The new MLS Collective Bargaining Agreement signed on Saturday helped avert disaster for Major League Soccer, and now it is time to start looking ahead to the 2010 MLS season rather than praying that a strike wouldn't ruin the season.
Instead of work stoppages, we can now look forward to goals and saves and on-field action in what should be a season to remember in Major League Soccer. Whether it's teams such as reigning champs Real Salt Lake and title favorite Columbus, stars such as Landon Donovan, Juan Pablo Angel and Freddie Ljungberg, and venues such as Red Bull Arena and soon-to-be completed PPL Park, there is plenty to be excited about as the season approaches on Thurday.
We normally start our Morning Kickoffs with news items, but this morning we're starting with a simple question: What are most looking forward to about the 2010 MLS season?
Share your answers below.
True that, thanks for the tip man. Back home (near Atlanta) I have direcTV so that lets me see tons of games when I go home, so I’ll be good for watching this summer. I’m still trying to negotiate with my roommate for next year to get direcTV at our apartment instead of time warner….ha
Exactly right. And the tailgates on lot 8.
Just having some fun Gary. NASL is the old USL… wait a year, the league’s name will change.
Side note. Though it was only preseason, i didn’t see much danger from the Union in the Rowdies preseason match.
Can’t wait to get to PHilly for a match.
Are the specifics of the CBA made public?
i am looking forward to not having depression and anxiety related to when/if the season would start.
I was driving back from NYC to Philly yesterday at around 6 pm and via the Pulaski Skyway, you get the most incredible view of Red Bull Arena. It looks like someone plopped a first-rate European-style soccer stadium right in the middle of the NYC area– I got the same goosebumbs that I got when I see Yankee Stadium. What an amazing and gorgeous stadium! I have season tickets to the Union and I am looking forward to the home opener on April 10 at the Linc and then the PPL Park opener on June 27.
-A new season to share with my daughter
-Fantasy MLS
-Troy Perkins dominating the goal
-DCU reclaiming the supporter’s shield and MLS cup
-Lot 8 with the Barra Brava
To FC Dallas continuing their late last season form into the start of this season!
DITTO! good riddance. The MLS has always used the best addidas ball out, but I always hated the silver.
Zach, your best bet is probably to try and get the MLS Direct Kick package. I know it’s a somewhat expensive one-time fee, especially in college, but hopefully you can split it with a number of friends and turn it into a good party for a lot of the games.
Good luck with the SSS in Boston. The team owner also owns the stadium they play in; he’s got -zero- reason to build a SSS. It would be nice, but it ain’t gonna happen…
I’m looking forward to seeing more people fill up the stands across the league. Hopefully NYRB, and Philly can sell out most of their games. Combine that with high attendances at Toronto, Seattle, and L.A. Next year you know Portland and Vancouver will sell out. KC has a stadium in the works. If only Dallas could ever get their $#!T together, and I would really like to see some progress on Houston, DC, San Jose stadiums. I won’t even pretend to dream about the Revs ever getting out of Gillette stadium. Man, until Red Bull Arena and Philly ame along, the east Coast had some bad venues.
Tampa has a soccer team? What’s the NASL?
Columbus making it 3 straight Supporters’ Shields!
Same here.
A SSS in or around Boston
A healthy striker for the Revs who isn’t also a holding mid
Anyone know if…MORE games will be on ESPN/ESPN2 this year? I live in the South (you know, that place that should NEVER EVER host an MLS team) and therefore don’t get any MLS teams’ games on the local fox sports feed. So I’m hoping more games get put on ESPN since I’m also in college and we don’t get FSC here.
One minor addition: I’m most excited to no longer see a silver ball as the official football for our league.
Chris Pontius’ development.
I want to see how the union do this season. I want to see how the brazilian trio play for LA. I also want to see the New York home game this saturday on ESPN.
Amen–it will be nice to see the Fire play with more speed and movement!
A road trip to Columbus this weekend…now if only Mo signed somebody capable of finding the net, I could actually be hopeful for more than a 4-0 throttling by the Crew.
Looking forward to our (gaLAxy) home opener, simply because I thought it might not happen. AND the road trip to Seattle:)
Streaking RFK.
Lenny, can you actually feel the jealously I have for you and your-urban-setting-RBA right now? If not, you have no feelings.
Somehow it seems trite to say “I’m looking forward to the new and improved Red Bulls”. But I totally agree with you, the Santos game was exciting. I’m def getting out to a couple of games this year.
Also looking forward to watching Omar Gonzalez learn from Berthalter and then transfer to Europe.
A championship for Seattle!
