Yes, MLS kicks off again tonight. Who are you ROOTING for?
Here's the runners and riders:
Real Salt Lake
Last year's surprise winners, beating LA Galaxy in front of 46,000 in Seattle. Interest is running high in Utah, seeing as their bsketball team (the Jazz) is permanently shit. 8,000 season ticket holders should ensure a decent atmosphere at their pretty and new Rio Tinto Stadium.
Seattle Sounders
Expansion team last year, and Freddie Ljungburg plays for them, they have 32,000 season ticket holders and are expected to sell out their 36,000 seats for every game this year. They open the season tonight, playing this years expansion team Philadelphia Union
LA Galaxy
Along with Seattle, the glamour team of the league. Managed by Bruce Arena, they've have a few "household" names playing for them, including Beckham, Donavan and that ex Everton Portugese bloke who looks like Chewbacca. Oh and ex Albion tosser, Chris Birchall. Will fill their 27,000 stadium most weekends.
Chivas
Squatters at LA Galaxy's home ground and they have a very Mexican-American fanbase. Looking stronger than in the past, though.
San Jose Earthquakes
Play in a temporary high school venue until their new 16,000 all seat is built. Darren Huckerby has recently made a name for himself there.
Kansas City Wizards
Temporarily in a crap baeball stadium until next year when they move to a new 18,000 seater stadium. They're not as shit as San Jose though.
FC Dallas
Expect them to be wank. And despite a new stadium, they draw flies.
Houston Dynamo
Fairly big club in Texas and another team just dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's on a new stadium deal. Play in a 30,000 seater which fills up for play off matches, but more often than not has about 20,000 for the Dynamo. Dynamo are a decent side who have won it twice since moving from San Jose in 2006.
Colarado Rapids
Not expected to do much in Denver this year. Interestingly, they've just ripped the seats out behind the goal and put a terrace in it's place in time for this season. Jammy bastards. I want one.
New York Red Bulls
My team, former team of Hull's Jose Altidore, and in the past, the resting home for several tired players on their last legs like Jourkaeff and Mattheus. Recently, home to Juan Pablo Angel and with Thierry Henry expected to join after the WC. Brand new cathedral of soccerball opened up last week, and with a good team, 9,000 season ticket holders and that amazing stadium, expectations are high.
New England Revs
They've been good in the past, but suffer from playing in a cavernous NFL stadium. Could be one to watch.
Philly Union
This year's expansion franchise. 10,000 season ticket holders show there is a buzz in Philly for this team. Don't expect them to pull up any trees.
Toronto FC
Just expanded BMO Field by a 1,500 or so, taking capacity to around 22,000. However, this is woefully inadequate for a team with 16,000 season ticket holders and a waiting list of 12,000. Not that their team deserves the sort of fervent support they enjoy. They've been shithouse for their 3 year existence. Danny Dicho scored their first ever goal - in the 21st minute of their THIRD game at the stadium. They are that shit. Last year, a win at a shockingly crap NY side would have sent them to the playoffs. They lost 5-0.
Columbus Crew
An Eastern powerhouse on the field in recent years. They have some passionate fans, but not all that many of them. About 15,000 I think. Their fans like to think of themselves as the Millwall of the USA. Clearly they don't know what the f*** they're talking about. Afterall, nothing screams "hooligans" more than matching t-shirts in a designated rowdy area.
DC United
Once the darlings of the league, now a pale shadow of that. Still a biggish club and they do have proper support, but have been overtaken by other new clubs and have been hampered by politics in getting a stadium sorted. RFK is falling apart.
Chicago Fire
Big Polish and hispanic support, another proper football club. Unluckly not to make it to the MLS Cup final last year. Probably won't be all that this year after Cuauhtemoc Blanco left to return to Mexico in time for the World Cup. He hasn't been properly replaced.
Here's the runners and riders:
Real Salt Lake
Last year's surprise winners, beating LA Galaxy in front of 46,000 in Seattle. Interest is running high in Utah, seeing as their bsketball team (the Jazz) is permanently shit. 8,000 season ticket holders should ensure a decent atmosphere at their pretty and new Rio Tinto Stadium.
Seattle Sounders
Expansion team last year, and Freddie Ljungburg plays for them, they have 32,000 season ticket holders and are expected to sell out their 36,000 seats for every game this year. They open the season tonight, playing this years expansion team Philadelphia Union
LA Galaxy
Along with Seattle, the glamour team of the league. Managed by Bruce Arena, they've have a few "household" names playing for them, including Beckham, Donavan and that ex Everton Portugese bloke who looks like Chewbacca. Oh and ex Albion tosser, Chris Birchall. Will fill their 27,000 stadium most weekends.
Chivas
Squatters at LA Galaxy's home ground and they have a very Mexican-American fanbase. Looking stronger than in the past, though.
San Jose Earthquakes
Play in a temporary high school venue until their new 16,000 all seat is built. Darren Huckerby has recently made a name for himself there.
Kansas City Wizards
Temporarily in a crap baeball stadium until next year when they move to a new 18,000 seater stadium. They're not as shit as San Jose though.
FC Dallas
Expect them to be wank. And despite a new stadium, they draw flies.
Houston Dynamo
Fairly big club in Texas and another team just dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's on a new stadium deal. Play in a 30,000 seater which fills up for play off matches, but more often than not has about 20,000 for the Dynamo. Dynamo are a decent side who have won it twice since moving from San Jose in 2006.
Colarado Rapids
Not expected to do much in Denver this year. Interestingly, they've just ripped the seats out behind the goal and put a terrace in it's place in time for this season. Jammy bastards. I want one.
New York Red Bulls
My team, former team of Hull's Jose Altidore, and in the past, the resting home for several tired players on their last legs like Jourkaeff and Mattheus. Recently, home to Juan Pablo Angel and with Thierry Henry expected to join after the WC. Brand new cathedral of soccerball opened up last week, and with a good team, 9,000 season ticket holders and that amazing stadium, expectations are high.
New England Revs
They've been good in the past, but suffer from playing in a cavernous NFL stadium. Could be one to watch.
Philly Union
This year's expansion franchise. 10,000 season ticket holders show there is a buzz in Philly for this team. Don't expect them to pull up any trees.
Toronto FC
Just expanded BMO Field by a 1,500 or so, taking capacity to around 22,000. However, this is woefully inadequate for a team with 16,000 season ticket holders and a waiting list of 12,000. Not that their team deserves the sort of fervent support they enjoy. They've been shithouse for their 3 year existence. Danny Dicho scored their first ever goal - in the 21st minute of their THIRD game at the stadium. They are that shit. Last year, a win at a shockingly crap NY side would have sent them to the playoffs. They lost 5-0.
Columbus Crew
An Eastern powerhouse on the field in recent years. They have some passionate fans, but not all that many of them. About 15,000 I think. Their fans like to think of themselves as the Millwall of the USA. Clearly they don't know what the f*** they're talking about. Afterall, nothing screams "hooligans" more than matching t-shirts in a designated rowdy area.
DC United
Once the darlings of the league, now a pale shadow of that. Still a biggish club and they do have proper support, but have been overtaken by other new clubs and have been hampered by politics in getting a stadium sorted. RFK is falling apart.
Chicago Fire
Big Polish and hispanic support, another proper football club. Unluckly not to make it to the MLS Cup final last year. Probably won't be all that this year after Cuauhtemoc Blanco left to return to Mexico in time for the World Cup. He hasn't been properly replaced.
