Top Stories

Watch the Disney Classic live

DAL_Primary_COL HOU_Primary_COL TOR_Primary_COL

Three Major League Soccer teams and one USL-PRO side begin their quest for a preseason tournament championship in Orlando, as the Disney Classic gets underway Thursday night.

In the first match, MLS Cup runner up FC Dallas takes on Orlando City S.C. (6 p.m.). In the nightcap, the Houston Dynamo will face Toronto FC (8 p.m.).

Both matches are being streamed LIVE on ESPN3.com and on MLSSoccer.com.

If you'll be watching any of the action from Orlando, please feel free to share any thoughts and analysis in the comments section below. Enjoy the action.

Comments

  1. it was actually originally sponsored by a newspaper and called “World’s Series”. somewhere down the line, major league baseball changed it to “World Series”. i’m guessing only because it was known by that name for a few good years by that time.

    Reply
  2. I never knew why they stopped at “World”, why not just take the next pretentious step and call it the “Inter-Galactic series”.

    Reply
  3. I can’t comment on the openness or quality of the play. That would fall under the banner of quality, while I just enjoy several-year-old events being named Classics.

    Reply
  4. At least it had pretty open play. I didn’t want to kill myself while watching, unlike some recent matches of a certain continental tournament.

    Reply
  5. Attaching “Classic” to the name of a tournament has roughly the same meaning as places of business that attach “Quality” to their name.

    Reply
  6. Yeah commentators were pretty good. Unfortunately, I think they can presume that anybody watching an Internet broadcast of a preseason game is pretty serious, so they don’t have to explain the off-sides rule every time. When these games are on real ESPN, things will change for the worse.

    Reply
  7. I have to say I like these commentators. Very straight to the point, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth. They don’t try to over reach on any tactical knowledge or dumb down anything. Not perfect, but generally the right kind of tone (I think being young helps). In the context of the classic English vs. American commentator style debate, this is the way “American-style” commentary should be for soccer games.

    I would enjoy listening to either these guys or Ian Darke (yeah I know he’s on ESPN).

    Reply
  8. I don’t think so. Houston’s midfield isn’t that much better than Toronto’s. Besides, if you’re that uncomfortable with your defense on the ball and think your midfield sucks, you’re going to be more inclined to bypass them with long balls up to your forwards. This would be especially true when you have three up top as Toronto does. I think it’s definitely more of a philosophy Toronto is trying to incorporate, albeit not quite as effectively as they would like.

    Reply
  9. Sure that’s one interpretation. Or you could just say that Toronto has a lifeless midfield and a suspect defense, forcing the ball all the way back. Not really a sign of strength.

    Reply
  10. They aren’t really wrong. Frei has clearly been instructed to build everything from the back on the ground. I don’t really think I’ve seen him punt the ball. Everything is starting with him putting the ball at his own feet and passing out or throwing it short to one of the two outside backs who are dropping wide to receive the ball.

    I know it’s just preseason but you can tell that Toronto’s backs are at least trying to play everything short out of the back rather than spraying everything long when they get the slightest bit of pressure. It’s not completely working just yet but the idea is certainly there.

    Reply
  11. It was iffy whether it happened in the box, and the Toronto player totally flopped, but Hainault was grabbing the shirt so not complete garbage.

    Reply
  12. I wonder if MLS will be using that stuff this year. I’ve seen video of refs in Mexico and South America using it. It’s sort of a disappearing spray, btw.

    Reply
  13. Haha, Dom Kinnear gets up and tells the MLS camera guy to move away from his bench and then seconds later Geoff Cameron brings down a long ball and drills a nice goal.

    Reply
  14. they’ll be playing a 4-3-3, Dutch system of ‘Total Football’ with their new Dutch coaches – it is the system/style that is being taught in the academy as well – possession and attacking ‘attractive’ football – we’ll see how it’s going – think it’ll take a couple of years to institute but it’s a good way to go i think.

    Reply
  15. wins aren’t the important thing here – it’ll be interesting to see the TFC system and philosophy being implemented – as it will be in the junior and senior academy; developing players with a style that will follow to the 1st team. i quite like the direction the team is taking – long term.

    Reply
  16. mplayer “http://cdncon.wm.llnwd.net/cdncon_neulion1_mls_live_event_1?eid=11689&pid=11714&gid=1000&e=1298592978&h=092bfc91619ddb1f4d61c88996eb9a34”

    Reply

Leave a Comment