General MLS Discussion

[canchon]

Great article in the Athletic today about the Toronto FC dumpster fire (not adding link because behind a paywall). The Italians are fed up, the GM is picking players based on Italian fans celebrating, the coach-son relationship is going as well as you can imagine…just a disaster overall. Great read.

Two things:
1. I can’t believe NYCFC looked so bad in losing to that Toronto dumpster fire.
2. Sean John left NYCFC to join that hot mess for what? $150k? Wow.

 

[mgarbowski]

Great article in the Athletic today about the Toronto FC dumpster fire (not adding link because behind a paywall). The Italians are fed up, the GM is picking players based on Italian fans celebrating, the coach-son relationship is going as well as you can imagine…just a disaster overall. Great read.

What a shit circus, starting with:

• Vanney quitting Toronto because he wanted more input into player signings, which event sent 2 franchises into chaos.
• Toronto hiring Armas and firing him after 11 games during which Toronto played home games in Florida, which I note eventually led to Armas becoming a Premier League manager, even if for a few games and by accident.
• Earlier in 2019, Tim Bezbatchenko, the GM who built TFC's dominant teams left to run Columbus, where he won an MLS Cup in a very flukey Covid season, but otherwise has amassed just 1.30 PPG the other years.
• As mentioned by Canchon, the new TFC GM signs Insigne because Italy won Euro 2020 and Toronto has a fair amount of Italians.
• Insigne refuses to learn English and only speaks to teammates in Italian or Spanish.
• They follow that by signing Bernadeschi, knowing he and Insigne have issues.
• Bernadeschi signs his contract with Insigne already there, and then demands his contract be redone so he makes as much as Insigne.
• Insigne gets pissy because the Players Union does not include his supplemental marketing deal in his published earnings which makes Shaqiri seem to be the highest paid player in MLS. Of course the MLSPA lowballs salary info as much as possible to make the players as sympathetic as possible vis-a-vis ownership.
• Bernadeschi vapes in practice, the training room and team plane despite being told to stop.
• The Italians don't like how Bradley runs practice, which happens to be exactly how he did it at LAFC, winning a Shield, and helping Vela win MVP and Vela and Rossi both won Golden boots.
• Other players distrust Bradley junior even though he basically acts as the same pseudo-player coach he has always been, including under Vanney, but now, OMG, he carpools with his Dad.

You would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.

This is more than I usually would summarize from behind a paywall, but this was just irresistible. And the cherries on top are the comments, which number 135 as of now, and which include multiple complaints that MLS does not have relegation, others connecting this disfunction to the USMNT, which hasn't had a Bradley in a major role for 5 years, and someone calling TFC a marquee franchise in MLS (they have 4 winning seasons in 17 years).

I can’t believe NYCFC looked so bad in losing to that Toronto dumpster fire.

I don't care we lost to them. This was the most fun I've gotten from MLS this season.

Sean John left NYCFC to join that hot mess for what? $150k? Wow.

First Standard Liege sees Ronny quit after less than 12 months and now this?! It's like Schadenfreude Week here at NYCFC-land.

ETA: Oh, and they almost hired Pirlo.

 

[moogoo]

TIL LAFC's stadium was built without a press box for broadcasters to call games.

 

[mgarbowski]

Phil Neville let go by Miami.

Inter Miami CF Parts Ways With Phil Neville | Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami CF has announced the Club has parted ways with Phil Neville. The team has also announced that it has parted ways with Assistant Coach Jason Kreis. Inter Miami CF Assistant Coach Javier Morales will assume the role as Interim Head Coach effective immediately, while Assistant Coach...

www.intermiamicf.com

 

[JayH]

Phil Neville let go by Miami.

Inter Miami CF Parts Ways With Phil Neville | Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami CF has announced the Club has parted ways with Phil Neville. The team has also announced that it has parted ways with Assistant Coach Jason Kreis. Inter Miami CF Assistant Coach Javier Morales will assume the role as Interim Head Coach effective immediately, while Assistant Coach...

www.intermiamicf.com

And Kreis

 

[Gotham Gator]

Here’s an in form striker we could pursue.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1667720001288278016

 

[Gotham Gator]

I like how Zelarayan's worldie from last night had such a low probability of success, that the ball appears above the line rather than below it.

