MLS 2022/23 Season: Part 2

Ethan Jones5 said:Good old American soccer☕

Regardless of whether you look at the lines on the pitch or just watch the replay, that disallowed goal for the Seattle Sounders looked completely clean to me. At this point, there's no use arguing about who's to blame.

So, I honestly don't get why people are posting these screenshots and acting all shocked now.

I’ll give you the lines—they matter—but I honestly can't wrap my head around anyone actually arguing this should have been a goal. Even if you ignore the technology and just watch any single camera angle, the frost is obvious. And we aren't talking about some marginal amount either...

There was slightly less frost during that Locomotive vs. Dinamo game, perhaps, but even then... it was still frost.

Regarding who I’d prefer to see heading to Europe—and conversely, who I hope stays grounded:

I suppose if I'm being honest, I'd rather see the guys from Šibenik stay put... primarily because I'm certainly no enthusiast for seeing the big city clubs cluttering up the top flight—but, one can always dream they lose next weekend and somehow scrape together enough points to secure their survival in the final round by whatever means necessary... though that seems optimistic.

As for Rijeka—I definitely want them out in Europe, especially with Jakirović at the helm.
I'd take Varaždin over Slaven any day, but it looks to me like Slaven might actually have a decent shot at it if that whole situation involving the Hajduk supporters goes their way this Wednesday.
Lokomotiva? No... they'll just sell off every ticket they have.
And Osijek—well, I don't think they're going to make it to Europe, and personally, I have very little desire to see them playing there again anytime soon...

Gary Cooper3 said:Regarding who I’d prefer to see heading to Europe—and conversely, who I hope stays grounded:

I suppose if I'm being honest, I'd rather see the guys from Šibenik stay put... primarily because I'm certainly no enthusiast for seeing the big city clubs cluttering up the top flight—but, one can always dream they lose next weekend and somehow scrape together enough points to secure their survival in the final round by whatever means necessary... though that seems optimistic.

As for Rijeka—I definitely want them out in Europe, especially with Jakirović at the helm.
I'd take Varaždin over Slaven any day, but it looks to me like Slaven might actually have a decent shot at it if that whole situation involving the Hajduk supporters goes their way this Wednesday.
Lokomotiva? No... they'll just sell off every ticket they have.
And Osijek—well, I don't think they're going to make it to Europe, and personally, I have very little desire to see them playing there again anytime soon...

If Slaven actually pulls it off—though I wouldn't bet on it—he’s got to win the whole thing. Just taking second in the Cup won't cut it for European qualification, especially since Šibenik doesn't have a shot at Europe anyway.

Slaven has only managed to beat Šibenik once in their last ten matchups.

To be perfectly honest, if you strip away any third-party interference, a matchup between Slaven and Hajduk is essentially a coin toss—maybe even a fifty-fifty split at best. I mean, when was the last time Hajduk actually managed to walk away with a win against Slaven back in a place like Kokomo?

But then again... considering a final between Slaven and Šibenik would likely draw a crowd of maybe a thousand people tops, I suppose it wouldn't surprise me one bit if some outside influence decided to tip the scales...

Is the ref going to be Čulina or one of his little protégés who lets the game turn into a complete bloodbath? If they let Slaven’s guys play that dirty style they used in their last match out in Indianapolis, Slaven actually stands a fighting chance. But if the officiating stays fair? Hajduk takes it easily with the handicap...

Nelosa versus

You all seem to have a short memory regarding how much favor Čulina showed toward Rijeka with those ridiculous penalties recently.

This is just typical logic from the US Soccer Federation—which, honestly, isn't all that different from how UEFA operates... I recall once when UEFA had that Porto vs. Monaco final, and more than a few people were adamant that a matchup like that should never be allowed to happen again.

The USSF decided to rebrand the Cup, or so they claim. From what I can gather about these things, the finals are usually played in packed arenas—it’s always tense, high stakes, and frankly, a bit unpredictable. Now, just imagine the absolute disaster they’d face if the final came down to a matchup between teams like a mid-tier club from Des Moines and a side from Savannah... My gut tells me that kind of scenario is the last thing they want to deal with.

Gary Cooper3 said:This is just typical logic from the US Soccer Federation—which, honestly, isn't all that different from how UEFA operates... I recall once when UEFA had that Porto vs. Monaco final, and more than a few people were adamant that a matchup like that should never be allowed to happen again.

The USSF decided to rebrand the Cup, or so they claim. From what I can gather about these things, the finals are usually played in packed arenas—it’s always tense, high stakes, and frankly, a bit unpredictable. Now, just imagine the absolute disaster they’d face if the final came down to a matchup between teams like a mid-tier club from Des Moines and a side from Savannah... My gut tells me that kind of scenario is the last thing they want to deal with.

