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dcwhite8asu · 7 years

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Nevertheless, She Persisted - a new deal is in place!

Just a week after the U.S. Hockey team ended their boycott (see https://dcwhite8asu.tumblr.com/post/167044763363/us-womens-team-strikes-a-deal-with-usa), the USSF announced the ratification of a new five year contract for the USWNT. The negotiation over this contract had been an ongoing debate for the last year, since the USWNT filed a federal complaint with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) last March. Even though equality between the two teams -- the USMNT and USWNT -- has not been reached, the USSF has made great strides towards the overarching goal. The important details of this new contract reported by Lindsay Gibbs at ThinkProgress are as follows: “A “sizable increase” in base pay for the USWNT players and bigger bonuses, which could lead to some players doubling their incomes and earning $200,000 to $300,000 per year — and even more during World Cup years, improved travel accommodations and working conditions — a category that likely includes field quality, union control over some of the USWNT licensing and marketing rights, greater support the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), with a continued commitment to pay NWSL salaries for allocated USWNT players, additional field and stadium oversight, and greater bonuses for players who don’t have a USWNT contract, per diems that are equal to the ones the men’s national team receives, more support for pregnant players who are pregnant or adopting a child.”

It was an ugly battle, with threats of strikes and game suspensions, but the USWNT approached the issue by adopting their campaign, “Equal Play, Equal Pay.”

This campaign says exactly what it stands for - these women are out there, putting just as much heart and soul into the game they love as the men are, but the pay is not equal. The only acceptable thing to do in this situation where the women are outshining the men on the field is to address the concerns of the players and find an equal agreement. As the USWNT was celebrating their third World Cup win in 2015, the disgruntled employees decided to file a complaint with the EEOC to change the pace of the negotiations and put some pressure on the USSF. This complaint states that the United States Soccer Federation was violating the Equal Pay Act and Title VII -- in short, the USWNT were being denied equal pay because of their genders. In the world of professional sports, this is something completely new and unheard of because never before were there a situation where the same employer (FIFA) hired men and women to play the same sport under the same work conditions. As a comparison, the NBA and WNBA are two separate organizations therefore have room to work out issues in discrepancies without the glaring differences, versus the USWNT and the USMNT having the same employers, same jobs, same everythings. The USSF responded to the complaint by saying, “any differences in the compensation paid men and women players are driven by factors other than gender.”

Try as they might, the USSF has no more excuses, as we (the USWNT and supporters) have had a small step in the right direction that made leaps and bounds but still allows more room for growth. Though their battle with the CBA (see https://dcwhite8asu.tumblr.com/post/166973066998/what-exactly-is-this-pay-difference-that-everyone) is over, the team has decided not to withdraw their EEOC complaint, as it is in the late stages of investigation according to Gibbs. To end this post, here is the joint statement released by the USWNT and USSF, stating that, “We are proud of the hard work and commitment to thoughtful dialogue reflected through this process, and look forward to strengthening our partnership moving forward.” Let’s go girls.

- Gibbs, L. (2017, April 5). They persisted: U.S. women's soccer secures new deal after lengthy 'Equal Play, Equal Pay' campaign. Retrieved November 1, 2017, from https://thinkprogress.org/womens-soccer-secures-new-deal-ffe06dc4b9e1/

#USWNT Shebelieves passtheball #equal play equal pay

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unclejimmie-blog1 · 7 years

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5 Ways to Make Soccer (Football) Better

So long as we’re ranting about the crappy state of USMNT, how about we fix a few things to improve the Int’l game overall. This is not US-centric, they are solutions based on how other sports solve some of Footballs bigger issues and trends.

1) ADD TMO. In Rugby they have a Television Match Official (TMO) that is available during game for the head Referee. Like soccer, Rugby has only 3 field officials to see everything on the pitch. For Rugby that means 30 players, football 22. Rugby uses it to assist the 3 field field officials and with great results. As an example, when a player looks like they scored a Try. If the Referee isn’t quite sure he asks the TMO to take a look. In some cases the video is actually played on the Venues big screen so the whole crowd can see. MLS is trying out VAR (Video Assistant Referee) this season but they are only using it in 'high leverage situations’ or straight red cards, goals, penalty kicks...it is a start, but we need to stop the next issue...

