Pretty impressed with this MLS showing on ESPN2...

stuntin909 · 03-12-12, 08:55 PM

impressive fukking atmosphere.

league is definitely growing away from the mickey mouse reputation it used to have.

Inkwell77 · 03-12-12, 10:25 PM

Sick sick goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is what good soccer players do, boys! Finish.

BlueHell · 03-13-12, 10:15 AM

Timbers Army was impressive as hell.

BigTimeWinner · 03-13-12, 10:24 AM

yeah I must agree that the atmosphere was quite good.

thetrinity · 03-13-12, 10:46 AM

mls is really good in some cities.

it works in:

1. canada
2. cities with a lot of foreigners
3. cities who have nothing else

i have to admit the play is getting better every year, i think they plan on adding 1 one more for an even 20 and thats all they can do really.

pittsburgh has come up in expansion a few times, but i dont see how it would really work here.

i could see this reaching the nhls popularity possibly someday, dont see it ever being on par with the nfl nba or mlb.

TheMoneyShot · 03-13-12, 10:48 AM

How do you cap MLS? Wish I knew...

thetrinity · 03-13-12, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by TheMoneyShot

How do you cap MLS? Wish I knew...

makes 2 of us

unfortunately i try tho

camelbreath$ · 03-13-12, 10:54 AM

Originally posted by Deuce

Didn't think Americans had it in them. Remarkable. Portland must really enjoy soccer.

If you have a chance to go to any of the soccer specific stadiums, the atmosphere is amazing. As a person who grew up attending Bundesliga games and World Cup matches, I did not expect much. But seeing the passion of the Timbers Army and the Sons of Ben in Philadelphia, and also the beauty of the Red Bulls Arena really makes me happy for the future of soccer in America. The main problem for early MLS was that they were trying to host games in 60,000 person stadiums, and the energy was killed by the stadium being 2/3 empty. Now that they have built downtown arenas to be filled to capacity with raucous fans, it has really taken off in some cities.

cogiditopapa · 03-13-12, 10:55 AM

The addition of quite of few central and south American players and some players from Europe each year is prompts to good soccer games in the MLS.

cogiditopapa · 03-13-12, 10:58 AM

Originally posted by TheMoneyShot

How do you cap MLS? Wish I knew...

Easy.. read news and game previous at the MLS site, this place is full of great content for each game. It won't be long at all before you will be able to predict a win and over or the under in this league, if you do well capping games in Europe, you will do great in MLS.

jjgold · 03-13-12, 10:59 AM

I notice some good crowd support with these games
Betting not bad either

Sunde91 · 03-13-12, 11:11 AM

here's who cares about MLS:

1) hipsters/liberals who want to be cultured and feel unique for following a sport no one else gives a fuk about in the US. Portland and Seattle full to brim with these, not a coincidence MLS teams are extremely popular there

2) Immigrants/Mexicans who follow Galaxy and Chivas

cogiditopapa · 03-13-12, 11:24 AM

Originally posted by Sunde91

here's who cares about MLS:

1) hipsters/liberals who want to be cultured and feel unique for following a sport no one else gives a fuk about in the US. Portland and Seattle full to brim with these, not a coincidence MLS teams are extremely popular there

2) Immigrants/Mexicans who follow Galaxy and Chivas

I respect you opinion however I don't share the same thinking. GL

camelbreath$ · 03-13-12, 11:25 AM

Originally posted by Sunde91

here's who cares about MLS:

1) hipsters/liberals who want to be cultured and feel unique for following a sport no one else gives a fuk about in the US. Portland and Seattle full to brim with these, not a coincidence MLS teams are extremely popular there

2) Immigrants/Mexicans who follow Galaxy and Chivas

Completely wrong. Go to a NY Red Bulls or Philadelphia Union game. Half the crowd is also comprised of Wall Street yuppies and guido fukkbags.

High3rEl3m3nt · 03-13-12, 02:18 PM

MLS is still in full-blown expanding mode and it negatively affects play mid to late season.
Teams are worn down because they're playing in several non-league tournaments and it
presents some great betting opportunities for gamblers and frustration for reg. spectators.
I bet MLS last year and took a lot of home dogs and played the draw lines against favored road
teams. Most MLS teams consist of two real teams. The team that plays superb at home
and the other, who is completely horrendous on the road i.e Houston. Often, the effort
is so out of balance that there's no good explanation for the change up in play, other than
guys are just playing half-ass.

Also, Portland is an ideal city for MLS because it is a hipster metropolis. Fun city, but god damn
hipsters are annoying. On a Saturday afternoon, you can grab a beer on 23rd and see walking
abstract art. I have never seen so many people dress like clowns.

HoulihansTX · 03-13-12, 02:28 PM

3. cities who have nothing else = Oregon as a whole.

High3rEl3m3nt · 03-13-12, 03:59 PM

ummm...you have no clue. Oregonians love their blazers! Portland is a great city and highly underrated in terms of food, entertainment, drink, and all things odd.

HoulihansTX · 03-13-12, 04:29 PM

Oregon is full of hippies, loggers, and environmentalists. Sports is a break from either cutting trees, hugging a tree, or smoking trees.

sportfan · 03-13-12, 05:11 PM

Originally posted by HoulihansTX

Oregon is full of hippies, loggers, and environmentalists. Sports is a break from either cutting trees, hugging a tree, or smoking trees.

CanuckG · 03-13-12, 05:15 PM

whitecaps game up here in Vancouver have picked up too good crowd love it

MoreWaysThanOne · 03-14-12, 01:09 AM

Originally posted by Deuce

Didn't think Americans had it in them. Remarkable. Portland must really enjoy soccer.

AS soon as I saw this thread title I knew exactly what you were talking about. Someone will find the anthem they sang offensive somewhere though.

eleuropeano · 03-14-12, 04:20 AM

Soccer will take over America. It's bound to happen. It's just too much magic in the sport. It is a slow process, but it is irreversible. If you look at the progress since soccer took off in America (after the world cup 1994), the growth is amazing. The next big step will be when the US gets the World Cup again. Unfortunately between the corruption scandals around Salt Lake City 2002 (and the subsequent tacit agreement to not award the US major sporting events for a while) and Qatar's own corruption efforts to bring in the 2024 WC, it would be a while, but it would happen eventually. It is bound to happen.

Here are the 3 main reasons that make soccer great:

1. It is more about skill than physical attributes: Unlike other sports, where you have to have certain physical attributes to play the sport, in soccer you can be a 5 foot meatball like Maradona or a 7 foot stick like Crouch, you can still play the sport. In what other sport a team of super talented midgets (FC Barcelona) can dominate? This is why soccer is becoming the most popular sport for kids.

2. That 1 goal: I've heard Americans complain that the main problem with soccer is that it is a low scoring sport. I think actually this is the main reason why it is the most popular sport in the world. There is just so much emotion packed into every single goal, just because you know it might be enough for the win. But then again, it is also likely that it isn't. You just never know. And that's what makes it fun and emotional to watch.

3. No time outs: A whole soccer game is less than 2 hours, and more than 90 minutes of those are actual play. For as much as I love college ball, I just can't stand those TV timeouts every 4 minutes.