Official NHL Thread

[toki]

The single-entity nature* of the MLS is, IMO, primarily responsible for soccer's comparitive lack of progress in the US. Too few teams, too spread out, artificially constraining the number of professional players the US can generate. Lanarkshire, Scotland has more professional players than the Southeastern US.

Title IX has blood on its hands, too.


*-US Soccer wanted a League right now, after the '94 WC, so MLS sprang from its forehead, fully armed, etc. The problems with such a synthetic, top-down construct become apparent when you hold it up against the Bundesliga or Scottish League. Never mind the Premier League.

Klinsmann said it quite well. The MLS suffers from an american system that helps bigger leagues like the nba etc. College, draft etc. But for American talent it is a bit of a barrier or disadvantage compared to Europe. Good american players can go to Europe, play in big clubs at 18 already (and much younger actually), without having this college/draft stuff. Landon Donovan for example played for the second team of Leverkusen as an 18 year old and maybe some youth selections of Leverkusen prior to his 18th. IIRC.

In Europe, not only the league system is open top bottom, but also the clubs. Bundesliga clubs (or any European club in general) have tons of teams at every youth level (amongst other sports). You normally begin your pro career in your early teens and go pro at 18. The good kids play at bigger clubs at 10 years old. They compete in the regular local youth leagues, but for the clubs that also play in the countries elite leagues. Imagine the Yankees had a youth department and other sports as well. Your son would be good at Baseball at ten years old? The Yankees would get him. If he's really good he would go to their boarding school. Still the yankees would compete in the local little leagues of wider New York. That's how European sports work.

edit: Donovan was signed by Leverkusen at 17 years old. At that time they were a top European club. They're still a good club. He couldn't reach the first team though, he played for their second team.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

That is an interesting point. If you ran it along the timetable and nature of the Premier League though, theoretical Team A Manhattan Athletic could have an home game in New York on the Saturday, an away game in Chicago on the Wednesday and another away game in LA on the Sunday followed by an home game back in NY the following Wednesday. That would be some intense travel itinerary for nine months of every year.

It would lead to an impressive carbon footprint though

Russian league has the same problem.

[Britishhawk]

Harry Redknapp for next England manager? Yes please.

[Redox]

Blatter is ready for new debate on goal line technologies, apologizes for mistakes:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...-BgvgD9GKTL9G2

[dttk0009]

Blatter is ready for new debate on goal line technologies, apologizes for mistakes:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...-BgvgD9GKTL9G2

I'm still not quite sure how I feel about goal line technology. I personally find it a little hypocritical for some of the English crowd to stand so adamantly behind this idea only once they were themselves removed from the tournament because of a poor call. In fact, the one time they lifted the cup they scored a controversial goal (that shouldn't have counted), and had goal line technology existed then it would have changed the game. And while everyone with a set of eyes could tell that the goal didn't cross the line, it's hilarious enough to note that the linesman who made the bad call in the first place is actually a praised celebrity to some football fans, insinuating that bad calls are all good and dandy. But now we all of a sudden need goal line technology? Lawl. At least Geoff Hurst came out recently and admitted that the goal was dubious. Only took him 44 years. They have their cake and now they're planning on eating it.

[Ordie]

*-US Soccer wanted a League right now, after the '94 WC, so MLS sprang from its forehead, fully armed, etc. The problems with such a synthetic, top-down construct become apparent when you hold it up against the Bundesliga or Scottish League. Never mind the Premier League.

The establishment of the MLS was a condition for hosting the World cup in the United States.

Keep in mind that the United States has an extensive university sports system that works well. American High School students (Both male and female) compete for soccer scholarships to some of the best universities. They get a university education while playing for the college team. Thanks to "Title 9", women's college sports get an equal amount of resources. This is why the US Women's Soccer Team is one of the best.

The club system in Europe may have its merits, but it can be exploitive by seeking 'child players' from abroad and grooming them. However for every 50 kids, only one will make it to the big leagues.

