The Champions League for our region (CONCACAF) resumes this evening and the impossible may be as possible as ever. Mexican Primera side Toluca travels to Columbus in a quarterfinal two-leg aggregate knockout round. Major League Soccer sides tend to hold their own against non-Mexican competition, but against our southerly neighbors it hasn't been a contest.

Columbus only has one significant loss. They can no longer count on Alejandro Moreno to draw free kicks and penalties for GBS. When you watch this game you will see a team more experienced than Seattle, but running a similar style. GBS roams behind the striker and flirts with being both a CAM and Withdrawn Forward at the same time.

Toluca is not a historically strong club and only has a few titles in the past half decade. They are currently struggling in League play more than half way through the Mexican Spring season. Eleventh with 11 pts in an 18 team league they do have a +3 Goal Differential. But they are traveling to cold Columbus, a stadium where Mexico players perform poorly.

They say that "Impossible is Nothing" but in this game, and at this stage of MLS, the impossible is a necessity for an MLS side to advance in the knockout rounds of the CCL. Tonight, on FSC, at 5PM Pacific you have the best opportunity for an MLS club to set up the impossible.

For those of you that want a stronger MLS, with more revenue, you need to watch matches that don't involve your own side. That's why TV ratings are strong for MLB, NFL, NBA, EPL, etc. Higher ratings for all matches involving MLS sides means more revenue, more revenue means more salary cap monies, which means better overall talent.

And let's be honest, this is one of those times that you have a clear rooting interest in an MLS side and their best chance to pick up goals against a club from Mexico. Oh, and it gives you a preview of the Crew's strength in this upcoming season.

MLS and CONCACAF announced today that the Preliminary Round of the CONCACAF Champions League will start on July 27th. The draw for opponents will be held June(ish). Over the winter break though we have learned a few of the teams that Sounders could draw. These are not firm enough to decide that you must book a flight down to Central America in late July, but Brujas FC of Costa Rica joined Arabe Unido of Panama and CD FAS of El Salvador as possible Pot B teams.

One of the myths of the CCL is that it will cause fixture congestion. This will only be true if the Sounders manage to make it past the Preliminary Round. Otherwise it is merely two more matches. This isn't the only myth though, generaly when the CCL comes up some that like to deride MLS, or those that root for USL sides like to point out the failures of MLS on that stage compared to the USL and Mexican teams. Only one of those statements is correct.

MLS can not beat Mexican squads. No one in the region really can. In UEFA they use coefficients to determine how many teams a nation enters into the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, and at what stages. Someone has done that same math for CONCACAF.

Continue reading this post »

San Jose's draw against Colorado could be seen as a loss for the Sounders, but honestly, the Rapids are amazing at home. That San Jose stole a few points from them is huge for Seattle. The expanded pacing formula (including H/A Strength of Schedule) now show Seattle at 7th with Colorado heading East for the Playoffs.

This also opens up Toronto for their first ever appearance in the Playoffs with them being barely edged by the Arsenal linked mile-highers.

In CCL action Houston blew out Unibe of Panama with a 5-1 result in the end (former Sounder Cam Weaver figured in the result). Dynamo now sit in second in their group with 7 points and two to play. The Crew continue MLS struggles against clubs from Mexico in the regional championship. Columbus is 0-7 aggregate against Cruz Azul, still holding 2nd with 6 points though. DC United have the opportunity to still play meaningful games, but tonight is a must win for them. They host Marathon, who had travel troubles getting out of Honduras.
As always, watch the CCL. This is your opportunity to see next year's opponents in games against MLS teams. Mexico has sent 6 teams in the current format with Cruz Azul and UNAM both qualifying twice. Costa Rica has sent 4 with Saprissa appearing in both. Honduras has sent 3 different clubs with both Marathon and Olimpia going twice. Other clubs that have appeared in both versions are Jalapa of Guatemala, Firpo and Metapan of El Salvador, San Fransisco of Panama and the Islanders of Puerto Rico. MLS double qualifiers are Dynamo and United. Half of the slots to this point have gone to the same 12 clubs.

Small AFC CL update after, just because I think that there is affordable talent there.

Continue reading this post »

Fox Soccer Channel carried the PR v Saprissa match, where you saw the more talented side pull a tie in the final moments.

