Cristiano Ronaldo coming to MLS, in NYC?

By his own words Cristiano, maybe the second best player in the world behind that Argentinian mop headed kid, has expressed after his next contract in Europe, whether it takes him from Real Madrid to Paris Saint-Germain or back to Manchester United, in three to four years MLS should be expecting at least one season from the global icon known as #CR7:

"I've always said living and playing there is a possibility."

Nobody close to his name has come over. Not Thierry Henry to the Red Bulls, not David Villa to NYCFC. Ronaldo will no doubt get to choose the team he plays for. Since MLS plays through Spring, Summer and Fall, he wouldn't have to put winter miles on his legs as in Europe. Johnny's guess is he could land in two places, LA or NYC. Which NYC franchise is the question. The Red Bulls sure look like a better bet right now, winning two Supporters Shield trophies as top regular season team in the last three years and are favorites to win the MLS title this year. Much more attractive and who wants to play in Los Angeles in July and August?

Can you imagine the PATH trains out to Harrison on Red Bull game nights?

A few pics from last night's thrilling Red Bulls victory

NYCFC's Pirlo, Diskerud, Lampard and Villa can't crack the Red Bulls defenses.

The ball rises into the Harrison evening.

David Villa tore my pants all up sir. They say they need replacing.

Bulls on parade!

Hot Town, Soccer in the City

As summer begins pulling into the station known as fall, with the 90's and high 80's seeming a memory there will be plenty of city heat tonight at Red Bull Arena when NYCFC and their rabble of fans will come out to Harrison for the third and final Hudson River Derby of the year. The Red Bulls have won the first two rather handily but tonight will be the first time the Citizen-Lites will have their big three of Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa available. Villa featured in both previous games while Lampard and Pirlo weren't on the active roster or on their way from Europe. Eschewing big names the Red Bulls are on a tear winning their last three MLS matches and have been playing very well. The Red Bulls are in fine form. The Wright-Phillips brothers together have been great in the attack and tonight the Red Bulls will be all about pace and going forward. NYCFC is hoping for more of a tactical traditional game as they don't wanna run with the Bulls.

Johnny thinks the Red Bulls tonight are going to run over and through the NYCFC side, with an early lead they may run riot. It'd be best if the NYCFC fanbase ie "rabble" mind their manners better on the PATH train on the way over. Johnny's planning on getting there early for the festivities and will have a full report as soon as he does.

Red Bulls vs NYCFC, a photostory

A look back at yesterday's festivities out in Harrison.

Everyone off the PATH and over to Red Bull Arena. We heard stories like ghosts in the crowd last night of some NYCFC fans delaying PATH rides as they got a bit too loud and rowdy on the train over. Forgive them, they're new at this.

Won't you help rescue a Red Bull?

When you are allowed on the pitch and in such a lid you are a man not to be trifled with.

Damien Perrinelle builds the Red Bulls offense from the back.

Matt Miazga says goodnight early after the maths say yellow plus yellow equals red.

The amazing David Villa lobbies for a call, a call he didn't get. The kid in front of Johnny cleverly shows off Villa's hairstyle circa 2011 at Barcelona.

The Red Bulls hold a tight back line against the pop-gun offense of NYCFC.

Two for the Red Bulls! Amazing how much offense they were able to generate with only ten men most of the game. This clash could easily have been 4-1 instead of 2-1.

Goodnight Harrison, thank god we'll only have to deal with these NYCFC fans as far as Journal Square when they change trains to 33rd St.

So it begins; Red Bulls vs NYCFC tonight!

Johnny will be there tonight signing autographs for the kids but let's NOT bury the lead, tonight in Harrison at Red Bulls Arena brings the first match between The New Jersey Red Bulls and NYCFC. In what Johnny is calling the Hudson River Derby tonight all MLS soccer eyes will be out in Harrison as a rivalry is born. The noobs, NYCFC and their star David Villa (Who happens to be Johnny's favorite player, mea culpa) take the PATH out to Harrison to take on the Red Bulls, yet another team living and playing in New Jersey who demand NYC's attention, as Stannis Baratheon would say, "Like beat dogs." and a team whose initial season thus far and lead up to it could be called second class. The NYCFC parent club Manchester City has enough money to make Solomon blush and yet the Cityzens must go to Yankee Stadium to watch them play because they don't have a stadium of their own. Manchester City, according to rumors, is ready to give Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola more money to manage their underwhelming European adventures than it would take to get NYCFC a real home. NYCFC also spent a good deal of time pushing season tickets with the promise of Man City's Frank Lampard coming to town only to have to admit after the fact, yeah they pretty much lied, he'd never signed an MLS contract at all and was staying at Manchester City at least until summer. Classic.

But, as the Devils and Rangers have managed to co-exist/co-hate one another Johnny thinks this is gonna be a fun derby. Sure, it'll take a wicked red card on someone's behalf or a great ending to really put the juice into it but it'll be great for local soccer fans.

To be honest Johnny's not an MLS fan. He doesn't watch usually unless the Red Bulls are playing a late match out west on a Saturday night. If that makes him a Euro snob it just does. He knows who he's going to support however in the Hudson River Derby. Sorry Mr. Villa, normally Johnny cheers wildly FOR you but as of today he's choosing a state, not a team.

GO Red Bulls!

