Major Link Soccer - Local Soccer Edition

by Dizzo on Jun 17, 2011 9:00 AM PDT in Sounders: MLS Regular Season

The Sounders are traveling north of the border this weekend to take on Toronto FC. I'm not going to lie. I expect a big win on Saturday. Toronto, even at home, is one of the easiest match-ups in the league and an opportunity to claw back some points the Sounders left on the table last weekend when the Vancouver Whitecaps came to town. Points taken by an absolute wonder strike, and YouTube sensation, by striker Eric Hassli. I'm starting to lose track of the goal-of-the-week strikes that have robbed us of points this season.

USMNT Escape Group C: The US national team aren't doing things the easy way in the Gold Cup. The US needed a win against tiny Guadeloupe on Tuesday to advance out of group C. Luckily they got it on the back of a excellent strike by Jozy Altidore. It was a game the US should have coasted through and probably would have if they hadn't lost a shocker to Panama on Saturday. Now they'll face much stiffer competition in Jamaica in the quarterfinals. To aid the process, the USSF have arranged private jets to ensure US stars Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey arrive back in camp quickly after their respective sister's weddings.

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Comments

Hahaha BBC is funny

“There is also the distant chance that Joe Nagbe could one day take to the pitch with his son Darlington, a highly-rated 20-year-old who made his Major League Soccer debut in the United States for Baltimore Timbers earlier this year. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/mobile/football/13669476.stm

by agtk on Jun 17, 2011 9:39 AM PDT reply actions

Awesome find!

That’s a pretty amazing story. I’m hoping he does become the oldest player to contest the finals at the African Nations Cup. It’s pretty amazing he’s playing at 43, and as a defender no less. He’s like the Kasey Keller or Pat Onstad of outfield players.

by Dizzo on Jun 17, 2011 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions

They fixed it :(

Nos audietis in somniis
Nos audietis in altum

by Seattle Coug on Jun 17, 2011 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions

I wonder how they confused the two in the first place.

by agtk on Jun 17, 2011 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions

Are there any forests in Baltimore?

Nos Audietis

by sidereal on Jun 17, 2011 11:48 AM PDT up reply actions

Only the forests of Jimmy McNulty's empty Jameson bottles

You will hear us on Brougham, you will hear us on Occidental, you will hear us on King. We are all around you, there is no escape.

by 108Ultra on Jun 17, 2011 2:21 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Gold Cup leads Telefutura by major english networks

Now, it depends on what demographics you measure, but the Spanish broadcast of US games is helping give the NBC/Comcast/Universal station a boost this year.

Gold Cup is +28% v same number of games in 2009

National team support is strong in this country.

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Jun 17, 2011 10:03 AM PDT reply actions

Sounders Women

What are the chances of them joining the WPL? I know the league is barely treading water, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few thousand fans show up to Starfire to cheer on some Sounders Women if they were in the WPL.

by agtk on Jun 17, 2011 10:35 AM PDT reply actions

Pretty Slim, IMHO

The WPSL just started a new team in Spokane. I would imagine the WPSL would have approached the Sounders Women at some point considering they reside in a much bigger market. The Spokane Shine have a 1-2-1 record so far.

by Dizzo on Jun 17, 2011 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions

I hadn't heard of the WPSL. Looks like it's below the W-League?

Judging by their standings, there’s lots of room for growth in the northwest and mountain west.

by yuniform on Jun 17, 2011 3:02 PM PDT up reply actions

Travel is a problem

WPS effectively become an Eastern region league this season after losing their California teams. It’d be very tough to be the only team west of the Mississippi.

There’s a better chance of promoting the W-League Western Conference into a competitor of WPS.

Nos Audietis

by sidereal on Jun 17, 2011 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions

The W-League seems a lot more sustainable to me

Keep the divisions regional and limited to 8-10 teams. Play every regional opponent home and away. Division winners play in a Final Four single-elimination format to decide the league champion. If the league had the means, you could expand the playoff format to eight teams, with a home-and-away round matching 1st-seed teams against 2nd-seed teams in the first round, to be followed by the Final Four. The six non-WPS teams could integrate into the W-League pretty easily, playing in the different eastern divisions. Having partners like the Sounders, Whitecaps, and DC United can help keep costs down by sharing training facilities. And since the most marketable women’s team in the US is the national team, maybe the USSF can supplement the pay of the top players so that they can train full-time and aren’t a burden on their W-League team’s budget.

That system would hopefully keep the doors open for most teams, which is the primary goal, and then they could see where things went from there.

by ubelmann on Jun 17, 2011 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions

And not all the teams in the WPS behave professionally.

magicJack isn’t doing so well. This article argues the league would fold without the not especially well-run team that used to be in D.C.

by yuniform on Jun 17, 2011 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Especially a shame because Hope Solo's on the magicJack

Nos Audietis

by sidereal on Jun 17, 2011 9:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe I was the only person not completely disheartened by the US/Guadeloupe match

If the US had won that match 3-0, I don’t think people would be panicking as much. When you consider that the US missed 7+ legitimate scoring chances, yes – it does cause concern.

What I saw was a tired Dempsey having an “off” night, involved in all but 2 of those missed scoring opportunities. If we can use the archaic “he was just having an off-day” excuse on Dempsey, and pull him aside from the rest of the sample, the team played quite well. Despite his misses, Dempsey still nearly nailed two free kicks on goal – showing even on his “off” nights, he can be lethal.

Granted I will give you that Guadeloupe isn’t a world power, but our defense was stout and our midfield dominating. We were sending wonderful passes, through balls, and crosses in. Our guys (including Dempsey) were making excellent runs. The timing was there, the team was clicking. Lichaj was pretty darn spectacular if you’re using Bornstein as a barometer. Boca and Goodson had the center tied down. Dolo was making amazing runs and his crosses were far better in this match than last. You can honestly find a common denominator in Dempsey in most of the missed opportunities.

I won’t punish Dempsey, however, as given what he’s done for this team (and the fact he’s been playing two+ years straight now with no break), he’s earned a pass from me. I really think Bob Bradley should have rested him versus Guadeloupe, however. His legs have to be tired and we could have saved him and let him rest. At worst, BB could have inserted Dempsey in the later parts of the match if things would have gotten hairy before.

by ABTsportsline on Jun 17, 2011 1:55 PM PDT reply actions