Don't laugh! For us North American ex-pats the MLS means watching games live on TV in the evening on a weekend in HD - rather than poor quality images of dull Premier League & obscure European games before the sun has risen. Everyone says the MLS is League 1 level - so hey ho, quelle difference?
So I will be following Toronto FC this season again as they are the original Canadian MLS team & i followed them from day 1, all their games are on TV - I reckon they have a half-decent chance of making the play-offs...but Ontario is 4 hours away by plane & us Westerners don't like them big city folk much.It's been a marriage of convenience.
Bit of a dilemma in picking an alternative though, as Seattle Sounders have joined the league this year (with Freddy Lllungberg playing in front of 40000+ spectators) and are now the closest MLS team to where I live. So they are currently my local team a mere 90 mins flight away. Seattle is a great city & i spent some happy times there.
Then in two years (2011 season) Vancouver & Portland will join the league and Vancouver is kind of like a second home to me, so I should switch my allegiances to them....I go there every month without fail & this beautiful city would be an easy option for frequent live games. However its BC & this is Alberta (albeit I'm only 14 miles from the border) - something doesn't sit totally right - inter provincial rivalry & all that!
On the other hand I have been to Portland, Oregon fell in love with America's coolest city & seen the Timbers play - we loved the experience (my daughters first game), so really I should support them as they were the first & only pro-North American soccer team i have seen. Although I am schedules to see a Toronto game thi summer while over there at our head office for work.
My misguided loyalty says Toronto FC, for a quick fix it would have to be Seattle Sounders, my head says Vancouver whitecaps, my heart says Portland Timbers.
Or should I just say feck it & develop an irrational love for the Kansas City Wizards.
Who should it be? Who cares.....but I have young boy who i need to develop a love for this great game for, he's gonna be inundated with hockey, basketball, baseball & CFL/NFL as he grows up. My plans for him centre around cricket & football - he has to be indoctrinated/brain-washed by dad!!
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I just want you all to know that a bunch of those cannucks are coming down here to start trouble on Saturday. We know this from our sources. Please know that if this happens then we will respond in kind (not like last year when we let them get away with it). We are hoping to avoid a confrontation but we WILL NOT back down from one if these cannucks force one. If they thought what we did to the West Ham fans was hooliganism then they haven't seen anything yet. We'd hope that if something does go down this warning will serve to provide you with context so that you don't do another "Blame it on Columbus" hatchet job. Watch the game and watch what the Toronto fans do. The Crew Front office is giving out a commerative coin. We full expect 2.000 cannuckaf**ks to throw them at our players and us. This is a line that should it be crossed amounts to the "nuclear option". And no I am not gonna tell you what that is. Try and be balanced in your reporting that's all we ask.
S.
Hudson Street Hooligans''
http://www.mls-rumors.net/2009/03/report-northern-invasion-p art-2.html
hope we dont ever get a friendly over there. I'd rather play Millwall....
Oakster, sounds like you've got a young family there...please feel free to send me a whisper as your TFC visit draws closer if there is anything that I can do to help with your trip, including but not limited to a pint!
Can you give us updates throughout the season of the numbers of away fans for Ooh Aahs benefit?