World Soccer XXX: We Have Men Too!

[Jimjamesak]

Their game prediction model is awful as well. Just look at this last week:

Colorado (25%) over LA Galaxy
Vancouver (13%) over RSL
Houston v Minnesota draw (24%)
DC v Toronto draw (25%)
Miami (29%) over Atlanta
Cincinnati (14%) over NYRB
Dallas (26%) over SKC
NYCFC v New England draw (26%)
Portland (32%!) over San Jose (Again Portland won 6-1!)

Apparently, one of the factors in their model is possession. I guess FiveThirtyEight never heard the phrase “possession without penetration is just masterbation.”

[JF_Gophers]

Their game prediction model is awful as well. Just look at this last week:

Colorado (25%) over LA Galaxy
Vancouver (13%) over RSL
Houston v Minnesota draw (24%)
DC v Toronto draw (25%)
Miami (29%) over Atlanta
Cincinnati (14%) over NYRB
Dallas (26%) over SKC
NYCFC v New England draw (26%)
Portland (32%!) over San Jose (Again Portland won 6-1!)

Apparently, one of the factors in their model is possession. I guess FiveThirtyEight never heard the phrase “possession without penetration is just masterbation.”

TBF, anything above 0% means the team could win. So the underdogs just had a great day!

[Kepler]

FiveThirtyEight sucks at predicting MLS.

Yes, that is 9th place in the West and currently out of a playoff spot LAFC with the highest odds to win to MLS Cup.

Columbus leads the Shield standings and has a +16 GD and only 4 GA, less chance to win.

Meanwhile, Seattle leads the West with a game in hand and also a +16 GA and has less chance of statistically making the playoffs.

FiveThirtyEight’s model is great for Top 5 Euro leagues, absolutely sucks everywhere else.

Is there a good alternate model out there for the "everywhere else"? Is this just early days and 538 may be sucking but nobody else is doing any better?

[Jimjamesak]

Is there a good alternate model out there for the "everywhere else"? Is this just early days and 538 may be sucking but nobody else is doing any better?

I don’t know if there is anyone else doing models for MLS. Even FiveThirtyEight isn’t really doing it, they’re using a model they developed for the Euro leagues and just apply it elsewhere.

[Jimjamesak]

TBF, anything above 0% means the team could win. So the underdogs just had a great day!

I looked back further and it doesn’t get much better. Plenty of >30% winners this season.

[Jimjamesak]

USMNT to forgo playing friendlies in October window.

Spitballing I’d say a) not very many other teams wanted to play the US, b) the Euro clubs of players said “there’s no f-ing way any of our players are going to the US right now” (making the possibility of putting together a competitive roster a neigh impossibility), and c) European countries said “yeah you guys are not traveling into our country without a two week quarantine”.

[Jimjamesak]

On another note: The rest of the MLS Schedule was announced.

The Canadian teams are playing in the US at different venues, Toronto in Hartford, Montreal at Red Bull Arena, and Vancouver in Portland.

Meaning we get Seattle v Vancouver in Portland. Cascadia inception!

[Spartanforlife4]

Pretty big happenings in the USL last night.

Last week a player on San Diego was called a racial slur. This week SD was playing Phoenix and planned a stoppage in the 2nd half for a moment of unity in regards to that event.

Last night, near the end of the first half, a San Diego player was red carded in retaliation against a Phoenix player and sent off. He told the 4th official he was called a homophobic slur.

Officials talked about it, and decided to rescind the red card, apparently going with the notion that because they didn’t understand what was said (slur was in a foreign language) whatever retaliation occurred was justified. Then this happens:

https://twitter.com/sportscenter/sta...727670792?s=21

Phoenix coach Rick Schantz says it’s not a big deal because it wasn’t racism and it’s just them “competing.”

San Diego, who was actually winning 3-1, comes out for the second half and says they won’t play unless the Phoenix player is removed. Phoenix refuses to sub him out, so San Diego forfeits.

https://twitter.com/sandiegoloyal/st...711184385?s=21

[Jimjamesak]

The San Diego coach is Landon Donovan (who was ejected for entering the field) and the player for San Diego is Collin Martin, who is openly gay. Martin was supposedly called a “batty boy” by a Jamaican player on Phoenix.

