MLS 2022/23 Season: Part 2

Ethan Jones5 said:For all we know, the issue might have nothing to do with results. In his interviews, Zekic always comes across as a pro who does his job, but clearly doesn't care for the club's atmosphere or the decisions being made.

A lot of what he says boils down to "I'm doing my best with what I've been given." That’s an easy way to get on the bad side of the higher-ups.

If this is purely about results, it's insane. This was easily the cheapest roster out there—everyone except me thought they'd be relegated from the league.

The Varzag/small-town underdog roster is definitely the budget option here—at least based on the names and the sheer quality of the players before the season even kicked off (though now guys like Teklic are suddenly stars, and Brodic and Postonjski are playing out of their minds, etc.).

Personally, I had them pegged for a desperate, gritty scrap just to stay out of the bottom tier.

And honestly? When I heard last year, right after they clinched the second division title, some guy claiming they were coming up to compete for European spots... I nearly fell off my chair laughing. Just pure comedy.

boldbadger1 said:The Varzag/small-town underdog roster is definitely the budget option here—at least based on the names and the sheer quality of the players before the season even kicked off (though now guys like Teklic are suddenly stars, and Brodic and Postonjski are playing out of their minds, etc.).

Personally, I had them pegged for a desperate, gritty scrap just to stay out of the bottom tier.

And honestly? When I heard last year, right after they clinched the second division title, some guy claiming they were coming up to compete for European spots... I nearly fell off my chair laughing. Just pure comedy.

Slaven's payroll is actually the lowest. Both before the season and now.

And in terms of talent, too. If you told people before the season started that Hoxha and Crnac would be leading a charge for Europe, you would've gotten a laugh. They let half their squad walk this summer.

Sure, they brought in a few new faces, but they also lost an excellent player like Kvržić.

The funniest part is, if they actually had a bit more depth on the bench, they might actually have a shot at those European spots.

Maybe Zekić belongs back in the mix over in Osage City.
If things aren't completely falling apart there and the foreign investors aren't pulling out, his smartest move is heading back home.
With the new stadium, a little roster shake-up to freshen things up, we’ll have a killer league next year.
The Dallas Cowboys, the Miami Dolphins, the Green Bay Packers, and the Osage City squad!

Ethan Jones5 said:For all we know, the issue might have nothing to do with results. In his interviews, Zekic always comes across as a pro who does his job, but clearly doesn't care for the club's atmosphere or the decisions being made.

A lot of what he says boils down to "I'm doing my best with what I've been given." That’s an easy way to get on the bad side of the higher-ups.

If this is purely about results, it's insane. This was easily the cheapest roster out there—everyone except me thought they'd be relegated from the league.

Well, that's just facts.
Management can love it or hate it, but let's be real—there is no less stimulating environment than this club, and honestly, they have a huge part of the blame for that.

My uncle ended up signing with Trabzon—just a decent little gig, really, pulling in about $1.6 million a season 👍

Thomas Hayes said:Well, that's just facts.
Management can love it or hate it, but let's be real—there is no less stimulating environment than this club, and honestly, they have a huge part of the blame for that.

You're really getting under hiddencyclist112's skin here.😁

boldbadger1 said:My uncle ended up signing with Trabzon—just a decent little gig, really, pulling in about $1.6 million a season 👍

Think back to those early transfers like Leovac and Dilaver. ☕

Thomas Hayes said:Think back to those early transfers like Leovac and Dilaver. ☕

I mean, he could probably line his pockets quite nicely—just take an extra percentage under the table as a "finder's fee" for bringing in Bruno Petkovic...

boldbadger1 said:I mean, he could probably line his pockets quite nicely—just take an extra percentage under the table as a "finder's fee" for bringing in Bruno Petkovic...

Nah, what I meant was that they usually bring those two along for the ride—you know, where Nenek is involved and then there's them...
I mean Nino Bule
The only unlucky one was Rene, who really messed things up for everyone.

Thomas Hayes said:Nah, what I meant was that they usually bring those two along for the ride—you know, where Nenek is involved and then there's them...
I mean Nino Bule
The only unlucky one was Rene, who really messed things up for everyone.

Yeah, I get it, but even Bruno is basically just playing his game at this point. And let's be real—that hundred-percent mentality never really stays under control for long.

All jokes aside, though—and I mean this seriously—I honestly think that’s the only way they can actually move Petkovic to another club.

It’s official, Zekic is staying, but only through the end of the season before he splits with Slaven. They weren't exactly favorites for Europe anyway, and honestly, I think their chances just got even slimmer now.

Zekić is way too talented a coach to end up at a place like Slavens.

I’m telling you, Zeka is definitely getting an invite to join Osijek or some other club once this season wraps up. That’s the only thing that makes sense here.

It makes just as much sense for Slaven to keep him on the bench until then. Bringing in replacements during these last few games is just a recipe for throwing away more points—unless you’ve got some massive ace up your sleeve, which I highly doubt.

Thanks, Michael Jackson10!☕

We really ought to abolish this trick...☕

neonhawk6 said:The International Center for Sports Studies—specifically their football research wing, the CIES Football Observatory—just dropped some interesting data. They specialize in all that deep statistical analysis we love, and they decided to crunch the numbers on a specific trend. By looking at the top 75 national leagues worldwide, they tracked which clubs have been getting handed the most penalty kicks from January 2020 through April 2023.

Leading the pack is Herediano over in Costa Rica, who racked up a massive 44 penalties during that stretch. Right on their heels—trailing by just a single kick—are the Split-based club and Egypt's Zamalek. For the guys in Split, that means they've been awarded 43 penalties in the American top flight over the last three years and three months.

Man, honestly—who can we even blame? If the opposing players don't know how to stop our guys without fouling them, that’s on them, right? 😁Though, I suppose we should be thankful for VAR... because, let's face it, our local refs probably wouldn't have called half of those anyway.

neonhawk6 said:The International Center for Sports Studies—specifically their football research wing, the CIES Football Observatory—just dropped some interesting data. They specialize in all that deep statistical analysis we love, and they decided to crunch the numbers on a specific trend. By looking at the top 75 national leagues worldwide, they tracked which clubs have been getting handed the most penalty kicks from January 2020 through April 2023.

Leading the pack is Herediano over in Costa Rica, who racked up a massive 44 penalties during that stretch. Right on their heels—trailing by just a single kick—are the Split-based club and Egypt's Zamalek. For the guys in Split, that means they've been awarded 43 penalties in the American top flight over the last three years and three months.

Original source:

https://twitter.com/CIES_Football/st...137281/photo/1

Second place in terms of being the world's biggest target. 😛

restlessridge24 said:Thanks, Michael Jackson10!☕

We really ought to abolish this trick...☕

If one looks back at the era before VAR became the standard, it becomes quite apparent that Hajduk was frequently the beneficiary of penalty calls, seeing more of them than anyone else in those recent seasons.

How much would they actually have on hand if people weren't constantly skimming off the top? Probably in the triple digits, easily. 🤔

And here we go again, letting people run wild without any repercussions—those who dare to cast doubt on the absolute integrity of the officiating body led by the blessed Bruno.