MVP: Dwayne De Rosario
Posted on 08/05/2006 3:05:10 PM PDT by soccer_maniac
I'm watching Spanish channel. Just checking. Chelsea's tag is S.L. in Spanish, right?
Chelsea burst onto the English and European scene in 2003, when Russian businessman Roman Abramovich purchased the squad for a reported $233 million. After luring coach Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge after he led FC Porto to the 2004 Champions League title, Abramovich has spared no expense in giving his coach the best available talent, spending an estimated $800 million in player contracts and transfer fees.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/scores106/106217/MLS702660.htm
That was a nice intro by Rob Stone
Someone hates us. Dave O'Brien again????????????
UUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Wow, Chelsea's annual payroll is over $200 million.
That's more than the NY Yankees
I recognize Schevchenko and Mikail Ballack from Chelsea. Looks like it could be a good match. Unfortunately, I don't get ESPN, so I'll have to read about it tomorrow. But thanks for the ping.
Thanks for the heads-up. What fun to see Chelsea taking on a US team! Okay, it's pre-season friendly, and everybody's a little lax, but it's still fun. Heck, I don't even mind Dave and Eric's chattiness in this context.
Whoa! Nice save!!
European stars are set for life, and have longer careers than most MLB players. Ironic how there's no socialist measures like salary caps and luxury taxes on the Socialist Continent.
The game ain't being broadcast in HD, and the quality of play is more like preseason NCAA, but it's still great to see Chelsea playing over here. Nice stadium, which I'd never heard of.
About that pitch, though.....
Is there such a thing as a lawn moth?
I'm not sure about that. I saw USA v Guatemala and Brazil v Mexico there in a Gold Cup final about fifteen years ago. My memory is that game was a sellout for a couple of weeks ahead of time. Maybe it's the earliest MLS sellout.
It's a great stadium to see a game in. The crowd noise concentrates, and there's a sort of Romans v. Lions feel to the whole thing.
Only real problem with the Coliseum is that the access is through narrow tunnels that go through the stadium walls. They can get a bit scary when they're packed. Well.... okay... that, and the neighborhood.
The socialism comparison doesn't wash in American sports, the entity there is the league. The league schedules the games. The individual teams may somehow behave like independent businesses, but the Kansas City Royals do not compete financially against the New York Yankees, but the Yankees need them as part of the league to have somebody to play.
A company isn't being socialist if it chooses to help one of its franchises over the other.
Okay, somebody has to say it....
"The aptly-named Lupe Fiasco".
That, and the marching band only knows one song.
[Oops, wrong sport. Nevermind.]
As kind of a tangent not directly related to this game, one fairly consistent pattern that I've noticed over the years that is more obvious when the US plays European teams is that the US players are in great physical shape. That athleticism is often their only edge against the highly skilled European teams, but as their skill level improves it is starting to turn into a nice advantage.
1-0 for MLS All-Stars!
Huge milestone in MLS's history.
Awesome job boys!
MVP: Dwayne De Rosario
It was a good game, but let's keep it in perspective: CFC didn't travel the full squad (including Crespo), and most of their side is in offseason condition.
Still, the MLS side didn't look fazed, at all. Can't wait for DC United (a real MLS team) vs. Real Madrid (a hard, often dirty, prideful side) on Wednesday. I'll be wearing my Sunderland kit, if it's on TV. Great seats, but over 80 bucks. Oh well.
MLS didn't have their best XI either.
Donovan, Pope, Mastoreni - injury
Dempsey, Twellman, and a few others were out due to tomorrow's NE Revs-Chivas game
What I find surprising, particularly about the EPL, is how small the stadia actually are. They make more money from merchandise and broadcast rights, sufficient to field a team, before they put a single drunk ass in the stands.
The game could work here, though the Toyota Center seems a little bit too small. Suburban or tribal lands nationwide could be fertile ground for an entrepreneur. What might actually be stopping MLS are outrageous fees to use what are essentially NFL stadia.
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