SoccerPundit

Falling off the edge of the Earth

2005-11-27T20:55:00.000-05:00

From the President of the Flat Earth Society, the SoccerScribe -

In case you missed it a couple of weeks ago, and most probably did, the Flat-Ball Society grunted again.Along the lines of Jim Rome, Frank Deford and the anonymous sports talk show host in the Nike commercial that opens the spot with: "OK, let's take two minutes to talk about soccer, which is about two seconds more than it deserves" (which by the way the tune that follows has become a bit of a battle hymn), the latest flat-head spokesman has shrieked.Identifying the latest pseudo-intellectual to ascend to the throne of Grand Wizard for Exalted Society of American Sports Bigots would only feed his ego, which is considerable already. His identity is irrelevant, as is what he wrote, which followed along the lines of previous screeds of his numerous predecessors.What is relevant, and what to keep in mind as we continue forward, is just this: be prepared. The stupidity which until now has been fairly scattershot, will become more frequent, more inane and shriller as the flat-ball society members see their domain shrink. Instead of realizing soccer is a sport _ not an alien virus, societal upheaval or cultural threat _ and just learn a little about it, they will withdraw into their sanctuary of ignorance and lob as many spitballs as possible to defend their bigotry.In quick summary, the latest silliness proffered that "soccer" _ and more specifically Major League Soccer _ owed "an apology" to the country for continually promising to be the "next big thing" and never delivering.In other words, the writer was tired of hearing about soccer. It apparently impinges on his ability to watch, read, hear about the more important things in life like the NBA, the NFL, MLB, etc. For as we all know, soccer is crowding those topics off the tube and sports pages.He and his particular screed were irrelevant, because nothing in it was new. I've been hearing and reading the same arguments for 20 years, and yet soccer continues its march north. His ilk have continually retreated in their arguments; he's just the latest who's been told to defend the valley with the rocks and sling.Twenty years ago, at the time the NASL died, my colleagues in sports journalism _ the baseball, football, basketball crowd _ quietly celebrated. They thought they had finally buried soccer. Most didn't overtly fete the death. First, because the MISL was in ascendancy, and secondly, the NASL was dead. They already had killed it. They didn't have to talk about it, which was the objective in the first place.But as soccer has continued to rise, first with the U.S. qualification for the 1990 World Cup, then the 3.5 million who showed up at the 1994 World Cup in the U.S., then the launch of MLS, then the quarterfinal appearance of the U.S. in 2002.the flat-ballers have seen the fringes of their empire encroached upon.As they lose more territory, their attacks have become increasingly braying. More and more, the flat-ballers' latest line of defense is to equate soccer with what they call "niche" sports such as arena football, lacrosse, etc. But when was the last anti-lacrosse or arena ball-bashing column you can recall reading?If soccer was as inconsequential as they claim, why would it warrant such a full-frontal assault?To some degree, stock-car racing used to endure such idiocies, at least in the Northeast. At first, it was a "redneck" sport, then it was a regional sport, now it's the second-most watched sports property on television in the United States.With MLS about to make money for the first time, the situation will worsen for the flat-ballers even more quickly. The MLS Pictures program that aired MLS Cup weekend on Fox Soccer Channel was the first foray by adidas to improve the league's image by taking it into a more general entertainment forum. Adidas has committed $150 million on MLS over 10 years. It now is invested in MLS in a big way.They apparently don't intend to waste that $150 million. They will spend even more on MLS Pictures.The production of MLS Pictures will become more professional, more frequent and more glamorous, appealing to a wider and wider audience _ much like NFL Films has done for pointyball since Ed Sabol started his little outfit by packaging the 1960 NFL Championship game.It will aid soccer as it continues its ascendancy in the American sports landscape, gaining numbers as more and more join the parade.Besides attracting the casual sports fan, I could venture a wild prediction that soccer also will ensnare the flat-ballers too. And no doubt, a few will be caught in the net. But the practical side of me, hewn from 25 years in sports journalism, believes that this is the American sports version of the Ottoman Empire.Fat, lazy and bureaucratic, American sports journalism is pretty decrepit. They are invested in maintaining the status quo. They will use the only weapon they have to protect their investments, and their status. They will throw words, more and more words, and pretty nasty ones, too, believing that the keyboard is mightier than the rolling ball.But just as in rock/paper/scissors, ball crushes keyboard _ usually with a distinctive cracking sound.So just like fatally doomed souls about to get engulfed by the rapidly approaching avalanche, the cries of sports writers and columnists will get louder just before they get squashed.

