Wednesday Orange Slices: Camargo is Here At Last

(ah, the Streets)

Right, so this is both a stark reminder and an encouragement: we, whether consciously or otherwise, have opted for the path of most resistance. I read earlier on MLS.com that we effectively have of all MLS teams the toughest stretch of games left in the season when you adjust for quality of teams, home v away, etc. So if we still make the playoffs – and at this point, we control that – we’re gonna have to do it the ol’ fashioned way.

On the bright side, I’m very happy to see Carr’s movement both in the dying minutes of the RSL game and the fact that he turned around and played (I believe) the full 90 for the reserves match the next day. He’s hungry and ready to reward the patience and faith the team has had in him and he’s shown in those chances that he still has that pace that can trouble defenses. If we can mix him in with Costly, Ching and Weaver we’ve got a pretty darned good strike force. Also, Camargo is here!! Downside: he’s not match fit. I don’t want to read that as a return of Koke because while it may appear that way at first, I think under further scrutiny the comparisons fall apart. He has the technique and touch but because of the delays in getting him here he hasn’t played in a while plus, well, its hot. I know it gets hot in Brazil too but its also winter there right now (its like 60F in Curitiba) so its fairly brisk weather down there and then you fly north to Hades, Texas. But it looks like they want to get him going and he wants to as well, so playing him in reserve matches and then the Monterrey match will help bring that along and hopefully in a couple of weeks we can see him as a sub if all works out.

I realize these are all make-or-break games but this one stands out because its the beginning of a 3-away-game stretch and we have every chance to get the full 3 points and start it off right and keep the momentum going.

…you’ve tried this before-pandering the the non-soccer caring American public. First it was the backwards clock and the shoot out. Then you got all that mess out of the way and got to some real stone cold footy; the kind loved all over the world. Please don’t change the points rules just to push teams to score more goals. We all know that sometimes the most exciting matches are nil nil draws (despite what the naysayers may think).

Scoreless ties: Part of the game. Change nothing. This is a moronic idea.

Costly: Looks nice, but he’s a forward. Score and we’ll talk about you staying. Don’t and good luck getting that Club America deal.

Promotion/relegation: In the US, this is more accurately written as In business/out of business. If anyone can come up with a plan for a US team to be relegated and it not be a death sentence, a guaranteed non-death sentence, then I’m for it. Other than that, forget it. It will never happen and it’s time to move on from this.

Parody-based league: Best and most money-making model for the entire league I can think of. Having 2-4 dominant teams and the rest with nothing to play for at all is great for that 2-4 and sucks completely for everyone else. The best-supported league int eh world is the Bundesliga and a wide-open competition and a structure that produces that is one of the major reasons why.

Playoffs: I’d prefer both a championship for the season and a concomitant tournament championship, rather than playing the season in order to qualify for the tournament, which is what we have now. That would give us three major trophies to play for every year, MLS Championship, US Championship Cup and CONCACAF Champions League (CONCAchampions). Now what’s wrong with that?