Phil Barbier

He's had multiple suspensions and fines for unsportsmanlike behavior including MULTIPLE issues with biting and, most egregious, numerous instances of racist abuse. If he didn't learn from those prior instances, he won't from this either.

The question is whether Miami/MLS will learn anything.

Suarez has a history of biting people (4 times), multiple charges, fines and suspensions for racial abuse, and numerous incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct resulting in suspensions and fines. He's not a player anyone should be admiring, even before this.

The whole "questions to refs need to be submitted 10 minutes before the end of the game" rule is RIDICULOUS. It gives an out for any ref to avoid ever answering questions about decisions they make during stoppage time. Refs should have to sit down in front of the press mics, just like coaches.

So if that's the point of contact... then if a player a step and a half ahead of me kicks me with his heel in my knee and then kicks his own foot afterwards... I've tripped him?

There's a reason the ref... who was in a good position to see any contact waived it off and told Laborda to get up.

The ref was in a good position to see any contact... as was the AR... and when Laborda went down the ref waived it off. Joyner's stride didn't change either which you would see if there was enough contact to send Laborda to ground the way he did.

Joyner was a full step behind AND a step to the left... but, sure... he tripped Laborda while the ball was 10 feet ahead and to the right of Laborda out of the penalty area. It's such a ridiculously soft foul that the ref, who was in a great position to see it at the time, waved it off.

... and both leagues play MANY matches in higher temps, but games like this are a perfect example of why soccer needs to move to a fall-spring calendar (with a mid-December to mid-February break) or at least a spring-fall calendar (with a July to August break).

Most medical professionals don't recommend matches be played when the heat index exceeds 96 degrees, and it wasn't until about 8:45 PM that the heat index dropped below that in KC... and yet the gam started at 6:30 PM.

Both MLS and the NWSL prioritize playing matches over player safety. 1/2

... liability for defective guns) and nationalism (that equates guns to liberty). And it is those same idolatries that gun manufacturers, lobbyists and organizations use to target men, and particularly young men, with the idea that guns and violence will solve their problems. (2/2)

It's certainly men... but possibly more than that, it's Americans. There's a problem with Americans... our idolatry of individualism (that says I can only rely on myself and my gun to keep me safe), capitalism (that allows a state like New Hampshire to pass a law to limit manufacturer... (1/2)

A trench coat with a VERY fashionable belt, I'm sure.

"old conservative white"... interesting assumption. Of course Leo is actually of Louisiana Creole (specifically Haitian) descent, but don't let that stop you from inadvertently making assumptions based on how others look.

1. Impressive defensive effort

2. Just can't finish

Well, as a preacher I’ve definitely had a couple of sermons like that.

I wish MLS clubs could get kits from Hummel and weren’t stuck with Adidas.

Fans in the stands at Snapdragon know who was chanting. The ultimate pressure is notifying security and getting bigots tossed rather than allowing the match to be forfeited.

As for the draft, you’re right… but MLS would have to change the draft rules from the way they’re currently written.
/2

Yes there has to be pressure to stop it… and that pressure would come from other fans who would be at risk of losing hundreds of dollars every time a group is loud enough to get warned.

1/

Do you really think that will make them learn? So what if they drop points in a forfeit? There’s no actual penalty for being at the bottom of the table… heck the less points they get the better the draft pick.

They need to vacate the stadium and play a closed door match after each instance.

Docking points does no good if there is no repercussions for ending up at the bottom of the table. The penalties red to be financial or closed door matches.

Christianity Today Editor: Evangelicals Call Jesus “Liberal” and “Weak” A former evangelical leader is sounding the alarm about the direction his religion is headed in.

"What's more important their faith or Trump?" For many of them Trump. Evangelical Christians are calling Jesus' own word in the Sermon on the Mount too "liberal"... so, while they may call themselves Christian, they're actively turning their back on the faith.

newrepublic.com/post/174950/...

Neither Trump nor Musk are Christian, so I don’t think Christian values… or really ANY values beyond the monetary value of what can line their pockets… are at play here.

My original point was a QUESTION about whether it would help… not a CLAIM that it would.

So, no, I haven’t proved ANY point… because, again, it was a QUESTION for Matt & Phill.

Where I have disagreed with you is that no one cares about the USOC. Last year’s boycotts show that is flat out wrong.

So, because Italy’s national cup isn’t seen as important, national cups aren’t important anywhere?

Since you’re not in the U.S. you might not be aware of the boycotts last season by MLS fans in support of the USOC. So the national cup was important enough to get fans to walk away from LC games.

So, as an MLS fan I’m being dismissive of myself because I also understand the importance of the USOC. Got it.

And while MLS attendance is often down for USOC games that says more about MLS fans than the USOC itself. Attendance was down for LC matches last year as well.

But communities with strong historical ties to the USOC still tend to draw better… as St. Louis did in 2023 with 22,400 against Omaha.

For lower division teams, USOC matches tend to draw right around the same number of fans as league matches… which is actually great since you forgot to mention that these matches are often midweek games that draw less attendance no matter if they are league or cup games.

Fans of all lower division and amateur teams are “a comparatively insignificant amount” of fans… got it.

If you only think that MLS fans count, then sure, it’s an “insignificant amount”… but that’s is ABSOLUTELY dismissive of lower division fans.

My point doesn’t assume that people would simply “make a connection”, but rather that the USL would use the upsets in marketing to sell that connection. You’re right that an upset in England doesn’t get that reaction… but the Championship isn’t actively trying to compete with the EPL.

True, but if some of the announced teams start staffing up towards a D1 roster that might quickly change. The USOC is the one place where USL can bloody the nose of MLS a bit.

Garber is right that there is no real upside for MLS in the USOC… but both a loss AND withdrawal are both real downsides.

Second, if MLS loses the USOC which they haven’t lost since 1999 do you think that won’t be news within the soccer world? Or if a bunch of USL-C teams knock out MLS clubs do you think that won’t be used to USL’s advantage? The first goal for USL D1 is to establish legitimacy… and that would help.