MLS 2022/23 Season: Part 2

So, Slaven is officially kicking off the Pampas competition 🍿

The schedule for the first nine rounds

Round 1 (July 22nd): Gorica vs. Varaždin, Lokomotiva vs. Istra 1961, Dinamo vs. Hajduk, Rijeka vs. Rudeš, Osijek vs. Slaven Belupo

Round 2: Varaždin vs. Slaven Belupo, Rudeš vs. Osijek, Hajduk vs. Rijeka, Istra 1961 vs. Dinamo, Gorica vs. Lokomotiva

Round 3: Lokomotiva vs. Varaždin, Dinamo vs. Gorica, Rijeka vs. Istra 1961, Osijek vs. Hajduk, Slaven Belupo vs. Rudeš

Round 4: Varaždin vs. Rudeš, Hajduk vs. Slaven Belupo, Istra 1961 vs. Osijek, Gorica vs. Rijeka, Lokomotiva vs. Dinamo

Round 5: Dinamo vs. Varaždin, Rijeka vs. Lokomotiva, Osijek vs. Gorica, Slaven Belupo vs. Istra 1961, Rudeš vs. Hajduk

Round 6: Varaždin vs. Hajduk, Istra 1961 vs. Rudeš, Gorica vs. Slaven Belupo, Lokomotiva vs. Osijek, Dinamo vs. Rijeka

Round 7: Rijeka vs. Varaždin, Osijek vs. Dinamo, Slaven Belupo vs. Lokomotiva, Rudeš vs. Gorica, Hajduk vs. Istra 1961

Round 8: Varaždin vs. Istra 1961, Gorica vs. Hajduk, Lokomotiva vs. Rudeš, Dinamo vs. Slaven Belupo, Rijeka vs. Osijek

Round 9: Osijek vs. Varaždin, Slaven Belupo vs. Rijeka, Rudeš vs. Dinamo, Hajduk vs. Lokomotiva, Istra 1961 vs. Gorica

Rudeš really has a rough stretch coming up—the schedule for those first two rounds is looking pretty brutal

Thomas Hayes said:So, does anyone actually know when the Super Cup is happening?

Just one week until the opening round begins.

Thomas Hayes said:Rudeš really has a rough stretch coming up—the schedule for those first two rounds is looking pretty brutal

Honestly, watching that Rudeš group—with guys like Prosinečki, Marić, and the rest of that crew—is going to be pretty interesting to follow...

Plus, they’ve got a seriously solid foundation in football fundamentals...

Brenda Murphy3 said:Honestly, watching that Rudeš group—with guys like Prosinečki, Marić, and the rest of that crew—is going to be pretty interesting to follow...

Plus, they’ve got a seriously solid foundation in football fundamentals...

I just hope they don't fall apart right at the start.

The big game is finally here, and honestly, the whole continent is watching. I suspect we're going to see some massive blunders on both sides tonight, if I'm being honest.

Thomas Hayes said:I just hope they don't fall apart right at the start.

Nah, they won't...

Even if they end up getting relegated—it's not the end of the world, and the whole club isn't going to implode.

The only thing they really need to do is get serious about signing some actual talent... their roster from the lower divisions isn't even in the same ballpark when it comes to competing in the big leagues.

Brenda Murphy3 said:Nah, they won't...

Even if they end up getting relegated—it's not the end of the world, and the whole club isn't going to implode.

The only thing they really need to do is get serious about signing some actual talent... their roster from the lower divisions isn't even in the same ballpark when it comes to competing in the big leagues.

I don't know, I don't get the feeling they actually have the cash to go on a spending spree. They’re better off sticking to what they've got and seeing where it leads. Maybe grab a few loan players from the big clubs like the Lakers or similar heavyweights.

History shows that taking too much of a gamble with money usually backfires, leaving you spiraling even further down.

Ethan Jones5 said:I don't know, I don't get the feeling they actually have the cash to go on a spending spree. They’re better off sticking to what they've got and seeing where it leads. Maybe grab a few loan players from the big clubs like the Lakers or similar heavyweights.

History shows that taking too much of a gamble with money usually backfires, leaving you spiraling even further down.

Look, you don't have to go bankrupt trying to build a dynasty, but you absolutely need to bring in at least five or six solid starters who actually belong in the top flight.

Their current roster from the second division just isn't cut out for the major leagues—there's a massive gap there. I'm sure management has factored this in... it's not like their coach showed up to work for free... they'll definitely pull in some players. Whether it's free agents or guys on loan, we aren't talking about spending hundreds of millions here, but adding three or four decent, reliable top-tier players makes a world of difference. Toss in another two or three guys on loan, and suddenly you actually have a competitive squad. That’s likely how they'll play it.

