MLS All-Stars v Manchester United - Pre-Season Tour

stadiums like the big house, horseshoe, beaver stadium can fit massive numbers because tons of sections of the stadium are bleacher/bench type seating and not dedicated seats. This allows you to pack in people in a smaller amount of space. It is therefore difficult to compare them to professional stadiums that have dedicated seats all around.
 
VoetbalWizard said:
stadiums like the big house, horseshoe, beaver stadium can fit massive numbers because tons of sections of the stadium are bleacher/bench type seating and not dedicated seats. This allows you to pack in people in a smaller amount of space. It is therefore difficult to compare them to professional stadiums that have dedicated seats all around.
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True. FedEx field is probably our largest all seater stadium (with no bleachers) at over 91,000 seats. No wonder they are always in the top 5 of most valuable sports teams.
 
SOB .... just seen that some United players visited Texas Children's Hospital ... have friends that work there and wish they'd have told me, I would have pimped my 7 week old to go get some autographs

Republik Of Mancunia has a pic of VDS, Brown, Hernandez with a a lady holding a baby there.
 
I can't wait til we start playing in normal timezones again.
 
Shimo said:
They are playing the MLS All-Stars in Houston. The All-Star game is sponsored by AT&T.

The MLS team will be All-Stars - means best players or close to best players in the league but, that doesn't mean they'll play well together. Like SAF said, we'll not have ever seen this team play - they don't play together normally obviously, we don't know how they'll line up, it will take some time to get to grips with the team on the field and how they are working.

For the All-Star team - well they are playing against United. Who knows if they'll gel and if one or two players might try overdo it on their own trying to impress instead of playing a team game.

It should be an interesting game and I for one can't wait - my first United game live.
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Dude, I'm joking. And I'm an American so I know plenty about the MLS and league all-star games, which have become pointless and draw dull ratings.
 
MrMarcello said:
Dude, I'm joking. And I'm an American so I know plenty about the MLS and league all-star games, which have become pointless and draw dull ratings.
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Seriously. Is there a single all-star game in North American sports that is actually worth watching? Pro-bowl is always ridiculous (although scheduling it before the Super Bowl actually might help). NBA is just a showoff fest (although the weekend festivities are alright). I haven't watched the MLB one in years. I suppose NHL's isn't completely pointless but I haven't watched in a long time either.

MLS might actually have the most significant all star game because they can actually use it as a gauge for the league.
 
Excal said:
They can use it as a gauge by playing against an English club's reserves that aren't anywhere near midseason fitness?
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Well usually they're not against reserves. Just this time around since it's a World Cup year. I think they last few years they've gone up against near full-strength Everton and Chelsea sides haven't they?

All I'm saying is that it's not completely pointless. Then again MLB's isn't either.
 
My summary of American all-star games.

NFL - Absolutely pointless. A free trip to Hawaii (in the past and soon again) hence why players even go. Was previously played after the culmination of the season. Akin to watching porn after having jacked off in the shower - pointless. Moving it before the Super Bowl is a good choice although any selected participants that will be in the Super Bowl can't attend the game, which usually will be a dozen up to two dozen of the best players in the league not there. And the ratings are very poor.

NBA - Used to be the best one in the 90s but now it's ho hum. Too many festivities leading up to it as well. But no one cares about all the hoopla now days. Gone are the must see slam dunk comps and three point shootouts. Now there's a rookie vs sophomore game, aka "my ego is bigger than your ego, look at my dunk and strut young player extravaganza." And the game itself is just a showcase of "me" players today. Bring back the Jordan, Bird, Isaiah vs Magic, Clyde and Hakeem days. When it was a team game.

NHL - No one watches the league so what's the point? And there's no checking and fighting which is what brings casual fans to the sport.

MLB - When an all-star festivity is more exciting and draws higher ratings than the actual game, it's become pointless. The homerun derby is the highlight now. And awarding the league winner home field for the World Series shows just how pointless the game had become to the public. So much, they had to tweak it in the hopes of making ratings climb up, not fall down. Hasn't worked. And there was a tie in it in the last decade in a sport where ties never occur. Huh?

MLS - They're just copying from the other leagues. Playing against established European clubs guarantees ratings will be higher than ESPN7's "Top Fishing Catches of the Week." Seriously, only family and friends watched the East v West versions in a league that already has less air time than Golden Girls reruns.
 
MrMarcello said:
My summary of American all-star games.

