World Soccer XXX: We Have Men Too!

[Slap Shot]

I was looking at the lineups for Houston and Minnesota - doesn't MLS have a rule about % of American born players required on each roster? Houston was a little better in that department, but from what I could tell MN had at most 2 Americans in the staring lineup and maybe a handful on the bench.

While I understand America's best players are mostly in Europe that doesn't speak too well to depth from my armchair.

[edit] And in true MN sports fashion their undefeated (USL?) team lost in their league's final.

[Jimjamesak]

I was looking at the lineups for Houston and Minnesota - doesn't MLS have a rule about % of American born players required on each roster? Houston was a little better in that department, but from what I could tell MN had at most 2 Americans in the staring lineup and maybe a handful on the bench.

While I understand America's best players are mostly in Europe that doesn't speak too well to depth from my armchair.

[edit] And in true MN sports fashion their undefeated (USL?) team lost in their league's final.

Yes MLS teams are limited in the number of international roster slots (I believe it’s 8 per team). However, due to US law, a player with Permanent Residency (a Green Card) has to count as a domestic player. There are a lot of foreign players with Permanent Residency status that don’t count in the international slots.

Some teams have more foreign players than others (Minnesota is definitely one), but a lot of American players these days are either full National Team players (like Morris, Roldan, Zimmerman, and Acosta) or young players (U20 guys), not very many older college grads filling the bench like 20 years ago.

[Jimjamesak]

I will never understand the appeal of attending these overpriced friendlies between European teams.

And I don’t mean just here in the US either, it’s arguably worse in Japan and Australia. Especially Australia.

[Kepler]

I will never understand the appeal of attending these overpriced friendlies between European teams.

And I don’t mean just here in the US either, it’s arguably worse in Japan and Australia. Especially Australia.

People go to NFL Preseason Games. My guess is it's for the parties.

[unofan]

People go to NFL Preseason Games. My guess is it's for the parties.

At least with the preseason games, they're basically required purchases for season ticket holders, so you either 1) had to buy them to get your regular season tickets, or 2) were given them for free by someone else who had to buy them and you might as well go cause free ticket.

I honestly don't know anyone who buys a single game ticket to an NFL preseason game.

[Slap Shot]

At least with the preseason games, they're basically required purchases for season ticket holders, so you either 1) had to buy them to get your regular season tickets, or 2) were given them for free by someone else who had to buy them and you might as well go cause free ticket.

I honestly don't know anyone who buys a single game ticket to an NFL preseason game.

Are they measurably cheaper? It might be a chance for a dad to take their kid to an NFL stadium to get the experience (albeit watered down greatly) without the full cost of a regular season game.

[Jimjamesak]

People go to NFL Preseason Games. My guess is it's for the parties.

You would be shocked at how many people buy into the “come see the best in the world battle it out” marketing.

It’s interesting that promoters have resorted to gimmicks like playing at Lambeau Field in order to sell tickets.

Like I said though, it’s far worse in countries like Australia.

[Kepler]

I can see wanting to go see Real play Barca in East Bum****, Oklahoma if that's the only chance you will ever, ever, ever have of seeing those teams live, even if you know 83 minutes will be the youth squad's second team's girlfriends. It's a chance to see the laundry.

[Spartanforlife4]

You would be shocked at how many people buy into the “come see the best in the world battle it out” marketing.

It’s interesting that promoters have resorted to gimmicks like playing at Lambeau Field in order to sell tickets.

Like I said though, it’s far worse in countries like Australia.

How many times are people going to be able to see El Cl?sico in person, even if it’s just a preseason friendly? Are the tickets outrageous? Yes. Am I going to be paying that price? Probably not anytime soon. But if someone else wants to I can’t really fault them.

It’s not exactly the same since the US leagues have started to move regular season games abroad, not just preseason, but if Warriors-Lakers were playing in Barcelona I wouldn’t be shocked to see people for paying some extra Euros to see it.

[Russell Jaslow]

At least with the preseason games, they're basically required purchases for season ticket holders, so you either 1) had to buy them to get your regular season tickets, or 2) were given them for free by someone else who had to buy them and you might as well go cause free ticket.

I honestly don't know anyone who buys a single game ticket to an NFL preseason game.

