MLS Match Day Live Is Under My Skin

Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by the new CBA and the launching of MLS Match Day Live. Only, there's a lot of discontent simmering. All due to the absurd Greek tragedy that is MLSsoccer.com and it's Match Day Live service.

First impressions, good intentions and higher expectations are the cobblestones and road signs on the road to hell. As fans we realize if our League is going to launch a new website it is natural to have higher expectations. We can see the potential there and it excites us. The first impression we were left with upon launch however was "What chimp and circus trainer worked on this?" And that's the tamer version.

Obviously our League didn't plan to have a monkey humping a football. They wanted to bring us a state of the art viewing experience online with fountains of information just a click away. Okay they failed the launch. Disappointing as it was, we will forgive them. I won't hack on the tech issues as they are working on them. MLS even posted an apology. So like the economy we are on the road to recovery.....

Eventually all tech issues will be fixed and everything on MLSsoccer and Match Day Live will work. Awesome... but I still have a question.... What foolish person decided the BLACKOUT policy for MLS Match Day Live?

Here is the most glaring preposterous goatscrew in the whole field of cockups. Sit down for this one.

For $39.99 you can subscribe to Match Day Live and receive up to 160 matches live on your computer in HD! Suhweet! Nowhere do I see a blackout policy, I had to discover some of those oddities on my own.

I live in Salt Lake City, home of your MLS Cup Champion Real Salt Lake. All of RSL's games are televised so I expect NOT to see them on my Match Day Live service. No problem.

Last Friday I go to tune into the Chivas v Colorado on my HD Match Day Live service and I cannot view it. Problem. No customer service was available live so I filed a ticket. On Saturday after an hour or so I get hold of live chat support who tells me I am blacked out of all Rapids games as Salt Lake City is a Colorado Rapids TV market. Huh? That's right, Salt Lake is a TV market for the Colorado Rapids. (Don't tell RSL or Dave Checketts)

On a side note I checked all TV stations, especially the Altitude Sports Network and the Colorado game was not shown there on Friday night in this market.

On Monday I get this email from MLS support.

James,

Due to broadcasting rights assigned to the Altitude Sport Network, which is the primary broadcast partner for the Colorado Rapids and has a 10-state distribution zone that includes Utah, you will be blacked out for all Rapids games on Matchday Live. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

MLS Support


What we have here is a failure to communicate. ASN will rarely if ever air a Colorado game in this area. If they did that would be great, as I have the ASN channel on my cable. It gets better. Not all of Utah is blacked out. Not even all of Colorado is blacked out. Huh? I said not even all of Colorado is blacked out. They do this halfwit policy by zip code. Somewhere on Mainstreet USA a guy is blissfully watching Match Day Live while his neighbor across the street is blacked out. Brilliant.

MLS wants as MANY PEOPLE as possible to see their games and I concur. Who wouldn't? They better get a handle on this quagmire before everyone chalks it up to the half-baked marketing/pandering they have always done.

After all it seems, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And that's really unfortunate.

One Man, One Vote, One Table

I'm a busy man. I don't have time to write like I once did. It's been two months or more since I took the time to write a blog about something no one cares about, but today I feel the urge.

I don't know the reasoning behind two conferences in MLS. Sure I've heard the lame excuses but it is really just pure stubborn foolishness is it not?

Under the current format of confusing nonsense you have the reigning MLS Cup Champs, Real Salt Lake, having never won their conference. They are East Conference Champions due to the ridiculous seeding rules that does nothing to further the appeal of MLS.

I live in Salt Lake and I'm an RSL supporter. Do you think they should be the "Champs"? Under the current playoff format they deserve it. Did Columbus, after a season of excellence deserve to go out in the first round so easily? Absolutely not. It should have been harder for RSL and easier for Columbus to advance.

How does having a one table system balance the fairness element? Under the two conference system we could have a number two seed not being nearly as good as the number three seed from the other conference. Call it what you like, I will call it stupid. In fact the whole current thing has been covered ad nauseum so if you want more go look it up.

