Posted by Puck in July 2010
Within the last 48 hours, my favorite EPL team, Manchester City (called Blankcheckster City by fans of other less kick-ass EPL sides) and their scarf wearing, meatball eating coach Roberto Mancini have confirmed their interest in signing [Landon Donovan during the summer transfer window. This comes directly on the heels of MLS commissioner Dan Garber’s announcement that the MLS would not consider selling Landbro under any circumstances. No matter what Garber… Read more
Soccer is a passion. To me, soccer is an incredible game with which I grow more deeply connected nearly every passing day. It has something for everyone. Beauty and grace, physicality, athleticism, moments of wonder, moments of agony, political power and meaning, religious controversy. Lately it has shed, or is shedding slowly its traditional old-guard modes of player evaluation and tactical constancy, incorporating science and math into its unwritten guides to… Read more
French superstar Thierry Henry was introduced to the media as a member of the New York Red Bulls today, and already we’re dealing with the usual, tired arguments. From ESPN television sports talk shows such as PTI and Around the Horn to various sports talk radio outlets to mainstream sports and other writers; we’re hearing all the same questions we heard when David Beckham arrived in Los Angeles in 2007. Will Henry “save soccer” in the United States?… Read more
Major League Soccer announced recently that roster sizes have been increased from 24 players per team to 26. The reason behind this move is to allow teams to sign more local “homegrown” talent. In addition to the roster increase, the MLS announced that teams will now be allowed to sign homegrown players to Generation Adidas contracts without the players having to enter the MLS draft. These players must come from youth teams from within the team’s… Read more
In our odd little soccer universe here in the States, we have this, ahem, little situation—the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup versus MLS. They’re like North and South Korea, Everton and Liverpool, Paul Gardner’s columns and logic. They co-exist while presenting challenges to the other. The challenges appear every year at this time when MLS teams debate the value of participating in the Open Cup. MLS executives act like it’s a burden; they say they… Read more
I want to act surprised after watching the Red Bulls go down to Chivas USA, but the turnaround from last year is obviously not perfect. New York still has a few problems, the likes of which the Goats revealed on Saturday. Macoumba Kandji was MIA for most of the match, miles away from his performance last weekend at Seattle. Lindpere continues to be a force in the midfield, but he’s receiving little support from teammates, especially Dane Richards. As for… Read more
I’m going to start this off on a low note. While the new MLS Soccer website is miles ahead of last season’s, the MatchDay Live feature has some serious problems. Paying 40 dollars for its service seems a tad bit expensive for 160 games, especially given the 100% markup from last year, but the administrators need to work out a few bugs. As I write, it’s been over 48 hours since the Union and DC United kicked off on Saturday afternoon and the match is… Read more
Quite the weekend for sports, Yanks fans. Butler looks to complete their Cinderella story tonight on a high note against the Blue Devils of Duke for the 2010 Championship. The UConn women’s team won their 5739th straight came by a meager 20 points to advance to play Stanford for the title Tuesday night. The Sox – Yankees rivalry resumed, opening up this year’s season at Fenway, with the Evil Empire shaking their heads after blowing a late lead. Tiger… Read more
Back in the sepia-toned days of the 2002 World Cup, much of the American team that reached the quarterfinals was based in the US. Integral contributors like Cobi Jones, Brian McBride, and Eddie Pope hailed from MLS teams. Now, the 15-year-old league seems marginal, at best. Out of the established core of starters, only Landon Donovan currently plays for an MLS club, and his future in the US is in doubt, thanks to his recent successful loan stint at Everton…. Read more
Posted by Puck in April 2010
Over the last couple of weeks, the MLS has been getting an amazing amount of publicity for being the country’s eighth favorite sport. Soccer has had to fend off a serious push from sports like Curling and Pairs Ice Dancing to maintain a top 10 spot after the Olympic Games. Everything seems to be moving in the right direction for “the little league that could.” Here are some recent highlights: • After months of speculation, the MLS managed to… Read more
Praise the Lord, the MLS is back. On an eventful season opening weekend, soccer fans enjoyed exciting clashes three nights in a row, including two nationally televised matches courtesy of ESPN. On the other hand, MLS’ Match Center remains unavailable, but they deserve a little leeway regarding the whole CBA debacle resolving itself little more than a week ago. So, all in all, I was only able to catch two games this past weekend: the Philadelphia Union… Read more
With the players and owners in agreement and the 15th MLS season upon us, complacency is coming at soccer fans like an unskilled, college defender. Let us remember that we have not always had this level of soccer in the U.S., and it wasn’t easy getting here. There were some extremely dark days. The lights went out on March 28, 1985. The last NASL teams, Toronto and Minnesota, had watched Tampa Bay drop from the league and the Cosmos miss financial… Read more
While the content here at The Yanks Are Coming is nothing short of top-notch, we want you to know it’s OK to venture elsewhere in the blogosphere. To spare you from reading hours and hours of worthless crap, we present you five of the best stories of the week from other sources. Excuse us while we pat ourselves on the back. The Rundown (Somewhat MLS Edition) 5. WVHooligan: MLS Expansion: Atlanta Back In The Mix Starting off The Rundown, hopes of the… Read more
Get your popcorn ready, MLS fans. After delays, threats of strike, and hard pressed late night negotiations, the MLS Players Union and Major League Soccer agreed to a five year, brand spanking new collective bargaining agreement. The main points: Based on the age and years of service, the majority of players will now have guaranteed deals. A re-entry draft will be held once a year in which out-of-contract players can be claimed by other teams… Read more