1) One time I had a business trip to NJ. I could literally see MetLife Stadium from the hotel I was in. During that trip, the Jets were playing a weeknight preseason game. I could get tickets off of StubHub for $5. At the time I had not been to the new stadium, so I figured what the heck. As it turned out, I couldn't get out of work in time. I would have gone otherwise. I can think of worse entertainment for five bucks.

2) When the Jets held their training camp at SUNY Cortland, it was always free. With one exception. For the intra-squad scrimmage, though the game was free, the school charged $5 for parking, as a fund raiser for the athletic department. One time I went (it actually was quite enjoyable). Again, I can think of worse entertainment for five bucks.

Otherwise, yeah. I wouldn't spend much more than $5 for a preseason game. They are totally useless from a fan perspective.

[JF_Gophers]

1) One time I had a business trip to NJ. I could literally see MetLife Stadium from the hotel I was in. During that trip, the Jets were playing a weeknight preseason game. I could get tickets off of StubHub for $5. At the time I had not been to the new stadium, so I figured what the heck. As it turned out, I couldn't get out of work in time. I would have gone otherwise. I can think of worse entertainment for five bucks.

2) When the Jets held their training camp at SUNY Cortland, it was always free. With one exception. For the intra-squad scrimmage, though the game was free, the school charged $5 for parking, as a fund raiser for the athletic department. One time I went (it actually was quite enjoyable). Again, I can think of worse entertainment for five bucks.

Otherwise, yeah. I wouldn't spend much more than $5 for a preseason game. They are totally useless from a fan perspective.

It's the Jets. There is no worse entertainment at any value.

[unofan]

1) One time I had a business trip to NJ. I could literally see MetLife Stadium from the hotel I was in. During that trip, the Jets were playing a weeknight preseason game. I could get tickets off of StubHub for $5. At the time I had not been to the new stadium, so I figured what the heck. As it turned out, I couldn't get out of work in time. I would have gone otherwise. I can think of worse entertainment for five bucks.

2) When the Jets held their training camp at SUNY Cortland, it was always free. With one exception. For the intra-squad scrimmage, though the game was free, the school charged $5 for parking, as a fund raiser for the athletic department. One time I went (it actually was quite enjoyable). Again, I can think of worse entertainment for five bucks.

Otherwise, yeah. I wouldn't spend much more than $5 for a preseason game. They are totally useless from a fan perspective.

$5 is essentially free compared to the $100+ the season ticket holder selling it on Stubhub paid for it. When you're talking a 95% discount, that's garage sale pricing.

Just doing a spot check for the Broncos, face value for a preseason game in the lower bowl is $100 plus fees. same ticket for a regular season game is $350 plus fees.

[Jimjamesak]

How many times are people going to be able to see El Cl?sico in person, even if it’s just a preseason friendly? Are the tickets outrageous? Yes. Am I going to be paying that price? Probably not anytime soon. But if someone else wants to I can’t really fault them.

It’s not exactly the same since the US leagues have started to move regular season games abroad, not just preseason, but if Warriors-Lakers were playing in Barcelona I wouldn’t be shocked to see people for paying some extra Euros to see it.

Honestly, at the prices they charge you’re better off just flying to Barcelona or Madrid and watching an actual El Classico.

The games that the NFL, NBA, or NHL play abroad aren’t any different from these soccer games. They’re all marketing, a chance to schmooze local TV/Media execs in the VIP areas to drive up prices on foreign TV rights while taking a chunk off the local domestic leagues. Why do you think these friendlies are all in the same countries like the US, Australia, Japan, China, and the Middle East? All places with growing domestic leagues and financial backing to be a threat to European hegemony of the club game.

[Kepler]

Honestly, at the prices they charge you’re better off just flying to Barcelona or Madrid and watching an actual El Classico.

Is that actually possible?

My assumption has always been to do that you would have to kill not just the people to get the seats but also two rows ahead or and behind you because everybody's somebody's cousin and they'd know what you did.

[Jimjamesak]

Ian Darke will be working the World Cup in the US again as ESPN has agreed with Fox to loan him out. Unfortunately:

a) John Strong will still call the USMNT games

b) Alexi Lalas will still be working for Fox.