2) FIX THE FLOP. In today’s game players are taking advantage of the ‘over protective’ nature given forwards. I’m not asking for us to go back to the ‘hack’ days of old, but here is one way to stop the flop (and this goes for you NBA, as well). A tackle occurs and the referee blows the whistle, the player tackled is rolling around on the pitch as though he was shot by a sniper. The TMO reviews the play (or the Ref can call for a review) and finds that the fouled player was not fouled, he was faking. TMO tells Ref that no foul occurred and the faking player has committed an unsportsman penalty. The Ref shows the Flop Player a yellow card and the free kick is given the other way for the unsportsmanlike foul. You think players will stop faking being shot? You’re damn right, especially if we change the yellow card infraction to...

3) YELLOW CARD = 10 MINS in the BIN. Here is another great take-away from Rugby and Hockey. Serious fouls create a limited time man advantage opportunity. The use of the TMO helps the Ref evaluate whether a significant foul occurred and assess the penalty. The flopping was creating a wrath of yellow cards, in some instances where no foul took place. Here is another place that the TMO can help the Ref, off the ball fouls. If the Ref or Linesman don’t see something they cannot call a foul. But the TMO can review various off the ball fouls and contact the Ref during the next stoppage to go back and assess a foul. Dirty hits off the ball or ‘phantom’ falls off the ball where a player lays on pitch waiting for as stoppage can be correctly evaluated. Here’s another rule that would cut down on the appearance of the magic sponge...

4) PLAYER DOWN = PLAYER OFF PITCH. This one is going to be controversial however we need to stop the notion that any time a player is lying on pitch and the other team kicking the ball out of bounds. Here’s the deal, if a player is down and no foul was called then play continues. If the player is in need of assistance from a trainer then they must signal to Ref that they would like play stopped (if the player is clearly injured the Ref can still stop play based on current rules). That player must now exit the field of play for a minimum of 5 mins. They can’t be carried to the sideline in a stretcher, take a drink of water and immediately signal to re-enter the pitch. NOPE. If you ask for medical, then you need to be evaluated. Faking an injury to get a stop in play is unsportsmanlike conduct. That is a foul. If a foul did occur and a player is down and seeks medical attention then it is the referee's discretion when to let them back on. If the player on the ground was ruled by TMO that no foul occurred and the player was faking an injury then a YELLOW CARD is given and player is out 10 mins. See how this stops the faking and flopping? Finally, need a sub...

5) SUBS STOP THE CLOCK. The exit of a player at end of game has gotten ridiculous. I’ve never seen an athlete walk slower off the pitch than when being subbed. This has to stop. Players and Coaches are taking advantage of a small loophole in running clock rules. Here’s a thought, correct the rule. Need to sub? Fine let me stop the clock and take all the time you need to casually stroll off pitch, clapping overhead to the crowd and giving a man hug as you exit.

So there you have it, 5 ways to make soccer better and stop the culture of faking, flopping and fainting. We have the technology but do we have the will to make the beautiful game, beautiful again.

#footballflops footballfakes fixfootball soyouhatesoccerbecause

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flauntpage · 7 years

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Sifting Through Bad Takes to Explain Why U.S. Soccer Failed

There’s a lot to parse after Tuesday night’s embarrassment but I’ll start with this: That team was not prepared to play and looked like it didn’t even give a shit.

I’ve never seen a more appalling display of effort in 27 years of watching United States soccer, and that was a constant theme throughout this debacle of a qualifying cycle.

That’s on head coach Bruce Arena, who was equally casual in his post game press conference, claiming that no drastic changes needed to be made after a country of 300,000,000 people was just eliminated from the World Cup by an island nation of 1.3 million.

He should be canned for that offensive nonchalance alone.

The next thing to do is fire U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati and move on from the aging veterans who no longer have a future on the national team. It’s a sad way to see the likes of Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard to go out, but the silver lining is that this pathetic charade is over and we can now focus on fixing the problems.

Let’s do this:

I’m gonna cobble together all of the 24-hour hot takes that I read from soccer experts and national idiots alike, and we’ll just go down the list determining whether each one contains any sort of validity.