I’m really looking forward to seeing Blaise Nkufo playing for the Sounders. From seeing him play with FC Twente he seems to be the real deal. Also, I am looking forward to seeing how the Union do. It seems they’ve built a good foundation and I’ve always wanted to see Seitz get a chance to start consistantly.
I am buying 14 tickets today to see the home opener!
The new crop of Rookies one in particular is Ream. The reports on him are unbelievable.
Looking forward to watching First Kick Thursday night and simply can not wait to take my seats in Section 121 at RBA Saturday night and watch RBNY take apart Chicago!
The rivalry with PU will be excellent, DCU will look up I-95 with seven shades of envy, and Ream will win Rookie of the Year.
Amen. I’m most looking forward to my Saturday afternoons in Bridgeview.
While I’m gutted to see Rolfe go, the new additions at fullback, midfield and forward have me excited.
I want to see the opening of Red Bull Arena and Chester finally be the tipping point that forces Bob Kraft to get the Revs a decent stadium and playing surface.
Pipe dream, I know.
New England refuses to add exciting players, refuses to put the team into a soccer-friendly venue, refuses to arrange public transportation to the games with a rail line right there.
Only a miserable season can hope to have any impact, so I hope the Revs hit bottom this year and from that, change can begin.
Looking to see if the Union fans can keep up the excitement the Sounders started with last year. If they can rival that following in the first year, I think that will really set a solid precedent for any new team in the future, as well as existing clubs.
As a DCU fan, I’m hoping Jaime Moreno continues his pre-season form and we can be in the MLS cup hunt.
For folks who’ve seen DCU play, has Allsop done anything of note in preseason?
Also psyched to see which youngins who did well in their rookie seasonm really break out – Pontius, Zakuani, Gonzalez and DelaGarza, and from the current crop of signings – maybe Mike Stephens, Mwanga, Tchani?
Ives – which rookies have looked sharp heading into league play?
Looking forward to Redbull climbing out of the basement. Looking forward to the Revs playing just well enough and boring enough to get into the playoffs and then fail. Looking forward to KC picking up Messi in a blockbuster transfer after the world cup. Looking forward to seeing Dallas’ 1/2 empty stadium in a soccer hot bed. Looking forward to Heydude getting traded to RedBull, dumping his Starbucks addiction and becoming a spokesman for Red Bull drink. Tell me that’s not a marketing marriage.
Looking forward to DC continuing its average run after being a “dynasty”.
Really looking forward to RedBull/Chicago at week’s end. This will be cool.
Mostly looking forward to watching the Rowdies play in a the Yankee’s spring training stadium… Oye.
I’m psyched for the MLS season. Bring it.
a lot of soccer…
Man I can dream, but if the Red Bulls look like they did against Santos, I really don’t see any team in the MLS that can beat them. They actually possessed the ball and played creative, attacking soccer with fluidity from defense to attack! I mean this guy Tim Ream looked so composed in the back. The combination of Salou and Kandji will be quite a handful for any MLS defense. Boy am I excited, but I am sure my enthusiasm will wane once the Red Bulls go back to their normal losing ways.
You’d better hope that the Cheesesteak chumps play better than they did against the NASL Rowdies last Friday night. Rowdies took them apart.
PU! Stinky!
Collins John and Brian McBride tearing it up for an offensively-minded Chicago Fire.
I want to see the Crew regain their rightful place as THE best side in the MLS
Was at RBA Saturday and Im looking forward to a half season ticket package..
Hey Ives any details on the new CBA??
I’m most excited about the new MLSlive.tv, hopefully it lives up to my expectations!
I’m also hoping the Revs wont be as bad as I have a feeling they will be.
I never thought I would see the day with soccer stadiums in the USA. What an accomplishment.
Looking forward to seeing REAL SALT LAKE defend their crown as MLS Champions. Want to see a better season out of the now and see how they do in the Champions League!
Also looking forward to the new stars developing in the league.
Does the two week break during the WC2010 count as something I’m looking forward to? 🙂
If not, then a couple of things I’ll keep my eye on. (1) Vazquez’ impact at CD Chivas & de Los Cobos at Chicago. Lots of noise on the boards about having Latin coaches influence the style of play. Lets see if it happens. (The Red Bulls looked pretty good against Santos with a Scandanavian at the helm)
(2) Will this class of rookies, some who opted for the MLS rather than Europe have the same impact as last years class.
Union home opener, and away game trip to red bull arena.
I can’t wait to make the road trip up to New York and walk into a soccer-specific stadium for the first time in my life.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how Philly do. I’m pumped for the kick off game on Thursday.