Here In My Car I Feel Safest Of All News
Toronto FC is the name, and they will be ready to launch next season in MLS! Team colors are red, dark gray & white. And here is their logo.
-I have gone on record to bitch about the owners of this team, who also own NBA club Toronto Raptors. My biggest problem with the owners is the goofy little kid friendly team name and logo for the basketball team, and their seeming acceptance of just making money over actually winning something. They have been in the NBA for a long time, and have never had better than a mediocre team. But I have to now stand up and give them credit for not picking a stupid nickname, and for having nice colors and a good solid badge. Let's hope the quality of the players on the team takes this same track.
-The owner of the team says he wants Houston's Dwayne DeRosario on his squad next year. Isn't that tampering? Well now Houston can just ask an outrageous price and this boob will have to pay it or the fans will be saying he lied to them straight out of the gate.
~ ~ ~ ~
In a lot of interviews lately the MLS commissioner Don Garber has been saying that either Cleveland or St Louis are next in line to join MLS. That would put the league at 14. Talk has been to get to 18 at some point, and at least 16 by 2010. So where do San Jose, Milwaukee and Philly fit in this picture?
~ ~ ~ ~
The Mid-Atlantic Soccer Report has a transcript of Garber's words from a press conference in DC the other day.
~ ~ ~ ~
MLS Wednesday match
Dallas 1-0 Los Angeles - Former LA hitman Carlos Ruiz scored for Dallas in front of 14,500.
-LA defender Chris Albright is joining up with Team USA for World Cup training camp today, but he did not play last night after tweaking a hamstring in practice on Monday.
-Again Steve Cronin played in the goal for LA instead of long time regular Kevin Hartman.
-The biggest Dallas news besides 3 points was the return to the field of Richard Mulrooney who blew out his knee a year ago. He came on in the 70th minute and looked good.
~ ~ ~ ~
I don't think we will hear a lot of day to day scuttlebutt surrounding the USA training camp in Carolina. But one bit of news: Eddie Lewis is in NC despite the fact that his club Leeds still has the Championship Division Playoff Final to play. He will be with Team USA for the next week, and then fly to England for the big match on May 21.
~ ~ ~ ~
Our pal Jack Bell at the New York Times has a very nice obituary of Ace Ntsoelengoe today, with a picture of Ace playing for our Minnesota Kicks. Thanks Jack. Hooray Ace! Hooray Kaizer Chiefs! Hooray Kicks!
-And Lance tells us that SABC (South African Broadcasting Company) is saying Ace died of a heart attack.
-My own local newspaper, Minneapolis Star Tribune, has an article on Ace today, including quotes from some of his former teammates.
~ ~ ~ ~
Glenn Davis of the Houston Chronicle on Dynamo's amazing combo of DeRosario and Ching!
~ ~ ~ ~
My favorite American soccer announcer is Allen Hopkins now at ESPN, and formerly at Fox Soccer Channel. He was also an associate Producer on the film Goal. He answered questions yesterday during an online chat hosted by MLS. Read the transcript here.
~ ~ ~ ~
And Marc Connolly with his early season review for MLSnet.
~ ~ ~ ~
Soccer 365 chats with Chivas USA striker & the highest salaried player in MLS, Paco Palencia.
~ ~ ~ ~
Kansas City Star has a feature on one of the most surprising players in the league so far this season: KC Goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi.
~ ~ ~ ~
Speaking of goalkeepers, Big Apple Soccer talked to New York keeper Tony Meola, who says his team is desperate to win.
~ ~ ~ ~
The Washington Times has a story on the desire of MLS as a whole to be profitable in the next 4 years.
~ ~ ~ ~
US Soccer has released some fun, but not all that important numerical facts about Team USA. Excellent for trivia. Before you click the link try to answer this one: "How many players on the USA World Cup roster have not played in MLS?" Give it a try.
~ ~ ~ ~
Chicago will have to live without their best defender Jim Curtain for at least the next month as he has suffered a broken foot. Does that open the door for Tony Sanneh?
~ ~ ~ ~
The entire Board of Directors at Juventus has resigned in light of a potential major scandal brewing over the influencing of referee's.
~ ~ ~ ~
CUP MANIA:
UEFA Cup Final
Sevilla of Spain trounced Middlesbrough of England 4-0. The two previous rounds Middlesbrough has found ways to over come the big hole they dig, but not this time. The magic ran out, and all went straight into the pockets of Sevilla. Goals were scored by Luis Fabiano, Vicenzo Maresca (with 2) & Frederic Kanoute.
-Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune on the match: Sevilla dominates round one (The title of which is in reference to the fact that both UEFA tournament finals - UEFA Cup & Champions League - pit a team from England against a team from Spain.)
~ ~ ~ ~
Olympiakos Piraeus beat AEK Athens 3-0 in the Greek Cup final. Some AEK fans trashed their ferry boat on the ride home.
~ ~ ~ ~
Red Star Belgrade beat OFK 4-2 after extra time in the Serbia and Montenegro Cup final.
