serious question and I did google for an answer to no avail

why are there 6 teams in one of the groups?

Too many teams for 4 in every group, but instead of having 2 groups w/5 they decided to have a 6-team group for some reason.

Also, the teams in that group will still only play 3 games each and that group only gets 2 teams through just like the rest. So they kinda get screwed.

I just wanted to make sure I was thinking about the disadvantage this setup created correctly..and it appears I was.

so now my second concern are the proposed start times for matches. 9AM, 8 PM & 10:30 PM EST. Those times are fine for me on the West Coast (I can catch the early game before work!) but what about on the East Coast? 9 AM & 10:30 PM in particular seem like bizarre start times.

MLS has a chance to win some new fans being the first major North American sports league to return. but if no one's watching the games because of strange start times, that chance would seem to be squandered.

lol was curious how that group-of-6 would fold into the knockout round

I'm ready for the WC-style tourney format!

Should have just done a Liga MX/MLS mega tournament since they clearly just making **** up at this point.

Are... you serious? That’s your idea after throwing boulders?

My god man.

Exactly my point

You are nothing if not consistent.

Liga MX just had a team with a ton of history, Monarcas Morelia, suddenly pick up and leave for Mazatlán because they have more money and built a brand new stadium.

I guess it's more or less normal in major American sports, but kinda bizarre for soccer, and it seems to happen in Mexico quite a lot. Another recent example is Lobos BUAP being relegated and Juárez just buying their team so they could be promoted to the 1st division.

Mostly I just wish Mexico would send teams to Libertadores again.

Libertadores GOAT

Did you ever read that book about Juarez I told you about? This Love Is Not for Cowards. It's more about how ****ed up Juarez is than soccer really, which I wasn't expecting, but gives you a great feel for how wild and crazy owning and supporting and playing for a bottom tier Mexican soccer team is. Worth the read

Thanks for the reminder. Just bought the Kindle version.

Is the NWSL cup televised anywhere? Just saw it's back

carlos vela & fc dallas out of this gongshow


mls confirmed big time BACK

Nashville has like 5-8 positive tests as well depending on the source. Handful of other players are confirmed out of the tournament.

Seems like sports should be out unless your country has corona under control (which the USA will never have until a vaccine is found or it runs its course). Also picking a state with a dumb governor and some of the dumbest people to host the tournament may not have been the wisest choice in retrospect.

If the tournament goes on it will be more a function of which team runs best avoiding corona and less the actual soccer.

In Liga MX news, they were supposed to announce their calendar for the new season 2 days ago, but have delayed that. Season was supposed to start 3rd week of July but corona is running wild here in Mexico as well. I think Cruz Azul has like 9 positives or something like that.

All these elite athletes will be fun and I think the testing is very sensitive and inaccurate at this point. 2 PGA players have tested positive then multiple negatives in a span of 24 hours already. So much craziness over this

But yea if a single positive case is shutting it down then sports are literally never coming back in America.

grunching

I seem to recall the tourney was scheduled to start the 7th. that's tomorrow!



lol john paul jones doesn't quite capture my enthusiasm, an enthusiasm that will will dissolve :30 into the game, when I'll see the 1st led-booted touch. me some MLASS, though

5 vancouver players out, including 2 dp forwards (montero & cavallini)


just cancel the thing, and north american sports for 2020

Tomorrow night is the kickoff at 8PM EST. The much anticipated FL rivalry between Orlando and Miami!

and 2021 and forever

FK, any thoughts on Martin Terrier for me?

Not too sad to see him go and OL got a pretty good price for him. I think he might be a good fit for Rennes though. He's smart and tactically aware maybe just lacking in individual quality. In a more structured system like I'm assuming Rennes has, he could do well. He had chances at OL, just never did much with them.

Hopefully Rennes will spend a bit more and make a legit go of it in UCL. It was an awful Euro campaign for French teams besides PSG and OL.

Looks like a pretty boring 1st half. I'll tune in for the 2nd, but need a bit of rooting interest so I'll take Miami +285 b/c they've got Pizarro and Carranza waiting on the bench and Orlando already has all their decent players in the match. Hopefully Pizarro against a winded defense makes the difference.

is this guy dying

Sheesh, this looks very concerning. Not exactly what I wanted to see. Didn't look like a whole lot in it from the forearm, but pretty scary reaction.

guy convulsing on field and EMTs waddle on over from Magic Kingdom