Professional Tailgating: Cup Final Day

For the first time, I attended a competitive Philadelphia Union match but it may have been the biggest in their history. The Union played the Sounders in the final of the US Open Cup. Here are some of sights.

 

It's a Cup Final

I have not been to a Philadelphia Union game but tomorrow that changes as I head to US Open Cup final vs. Seattle Sounders. Can't wait. 

The power of TV

There used to a time when I would have to watch the Premier League on an illegal box at my then girlfriend's, current wife, parents house. Fast forward 15 years and you can watch a variety of different leagues on your tv. This week that is what I did.

Friday:
French League: Stade Rennais vs. AS Saint Etienne

Saturday:
FA Cup: Wigan vs. Everton
Premier League: Aston Villas vs. Reading
League Championship: Crystal Palace vs. Leeds United
MLS: New England at Chicago
Spain: Barcelona vs. Deportivo La Coruna
Mexican League: Cruz Azul vs. Jaguares

Sunday
FA Cup: Millwall vs. Blackburn
FA Cup: Manchester United vs Chelsea
Premier League: Spurs vs. Liverpool

Now I'm not saying I watched all of these games in their entirety, but I did flip between all of them. It's amazing to know that soccer fans in this country have more options than people in Europe or even South American. Isn't cable great.

MLS deal shows NBC/Comcast is ready for primetime

I know a secondary Major League Soccer television package is not a big deal, but for NBC/Comcast it shows that they are ready to get involved in all sports.

On Tuesday Major League Soccer announced games will be televised by NBC's networks starting next season, doubling the number of homes that dozens of games will be available in.    The package currently on Fox Soccer Channel will move mainly to the NBC Sports Network, Versus' new name beginning Jan. 2. The cable channel will air 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two U.S. men's national team matches each year. NBC will broadcast two regular-season MLS games, two playoff games and two national team appearances under the three-year contract announced Wednesday.

In addition to the Major League Soccer deal, NBC/Comcast has been rumoured to get involved in the bidding for the Big East football rights package that is up after the year. I know its only the Big East, but it shows that these two giants are ready to really get involved in big time college football and challenge the ABC/ESPN group.

Anytime you create competition for something its a good thing and in tv its no different and these two moves show that NBC/Comcast is committed to being a player in sports television. 

Not the Greatest way to earn respect

While European teams look at the World Football Challenge as a way to get ready for upcoming season, Major League Soccer have looked at it as a way to show Europeans how far the league has come. This year the league has done nothing but embarrass itself. Through the first six games that have featured MLS teams vs. top European clubs, MLS teams have been outscored 16-6 and lost all five games.

Here the list of results

• Manchester United 4-1 New England Revs
• Real Madrid 4-1 LA Galaxy
• Manchester City 2-1 Vancouver
• Manchester United 3-1 Chicago
• Real Madrid 2-1 Philadelphia Union 
• Manchester City 1-1 LA Galaxy

After a couple of years of closing the gap, MLS has appeared to fallen behind again. Something needs to be done so this does not continue. 

Can not wait

Every year the OTWT Tailgating crew takes in a soccer game of a EEuropean giant that is touring the United States. One year it was Barca, another year it was Real Madrid. Last year it was Manchester United vs the Philly Union. Now this year its Barca vs. my beloved Manchester United in Washington DC in late July. Can not wait, it has the potential to be a rematch of the Champions League Final.

The Year that was for Only Time Will Tell

Its been a big year at the home offices of Only Time Will Tell from baseball games to football game to soccer matches, its been a year of tailgating and enjoying what the fabulous world of sports has to offer. During the past year the home office has grown with the birth of my wife and I's son, he will be starting as a contributor in the coming years. Here are some of my favorite sporting moments that I was able to experience live.

• Dr No Roy Halladay's no-hitter against the Reds in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. It was the first baseball playoff game that I had every been to and boy did it work out well
• Strasmas in Philly: As a Nats fan it might be the highlight of the baseball year, seeing Strasburg in person, little did I know that it would be the final time that he pitched all season and maybe next. 
• Glory, Glory, Glory Man. United: Manchester United visited Philadelphia to take on the Union this year and of course we where there. It was great to see Berba in person and if all goes well I got to see the Premier League Champions before the season even kicked off.
• Don't Tread on Me: There is nothing better then seeing your national soccer especially if its their last game before they head over to the World Cup. Singing the National Anthem that day is something that I will never forget.
• MLS Here We Come: First trip to the new Red Bull Arena, simply amazing. A world class facility. 
• Doctor is in the House:  First time seeing Roy Halladay pitch in person, as per most of the season, he was simply fantastic.
• Rutgers Spring Game: It was the first game for the Little Guy. It could be the day that he falls in love with football.
• The Legend of Chas Dodd Grows:  It was my first time at the New Meadowlands Stadium and boy was I not impressed.
• Eli Learns how to slide again: First time seeing a Eagles/Giants game in person and we learned again that Eli still has no idea how to slide. 

