USL Play Off Final

ChicagoAddick

I know we have a few Canadian Addicks on the CL. I watched both the legs of the Montreal Impact v Vancouver Whitecaps and entertaining it was too and a decent and noisy crowd too.

Montreal won for those interested 6-3 on agg. I know play-offs are a vital part of North American sport but it does seem ridiculous that Montreal who finished 5th in the 30-game league season can play Vancouver who finished 7th in the final. What about poor old Portland Timbers who won the league beating Montreal 3 times?

Anyway believe both Portland and Vancouver are joining the MLS in 2010. Tampa Bay and New York taking their place.

Oakster

Good to see Toronto FC still alive in the hunt for the final MSL play-off spot, a decent 1-0 win today in their penultimate game

highlights

collegeparkaddick

Unclear what will be happening with the USL. Beautiful thing about professional sports (and something that probably resonates as we await resolution of ownership of the club) is that while the game is perfect, the people running it are remarkably flawed.

We have enjoyed the development of the USL -- we see Chicago's local Hogges three or four times a year (probably more than the average Bermudan footie fan) -- but now that Nike has sold the league, it seems to be falling apart. Three of the teams in the second division (Miami, Carolina, and Minnesota) had inflammatory e-mails sent to their players by the new ownership saying that their contracts were null and void (this includes two of our national U-20 players who had previously drawn interest from the continent) and the players of both Montreal and Vancouver would have received the same communication had they not reached the finals.

Agree completely with Saputo that this is madness. While the sport's popularity is clearly growing in country, blowing up the second and third divisions will have significant adverse effects on support.

ChicagoAddick

Whose your local team College Park?

The Hogges, which is co-owned by Shaun Goater, have been given the financial guarantees to play USL next season but the cost is prohibitive. The Bermuda Hogges were only allowed into the league if they paid for the other USL 2 sides travel, accomodation and expenses for visiting Bermuda but get no such luck for their own travel costs. Crowds were well down last season at home matches (2,000 odd) watching a poor team.

Bermudians sadly are pretty insouciant when it comes to competitive sport and they and the media pay more attention to the local leagues. Giving the Hogges a bigger stage has allowed some players to make professional moves overseas and has helped develop the U20 side.

collegeparkaddick

Our local USL2 sides are Real Maryland and, for shame, Crystal Palace Baltimore. We were at the Hogges match this season at a Rockville, MD high school where one of Bermuda's players was arrested in the dressing room by Montgomery County's finest during half time and the coach was escorted off the pitch by another of member of the County Sheriff's Department just prior to the break.

ChicagoAddick

[cite]Posted By: collegeparkaddick[/cite]Our local USL2 sides are Real Maryland and, for shame, Crystal Palace Baltimore. We were at the Hogges match this season at a Rockville, MD high school where one of Bermuda's players was arrested in the dressing room by Montgomery County's finest during half time and the coach was escorted off the pitch by another of member of the County Sheriff's Department just prior to the break.

For previous 'relationship issues' I believe. Normally Bermuda's sportsmen get arrested at customs allegedly.

MrOneLung

[cite]Posted By: ChicagoAddick[/cite]Whose your local team College Park?

The Hogges, which is co-owned by Shaun Goater, have been given the financial guarantees to play USL next season but the cost is prohibitive. The Bermuda Hogges were only allowed into the league if they paid for the other USL 2 sides travel, accomodation and expenses for visiting Bermuda but get no such luck for their own travel costs. Crowds were well down last season at home matches (2,000 odd) watching a poor team.

Bermudians sadly are pretty insouciant when it comes to competitive sport and they and the media pay more attention to the local leagues. Giving the Hogges a bigger stage has allowed some players to make professional moves overseas and has helped develop the U20 side.

I am gonna hazard a guess that this is the first time that word has been used on this site !!!