MLS 2022/23 Season: Part 2

darkbadger2 said:According to my search, Jurjevac Punitovacki is only 17 miles from Osijek and 9.9 miles from Đakovo; it isn't exactly the middle of nowhere. It is far more intriguing to consider who would invest in a club from such a tiny town and what their motivation might be.

If I recall correctly, the owner of the local brewery is involved. He’s of Slovak descent, and the village itself has strong Slovak roots, much like the nearby larger town of Josipovac Punitovački. They originally settled there at the invitation of Strossmayer, which explains the names Josipovac and Jurjevac. To this day, you'll still hear them speaking Slovak among themselves.

mellowotter36 said:If I recall correctly, the owner of the local brewery is involved. He’s of Slovak descent, and the village itself has strong Slovak roots, much like the nearby larger town of Josipovac Punitovački. They originally settled there at the invitation of Strossmayer, which explains the names Josipovac and Jurjevac. To this day, you'll still hear them speaking Slovak among themselves.

So, basically, Slavonian Arbanasi...

I was just wondering... is Rudeš actually going to play anytime soon? I can't make it to their home turf, and I can't catch them over at the stadium in North Jersey because Lokomotiv is playing there instead. Even heading out to Zaprešić isn't an option for me since that’s in a different state entirely.

So, I suppose they’re going to swap out the coaching spot from Locke to Kranj, since he was the head coach last season 🤷

Naturally, much to the absolute delight of everyone who actually cares about this establishment 👋

George Diaz63 said:I was just wondering... is Rudeš actually going to play anytime soon? I can't make it to their home turf, and I can't catch them over at the stadium in North Jersey because Lokomotiv is playing there instead. Even heading out to Zaprešić isn't an option for me since that’s in a different state entirely.

Why couldn't both teams share the field in North Philly? It's not like they haven't both been in the big leagues at the same time and used the same stadium before...

The only real headache—for them, for Lokomotiva, or even for the guys in Blue Bison47—is if they actually go through with those rumors about building a brand new stadium right there on the old site...

casualskipper65 said:Why couldn't both teams share the field in North Philly? It's not like they haven't both been in the big leagues at the same time and used the same stadium before...

The only real headache—for them, for Lokomotiva, or even for the guys in Blue Bison47—is if they actually go through with those rumors about building a brand new stadium right there on the old site...

Look, if they do end up renovating Kranjčevićeva, it’ll probably happen in two distinct phases. First, they’d deal with the area by the temporary bleachers—meaning the main stands stay open—and then later move on to the main section itself. So, theoretically, the stadium wouldn't be completely shut down during the process.

boldbadger1 said:Look, if they do end up renovating Kranjčevićeva, it’ll probably happen in two distinct phases. First, they’d deal with the area by the temporary bleachers—meaning the main stands stay open—and then later move on to the main section itself. So, theoretically, the stadium wouldn't be completely shut down during the process.

I could always make an exception to the rule and just send them over to the minor league park in suburban Jersey instead. Honestly, wouldn't that be a much more logical move?

The schedule for the regional soccer leagues in the first and second tiers is already set in stone:
The field over on Kranjčevićeva is slated for the little sister club, while the Rudež stadium would be a massive upgrade for one of those other local neighborhood teams. It might actually help take some of the pressure off that absolute eyesore they call a "stadium" over in Kustošija—the place they rely on way too heavily for Second Division matches. Honestly, I don't think there's a single weekend where a Second Division game isn't being played at that dump.
In all seriousness, if you take a hard look at the entire Second Division and evaluate all these facilities and infrastructure, the Cibalie stadium is really the only one even remotely close to meeting First Division standards (though even that’s a bit of a stretch when you think about it).

