One can make a number of observations about the development of Major League Soccer by examining the stadia its teams have played in.� Over the next two weeks, I'm going to rank� 20 of the thirty(?) MLS stadia over the last 14 years and share my impressions and a few anecdotes.� � Through the rankings, which in general tend to be in chronological order,� one can see not only the evolution of MLS stadia, but evolution of the League itself.

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It has been a long and sometimes unforgiving decade for the Bulls. They played in the highest of highs (an MLS Cup Appearance) and the lowest of the lows (2009), suffered extreme anguish over injustice (Diallo, Petke is still gunning for you), and extreme ecstasy (Mathis - those 5 goals were a thing of beauty).

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I realize that the last official football match to take place at Giants Stadium was almost two weeks ago between the Red Bulls and Toronto FC, but I still figured I'd throw my two cents in on what was once a football mecca in this country. The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the Meadowlands is very mixed feelings.

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You get a phone call from Red Bull.

It's Erik Stover.

Is this another automated call to buy season tickets? Not this time.

You are offered the position of teams Sporting Director. And you jump at the chance.

But now what? Well, I turn it over to you -

What would you do to turn around this franchise ahead of the 2010 season?

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The NFL's Giants Stadium was once a famous venue of American soccer, a must-be-seen place with packed crowds and Pele in the 1970s.

Then the New York MetroStars, later rebranded to Red Bull New York, started playing there almost two decades later in Major League Soccer.

As the Red Bulls laid the final piece of sod today at their new, impressive Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, some current players took the chance to express their feelings about Giants Stadium and the support they (did not) receive there.

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Former France international and MetroStars/New York Red Bulls player Youri Djorkaeff spoke to media at halftime of the final game at Giants Stadium Saturday. Djorkaeff was asked if he had spoken to Thierry Henry, who is reportedly seeking a spot on next year's Red Bulls squad. While not mentioning Henry by name, Djorkaeff's answer was nonetheless telling.

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It's a Saturday night, and I didn't want to watch the damn game at a pub on an f'ing delay for whatever reason MLSE had in mind. And technically, should "f'ing" begin with an "an" instead of an "a", because if you say it, it's more like 'effing'... semantics.
We've got a damn rain delay. Sure, there's thunder and lightning, but big deal. Click to continue reading...

The 2009 New York Red Bulls season, and the team's 14-year stay at Giants Stadium, will end just after 9:30pm ET tomorrow night. It's fitting that tomorrow's match, versus playoff hopeful Toronto FC, will be played on a wet, slick, artificial surface covered with football lines.
While Giants Stadium has hosted plenty of meaningful soccer matches in its day, the third-class treatment that the NJ Stadium and Entertainment Authority has shown the MetroStars/Red Bulls since 1996 will be encapsulated in Saturday's 90 minutes. Click to continue reading...

Anyone who even lightly follows Serie A (like me) knows that Napoli is in a bit of trouble. Currently standing at the bottom half of the league tables, Napoli's performances have been considered disappointing this season, even after an exciting 2-1 win against Siena this weekend, in a match that was billed to be a make or break for their head coach, former Italian National manager and Metrostars player, Roberto Donadoni.

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Background: Diego Serna spent six years in MLS. When he first arrived here from Colombia, he did quite well and was even named to the 2001 MLS Best XI. But, his last few years were marred by injury and unproductive. In 2000,� prior to the decline of his career, Serna did� set one infamous MLS record though.

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Could Richie Williams be the answer for the Red Bulls? He has a 6-4-2 record as the interm head coach, and as Kristian Dyer reports, Williams is certainly making a case for himself.
Too bad the Red Bulls probably will deem it fitting to bring in a "name" European coach to take over the team next season. Click to continue reading...

Background: Mamadou Diallo is known as "Big Mama". Like the Martin Lawrence movie of the same name, he is unbearable to watch. He's a huge, sulking Senagalese striker. He currently plays in Mali, but back in 2000-2002, he played for three MLS teams:� the New England� Revolution, the New York Metrostars, and the Tampa Bay Mutiny.

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After all the head coaches to pass through with the New York Red Bulls and the MetroStars before them, it is easy to forget who the first man to run the club was.

That man is Carlos Queiroz, current head coach of the Portuguese national team. Although he is currently employed, Portugal's shaky position in World Cup qualifying could mean that Queiroz will be looking for a job in a month.

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There's a month or so left in the 2009 Major League Soccer season, and six clubs (Chivas USA, Houston, Colorado, Columbus, Chicago and New England) still have a chance to win half of the games on their schedule.

Don't laugh. That's more rare than you might think. In the 30-game, no-shootouts era (since 2003), only 11 teams out of 71 have won 15 or more games.

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Background: WTF? What is Tony Meola doing in my MLS� Hall of Shame? He was a great keeper in MLS, who won titles, individual awards, and many, many fans. Well, I will tell you why he is here, and it has nothing to do with his utterly un-majestic pony tail.

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If you frequent some of the more discerning party photo sites like Hi Fi Cartel, The Midnight Socialite and Last Night's Party you may on occasion see U-20/Foggia/former Metrostars academy product Gabriel Ferrari's mug in there scattered amongst those the young, sexy and fashionable. I like it. Click to continue reading...

In all seriousness, what the hell are you trying to do? That "win" against Trinidad & Tobago last night was the stuff of nightmares. And not normal nightmares where you're falling or you're being chased by a knife-wielding Jay Heaps in a Chivas mask. We're talking far worse.
I mean, my god, I turn on the TV and it's like your old Metrostars team has somehow found itself in a CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Hexagonal. Click to continue reading...