 

[canchon]

MLS Soccer dot com’s webpage: big headline picture and article about Messi, an ad for season pass, and 3 more articles below about Messi.

Messi League Soccer is upon us.

 

[JCMore]

MLS Soccer dot com’s webpage: big headline picture and article about Messi, an ad for season pass, and 3 more articles below about Messi.

Messi League Soccer is upon us.

The website has been like that for a
week or two . It’s fucking embarrassing. It’s a hassle to find their normal weekly articles now because they are too busy wanking themselves off about Messi.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Jozy Altidore being bought out by New England. He can be signed by any team for a minimum salary.

I know he's not great anymore and can't stay healthy, but for such a small salary I think I'm taking a chance on that. Once we sign another striker, he'd be a backup option off the bench. Feel like we could do a lot worse if he's making the league minimum.

 

[Keith Putnam]

Jozy Altidore being bought out by New England. He can be signed by any team for a minimum salary.

I know he's not great anymore and can't stay healthy, but for such a small salary I think I'm taking a chance on that. Once we sign another striker, he'd be a backup option off the bench. Feel like we could do a lot worse if he's making the league minimum.

I think Jozy should just retire.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Given the state of our roster, I’d be fine bringing him in. I’d keep my expectations low (does anyone else remember Chanot outrunning him to a long ball a couple weeks ago), but even with low expectations, he’s an improvement.

 

[mgarbowski]

No to Jozy. We should have roster room for 3 forwards to replace Taty, Heber and Thiago. I wouldn’t waste any of them on Jozy.

 

[moogoo]

Jozy Altidore being bought out by New England. He can be signed by any team for a minimum salary.

I know he's not great anymore and can't stay healthy, but for such a small salary I think I'm taking a chance on that. Once we sign another striker, he'd be a backup option off the bench. Feel like we could do a lot worse if he's making the league minimum.

We need a mobile striker creating space and being a threat in behind. Jozy is none of those things. He's a maybe poacher these days with no aerial ability. Best we could hope for is he'd get us a soft pen when he falls over in the box. And that's if he's able to play and is not injured. I'd take him as a free backup but I wouldn't pay him anything.

 

[Gene]

 

[SoupInNYC]

He's a body - he's better at everything that Segal does so in that regard I'd be slightly interested.

But he's definitely not a solution to the problem and NYCFC should be bringing in 1-2 guys who should in theory make signing Jozy irrelevant. And he's also a dick and someone I would find it hard to root for.

 

[mgarbowski]

He's a body - he's better at everything that Segal does so in that regard I'd be slightly interested.

But he's definitely not a solution to the problem and NYCFC should be bringing in 1-2 guys who should in theory make signing Jozy irrelevant. And he's also a dick and someone I would find it hard to root for.

Yes. I think we maybe could add him without waiting for the July 5 window because cut and unaffiliated players are exempt. But once he become superfluous in a few weeks he's likely to be poison in the locker room.

 

[Davo15]

I went to the Hartford Athletic game last night . They are likely the worst team in the USL right now . I’m not sure I’d want them to sign jozy right now he’s so washed up .

 

[ZYanksRule]

We need a mobile striker creating space and being a threat in behind. Jozy is none of those things. He's a maybe poacher these days with no aerial ability. Best we could hope for is he'd get us a soft pen when he falls over in the box. And that's if he's able to play and is not injured. I'd take him as a free backup but I wouldn't pay him anything.

That's my point though -- he'd be making the minimum, so wouldn't impact our salary cap in any meaningful way. We could still sign at least two bigger players and still have him as a the third backup. He'd basically be taking Segal's spot in the rotation. I know Jozy's washed up, but is he still better than Segal when healthy? I think he probably is.

I'm not advocating for it necessarily, but I've seen worse options.

 

[canchon]

We need a mobile striker creating space and being a threat in behind. Jozy is none of those things. He's a maybe poacher these days with no aerial ability. Best we could hope for is he'd get us a soft pen when he falls over in the box. And that's if he's able to play and is not injured. I'd take him as a free backup but I wouldn't pay him anything.

Peak Jozy was a master at initiating contact and then falling in the box for a penalty.