MLS 2022/23 Season: Part 2

William Gomez5 said:For me, it wasn't even about being busy—it was just pure, old-fashioned laziness.

Plus, I can't even remember if I actually texted you saying I was heading over.

bluebison47 said:Well, nothing left to do then. I guess we’ll just settle for saying goodbye to the season during the match against FC Miami, since I can't even make it to the game against the LA Galaxy this Sunday.🕺

It’s game day for the HNL! Everyone, get ready. It's time for the action to kick off. 😍
Romance isn't dead yet. It truly hasn't.

Does anyone know if there's a new episode of Game by Game coming out today?

Lisa Perez50 said:Does anyone know if there's a new episode of Game by Game coming out today?

It should be—they mentioned it was coming this Friday.

I just hope the announcer from Indianapolis is doing alright, and that he's feeling better after that little mishap...

neonfalcon16 said:It’s game day for the HNL! Everyone, get ready. It's time for the action to kick off. 😍
Romance isn't dead yet. It truly hasn't.

Let's just hope some corporate grind doesn't crash the party and ruin this beautiful moment next time.

Samuel Lopez9 said:Let's just hope some corporate grind doesn't crash the party and ruin this beautiful moment next time.

Do these guys even have an LGBT flag to wave, or are they too scared of some hooligans?🤷

Thomas Hayes said:It should be—they mentioned it was coming this Friday.

I guess it will happen. I'll just sit here and listen to those geniuses. Thanks.

Ethan Jones5 here! I am just popping in to say hello to everyone! It is such a beautiful day to be part of this community, isn't it? I hope you are all having a fantastic week so far! kaže:
Do they actually have an LGBT pride flag to wave around, or are they just too terrified of the hooligans?🤷

Hooligans in a small town? Give me a break!

Ethan Jones5 said:Do these guys even have an LGBT flag to wave, or are they too scared of some hooligans?🤷

I mean, honestly... this whole meeting? It’s giving me major Alan Harper and Herb Melnick vibes from that one episode of Two and a Half Men. Just pure chaos waiting to happen...

Olivia Taylor2 said:If Rijeka pulls this off in their matchup against Columbus Crew, they’re basically set for Europe. They already knocked Istra out by six, and if they hold steady at home next week, they'll keep that lead and the head-to-head advantage thanks to goal difference. The only real drama would be if they stumble.

Meanwhile, the guys from Portland are playing for a spot too, which would leave them sitting four points ahead of Istra, five ahead of Slaven, and six ahead of Varaždin.

At the end of the day, it looks like the usual top four will clinch those European spots. Things are looking clearer now—Rijeka is almost a lock to be seeded in the second and third qualifying rounds of the Conference League. They aren't there yet for the fourth round, but there are enough scenarios where they could slide in.

Hajduk and Portland are guaranteed seeds in the second qualifying round, but there's zero chance they'll be seeded in the third. Honestly, there's maybe a 1% chance for Hajduk if some weird coefficient shifts happen and higher-ranked teams get knocked out early, but let's be real—that's pure science fiction at this point.

Wait, hold on—if Šibenik actually pulls off a cup win, does that mean the fourth-place spot still heads to Europe? Or does the trophy change the whole math for the standings?

Let's go!

It’s not working.

EDIT: Actually, it is working, because Šibenik didn't even sign up for the Europe tournament! 😁

Hell yeah, it's happening.

Honestly, they should have let this kid Pukšata take on the U-20 World Cup. Let's be real here—Hajduk still has one more crucial match left this season, and Šibenik can absolutely handle their business in the final without relying on an 18-year-old. This World Cup is a massive showcase; it’s exactly where a young talent needs to be, testing himself against the best players in his age group from across the globe. Who knows if he'll ever get another shot at a tournament of this scale? It feels like we're seeing it again: our clubs and national teams sacrificing the development of these kids just because they lack actual professionalism and focus at the top levels. Instead of building for the future, they're just playing games with these players' careers.

Eric Fox7 said:Wait, hold on—if Šibenik actually pulls off a cup win, does that mean the fourth-place spot still heads to Europe? Or does the trophy change the whole math for the standings?

Like everyone else said, they don't have the license. 😁

Winning the Cup could only change things if the winner couldn't qualify due to licensing issues—then the second-place team might sneak into the third qualifying round instead of the Cup winner. But since Hajduk is almost certainly finishing second, the Cup final won't shift any of the starting positions for Europe.

Otherwise, here’s who the potential early opponents for the big club might face in the Champions League qualifiers:

Maccabi Haifa (ISR)
Zalgiris Vilnius (LTU)
HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Flora Tallinn (EST)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
The New Saints (WAL)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)
Zrinjski Mostar (BIH)
Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
Aris Limassol (CYP)

I think only Haifa and Aris L. haven't clinched their titles yet. Of course, you've got teams from the first qualifying round too, like Sweden's Hacken, which isn't easy, and at this stage, the champions from Poland and Romania are tough calls as well. But this is basically how it looks every year: two or three teams you want to avoid, and the rest are decent matchups to kick off the season.
PS: Haifa might still end up as a seeded team.

Casey Wells12 said:Honestly, they should have let this kid Pukšata take on the U-20 World Cup. Let's be real here—Hajduk still has one more crucial match left this season, and Šibenik can absolutely handle their business in the final without relying on an 18-year-old. This World Cup is a massive showcase; it’s exactly where a young talent needs to be, testing himself against the best players in his age group from across the globe. Who knows if he'll ever get another shot at a tournament of this scale? It feels like we're seeing it again: our clubs and national teams sacrificing the development of these kids just because they lack actual professionalism and focus at the top levels. Instead of building for the future, they're just playing games with these players' careers.

So, you actually know if the boy wanted to go and the Board just blocked him, or is that just speculation?

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Coastalpilot6 was sidelined for four months last summer because of an injury while playing for the national team, so I guess maybe they just don't want to risk another disaster like that, especially with a major tournament hitting right in the middle of the season grind. The coach for the US national team has been basically begging European clubs to let their players go, honestly... FIFA is such a joke of an organization with this kind of scheduling.

Larry Scott3 said:So, you actually know if the boy wanted to go and the Board just blocked him, or is that just speculation?

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And what exactly is he missing here?

Larry Scott3 said:So, you actually know if the boy wanted to go and the Board just blocked him, or is that just speculation?

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Perhaps he's just looking to suit up for our national team?

Solid game over at the local stadium. The Orange squad was throwing high pressure around like they were Pep’s version of Barcelona. Honestly, if the visiting side doesn't find the back of the net soon, Domjanić is gonna be left hanging.

It definitely doesn't look like we're headed for a scoreless draw.