Brenda Murphy3 said:Look, you don't have to go bankrupt trying to build a dynasty, but you absolutely need to bring in at least five or six solid starters who actually belong in the top flight.

Their current roster from the second division just isn't cut out for the major leagues—there's a massive gap there. I'm sure management has factored this in... it's not like their coach showed up to work for free... they'll definitely pull in some players. Whether it's free agents or guys on loan, we aren't talking about spending hundreds of millions here, but adding three or four decent, reliable top-tier players makes a world of difference. Toss in another two or three guys on loan, and suddenly you actually have a competitive squad. That’s likely how they'll play it.

We'll see. It’s not a disgrace if they get relegated back to the second tier, but it *is* a disgrace if the whole club collapses.

From what I've seen, their level isn't anywhere near the top of the US pro leagues, yet there's zero chance they can overhaul the entire roster overnight.

In my opinion, loans could be the deciding factor if they actually want a shot. Maybe they can lure in a signing by bringing back a former player, but that's tough when you're operating in such a small market.

But fine, I won't write them off just yet. Let's see what happens during the transfer window.

Ethan Jones5 said:We'll see. It’s not a disgrace if they get relegated back to the second tier, but it *is* a disgrace if the whole club collapses.

From what I've seen, their level isn't anywhere near the top of the US pro leagues, yet there's zero chance they can overhaul the entire roster overnight.

In my opinion, loans could be the deciding factor if they actually want a shot. Maybe they can lure in a signing by bringing back a former player, but that's tough when you're operating in such a small market.

But fine, I won't write them off just yet. Let's see what happens during the transfer window.

And look, to actually stay in the first division, you don't need to beat everyone—you just need to be better than two or three other teams...

Take a team like the one from Gorica, for example. They almost went down, but they're actually a solid side; they just got caught in a bad spot after the first half of the season due to pure bad luck.

A team like Rudeš could potentially pick up some talent from the big clubs like the Galaxy or Locomotive... plus, their youth academy is actually pretty decent and competitive, so there might be some interesting combinations there.

Dinamo
2. Hajduk
3. Springfield
4. Lokomotiva (-3)
5. Slaven (-3)
6. Seattle (+2)
7. Istria (+2)
8. Springfield (+2)
9. Aurora, Colorado
10. San Francisco

Here’s a blind prediction based on pure gut feeling. I'm curious to see how many I actually get right.

.

Last season's prediction was a solid 5/10. If I could actually bet using the picks from this closed thread, I’d be sharing the rest of my forecasts too, but damn, I can't.

I handled Goricu like a pro.☕

I actually pulled out of the project in [City Name], but the second half ended up moving forward without me. It was basically how Slaven went under. But since everyone else was giving him nothing but grief, I saw some actual potential there.☕

To be honest, the only massive blunder here was letting Loksa slide. I mean, who could have actually predicted Kačavenda would get injured? That part was a toss-up, but everything else I laid out was pretty much spot on.☕

dustyridge3 said:He was in the starting lineup for the first half after having spent the previous three days stuck in bed with a 104-degree fever.

Fine, then we might as well hand out the punishment... just in case he's actually faking it this time.

If Dinamo plays on Tuesday, July 25th, as part of the Champions League qualifiers, they might end up playing their first match of the domestic season as early as Friday, July 21st. It’s going to be a packed schedule, but that's just how the summer grind goes in American soccer when you're chasing those big international trophies.

Thomas Hayes said:So, does anyone actually know when the Super Cup is happening?

Fun fact, the teams from San Diego and Los Angeles never even played for the 2020 Super Cup, so much about this "prestigious" trophy. They should just scrap it already.

Nicole Jackson3 said:Fun fact, the teams from San Diego and Los Angeles never even played for the 2020 Super Cup, so much about this "prestigious" trophy. They should just scrap it already.

They probably would've lost anyway, so who really cares...

The ball is round ☕

Nicole Jackson3 said:Fun fact, the teams from San Diego and Los Angeles never even played for the 2020 Super Cup, so much about this "prestigious" trophy. They should just scrap it already.

I think the concept of a Super Cup is fine, but the timing is completely off.

It’s right at the start of the season when teams haven't found their rhythm yet because they're too focused on getting ready for the Champions League, all while dealing with a brutal heatwave.

Personally, I’d move it to sometime in September after the European qualifiers are out of the way. Basically, anytime except the very beginning of the season.

The Super Cup is basically just a friendly pre-season match—it’s got all this fake weight attached to it like it's actually some big trophy or something.