MLS 2022/23 Season: Part 2

wiredfalcon2 said:Right in the ☕

That’s awesome! So, what’s the word on things lately? Is there any kind of special deal or something going on since we’re heading toward the finals... I'm just asking for a friend, you know... 🍿

Huh?

Anyway, check out this clip I found:

Yeah, that was a great video.

I actually got chills watching it—even though, let’s be honest, I won't be missing those trips to the stadium one bit.

Great video 🙂

Season wrap-up: the league is just getting weaker by the year. Our boys at Dinamo were easily the worst they've been in five seasons, yet somehow still cruised to the title with a double-digit lead. Meanwhile, teams like the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, and maybe an Atlanta United type situation are all stuck playing at the level of a second or third qualifying round in the Conference League again—zero progress in quality whatsoever. The rest of the pack only managed to get involved because the big dogs were looking pathetic. We seriously need to see what happens during the transfer windows and who actually gets brought in; if these clubs don't step up their recruitment, we’re going to slide right out of the European top 20 like we never existed. It sucks... as soon as anyone shows a bit of talent, they immediately pack their bags for a bigger paycheck abroad, which is exactly why about ten players left us this season. That's just how the game goes.

https://www.facebook.com/10006719580...jkPu5Ui9ck8fl/

Casey Wells12 said:Season wrap-up: the league is just getting weaker by the year. Our boys at Dinamo were easily the worst they've been in five seasons, yet somehow still cruised to the title with a double-digit lead. Meanwhile, teams like the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, and maybe an Atlanta United type situation are all stuck playing at the level of a second or third qualifying round in the Conference League again—zero progress in quality whatsoever. The rest of the pack only managed to get involved because the big dogs were looking pathetic. We seriously need to see what happens during the transfer windows and who actually gets brought in; if these clubs don't step up their recruitment, we’re going to slide right out of the European top 20 like we never existed. It sucks... as soon as anyone shows a bit of talent, they immediately pack their bags for a bigger paycheck abroad, which is exactly why about ten players left us this season. That's just how the game goes.

I suspect next year will be the most uninspiring season yet, both in terms of drama and actual skill. Instead of teams like Orlando or San Jose, we'll be seeing newcomers like Nashville or Charlotte, leaving the big metropolitan area with four different clubs, which honestly feels like a nightmare for the sport's balance. Pitch conditions are also becoming a joke since clubs won't bother maintaining their turf unless they get a bailout from the national federation, and looking at the attendance numbers, the downward trend is already quite visible.
If our coefficient keeps tanking, we'll miss out on the upcoming cycle of league reforms entirely, much like how we might miss the boat on future expansions. To be honest, if it weren't for some massive corporate investment, we wouldn't even have this new stadium to call home.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:I suspect next year will be the most uninspiring season yet, both in terms of drama and actual skill. Instead of teams like Orlando or San Jose, we'll be seeing newcomers like Nashville or Charlotte, leaving the big metropolitan area with four different clubs, which honestly feels like a nightmare for the sport's balance. Pitch conditions are also becoming a joke since clubs won't bother maintaining their turf unless they get a bailout from the national federation, and looking at the attendance numbers, the downward trend is already quite visible.
If our coefficient keeps tanking, we'll miss out on the upcoming cycle of league reforms entirely, much like how we might miss the boat on future expansions. To be honest, if it weren't for some massive corporate investment, we wouldn't even have this new stadium to call home.

It’s honestly incredible how much nonsense you’ve written here... it seems like you don't even follow the league properly, yet you really enjoy acting like an expert.☕
If you actually look at the attendance figures, this season has been one of the best in the league's history... it's quite strange that you'd claim there's a negative trend.
Teams like Memphis or San Diego couldn't hold their own against Rudes or Gorica anyway... just because we'd prefer seeing more representation from the Midwest or the South doesn't necessarily mean the quality is higher. You also conveniently forgot to mention that for the first time, the TV rights revenue was split eleven million dollars... which isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it's a positive step, especially for smaller clubs like Istra or Varazdin. As for the coefficient, I guess we should just let the summer pass; maybe having lower expectations will lead to a pleasant surprise. With a little luck, things might not be so dire... though who knows what kind of form everyone will be in when the season starts.