We're just not sure what the Red Bulls are doing advertising-wise

Whether it be on their website or Twitter ads the New York Red Bulls (who have made their home in Harrison NJ forever) are plastering scenes and images of NYC all over their promotional materials. So, are the Red Bulls trying to shore up wavering fans who might be changing allegiances to an actual NYC team in NYCFC? Are they trying to let NYC fans know "He we play around here too?" Are they pissing off this New Jersey resident with this advertising? Oh you better believe it. In Johnny's opinion the Red Bulls have been kicking around the greater NJ/NYC area for over a decade and not doing a whole lot to truly become this region's MLS team. Wanna know who obviously agrees with Johnny? The MLS or why would they have dropped Manchester City's little club over at Yankee Stadium? If the Red Bulls were a hugely successful and iconic team here that move may have been to another city for Man City. It wasn't though and the fanbase was ripe to be picked over by NYCFC.

It does not help the Red Bulls that Thierry Henry left after last season while David Villa arrives at NYCFC and after the first home game is treated to this. When was the last time that happened in Harrison after a Red Bulls game? What did the Red Bulls, so successful in their playoff run last season do to improve and bring fans to Harrison? Fired their manager and not a whole lot else. Johnny's of the mind if the Red Bulls don't figure out a real marketing plan (and it's going to involve the Red Bulls actually stooping to advertising to New Jersey residents and having events in New Jersey unlike their big one coming up in Brooklyn).

Johnny fears if the Red Bulls don't start grabbing the attention of New Jersey residents and those closest to Red Bull Arena they could be gone in time. They've never really captured the imagination of NYC residents in the numbers they'd hoped. Their success or failure is going to stand on whether or not they really love where they play or still wantonly just keep looking east across the Hudson River because those fans have a new team to call their own.

Does New Jersey?

NYCFC is set to make some huge announcements soon

Now, Johnny's Spanish isn't all that great but he can hack his way through (same with French from all those years listening to Red Wings and Canadiens games on a French radio station -- guess you could say Johnny hacks away at three languages) and it means FC Barcelona would like to have Xavi Hernandez say his goodbyes (and nobody has ever earned more time to say goodbye than Xavi at Barca) and move to, as reported here months ago, to NYCFC where he will join former teammate David Villa and most likely Frank Lampost--er Lampard. These announcements should be coming along in a week's time if not sooner.

Your home for NYCFC news, right here, from time-to-time.

This really is the best blog in this price range isn't it?

World Cup Today -- Day 8

What an amazing tournament this has been. More goals at this point than any World Cup since 1958 and isn't that what Americans supposedly hate about soccer, no scoring? Hats off to all the managers who have decided to unleash their teams rather than playing it safe. Also, before one laughs off Spain's crash and burn let's take a moment to realize how they changed this game. They may be the reason we're seeing so much scoring with their tiki-taka, ball possession, move it forward game. Since 2008 Spain has been the best in the world and proved it at the Euro 2008 and 2012 sandwiching a World Cup win in 2010. A tip of the cap to Spain might be a better send-off than a snicker or a derisive snort. But back to today. Columbia plays the Ivory Coast in a very important game and none bigger than The Three Lions of England who play a survival match against La Celeste of Uruguay, both losers in their opening matches. Ypsilanti Michigan, named after Greek General Demetrius Ypsilanti, will no doubt be cheering hard for Greece at 6pm. Today's matches:

Columbia vs Ivory Coast noon
England vs Uruguay 3pm
Japan vs Greece 6pm

World Cup Today -- Day 7

So, here we are one week in and WHAT a phenomenal World Cup we have shaping up. Plenty of goals, late goals, lead changes, substitutes scoring goals and plenty of fan enthusiasm. With that here is today's lineup featuring a 3pm battle where World Cup defending champions Spain for for their very soccer lives and continued dynasty against Chile.

Netherlands vs Australia noon
Chile vs Spain 3pm
Cameroon vs Croatia 6pm

Now THIS is some soccer news; David Villa is headed to NYC FC

Johnny's fave-o-rite player and Spain's all-time leading international scorer, David Villa is headed to NYCFC according to a report on ESPN. David Villa played this last season with La Liga champions Atletico Madrid after playing the previous three seasons at FC Barcelona and scoring in the Champion's League Final against Manchester United in Barca's 3-1 victory in London in 2011.

El Guaje (The Kid) is known as a striker with an amazing nose for the net from any angle from any distance. He led the Wold Cup in goals in 2010 as Spain won the whole thing. Mr. Villa, show us what fans can expect:

It's a news-y roundup kind of day

*Mayor Wile E. Bloomberg's team has actually retrofitted regular window-size air conditioners to fit in the windows of his Chevy Suburbans to keep them cool while Mayor Mike is on official city business. Hey, Johnny likes to joke around but he's SERIOUS, retrofitted air conditioners!

*Jersey City's Patrick Allocco was arrested in FuHo for apparently making some kind of political statement by yakking on two police cruisers. OK, maybe it wasn't a political statement and perhaps it was too much booze telling him to puke on two cops cars. We'll find out in court no doubt.

*After reading this story you might just want to rethink doing business at Wawa convenience stores. Just idiots. And the customers were no better.

*If you'd like to see a city at war with itself over soccer head over to the Ironbound in Newark today for the 2:45 match between Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal and La Furia Rojas, the World Champions from Spain. Get there early and pick a side and get ready to defend your choice (Johnny chooses Spain).

David Villa will be missed today!

USA vs Spain at 4:30 in a wonderful soccer friendly

Team USA will take the pitch at Foxboro Mass at 4:30 against reigning World and European champions Spain. Those who follow the beautiful game know that the last time the USA and La Furia Roja played in 2009 in South Africa in the Confederations Cup semi-final, it was a global shocker of a result as the USA plugged the middle of the pitch and let Spain try the sideline attack and the USA defeated Spain 2-0.

No doubt the Spaniards will be looking for revenge. Ever the optimist Johnny will call this game at 1-0 USA.