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MLS Buzz Profile picture
MLS Buzz
@MLS_Buzz
The soccer world from an American/MLS perspective. Not a journalist or an insider.
🇳🇬 Steven Wolfe 🇳🇬 Profile picture 1 subscribed
Nov 22, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Every World Cup, I’m reminded that our national anthem, while historic and important in our country, is mid when compared to other national anthems.

Don’t hate me, I only bring truth. France’s and Mexico’s national anthems, just off the top of my head.
Aug 10, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Christian Pulisic needs to leave Chelsea because it's a place where attackers are going to have their talents wasted...

Here's a quick thread sing the 2021/22 season and Liverpool as a comparison group since their attackers thrive in the same league: Number of times targeted with a pass per 90 minutes:
- Liverpool: All 4 primary attackers were in top 15 in the squad
- Chelsea: 1 attacker in the top 15

Havertz, Chelsea's most used attacker, would be SEVENTEENTH on Liverpool in usage.

Attackers are training dummies at Chelsea
Jul 26, 2022 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
It sucks that travel soccer is expensive in the USA.

It also sucks that people assume that’s something that could just be fixed overnight. Teams have to pay coaches, refs, travel fees, travel, kits, etc.

There’s not some boogeyman out there trying to keep it expensive. Soccer has been facing the same problem in this country for almost 150 years - we are freaking huge and playing games all over is expensive.

Easy to start a cheap local Rec league but to play the best teams? That requires $$ to pay coaches and travel all over the country.
Jul 26, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
2023 Leagues Cup latest

- 77 total matches
- 15 host cities, World Cup style
- 15 groups with 3 teams each
- June and July being looked at
- 3 CCL spots on the line

Having host cities and not letting MLS clubs all play home games vs Liga MX clubs is a good step. Cheers @EdwinGames4 for the link
Jul 26, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Thinking about the fact that one year from now, both Liga MX and MLS will be suspending league play for an entire month for a 47-team Leagues Cup.

Still so many unanswered questions - where will the final be? Will Liga MX ever get home games? How will groups be divided? etc. etc The tournament is officially sanctioned and will give 3 births to CCL. Off of that alone, it's a big deal.

But it won't be what it could be unless it's marketed properly and fans understand the stakes. Could be a huge $$$ maker for LMX/MLS but they have to start it right.
Jun 22, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
As someone who likes MLS, I don’t know why people around and within MLS are defensive when people try to make suggestions as to how the league could improve quicker.

Is this not how innovation and change happens? By challenging ideas and pushing things forward? Just because someone doesn’t express their ideas about US Soccer or MLS the way you do, doesn’t mean they have bad intentions.

We all want the same thing, but how we view the best path is different. That’s fine. Just talk about it. No need to be defensive.
May 21, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
I like the way they do sports in Europe and South America where a “club” is actually a club and represents multiple sports across men and women.

I wish we had something similar here in the US where some NWSL teams were the women’s arm of whatever club.

LA Galaxy women, etc. San Lorenzo are a historic Argentine soccer club, but they also have a well-supported basketball team.

Luka Doncic played for Real Madrid.

Today’s women’s UEFA CL final is between Barcelona and Lyon.

I just like that “clubs” are actually clubs and represent multiple sports.
May 8, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
The more I read books about soccer cultures around the world, the more I realize 2 things..

1. Just how behind we are in terms of national soccer culture. 100+ years behind.

2. Just how quickly a nation can catapult itself to the top in the right conditions. It’s possible. Every major soccer culture in the world built its self from the ground up. The biggest clubs in the world were started by working vlass people discovering the sport.

We’re building from the top-down and it’s given us distinct advantages and disadvantages. We’re very different
May 6, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
I don’t understand why people would be so shocked if Stefan Frei got a chance with the USMNT

He’s in better form right now than Zack Steffen and has been a big game player for years. I get that he’s 36 but if Guzan was in the picture than Frei definitely should be. I’m guaranteeing right now that if you put Stefan Frei in goal for that game in Costa Rica, at least one of those shots would have been saved.

There’s a lot of MLS players worth protesting to keep out of our national team but Frei is not one of them.
Mar 30, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
The 2026 World Cup is going to be the best-attended World Cup in history and won’t be eclipsed for a long time.

The 1994 World Cup in the USA still holds the record for average attendance at 68,626, 15k more than the 2nd most.

It’s going to be an insane tournament. Large international airports with a lot of flights, existing host infrastructure (hotels, general capacity), massive amount of North Americans have ties to other nations who are competing, etc.

We’re going to make a pretty big impression on the soccer world.
Mar 28, 2022 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
I'm amazed at how desperate influential soccer people seem to be to remove any and all critical thinking from the USMNT conversation.

