Major League Soccer (MLS) Thread

Lots of big moves lately. Colorado signing Shane Long, Chicago getting Gabbidon. Things looking up for sure.

Drats. Alou Diarra no longer training with Chicago. There goes another narrative down the drain 

It has been a rather busy offseason though, so it's only fair to break the transfers down (I'll only do transfers into the league, transfers within the league and transfers out aren't really what gets you all wet). But, to clear out the muck, at the end, I'll add a current rumors section, and a Resurrection Rooney Rumor section, for those rumors that are just completely wrong or he just made up.

Kristinn Steindorsson  -- Halmstads --> Columbus
Bryan Rochez -- Real Espana --> Orlando City
Luis Marin -- O'Higgins --> Sporting Kansas City
Krisztian Nemeth -- Unattached --> Sporting Kansas City
David Accam -- Helsingborg --> Chicago
Brek Shea -- Stoke City --> Orlando City
Erick Torres -- CD Guadalajara --> Houston (really, he is just on loan at Chivas)
Octavio Rivero - O'Higgins --> Vancouver
Tyrone Mears -- Unattached --> Seattle
Adailton -- Bahia --> Chicago
Gustavo -- Vila Nova --> Orlando
Andres Mendoza -- Deportivo Maldonado --> NYCFC
Guly do Prado -- Southampton --> Chicago
Roger Espinoza -- Wigan --> Sporting Kansas City (says unattached, but they canceled his contract)
Victor Cabrera -- River Plate --> Montreal
Raul Rodriguez -- Espanyol --> Houston
Markus Halsti -- Malmo --> DC United
Mix Diskerud -- Rosenborg --> NYCFC
Diego Rodriguez -- Juventud --> Vancouver
Jozy Altidore -- Sunderland --> Toronto
Sebastian Giovinco -- Juventus --> Toronto
Laurent Ciman -- Standard Liege --> Montreal
Hernan Grana -- All Boys --> Columbus
Demar Phillips -- Aalesund --> Real Salt Lake
Shaun Maloney -- Wigan --> Chicago
Cristian Higuita -- Deportivo Cali --> Orlando
Martin Paterson -- Huddersfield Town --> Orlando
Damien Perquis --  Betis --> Toronto
Carlos Rivas -- Deportivo Cali --> Orlando 
Ronald Zubar -- Ajaccio --> NYRB
Sacha Kljestan -- Anderlecht --> NYRB
Benoit Cheyrou -- unattached --> Toronto
Juan Agudelo -- unattached --> New England
Cedrick Mabwati -- Betis --> Columbus 
Innocent Emeghara -- Qarabag --> San Jose
Lucas Pittinari -- Belgrano --> Colorado
Eric Avila -- Santos Laguna --> Orlando
Adam Nemec -- Unattached --> NYCFC
Javier Calle -- Independiente Medellin --> NYCFC
Steven Gerrard -- Liverpool --> LA 
Steven Vitoria -- Benfica --> Philly
Adam Larsen Kwarasey -- Stromsogodset --> Portland
Dairon Asprilla -- Alianza Petrolera --> Portland
Jeanderson Pereira -- Santa Rita --> Portland
Soni Mustivar -- Petrolul Ploiesti --> Sporting Kansas City
Andres Correra -- Independiente Medellin --> Seattle
Leonel Miranda -- Independiente --> Houston
Marco Donadel -- Napoli --> Montreal
Marco Farfan -- Cruz Azul --> DC United

Rumors right now (I'll give a quick take on them)
Diego Forlan -- Colorado turned him down
Kevin Doyle -- Colorado likely to sign him
Brian Ruiz -- surely a couple of suitors in MLS
Seb Hines -- ditto
Cristian Ledesma -- nothing to it
Daniele De Rossi -- not happening now
Cristian Zaccardo -- more likely in the summer
Michael Barrios -- seems likely
Fernando Aristeguieta -- loan from Nantes to Philly seems like a done deal

Resurrection Rooney Rumors
Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima playing in MLS -- still not sure where he got that one from

This might be the year I get into MLS. Planning on loaning my soul to Man City New York before I sell it to them.