It's been a busy year both in sports and in our lives for the Only Time Will Tell Family, so from the home office Happy New Years to all.

MLS needs to hold on to this man

Over the course of the time, the MLS has produced a couple of players that have gone on to make an impact in different leagues around Europe. The two that come to mind the most are Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley. But over the next couple of years that list will probably include this years #1 pick in the MLS Super Draft, Philadelphia Union's Danny Mwanga.

On Wednesday, I headed to the Linc to see Manchester United take on the Union and the one thing that stood out to me was the performance of Mwanga. In approximately, 60 minutes of work, Mwanga put pressure on the United back four. At over six foot tall Mwanga, is a force both on the ground in the air.

Coming up over the next couple of years, the league will face a choice: sell him or make him a star in this league. So far this season in his 12 appearances, Mwange has scored five goals. Mwanga is going to continue to grow and when he does some team from the Dutch League or another similar league will make a bid for the talented 19 year old and the league is going to have to make a choice. I would try to hold on and with his dual citizenship he could be in Brazil wearing the stars and stripes.

Summer Series Quick Thoughts: Spurs vs. Red Bulls

Spurs took on the New York Red Bulls in the first game of the Barclays New York Challenge.

Here are my quick thoughts:
• Henry looks like he still has it and will be great in MLS. Nice way to start for him scoring against an old North London rival.
• With Croatia not making the World Cup that should give the Spurs Croatian group a nice rest and allow them to be fresh for the season.
• Nice to see Modric and Henry exchange shirts after the first half.
• The Red Bulls defense is not the best.
• Seen Spurs twice already during the preseason and something is lack. I know its preseason but this might be a concern.
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Professional Tailgating: Glory Glory United

So OTWT Tailgating Crew headed to Philly to see their favorite club team. Manchester United took on the Philadelphia Union. The game was one of the better friendlies I have seen in the last couple of years.

The Linc looked great

United newest signing Obama, it only cost them a couple of billion in stimulus funds.
United start their warm ups

Fred the Red has some fun before the match starts.


5 vs. 5 warm ups for United

They might not be bringing Rooney, but there are still storylines for United

Manchester United have announced their roster for their upcoming tour of the United States and Only Time will Tell will be there for their stop in Philly to play the Union. Despite their being no Rooney and Carrick, there are still some players out there, that I'm interesting in seeing

• Chris Smalling: The young defender was brought in from Fulham. Showed flashes of brilliance last season.
• Gabriel Obertan: People opinion of the french are all over the place, some think that he is trash, while other think that he has a future (I'm in that camp).
• Mame Biram Diouf: Played in five games last season for United and scored a goal to show the promise that he has.

Glory Glory

In late July, I will be headed to see my favorite club team, Manchester United, play the Philadelphia Union. I can not wait.

Red Bulls Mystery

The New York Red Bulls have started to tease the soccer world about their newest signing. Today in the New York Times, the MLS team printed a special section that showed off what the Red Bull company is doing and on the back of the magazine it had an ad for their newest player, which is expected to be TH14.

The add states "100 Rumors. 50 Names. 1 Star." The ad shows a player dressed in a Red Bulls kit with his face blurred out. Oh the suspense. Its a good marketing job by the club and an interesting ad.
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Making Red Bull Arena work

So Red Bull Arena has opened and its an amazing building, which I got the honor to see on Wednesday night, but their is a question that I keep asking my self. How are they going to make this work. When I say work I mean from a business point of view.

In this economy a building can not survive on one sport alone. I'm not saying turn it into an all purpose facility but I do think that the building needs to hold a couple of different type of events. So far events that are scheduled including the Churchill Cup (Rugby) on June 19 and the Big East Soccer Championships in mid-November.

This is a great start, while not the most sexiest events, these events will bring people in. Another way the building can be used more is to have state finals for soccer there. It would give the players a great feeling of what its like to play in an venue like that. The state already has a similar set up with both the old Giant Stadium and Rutgers Stadium hosting different state football finals. The hosting should not be limited to soccer, maybe even have the lacrosse and football finals there, only if the field is big enough.