NFL - Absolutely pointless. A free trip to Hawaii (in the past and soon again) hence why players even go. Was previously played after the culmination of the season. Akin to watching porn after having jacked off in the shower - pointless. Moving it before the Super Bowl is a good choice although any selected participants that will be in the Super Bowl can't attend the game, which usually will be a dozen up to two dozen of the best players in the league not there. And the ratings are very poor.

NBA - Used to be the best one in the 90s but now it's ho hum. Too many festivities leading up to it as well. But no one cares about all the hoopla now days. Gone are the must see slam dunk comps and three point shootouts. Now there's a rookie vs sophomore game, aka "my ego is bigger than your ego, look at my dunk and strut young player extravaganza." And the game itself is just a showcase of "me" players today. Bring back the Jordan, Bird, Isaiah vs Magic, Clyde and Hakeem days. When it was a team game.

NHL - No one watches the league so what's the point? And there's no checking and fighting which is what brings casual fans to the sport.

MLB - When an all-star festivity is more exciting and draws higher ratings than the actual game, it's become pointless. The homerun derby is the highlight now. And awarding the league winner home field for the World Series shows just how pointless the game had become to the public. So much, they had to tweak it in the hopes of making ratings climb up, not fall down. Hasn't worked. And there was a tie in it in the last decade in a sport where ties never occur. Huh?

MLS - They're just copying from the other leagues. Playing against established European clubs guarantees ratings will be higher than ESPN7's "Top Fishing Catches of the Week." Seriously, only family and friends watched the East v West versions in a league that already has less air time than Golden Girls reruns.
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Pretty much agree with everything except hockey. "No one watches the league so what's the point?" Surprising coming from a soccer fan living in America. I respect all sports, just because a lot of people watch it doesn't mean it's better or worse than any other sports.
 
I'm taking the piss. I like hockey, well I used too. I had semi-season tickets in Dallas (every other game). But the hockey ratings were so bad that no American cable company picked up the league after the strike. Games only appear locally or on OHN/VS, a Canadian channel available on satellite. NBC carries some weekend games and a few playoffs.
 
MrMarcello said:
I'm taking the piss. I like hockey, well I used too. I had semi-season tickets in Dallas (every other game). But the hockey ratings were so bad that no American cable company picked up the league after the strike. Games only appear locally or on OHN/VS, a Canadian channel available on satellite. NBC carries some weekend games and a few playoffs.
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We have Caps season tickets (split it with another couple). It's amazing how much this game has changed in just 15 years. Uncle Gary is destroying the sport.
 
Woot - a friend just called and said there is some sort of pre-party he got tickets to - not sure it any United players are going to be there but, I am going.
 
MarylandMUFan said:
College athletics is where you get the quality atmosphere's that resemble and sometimes surpass European football crowds.


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I grew up in Happy Valley and used to drive past Beaver Stadium every day. I never stopped getting chills every time I saw it.

College sports is what foreigners understand least about American sports culture. They only see the pro teams, and then they conclude that Americans lack passion, culture or tradition. Remember the college teams aren't franchises, and most of the players will never earn a professional wage.

But the problem with American football is that so few games are played, whereas supporting Manchester United means matches virtually year round with the World Cup or the Euros filling the spaces in between seasons.

I used to follow my hometown Penn State Nittany Lions year round, but the offseason is so long that recruiting muppetry makes the muppetry of the Premiership transfer season look slight in comparison.
 
Ferguson said:
I grew up in Happy Valley and used to drive past Beaver Stadium every day. I never stopped getting chills every time I saw it.

College sports is what foreigners understand least about American sports culture. They only see the pro teams, and then they conclude that Americans lack passion, culture or tradition. Remember the college teams aren't franchises, and most of the players will never earn a professional wage.

But the problem with American football is that so few games are played, whereas supporting Manchester United means matches virtually year round with the World Cup or the Euros filling the spaces in between seasons.

I used to follow my hometown Penn State Nittany Lions year round, but the offseason is so long that recruiting muppetry makes the muppetry of the Premiership transfer season look slight in comparison.
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i attendend penn state in u.park and i only went to one football game which i left at half time because it bored me.

besides the "we are...penn state"...there really isn't the variety or creativy of chants ("feck nebraska, feck osu", michigan sucks, don't count,etc), the buzz of say a european away.

and recruiting muppetry for psu is nowhere near the media coverage by national outlets that utd/football muppetry is.

maybe recruiting muppetry for an SEC school, but the wall to wall international/national outlets that discuss transfers is bigger IMO.

that said, i am biased because i think college sports in general is shit and overrated and dirty as feck. It makes bungs, brown envelopes, etc in european football look like a lilly-white game.
 