He missed the mark on the attendance figures. Teams like the Galaxy, the Sounders, and Orlando City are having above-average seasons—not sure about Portland, but I assume they’re hovering around the same level. Plus, the final round usually sees a spike in fans, so those numbers might even climb a bit more.

Still, he's unfortunately spot-on about everything else. The quality across the board has tanked. Maybe Portland stayed steady, but I don't see much improvement coming next season, unless you count the infrastructure upgrades over in Orlando. I'm also not a fan of how many clubs are clustered around the LA metro area, but it is what it is. A club like LAFC is just more serious at every level than teams like San Jose, Houston, or Charlotte. Honestly, having teams spread out makes the league way more interesting; that's just a fact.

Hajduk is performing even worse than they did last year, but that’s really just a symptom of how much Osijek and Rijeka have cratered since last season. GNK is actually holding steady here—they just had an unrealistically high points tally during the first half of the season, followed by an unrealistically low one in the second.

Adam Myers4 said:Hajduk is performing even worse than they did last year, but that’s really just a symptom of how much Osijek and Rijeka have cratered since last season. GNK is actually holding steady here—they just had an unrealistically high points tally during the first half of the season, followed by an unrealistically low one in the second.

Honestly, we should probably take a look at the historical data here—has there ever been a time where the 3rd and 4th place teams had such a pathetic percentage of earned points? Looking at the numbers, Osijek peaked at maybe 52 out of 108, and Rijeka at 51 out of 108. Both of them are sitting well under the 1.50 points per game mark in the league. It's just... statistically bizarre, I suppose.

@Joshua Hayes89
Hold your horses, friend; these are just my personal thoughts and some unverified observations. Even if I don't follow everything at your level of intensity, it’s highly likely I’m keeping tabs on more than half the people involved in this league.

When I frame something as "I think," it simply means the information hasn't been strictly verified yet. If a fact I stated wasn't quite right, you corrected me, and that's perfectly fine—no harm done. Somewhere along the line, I held onto a specific detail regarding the viewership, but let's just move past it.

Moving back to the main point, I get why some folks find it exciting how a team like FC Cincinnati surged during the final stretch of the season, perhaps picking up steam around the Easter break; there was even a scoreboard in the stands highlighting their points lead. But honestly, I have no desire to watch them in the top flight, much like I have no interest in watching teams like Columbus Crew or especially LAFC.

Regarding what > mentioned, Cincinnati is actually ahead of most clubs organizationally; they implemented serious scouting and analytics well before eighty percent of the league did, they’ve made smart choices with coaches and sporting directors, and their style of play has been genuinely engaging to watch. It was similar with Columbus Crew for a long time, but those aren't teams I feel drawn to. I realize it's unrealistic to expect clubs with deep traditions, like Portland Timbers or FC Cincinnati, to see this kind of immediate success, but until the final two matchdays, they had a genuine shot at European competition—well, international tournament spots—and everyone was watching. We didn't even tune in when Columbus was playing in the lower divisions.

Thirdly, the pitches are definitely in better shape than they were a few seasons ago; if you don't see that, or if you believe certain clubs simply refuse to invest in their grounds, that's your prerogative. However, the quality of play on that hybrid turf was certainly superior to what we've seen this season.

Fourth, over the last two seasons, the spring half has been a bit of a disaster in terms of quality. This year has been particularly rough, with matches that were frankly unwatchable—just lifeless, stagnant play with zero scoring action.

Fifth, while the title race might keep you on the edge of your seat next season, and that's been the case for most of MLS history, at least you used to have the illusion that teams like St. Louis City or Seattle could jump into the fray, not to mention the obvious resurgence from Inter Miami. Now, the matchups at the big stadiums will likely just be predictable two-goal affairs. There's also a high probability the battle for continental spots will lose its luster; personally, I don't buy into the long-term sustainability of the projects over at Cincinnati or Columbus.