He drink whiskey, Poncho drink the wine

2005-11-16T21:04:00.000-05:00

The original Frisco Kid, the SoccerScribe -

Frisco, Texas (Nov. 13, 2005) _ It started off ugly with three fouls by New England in the first two minutes and degenerated from there.One team came to Frisco, Texas, to play what most of us would call soccer on Sunday, while the other.I'm not sure what they came to do.It was clear that the Steve Nicol-led Revolution didn't think they were going to wow the soccer world with style at MLS Cup _ and they weren't going let LA wow anybody either. In the post-game press conference, Nicol said they tried to be consistent with what gave them success during the regular season.I saw the Revs a couple of times during the regular season. I don't remember it being that bad. Well, now wait a minute. I did see it that bad. I saw it that bad through three playoff games.The Revs played abut 25-30 minutes of decent ball through the playoffs, most of it in the final 20 minutes of the second leg against the MetroStars.I guess I'm ripping on the Revs because I was so disappointed by Sunday's game. Unless you were a Galaxy fan, it was hard to be otherwise. With Taylor Twellman on one side, and Landon Donovan on the other, this could have been a really good game.I shouldn't complain too loudly. I won five bucks off LA (last of the big-time gamblers!)And I really shouldn't be that disappointed. I knew it probably was going to be a one-sided show. I just thought it would be a bit more entertaining than what it was.Sunday morning, sitting with three others on the way to the game, one person in the group asked for predictions. Of the four, I was the only one who said the Galaxy, and I said 3-1. One guy looked at me with a hairy eyeball, put his index finger and thumb together at his lips, inhaled quickly and said: Here, have some of mine!But was I really that off? Donovan wore "a cape" through the playoffs, as Chris Albright said. The Revs were awful, but somehow won. There was always the thought the Revs could explode, but they never did.On Sunday, the Galaxy persevered and the Revs' fuse burned out.The foreshadowing was evident. Besides the three quick fouls, Twellman didn't get a touch of the ball for the first nine minutes, didn't get a shot until the 32nd and New England didn't generate anything remotely dangerous until the 26th minute.Meanwhile, by the time the Revs created their first chance, they already had picked up two yellows.The Galaxy on the other hand seemed to be playing a modified counter-attack strategy: Get it to Landon and let him lead a jailbreak.One wag in the post-game press conference prefaced a question to Nicol by saying the Revs "contained" Landon. If you mean by contained he didn't score or set up a goal, maybe. He still sent in the corner that Pando Ramirez booted in after the best Reis could do was punch it to the top of the area.But he was instrumental in nearly every chance created by the Galaxy, which out shot New England 25-11 and 9-2 in ones that were on goal!He sprung Chris Albright down the right in the 19th minute, a rush in which Albright himself contributed with a nice move that fizzled at the end but made me think at the time he might prove to be the difference considering the way the game was developing.Landon's best moment came right before halftime with his run and left-footed blast that Matt Reis had to stretch to knock away.This isn't all to praise LA. Herculez Gomez was a study in how to put shots over the bar. And LA fell prey to New England's tactics relatively early and unfortunately adopted many of them.Todd Dunivant's foul at midfield on Steve Ralston which earned the LA left back his card in the 33rd was a shrewd professional foul, but probably unnecessary. The hobbled Ralston had been very tentative coming forward, had no help at the start of the play and likely would have had to pull the ball back.But after that, the street fight was on. Fifty-one fouls (LA 27, NE 24) and a record 10 yellows (miraculously no reds).Clint Dempsey said the early fouls were a "message" that slowed the game. I'm no cryptologist but the only thing I could decipher was that New England felt LA had more skilled players, they we're going to whack 'em to intimidate LA, and the Galaxy retaliated by whacking back to say we can hit harder.Nicol's first substitution also left me flummoxed. Both Ralston and Shalrie Joseph came in with knocks. Ralston was tentative, and Joseph already was grabbing his hamstring and calves by the time Nicol decided to make a switch in the 64th.The thinking, Nicol said, was that after the regular battle plan that worked during the season didn't produce any results through 60 minutes, a change was in order. So he pulled Pat Noonan, which _ granted _ didn't have a shot and I'm not sure if he even had a touch, for Jose Cancela.The Revs aren't producing, so you pull a forward?! Nicol said he didn't want to give up anything defensively (like dousing the flames right before they hit the gasoline is an effective strategy), so the odd man out was Noonan. With Daniel Hernandez and Joseph, do you really need TWO defensive midfielders? Joseph got in a few headers and broke up a few things, but the man appeared to be hurting.It says something about your team when one can make an argument that you're right back, Jay Heaps, is arguably your most effective offensive threat!The better team won and I guess that's some consolation. Steve Sampson, who was blamed for the 1998 World Cup debacle _ most of it rightly so, now has a title and a reason to say he was unjustly blamed for France.There were some interesting things that came out of Frisco this weekend. It just could have been so much more.