Not out of character for LD to defend like this, he was very supportive of Robbie Rogers at the Galaxy as well.

[RaceBoarder]

This is something that I feel doesn't need to be dealt with on the field, but instead documented and passed up the food chain in the league. And then have the league bring down the administrative hammer.

What protocols do the Laws have in regards to abusive language like this on the field?

I know in American Football, the use of the word "N*igger" comes up as to whether it should be something directly penalized every so often at both the HS and NCAA levels. The NCAA is also figuring out how to remove the word "F*" from being used on the B-ball court by administering T's for its use.

It becomes an officiating quagmire when you are asked to interpret meaning of words like this. I truly don't believe this is something on-field officials should be touching beyond simple, factual documentation....

Edit: The OP above was looking at this simply from a technical side given JJ's and my officating backgrounds. 100% in support of Landon's and SD's choice to walk away here for their reasons.

[Kepler]

On another note: The rest of the MLS Schedule was announced.

The Canadian teams are playing in the US at different venues, Toronto in Hartford, Montreal at Red Bull Arena, and Vancouver in Portland.

Meaning we get Seattle v Vancouver in Portland. Cascadia inception!

LOL. Winner gets a spa treatment in Bend and a day on the slopes at Whistler.

[Kepler]

The San Diego coach is Landon Donovan (who was ejected for entering the field) and the player for San Diego is Collin Martin, who is openly gay. Martin was supposedly called a “batty boy” by a Jamaican player on Phoenix.

Not out of character for LD to defend like this, he was very supportive of Robbie Rogers at the Galaxy as well.

Why do we seem to produce such as-shole divas? Donovan. Wynalda. Arena.

AFAIK Dempsey is the rare one you wouldn't punch in the face just on principle, and I could be wrong on him.

[Jimjamesak]

This is something that I feel doesn't need to be dealt with on the field, but instead documented and passed up the food chain in the league. And then have the league bring down the administrative hammer.

What protocols do the Laws have in regards to abusive language like this on the field?

I know in American Football, the use of the word "N*igger" comes up as to whether it should be something directly penalized every so often at both the HS and NCAA levels. The NCAA is also figuring out how to remove the word "F*" from being used on the B-ball court by administering T's for its use.

It becomes an officiating quagmire when you are asked to interpret meaning of words like this. I truly don't believe this is something on-field officials should be touching beyond simple, factual documentation....

The ever dangerous words “in the opinion of the referee” applies here.

The LOTG simply state a player is sent off for “using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures”. What is OFFINABUS is a very subjective thing and ever changing. To say “any homophobic slur must treated as OFFINABUS” isn’t unreasonable.

I think the officiating crew handled things fairly well here. The referee saw the retaliation, sent off the player, but listened to the players about the circumstances and rescinded the card. Now, if the referee had actually heard what was said and understood it’s context I’m certain the Phoenix player would’ve been sent off. The problem lies in if nobody on the referee crew heard what was said then nothing can be done beyond noting these facts in a post game report (which would need to done anyway considering a send off was rescinded). I also think they handled the post situation well, San Diego is well within their rights as far as I’m concerned to demand the player be removed by the team, and Phoenix has the right not to. They seemed to work as well as they could to mediate a solution so the game could be finished but Phoenix didn’t want to help. It was a s- situation to be placed in as a referee and they came out of it not being the story when they easily could have.

[Kepler]

It was a s- situation to be placed in as a referee and they came out of it not being the story when they easily could have.

Agreed. My first thought in all this was actually "poor f-cking ref."

I'd prefer the onus to be on the League to review these incidents afterwards. Give the ref latitude to red flag some punk as-swipe who is doing this to get guys off their game: that's clearly unsportsmanlike and could lead to reprisal on the pitch. But have the League review have teeth and fine the player and his club* as well as suspending him.

* Even though with The Model that's stupid because the cartel is just fining itself.

[JF_Gophers]

Why would Phoenix help SD to finish a game they were losing badly? Phoenix did what they had to do from the team standpoint.