One Table, where Seed 1 plays Seed 8 at HOME with the 2nd leg AWAY. The reward for being the best over the course of the season should not be going on the road. Reward excellence, punish mediocrity. That's the American way I remember.

No one cares about a Conference Champion to any degree do they? 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5. Top seed at Home then Away. Hit the road after getting the home crowd to help give you the win. Fans don't care about not advancing to the next round on the road.

The 2nd round would be a one off at the home of highest seed with winners advancing to the Championship at the neutral site.

Some other steps to take. Reward the season winner with a little, no, A LOT, more recognition and what every player likes. CASH

One table would also make the scrap for Seed 8 more entertaining. We may not have relegation but we certainly could make the chase for the Season Title and the chase for the last playoff spot a lot more interesting.

I'm just one man but my one vote would go for the one table system.

The Case of Beckerman versus The People

I am here to praise Beckerman, not to bury him. Essentially, I wish to convince you, the lone reader, that Kyle Beckerman is more than deserving of a place in South Africa. This is based on watching him day in and day out since his trade from Colorado to RSL and not just on the Gold Cup performance. Although some have bashed his Gold Cup play, I thought he was more than solid but by no means at his top form. Sometimes it's hard to play with cones around you.

At 27 years of age Beckerman is the complete package. Enthusiasm tempered with wisdom and a great understanding of what his role is at any given time. Whether he needs to hold the midfield or lead it in attack you get a tenacious box to box player who is absolutely relentless. With good players around him he rarely gives away possession and can actually play the ball with both feet.

I don't want to name names but I would say none of the other contenders for a holding role can do that. Not to mention that some of them are total hotheads and tactically (ahem) lacking.

Where Colorado almost completely ruined Beckerman, Jason Kreis and RSL have helped him blossom. It's his time. I don't know whether he deserves to be in the first 11 but I do know he deserves to be in the squad.

The U.S. team could do far worse and it is my fear that they will.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's that time of the year when fixtures come at us fast and furious. For me it doesn't get any better than Boxing Day. It's as much a part of my traditon as Christmas. It wouldn't be the Holidays without it. This year the matches from the Prem run four days in a row due to the calendar. We start on Saturday the 26th for the traditional Boxing Day matches and due to T.V. contracts there are some Sunday matches as well. Follow that with the Mon/Tues 2nd Holiday matches and it's as close to heaven as you will get.

Fulham versus Tottenham is the Gem for me followed by Monday at the Bridge. You know what bridge. What a great weekend coming up. Whoever you are rooting for, enjoy it and Happy Holidays.

The Defenders Of The USA

I was reading Soccer By Ives and was looking at the probable list for the USMNT in Sout Africa next summer. For the first time I took a look at the list of the defenders and I have to say they don't exactly strike fear into any hearts do they?

This was the list by Ives. DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit, Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Chad Marshall, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein

The mind wobbles, as Kelly Bundy was fond of saying. The only one that will be top quality come 2010 in my book is Spector. Gooch is going to see about zero playing time for A.C. Milan so will be useless. I don't even want to talk about the rest. Good guys who have their moments (Boca is finished) but above average is about the norm for them. We have more problems than left back folks. Wake up to this.

I want players like Demerit and Goodson to succeed. I especially want Demerit to become a top notch one step below World Class defender. Do you see it happening?

More Is Expected From The US Men's Team

Dear Bob & Co.

I am sorry of you feel the criticism of your performances is unjust. I am sorry if you feel the fans are being too hard on you. I am really sorry that you think we don't know what we are talking about. The days of you just skating by are done. It's no longer good enough to eke by inferior teams late in the game. That doesn't show character when you have to win late against opposition you should trounce. It shows lack of foucs, lack of motivation and lack of heart. Bob, you confuse gutty with gutless. The whole team needs to work on how to adjust to changing circumstances. Change comes to slowly and valuable time is lost while you pull your heads from your collective bottoms.