~ ~ ~ ~
The Italian TIM Cup Final second & final leg is tonight (first leg score included):
Inter v Roma (1-1)
~ ~ ~ ~
The Mexican Primera Division Clausura 2 legged semifinals:
Wednesday (return leg Saturday)
Toluca 1-2 San Luis - a shocking home loss by the defending champs!
Thursday (return leg Sunday)
Guadalajara v Pachuca
~ ~ ~ ~
Pairings for the Quarterfinals in La Copa Libertadores!
-First legs are played this week, then the whole tournament takes 2 months off for the World Cup. So the second leg matches will not be played until mid-to-late July. I find that a little odd, but go figure:
May 9 Chivas Guadalajara 0-0 Vélez Sarsfield
May 10 Liga Dep. Universitaria 2-1 Internacional
May 10 Estudiantes LP 1-0 São Paulo FC
May 11 River Plate - Libertad
-Second leg matches in July:
July 18 Libertad - River Plate
July 19 Internacional - Liga Dep. Universitaria
July 19 São Paulo FC - Estudiantes LP
July 20 Vélez Sarsfield - Chivas Guadalajara
-Sports Illustrated with a recap of Wednesdays matches.
~ ~ ~ ~
English FA Cup Final
Liverpool v West Ham
Saturday May 13th at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff
-Again they unfortunately will only be showing this match on closed-circuit TV at selected pubs and restaurants. There is a mandatory $20 PER PERSON COVER CHARGE from Setanta! Call your local watering hole to see if they are showing it.
-I have gone on record to bitch about the owners of this team, who also own NBA club Toronto Raptors. My biggest problem with the owners is the goofy little kid friendly team name and logo for the basketball team, and their seeming acceptance of just making money over actually winning something. They have been in the NBA for a long time, and have never had better than a mediocre team. But I have to now stand up and give them credit for not picking a stupid nickname, and for having nice colors and a good solid badge. Let's hope the quality of the players on the team takes this same track.
-The owner of the team says he wants Houston's Dwayne DeRosario on his squad next year. Isn't that tampering? Well now Houston can just ask an outrageous price and this boob will have to pay it or the fans will be saying he lied to them straight out of the gate.
~ ~ ~ ~
In a lot of interviews lately the MLS commissioner Don Garber has been saying that either Cleveland or St Louis are next in line to join MLS. That would put the league at 14. Talk has been to get to 18 at some point, and at least 16 by 2010. So where do San Jose, Milwaukee and Philly fit in this picture?
~ ~ ~ ~
The Mid-Atlantic Soccer Report has a transcript of Garber's words from a press conference in DC the other day.
~ ~ ~ ~
MLS Wednesday match
Dallas 1-0 Los Angeles - Former LA hitman Carlos Ruiz scored for Dallas in front of 14,500.
-LA defender Chris Albright is joining up with Team USA for World Cup training camp today, but he did not play last night after tweaking a hamstring in practice on Monday.
-Again Steve Cronin played in the goal for LA instead of long time regular Kevin Hartman.
-The biggest Dallas news besides 3 points was the return to the field of Richard Mulrooney who blew out his knee a year ago. He came on in the 70th minute and looked good.
~ ~ ~ ~
I don't think we will hear a lot of day to day scuttlebutt surrounding the USA training camp in Carolina. But one bit of news: Eddie Lewis is in NC despite the fact that his club Leeds still has the Championship Division Playoff Final to play. He will be with Team USA for the next week, and then fly to England for the big match on May 21.
~ ~ ~ ~
Our pal Jack Bell at the New York Times has a very nice obituary of Ace Ntsoelengoe today, with a picture of Ace playing for our Minnesota Kicks. Thanks Jack. Hooray Ace! Hooray Kaizer Chiefs! Hooray Kicks!
-And Lance tells us that SABC (South African Broadcasting Company) is saying Ace died of a heart attack.
-My own local newspaper, Minneapolis Star Tribune, has an article on Ace today, including quotes from some of his former teammates.
~ ~ ~ ~
Glenn Davis of the Houston Chronicle on Dynamo's amazing combo of DeRosario and Ching!
~ ~ ~ ~
My favorite American soccer announcer is Allen Hopkins now at ESPN, and formerly at Fox Soccer Channel. He was also an associate Producer on the film Goal. He answered questions yesterday during an online chat hosted by MLS. Read the transcript here.
~ ~ ~ ~
And Marc Connolly with his early season review for MLSnet.
~ ~ ~ ~
Soccer 365 chats with Chivas USA striker & the highest salaried player in MLS, Paco Palencia.
~ ~ ~ ~
Kansas City Star has a feature on one of the most surprising players in the league so far this season: KC Goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi.
~ ~ ~ ~
Speaking of goalkeepers, Big Apple Soccer talked to New York keeper Tony Meola, who says his team is desperate to win.
~ ~ ~ ~
The Washington Times has a story on the desire of MLS as a whole to be profitable in the next 4 years.
~ ~ ~ ~
US Soccer has released some fun, but not all that important numerical facts about Team USA. Excellent for trivia. Before you click the link try to answer this one: "How many players on the USA World Cup roster have not played in MLS?" Give it a try.
