MLS Week 2 - 2017

[Midas Mulligan]

Your first problem is getting into disagreements on Reddit. Leave it be.

Twellman is version 2.0 of the Lalas/Wynalda syndrome to taking former facey players and putting a mic in front of them while listening to them be hypocritical of current players. They all suffer from understanding what a color-guy needs to do and how to do it neutrally. All of them should really be sent to Sky Sports for a 4 year internship that starts with getting coffee for the commentators, includes watching from the wings all weekend, and includes fashion tips on how to properly wear a suit and which tie works with which collar. Graduation only takes place when you drift toward being more critical/self-deprecating of you/your former team than taking pot shots at the game of the day.

Wynalda is good on tv and regularly gives good tactical analysis. He saves his ball busting for twitter and radio. And he's usually spot on even then.

Lalas, otoh, just this past week called Christian Pulisic a "good American player" and Michael Bradley "world class". No, really.

I think Twellman just isn't very smart about soccer or anything else. But he's a nice guy who had tough luck with his career being cut short, so people throw him some bones. All things considered, I'm glad he's done well for himself. Just wish it weren't at the expense of having quality commentators on national broadcasts.

 

[SoupInNYC]

Kljestan is hated because he's whiny and looks like a 70's porn actor, but Dax was the real prick on the field with his physicality of play and verbal jarring.

I never really minded Dax all that much. He was a guy I hated because he was extremely competitive and fiery on the field for our biggest rival. The real POS on that NJ team was Felipe.

Dax is one of those guys that if he's on your team you love him, but if you're going against him, you hate him. But I don't actually think ill of him at all.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Am I the only one that missed the launch of the new "This Week in MLS" match review show on youtube? Pretty smart of them to start doing this European style re-cap of all the matches. I don't love the dubbed commentators, but it's not so off-putting that I won't watch. I'd also guess that guys like us aren't the real target here, anyway.

 

[LionNYC]

Am I the only one that missed the launch of the new "This Week in MLS" match review show on youtube? Pretty smart of them to start doing this European style re-cap of all the matches. I don't love the dubbed commentators, but it's not so off-putting that I won't watch. I'd also guess that guys like us aren't the real target here, anyway.

I think they had something similar last year. But this version is completely new and started last year. It's made for the international audience. Not the only commentators you are for the UK, or international, broadcasts. Maybe this is shown on Sky Sports once a week. Either way, I really like it. This tells a story line about the games and season and not just highlights. Keep viewers interested all season.

Great digital product by the league.

 

[gbservis]

If Minnesota wanted to meticulously build the squad from bottom up instead of going full hog from day 1, I agree with that because its a smaller market than Atlanta. But they at least have to sign MLS caliber players. I did wonder since they brought back a lot of their NASL players, how they would fit in MLS.

They clearly overvalued their NASL players, they seem to have drank a bit too much of the "NASL is not that far off from the MLS" koolaide. The one upside is that if this continues any discussion of that non-sense should be all but over.

 

[SoupInNYC]

Am I the only one that missed the launch of the new "This Week in MLS" match review show on youtube? Pretty smart of them to start doing this European style re-cap of all the matches. I don't love the dubbed commentators, but it's not so off-putting that I won't watch. I'd also guess that guys like us aren't the real target here, anyway.

Just watched this as I'm grabbing the Acela back to Penn Station (the one in manhattan, not the one in that other state) and a few things about the games popped in my mind.

On our second goal, Maxi delivers a fantastic ball to Wallace who ends up sending the cross in. But look at the run that Ring makes. His run into the box draws the fullback away from Wallace, which gives him space to send the cross in.

Montreal-Seattle: What the hell was Frei doing on the first Montreal goal? I know he needed to come out, but he did it so wildly that Mancosu was easily able to dribble around him. Terrible. Additionally, the ball that Lodeiro played to Morris that he ended up sending off the post was pure world-class amazing. Shame it didn't end in a goal (though it would have required one hell of a finish).

Vancouver-San Jose: I don't think that second Vancouver goal really should have counted. Hurtado used two hands to throw his defender to the ground before cutting into the box. Should have been a foul IMO. Additionally, I know some will chalk it up to his competitiveness and whatnot, but I absolutely hate that furious face Wondo makes every time he scores. Drives me nuts.

 

[21Architect]

I am a big part of the problem with the MLS. I only watch NYCFC... I stream preseason friendlies and watch every second yet I just can't watch another second of an MLS game... It's my fault but an overall MLS problem

Do you have any data to back that up?

I ask because I watch a ton of MLS.

I watched every second of Atlanta at Minnesota and Portland at LA. I would have watched Orlando Shitty but it was postponed.

 

[21Architect]

They clearly overvalued their NASL players, they seem to have drank a bit too much of the "NASL is not that far off from the MLS" koolaide. The one upside is that if this continues any discussion of that non-sense should be all but over.

Fair enough but the 2016 Ft Lauderdale Strikers would have beaten the 2017 Minnesota United by 2+ goals last week.