Just watched the Red Bulls do a forgettable performance against RSL. :goof: The only thing good that came out is that the conference rivals either tied or lost, including a stunning turnaround loss for Sporting KC against Seattle. Of course it didn't help that SKC had a man sent off for a dangerous two-footed tackle.

The West is the best this season.

I want to know what you think of the deal MLS has made with NBC for the next three seasons? The contract is supposedly going to allow two MLS games to be on the NBC network each season, plus 2 games with the US Men's team. The rest will be on NBC Sports Network (now known as Versus).

MLS, NBC announce three-year broadcast deal | MLSsoccer.com

This means that Fox Soccer Channel will no longer have MLS after this year. Well, that's just business! :P ESPN and Univision will continue with their contract until 2014.

Oh, and here's a podcast of the announcement: http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com...conference.mp3

Sounds promising from what was said. Some more promotion of the league with what NBC has planned for their other events. What do you think?

The ink has barely been dry on the new TV contract and NBC already has made an ad for next season, probably aired during Sunday Night Football.



Pretty strong move, huh? :eek:

Yeah. I'm very excited. Thanks for that news. Hoping for a win vs. Chivas USA this week.:D

MLS is having a good record so far in this season of the Concacaf Champions League. The teams are currently 6-0-1. FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders became the first teams from MLS to win at Mexico. Slowly but surely we are improving. :D

Yeah, it seems NBC really wants to promote this league.

Playoffs start tonight. Who do you think will win the MLS Cup?

I don't have much hope for NYRB, but stranger things have happened. :shrug:

Are you watching their match?

I did last night. NYRB move on to the next round, where they'll face the Galaxy. :)

They get past them and they might play the Sounders. I would think you would then root for the NYRB. ;)

Probably. How do the MLS Playoffs go? I have not seen them before.

NYRB won at FC Dallas 0-2
Colorado defeated Columbus 1-0

The next round is as follows:

NYRB-LA Galaxy
Seattle Sounders-Real Salt Lake
Phila. Union-Houston Dynamo
Colo. Rapids-Sporting KC

The semis would be between the winners of RB-Galaxy/Sounders-RSL and Union-Dynamo/Rapids-SKC

The MLS Cup is on November 20, the site is the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/standings

OK. Thanks.:)

Ready for the final tonight? :)

Houston will win. That's my prediction.

Congratulations to the LA Galaxy. So much for Houston putting something together. :sigh:

Anyway, I just want to leave this nice video from NBC, who is going to air some matches of MLS next season. Enjoy:

Do you think that David Beckham will play again for the Galaxy?

I'm going to go against conventional wisdom here and say that he stays! Sure, he has already accomplished winning a title here but he's much more about marketing than about sport, to begin with. ;)

So I think the additional marketing opportunities in this country would be too good to pass up from his standpoint.

Anyhoo...Arlo White has signed to be the play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports, when they begin to air their slate of MLS matches in March of 2012.

NBC Sports Group Taps Arlo White To Call MLS Games - Fang's Bites

He interviewed with SounderAtHeart over the decision to move to NBC: Arlo White Exit Interview, Part 1: Ex-Sounders Broadcaster Bids Farewell - Sounder At Heart
Arlo White Exit Interview, Part 2: Accepting NBC Job Was A 'No-Brainer' - Sounder At Heart

I think it should also be noted that several MLS players are already training with European as part of Jurgen Klinnsmann's insistence that players in the US Men's team continue training in order to maintain game fitness. He also thinks that the MLS season should be longer because, he thinks, players would be sharper with not so many weeks off.

Well, it looks like MLS is pushing the start of next season up a bit. First Kick is going to be on the week of March 10 of next year.
MLS announces 2012 home opener dates | MLSsoccer.com

The dates for next year's First Kick, as well as opponents, have been announced. Here they are:

Sat March 10 – Vancouver v. Montreal – 6 PM, TSN/DirectKick/RDS
Sun March 11 – FC Dallas v. New York – 3 PM, NBC Sports Network
Chivas USA v. Houston – 7 PM, Galavision
Mon March 12 – Portland v. Philadelphia – 9:30 PM, ESPN2

MLS announces First Kick national TV schedule | MLSsoccer.com

Keep in mind that NBC Sports Network is the new name of what is now Versus. The name change will happen in January.

MLS has released the schedule for 2012.
MLS reveals 2012 schedule, including MLS Cup in December | MLSsoccer.com

In addition, there will be 20 games in either ESPN or ESPN 2 (one game on ESPN Deportes only), 3 games on the NBC network, 38 games on NBC Sports Network and 27 games on Galavision.
MLS 2012 national TV schedule: NBC, ESPN, Galavision | MLSsoccer.com

US English National TV appearances:

Code:

---

            ESPN      NBC        Total
CHI:        2        6            8
CHV:        3        1            4
COL:        1        4            5
CLB:                  2            2
DCU:        2        6            8
FCD:        2        4            6
HOU:        1        7            8
LAG:        8        7            15
MON:
NER:                  3            3
NYRB:        7        8            15
PHI:        4        8            12
POR:        3        7            10
RSL:                  4            4
SJE:        1        3            4
SEA:        6        6            12
SKC:        2        4            6
TOR:                  1            1
VAN:                  1            1

---

The thing this year is they're going with an unbalanced schedule. Some teams will only meet each other once. This is greater coverage between ESPN and NBC, as opposed to when Fox Soccer had MLS and almost nobody was able to find it.

Less than a month until the resumption of MLS. :) And about time because 2012 is going to have another wild summer soccer season, between MLS, Euro, Olympics and friendlies.

In the meantime, there's a new YT channel that is dedicated to association football. It's called KickTV, a channel made by MLS in partnership with YT. Check it out! :)

https://www.youtube.com/kicktv

Just bought MLS Live so I'm ready!!

Great win Sounders tonight!

ETA- & Great come from behind tie by the Galaxy **

Watched both games. It was like a European atmosphere in both of them. Loved how the Sounders stood toe-to-toe with the Santos Laguna players. If the quality flows down to the rest of MLS, no longer can the Mexicans just waltz in and outplay the local sides. :)

I haven't been keeping up with the Sounders. Who did they add to their roster this year?

I saw the Timbers play Philadelphia last week. Man, Kris Boyd was impressive. Looking for another win today vs. FC Dallas.:D

Didn't get to catch much of the Timbers game but I see they ended 1-1.

Really impressive play by Sounders last night compared to their embarrassment earlier in the week vs Santos

The West is turning as many have expected: most teams are dominating. I think the unbalanced schedule this year is going to do the teams in the East a big favor.

Hey, have any you been able to find the NBC Sports Network channel so far?

Yeah East conference has not gotten off to a good start at all..

Go here and enter your zip and it'll tell you what channel:
NBC Sports TV Listings & Livestream Schedule - Sports- NBC Sports