As we reported last week, or more specifically as Hernandez blabbed last week and we passed on, FC Dallas has now offically signed ex-SMU and ex-Galaxy/Mutiny/MetroStars/Revs midfielder Daniel Hernandez. Hernandez told season ticket holders last Wednesday that he was signing with the team, so it's unclear what the hold up was on the deal. Click to continue reading...

Major League Soccer veteran Daniel Hernandez has rejoined his college coach Schellas Hyndman as a member of FC Dallas. Hernandez has spent time with the Galaxy, Mutiny, Metrostars, and Revolution along with stints in the Mexican Liga with Necaxa, Puebla, Jaguares, and most recently a return stay with Necaxa. Click to continue reading...

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In keeping with the recent theme of adding SMU alumni, FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman reached out to another former college player of his on Wednesday by signing defender Daniel Hernandez.

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One of the folks who commented on the Expansion's Effect on MLS Attendance post pointed out that the Sounders have been seen by over 20% of the people attending a game this year. Another person thought that David Beckham's Flying Circus had probably beaten that mark. (This is in fact true.)
However it turns out that neither of these sides hold the record for the largest percentage of tickets sold to see a given team in a season. Click to continue reading...

(Oh, and a share of the $100,000 first prize, I guess.)

Congrats to the Seattle Sounders, who won a wild US Open Cup final, 2-1 over DC United last night. Seattle could still conceivably become the first US side to win the treble (MLS Cup, Supporters Shield, US Open Cup), but they're six points back in the race for the league's best regular-season record with six to play, so the third leg might have to wait.

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Chicago's road-home dynamic could be one for the MLS history books
We have been through every nuance of explaining just how awkward the 2009 Major League Soccer season has been for the Chicago Fire.
They win on the road (6-2-4), and they can't capitalize at Toyota Park (4-4-4). Nevertheless, this team is sitting near the top of the Eastern Conference and is in good shape for the playoffs at the moment. Click to continue reading...

Mark Chajkowsky of the Philadelphia Soccer Examiner is reporting that Inter Milan midfielder Patrick Vieira is interested in Major League Soccer. The French national team star revealed the breaking news in an interview with Orange Sport.

"I still have a year left on my contract and I think it will be my last in Europe at the highest level," Vieira told Orange Sport.

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The New York Red Bulls are just playing out the string in MLS, enduring one of the worst seasons in league history, but the recent departure of former head� coach Juan Carlos Osorio, and the expected shake-up of the club's front office structure has the� club in the headlines again.

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The New York Red Bulls are just playing out the string in MLS, enduring one of the worst seasons in league history, but the recent departure of former head� coach Juan Carlos Osorio, and the expected shake-up of the club's front office structure has the� club in the headlines again.

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Bad enough that the team has been stinking like two week old underwear on a 400 pound man, now the main stream media is taking jabs! Yes Metro fans, the Red Bulls are truly the laughing stock of sports:

From SNY:

Red Bulls: Hey fans! Futility has a new home. With Saturday's loss to Chivas, the Red Bulls are now on a 14-game winless streak.

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Good afternoon folks. I'm coming to you from Mexico City, where we are a day away from the big USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier and the buzz is starting to fill the city.

While I get settled and start working on some posts for the afternoon, here is Part 1 of the July Q&A. There are plenty of national team questions, but also a broad range of topics covered.

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�

Good afternoon folks. I'm coming to you from Mexico City, where we are a day away from the big USA-Mexico World Cup qualifier and the buzz is starting to fill the city.

While I get settled and start working on some posts for the afternoon, here is Part 1 of the July Q&A. There are plenty of national team questions, but also a broad range of topics covered.

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Since its purchase of the Metrostars franchise, Red Bulls ownership has mirrored its energy drink; a huge adrenaline rush leading to the MLS Cup followed by the inevitable crash that has been 2009.

Listen. If you are buying a team in the New York area, you have two understand two simple things; you have to build a winner, and you have to enforce accountability.

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I've captured a few random thoughts that have been bouncing around my head during one of my� multi-hour soccer watching blocks in the last couple days.

Perhaps I need to write a letter to Fox Soccer Channel.� � Those unnaturally frequent Enzyte "natural male enhancement" ads I've been subject to� on FSC that� feature a newly happy (and apparently newly� 'impressive') guy named Bob have me on edge.

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To see what the Red Bulls must do to avoid ignominious MLS history, we check the historical standings or just go to Climbing the Ladder, where scaryice has already done the math.
Only two teams (Chivas USA 2005, Tampa Bay 2001) have won just four games in a season, though the Red Bulls' forebear, the MetroStars, won only four in regulation when the shootout still decided tie games back in 1999. Click to continue reading...

Randy Covitiz at the Star is reporting that Wizards technical director, Peter Vermes is to be named the team's interim coach tomorrow morning at a press conference. Whether that happens or not, it's a bit of a shocking move that he's being named coach. Although he was one of the people considered for both the coaching openings in Seattle and Philadelphia, it's surprising. Click to continue reading...

Curt Onalfo� has been fired� as head coach of the Kansas City Wizards, teams sources informed SBI on Monday evening. The club is expected to name an interim head coach on Tuesday (with general manager Peter Vermes mentioned as a likely choice to take the position for the remainder of the year).

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I don't have to tell all of you what's been written on the internet from the local NYC/NJ beat writers that follow this club from the days of the MetroStars and are now RBNY. All of us follow the tables in Major League Soccer and as it's starring right in your face as well as the faces of the NY Supporters� are two wins and a total of ten points.

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