2013 MLS Season thread

[CFCNick]

Anyone follow the MLS??? Season started this weekend. Reigning champs LA are currenrly opening their campaign at home to Chicago on ESPN. Carlo Cudicini making his debut with Robbie Keane up top.

My team, Montreal, started with a win in Seattle last night.

[Luke]

How did The New York Red Bulls do? Given that they've got Cahill and Henry you have to think they will be there or there abouts when it comes to the finals.
Also good luck to Ryan Nielsen at Toronto, tough job to start with given how they've badly underperformed the last couple of seasons.

[westisbest]

I did follow it for a while, but that was mainly to see how Juan Pablo Angel got on.

Watch it now and then.

[spencerclarke]

New York Red Bulls are my team. They haven't been that great over the years to be honest. I also have a soft spot for FC Toronto after going to watch them whilst I was over a few years back. The support was brilliant so I tend to keep an eye out for them. Again though not the great a team.

[CFCNick]

Here's some players you might have heard of who are playing this season.

Chicago Fire
Arne Friedrich

Chivas USA
Laurent Coutois - Ex-Levante

FC Dallas
Peter Luccin - Ex-Atletico Madrid

LA Galaxy
Robbie Keane
Carlo Cudicini

Montreal Impact
Marco Di Vaio
Alessandro Nesta
Matteo Ferrari

New England Revolution
Kalifa Cisse - Ex-Reading and Bristol City

New York Red Bulls
Thierry Henry
Tim Cahill
Lloyd Sam
Juninho Perambucano

Portland Timbers
Frederic Piquionne - Ex-Monaco, Lyon, Portsmouth, West Ham
Mikael Silvestre

Seattle Sounders
Marcus Hahnemann
Djimi Traore

Toronto FC
Robert Earnshaw
Hogan Ephraim - on loan from QPR

Vancouver Whitecaps
Jay DeMerit
Kenny Miller
Lee Young-Pyo
Nigel Reo Coker

[CFCNick]

NY start tonight tiger. They've got Portland away at 7:30 NY time 12:30 here on ESPN after the LA-Chicago game. They've certainly excelled in Thierry's time at the club. They made the conference semi final last season but lost to DC United, who lost to Houston, who lost to LA in the MLS Cup(the league title) final.

Montreal are in Portland next week. Should have a good chance at making the playoffs after a great debut season last year.

[GSC]

SOCCER!

[Luke]

Is Landon Donavan still at LA ? no disrespect but I hope they don't win it for a 3rd year in a row.

See both Houston and Kansas won, are they favorites for the west division, or Seattle.? I know Houston we're runners up the last 2 year's, do you think they could go one better this time?

Houston Montreal final

Also when does the champs cup (sorry can't remember the name of it), start. Seeing as Mexico's teams have dominated it, about time an American team won it.

[CFCNick]

The CONCACAF Champions League is already half way through. The group stage runs from June to Ocotober and the knockout rounds are from March to May. Houston, LA and Seattle all won their groups and are in the quarter finals which be played from the 5th-7th. Toronto and Salt Lake finished runners-up and went out.

Houston should win it if not this year next year. They won it back to back in 06 and 07. They've rebuilt so should be strong for another few years.

Hoping Montreal can win the Canadian Championship and be in the 2013-14 Champions League. Only Canadian teams can qualify for the next Champions League in this season. All the other qualifiers will be in the 2014-15 tournament.

[spencerclarke]

Hoping Montreal can win the Canadian Championship and be in the 2014-15 Champions League. Can't see them making it any other way this season.

Not happy with that! FC Toronto all the way. Robbie Earnshaw to bag a load this season.

[CFCNick]

Cudicini is having a howler. Lucky he has good defenders in front of him.

[CFCNick]

Hoping Montreal can win the Canadian Championship and be in the 2014-15 Champions League. Can't see them making it any other way this season.

Not happy with that! FC Toronto all the way. Robbie Earnshaw to bag a load this season.

They should add Edmonton to the MLS I think. They already compete in the Canadian Championship with the three Canadian MLS teams plus they need an extra team in the West Conference to make it an even 20 (10 in each conference).