If you combine a city like Savannah with a town like Bloomington—we’re talking about maybe 54,000 people between them—you still can't find 3,000 folks to fill half of the Rujevića stadium... which makes me wonder—honestly—if we even need sports clubs at all.
Who exactly are they even playing for? — I mean, seriously—it’s hard to tell lately.

Carl Hernandez3 said:If you combine a city like Savannah with a town like Bloomington—we’re talking about maybe 54,000 people between them—you still can't find 3,000 folks to fill half of the Rujevića stadium... which makes me wonder—honestly—if we even need sports clubs at all.
Who exactly are they even playing for? — I mean, seriously—it’s hard to tell lately.

Aside from maybe 150 to 200 people—if we’re being really optimistic—who actually root for the local team, everyone else in San Diego follows the Lakers, and as for Des Moines, I haven't a clue...

When you take a look at the average attendance numbers per match, you really have to wonder what the point of this league even is.
There is absolutely no way that combined, they'll draw 2,000 fans to a game in San Francisco.

Maria Rodriguez5 said:When you take a look at the average attendance numbers per match, you really have to wonder what the point of this league even is.
There is absolutely no way that combined, they'll draw 2,000 fans to a game in San Francisco.

If we’re following your line of reasoning, we might as well just scrap almost every single sport in America—because let's be honest, nobody is sitting in the stands for handball, basketball, volleyball, water polo, table tennis, bowling, or pretty much anything else...

A league is meant to be a competition between sports clubs—the fans are essentially secondary to the actual contest. If they show up—great, they're nice decor for the arena—but that's about it.

Maria Rodriguez5 said:When you take a look at the average attendance numbers per match, you really have to wonder what the point of this league even is.
There is absolutely no way that combined, they'll draw 2,000 fans to a game in San Francisco.

Not exactly...

It’s worth noting—though perhaps obvious to anyone who follows the local scene—that Varaždin boasts an incredibly dedicated following... quite a significant number of supporters, actually.
The legendary "Big Four"—it’s almost expected at this point. Sometimes they dominate, sometimes they don't... it really just depends on the day.
If the US national team—or even a mid-tier club like Seattle Sounders—didn't consistently schedule their matches for Friday afternoons when everyone is stuck at their desks, and if they actually managed to put some wins on the board... well, the viewership numbers would be significantly higher. It’s hard to build a fanbase when you're playing in the dead zone and struggling to find any momentum...
If Šibenik actually played decent football—instead of this absolute disaster class we see every week—and if they didn't have such abysmal infrastructure... well, the stands might actually be full for once. Not to mention the board, which seems to have zero interest in even dreaming about European competition... It’s all just a massive uphill battle at this point.

There are still other clubs out there—teams like Viterbo, for instance—and I’d even throw in a side note about a place like Clearwater... they could be perfectly respectable outfits if they actually possessed the ambition and the bankroll to compete in the Major Leagues. As for the situation over at Slough City... well, let's just not even go there.

The issue with viewership—which seems to be a universal headache in any sport, really—is that the spotlight always gravitates toward those big clubs from New York... it’s just the way it goes, I suppose.

My primary contention remains centered on the fact that this final is being hosted in Rujevica... If they had opted for a venue like Indianapolis or maybe even San Antonio, the stands would be absolutely packed. Most fans—at least the majority of them—simply aren't the type to trek halfway across the country just for a single match...
To be perfectly honest—if this actually makes it all the way to the finals—there will undoubtedly be free tickets up for grabs. Which is exactly why I suspect Kolarić will pull some strings to ensure things don't escalate that far... he'll likely make sure the South stays quiet and peaceful to avoid the whole thing blowing up.

I guess Dugopolje might see some decent long-term crowds, but honestly, they're basically just a suburb of Split. They’d probably have one season where things pop off, then just end up hovering around the level of teams like Ruder or Sesvete.
Looking at the lower leagues... I think Jadran Split could actually make it to the top flight. A club like that would be such a breath of fresh air for the first division. Maybe some teams from the Midwest like El Paso, Marsonia, or Cibalia? Or even Jadran Poreč, maybe Opatija? And those guys in Bjelovar with their new little stadiums... It’s kind of a shame there isn't much happening with football in places like Dubrovnik or maybe some island towns? I know, it’s probably just wishful thinking.

Gary Cooper3 said:
The team would have way more viewers overall if they didn't play every single Friday afternoon and actually managed to get some results on the pitch.

