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| No, please. Throw away my shit for me. |
For anyone who cares about such
things, I’m trying to choose how many items to cover in these daily things. I’m
hung up between three topics and five. Split the difference today. But one of ‘em
feels weak. Shit. Anyway…
More MLS Cup Crap
The work of hyping a cup final takes
many shapes and runs from good to bad (not to pick on that last one but it's only of interest
to someone who hasn’t paid attention at all for the last month). As for
the good stuff, I bumped into a couple today: one a tactical preview (but with
a shitty title, at least on mobile: “Jordan Morris Poses Problems for TFC,”
which really sells it short), which dives decently deep into things
(personally, I found the Armando Cooper stuff enlightening); the other, which
also didn’t promise much by title, looks at how the MLS contestants, (again) Seattle
Sounders and Toronto FC, built their rosters. It’s more of a how-to than it
looks, especially the stuff about both club’s academies. If I had to give a
long-term edge of any kind between the two teams, it’d go to Toronto. Take away
Jordan Morris (please!), and I’d rate Toronto’s pool higher.
On a note that relates only because
these two teams are in the Cup, I read somewhere that Nick Hagglund has “become
a force” on set-pieces. I’m hung up on “maybe” for now, because I don’t think
TFC can count on the absolute shit marking that Montreal put on Hagglund in the
first leg.
One more on MLS Cup, and those
participating in it. It’s cool to see TFC’s Jozy Altidore pick up a littlehype, because he’s playing out of his goddamn mind right now. I’m thinking back,
specifically, to a back-heel that he used to set up one of Toronto’s goals
against Montreal. Next-level shit, kid. and from a guy I still call the
smartest man in MLS.
Timbers: Keeping an Eye on the
Furniture During the Garage Sale
Stumptown Footy put up a very thorough
piece on which players the Timbers should protect from the grasping, sweaty
hands of Minnesota and Atlanta United FC(s) during next Tuesday’s expansion (a local Chicago Fire blog did a really good piece on their options, very loose). My
first thought was to call Stumptown’s post too long because, honestly, this
doesn’t feel so complicated. After a second look, I agree with their implied
argument that only the top 8 players (plus Michael Farfan) come easy (and
hereby endorse said Top 8). The work of picking the next three protected
players depends a lot of the project of bringing in new players (which project the
Portland Tribune described at wonderful length; related, the word “wonderful”
has been forever tainted for me by that goddamn Fred Meyer commercial: hate
that thing). With that in mind – and, to be clear, struggling – the other three
players I’d protect are:
Lucas Melano (while praying for a
decent ROI)
Jermaine Taylor (defensive cover/flexibility for the rebuild)
Jack McInerney (who I’d consider trading
later, but losing even 5 goals isn’t losing nothing)
OK, you can throw shit at me now.
I might throw shit at me later…
Mix Mixed Up
If you’re among the people who
looked at New York City FC’s Mix Diskerud and then immediately looked elsewhere,
you’re probably not so shocked to see that NYCFC is looking to unload him. It’s
not hard to feel sympathy for Diskerud, but he’s just one of those guys who
came in…pretty damn overrated. Still, I can’t imagine there’s nowhere he could
go and prove useful…even as I can’t say I’d want him for the Timbers. So, yeah.
Umm…
Expansion, The Road to 28 Teams
(and Speedbumps thereon)
Word that St. Petersburg/Tampa
Bay and North Carolina have thrown their hats as candidates to join MLS, I
decided to check back on in just who all’s running. As things currently stand
(and as I think we all know), the league expands to 22 teams next year when
Atlanta and Minnesota join, and then it’ll bump to 23 confirmed teams when LA
FC joins in 2018. The Miami bid is still on hold/so fucked up that I stopped
paying attention, so I’ll just leave things at 23. That leaves five available spots
for…how many candidates?
It’s sort of a mess, really, not
unlike the GOP field heading into 2016, only with fewer assholes. I don’t know
that it makes sense to add Miami – and I’m not checking either – but they’d be
a decent choice, y’know, get the American Southeast a little more involved in
the party, etc. From what I gather, Sacramento and St. Louis are looking good,
so that’s 25 teams, leaving three spots.
Personally, and I know it’s real early in their bid, but I’d like to see Carolina get a team. Good place, good
spot, etc. California has enough teams, so screw the San Diego bid (no offense
guys!) (Also, did I mention that I’m getting my list of candidates from
Wikipedia’s page on this topic?). Miami would be good, but they seem to struggle
with the whole business of getting their shit together. OK, with Carolina, that’s
26 teams, and two spots left….
…fuck it, going hometown, so that’s
Cincinnati in. Uh, who else…Detroit? Is that too much Midwest? Does San Antonio
– i.e., more Texas sound better than more Midwest? Mmm…these are not easy
choices. There’s the warm weather thing to consider…crap.
OK, here’s my barely considered
vote for the three remaining spots: Carolina, Cincinnati, and…yeah, Detroit.
They need it more…
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