1. MLS is to blame for the decline of the USMNT

Yes and no.

The first thing to understand is that MLS growth has improved our regional opponents.

Honduras, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago all have a significant number of guys playing club soccer in the United States. Two goals in the Panama/Costa Rica game were scored by MLS players, and the third goal was scored by a former MLS player. Honduras got two goals from Houston Dynamo attackers and one of the guys who scored for fucking Mexico will play for an MLS expansion team next season.

On the flip side, six of the 11 U.S. starters are current MLS players. Three of those guys, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard and Paul Arriola, played in foreign leagues before returning to the United States. You can say that Bradley and Howard got worse when they came home, but they also got older. Tim Howard played more than 10 years in England, so don’t tell me he sucked last night because he now plays in MLS.

Eight of 11 U.S. starters last night had some sort of experience playing outside of America, so I don’t buy the “blame MLS” excuse.

If anything, we’re in a weird catch 22/transitional period.

If our best players go to Europe, MLS doesn’t improve

If our best players stay in MLS, they aren’t competing against the world’s best

Translation: What’s best for MLS isn’t necessarily best for U.S. Soccer, and vice versa.

We’re right in the middle of that right now, where we want MLS to take the next step but we also want our best young talent to thrive in the world’s best leagues (Christian Pulisic). It’s gonna be a bit rocky until we find a balance there.

2. This failure will affect the popularity of soccer

No.

Last night’s travesty is an indictment on U.S. Soccer, not the popularity of the sport in this country.

See, most of the people who watch the World Cup every four years go back to watching football, basketball, baseball, and hockey after the tournament is over.

The main reason they watch is because:

there’s an element of nationalism involved (rah rah go USA!)

there’s nothing else to watch in July

Some casuals might become interested enough to consume more soccer after the WC, but the sport continues to grow in non-World Cup years because of the strength of now-available foreign broadcasts and the growth of MLS.

Atlanta United, an expansion team, set a single-game attendance record this year when they shoved 70,000 people into their stadium (they share it with the Falcons). Your hometown Philadelphia Union were really bad (again), but continued to draw 12,000 to 15,000 fans to CHESTER every weekend.

The popularity of the English Premier League and Champions League has skyrocketed on the strength of NBC and FOX broadcasts. You’ll find a lot of people who watch EPL with their kids on Saturday morning, then flip on college football or Phillies baseball later in the day.

If anything, U.S. soccer is on a trajectory that is incongruous with the overall growth of the sport here. We have millions of people in this country who love soccer, but couldn’t give a shit about the USMNT or MLS, which is an ongoing struggle.

Plus, the World Cup isn’t even the “Super Bowl” of soccer. The apex of competitive global soccer is the annual Champion’s League final.

3. This generation of players just isn’t that good

Correct.

We failed to qualify for two Olympic games and a couple of other tournaments as well, which had a cascade effect on the performance in other competitions.

There are some success stories, I think. Jorge Villafana might be the left back of the future. DeAndre Yedlin is still young and getting Premier League playing time. I’d cut ties with most of the rest of the team and start handing out caps to guys like Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Weston McKennie (Schalke), and Tyler Adams (NY Red Bulls).

Next friendly. Just do it, man. Clear it out. Have fun. Be weird. http://pic.twitter.com/DaY63JxcK2

— Will Parchman (@WillParchman) October 11, 2017

Let’s get the kids out there and get ahead of the curve right now. I don’t need to see more of Chris Wondolowski, Darlington Nagbe, Michael Bradley, Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, and blah blah blah etc.

4. Independent youth clubs are ruining our development

Correct.

We’re the only country in the world where soccer is a sport for suburban white kids with money.

You pay your club team, something with a stupid name like “Doylestown United Rage 1997,” a bunch of cash just so you can schlep your kids to Tuckahoe Turf Farm every other weekend for day-long tournaments in 95 degree heat.

Meantime, the urban minority soccer loving kids are just sort of falling through the cracks.

True story: the Philadelphia Union’s first academy success was an African immigrant who came to America at age 14. He joined a local club that scrimmaged a Union youth team, and that’s how he was identified and brought into the academy setup.

