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[Football] Chicago Fire v New York City



Seasidesage

New member
May 19, 2009
4,467
Brighton, United Kingdom
I'm just watching this game, my first time watching the MLS. I've read the standard is Championship level but on the 1st half an hour, the Albion would rip both sides a new one. In fact it reminds me of county league currently. Is the MLS massively overhyped or am I just watching a poor early season game?

2-1 New York for those who are interested despite having one of the worst high line back fours and lack of pressing I have seen in a very long time...
 


midnight_rendezvous

Well-known member
Aug 10, 2012
3,737
The Black Country
Yeah the quality is pretty mediocre. I follow the Whitecaps and it can be like watching L1 or L2 at times.
 




Albion my Albion

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Feb 6, 2016
17,625
Indiana, USA
Anyone watch Portland vs Columbus last night with our Albion teammate, Liam Ridgewell? I did not. I was wondering what some observers thought of that match.
 


Bombadier Botty

Complete Twaddle
Jun 2, 2008
3,258
You don't watch it for the quality of football on offer you watch it for the history and the tradition of the MLS dating back to frontier times when the likes of Davey Crockett took a break from fighting at The Alamo to trot out for New York City FC (then New York City AFC) and Chief Running Bull turned out for the 'Fire' and who could begrudge either team victory, their long suffering fans having waited so many years for success on the field.
 




You don't watch it for the quality of football on offer you watch it for the history and the tradition of the MLS dating back to frontier times when the likes of Davey Crockett took a break from fighting at The Alamo to trot out for New York City FC (then New York City AFC) and Chief Running Bull turned out for the 'Fire' and who could begrudge either team victory, their long suffering fans having waited so many years for success on the field.

Wasn't George Custer trailed as the next big MLS transfer deal on the Montana sports channel before his early demise ?
 


brightn'ove

cringe
Apr 12, 2011
9,136
London
Yep they're shite, hence why players like Liam Ridgewell and Bradley Wright-Philips are massive heroes, they're comparativley world class. They also got spanked by the Mexican teams in their champions league. It doesn't help that they play football at completely the wrong time of year too, any player that would be good enough to play in the World Cup/euros can't play in the MLS.
 


Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,110
Surrey
I'll stick up for MLS here. I think it's unfair to judge the standard on day one of their season against the Championship when ours is at its most intense. Same goes for the Concacaf Champions League. Apart from the fact the Mexican clubs spend ten times as much on wages, their season is two thirds over and highly intense. If MLS want to compete, they might have to consider changing their summer season schedule - but they simply can't do that without risking anonymity.

On to players: Ridgewell isnt a star player at Portland by any means. He's just reasonably solid. BWP has been decent for NYRB but he was always a reasonable Championship player. Sometimes players just need a new club to get the best out of themselves.

And for every one of this type of player, you can talk about a Jermain Defoe - bang average for Toronto, but good enough to lead a Premiership line apparently.

Remember, how bad can that league really be when it has been the league responsible for producing USA world cup squads - a nation that has done better than us in both the last two world cups, and shares Gold Cups with Mexico, a nation with far bigger football resources. They will be a big hitter in the Copa America this summer too.

There is also the fact that MLS TV contracts are getting very big and cities are falling over themselves to get involved in league expansion.

If it's not as good as the Championship now (which is debatable) it won't be long before MLS leaves our second division well behind. All IMHO of course.
 
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gnjd_85

Member
May 19, 2009
94
And for every one of this type of player, you can talk about a Jermain Defoe - bang average for Toronto, but good enough to lead a Premiership line apparently.

Bit of a stretch to describe him as bang average with 11 goals in 19 games no? And BWP 'decent' with 45 goals in 75 games including 27 in 32 his first full season.

Otherwise, do agree with some of your points. I think it's a strangely unequal league at the moment, not in the traditional sense of a big disparity between teams, but more so inbetween players on the same teams. I think most of the teams have some players who would be really good players in the championship and some that wouldn't get close to it. You see some great stuff and also some hilariously bad. I don't mean the sort of occasional bad cock up that you get in every league, but just terrible terrible technique and decisions.

Definitely agree its very much on an upwards trajectory though.
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,521
In defence of the MLS some of the sides have noisy fans that generate a cracking atmosphere (Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers immediately spring to mind), so it least it feels like you're watching a proper big game of football even if the quality isn't always there.
 


Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,712
GOSBTS
I watched the game last night and quite enjoyed it. Quality wasn't great, but was played at a great pace, and some cracking goals. The atmosphere although very plastic, puts us to shame..

I'll be off to see Lampard, Pirlo & Villa in a few weeks.. incidentally taking on Kakas Orlando City

What I will say is the refereeing was appalling
 


BigGully

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2006
7,139
I'll stick up for MLS here. I think it's unfair to judge the standard on day one of their season against the Championship when ours is at its most intense. Same goes for the Concacaf Champions League. Apart from the fact the Mexican clubs spend ten times as much on wages, their season is two thirds over and highly intense. If MLS want to compete, they might have to consider changing their summer season schedule - but they simply can't do that without risking anonymity.

On to players: Ridgewell isnt a star player at Portland by any means. He's just reasonably solid. BWP has been decent for NYRB but he was always a reasonable Championship player. Sometimes players just need a new club to get the best out of themselves.

And for every one of this type of player, you can talk about a Jermain Defoe - bang average for Toronto, but good enough to lead a Premiership line apparently.

Remember, how bad can that league really be when it has been the league responsible for producing USA world cup squads - a nation that has done better than us in both the last two world cups, and shares Gold Cups with Mexico, a nation with far bigger football resources. They will be a big hitter in the Copa America this summer too.

There is also the fact that MLS TV contracts are getting very big and cities are falling over themselves to get involved in league expansion.

If it's not as good as the Championship now (which is debatable) it won't be long before MLS leaves our second division well behind. All IMHO of course.

Absolutely this, may I just add that some of our games have been quite dire and we are challenging for the Premiership ......
 



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