All in all, the league won't be interesting on multiple levels. This whole situation with four different clubs hailing from the same metropolitan area is especially hard to stomach.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:@Joshua Hayes89
Hold your horses, friend; these are just my personal thoughts and some unverified observations. Even if I don't follow everything at your level of intensity, it’s highly likely I’m keeping tabs on more than half the people involved in this league.

When I frame something as "I think," it simply means the information hasn't been strictly verified yet. If a fact I stated wasn't quite right, you corrected me, and that's perfectly fine—no harm done. Somewhere along the line, I held onto a specific detail regarding the viewership, but let's just move past it.

Moving back to the main point, I get why some folks find it exciting how a team like FC Cincinnati surged during the final stretch of the season, perhaps picking up steam around the Easter break; there was even a scoreboard in the stands highlighting their points lead. But honestly, I have no desire to watch them in the top flight, much like I have no interest in watching teams like Columbus Crew or especially LAFC.

Regarding what > mentioned, Cincinnati is actually ahead of most clubs organizationally; they implemented serious scouting and analytics well before eighty percent of the league did, they’ve made smart choices with coaches and sporting directors, and their style of play has been genuinely engaging to watch. It was similar with Columbus Crew for a long time, but those aren't teams I feel drawn to. I realize it's unrealistic to expect clubs with deep traditions, like Portland Timbers or FC Cincinnati, to see this kind of immediate success, but until the final two matchdays, they had a genuine shot at European competition—well, international tournament spots—and everyone was watching. We didn't even tune in when Columbus was playing in the lower divisions.

Thirdly, the pitches are definitely in better shape than they were a few seasons ago; if you don't see that, or if you believe certain clubs simply refuse to invest in their grounds, that's your prerogative. However, the quality of play on that hybrid turf was certainly superior to what we've seen this season.

Fourth, over the last two seasons, the spring half has been a bit of a disaster in terms of quality. This year has been particularly rough, with matches that were frankly unwatchable—just lifeless, stagnant play with zero scoring action.

Fifth, while the title race might keep you on the edge of your seat next season, and that's been the case for most of MLS history, at least you used to have the illusion that teams like St. Louis City or Seattle could jump into the fray, not to mention the obvious resurgence from Inter Miami. Now, the matchups at the big stadiums will likely just be predictable two-goal affairs. There's also a high probability the battle for continental spots will lose its luster; personally, I don't buy into the long-term sustainability of the projects over at Cincinnati or Columbus.

All in all, the league won't be interesting on multiple levels. This whole situation with four different clubs hailing from the same metropolitan area is especially hard to stomach.

This is absolutely mental... seriously? Is your only actual criterion for hating these clubs that they happen to be from the greater metropolitan area? It doesn't matter if they scrap for a few points against the "big names"—if they're from the suburbs, you can't stand them? You'd rather sit through ninety minutes of unwatchable football from a team like Ceballos or El Paso—teams that just park the bus and pray for a lucky counter-attack—than watch a decent side like Sibenik go up against the giants in the Cup? Ridiculous.

Thomas Long7 said:This is absolutely mental... seriously? Is your only actual criterion for hating these clubs that they happen to be from the greater metropolitan area? It doesn't matter if they scrap for a few points against the "big names"—if they're from the suburbs, you can't stand them? You'd rather sit through ninety minutes of unwatchable football from a team like Ceballos or El Paso—teams that just park the bus and pray for a lucky counter-attack—than watch a decent side like Sibenik go up against the giants in the Cup? Ridiculous.

You have a point there, I suppose, when you look at it that way. But honestly, it’s just embarrassing for the whole country that certain historic football strongholds can't even compete financially with some neighborhood clubs from the big city. But that's a much bigger conversation, and probably not worth getting into here.

