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Grelladinho

Member Since 04 Aug 2015
Offline Last Active Mar 23 2024 06:57 PM

#1442838 No MLS in 2024 Open Cup

Posted by Grelladinho on 20 February 2024 - 08:42 AM

 
The ongoing discussion about the US Open Cup is less about the tournament itself and more about who governs soccer in the United States. Despite differing individual opinions on whether the USL poses a threat to the MLS, it is plausible that in the next decade, the USL could compete for D1 status. Successful USL teams like Orange County have been signing players from MLS academies and transferring them to Europe. This trend indicates that promising young players are not solely dependent on MLS teams or the USMNT youth setup to get noticed by European clubs. The logical progression for USL would be to improve their player development program to enable more profitable transfers, as this market could serve as a significant revenue source for them.
 
The D1 status does not necessarily reflect the quality of a team, but rather it is indicative of the financial strength of its owners. For USL clubs to achieve this status, they must meet two key criteria: an ownership group with a net worth of $70 million and a stadium that can hold at least 15,000 spectators. These requirements were established by US Soccer to make D1 qualification challenging for NASL clubs, which led to an antitrust lawsuit. However, these prerequisites may be subject to change in the future. The pro/reg model of USL could potentially become a more appealing model to US Soccer if it results in more teams, the construction of new stadiums, more soccer academies and an expanded fan base. If the USL is awarded D1 status, MLS would have no say over this decision and would either need to merge with or compete against this league. This explains why MLS is striving for control over soccer in the U.S, even going so far as establishing MLS Next Pro in order to try to inhibit USLs growth.
 
MLS is not only focused on its growth but also aims to remain as the top US league. As noted, owners have made significant investments in franchise fees but a tournament like the US Open Cup exposes the league because MLS teams often lack balance and depth, making them vulnerable without their star players. They could potentially lose to USL teams, which would negatively impact their image. Consider Inter Miami as an example; while they may currently be drawing attention and selling tickets, a continued losing streak to MLS or USL clubseven with star player Messicould tarnish their appeal. People pay to see Messi play not Inter Miami but if Messi's performance doesn't meet expectations or he is frequently benched due to health issues, it might affect spectator turnout despite his star power. 

Dude come on this argument is ridiculous.

Do you really think people will stop going to Inter Miami games to see Messi if they played in the Open Cup (which nobody attends or watches) and lost to some random USL team?

Miami could lose every game this year and their matchups still will be the highest attended in the league.


#1442806 No MLS in 2024 Open Cup

Posted by Grelladinho on 19 February 2024 - 03:16 PM

Needs to be big protests from the supporters sections.


What will that accomplish? MLS fans just don't care about Open Cup other than a small but noisy minority that hangs out on social media and Reddit.


#1442805 The 2023-24 Offseason Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 19 February 2024 - 03:12 PM

I said it on a thread last year: granted I'm a washed up 40-something, but I had similar hip surgery (torn labrum, femoral spurring) 18 months ago, and my PT told me that my really realistic timetable to be 100% was 12 months. Basically, there's a lot that can go wrong, and the second you get on thing (e.g. hip flexor tendonitis) under control, something else can flair up. 
 
I think that's the injury that basically ended Jacoby Elsbury's career (or maybe he just didn't feel like putting in the work, who knows).

Thanks for sharing. I guess the fact that Morgan is still hurt is just weird to rationalize considering how far back the injury happened.


#1438351 Metro - Cincy Playoff Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 01 November 2023 - 07:23 AM

I think it will be a 2-1 or 2-0 win Saturday. Cincy didn't show me enough last weekend to view them as a dominant team. They basically caught a tired Red Bulls squad after a bunch of games.


#1438337 MLS TV moves to Apple

Posted by Grelladinho on 31 October 2023 - 02:23 PM

The stream of the broadcasts is better but the play by play and color commentary are nothing close to what we had with Shep and Cangi.  Most of them are hard to listen to, even my wife misses them. 

This is my sentiment exactly. The announcers are dreadful.

The biggest issue I think with the announcers is they have no bite. Every announcer sounds like a PR spokesperson for the league. They rarely have anything critical to say like Shep would. It's just showering praise for everything and as a result the announcers are indistinguishable from one another, as they all end up sounding generic.

There were a few moments in the game over the weekend where they were talking as if the viewer had never seen MLS before. There was a line of something like "If you are ever on this side of the Atlantic, make sure you see a game at TQL Stadium" (frequently name dropping the stadium name throughout the broadcast). Like wtf? Who cares?

Provide actual analysis, not just saying every player is amazing and the fans are amazing and the stadium is amazing.


#1438238 Metro - Cincy Playoff Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 29 October 2023 - 08:19 PM

"Aww poor Cincy, they deserve this after running their team so shitty the first few years" -- the trash Apple TV announcers


#1438223 Metro - Cincy Playoff Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 29 October 2023 - 08:05 PM

The Apple TV announcers are so fucking bad. Just completely generic. They have absolutely no insight and say things like "guy who led the team in goals is a stud".


#1438160 Metro - Cincy Playoff Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 29 October 2023 - 07:35 PM

Apple TV announcers suck. Bring back Steve and Shep every game.


#1435322 Metro - Revs Game Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 31 August 2023 - 05:59 AM

Have to start questioning life choices watching this garbage. 

I'm not watching another game this regular season. If they make the playoffs, I'll watch that. I'm glad I didn't waste money on Apple TV and got it for free through T-Mobile.

But every regular season game is becoming the same: you tune in thinking it somehow will be different, but turns out to be yet another 90 minutes of dreadful attacking and guys shooting balls into upper decks.


#1435238 Metro - Revs Game Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 30 August 2023 - 07:13 PM

It all started with an absolutely idiotic turnover by Yearwood. Why the fuck does he keep playing?


Because RB is trying to sell him to Europe for a profit.


#1435017 The Fire Lesesne Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 27 August 2023 - 06:22 AM

Stockholm Syndrome at its finest. He is a garbage coach for a garbage team. Fire him and everyone else all the way up, and all the way down. Fuck Red Bull. This isnt Metro. Long Live Metro.


Agreed fuck this organization and the FO


#1435013 Metro - Miami Game Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 27 August 2023 - 06:10 AM

Is it on Troy that Omir cant tap a ball into an empty net?

Youngest team in the league
3rd lowest payroll
Two most expensive and attacking players are on the bench more often than not because our training staff sucks

There a things a coach can do to ameliorate this (and he has not done so entirely - hence if he leaves Im fine), but this is 90-95% on the FO and ownership.  Even with Struber, same thing.  FO and ownership

To me it still doesn't matter. Show some emotion. Try out new formations and lineups every game. This team is so dull to watch and it's crazy to think at this point in the season they have absolutely zero offensive chemistry.

There is no vision. It's just guys playing pickup soccer.


#1434930 Metro - Miami Game Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 26 August 2023 - 08:08 PM

Enough on the commentary about Messi, holy shit. Twellman is obsessed.


#1434918 Metro - Miami Game Thread

Posted by Grelladinho on 26 August 2023 - 07:59 PM

Never has this organization felt so insignificant. 25K sellout to cheer on the opponent


#1429368 (Not-)Mali Midfielder Ronald Donkor Signed

Posted by Grelladinho on 07 May 2023 - 05:32 AM

Oh look, another player who just runs around and never scores goals