MLS Discussion Thread

[franch1se]

Re: MLS Discussion Thread

so it looks like the entire section is a dead section on OS. Sad, doesn't look like any soccer gaming threads or anything have comments.

[DrJones]

Re: MLS Discussion Thread

so it looks like the entire section is a dead section on OS. Sad, doesn't look like any soccer gaming threads or anything have comments.

I think they all moved to Discord.

[bhurst99]

Re: MLS Discussion Thread

I watched my TFC on the weekend for the first time this season. They could barely connect two passes together. I've come to the realization that the "glory" years of 2015-2020 were an aberration in the long history of a dismal MLS franchise

They've only made the playoffs five times in 18 seasons. The reality is they've been poorly run for most of their existence.

[studbucket]

Re: MLS Discussion Thread

I watched my TFC on the weekend for the first time this season. They could barely connect two passes together. I've come to the realization that the "glory" years of 2015-2020 were an aberration in the long history of a dismal MLS franchise

They've only made the playoffs five times in 18 seasons. The reality is they've been poorly run for most of their existence.

Yeah, I'm sorry that you have to cheer for them. That 5-6 run was amazing (and as a Sounders fan I loved the rivalry we built in those years), and it makes the fall afterward even harder. Bad leadership can ruin everything in a sports team.

I was thinking the other day, "who was the best MLS player of all time?" when it comes to skill + production + longevity? Giovinco and Vela both came to mind, among others. Sebastian Giovinco was so amazing.

[DrJones]

Re: MLS Discussion Thread

I watched my TFC on the weekend for the first time this season. They could barely connect two passes together. I've come to the realization that the "glory" years of 2015-2020 were an aberration in the long history of a dismal MLS franchise

They've only made the playoffs five times in 18 seasons. The reality is they've been poorly run for most of their existence.

Could be worse. The Whitecaps have won one playoff game in 14 seasons!

[bhurst99]

Re: MLS Discussion Thread

Could be worse. The Whitecaps have won one playoff game in 14 seasons!

I think they've won at least two -- wildcard games in 2017 and last year. But your point isn't lost: The Canadian MLS teams have been wildly unsuccessful.

[DrJones]

Re: MLS Discussion Thread

I think they've won at least two -- wildcard games in 2017 and last year. But your point isn't lost: The Canadian MLS teams have been wildly unsuccessful.

You're right, they won their "home" game in Portland last year (and one of the best-of-3 against LAFC).

After bonuses, the Whitecaps received $22M US for selling Alphonso Davies to Bayern. Where'd that money go, I wonder?

[bhurst99]

Re: MLS Discussion Thread



You're right, they won their "home" game in Portland last year (and one of the best-of-3 against LAFC).

After bonuses, the Whitecaps received $22M US for selling Alphonso Davies to Bayern. Where'd that money go, I wonder?

It's funny that since we talked about the Whitecaps futility they have been on an absolute tear and look like the best team in the league.

[DrJones]

It's funny that since we talked about the Whitecaps futility they have been on an absolute tear and look like the best team in the league.

True. I went to the Inter Miami match here, it was a blast.

[DrJones]

Thomas Müller is joining the Whitecaps! 👀

[bhurst99]

Hopefully, the Whitecaps can pull off the MLS Cup victory. Would it best the biggest sports title in the city's history? Bigger than a Grey Cup victory or the Vancouver Millionaries 1915 Stanley Cup? I realize Canada won hockey gold at the Vancouver Olympics but I wouldn't call that a city title.

[DrJones]

Hopefully, the Whitecaps can pull off the MLS Cup victory. Would it best the biggest sports title in the city's history? Bigger than a Grey Cup victory or the Vancouver Millionaries 1915 Stanley Cup? I realize Canada won hockey gold at the Vancouver Olympics but I wouldn't call that a city title.

Good question. I think from an outsider's POV, yes - simply because of the modern media landscape and the fact that Messi is involved.

From a local's perspective, I think the 1979 Soccer Bowl was "bigger" - the Whitecaps of the 77-83 NASL era were more popular than today's MLS version for a few reasons:

- the Canucks absolutely dominate the Vancouver sports scene now in a way they didn't back then
- the NASL Whitecaps were on local network TV (BCTV) all the time; if all of their games were on TSN or Sportsnet, it'd improve their popularity a lot (only the hardcores subscribe to Apple TV)
- the Whitecaps won during the short peak of the NASL's relevance (1975-80); it's not much of a stretch to say the NASL was bigger than the NBA in the US during the immediate pre-Bird/Magic era
- following the English First Division, etc. was impossible in those days; back then, you watched the World Cup and you watched the NASL, that was it; today, most Vancouver-area soccer fans would probably choose a title win for their favourite Premier League team over the Whitecaps winning the MLS Cup
- the '79 Whitecaps got the largest victory parade in Vancouver history (100-150K, it was a much smaller city back then); I very much doubt the '25 Whitecaps would get anything more than a rally at BC Place if they win on Saturday

In fact, there are a few parallels between this year's Whitecaps and the 1979 version:

• The '79 Caps started strong, but really picked up stream by picking up a famous World Cup winner midseason (England's Alan Ball)
• They defeated one of the league's star franchsies (Los Angeles Aztecs) and players (Johan Cruyff) in the quarter-finals
• They faced the NASL's superteam, the New York Cosmos*, in the semis (think of Inter Miami without a salary cap, the Cosmos won the NASL title in '77, '78, and '80) and beat them on the road in dramatic fashion on American TV (ABC)
• They faced a Florida team (Tampa Bay Rowdies) in the "Soccer Bowl", although the title win is far less remembered than taking down the "unbeatable" Cosmos

*Most people around here who remember the 1979 Whitecaps suffer from the Mandela effect that we beat Pele (he retired from the Cosmos after the 1977 season)

As for how the city's other "championships"...

The 1915 Vancouver Millionaires are a trivia answer around here and not much more. Sold a little merch around the Heritage Classic 10 years ago, haven't been thought of much before or since. Just too little of a connection to a franchise whose only Cup was pre-NHL and was disbanded in the 1920s.

The BC Lions are probably the CFL's weakest franchise as far as local popularity goes. They never had parades for winning the Grey Cup in 1994, 2000, 2006, and 2011 (pretty sure even Toronto and Montreal have had CFL championship parades since then). In Metro Vancouver itself, the Whitecaps are bigger than the Lions, although the Lions are more popular in rural areas (much older fanbase than the Caps). The Lions' 1964 title was probably Vancouver's 2nd biggest in the city's history; pre-Canucks, they were the only team in town. They were still relatively big when I grew up in the 80s, but once the Canucks added Pavel Bure and finally became a non-joke in the early 90s, they swallowed this media market and never looked back.

Nobody really cared about the Vancouver Giants winning the Memorial Cup a few years back (they don't even play in Vancouver proper anymore). I'd say the Abbotsford Canucks winning this year's Calder Cup got more attention TBH.

If the Whitecaps win on Saturday, it'll be great, but it won't move the needle that much - hope I'm wrong! I honestly think if you gave Vancouverites a choice between the Whitecaps beating Messi on Saturday or the Blue Jays winning Game 7 last month, it'd be a close call (I'd pick the Jays).