Reporting from the Pine Trees

2005-11-09T16:26:00.000-05:00

SoccerScribe is on the sport, down in Frisco training hard for the MLS Media game. But if there is news to be had, this has got to be it. MLS, ladies and gentlemen, may turn a profit.

Missing amid all the reports that likely will come out of Frisco and MLS Cup this week is probably the biggest story of all _ MLS is about to turn a profit.Buried in last week's reports about the 2010 and 2014 World Cup television rights deals for the United States was that the packages included handshake agreements between Univision and ABC/ESPN/MOUSE with MLS about the league's next television contracts.At first glance that may not raise an eyebrow.

But MLS grand poobah Don Garber also was quoted, indirectly, as saying the league is expecting rights fees for those contracts.Univision and ABC want programming to keep their showcase events: World Cup, Women's World Cup, etc., in the public's field of vision.And apparently they are will to spend a little coin to get the best advertisement for an American audience that they can, MLS.How much coin is a guess, but if MLS gets a mere $5 million per year from both Univision and Disney, profitability is essentially achieved. Considering MLS has never received rights fees in 10 years, some may wonder which planet I'm from.But it could be more than $5 mil each.Ten million dollars a year is a pittance compared to the nearly half of a billion ($425 million exactly) Univision and Disney just committed to FIFA.To realize what makes these numbers significant, consider two years ago when Kevin Payne, then under the AEG umbrella, acknowledged that each MLS team had to kick in between $2.4 million-$2.5 million to the league as part of the "cash calls" to cover the league's expenses.

That meant MLS HQ ran through all the money it generated at the league level and needed more from the "investor-operators" to run league operations. Multiply it by 10 teams, and the number comes to $24 million to $25 million _ MLS' yearly loss for 2003.Payne's disclosure came in a report about the Galaxy becoming the first MLS team to report a profit, albeit a relatively modest sum of about $250,000.If you assume Garber has held the line on spending, and losses have not increased dramatically, the annual loss has remained at about $25 million.Now take the $10 million from Univision/ABC and add it to the $15 million annually from Adidas (recall that $150 million, 10-year deal signed earlier this year) and you get $25 million _ break even.MLS started the reserve league with some of the Adidas money, so the numbers don't exactly match. But $5 million from each Univision and ABC was a number I devised to make the math easy.If it's $10 million per year from both ABC and Univision, we're up to $35 million from the TV networks and Adidas, and that surely will cover the previous annual loss totals. And that doesn't take into account the one-time expansion fees (which Garber said would be "slightly more" than the $10 million Chivas and RSL paid) from Toronto and/or any other city MLS decides to admit to its fraternity.

The league could redistribute the excess to the clubs, or more likely, use it to acquire higher profile players, better promotions, etc.Either way, profit is assured. LA's $250,000 profit becomes a $3 million profit. Columbus, who Lamar Hunt said would be profitable without the cash calls, automatically becomes profitable.Chicago, which Peter Wilt said before he was ousted would become profitable with its new building in Bridgeview (including the cash calls), now is guaranteed an additional $2.5 million in profit to whatever they were projecting next year with the opening of their home.

Dallas likewise. Colorado in 2007. Whispers have been around since 1996 that the New England Revolution have been near profitable or break-even every year since the beginning due to fact that the Krafts own their own building and don't gouge the Revs. They now are guaranteed a profit.Sore spots remain: including the sorest spot of all _ the MetroStars, who I have heard lose $6 million-$7 million a year. Not having to pay $2.5 million to the league will get you down the road, but that light at the end of the tunnel is still just a dot. But they say they have a stadium on the way for 2007 (hack, cough, gag _ sorry, but the body has a difficult time swallowing things like that!) D.C.'s stadium plans are still not definitive. The situations with San Jose and KC are another matter. Chivas, and its virtual monopoly on revenue from advertisers from companies trying to reach Spanish-speaking Hispanics, has unique circumstances.But we "soccer smugnuts" _ as Frank Deford once called us _ have another reason to be smug and twist it into the ear of the Deford-like U.S. sports swammiyobs.