So it’s important to get into urban communities and identify where these kids are playing.

I used to referee at a place called “Sofive” in Elkins Park, where 95% of the players were “foreigners.” I reffed Brazilians, Mexicans, Uzbeks, Jamaicans, and Africans (not African-Americans, Africans who just got here). I guarantee that no one is scouting those kids or even paying attention. The next U.S. Soccer star is probably playing there, not at Boyertown Junior High School East.

Now, some clubs obviously want to hang on to their best players, and they aren’t crazy about becoming a “feeder” for the local MLS team, but that’s the model we’re heading towards. Individual MLS teams have their own academies. There used to be one national academy in Florida, and that’s where guys like Landon Donovan came from. In 2017, each MLS team is trying to produce its own regional domestic talent.

That relationship between longstanding clubs and these nascent MLS academies needs to be streamlined. A lot of youth soccer forces are working against each other, which is why we aren’t developing these kids from start to finish.

Here’s a valid take from an English guy who now covers MLS:

Thing about soccer in the US compared to other countries I've worked in is that game run almost like a private members club.

— Simon Evans (@sgevans) October 11, 2017

Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

But wait, here’s another take from a different ex-pat Englishman who now does play-by-play for the Colorado Rapids:

When youth soccer clubs offer 'financial aid' for parents to be able to pay for their kids to play, then that should be a concern.

— Richard Fleming (@FlemingSport) October 11, 2017

Holy shit these guys are on fire!

Maybe the Brits do know the sport better than we do…

Anyway, it also doesn’t help that some parents see sports as a gateway to a free college ride, but that’s an intrinsically American problem. Foreign kids are identified at ages five and six and stay in the same academy for their entire youth.

Here, we send kids to college from ages 18 to 22, then they don’t play pro ball until age 23 (Keegan Rosenberry). Imagine if Lionel Messi didn’t turn pro until age 23. We need our kids on MLS fields at ages 17, 18, and 19, and not wasting prime years playing meaningless ball in Chapel Hill or College Park.

And more money needs to be allocated to U.S. subsidized youth development, which needs to be restructured.

Of that $26M, $9M went to Development Academy. ~$11M went to youth team ops. $2.75M to technical advisers.

Just $2M to scouting. http://pic.twitter.com/zSz9B039WV

— Dan Dickinson (@GothamistDan) October 11, 2017

5. “If our best athletes played soccer”

Of course it would be amazing if Odell Beckham, Jr. had stuck with soccer, and he was paired up top with Lebron James in a 4-4-2.

But we’re one of the biggest countries on the planet Earth. We have enough talent here to be the best at every sport. This line of thinking is valid, but it’s not the reason for our failures. Iceland just qualified for the World Cup and their entire country has fewer people than Bucks County.

6. Our coaches aren’t good enough

This is true at every level. Same with refs.

I’ve been around some youth coaches who yell at 12-year-old children with non-instructions:

run harder!

get the ball!

kick it!

And the parents are just as bad, because they don’t understand the rules of the game and yell equally absurd things at their own children.

It happens at the top, too. The Union hired a very young Jim Curtin who has had to learn on the job during three full losing seasons. He was also given zero resources to work with, which is another story entirely.

We definitely need to emphasize coaching education and raise the standards here.

7. A lack of promotion and relegation hurts domestic competition

No, it doesn’t.

The standard of MLS play continues to grow without pro/rel. There are problem owners, like our very own Jay Sugarman, who hurt individual clubs, but there are organic ways to remove those obstacles without installing a crippling pro/rel system.

We’re just not ready for it yet, nor do we need it to be successful. U.S. Soccer didn’t fail because fourth-division Stockade FC was disenfranchised.

8. We deserve this because we voted for Donald Trump

Meh.

It’s true that some Mexican players said they were extra motivated to beat the United States because of comments our president made about their country.

But here’s the thing; if you need extra motivation to play against your arch rival in World Cup qualifying, then you’re not worthy of wearing an El Tri shirt in the first place.

We didn’t qualify for the World Cup because we’re in a weird transitional phase affecting both U.S. Soccer and MLS. A generational gap is partly due to a broken development system that needs to be reworked. We have three-hundred million people in this country and should not be losing to tiny island nations like Trinidad and Tobago. But we also have to admit that our regional opponents are improving.

