With the new MLS season just around the corner, one notable injury will be felt this weekend, while a few teams are acquiring final pieces for their rosters.
New York City FC midfielder Frank Lampard is expected to miss the team’s season opener on Sunday against the Chicago Fire due to a calf strain. The Englishman suffered a similar calf injury in 2015, after joining NYCFC. (REPORT)
Fellow NYCFC midfielder Jack Harrison is currently recovering from a pelvic injury, and he’ll likely return to training in two months. After a report on Thursday stated that the first-round selection would miss the entire season, head coach Patrick Vieira told media that wasn’t the case. (REPORT)
Sporting Kansas City has reportedly agreed to terms with Chilean striker Diego Rubio Köstner. The 22-year old will join the team as a young designated player. (REPORT)
FC Dallas has sent Je-Vaughn Watson to the New England Revolution in exchange for the team’s third-round selection in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. (REPORT)
The San Jose Earthquakes have signed 2016 third-round MLS Draft pick Kip Colvey. (REPORT)
The Vancouver Whitecaps have increased its home-crowd capacity for the upcoming season. Three matches against the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers will house 25,000 supporters at BC Place. (REPORT)
NYCFC will continue its radio broadcasting partnership with WFAN 660 AM (101.9 FM) in 2016. Glenn Crooks and Tom Kolker will again serve as the English broadcast team, while John Rojas will join Roberto Abramowitz on the Spanish feed. (REPORT)
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Will NYCFC miss Lampard in their match vs. the Fire? What do you expect from Harrison this season? Can Köstner provide solid depth behind Dom Dwyer?
Share your thoughts below.
Fat Frank starting this season just like he finished last one. Hopefully he recovers in time for the NY derby so we can see Grella nutmeg him again.
Derby? speaking of eurosnobs.
Derby? speaking of eurosnobs.
Even the term “Fat Frank” was coined by our european counterparts. More laziness but he resident idiot.
Tough break for Chicago.
Lampard sprain his moob?
Who will miss the most games this year?
(a) Lampard
(b) Gerrard
(c) Drogba
(d) Pirlo
(e) Cole
(f) Van Damme
Question: Who will miss the most games this year?
Answer: (G) The fans
MLS is a parity driven product built on the shoulders of absentee designated players playing on artificial turf within a regular season that doesn’t matter and provides no incentive to pay attention to with the focus being on a four round playoff to crown the champion of the league.
TV ratings are king and I expect the continued decline to be lost in translation as the league marches on with its tireless and futile pursuit to be the NFL.
Great, now we’ve heard from the eurosnob contingent.
We know from your definition of fake-American posts you’re a complete imbecile but to label me as a “eurosnob” may be the pinnacle of your ignorance.
You’ve shown much better acumen for debating (even when you’re wrong). Don’t be lazy and label the opposing view as “eurosnobs” just because you’re incapable or unwilling to validate your side of things.
Dumb and lazy aren’t endearing. Don’t make a habit of it.
Continued decline? Ratings and attendance were up last year
Continued decline? Ratings and attendance were up last year
I should have clarified: MLS Cup ratings. When you build your league on the back of this 4 round tournament there’s no excuse for a tv ratings drop.
As to Old School’s individual complaints:
(1) “MLS is a parity driven product” – Perhaps, but what’s wrong with having more than four or five teams with a chance at a title?
(2) “built on the shoulders of absentee designated players” – No longer true. Your calendar is stuck on 2007.
(3) “playing on artificial turf” – Not everywhere, but I agree that the plastic should be banned as an abomination.
(4) “within a regular season that doesn’t matter and provides no incentive to pay attention to” – Well, not “no incentive,” but I see your point. I have made my peace with the idea of playoffs, but I think it’s way to easy to make the playoffs and compete for a championship. A sixth-place team in a ten-team conference should not get a ticket to the dance. I would limit the playoffs to the top three in each conference, with a bye to the winners. Two-leg first round, followed quickly (to give the champions an even bigger advantage) by conference finals at the champions’ stadiums.
And by the way, isn’t shooting for a top-four finish just to make the UCL a lot like just trying to make the playoffs?
@Brain Guy:
Appreciate the response.
Appreciate the response.
(1) To clarify, I’m not in opposition to parity, but the format in which it’s imposed leaves a lot to be desired and I don’t see this current leadership believing the same. Philosophically, I’m a firm believer that if a club can raise the necessary funds to acquire/sign players of their choosing they should be free to do so absent of operating at a loss. Inevitably, this would drift away from the parity model, but clubs should have the right to sign whomever they choose assuming they have the necessary resources and interest from the perspective player.
On this note, if this means prominent players drift towards LA/NY/Chicago (and Miami eventually) so be it. Kansas City and Portland (for example) has shown you can run an extremely classy franchise that is envied by the rest of the league in a small market without major DP signees.
Another example: Leicester City wouldn’t be such an exciting story (many calling it one of the best sport stories in recent memory) if not for having a David vs Goliath storyline. In fact, I think the David vs Goliath makes for many compelling story lines in every league. I speak for myself, but I don’t believe I’m alone in saying the current product is incredibly watered down. If that’s what parity offers it’s either not being executed correctly or it’s not the right approach.
(2) Hyperbole to an extent, but almost unanimously all DP’s signed in the summer transfer window are forgettable until the following year at the earliest. After all, that’s when most DP’s are signed.
The rest of the conversation we pretty much see eye to eye on (including the error in expanding the playoff format).