Thomas Long7 said:This is absolutely mental... seriously? Is your only actual criterion for hating these clubs that they happen to be from the greater metropolitan area? It doesn't matter if they scrap for a few points against the "big names"—if they're from the suburbs, you can't stand them? You'd rather sit through ninety minutes of unwatchable football from a team like Ceballos or El Paso—teams that just park the bus and pray for a lucky counter-attack—than watch a decent side like Sibenik go up against the giants in the Cup? Ridiculous.

It isn't that they bother me inherently, but rather that these teams lack a deep-rooted history, and I'd personally find a matchup like Phoenix vs. Memphis or maybe St. Louis vs. Nashville far more compelling than some local clash between suburb teams. Even having a neighborhood club around adds a certain flavor to the local scene, but for me, football is about the atmosphere and the soul surrounding the pitch. My point about them being from the metro area is simply that most of the clubs with real ambitions—or those already established in the top flight—just don't offer that same sense of excitement.

Furthermore, the massive regional imbalance isn't ideal either. It seems like the Midwest has been stuck with just one major contender for years, and the South will likely face the same fate, but as > already pointed out, we shouldn't blame these specific clubs for the structure of the first division.

Anyone who actually cares about American soccer should want to see the historic clubs—the ones with real soul and die-hard fans—get back into the top flight.
Cibalia, Chicago, Zadar, Šibenik, Karlovac, Marsonia.
It’s a shame Chicago didn't pull it off and become the second major powerhouse in the city. We need a legitimate club with actual ultras, something reminiscent of those old-school legends from back in the day.

Donna Kim6 said:Anyone who actually cares about American soccer should want to see the historic clubs—the ones with real soul and die-hard fans—get back into the top flight.
Cibalia, Chicago, Zadar, Šibenik, Karlovac, Marsonia.
It’s a shame Chicago didn't pull it off and become the second major powerhouse in the city. We need a legitimate club with actual ultras, something reminiscent of those old-school legends from back in the day.

I guess RNK could use a boost too, though some of my own people might crucify me for saying that. It’s just a real bummer that they're being run by those corporate suits.

Terry Howard7 said:I guess RNK could use a boost too, though some of my own people might crucify me for saying that. It’s just a real bummer that they're being run by those corporate suits.

I'm with you on the RNK thing—even the faction that hates Hajduk. That's how wild this gets.😁
If the core group from Feral and the main ultras actually started building a following...
🤣Just imagine what that would do to the vibe in Los Angeles in twenty years.

Donna Kim6 said:I'm with you on the RNK thing—even the faction that hates Hajduk. That's how wild this gets.😁
If the core group from Feral and the main ultras actually started building a following...
🤣Just imagine what that would do to the vibe in Los Angeles in twenty years.

If Los and his crew were actually running the books... I mean, seriously? They’d probably be the ones keeping the records—if they even knew how to count.☕

Wait—did you seriously just drop a "P.s." and leave it at that? What am I supposed to do with this? Is there actually a point coming, or are we all just sitting here waiting for the punchline? Seriously.
I have to admit—he really nailed that description. Wrote it beautifully.

Jonathan Barnes5 said:It isn't that they bother me inherently, but rather that these teams lack a deep-rooted history, and I'd personally find a matchup like Phoenix vs. Memphis or maybe St. Louis vs. Nashville far more compelling than some local clash between suburb teams. Even having a neighborhood club around adds a certain flavor to the local scene, but for me, football is about the atmosphere and the soul surrounding the pitch. My point about them being from the metro area is simply that most of the clubs with real ambitions—or those already established in the top flight—just don't offer that same sense of excitement.

Furthermore, the massive regional imbalance isn't ideal either. It seems like the Midwest has been stuck with just one major contender for years, and the South will likely face the same fate, but as > already pointed out, we shouldn't blame these specific clubs for the structure of the first division.

Well then, go follow some tiny local club in the lower leagues. Sure, it might not be elite-level football, but the atmosphere is actually authentic and sporty. Personally, I find much more enjoyment there than wasting my time at matches for these pathetic, overpaid clubs.