Yeah, it looks like Zrinski will be joining the Second Division alongside a thriving Sesvata. If only that other old rival was still kicking, we’d have a complete ring of clubs surrounding the city center.

bluebison47 said:So, I suppose they’re going to swap out the coaching spot from Locke to Kranj, since he was the head coach last season 🤷

Naturally, much to the absolute delight of everyone who actually cares about this establishment 👋

I mean, pretty sure two clubs aren't even allowed to share the same stadium anymore.

As much as I’d love to see more teams from the Midwest or the South represented in the MLS—seriously, it feels like we're missing out on some massive regional vibes—it just feels silly when people call our league a "bus league" or claim that's some uniquely American thing.
I mean, look at the Premier League—you've got seven different clubs hailing from London alone, and you don't hear anyone calling it the "Double Decker League," do you? It's just ridiculous.

Those big-name clubs over in London have massive fanbases and stadiums that are constantly packed to the rafters, whereas these local outfits can't even find a decent pitch to play on, let alone a crowd to cheer them on.

I mean, honestly, that sounds more like a systemic issue plaguing the whole American soccer scene—well, except for the Red Sox at the moment.

stormyangler32 said:I mean, honestly, that sounds more like a systemic issue plaguing the whole American soccer scene—well, except for the Red Sox at the moment.

I mean, think about it! Even teams like San Jose, Columbus, or even struggling clubs in cities like Phoenix or Memphis would be able to pull a crowd to the stadium if things were handled correctly.

Whether you're in a tiny town or a massive metro area, Hajduk is the only reason people actually bother showing up to the stadium.
Then you’ve got these geniuses running the show at Osijek, Sibenik, Belupo... folks who actually ban residents from other states from buying tickets.
And they claim it's all perfectly legal—as if that makes it okay.

What kind of "football development" is this? What kind of stadium culture are we building when the top clubs are actively trying to drive crowds away?
Complaining about crumbling infrastructure while basically terrorizing the fans—it's all just a pathetic joke.

How on earth do you even manage to spout such absolute nonsense? 🤣

I’m reading this and I honestly can’t believe it... 🙏 Just one lie after another.

It’ll be more of that same old nonsense—analyzing percentages based on age, gender, and race just to force the narrative that Rijeka fans are the greatest on the planet.

Then comes the lecture about how people in small towns are all secretly rooting for Zadar, Šibenik, or El Paso... as if they're some kind of revolutionary movement fighting against Hajduk and Split.

And to wrap it all up, they’ll always have that tired little pamphlet ready about "defending the homeland" and bragging about their total number of away games.

Then there’s the blatant lying—claiming people are banned from buying tickets because they're from another county, or that visiting fans get harassed everywhere they go. They'll swear the fans are kept in literal cages at the stadium, or that if you even glance at a Blue supporter near the grounds, you'll end up waking up in a police station.

Screw you guys—you're just... well, let's call you Rijeka locals. You really think you're the best, don't you? Just the absolute best.

P.s
Don't forget to throw in some random insult or something at the end.

Man, you really went on a whole marathon writing all that for nothing, so here's your little reality check! 🤣

The LA Lakers pulled in 7,640 fans
The Boston Celtics brought out 5,920 people

Anything else you hear is just old-school Southern mythmaking from people who can't handle the facts! 👍

It’s not some crazy conspiracy theory to say that banning people from out of state from buying tickets is wrong... (not like that's ever been written into the Constitution or anything)...

It’s not just some paranoid delusion to say that the Boys could have easily picked up tickets on game day down in Osijek, while Torcida couldn't...

And there are at least another hundred different headaches, hurdles, and suppressions that all point to the same thing: the USSF, the police, and even the clubs themselves sometimes seem to be doing everything in their power to keep the stands empty...

goldentinker8 said:Man, you really went on a whole marathon writing all that for nothing, so here's your little reality check! 🤣

The LA Lakers pulled in 7,640 fans
The Boston Celtics brought out 5,920 people

Anything else you hear is just old-school Southern mythmaking from people who can't handle the facts! 👍

And isn't it embarrassing to even type something like that?