Originally Posted by OgtheDim
OK, I sit corrected - must be using TAM on the young guy because NYCFC just got a 29 1/2 year old AM about the same size as Seba.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/831913792493727748
OK, I sit corrected - must be using TAM on the young guy because NYCFC just got a 29 1/2 year old AM about the same size as Seba.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/SoccerInsider/status/831913792493727748
TFC tried to sign Moralez under Payne. Remember when Nelsen missed the Roma friendly because he was in Italy negotiating/trying to convince a player to come? It was Moralez.
VWFC's budget constraints worry me. They are very much an average to above average outfit for this league paid attendance wise.
If this is what they need to do to be sustainable the Chicago's and similar for the world are in real trouble.
I was all ready to predict Vancouver missing the playoffs again as they still hadn't really addressed their problems at striker... Montero changes things. I wonder whether it will be enough.
If you want a good handle on what is going on with the rest of the league's rosters, read this article by Doyle.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/0...g-lineups-v2-0
I must say, none of those other Eastern teams really scares me. CBus looks the weakest in the East and NYCFC the strongest contender to us.
Really? I think D.C. is clearly the worst on paper. I think Columbus will be middle of the pack this year. I don't think NYC has resolved their defensive issues either.
I see the Red Bulls and Impact as our main competition for 1st place.
The Red Bulls have gutted their spine and now hoping some homegrowns will pick up the slack. Their projected starting centre back hasn't been signed yet from RBNY 2.
NYC has balanced their defence a bit with some better DM options. And they seem to now have a defensive 5 that actually want to play the ball out of the back. DCU on the other hand is a solid MLS middle of the division team. Montreal to me isn't adding anything but another year on those leagues.
Red Bulls are now Marsch's team and he already made a mistake getting rid of the better DM - Curtis wanted to get rid of Felipe because he's just not a good enough passer and is inconsistent. Marsch only cares that Felipe can play at a higher tempo. Its going to be damn the torpedoes press with no width all game long. Any speed on the wings will kill that - even our 3-5-2 with those two WB's sets up well against them.
Nice to see Villa get a read card via the video replay! He is such a douche, he gets away with way too much, especially hitting people in the face.
NYRB away match on May 19
Hey all. Longtime reader but I've only rarely contributed to the forum. Some friends and I are heading to the away match at NYRB on May 19. I know it's a few months out but can anyone give me ideas on how to ensure we're getting tickets with the traveling support? If this post is in the wrong thread, please advise.
Laws of the Game changes apply now to MLS & Some We are Going to Cut down on stuff from PRO
Worth reading this so people don't apeshit the first few weeks
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/0...017-mls-season
Very interesting. What does everyone think about the "areas of emphasis" idea? I guess it depends how reasonable the refs are in following through. Beginning of last season they went totally overboard, handing out red cards like candy for supposed "endangerment" (some of which wasn't even dangerous). After a few months they had to reign it in completely, basically dropping the emphasis, and possibly going too much in the opposite direction (allowing too much rough stuff). I felt the back & forth made a mockery of the whole thing.
I think 3 of the 4 "areas of emphasis" are good ideas, as long refs don't go Holy Toledo on them. "Acts of visual dissent" -- “arms thrown in the air” that worries me. Why is that a concern? The other example -- racing after an official to berate them -- is more valid, but that's not just a matter of "visual dissent." However giving an official the finger, that would be more clear.
Going after holding & pushing in the penalty area is a great idea, but will only work if there's a significant change in behaviour. Right now there is so much of that happening, it's a crapshoot who will be called for what. I could see some real questionable outcomes. However if the overall behaviour is cleaned up, it will be easier to penalize an obvious offender. I guess the VAR would be able to help with some of that.
I can see Seba getting yellows for visual dissent
Phone NYRB's ticket office and ask for away supporter's section. It's that easy.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Montreal has had a major "addition by subtraction" by Drogba leaving. Piatti fits much better with their system and they could do without the hissy fits and drama that Drogba brought. Just that alone will make them a better team much harder to beat.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
2 extra HGP spots confirmed and you can use TAM to sign HG's now.
MLS has announced its roster rules for 2017, and while the regulations remain largely the same, the biggest changes are designed to encourage more investment in Homegrown Players.
"Every offseason, we're always looking at our rules and the mechanisms we have for teams to sign Homegrown Players, and especially for them to be able to reap the benefits of their investment in youth development," said Todd Durbin, MLS executive vice president of competition and player relations, via telephone.
Durbin said that based on the feedback he had received from teams, flexibility was needed in two areas, with the first being the ability to sign more HPs. To that end, the rule changes allow teams to carry a total of 30 players; an increase of two spots from the previous year, and those two additional spots must be used to sign additional Homegrown Players.
"I think [the increase in roster spots] is a testament to the fact that we continue to produce players at an ever-increasing rate," said Durbin.
The second area was in terms of financial resources, and teams can now dedicate $200,000 of targeted allocation money (TAM) to be used to sign HPs to their first professional contract. The TAM amount used will be applied on top of the $53,000 minimum salary for those two spots. Durbin added that TAM can't be used to sign HPs who are already on an MLS roster.
The rule change marks an expansion of the TAM program, which was originally intended to sign players making between the Designated Player threshold of $480,625 and $1 million. Now TAM can be used to sign academy products.