Mix and Calle should be good to watch, not to mention Villa Maravilla. 

Is Yankee stadium nearby or easily accessible for you? I'll probably be up there both times DCU play there this year.

About an hour and a half by train.

Woof. That's quite a trek. I'm making my first trip to RBA in a month, and I'm worried its going to take forever to get from Penn Station to over the river, and then back after the game.

How long does it take you to get to the RFK?

Its like a 25 minute drive (traffic) or a 45 minute metro ride. But its only about 10 miles away.

Montreal wasted Dilly Duka's two goals on either side of the half to draw in Mexico against Pachuca in the first leg of their CCL quaterfinal bout. In the other game of the night, Olimpia drew 1-1 at home against Herediano.

Sky Sports won the rights for MLS games over here. Be interesting how much attention or coverage is given

Taylor Twellman tweeted yesterday that they were going to show two games a week, but then he quickly deleted that. 

Aw, see the news came out over night. It is a 4 year deal, with two games be shown every week.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/02/25/mls-and-british-broadcaster-sky-sports-announce-groundbreaking-partnership

Massive win for Sky. They might have lost out on the CL to BT but getting the MLS more than makes up for it.

It's almost a like for like replacement. But as you might not know, the games here would kick off later than CL games would there, so there isn't any overlap.

Why haven't they featured Ronaldo in that, since he will be playing in MLS this year? Don't you all know who Ronaldo is over there?

RR really got to you with that Ronaldo comment

Roo Roo always gets to me. He's just so knowledgeable about the game over here. I aspire daily to be more like him.

Steve when is the cut off date for transfers in the mls? I need to know when I can start a manager mode on FIFA again.

Last year was May 12. I would a similar time this year if the season starts on time. Who are you going to be now that Chivas are gone? Houston? When your boy, Vegara-won't-let-me-play-for-CD-Guadalaraja-Torres-joins them?

Hey he plays in cup matches. (Scored winning goal last match too)

And I'm just going to watch as a casual fan now. Would feel weird rooting for a team not in Los Angeles. The Galaxy has always rubbed me the wrong way too so it's not like I can convert even if I wanted to. I'm more of a man of the people kind of guy and the Gals is like the soccer equivilant to the yankees to me.

Yeah I knew he was playing in the Copa MX and had scored in the last one. And yeah, definitely can't be a LAG fan. And I feel like LAFC is going to be just as bad. A hybrid of like NYCFC/LAG.

Do you think the league and the player's union will come to an agreement before this weekend, or will the season be delayed?

No, I think the season will be delayed. The players want free agency, the owners don't want that in the slightest. I think by Thursday, after the CL games with Montreal and United, that the players will strike. (Likely that neither will advance in CCL, but if they do, maybe those players will get special agreement to continue to train/play in CCL games).

Speaking of CCL. Read that Montreal was getting a lot of criticism because apparently tonight's game plan against Pachuca is too sit back, soak up pressure, and counter attack when they can. I guess people don't like that they are doing that at home, but I don't know how I feel about it personally.

Also, just realized the match is being played as I type this. Missed it last week.

What gets more coverage in the UK, A League or MLS?  Both leagues suffer from a serious timezone difference but seem to be on equal standing.

No one gives a shit about either one.

Free_Mustache_Rides wrote:Speaking of CCL. Read that Montreal was getting a lot of criticism because apparently tonight's game plan against Pachuca is too sit back, soak up pressure, and counter attack when they can. I guess people don't like that they are doing that at home, but I don't know how I feel about it personally.

Also, just realized the match is being played as I type this. Missed it last week.

Yeah, I mean, they went to Mexico and got a 2-2 draw. If they tried to go out and play Pachuca straight up they would have been crushed tonight. As it is now, 0-0 in like the 75th minute, which would put them through.

Jinxed it. Pachuca penalty in the 80th minute.

The hate is strong in this one.

Edit: That's towards SBSP by the way.

Hopefully, Pachuca wins, didn't care too much earlier but watching 70 minutes of Impact soccer can change a man.