Funny stuff in the MLS

Day -103 WorldCup2018

This is MLS themed today.

I started the day reading a very interesting article in the Independent about the issues with football in America, specifically the lack of existence of any support from the US Soccer Federation for any league other than the MLS, and the absence of promotion and relegation. The owners of two clubs outside the MLS have put together a case for the introduction of promotion and relegation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, citing the lack of implementation of Fifa rules in football in America.

"Article 9 of Fifa’s statutory regulations enshrines promotion and relegation, ordering that a club’s “entitlement to take part in a domestic league championship shall depend principally on sporting merit. Of course this is not the case in the US, where the only way into MLS is with a cheque."

"The question for Fifa is whether they have the stomach to forcibly impose this on the US. The fact that they have not done so yet, with MLS about to start its 23rd season, is revealing enough."

Read the whole story.

Later this afternoon after sitting through a couple of Premier League matches, devoid of the excitement of keeping up with Aston Villa's score at the same time (the beast from the east saw to the postponement of their match) it was time for the start of the MLS season.

My first "what?" moment was when Remi Garde appeared on TV being interviewed in his role as manager of Montreal Impact. Remi Garde was the supposed saviour of Aston Villa in their last year in the Premier League. Hired because of his glowing reputation in France he came to Birmingham when Villa were already looking like they needed a miracle. In the months that followed Remi sat back and, with his complete lack of charisma or any sense of excitement, watched as Villa got worse and worse. Really, having a big teddy bear sitting in the dug out would probably have had the same result, and results. We heard that Remi was off back to France for a job where he would be appreciate for all his managerial talent. And now here he is in the MLS. It's hard to see it as a compliment of his skills.

Then it was TFC' s turn to take to the field for their "home opener" against Columbus. Home openers are a big deal in North American sports. And TFC made sure they added to the occasion by not only marking the first day of a new season but also celebrating the successes of last season. So after the players came out on and lined up on the pitch they had to watch highlights of last year's greatest moments on the big screen, moments that brought them the three trophies that were proudly on show.

But what also adds to the uniqueness of home openers in Toronto is that it can be pretty damn cold at the beginning of March. Today wasn't a particularly bad day. It was around 2 degrees Celsius, but the wind off Lake Ontario added a significant chill. So not only were the players probably very keen to get playing, because that's what they like doing, they were most likely cursing the cold hitting their bare, standing still legs.

However, they weren't the worst off. Each player had one or two young kids accompany them on to the pitch. And while the players wore their cosy looking track suit tops and gloves to keep their hands a little toasty, the poor little ones were all decked out in TFC short-sleeved shirts and shorts. They looked freezing as they walked out and must have been beyond miserable as they stood there for what must have seemed like forever.

Curiously, Seba Giovinco's companion, a little girl, was wrapped in a winter coat, hat, scarf and gloves. I wondered if she was either his daughter or the daughter of smart parents (maybe Mr and Mrs Giovinco) who said there is no way my girl is going to stand out there in that cold in a t-shirt and shorts.

And there I just spent more time than I imagined I would lamenting the cold felt by the poor children. There are be worse things, but I just couldn't help feel sorry for them and shake my head at how no-one thought to keep them a bit warmer.