New York City FC

[pudge]

Pearce's football was better than this.

From both teams.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Is it just me or is the pitch very narrow?

It’s not just you. They currently play in Yankee Stadium, which is the home ground for the New York Yankees. It’s not only narrow but also as the dirt infield covered in very dodgy sod, which means a third of the pitch plays completely differently to the rest of it. It’s absolutely amateur.

I have been generally following them since I moved to the US, have gone to six matches, and I am not at all impressed with that situation. They will always be hampered by having that pitch for the home matches. At times I think they actually play better away, as every other team now has football specific stadiums with fairly good pitches (or, in the case of Seattle Sounders, an American football stadium that was built from the start to be used for football, as the MLS-to-Seattle supporters group was a vital component to the stadium ever getting funding to be built, so had a heavy hand in the design).

 

[SebastianBlue]

Pearce's football was better than this.

From both teams.

It’s degraded a bit — the first 20 minutes was much better from New York City. They’ve gone to upper League One since then, though.

MLS quality really shifts wildly from upper Championship to lower League One depending on the teams involved.

 

[waspish]

So if they win this are they in the equivalent of a 1/4 final?

 

[chesterbells]

If they win this match, they’ll go on to the two-legged conference semi-final. If they win that, they’ll then progress to the two-legged “Eastern Conference Championship”. Victory in that fixture will see them go on to play the Western Conference champions in the the one-off MLS Cup Final.

Thanks for that reply - glad I asked as I wouldn't have guessed the structure!

 

[SebastianBlue]

So if they win this are they in the equivalent of a 1/4 final?

Essentially. MLS is a bit convoluted.

They really should do away with the conference system. I understand why it was created for the other older American sports leagues, as travel was once prohibitively expensive and tedious (given the distances between major cities, especially between the East and West coasts). But that’s not really as much a factor now with air travel, ammentities, and the wealth of the leagues. It’s an antiquated setup that really only exists because it always existed and offers a convenience to the various clubs. It also means the league format makes little sense, as the teams don’t always play each other home and away (some never play each other at all), so the outcome of the regular season and the playoffs always seems a bit suspect.

I also think the playoffs are silly, but I am outside looking in there.

 

[SebastianBlue]

Not a bad finish there from Morales.

 

[KoreanHammer]

One of the best games NYCFC has played all year long. Hopefully it means the team finally getting their act together at the right time.

Atlanta is good but if you know anything about American sports, Atlanta teams tend to be...unlucky to say the least lol.

 

[SebastianBlue]

First leg of their MLS Cup quarterfinal against Atlanta United just kicked off for anyone interested.

 

[cleavers]

First leg of their MLS Cup quarterfinal against Atlanta United just kicked off for anyone interested.

Thanks.

Its f**king awful so far.