~ ~ ~ ~
Chicago will have to live without their best defender Jim Curtain for at least the next month as he has suffered a broken foot. Does that open the door for Tony Sanneh?
~ ~ ~ ~
The entire Board of Directors at Juventus has resigned in light of a potential major scandal brewing over the influencing of referee's.
~ ~ ~ ~
CUP MANIA:
UEFA Cup Final
Sevilla of Spain trounced Middlesbrough of England 4-0. The two previous rounds Middlesbrough has found ways to over come the big hole they dig, but not this time. The magic ran out, and all went straight into the pockets of Sevilla. Goals were scored by Luis Fabiano, Vicenzo Maresca (with 2) & Frederic Kanoute.
-Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune on the match: Sevilla dominates round one (The title of which is in reference to the fact that both UEFA tournament finals - UEFA Cup & Champions League - pit a team from England against a team from Spain.)
~ ~ ~ ~
Olympiakos Piraeus beat AEK Athens 3-0 in the Greek Cup final. Some AEK fans trashed their ferry boat on the ride home.
~ ~ ~ ~
Red Star Belgrade beat OFK 4-2 after extra time in the Serbia and Montenegro Cup final.
~ ~ ~ ~
The Italian TIM Cup Final second & final leg is tonight (first leg score included):
Inter v Roma (1-1)
~ ~ ~ ~
The Mexican Primera Division Clausura 2 legged semifinals:
Wednesday (return leg Saturday)
Toluca 1-2 San Luis - a shocking home loss by the defending champs!
Thursday (return leg Sunday)
Guadalajara v Pachuca
~ ~ ~ ~
Pairings for the Quarterfinals in La Copa Libertadores!
-First legs are played this week, then the whole tournament takes 2 months off for the World Cup. So the second leg matches will not be played until mid-to-late July. I find that a little odd, but go figure:
May 9 Chivas Guadalajara 0-0 Vélez Sarsfield
May 10 Liga Dep. Universitaria 2-1 Internacional
May 10 Estudiantes LP 1-0 São Paulo FC
May 11 River Plate - Libertad
-Second leg matches in July:
July 18 Libertad - River Plate
July 19 Internacional - Liga Dep. Universitaria
July 19 São Paulo FC - Estudiantes LP
July 20 Vélez Sarsfield - Chivas Guadalajara
-Sports Illustrated with a recap of Wednesdays matches.
~ ~ ~ ~
English FA Cup Final
Liverpool v West Ham
Saturday May 13th at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff
-Again they unfortunately will only be showing this match on closed-circuit TV at selected pubs and restaurants. There is a mandatory $20 PER PERSON COVER CHARGE from Setanta! Call your local watering hole to see if they are showing it.
posted by brucio at 14:40
8 Comments:
thank the soccer gods that INTER TORONTO is not their name.
you got that one right on the money!
Interesting that you chose to focus on the Raptors, when the owners of Toronto FC are Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, most famous for owning the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL.
Good name and good logo from Toronto....but I feel that I do have to ask--can we have a team that's not red and blue? let's try no red or blue. i wouldn't object to sky blue...purple? green? come on guys.
Toronto FC. meh, doesn't do anything for me.
the reason i stick to the raptors as a whipping stick is that the owners started that team from scratch, just like this soccer team
the maple leafs had 100 years of history before these people bought them
but what have they done with the team since they bought the hockey team?
do they win? not really
are the exciting? no
somehow they still have fans, but i believe the long history has more to do with that then the current owners do
the other thing is.... why toronto "FC"
we call it soccer, not football
so shouldn't it be toronto "SC"?
The Leafs will have fans for all eternity. Getting tickets to Leafs games generally involves either sacrificial rituals or the selling of newborn children. They've generally had competitive teams in the recent past, though in the first year of "the new NHL" (salary cap, better rule enforcement, etc), they missed the playoffs. It is true that the last time the Leafs made the Stanley Cup Finals was 1993.
According to what I can tell from Wikipedia, MLSE took control of the Leafs after the death of the previous owner, Harold Ballard, in 1990. Interesting to note that the major ownership interest of MLSE is the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Maple_Leafs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_Leaf_Sports_%26_Entertainment_Ltd.
Also, the current rederings of the plans for the National Soccer Stadium at Exhibition Place look... bleh. Booooorrrrrring.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Soccer_Stadium_at_Exhibition_Place
So I'm looking at the renderings of the Nat Soccer Stadium for Toronto and I'm wondering why the center circle in the middle of the pitch has a smaller circle within it? Do Canadians have different rules for soccer? And the goals look pretty silly in the drawing too. They look...um...too small.
I'm talking specifically about this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Exhibition1.jpg
I mean, c'mon. Shouldn't the "original artist" who renders the drawing know something about what a soccer field looks like? Granted he did get the 18 and 6 yard boxes right. And there do appear to be 22 players on the field.
That stadium looks like a college football stadium.
Bruce, I'll write your Ujfalusi bit for you later today.
Post a Comment
<< Home