CL final....

I'm gutted.  I really feel terrible right now.  Its not the terrible that will ruin my whole day, but rather I feel gutted for fellow goalkeeper Weidenfeller.  Today, he did everything he possibly could to keep his team in the game.  Sure his counterpart was also good, but my childhood hopes and beliefs still have me hanging on to what is right and what should happen.

I have played in several finals where I did my part, and things just did not work out.  It's an empty feeling as a goalkeeper.  It hurts because there are really only so many games you can have a big influence on.  When the time comes, and you make the big saves, it is heart wrenching when your team does not take home the title.  

Thus, even though we are alone as goalkeepers, we are together as a team.  It must be noted to all Gk's that you are really only as good as the guys in front of you.  Time and time again you can make saves, but there are shots and situations you are helpless and what are we to do?

I just want to give a huge shout out to Roman Weidenfeller.   There is a difference between winning and being a winner.  Today Roman, you are a winner.

may the posts be with you....

MLS expansion....

Yesterday was a huge day for Major League Soccer.  Not only did the league get to the elusive 20 team standard that was set by Garber himself, but they found themselves some very influential and deep pocketed partners.  The supposed investment is supposedly just under half a billion dollars with 100 million going to expansion and supposedly 340 million into the Stadium project.  I don't know about you guys, but that should be a pretty good looking stadium.

As expected, the opinions of fans have been very diverse.  Some fans wrote to me that they were afraid the team would become another one of MLS' favorites in which case, their team (OK, it was a Whitecap fan, so our team) would fall further down this imaginary MLS "pecking order".  

Others suggested that there were more "deserving" markets.  I really don't understand what criteria they used when they said more deserving, but it really doesn't matter.  They obviously don't understand a few things about business.  Or maybe they do, and I just don't understand their arguments.

In my life, I have come to realize some important things.  We all have set ideas of what should be.  Over 99% of your life, things that should be tend to just be things that are.  We struggle with the gap reality and idealism present and it is this struggle which seems to be a huge indicator or our character. Looking at the big picture helps and this is how I view NYFC.

As a player who played in this league with 12 teams, then down to ten, it is absolutely amazing to me that we will have a 20 team league.  In my earlier years, my fellow teammates and I would routinely joke about whether or not we are coming back after the offseason.  It wasn't because of how we did individually, but rather, if there was going to be the league.

In all honesty, looking back, the conclusion of Fraser vs MLS and the hiring of Don Garber have to be the two big catalysts in the emergence of our league.  I could also point to the origin of the MLS players union but the gains have been so limited that I'm not sure it has been the catalyst us players hoped it would be. 

In the big picture, more exposure is a great thing.  Are there markets more deserving?  YES.  Are there markets that need help?  YES!  But can you really say that for MLS this is a bad business decision??  NO CHANCE.  

The teams may have more competition for MLS attention but in the big picture, this will improve the league and in turn, each franchise.  The values of all teams have just been raised by yesterdays sale and regardless of where you stand, that has to be looked as a great thing.

We easily forget that there were owners parting with tons of money before this all happened and MLS is like any other business, it must make money or show potential to make money or it will otherwise die.  As a fan of the league and a player, I really think this will be one of the biggest moments in our brief history.

I know this is off the topic of goalkeeping....but I wanted to put in my two cents.  

On the topic of GK's.  Who will be NYFC's 1st goalkeeper?????

thanks for reading......

may the posts be with you...

MLS Result contest....

So I've been playing MLS for about 15 years now.  I feel so blessed that i've been able to do what I do.  So here's a little attempt at making tonight more interesting in some ways and giving back to one lucky fan!

Ok, so I'll be watching the MLS tonight, and I wanted to have a little fun.  For any of my followers who correctly pick all 6 results tonight, I will choose one of them to receive a free pair of soccer shoes or goalkeeper gloves.   I also ask that you choose the total number of goals scored throughout the night as a tie breaker in case we have many successful entries.  If there is still more than one winner, I will personally determine who win's the contest based on a coin toss or another random factor.  *

I wish everyone the best of luck.  Only 1 entry per person.  

Contest directions:  Via Twitter:  @JoeCannonGK1  

#1 Pick the result (Winner or tie )  per each Major League Soccer game.  

#2:  decide how many goals total will be scored in all games tonight 

Winner will be person who gets #1 correct and closest to #2  

If the total number of goals scored is 20, and one person chooses 19 and another one 21, I will go with the higher number.

*I have the sole discretion over every aspect of this contest, and can change rules at any time as I see fit.

If  no one correctly gets each game then there is a possibility of no winner or I may choose someone if they are closest.

Good Luck!

Entries must be tweeted out to me by 7pm East Coast time.