Michael Bradley Might Be Getting A Phone Call

((HT: Sportsnet/MLS))

If you ask Toronto FC about Saturday night's contest against Sporting KC, they'll come at you from a few different angles.

Head coach Ryan Nelsen will tell you about missed opportunities and a defense that wasn't helping matters, but the players will jump at head referee Ted Unkel and his spotty and inconsistent job performance.

He got some calls right, but others he got wrong and issued 8 cautions when, at times, it wasn't warranted.

“The referee was having trouble giving me calls and maybe it’s because they want me to learn how to play in MLS, and how the style of the league is here. However, I want them to know that I’m not going to roll over. … I’m not somebody who’s going to be a pushover. I want to be treated fairly like every other player,” the Reds' Gilberto told Sportsnet's John Molinaro after the match.

Here's the highlights where you won't see any of Unkel's goofs...


And TFC captain Michael Bradley was less than diplomatic after the match- much like Gilberto, but unlike his coach- demanding that the officiating fix itself post haste...

Here's Bradley's postgame that will, probably, get him a fine...

Was The Hyper-Long Shootout Good Or Bad For MLS...???

((HT: MLS on ESPN))

The shoot out went 10 frames and ended up with Sporting KC's Aurelien Collin kicking in that position for the first time in his competitive life...

He made the kick and SKC won the MLS Cup at home against Real Salt Lake...

Here's the highlights...


But the larger question is: In 20-degree weather, regardless of the environment (which the HQ will admit was rather electric-even more than normal), was this marathon good or bad for the Major League Soccer folks to get their brand across- competing against college football conference title games and all the other stuff around...

Should the turnaround from conference finals to final too long and should it be held in environments that are a lot more temperate than the one it was in...

Yes, under current guidelines, SKC deserved the title host gig...

But was it all worth it...???

Just putting it out there...

OSG MLS: Jimmy Nielsen Goes Down... And Goes Down Hard...

((HT: MLS/MSG))

Last night, it was red Bulls and Sporting KC in the main US league...

KC was up 1-0 as the two headed to stoppage time and the New Yorkers needed to get the ball back. So, Juninho sent the ball back to goalie Jimmy Nielsen- with a little mustard behind it...


Instant red for Juninho, and the final score didn't change...

Sporting KC Severs Ties With Livestrong

((HT: KSHB-TV))

The agreement between the Lance-created charity, Livestrong, and Major League Soccer franchise Sporting KC has come to a crashing halt after only 22 months instead of the scheduled 6 years.

The amount of the donation Sporting was set to give the organization was going to be US$7.5-million, but club CEO Robb Heineman has had enough of their strong-arm tactics in staying with their affiliation:

"Over the course of the past year, it became clear that LIVESTRONG no longer shared the same spirit of partnership, despite our perseverance to the contrary. We realized at the time this could be the beginning of a tumultuous period for the foundation. We were patient as they sorted through these issues," Heineman said in a prepared statement.

"This morning we were disappointed to learn LIVESTRONG is utilizing aggressive tactics designed to force us into an unsatisfactory arrangement. We willingly admit we were not expecting the foundation to treat a partner in this manner. Our faith and trust in this partnership have been permanently damaged; therefore we are terminating our agreement with LIVESTRONG, effectively immediately."

The full statement is hyah...

Livestrong is saying, on the flip side, that Sporting wasn't living up to its end of the bargain and hadn't fulfilled its yearly obligations.

Sporting disagrees...