Chris Nee
FIFA 11 Review
A decade or more ago the FIFA franchise was driven forward on an ethos of regular and fundamental change. Pro Evolution Soccer, in its various forms, came along and took a different approach, creating new versions with a hammer and chisel instead of the dynamite used at EA Sports. FIFA‘s ever-increasing realism (and licensed names)…
Real Salt Lake spot on as Galaxy miss out on MLS Cup
It was supposed to be written in the stars above the Space Needle. Sunday was the night everything was to come together and confirm the resurrection of a fallen giant. MLS Cup 2009 had an air of destiny; LA Galaxy, guided by the reinvigorated Beckham-Donovan axis, were to confirm their return from too long in…
MLS Cup 2009 Preview: Real Salt Lake v LA Galaxy
Nine months, 456 matches, and controversy aplenty. And it all comes down to to one game, one high-octane head-to-head for the title. The fourteenth season of Major League Soccer is nearing its end and, while Seattle Sounders have skewed an otherwise worrying attendance picture, the action on the field has impressed. Two teams are still…
CBA dispute threatens MLS progress
It seems as if every other week this Major League Soccer column trumpets the league’s uniqueness as its most valuable asset and most challenging problem. That opinion hinges on the single entity system which dictates that money, players and competitive integrity are controlled by MLS headquarters in New York City. In turn, the single entity…
MLS says adiós to Blanco
Major League Soccer is growing and improving but outsiders often criticise the league for having a lack of quality. It is a relatively fast football played in the US, with plenty of big, athletic players of the kind which is becoming so important in so many footballing countries across the world. The league has a…
MLS Playoffs 2009: Preview
Anybody casually tuning in to Major League Soccer’s Week 32 action and teetering over the great lake of MLS fandom will have jumped right in. The final week of the regular season began with a cluster of teams fighting it out to take up the final three playoff spots. The results and their impact on…
The 39 Club: Toronto, Revs, United and Dallas fight for survival
31 weeks down, just one to go. Major League Soccer’s 14th season has had its ups and downs, goalkeeping errors and bad refereeing taking the shine off a year which gave us a superb rookie class, some wonderful goals and more surprises than Portsmouth’s directors’ box. The Beckham Experiment threw the focus on David Beckham’s…
FIFA 10 – The Soccerlens Review
There are two types of gamers in the football world: those that play FIFA and those that play Pro Evo. In conversation it’s not really acceptable to admit to a split allegiance – you’re one or the other, and the other is wrong. I am a Pro Evo loyalist, and I see the gaming world…
MLS refereeing: is Platini’s Fantastic Five the answer?
Back in June, as Major League Soccer was finding its stride on the other side of the Atlantic, Michel Platini and UEFA confirmed that this year’s Europa League would be the testing ground for a new officiating structure. By adding an ‘additional assistant referee’ behind each goal line, Platini hopes to do away with the…
Can Seattle Sounders win a debut double?
Seattle Sounders burst in through the saloon doors in March, chewing lazily on tobacco as they stood proud in front of the regulars and declared their intention to take Major League Soccer by storm. The old boys weren’t pleased, but had to respect the Sounders’ testicular fortitude. Columbus Crew scowled from a bar stool with…
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