2012 MLS Thread

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by seattleflamer

Agreed. What is about the 70's/80's color schema ie Canucks 80's? Though the Timbers did a very nice job with their 70's retro kit.

Would be nice for the Boomers to come back some day. I'm old enough to have gone to Boomer games and have autographs of some of the players when they visited my elementary school.

I don't remember seeing old retro jerseys of Seattle's being that bright and garrish though... I remember a really nice black one with the 70s white collar though. So I wonder if its a little bit artistic license. Like that bright yellow 3rd they had.

The Boomers were a little before my time, my parents had season tickets though and enjoyed them... while I was "blessed" with the "mickey mouse club" of soccer teams that came after with no plan, no money and no hope.

[mac_82]

Well I couldn't be happier about the TFC game. I know we didn't come away with a win, but we tied the best team in the league. The fans and supporters groups really put on a show and showed Canada and the world that we are as passionate as anyone about soccer/football. The beer can was a bit of a sour spot, but there is bound to be one dbag in every crowd of 45k +. They should ship him off to Vancouver.

If anyone here watched the season opener last year between TFC and the White Caps, you can clearly see that this team has turned it around and have the proper coaching, management, and players on the field to get the job done. Plata continues to impress. Silva, our first round pick last year, looked great in his debut. Frings has solidified the back end. Koevermans is a goal scoring machine. De Guzman has really picked his game up. Frei, if healthy this year, will solidify himself as one of the best keepers in the league. And we continue to bring up youth from the academy, and it's great to see them cracking the national team roster (Morgan, Stinson, Cordon, Henry, Lindsay, Makubuya).

Now it's off to LA for the away leg. Last year LA had an amazing 12-0-5 record at home. No easy place to play. And they have some of the best players in the league with Beckham, Keane, Donovan, and Buddle. Former TFC player Chad Barrett is also a secondary scoring threat. The one bright spot is that TFC earned a tie there last year, scoring in extra time to tie it at 2-2. But Toronto has traditionally been a terrible team on the road, going 1-9-7 in league play last year. Although they did walk into Dallas for the last champions league group game and thump FC Dallas 3-0.

Next game is March 14, 8pm MT. Can't wait!

[Jimmy Stang]

I recorded the TFC match and just watched it. Good performance by Toronto and they definitely look better than years past.

The streamers are pretty annoying, and although I understand they have always done it there, I don't know if it gives them much of an advantage anyway. The beer can was just obnoxious and dangerous (if not empty when thrown).

Still, a good showing by the fans and it is great to see so many people come out for a big match in Canada. I think that this year the TFC fans may get rewarded a little more for their support over the past few years.

[shermanator]

The game next week in LA is going to be very tough to win, but I wasn't expecting TFC to even make the quarterfinals, so they can pull off the upset.

[troutman]

Don't throw beer cans at His Highness.

[troutman]

I was curious about what teams are in CCL:

http://www.concacafchampions.com/page/CL/Home

How did Toronto qualify when they were 8th in the East in 2011?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONCACAF_Champions_League

The team qualifying from Canada is the winner of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Interesting that LA will only have 7500 spectators next week because school is in session. It's an agreement they have with the school where the stadium is located.

[fundmark19]

Wow that is a bad deal. The school should give tickets to students then who don't need parking or something or provide shuttle buses from locations outside of campus for fans.

[mac_82]

Originally Posted by troutman

How did Toronto qualify when they were 8th in the East in 2011?

The US is given 4 spots (LA, Dallas, Colorado, and Seattle), while Canada is given 1 spot.

The US gives out the spots for MLS Supporters Shield champion (best record in regular season - LA), MLS Cup Champion (playoff winner - Colorado), MLS Cup runner up (Dallas), and the winner of the US open cup (tournament with teams from all 5 divisions of US soccer - Seattle).

Canada holds a similar tournament featuring all the pro teams (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton). The winner gets Canada's single spot in the Champions League. But unlike some of the US spots, who go straight to the group round, the Canadian spot has to play a 2-game preliminary round to qualify to the group stage. This has been the format since 2008.

So Toronto FC was seeded first in last years Canadian Championship. They beat FC Edmonton 3-0, 1-0, and advanced to the final. They played Vancouver in the final, and tied 1-1, and won 2-1 (Vancouver was winning 1-0, but the match had to be canceled from weather, and restarted 0-0).

They then played Nicaraguan team Real Esteli in the prelim stage, winning 2-1, 2-1.

In the group stage Toronto FC went 3-1-2, beating FC Dallas at home 3-0 in the last game to advance ahead of them as one of the top two teams of the group, along with Mexican team UNAM.

Toronto FC then drew the LA Galaxy for the quarters.


Here is a bit of history on how Canadian teams have done:

2008 - Montreal - quarter finals
2009 - Toronto - preliminary round
2010 - Toronto - group stage
2011 - Toronto -

[mac_82]

I posted this on the first page, but figured I would post it up again with all the Champions League talk.

