LAG going down slowly but surely.
Stub Hub centre to be used by the LA Chargers for 2 seasons while they wait for their new stadium to be built.
******
To me the two biggest long term stories coming out of this offseason
a) the embrace of the younger in his prime DP as modeled by TFC
b) the beginning of the slow demise of the LAG powerhouse
Last edited by OgtheDim; 01-12-2017 at 07:43 AM.
^LAG are just another team.
Tim Leiweke's ability to convince rich guys to let him spend $30M on players at a shot is kind of the destiny story for both LAG and TFC.
Be interesting to see if Leiweke gets another shot. I doubt it. He just spends too freely.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
He's already involved with Beckhams Miami venture. If that actually gets off the ground is another thing.Originally Posted by ensco
I agree, there seems to be a shift in DP/TAM strategy on the part of many teams. The risk is that not all these players are as well scouted as they should be and turn out to be busts but the potential gain in quality is high. Kind of shocking (in a good way) that if a team brought in someone like Lampard or Gerrard this season, it would seem weird and backward looking. There are some names that probably are too big to pass up but at least teams aren't building around players like that.
I'm at the NSCAA soccer coaches convention in LA Don Garber is doing a talk in a lecture hall with the general public, will be taking questions, any questions people want me to ask him?
The Loons may not be competitive on the field, but there TV coverage should be pretty darn good.
http://www.mnufc.com/post/2017/01/17...team-announced
That's the former SKC guy who has been doing SKY TV MLS broadcasts the last couple of years, partnered with the best colour commentator from the Women's World Cup.
The dude made even Aston Villa sound interesting once. And she isn't your usual ex jock type colour analyst - a journalist who does analysis is what I've heard.
Yeah, I know...esoteric stuff about TV coverage that most people involved with TFC will never hear. BUT, if the sport is to grow in North America, the local TV soccer types HAVE to get better. Like, I enjoy some of the stuff out there but when Paul Mariner is one of the better colour analysts, there is a problem.
you could add Pirlo to that list also
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/KurtLarSUN/status/822532519052578816
NOW WE TALkING!
Less than a month to go!
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Osorio, Ricketts and Chapman all scored as Canada beat Bermuda 4-2 (Jackson-Hamel with the 4th). Live stream wasn't working but video should be posted on Canada Soccer's Youtube soon. Should be interesting as apparently the backup GK was put in, and he immediately conceded an own goal, got injured, and we had to finish the game with Straith in net...
Armando Cooper scores for Panama
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/CONCACAF/status/823297719372423168
^Yup, TFC's big need is a guy up front with who has a good first touch
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Highlights from the CANMT-Bermuda game are up on this page. Nice to see Oso back, and for Chapman to score in his first game!
http://canadasoccer.com/canada-wins-...mpaign-p160362
3 goals for TFC players in the Bermuda friendly.
2 goals for TFC II players in the Panama U20 friendly games. Only goals for Canada U20.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/tfc-toronto-fc-mls-major-league-soccer-pre-season-training-camp/
Preseason primer from Molinaro. Confirms Aikim Andrews will be on trial, also that Quillan Roberts is gone, and that Clement Simonin and Ayo Akinola will both likely be invited to camp.
Does anyone know why the team is going to L.A. for a week before coming back and departing to Orlando from Pearson? why not go direct? why go to California at all?
IIRC from last season, they do this to touch base with Bradley and Altidore away with the USMNT but also because the coaching staff have a lot of contacts in California.
They also get a few days back home with the family in between being away.
Some interesting preseason camps around the league - Caps going to Wales - Crew to Brazil - FCD to Argentina.
FCD getting in some big games while they're down there too. (Boca, River rumored). Crew are playing Ol'Gils Sao Paulo too.
I bet costs play a factor as well. No point in doing mundane training elsewhere and taking on all those costs when you can just do it here for cheaper
It's also been an incredibly short off-season for the team. They're going to want to give them some time with their families, before the weekly grind of flying around the continent starts again.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/glossary/sp...scovery-player
Another 'fun' MLS player acquisition mechanism.
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
Special Discovery Players have been around for a few years now. It's just more apparent with the greater transparency kick that MLS are on right now.
Orlando signed someone using it in their first season. The Impact signed Santiago Gonzalez using it in 2014 and I think that was what was used to sign Urruti originally leading to all the confusion about "league DP" that Nelson was spouting on about.
Atlanta hits 27K season seat holders.
Wow that's impressive, do we know what the TFC season seat numbers are at? I recall hearing 20,000 but that was before the MLS cup run
Incredible, and could go higher. Heard an interview with an Atlanta reporter about this today, very little overlap with Falcons STH base (like 5%), capping total STs at 30K. I was a bit skeptic of that market but they have tapped into something it seems. Too bad we have to wait until the final regular match for our road trip there.
I see they signed Brad Guzan.
Atlanta's biggest need is going to be patience - it takes a bit of time to gell a decent defence together.
The Loons are spending a good chunk of their Garber $ on Kevin Molino.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/OSAliciaD/status/824729621728022529
Wonder if some of these recent trades would have happened before the disclosure of the amounts of GAM and TAM.
Yes but he stays at Boro until the end of the Prem season.
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