[retired_jo12289]

Hello

I'm managing Chicago on FM and it's given me a passing interest in MLS, so I think I'll be popping into here more often.

So what's the deal in here? Jason posts lots of links and we just read them?

[retired_google]

Originally posted by HopOnBaby:
Hello

I'm managing Chicago on FM and it's given me a passing interest in MLS, so I think I'll be popping into here more often.

So what's the deal in here? Jason posts lots of links and we just read them?

Pretty much.

(however, visitors actually reading the links is still in question :/)

[retired_-pearl-]

Originally posted by Jason the Yank:
<BLOCKQUOTE>Originally posted by HopOnBaby:
Hello

I'm managing Chicago on FM and it's given me a passing interest in MLS, so I think I'll be popping into here more often.

So what's the deal in here? Jason posts lots of links and we just read them?

Pretty much.

(however, visitors actually reading the links is still in question :/) </BLOCKQUOTE>

I read the links. Thank you for the time ad effort to collect MLS news and post it here. And I'm not even going to ruin the sincerity of that statement with a flippant comment.

[retired_jo12289]

Reet, I'm not planning on reading the whole 6 pages (although I saw the first post with the Fire beating DC 4-0 :*) ), so with the season starting in a week or so, what do I need to catch up with?

I know about Red Bull NY and San Jose's franchise shifting to Housten... owt else of interest?

[retired_nico1121]

REAL grass at Giant's Stadium this season. Daddy said so.

[retired_google]

Originally posted by HopOnBaby:
Reet, I'm not planning on reading the whole 6 pages

Plus there was the original thread that got knocked off by the great board outage. That dated to the start of the 2003 season and was 60-some pages. (it's somewhere in the depths of OTF now )

(although I saw the first post with the Fire beating DC 4-0 :*) ), so with the season starting in a week or so, what do I need to catch up with?

I know about Red Bull NY and San Jose's franchise shifting to Housten... owt else of interest?

Hmmmm.....

New format to decide the MLS representatives to the CONCACAF Champions Cup (it's now the Supporter's Shield winner -- which goes to the team with the best record in the regular season -- and the MLS Cup winner. If a team does a Supporters Shield/MLS Cup double, then the 2nd representative to the Champions Cup is the team with the 2nd best record in the regular season)

Expansion teams coming soon: Toronto is all but officially in. Cleveland will probably become the 14th team, although there's a strong group in Milwaukee led by former Chicago GM Peter Wilt. However, the Milwaukee group has been saying they wouldn't be ready to start play until 2008, and MLS is looking at Toronto (and the other expansion team) starting play in 2007.

US national team player Ed Johnson was traded from Dallas to Kansas City (although it may be a real short stay if he lights up Germany '06). American ex-ManU player Kenny Cooper signed with Dallas. Kansas City is looking at signing a Dutchman (whose name escapes me ATM) from Utrecht.

Chicago's new stadium in Bridgeview opens this year.

New coaches: Mo Johnston is the new permanent head coach with the rebranded Red Bull; former LA Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid is in charge in Columbus now (and turned over about half the playing squad); former Chicago and Metrostars manager Bob Bradley has taken over at Chivas USA. I'm sure the next World Soccer will have the usual Paul Gardner moaning about no Hispanics being hired for those openings.

Television deal: It's not final, but MLS should be getting a rights fee from ABC/ESPN and Univision as part of those networks getting the World Cup. (FIFA made it a condition that they had to make a rights deal with MLS as part of acquiring World Cup rights). Previously MLS bought time on ABC/ESPN for broadcasts.

All-star game competition: Will probably be another MLS vs. foreign team as it has been 2 of the last 3 years (vs. Chivas Guadalajara in 2003, vs. Fulham last year). Not official, but there's some talk it could be Chelsea.

Some of the other non-US-based posters here check out the league's website (www.mlsnet.com) where you can get streaming video of games (or just highlights of them). Go check it out. :thup:

[retired_jdupont]

Any idea on how Toronto will work regarding teh foreign-player rule?

Will Canadians be treated like if they were not foreigners?

Or the same as above but only regarding Toronto (Canadians would still be foreigners for all the other teams)

Or will Toronto be full of Americans with a couple of Canadians only?

[retired_google]

I think it'll be a mirror of the rules for the US teams. Canadians would count as domestic players, US players would count as foreigners for them.

I say that "I think" because there's been some grumbling that if that's the case then you theoretically could wind up with the Canadian national team playing in MLS under the Toronto name.

[retired_jdupont]

Originally posted by Jason the Yank:
I think it'll be a mirror of the rules for the US teams. Canadians would count as domestic players, US players would count as foreigners for them.

I say that "I think" because there's been some grumbling that if that's the case then you theoretically could wind up with the Canadian national team playing in MLS under the Toronto name.

If they do what you said, then they should not take part in the draft.

Anyway, adding them under sepcial rules kind of defeats the purpose of the MLS as their players won't help the US Team (as they will be Canadians).

I don't follow much the Canadian Nat'l Team. How many of their top players still play in either or in the USA?

Because these players would naturally be the target for Toronto if they try to sign Canadian Nat'l Team players.

[retired_nico1121]

Originally posted by Jason the Yank:
I think it'll be a mirror of the rules for the US teams. Canadians would count as domestic players, US players would count as foreigners for them.

I say that "I think" because there's been some grumbling that if that's the case then you theoretically could wind up with the Canadian national team playing in MLS under the Toronto name.

Oh no....not the Canadien national team!!! Run!!!