for you.
You may go on walk-about looking for more... and who knows where you'll end up. In the meantime, keep your mind open.
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