That’s about it. It’s not the end of the world. It’s actually a good wake up call, because sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before realizing how bad it is. We’ll figure it out.

If you didn’t read any of the article, but want a summary instead, click on this:

Here's the full Taylor Twellman rant: http://pic.twitter.com/3YOAQrTKmY

— Max Wildstein (@MaxWildstein) October 11, 2017

Sifting Through Bad Takes to Explain Why U.S. Soccer Failed published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

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madpicks · 8 years

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New Post has been published on https://www.madpicks.com/sports/soccer/mls-scores-week-2-alejandro-bedoya-and-jozy-altidore-dissed-each-other-or-didnt-who-knows/

MLS scores, Week 2: Alejandro Bedoya and Jozy Altidore dissed each other. Or didn’t. Who knows?

There was a ton of great soccer on display during Week 2 in MLS. Also some USMNT players insulted each other, then quickly walked back their insults. Great timing! The United States men’s national team plays a crucial World Cup qualifier in just two weeks.

If USMNT drama isn’t your thing, there was plenty of other intrigue around MLS. Galaxy captain Jelle Van Damme was undeservedly sent off, and Portland’s David Guzman could get suspended for diving to draw his second yellow. NYCFC and Atlanta delivered beatdowns to D.C. United and Minnesota, respectively. Houston and San Jose continued to impress, despite preseason predictions that they’d struggle.

But we have to start with the Bedoya-Altidore spat, don’t we?

Saturday’s games

Chicago Fire 2-0 Real Salt Lake New York Red Bulls 1-0 Colorado Rapids Philadelphia Union 2-2 Toronto FC Montreal Impact 2-2 Seattle Sounders Houston Dynamo 3-1 Columbus Crew SC Sporting Kansas City 0-0 FC Dallas San Jose Earthquakes 3-2 Vancouver Whitecaps

Sunday’s games

New York City FC 4-0 D.C. United Minnesota United 1-6 Atlanta United LA Galaxy 0-1 Portland Timbers

OK, let’s talk about this USMNT fighting/not fighting

The biggest story in MLS this weekend wasn’t about a result on the field. It was about whether or not Alejandro Bedoya meant to insult his USMNT teammate Jozy Altidore.

Altidore won a penalty for Toronto FC against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, which Bedoya discussed with reporters after the match. This went poorly.

Bedoya on the foul leading to Toronto’s penalty: “Knowing Jozy, he tends to go down easy in the box, so let’s just leave it at that.”

— PantsBurnLegWound (@RohnJossi) March 12, 2017

Altidore was far from impressed with that comment and tweeted his displeasure (the tweet has since been deleted). Bedoya tried to smooth things over by saying that the quote Altidore saw was taken out of context.

It’s a shame quotes get taken out of context. All love man. Congrats on your goal and see you soon bro. https://t.co/jPMM5V0z9M

— Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17) March 12, 2017

Was it taken out of context? Well … kind of. Bedoya definitely had a smile on his face when he said it. It seems unlikely that he was mad, or 100 percent serious.

Here is @AleBedoya17 on the @JozyAltidore PK call. @PhilaUnion @torontofc #PHIvTOR #doop pic.twitter.com/UFPWn5f2LP

— 215pix (@215pix) March 12, 2017

But there are problems with Bedoya trying to walk back his comments. Given Altidore’s reaction, it’s clear that this is not an established inside joke between the two players. “You have a lot to say but never to anyone’s face” is not the kind of comment you make about someone you have a strong joking rapport with.

Second, shouldn’t Bedoya know better than to make comments like this? He’s 29 years old, eight seasons into his professional career. He’s been dealing with reporters for a while now. Rookies know how to give smart answers to reporters’ questions that don’t get themselves into trouble, but Bedoya couldn’t envision his comments blowing up the way they did?

If you’re thinking about calling a player a diver as a joke, and they’re not in the room, either explicitly say it’s a joke or don’t say it at all. This blowing up isn’t the media’s fault, it’s Bedoya’s.