How great would a Bergen Catholic vs. Don Bosco sectional football final be in that building. In the past 20,000 people have shown up at Giant Stadium for the game. Sure that is a good number but in a building like Giant Stadium the people get lost, in Red Bull Arena that would be awesome and the atmosphere would be amazing. The Home Depot Center, where the Galaxy play, has a similar set up with hosting the state high school football finals.

These are just a couple of suggestions to make Red Bull Arena a profitable place, hey it did cost them almost $200 million to build the thing.

Professional Tailgating: MLS here we come

For the first time in Only Time Will Tell history, the tailgating crew headed to an MLS game, well not really an MLS game more like a US Open Cup game. The crew headed to Harrison to check out the new Red Bull Arena and came away more then impressed. I think that its nicer then some stadiums in the Premier League.

It looks like someone dropped a spaceship in the middle of Harrison

Nothing says soccer pregaming like a bar that services Brazilian beer

and Portuguese beer

Love the color coded seats, very nice touchThe benches are nicer then most Premier League benches
Supporters celebrate a goal

Maybe I was wrong

A couple of years ago, a friend, who was new to the game of soccer, was going on about how Landon Donovan was the greatest thing since sliced bread. At the time I said that he would not be able to make it Championship and he would never be able to play in the top flight in England.

Well today I'm here to say maybe I was wrong. Donovan, who has spent the last couple of weeks at Everton on loan, has been a success story and maybe he can play at the highest club level in the world. Donovan went to Germany early in his career and did not have that great a time, some media type thought he put in one of the worst Champions League performances ever. After not finding success he decided to return home and be the best player in the MLS. After a loan spell in Germany last year, which he was ok in, he returned to MLS. At the end of last season Donovan decided to join Everton on a 10 week loan and so far it has been a success. He made his debut for the Toffees against Arsenal on January 9 in a 2–2 draw and set up Everton's first goal with a corner. Donovan went on to start his next game with the club on January 16 in a 2-0 win over Manchester City F.C. Landon contributed a full 90 plus minutes to the game until his substitution in the 91st minute. He exited the field to a standing ovation from the Everton fans at Goodison Park. Donovan scored his first Everton goal against Sunderland on January 27 in a 2–0 home win. He also played a full 90 minutes in Everton's back-to-back victories over Chelsea and Manchester United, at that time first and second in the table respectively.

A couple of year ago, I questioned Donovan's heart and commitment to being the best player that he could be because he was staying in MLS and not looking at heading at playing in Europe. Those questions have now been answered and now count me on the Landon Donovan band wagon. The biggest winner in Donovan's trip to the Premier League is US Soccer come the World Cup, the national team will be able to pull from Donovan's experiences in the toughest league in the world and be able to lead the teams. So I will say this again, I was wrong Landon and you have really changed my opinion of you.

The Final Notebook

Some seasons have already started and others are on the very. So here is OTWT thoughts on the final couple of friendlies.
• Love the salmon colored Barca jerseys they wore during the Seattle Sounders game.
• MLS Teams have looked terrible in these friendlies.
• I know they got a ton for Alonso but Liverpool saw their title dreams leave when the Spanish international left Anfield. I'm sorry Lucas and Aquilani are not the answer.
• Real Madrid are going to take some time gell during the game against DC United they looked a little disjointed.

The Tickets have arrived

Got home yesterday and look what was sitting in my mailbox, ya my tickets to see Real Madrid vs. DC United. Can not wait.

D.C. here we come

After the fun of the last couple of days, today I figured that I would try to get tickets to see Real Madrid and DC United in DC on Aug. 9. At first I figured there would be no way that I would get the tickets, but I was able to score a pair in Section 430. I know there not the best seats but it gives me, a United fan, a chance to see Ronnie and as I have stated here before I wish him all the best at Real except when it comes to playing United in the Champions League. Can not wait to go.

From One Thankless Job to Another

For the last two years, Pedro Gomez of ESPN had the worst job in the world: reporting Barry Bonds every move. Gomez reported everything Bonds did from going to visit the can to what he had for breakfast to what flavor of Power Aid he was drinking. As baseball season ended and it began to be clear that Bonds career may be coming to end, ESPN had to do something with Gomez.

While flipping around I found the DC United and Chicago Fire game on ESPN2 and a voice on the telecast sounded familiar, it was no other then Pedro Gomez. Gomez does sideline reporting for the network for the MLS.

In the past year, Gomez has really had a hard time, from dealing with Bonds to now dealing with the MLS. By the end of the year, Gomez will wish that he was still flowing Bonds around.