It's alright for fan opinions to evolve with performances. It's okay for fans to share opinions at every stage, high and low. "See 😏😏😏 _____ was right/good all along 😏😏😏 checkmate 😏😏😏"

We should be able to see these things in context and not assume fans have picked a side just because they criticized a player or coach after a bad game(s).

Critical ≠ 'side chosen'
Mar 9, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Embarrassing for MLS, but not surprising.

Soccer has never been healthier in this country, but MLS continues to fail to capitalize on its growth like it should be @thesoccerdon Image This isn't the NFL or NBA - people have choices as to which league they can watch.

Having systems that so strictly cap the quality of players clubs can sign and being the 10th best available league on American TV to watch each week isn't good enough.

LET TEAMS SPEND AND COMPETE
Jan 4, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
For all of the clubs around MLS who have made it clear that they can get their best talents to Europe and convincing them to sign, Galaxy have done the opposite

How many academy talents are they going to lose? What does it say about the trust there that players refuse to sign? Cuevas, Mendez, KHF, Llanez, Haji Wright..

Then the players they have signed, who have they developed and moved to a higher level? Araujo is the best example for the positive, but will they sell? Efra is alright, but prolly ends up in LMX

Just feels like a lot of waste
Jan 3, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Late night thoughts..

4 of the big 5 leagues’ title races are close to done halfway through the season.

Some sort of salary or spending cap (not FFP) is needed badly. Those leagues are the center of the soccer universe, but they have some of the worst imbalance. If there’s one thing that American sports have taught us, it’s that “socialism” in the sporting world works. When you prevent outliers and keep everyone on a level playing field, things are significantly more enjoyable for everyone.
Aug 13, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
NBC Sports have sat in silence letting fans watching on TV soak in the atmosphere after Brentford got their first win

ESPN would’ve cut immediately to a loud-tracked highlight video, then to a commercial break followed up by a re-run of West Virginia vs NC State baseball game I know I harp on this a lot, but the sentiment is simply this..

NBC has a terrible pricing model, but the people in charge of broadcasts love, understand and respect the sport.

MLS on NBC had bad ratings when they launched NBCSN, but man it always felt so good on TV.
Jun 9, 2021 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Still reflecting on Sunday night..

There were some rough moments, but one thing the USMNT guys never once looked was rattled or scared.

That’s what happens when you’re teammates with Ronaldo or Messi or playing in Champions League finals. Moments like that don’t shock you. Point being, our mentality was elite. That’s been missing since like 2014.
Jun 8, 2021 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
Imagine their shock when Justin Che gets sold to Bayern and Gianluca Busio goes to Serie A in the next couple of months.

It's not slowing down, it's only accelerating. I was explaining to some friends yesterday about Mexico's predicament..

You can hate US Soccer and MLS working together all you want, but there's no doubt that those shared interests have made MLS open to putting prospects in Europe.

Liga MX / FMF aren't on the same page.
May 27, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
If MLS wants to create culture and expectancy around nationally televised games, here’s where I’d start..

Introduce a Gameday setting similar to what NBC does for the Premier League or what ESPN does for college football (and sometimes basketball)

Thread: ImageImage Americans love any reason to chill on some pavement or grass, listen to music and drink alcohol. Bonus points if you can be on national TV, too.

Picture where your local MLS fan base tailgates or hangs before games, now imagine a Fox or ESPN broadcast booth in the middle of it
Dec 10, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
FIFA and CONCACAF have *reportedly* given the approval to MLS and Liga MX to combine leagues. Liga MX owns 9 of the 10 most watched soccer games in the USA in 2020 on TV. MLS needs that.

Liga MX is a giant soccer nation that punches below their weight and don’t make as much money as they could. MLS would help with that.

The writing is on the wall.
Sep 5, 2020 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Y'all remember the days in MLS when guys would go BACK to Europe in the off-season on loan?

Landon Donovan playing for Everton, Henry back at Arsenal, Beckham to Milan, Keane to Aston Villa....

What a strange thing, looking back on it.... Guys were just honestly bigger than the league and could do what they wanted at times.

That would never fly in the modern MLS, but honestly it was always fun watching these MLS players return to Europe to prove they still have it.
Sep 2, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Okay I’ve had a few minutes and here are my thoughts on the $18m bid for Pity Martinez from Saudi Arabia..

First from Atlanta’s perspective.. They would actually make money off of this transfer and this would give them a chance to restructure around a new DP with a new manager.

However, he’s their best attacking player outside of Josef so the team would suffer (even more) without him the remainder of 2020.