I haven't forgotten you finished 2-3 at the Confederations Cup and had an embarrassing collapse in the final. You were losers of that tournament, not winners. I was delighted you beat Spain. Can you beat Costa Rica? Honduras? What have you done lately? That is and will always be the question. Get used to it or quit.

USA versus T&T. Who's Worried?

If you are not worried about tonight's World Cup Qualifier then you have an iron stomach. This game is a disaster waiting to leap upon a U.S. team that has struggled to put teams away when they should. Last Saturday's game could have easily been a 6-0 USA rout instead of the 2-1 nail biting annoyance it turned into. I feel for Bornstein. His name is Mudd now. What was that overhead kick? Is a 5 year old on the minimus field? Yikes. But I digress.

This is another must win in Port of Spain. I would like to see the U.S. paste T&T like Mexico beat Costa Rica on the road. Who thinks it will happen? I don't have any nails to bite and no dog to kick so will our boys just do me the favor of getting this game in hand from the kickoff, please.

Just Do It

U.S. Faces Two Must Win Games

If you think these next two World Cup Qualifiers facing the U.S. Men's National Team are not must wins, think again. The U.S. has dropped from the top of the group to treading water. A loss at home to El Salvador is unthinkable. A loss on the road September 9th at T&T while possible, better not happen. The USMNT needs to relieve pressure on themselves and keep it squarely on Mexico and Honduras. The last thing the US of A needs is to go to Costa Rica on Oct. 14 needing a win.

The time to step up is now. Heard that before? Maybe they will actually step up at the proper time and for 90 minutes each game. One can hope.

On a side note. I have read many quotes from USMNT players praising Bob Bradley for his preparedness and game plans. I have never argued he doesn't have a good plan to START games. I think Bob gets a failing grade on altering his game plan when events arise that DICTATE a meaningful and authorative change.
Haven't seen any players commenting on that.....

Tidbits From Thursday and Friday

Kyle Beckerman and Robbie Findley were called into the 24 man USA Camp for the Sept Qualifiers. Findley was a nice surprise but I am really rooting for Beckerman to make South Africa. I'm sorry haters but he's flat out better than Ricardo Clark. Nuff said.

With Brad Guzan in goal Aston Villa crashed out of the Europa. Guzan did well to stop the first shot. Unfortunately the rebound went into the center and his defenders were lax. Away goal exit stage right!

Everton and Fulham went through to the Group Stages. Timmy played for Everton but EJ and Dempsey were not involved though EJ was on bench.

Everton is in a group with Benfica and Fulham drew Roma. Both groups are semi-hard I guess. Did any other Americans make it into the Europa with their respective teams?

Dempsey picked up an ankle whack in a Wednesday training session. He is scheduled to play Sunday. It still worries me ahead of El Salvador at Rio Tinto.

Here's a Way To Follow Americans in England

I subscribed to "Player" thru the Hull City FC website. Many clubs in England apparently utilize Player for their fans. It provides live audio coverage of matchdays and video highlights and more. I paid a year subscription at 39.99 pounds. You can do a monthly of 3.99 if you choose. It looked like roughly 80% of the Carling Cup games were available with live audio/commentary/stats for Tuesdays games. I listened to Jozy Altidore score his first goal in England using Player.

NOTE*** Doesn't matter what club site you sign up at. Player will let you experience ALL clubs who use this service.

Altidore Opens His Account

Jozy Altidore has opened his goal scoring account with a cracking 30 yarder off a touched free kick in the Carling Cup against Southend. It's HT at the KC with Hull up 2-1 over Southend. A lot of reserves in the Hull side but sounds strong enough.

Football Depression

I'm suffering from depression because not only did RSL and Fulham lose, they lost badly. Neither team looked that interested in matching their opponents enthusiasm and that is just a bummer. I'd like to declare canings for all. It's just unacceptable. All I ask is some effort and energy. So booooo to both teams.