Right now you can watch Houston host Pachuca. Houston lowered their prices for this match (5$ for the endlines) in order to get a bit of a crowd. It didn't work.

The Panamanian visitors currently lead the Group. The other members of the group also play tonight.

Sounders are two matches from CCL Group play next year. Houston doesn't have their "starters" tonight, but are using a mix of starters and rotationals. Last year they were the best of MLS in the CCL. This year they likely are as well.

As an MLS fan are you hoping that Houston does well?

Next year the Sounders will compete for four major trophies - Supporters Shield (30 regular season games), MLS Cup (30 + 4 Playoffs), US Open Cup (up to 6) and the CONCACAF Champions League (up to 14). There will be significant issues with balancing the roster and lineups for this run.

The depth of MLS squads is significantly tested with an active roster of 24 players (4 only developmentals) for League Play and Playoffs, and small Disabled List to gain a touch more depth if a player goes down with significant injury. The salary cap is high enough that MLS squads outspend all clubs but the Mexican ones, but considering that if formats stay the same there will be four from Mexico in the CCL they must be targeted. One could argue that Mexico should get an extra slot, but I doubt we will see a major change in the rules. The only change that makes the most sense is that the Caribbean winner goes directly to the Group Stages.

To make things even more interesting, Sounders FC front office will probably decide that they enjoy making money and will bring in at least one, if not two major international clubs in order to get that upper deck open. In creating a "worst case" scenario for depth you can see that if Seattle tries to win a Quadruple next year as an MLS club they would need to play as many as 56 matches in just over a year (CCL ends the April after it starts).

This will be a bigger challenge for Hanauer, Schmid and Henderson than building a competitive expansion team.

Continue reading this post »

Duane indicates that it is about American isolationism (he's got a bit of a point), but for me statements from Santino Quaranta like the following indicate the league is just small time.

"I guess it is. It's important to the club and it's important to the people here -- we're taking it seriously -- but for me, the league has to be [the priority], right? What good is it to play in this tournament if you don't make the playoffs? To me, it doesn't make sense."

So good on Columbus for blanking the Islanders and showing that they at least feel that part of the reason that you win your league is to COMPETE in the Dance.

DC United is visiting Marathon (Honduras) right now, and the attitude show that they don't even consider MLS to be a mid-Major. For their focus is merely on the league, they are treating this like Eastern Washington treats the Big Sky. Win the regular season, win the playoffs, and just show up for the Dance.

Columbus and Houston at least display the attitude of a Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference. They act as if winning the league (Shield) and/or playoffs (Cup) are their right in any given season. From their they compete, and try to win.

That's the metaphor for this, certain organizations in MLS see it as their role to pull the league into mid-major status. To at the least reach the respect of Mexico or Japan, others don't really care to raise the profile of the sport here, and settle on being a mediocre league in two amazing nations.

Seattle's focus on winning the US Open Cup is to ideally be in the CONCACAF Champions League while raising the Cup. DC United just showed through one of their best players that they just want the Cup, not the responsibility that goes with showing that you are the best club in America. That's what September 2nd means in Seattle. The Best in America get to face the best in Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, the Caribbean, etc. Collecting Cups is more than just filler for a trophy case, it is the responsibility to display superiority at least twice a week.

Thanks to both Seattle Sports Insider and MLS-Rumors for linking the video post, the discussion has been great. Steve Davis has a different opinion on Marshall's Yellow. He earned it throughout the day.

Next week is big for the Sounders. They have a chance to return Seb/Levesque/etal to the Semis of the US Open Cup for a third straight year. All it will take is beating the Wizards with Keller on the pitch for a Full 90.

Also looming though is the Saturday match v THE dominant team in MLS - the Houston Dynamo. They currently lead the board with 31 points in 16 matches after their key win at Kansas City, but Seattle controls their own destiny as they play Houston twice. ANY hope at the Supporters Shield, home field throughout the playoffs and entry to the group stages of the CCL must start with a win Saturday.

Continue reading this post »

The most important match of the season for the Portland Timbers, and one of three open paths to the CCL for the Sounders.

Gamesmanship concerning uniforms

Roster gamesmanship from the Sounders

NextSeasonSports caught up with me for some video thoughts on the match.

Continue reading this post »