NYCFC has some bite, and Maxi Moralez is just fine

To replace Frank Lampard in the offseason, New York City FC has added 5’3” Argentine playmaker Maxi Moralez as a Designated Player. He got bullied a little bit in NYCFC’s opener against Orlando City, but as he has in other leagues, Moralez appears to have adjusted to physical play just fine. He was arguably the best player on the pitch for the Blues against D.C. United, and this assist was his best play.

Who else?@Guaje7Villa makes it four for @NYCFC with his second goal of the day. #NYCvDC https://t.co/XsW3uO5y6N

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 12, 2017

Moralez also had a very nice hockey assist on David Villa’s first goal and got on the scoreboard himself.

Anyone concerned about NYCFC’s attack after they were shut out in Orlando can probably relax now. And if you want to watch all the highlights from their demolition of the Black and Red, they come highly recommended.

SNOW SOCCER!!! (Also Minnesota United is bad)

Y’all, Minnesota vs. Atlanta was so great. The Loons had to play their home opener on what was essentially a hockey rink, and it made for some wild play. Plus, there was this guy with a leaf blower.

Soccer in Minnesota be like:#MINvATL pic.twitter.com/YFKNQnmK7e

— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) March 12, 2017

Unfortunately, the home fans did not leave happy. Atlanta hung six goals on the Loons, with Josef Martinez scoring a hat trick and Miguel Almiron dominating the match. Minnesota also lost goalkeeper John Alvbåge to a potentially serious leg injury.

We might get a diving suspension

LA Galaxy captain Jelle Van Damme was sent off in the first half of his team’s match against the Portland Timbers under dubious circumstances. He didn’t make contact with Portland’s David Guzman on the offense he received his second booking for, and that could be bad for Guzman. If the league’s disciplinary committee determines that Guzman took a dive, he could be suspended because it caused Van Damme to be sent off, which had a “material impact in the match.”

Wondering about what the DC’s guidelines are for dives? Here you go: pic.twitter.com/wZsZuVHmaR

— Stumptown Footy (@StumptownFooty) March 13, 2017

Portland will make the case that, while Guzman went down, he was not faking contact for the purpose of manipulating the official. I don’t know why I’m embedding this tweet by Timbers owner Merritt Paulson, since he’s a notorious tweet deleter, but here’s what he thinks.

@StumptownFooty Avoiding a tackle isnt a dive

— Merritt Paulson (@MerrittPaulson) March 13, 2017

MLS Live power rankings

This is not a ranking that has anything to do with how good a team is at soccer, which should be very clear based on who sits at No. 2. It’s simply about how likely you are to be entertained if you choose to watch their game on MLS Live.

Atlanta United

Minnesota United

Portland Timbers

Seattle Sounders

FC Dallas

Houston Dynamo

New York City FC

Toronto FC

New York Red Bulls

LA Galaxy

Orlando City

Vancouver Whitecaps

San Jose Earthquakes

Montreal Impact

Chicago Fire

Sporting Kansas City

Colorado Rapids

Real Salt Lake

Columbus Crew SC

Philadelphia Union

New England Revolution

D.C. United

The Quakes and Montreal make big jumps after very good performances in Week 2. Minnesota, despite getting dump trucked, also moves up. They play zero defense, and therefore their games will always be worth watching, if only for the other team. We remain very skeptical about the Houston Dynamo, but the entertainment value they provided over the first two games cannot be denied. Check them out if you haven’t gotten a chance yet.

RSL and Columbus might be crap, both to watch and at getting results. Orlando and New England are unchanged because their game was postponed.

Here is a list of way-too-early takes that are not worthy of an entire column. You should argue with me about them.

Tim Howard earned the USMNT No. 1 shirt with his performance against the Red Bulls.

The Chicago Fire will be as good as they are healthy. Their starting XI rules, but their depth is bad.

I’m still unalarmed by Toronto and Seattle’s starts. Both were slightly better in Week 2 than they were in Week 1. I still think they’re the best two teams in the league.

Sporting KC’s forwards just don’t have it. It’s not going to come together consistently.

The Houston Dynamo, while cool, are not for real.

The San Jose Earthquakes, while not sexy, are for real.

