The all star game happens this week so what better time to review where teams compare in the Total Soccer Index. After every team had played 17 games; (halfway through the season). Top team with 17 games in, points wise, was not Atlanta it was FC Dallas; Red Bulls of New York showed most consistency... Continue Reading →
What’s Different About #Portland @Timbersfc this Year?
Caleb Porter left Portland Timbers at the end of 2017. There were many rumors as to why that happened; I put (some) of my thoughts in writing here: Porter Pulls out of Portland I didn't include everything and still won't; what happens behind closed-doors should stay behind closed doors. But here's what I offered almost... Continue Reading →
Gluck: Porter Pulls out of Portland
Serving as a head coach in Major League Soccer is not easy - the rotating door of coaches leaving seems non-stop. So the departure of Caleb Porter doesn't surprise me. I sense there may have been multiple reasons but I'll set the stage for one - main reason - a reason you won't see published... Continue Reading →
Gluck: Who should Head Coach the #USMNT in @USSoccer?
I'm sure there's many ways to determine what Head Coach might best lead the US Men's National Team out of darkness... I've narrowed my scope of who might fit best by limiting the selection pool to those who currently lead a team in Major League Soccer. This obviously includes a broad band of candidates -... Continue Reading →
Ride on! Timbers play for the MLS Championship Cup
In all walks of life there are few things that transcend the passion that both players and their supporters feel about football! If you happen to be a Portland Timbers supporter you know what I mean... if not suggest you start. So how bout those Timbers? In this game, and for the better part of the... Continue Reading →
MLS – Week 29 – Gregg Berhalter – Manager of the Year? I think so…
Most should know, by now, that the top teams in MLS are queueing up for the final playoff push while others sit in dispair and wonder what's gone wrong... I'll dig into that, in detail, in a few weeks - for now let's take a look at those teams on the cusp (a whole bunch I... Continue Reading →
Major League Soccer – Week 28 – A Union divided? Not now…
Twenty eight games in - the screws are tightening and the pucker factor hit the Vancouver Whitecaps big time; see here: Valeri's vicious volley from Villafana vanquishes Vancouver. For me though, the real story is how the tables have turned in Philadelphia - I'll get to that in just a wee bit - for now here's... Continue Reading →
Colorado Rapids Ripped, Sundered, and Shredded – MLS Soccer through Week 26
It's been awhile, I suppose, since a score-line of 6-nil has popped up in Major League Soccer and given the rarity, at least this year, I figured it'd be a worthy way to peel back how things are going in my traditional review of Major League Soccer each week. As for the last time a score-line... Continue Reading →
Consistency of Purpose – MLS Through Week 26
Before digging into a different view on Major League Soccer team performance, this week, I'll offer up my Possession with Purpose Index for consideration. A few changes after this week see Columbus jumping past Sporting (rightly so given the Crew won and Sporting didn't). In addition, Portland was passed by FC Dallas while a few other... Continue Reading →
Major League Soccer – Week 25 – Portland finally show up…
While most were probably focused on some other battles this past weekend - and rightly so in some cases - the Timbers might just have shaken the Western Conference a wee bit to reinforce, that when they get their defense right, they will be a team to reckon with. Before diving in though; here's a link... Continue Reading →