Good afternoon from Starfire Sports Complex, where I'm posted up for the next hour or so to talk soccer. Fire away
The two-week break between MLS matches should help, and Sigi says Alonso should be back in training in some capacity starting Tuesday. If not by the Dallas game at the end of the month, I'd expect a return in early-April at the latest
While Azira ably filled that hole against New England, let's not get ahead of ourselves. A Revolution midfield without Jermaine Jones and Lee Nguyen isn't a true test
Alonso is still the best option to fill that role for now. See: the first leg of the Western Conference finals in Carson. How the depth chart shakes out from there re: Azira, Rose and Roldan should be interesting to watch
Unless the Sounders go outside the club to bring in another option on the wing, it's hard to see anybody displacing him from that starting role. Pappa and Neagle went back-and-forth as the preferred true winger last year. Both played very well on Sunday night
The MLS and USL clubs have been closely aligned -- understandably -- on just about every kind of logistic
I would agree with that assessment. He and Pappa seem to have already developed an understanding on the right, which is not an easy balance to find for a guy coming from overseas. Again, though, I'd recommending waiting to see how the lineup looks against a team that can provide more of an attacking threat than the weakened Revs
As far as I know, the fabled fourth DP slot is still nothing more than conjecture at this point. I'd hold out for official word -- or at least more momentum with the rumors -- before heading too far down that road. For now, I know the Sounders are committed to the Evans/Marshall pairing
No date on the draw just yet, but I'd expect something close to last year's which was May 28
Hard to go against Bayern Munich as the favorite, and Paris Saint-Germain just made a strong case as a potential dark horse. I'd also keep an eye on whichever side survives the Juventus-Dortmund matchup next Wednesday. Juve is loaded -- Pogba, Vidal, Pirlo, Tevez -- and Dortmund is (finally) peaking
As of this week, no official decision had been made on the full stadium games. I would, however, expect an announcement relatively soon. What I don't know is how the construction play into things
Ha, you're talking to him. I'll be doubling up and trying to hit S2 for most (if not all) home games. Expect an advance feature ahead of next weekend as well as game coverage. I'll be at Starfire for the opener
Evans' skill on the ball is one of the motivations for moving him back there to begin with, to provide a bit more of an attacking sense to the back line. Seattle certainly looked better building on the ground on Sunday then when it tried to go over the top like it did in the first 20 minutes or so
I know the 'Quakes have had Seattle's number, but with SJ so in flux, I expect Saturday to go a bit more smoothly from a Sounders perspective. 3-1 Seattle after grinding through an ugly first half
That's easier said than done. Watch any Garber press conference, and he's very smooth at evading when he doesn't want to give a straight answer. I would agree with your initial point, that that's something the league really has to take a look at if it's trying to take that next step
Just don't expect Garber nor the league owners to cede that point
I will say that I don't think there's room for both. But honestly, after watching one game, I have no idea which looks more like a playoff team. NYCFC looks hard to break down, which can be an underrated virtue in MLS, and Orlando City's D was shaky. From an aesthetic aspect, I'd love to see Orlando make a push. That midfield created some real sparks in the opener
Maybe so, but then wanting to be respected alongside the top leagues in the world -- and calling the national team coach out for suggesting otherwise -- begins to ring a little hollow. MLS wants to have it both ways sometimes
While nobody can argue that -- given Yedlin's raw gifts and Mears' age -- Yedlin is the better prospect, a case can be made that right now, Mears is a more complete defender
Given the Yankees' stake in the team, getting booted seems doubtful. But this is a hard lesson for the league for budging on its commitment to its soccer-specific stadium requirement
Besler's red was due to a second yellow
Yes, he's looked fine in training this week
Oh, you're absolutely right. And I'm not suggesting that MLS completely throw caution to the wind, cap-wise. But a case can be made that, given the owners' current leverage and lack of incentive within single-entity, the cap isn't necessarily keeping pace with that support -- or least with the league's stated ambitions
I'll go digging into the rule book and make sure there haven't been any changes. Good catch
Pros: I thought Fox Sports 1 did a very good job, and the more ESPN2 games MLS can wrangle, the better. I also very much like the new, set-in-stone weekly schedule
Cons: I know some out there disagree with me, but UniMas can be very difficult to find for casual fans, even more regular MLS fans
It's hard to know for sure when the league's financials are so murky
Alright folks, with the questions slowing down, I'm going to call it for today. Thanks for all your questions, and join me against tomorrow as the Sounders host the Earthquakes at 7 p.m. at CenturyLink Field