This years Canadian Championship:

1. TFC
2. Vancouver
3. Edmonton
4. Montreal

SEMI-FINALS

2 May:
Impact Montréal v Toronto FC – in Montréal
FC Edmonton v Vancouver Whitecaps FC – in Edmonton

9 May:
Toronto FC v Impact Montréal – in Toronto
Vancouver Whitecaps FC v FC Edmonton – in Vancouver

FINAL:

16 May:
Winner of Semi-Final 1 v Winner of Semi-Final 2 – Location TBD

23 May:
Winner of Semi-Final 2 v Winner of Semi-Final 1 – Location TBD

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Thunderball

I can't bring myself to cheer for TFC or the Whitecaps (and definitely not the Impact), so I'm a Sounders fan until the day comes that Calgary has MLS/NASL.

Under no circumstance could I support TFC and while I usually cannot bring myself to cheering for a neighbouring city's club, I find myself backing the Whitecaps.

Originally Posted by mac_82

The beer can was a bit of a sour spot, but there is bound to be one dbag in every crowd of 45k +.

To be honest, when you don't take action against people throwing 'innocent' stuff on the pitch, and even talk about it excitedly, it is only a matter of time before some idiot or group of idiots throw a dangerous projectile.

Originally Posted by mac_82

The US is given 4 spots (LA, Dallas, Colorado, and Seattle), while Canada is given 1 spot.

The US gives out the spots for MLS Supporters Shield champion (best record in regular season - LA), MLS Cup Champion (playoff winner - Colorado), MLS Cup runner up (Dallas), and the winner of the US open cup (tournament with teams from all 5 divisions of US soccer - Seattle).

As the playoffs can often make the leagues with them feel virtually meaningless, I like how they award a lucrative prize for winning the league.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by mac_82

This years Canadian Championship:


SEMI-FINALS

2 May:
Impact Montréal v Toronto FC – in Montréal
FC Edmonton v Vancouver Whitecaps FC – in Edmonton

9 May:
Toronto FC v Impact Montréal – in Toronto
Vancouver Whitecaps FC v FC Edmonton – in Vancouver

So, VAN has an easier path, drawing against EDM? Was this a random match-up, or based on East-West?

Is this a big deal for the Mexican teams? ie Are they playing with their A-Teams?

[GirlySports]

It's a big deal for everyone. Everyone wants that big prize at the end, a trip to Japan for the World Club Cup, millions of dollars and the possible chance of playing on of the big boys from South America or Europe.

Mexican teams have won the CONCACAF Championship (in some form) the last 6 years.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by troutman

So, VAN has an easier path, drawing against EDM? Was this a random match-up, or based on East-West?

Is this a big deal for the Mexican teams? ie Are they playing with their A-Teams?

The rankings for the tournament are based on league performance from the year prior. MLS is ranked above NASL. So the standings are:

1. Toronto (16th in MLS)
2. Vancouver (18th in MLS)
3. Edmonton (5th in NASL)
4. Montreal (7th in NASL)

The optics of having the 3rd worst team in MLS make the CCL quarterfinals seems bad, but Canada has to be represented in the tournament.

[mac_82]

Originally Posted by troutman

So, VAN has an easier path, drawing against EDM? Was this a random match-up, or based on East-West?

Is this a big deal for the Mexican teams? ie Are they playing with their A-Teams?

The rankings went by where teams finished in MLS/NASL. Because TFC are defending champions, they were seeded #1. Vancouver then got the #2 seed as the only other MLS team. Edmonton finished ahead of Montreal in NASL last year, so rightly so or not (since Montreal is now fielding an MSL team) Edmonton got seeded #3.

In terms of the Mexican teams, I know that early on in the competition they don't field full 'A' squads. And I know that their season doesn't quiet line up with the MLS season (I think the Mexican Primera starts in July), they also might not be as match fit as some MLS teams.

[mac_82]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It's a big deal for everyone. Everyone wants that big prize at the end, a trip to Japan for the World Club Cup, millions of dollars and the possible chance of playing on of the big boys from South America or Europe.

Mexican teams have won the CONCACAF Championship (in some form) the last 6 years.

World Club Cup winners from the past few years include Barcelona, Internazionale, Manchester United, and Milan.

The UEFA winner has won the World Club Cup the last 5 years. The Mexican CONCACAF winner is usually battling for 3rd/4th.

Only UEFA and CONMEBOL (South America) teams have won.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by mac_82

World Club Cup winners from the past few years include Barcelona, Internazionale, Manchester United, and Milan.

The UEFA winner has won the World Club Cup the last 5 years. The Mexican CONCACAF winner is usually battling for 3rd/4th.

Only UEFA and CONMEBOL (South America) teams have won.

One of these years they'll beat a big guy in the semifinals. The year before last the African champions made the final.

[604flames]

Can't wait for tomorrow's Caps opener, even though I'll be on the bus come kickoff. Expecting much bigger things from Vancouver this season.

[fundmark19]

Geez I thought game was Sunday. Just told my wife I would go to movies with her. I am going to have to figure a way out of this!

[Muta]

So pumped for the opener!! I love MLS.