The American system allows players to fall back on their university education for a better life outside of soccer and is getting recognition and becoming appealing for international players.

I won't be surprised if European scouts will attend more NCAA games in the future.

[SBL]

Blatter is ready for new debate on goal line technologies, apologizes for mistakes:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...-BgvgD9GKTL9G2

Good news. I figured it was only a matter of time, too many obviously bad calls.

[He219]

Hahaha, I really didn't pay attention at first ...

A two year-old octopus Paul, the so-called "octopus oracle" predicts Germany's victory in their 2010 World Cup quarter-final soccer match against Argentina by choosing a mussel, from a glass box with the German flag instead of a glass box with the Argentinian flag, at the Sea Life Aquarium in the western German city of Oberhausen June 29, 2010. Paul has so far rightly predicted Germany's first and second round victories over Ghana, Australia and England plus Germany's defeat against Serbia.

[CMNot]

I'm still not quite sure how I feel about goal line technology. I personally find it a little hypocritical for some of the English crowd to stand so adamantly behind this idea only once they were themselves removed from the tournament because of a poor call

How about some evidence?

If you followed the Premier League, you would know that for the last ~10 years the EPL clubs have butted heads with the FA, UEFA and FIFA over and over and over again on this issue. To state that English football is all of a sudden concerned with technology is as ridiculous as it is false. Everyone in the league is aware that when a poor decision results in a last day demotion for the unlucky team, those poor bastards just lost £30m guaranteed income. Not a trivial matter.

We have seen two shocking decisions within hours of each other, and so thankfully has the world. I imagine Blatter's words are solely for show in the immediate wake of the incidents, within weeks it will be swept aside and FIFA can return to being an elitist French knocking shop.

It needs to come. FIFA desperately seeks opening up the American market - as we can see from dozens of posts from speculative, curious and/or interested Americans, their biggest gripe so far has been not the ADHD-esque need for 20 million scores per half but that the officiating is rank amateur at times and very rarely excellent.

All FIFAs counter-arguments were heard before when the IRB was looking at replay technology in rugby. Arguably incidences of replay use are now an integral part of that sport and part themselves of the wider spectacle. And it takes a fourth official a lot longer to spot the grounding of a ball below 15 players than it would to resolve the night-and-day decisions from the other day. If it is an incident like Skrtels then the decision for lack of evidence needs to go to the defending team. It really is not rocket science and is superemely easy to implement in at least all the top professional leagues in most countries. Even third tier English league games are covered by enough cameras to implement it.

The real question is what is the real reason for FIFAs obstinence? Why not a pilot in one of the 'lesser' professional leagues for a season? So far the defence has been that Blatter does not want to interupt the 'flow' of the game. Well then sort out all the diving you devious little cocksucker.

[Ordie]

Hahaha, I really didn't pay attention at first ...

Asado del Pulpo

[xav]

Where is the Japan Paragay thread?

Anyways go Jaaaapaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!

[Steak-Sauce]

Hahahaha, nice one, He219!

[Jobu]

The pro clubs in Germany do not even have owners. They are still clubs or better, societies. You cannot buy them.
A McD restaurant could be called franchise, MLS teams also. Bayern Munich for example, not. If anything american pro sports leagues or clubs are the McD of the sporting world. World football, not.

You missed the point completely.
Soccer is the McDonald's of sport because it's very cheap, widely available, indulged in by billions worldwide. The quality sucks but when you're really hungry, it'll do.

By comparison, the NFL is Tavern on the Green.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

It needs to come. FIFA desperately seeks opening up the American market - as we can see from dozens of posts from speculative, curious and/or interested Americans, their biggest gripe so far has been not the ADHD-esque need for 20 million scores per half but that the officiating is rank amateur at times and very rarely excellent.

Agreed.

And if they can kill the rampant diving, which will never die, soccer might even have a chance in the US.

by the way, love HE219's avatar... remember laughing out loud when I saw the scene live.

[SBL]

Go Japan !