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Vancouver Whitecaps
Nigel Reo Coker

Is that the same Nigel Reo Coker who left Bolton on a free at the end of last season because he had "Premier League clubs lining up for him"?

[CFCNick]

Yes it is.

Your new favourite man is from MLS. Mr Kamara.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Well I suppose Vancouver is a step up from Ipswich!

Kei what a player! Kansas sound as if they miss him a lot?

[CFCNick]

Too early to tell. They won their opener 3-1 against Philadelphia though.

Watching NY @ Portland now with Montreal @ Boston (NHL) on GCL on my laptop.

[CFCNick]

What an epic game!!! New York 3-1 up at half time, 2nd half has been all Portland and they made it 3-3 with 8 minutes to go. If you watch any MLS this year look out for Portland's left winger Darlington Nagbe. He is amazing. The Portland fans have to be amongst the World's best for home advantage. Great atmosphere.

New York hold on for a point. If it wasn't for the keeper Portland could have won this 5-3 or 6-3. NY did not deserve a point for their poor poor poor second half.

Here's Portland's 1st goal. http://telly.com/55FMG7?sg=1

[CFCNick]

The Seattle Sounders are currently playing Tigres in the 1st leg of their quarter final in the CONCACAF Champions League.

0-0 after 17 minutes.

[Luke]

Good wins for DC United & Philly so far this weekend, and both Vancover & Montreal keep up there 100% records.

[CFCNick]

The first goal for Montreal was good. Overhead kick into the far post in the edge if the box.

[davidl1061]

Well Djimi Traore never did this when playing in England!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GonJ3rSFjDg

[Crimey]

Well Djimi Traore never did this when playing in England!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GonJ3rSFjDg

Where was he hiding that?

He will still always go down in history who did a Maradona turn into his own net.

[Luke]

Seattle have signed Obafemi Margins as there designated player for this season.

MockingJay, have you seen this months World Soccer Magazine? They have a preview on this season, and a guide on the clubs with there new signings.

[CFCNick]

Just watched some CONCACAF Champions League and Copa Libertadores highlights. Was trying to figure out how Mexican teams play in both. The system is compicated on the surface but after some reading is very simple. Brain still hurts though.

[CFCNick]

Seattle have signed Obafemi Margins as there designated player for this season.

MockingJay, have you seen this months World Soccer Magazine? They have a preview on this season, and a guide on the clubs with there new signings.

That's a very good signing considering they just made the Champions League semi finals. I've seen that magazine, I'll have to check it out in more detail next time I come across it.

[Luke]

Looks like Freddy Adu's time at the Philadelphia Union is just about done. With a deal in place to move him on to Brazilian club Bahia in place, with Philly getting Klebersen in return.

[CFCNick]

Forgot to mention Montreal beat New York 1-0 yesterday. Marco Di Vaio, remember him?! scored the only goal at the Stade Olympique. 4 wins from 4 games to start the Impact's 2nd MLS season. CONCACAF Champions League here we come!!!!

Sitting pretty five points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference as the only team in the entire league with a 100% record and the only Eastern team to win at least three games never mind four.

[Luke]

Manchester City and the New York Yankees have agreed a $100 million (at least), tie up for a New MLS team starting from the start of either 2015/16 called New York City fc. City will be the majority owners of the team, with the Yankees having about a 25% stake. The deal could rise to about $500 million if you factor in the new stadium (flushing meadows or Queens are favorites at the moment,though these are both very close to the New York Mets stadium).

The deal could also see the Yankees playing a few baseball games at the Eithad stadium ( which would be fantastic if they do).

[CFCNick]

As a New York Mets fan I was quite excited all the way back when the 2nd NYC franchise was first rumoured and Queens was the frontrunner. Then I saw this news the other morning and thought "Urgh, the Yankees and Citeh. I instantly dislike this team before they've even kicked a ball".

BTW tiger, Flushing Meadows is in Queens.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

KEI KAMARA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NickisBHAFC]

Apparently Robbie Rogers came on as a sub for LA Galaxy. The first ever open gay player to play. Superb for him and such a brilliant day for Sport as a whole. Just a shame there is so many idiots out there who will do there best to make sly comments and verbal abuse at games.

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