So since I'm sure none of you have any idea what I am talking about, a pretty good article about the Sounders that also gives you some insight into the MLS: http://seattle.sbnation.com/seattle...-squad-construction-is-a-model-for-all-of-mls The MLS is a young league, and it's in a country that already has some VERY established sports leagues it has to compete with. Which means our seasons are offset. Also it means that we have a pretty low salary cap, so that a couple teams with money can't quickly dominate before the league gets it's feet underneath. Along with this the MLS is more like the NFL than European Leagues. As teams are franchised, there is no promotion/relegation system. The team owners own the League. Also we have conferences, and then a single elimination 'MLS Cup'. Even with all these difficulties, the League is getting better. Not to toot my own horn, but expansion teams in very pro-soccer towns like Seattle (have set league attendance records every season, only reason it's not even higher is that they like sell outs, so only slowly open sections of Qwest Field), and now Portland and Vancouver have added a lot of energy to the league. Plus we've managed to get a few 'star' players such as Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Kasey Keller. Even better in the last decade there was a big push at developing local talent, which is starting to pay dividends both monetarily and in play. Also as alluded to in the article while the playoff was intended to determine the 'winner,' there are actually two 'champions' in the MLS (and a third in US Soccer as a whole, the US Open Cup, open to all clubs). Early on fans collected money to buy a trophy for the team with the best regular season record. Over the years this 'Supporters Shield' has gotten more and more recognition, eventually to where USSF decided that one of the four CONCACAF Champions League berths the US gets would go to the winner of the Supporters Shield as well as the MLS Cup winner. Since 2008 the US Open Cub Winner has also gotten a berth at the Champions League. Anyway, long story short, shit's getting better.
News Flash: Man U are a bunch of pricks. First half we (Seattle Sounders) were down a respectable 0-1. Second half, when we subbed out our starters (keep in mind this is in the middle of our season), Man U subbed in.... pretty much their 2011 Champions League Final squad. Congrats, you then proceeded to beat the shit out of us. That's what International Friendlies are all about right?
No, the marketing men and fans of the teams getting the benefit of the friendlies may think that, but the reality is that football managers, particularly old school football managers like fergie, don't give a toss. All they are interested in is preparing their squad for the real football season starting. After a couple of months off, it makes perfect sense to get the big guns playing together. It might be a good marketing ploy for the money men at the team, a nice way to sell shirts and boost the clubs international appeal, but the real football people are only interested in proper season preparation.
Please grow up. United can only use the players that they brought on the tour. Their line-up last night was a mix first and second teamers. They didn't have Hernandez, their best forward last season. They didn't have De Gea, their first goalkeeper and they played their third goal keeper in the second half. Second half goal scorers, Diouf and Obertan, weren't even on the flight to the Champions League Final. It's not United's fault that the Seattle manager played his reserves in the second half, and that they weren't competitive. Seattle played the match to make money. They had 67,000 in attendance, so well done.
That is not how other teams have played when they come to Seattle. Every other one I've seen (not gonna lie, mostly just watch the Sounders so only comparing to them) has pretty true to it's name, a Friendly. The Celtic Friendly last year was actually fun to watch, even though we lost. If they want practice, then they should practice. The MLS is a new league, the salary for our entire team (minus designated player) is capped at $2,675,000. I'm pretty sure they've got Reserves that make more than our entire team. How is a Friendly better practice than playing against themselves then? And why would celebrate after scoring/beating the reserves of a team like that? I stick by my prick assessment. Speaking off pricks.... Please fuck off.
That's actually a generous description of Man U. I don't even have the words to describe just how despicable they truly are. But in short, they are the most loathsome club ever to have existed in the history of football. And that's strictly a neutral opinion.