Meaningful soccer in February. Yes!
Two months out weatherman Sabo predicts gametime temperature of 30.
I am not a professional meteorologist, I just stayed in a Holiday Inn Express last year.30 degrees in february? bring out the shorts.
I find myself somewhere between excited for this thing and curious. Curious excitement. Still care more right now about th mls season. Don’t like playing this early in the year of course.
Atlanta United to host Concacaf Champions League match at Kennesaw State | MLSSoccer.com
ATLUTD to host Round of 16 CCL match at Kennesaw Statewww.mlssoccer.com
Yeah...I don't really understand point #1 at all. MLS has grown dramatically just over the last 5 years, and I think we've also seen a dramatic increase in interest in CCL. It's not where we want it to be, no. But it's increasing. Dismissing the potential growth in Costa Rica or other CONCACAF countries isn't really helpful. And ignoring the exposure of MLS clubs to those countries, and the exposure of players from those leagues to MLS Sporting Directors isn't productive.Was Anthony Merced's article on NYCFC Nation about NYCFC/CCL discussed elsewhere? Didn't see it in this thread (Why CCL Isn’t Important to NYCFC, 12/5). I hadn't come across it until I heard a spirited discussion between Anthony and JR, with Mike moderating, on Blue City Radio. Three major points:
1. CONCACAF isn't robust enough, and if what you're really looking for is MLS v. Liga MX matches, the newly created Leagues Cup might be better suited
Yeah...I don't really understand point #1 at all. MLS has grown dramatically just over the last 5 years, and I think we've also seen a dramatic increase in interest in CCL. It's not where we want it to be, no. But it's increasing. Dismissing the potential growth in Costa Rica or other CONCACAF countries isn't really helpful. And ignoring the exposure of MLS clubs to those countries, and the exposure of players from those leagues to MLS Sporting Directors isn't productive.
And I'm sure those leagues will have the occasional team that is very talented and can make a run.
Regarding CCL vs League's Cup, we do know that clubs care about CCL in both the US and Mexico (I don't know for sure about the fans in Mexico). I'm not sure we know whether teams really care about Leagues Cup in the US and Mexico, just look at the XI's that suited up in last year's games
* I don't get the sense that even the author of the article cited a few posts back likes Leagues Cup. He just uses it as a club to bash CCL.
Isn’t the reason no one cares that MLS teams fail miserably in the tournament?I listened to the (always excellent) Blue City Radio pod where the author bashed CCL. Basically the thesis was “the tournament sucks, no one cares (now or ever in the future), no one is going to watch these teams” therefore NYCFC should just not give an eff about the tournament.
It got very repetitive as it seemed this was the same point over and over - I wished they would have asked him “ok, no one cares, how would you devise a continental tournament that people do care about?”
None of the teams that win these competitions denigrate them.I'm getting tired of the steady denigration of every competition (except MLS Cup)
Fans of those teams will sometimes do so, but only if they also won MLS Cup, and it is completely situational. So if, for example, the issue is who is the team of the decade, a Sounders fan will note that they have 1 Shield and 3 Open Cups in addition to the 2 MLS Cups. But if they're arguing with a Red Bull fan they'll say that only the MLS Cup means anything.None of the teams that win these competitions denigrate them.
Sour grapes much?
None of the teams that win these competitions denigrate them.
Sour grapes much?
(Not meaning you have sour grapes mgar. But the rest of the world, oh yeah. I, for one, would be pretty damn happy to win any of the mentioned trophies.)
Fox is a good partner. Wonder if the championship can make it to big fox if an MLS team makes the final.