Shimo said:
Woot - a friend just called and said there is some sort of pre-party he got tickets to - not sure it any United players are going to be there but, I am going.
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Well poo. No players but it was at the hotel they were staying at. Might have missed them as thing started at 8 and didn't get there till 10. Was free drinks and food and some nice eye candy though. They had the official ball around all over the bars which turns out to be the Jabulani.

Oh well. Gibbo is lucky, would have slapped him upside the head and told him to start kicking some ass on the pitch.

Maybe tomorrow, not sitting too far from the bench.
 
God I hope Evans karate kicks Donovan like he did with Drogba, but harder. Annoys the hell out of me that bloke does.

Could be interesting to see how we fair up against the MLS All-stars, they're going to be aching for a win. Hope we will be too after the last result.
 
It'll be a good game. MLS has risen itself in quality and although not all the best players will be there, it'll surely be a nice and open game. We (United) don't want to lose again and MLS has never lost during the 90 minutes.

Just so long as no one gets hurt, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the two hours with an open mind.
 
Red Dreams said:
the fact all the United matches seem to be selling out, proves United are pretty darn big here and 'football' has really picked up in teh US....at least I hope so.
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Supposedly 7 million fans in the States -- which I suspect is probably half of whats in the UK?
 
I'm kind of expecting another defeat. We're blooding players (who are not taking their chance so far) and the senior players are keeping their powder dry.

It actually won't look as bad as losing the Kansas game looked though. When people in Europe hear that United were playing an All-Star team then they'll just assume the game was some kind of charity stunt, possibly with celebrity cameos.
 
The All-Stars will win this IMO. Something like 4-1 or 4-2. The attack is going to decimate the young and inexperienced United back line. Fletcher and O'Shea would have been vital for this match. Hopefully, United's lineup performs much better than it did versus Kansas City.
 
VoetbalWizard said:
i attendend penn state in u.park and i only went to one football game which i left at half time because it bored me.

besides the "we are...penn state"...there really isn't the variety or creativy of chants ("feck nebraska, feck osu", michigan sucks, don't count,etc), the buzz of say a european away.

and recruiting muppetry for psu is nowhere near the media coverage by national outlets that utd/football muppetry is.

maybe recruiting muppetry for an SEC school, but the wall to wall international/national outlets that discuss transfers is bigger IMO.

that said, i am biased because i think college sports in general is shit and overrated and dirty as feck. It makes bungs, brown envelopes, etc in european football look like a lilly-white game.
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You are right in saying that the chants/singing are nothing compared to European soccer. You are right in saying that recruiting is nowhere near as big as transfer gossip. I was just saying that if you are one of the few who obsesses about Penn State football year round as I was that it is endless because the offseason is so long. Transfer muppetry goes on for a few summer months and a month in the winter and that's it.

I can't agree with your characterization of college sports though, and the fact that you left at halftime probably says more about your understanding of the game and cultural connection to the sport than anything else.

Well, I've got to hit the road if I'm going to make it down to Houston in good time.

To all who are going: See you at the match!
 
MrMarcello said:
The All-Stars will win this IMO. Something like 4-1 or 4-2. The attack is going to decimate the young and inexperienced United back line. Fletcher and O'Shea would have been vital for this match. Hopefully, United's lineup performs much better than it did versus Kansas City.
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All-stars are 7/2 on Paddy Power! Sounds generous.
 
I think you're all over-rating the All-Star team. All-Star teams tend to be a bit crap because they're thrown together over a very short period of time and don't get any chance to work out each other's games. Plus they're American and we all know Americans aren't good at football.

Nine times out of ten I'd back the club side over the all-star side. The only thing stopping me from predicting a comfortable United victory is the fact that our back four also looked as though they'd never played a game together in the last tour game (probably because they hadn't!)

Might be a bit different if this team has loads of "team USA" internationals in it, just back from the world cup? If so, they'll be a tougher nut to crack but I'd still fancy a United to hump the American international team more often than not.
 
I know I'm being anal, but olesmyhero did it too, could you put a space between United and the hyphon in the thread title? I really have OCD when it comes to things like this.

.....United - Pre-Season Tour

looks much better than

......United- Pre-Season Tour

Thank you.
 
esmufc10 said:
I know I'm being anal, but olesmyhero did it too, could you put a space between United and the hyphon in the thread title? I really have OCD when it comes to things like this.

.....United - Pre-Season Tour

looks much better than

......United- Pre-Season Tour

Thank you.
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Done.

So my very first bit of modding turns out to be acting as an enabler for Elvis' OCD. Go me.
 
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