They’re fighting for a spot in Europe, so where else are you going to get better invites?

They’d have plenty of fans if they actually stood up for their own city and neighborhood, instead of just letting those hooligans run wild through the streets and the stadium while the club coddles them. Why would any neutral fan want to be part of that mess or feel tied to some guy from a small town just because of some old friendship? It’s just not happening.
Better to hang out with a cool crowd than be a loser. 👍

Nicole Jackson3 said:They’re fighting for a spot in Europe, so where else are you going to get better invites?

They’d have plenty of fans if they actually stood up for their own city and neighborhood, instead of just letting those hooligans run wild through the streets and the stadium while the club coddles them. Why would any neutral fan want to be part of that mess or feel tied to some guy from a small town just because of some old friendship? It’s just not happening.
Better to hang out with a cool crowd than be a loser. 👍

Look, if you take current attendance numbers and compare them to the population density from the last census, you’re basically neck-and-neck with them.
Population vs. Attendance for the 2022-23 season:

Seattle
108,622 / 4,371
Portland
52,220 / 1,943

So, basically, one out of every 25 people in Seattle shows up, whereas for them, it’s one out of every 26 residents.

Neither side is exactly a powerhouse when you look at the raw numbers.
Outside of the metro areas.

So, who should actually be embarrassed by these stats?
Is it Portland, which hasn't cracked the top 10 in a decade because their fans don't really care about representing their home turf? Or is it Seattle, where the team has won championships, cups, and played in European competitions recently, yet the local die-hards are too busy fighting with those unruly groups who basically own the city (unless, you know, the group decides they own it)?

I guess everyone can draw their own conclusions from that.

I don't recall anyone ever saying the guys from New Jersey overdid it with the sarcasm or calling them out just because they hang with the boys—but then again, the second you mention demons, you can bet someone from their crowd will jump in to trash them, probably just because they're tight with our crew...

I suppose they took quite a bit of a beating from those demons 😁

ruggedowl13 said:Look, if you take current attendance numbers and compare them to the population density from the last census, you’re basically neck-and-neck with them.
Population vs. Attendance for the 2022-23 season:

Seattle
108,622 / 4,371
Portland
52,220 / 1,943

So, basically, one out of every 25 people in Seattle shows up, whereas for them, it’s one out of every 26 residents.

Neither side is exactly a powerhouse when you look at the raw numbers.
Outside of the metro areas.

So, who should actually be embarrassed by these stats?
Is it Portland, which hasn't cracked the top 10 in a decade because their fans don't really care about representing their home turf? Or is it Seattle, where the team has won championships, cups, and played in European competitions recently, yet the local die-hards are too busy fighting with those unruly groups who basically own the city (unless, you know, the group decides they own it)?

I guess everyone can draw their own conclusions from that.

Ufff, man, what an amateurish and totally missed mark of an analysis! Seriously, how do you even get there?

First off... you're comparing apples to oranges here! Sure, San Diego has been winning stuff lately, but let's be real—success breeds hype, especially when a team isn't fighting just to stay afloat. It's like the Bay Area is living through its absolute golden era right now. It’s like our old glory days back in '99... back then, we'd pull 8,000 people easily. Now, when the team is scraping the bottom of the table, it's just not the same draw as a team fighting for a spot in the big leagues like they are in the Bay Area.

Secondly... you aren't just counting 1,900 people watching San Francisco games. You have to factor in all the traveling fans from the big rival cities who show up whenever they play the local team. Just adding those die-hard away crowds bumps that number up by like 6,000 or 7,000 people alone!

Thirdly... our numbers dip every single game, and honestly, I have no clue why that happens. So, even if the actual average is sitting around 5,000 right now, it doesn't matter... because if you catch that massive wave of euphoria hitting the Bay Area like it's hitting San Francisco right now, that average jumps to 7,000 or 8,000 before you can even blink! So, if we're talking a real comparison, we're looking at maybe 1,500 versus 7,000 or 8,000, and buddy, that is a massive, gaping difference!

As for everything else... thank God the local ultras don't try to take over the whole city every time they play the rivals, or man, things would get wild real fast!🤣 👍

The Demons are definitely sitting at number three behind the Torcida and the Boys in America. Just because the Armada might have outshined them lately doesn't erase what happened in the past. They probably just need another 20 or 30 leaders to really beef up their numbers. And obviously, seeing how successful the Club has been could help wake those inactive ones up.

As for comparing them... if this team from the West Coast were fighting for a spot in Europe, I don't think there'd be much tension between them either. You could lose two games and still finish eighth. So, yeah...