Forward Jordan Morris signed with the Seattle Sounders as a Homegrown Player in 2016.MLS defines HPs as those who have been produced by an MLS team's academy. This has the effect of giving the MLS team that developed the player right of first refusal among MLS sides when it comes to the player signing his first professional contract.
The rules do not prevent a player from signing with a foreign club, and while the league succeeded in signing a player like Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris, there have been some notable defections in recent years, including FC Dallas product Weston McKennie who signed with Bundesliga side Schalke 04 in 2016.
The ability to use TAM to sign such players is expected to allow MLS teams to better compete with foreign clubs who try to poach North American youth players.
"We continue to be operating in a very competitive international market," said Durbin. "Our teams want to make sure that when important players are in their academy that they want to sign, that they have the resources to be able to do so."
The league also announced the following changes to the roster rules for this year:
• The salary budget ceiling will be $3.845 million.
• The base salary for roster spots 21-24 - which will not count against the cap - will be $65,000.
• The base salary for roster spots 25-28 - which will not count against the cap - will be $53,000.
• Intra-league loans that are initiated prior to the close of the Primary Transfer Window (Feb. 14 to May 8) may now allow the loaned player to be recalled during the Secondary Transfer Window (July 10 to Aug. 9) as agreed upon between the two clubs. In addition, there is no longer an age restriction on intra-league loans.
• In 2017, the threshold for Extreme Hardship, which covers circumstances when the number of players a team has available falls below a set number, will now include instances in which a club has fewer than four available outfield substitutes.
• The league has what is called Special Discovery Players, whose acquisition costs (transfer fee, loan fee, and salary) can be amortized over the life of the contract. Now in 2017, TAM may now be used to sign such players.
For those interested
https://twitter.com/BenBaer89/status/836638151368134657
Last edited by Oldtimer; 02-28-2017 at 02:08 PM. Reason: fixed link
http://www.americansocceranalysis.co...season-preview
stats heavy preview from ASA. Some minor qualms with the piece but the premise is similar to how I feel going into the season; we were statistically the best team in the league last year despite the fact that our dp's combined to miss about 30 games. Finishing fifth was low for us considering how well we actually performed. If we just perform at the same level as last year even, a reversion to the mean suggests we should finish in the top 3 fairly easily.
They have similar articles up for about half the teams on the main page if you're really jonesing for in depth MLS previews.
Really good conversation piece done by MLS about Black Americans and soccer
Jozy included
A good listen to a different world then my own
Jozy seemed really uncomfortable at first, like he was afraid if he let go he would say too much.
real diversity vs tokenism is something to take home. it really extends to what MLS 1.0 was to what MLS 2.0 has become
Ill never understand the patriotism that American have though, Jozy has been around the world and to still call America the greatest country on earth is a bold statement.
I consider Canada the greatest country to "live in"for me, knowing full well there are a lot of shortcomings and understanding how its not for everyone.
Last edited by C.Ronaldo; 03-01-2017 at 01:16 PM.
Surprised Jozy didn't smash Greg Howard in the face tbf...
For the unfamiliar ... http://deadspin.com/jozy-altidore-th...bac-1679502778
ooh, maybe that is what I sensed
Oh, so thaaaaats where I've seen Howard's work before.
Deadspin was clickbait for the uptight.
I asked an American friend of mine about this one time a while back because it had confused up to that point too. I was told that when they say the 'greatest country on earth' thing they don't quantify it the same way anyone really does, especially us. Where we would quantify it here and most other places on matters such as safety, equity, health care and job market accessibility etc. etc. etc. They have a much broader idea of themselves. They're speaking about 'The American Project' and 'The American Idea' and all that shit. They think of themselves - some unconsciously but many very consciously - as a Civilization or a Modern Empire akin to the Roman's. All of that seeps down into this sort of steadfast civic pride/nationalism that is totally alien to us up here.
It's a theory obviously, but viewing the country through that wider scope has helped me put things into a lot more context. As an outsider I see a lot of things sort of 'fit' in that narrative that would just seem odd before.
Could be wrong though. could be something else.
The Red Bulls have not always been easy to deal with in the past when it comes to accessing away section tickets. Actually at times one of the worst. On a number of occasions over the years when an individual called regarding these tickets they were asked if they were with a specific group and told they had to purchase directly through that said group. So you were essentially out to lunch unless a group buy was facilitated. Last season for the season opener at RPB they finally starting using a Ticketmaster link to handle away sales. I would be worried in the future if it's a game that is not expecting a big road crowd they could easily revert back to their old ways of dicking you around.
Remember The Man, The Legend, The Goal 5-12-07 and All That #9 Left On The Pitch, Thanks For The Memories !!!
Timbers waive Jack McInerny
http://www.timbers.com/post/2017/03/01/portland-timbers-waive-forward-jack-mcinerney
but that's the thing right there imo....Americans (and Canadians) for the most part, are well aware that things aren't perfect....but perhaps, having been to many different places in the world, people like Jozy who have seen a lot of things, are able to have a greater perspective of how good we really have it here (North America) by comparison.
but it essentially is though, no? It's kinda the way I see it anyways. For the most part, from 1950 onward it has basically been "The American Empire" in the sense that USA has driven a lot of what happened (happens) in the world....sometimes good and sometimes not so much....but their broad influence seems apparent to me for sure, and in the modern day its as close to an empire as we'll see imo.....
New 2017 banter thread here:
http://forums.redpatchboys.ca/showth...TFC-MLS-banter
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
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