Mike Petke will be RSL’s manager by July.

Miguel Almiron will finish top three in MVP voting.

Here is a photo I love from this week’s games

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Have a great week!

#MLS

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junker-town · 8 years

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MLS scores, Week 2: Alejandro Bedoya and Jozy Altidore dissed each other. Or didn’t. Who knows?

The USMNT players said things they regretted, then went with the classic “context” defense. Plus more from across MLS.

But we have to start with the Bedoya-Altidore spat, don’t we?

Saturday’s games

Sunday’s games

New York City FC 4-0 D.C. United Minnesota United 1-6 Atlanta United LA Galaxy 0-1 Portland Timbers

OK, let’s talk about this USMNT fighting/not fighting

The biggest story in MLS this weekend wasn’t about a result on the field. It was about whether or not Alejandro Bedoya meant to insult his USMNT teammate Jozy Altidore.

Altidore won a penalty for Toronto FC against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, which Bedoya discussed with reporters after the match. This went poorly.

Bedoya on the foul leading to Toronto's penalty: "Knowing Jozy, he tends to go down easy in the box, so let's just leave it at that."

— PantsBurnLegWound (@RohnJossi) March 12, 2017

It's a shame quotes get taken out of context. All love man. Congrats on your goal and see you soon bro. https://t.co/jPMM5V0z9M

— Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17) March 12, 2017

Was it taken out of context? Well ... kind of. Bedoya definitely had a smile on his face when he said it. It seems unlikely that he was mad, or 100 percent serious.

Here is @AleBedoya17 on the @JozyAltidore PK call. @PhilaUnion @torontofc #PHIvTOR #doop http://pic.twitter.com/UFPWn5f2LP

— 215pix (@215pix) March 12, 2017

NYCFC has some bite, and Maxi Moralez is just fine

Who else?@Guaje7Villa makes it four for @NYCFC with his second goal of the day. #NYCvDC https://t.co/XsW3uO5y6N

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 12, 2017

Moralez also had a very nice hockey assist on David Villa’s first goal and got on the scoreboard himself.

SNOW SOCCER!!! (Also Minnesota United is bad)

Soccer in Minnesota be like:#MINvATL http://pic.twitter.com/YFKNQnmK7e

— Total MLS (@TotalMLS) March 12, 2017

We might get a diving suspension

Wondering about what the DC’s guidelines are for dives? Here you go: http://pic.twitter.com/wZsZuVHmaR

— Stumptown Footy (@StumptownFooty) March 13, 2017

@StumptownFooty Avoiding a tackle isnt a dive

— Merritt Paulson (@MerrittPaulson) March 13, 2017

MLS Live power rankings

This is not a ranking that has anything to do with how good a team is at soccer, which should be very clear based on who sits at No. 2. It's simply about how likely you are to be entertained if you choose to watch their game on MLS Live.

Atlanta United

Minnesota United

Portland Timbers

Seattle Sounders

FC Dallas

Houston Dynamo

New York City FC

Toronto FC

New York Red Bulls

LA Galaxy

Orlando City

Vancouver Whitecaps

San Jose Earthquakes

Montreal Impact

Chicago Fire

Sporting Kansas City

Colorado Rapids

Real Salt Lake

Columbus Crew SC

Philadelphia Union

New England Revolution

D.C. United

RSL and Columbus might be crap, both to watch and at getting results. Orlando and New England are unchanged because their game was postponed.

Here is a list of way-too-early takes that are not worthy of an entire column. You should argue with me about them.

Tim Howard earned the USMNT No. 1 shirt with his performance against the Red Bulls.

The Chicago Fire will be as good as they are healthy. Their starting XI rules, but their depth is bad.

I’m still unalarmed by Toronto and Seattle’s starts. Both were slightly better in Week 2 than they were in Week 1. I still think they’re the best two teams in the league.

Sporting KC’s forwards just don’t have it. It’s not going to come together consistently.

The Houston Dynamo, while cool, are not for real.

The San Jose Earthquakes, while not sexy, are for real.

Mike Petke will be RSL’s manager by July.

Miguel Almiron will finish top three in MVP voting.

Here is a photo I love from this week’s games

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Have a great week!

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