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What did I call?Here we go, SMF called this one, so I'll give him credit, or maybe he just read this article before me.
The Pitch (Week 2): Charlotte FC Set for Record-Breaking Home Crowd Against Galaxy’s Chicharito | MLSSoccer.com
The Top Things to Watch as MLS Enters Week 2
Not exactly, but you mentioned you thought Charlotte FC would draw 80K for their opener and that's what this article is also saying.
Charlotte is becoming my home away from home. I will be there this weekend, however I won’t be at the game. You can’t get tickets. Maybe just maybe Charlotte FC will be my gateway into MLS fandom. I know a lot of people who will be working at the game.
It's interesting that southern cities like Atlanta, Nashville, Orlando and now Charlotte are apparently filling stadiums for soccer?
I watched Charlotte's 1st ever game, @ DC United, they actually scored the 1st goal, but it was called offsides on VAR, they lost eventually 3-0. They don't seem very good based on that game, Atlanta and Nashville both came out with really good teams their first years in MLS
I looked at the secondary market. Not to sound cheap but I wasn’t paying $80-90 for an MLS game. But my daughter is there and she decided to work the game with her teammates. She’s in a store on the luxory box level and gets 40% of merch. I told her to pick me up a shirt. Maybe I’ll become a fan. Lol.
Bad soccer but just for the atmosphere, it would have been worth it but I shouldn't talk. I couldn't justify spending $60 for uppers or $120 for lowers to Pitt/Coach K. I doubt I'd miss that money 20 years from now and could say I was there but it was the principle of it. Pitt is terrible and thaf was too much to see Pitt get pounded.
I watched some of it and it really is bad. I know one player (Fuchs, who played at Leicester) on Charlotte’s roster and then the rest are a handful of Americans, a bunch of obscure central and South American players, other than a couple Pols, a Spaniard and and English player. I have watched a lot of bad soccer in my day, but I can do that if I have a kid playing in the game or it’s the USA or Pitt. But this Charlotte team might not win a game. They set an attendance record but that stadium is going to look pretty empty for the rest of the season I would think.
MB doesn't hold as many.
Yeah I 100% agree. The MLS is making Concacaf, instead of the US, more challenging. Lol.
LOL. When they missed the WC, I was so so pissed. I started listening to some soccer podcasts. There was this one that took emailed questions/comments. I emailed them and said that MLS is partly responsible for the US not making it because its given Panamian, Costa Ricans, and Hondurans a 1st class league environment to play and develop in. They read it on their podcast but didn't agree. Said they make the league better. No shit, they are better than 2nd tier Americans but do you really, really need Central American players? Would MLS fall apart if an American guy is out there playing instead. I want Americans and old Euros I know. I cant recognizs any of these guys. Its partly why I gave up MLB years ago. 50% of the league is from DR and Latin America with most of the same last names. My brain couldn't remember who was who.
, they like MLS because of the parity, it's not same old/same old every year
Aren't you the one that wants the USA to join UEFA for "better competition" and here you're afraid of MLS making CONCACAF teams better? So the USAMNT missed the WC? You think they'd make it if they had to qualify in Europe? Which wouldn't make sense anyways, some things should always stay the SAME, JUST BECAUSE, USA shouldn't be part of UEFA EVER, JUST BECAUSE they aren't in Europe.
A few observations, just for ME personally...
1) I watched some EPL this morning, which I don't normally do, and it was crystal clear to me, that even the lesser teams have way more skill and play way better quality soccer than MLS, still it doesn't hold my attention, I just don't care, I'd rather watch DC United vs Cincinnati, like I did last night or other MLS teams, I mean having a favorite team and watching teams in American cities and in my time zone is more appealing than watching teams in Europe play with better quality
2) Personally, I have been a DC United fan since 1996, when it started, and I'd prefer they bring in whoever is best, rather than some 3rd rate American who played in the ACC or something. Give me a great player from the Polish League or El Salvador instead.
3) I watch the MLS like I do the NFL, I don't watch it to develop players for the USAMNT, I watch my team, like I watch the Steelers, I want them to win The MLS Cup, not send players to Europe for development, F that! Like DC lost this kid Kevin Paredes to Europe this year, people are celebrating that, I'd rather see him play in DC, he was fun to watch, I won't ever trying to stream a game from Europe just to see him, just like I never watch any game from Europe just because Famous American USAMNT guy plays there
4) I personally think that the MLS should at least get the very best talent in this corner of the world if nothing else, if it makes CONCACAF teams better so be it, I guess that's because I like MLS just for itself alone and not as a development league for USAMNT or Europe or anything else.
5) Really I'm not alone in this, I've participated in some MLS Facebook discussions and there's a decent amount of MLS fans like me, interestingly there's a good number of Europeans, including English people who like the MLS better than their countries league and the reason most often cited is because in their leagues, it's like American College Football, Bama, Georgia or Clemson, nobody else ever wins
No, it would be stupid, better the way it is, artificially putting USA in Europe is ridiculous, why not put Liga MX there then? They've been a better league than MLS. MLS doesn't have to be a better league, Europe has like 40 leagues, are they all better than MLS, no they aren't. And playing in UEFA doesn't make them better than MLS.
Slightly better is better, teams need to put winning INSIDE MLS first, not developing players for USMNT.
Mexico doesn't have the market or money the US has. And the second the US is admitted into UEFA, MLS becomes the 3rd best league in the world behind the EPL and Bundesliga because the teams would have the money and Champions League path to overtake La Liga and Serie A.
So geography means nothing, What if Australia had the biggest market and money, should they join Europe too?
Because they would then have the money to buy world-class players and MLS teams playing in Champions League would grow the league and sport beyone belief.
I really don't know, I'm just judging it by CL I guess, MLS teams have never won that. I have seen articles, not written by SMF
about merging them.Liga MX is significantly better. The reason is simple. Those teams have much higher payrolls and can afford much better players. The difference between your average Liga MX and your average MLS team isnt a whole lot different than your average EPL team and your average team from the Championship.
and the US. Many cities in the US have murder rates amongst the worst in the world. On the football board, we discussed international NFL expansion and Mexico City was brought up and everyone was like its too dangerous there. No its not. They keep Mexico City very safe. Its not Cartel Mexico. Mexico City has lower crime rates than most American cities.
I don't follow Liga MX, is it like Europe, where the same 2-3 teams win the league over and over and over? If it is, I prefer MLS lesser quality, unpredictability and parity like the NFL.
You're smarter than that. Poverty + dense population leads to murders. You want to decrease the murder rate, give everyone 100K/year. Then there's no incentive to sell drugs. Not saying we should do that but crime is directly related to poverty
But if you don't do that, and the crime is happening, then ENFORCE THE LAWS IN A BRUTAL MANNER if need be, without consideration of which demographics bear the brunt of the beatdown.
Charge everyone with everything, throw the book at them, no leniency, increase patrols, raids. None of this woke stuff where you let people go for minor crimes. I'd also sweep out all those homeless camps in places like SF and do it BY FORCE, no tents on the sidewalks. LAW & ORDER
If you don't eliminate the poverty, your suggestions will only make marginal improvements. When people are poor, they turn to illegal activities. Not many of them will think "you know what, I may get 20 years instead of 10 for this robbery since Pgh is being tough now so I'm just going to apply to Target."
I'm all for eliminating the poverty, but at the same time, while we wait for the end to poverty that might never come, I'd prefer to use any means necessary to try to control crime, even beating down criminals desperate because of poverty that's not their fault.