They told us "no one" would go to the 1994 World Cup, and then said it was "just a bunch of foreigners" that comprised the record attendance of 3.5 million. They said MLS wouldn't last a season. We're finishing 10.They said soccer would never make a profit. The '94 World Cup, the 1999 and 2003 Women's World Cup all made money and now, MLS is about to as well.University of Oregon sports marketing professor Paul Swangard said two years ago when asked to comment on the Galaxy development that when MLS reached profitability that it would be an evergreen.

Take a walk outside MLS fans, smell the pine.

Pornographic Amount of Money

2005-11-06T20:32:00.000-05:00

Finding inspiration from the adult movie industry, here is the SoccerScribe -

If, as Sepp Blatter claims, Chelsea and other major European clubs are pouring "pornographic amounts of money" into the game, does that mean the FIFA president is getting the equivalent of a soccer lap dance?Blatter seems to be particularly bothered by Roman Abramovic spending the $500 million or more to acquire players for Chelsea, and the yearly shore leaves by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Juventus, et al, to buy talent for the new campaigns.The argument goes, and it's not without merit, that a handful of teams end up with all the best players, that they monopolize all the sponsorship money and titles, leaving the majority of clubs in each league to compete in a de facto second-level competition.It follows that this becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. Additionally, these massive clubs have to find new streams of revenue to feed their ever-increasing budgets and thus end up making exhausting pre-season or post-season exhibition tours.The argument made by Blatter _ and others _ is hard to dispute. There is little to defend. One can claim things like free market principles, but it's like trying to portray George Steinbrenner as a paragon of virtue.The Abramovics or Chelseas of the world do little for the welfare of soccer. They may win titles and delight their fans _ gaining praise and glory along the way, but they also very likely stifle interest of many others who will lose interest knowing the outcome has been predetermined.Yet, despite the worthiness of the argument, its righteousness is nearly _ if not entirely _ lost due to the messenger.Of all the people to make the argument of restraint, Blatter is probably the worst choice.Literally, books have been written (Badfellas, Great Balls of Fire to name two) detailing the accusations of corruption and excess by Blatter and his predecessor Joao Havelange _ paid for with the dollar bills stuffed into their metaphorical G-strings.FIFA generated about $2 billion in revenue from the 2002 World Cup. It will make about $1.2 billion just for the television rights to the 2006 World Cup. For 2010, they've already sold the European television rights alone for about $1.2 billion. That doesn't count sponsorship or TV rights from the other five continents.The world body began the Financial Assistance Programme in 1996 that redistributed some of that cash by sending $250,000 a year to each national federation and $2.5 million to each confederation.That's $60 million every four years to the confederations, and about $800 million to the federations. That still leaves over $1.1 billion. Subsequently, the GOAL Programme has been instituted to help the "poorer" federations, and FIFA never misses an opportunity to publicize the field it builds in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.The more cynical among us view both programs as little more than bribery, paying off the voting members of FIFA's Congress with cash to keep Blatter and his ilk comfortably in Zurich.Using FIFA's billions to travel the world first-class, stay in five-star accommodations, shake the hands of heads of state and receive plaudits at state dinners and the United Nations for doing little more than.spending millions to travel the world first-class, stay in five-star accommodations, shake the hands of heads of state and receive plaudits at state dinners and the United Nations hardly seems a qualification to criticize others for immoderation.Additionally, allegations of making the Abramovics to be unworthy interlopers because of a perceived lack of history of appreciation for the game probably are best left to someone who didn't start out as an ice hockey PR guy.If Blatter and FIFA are serious about making a significant argument, surely they can find a more convincing advocate.Michel Platini has credibility, and doesn't come with the moving van of baggage that Blatter does. He's just one of several former players that come to mind, but he's already in Blatter's camp and seems the most likely.Regardless, the argument needs a new face. Otherwise, this is like a prostitute complaining that the strip club is ruining the neighborhood.

World Cup TV Rights

2005-10-25T20:43:00.000-04:00

So, don't be surprised if on Wednesday FIFA announces who it is awarding television rights in the US to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. And don't knickers all in a bunch if SUM doesn't get them.

The spoils will go to either ABC/ESPN, Fox and NBC/Telemundo. MLS already has relations with ABC/ESPN and Fox, and NBC has been making overtures. Apparently, all three have discussed packaging the World Cup with MLS games for cross-promotions which could earn its first rights fees.

Look for Garber to to be quoted as saying he expects the next TV deal to garner rights fee's in the USA Today on Wednesday.

Wilbon, Kornheiser and the SoccerScribe

2005-10-24T21:21:00.000-04:00

It's a bird, it's a plane! It's SoccerScribe. If it weren't for him, we would all be slaves to the Legion of Doom.

The boys over at MLS HQ were smiling the other night. I was a bit more somber (exasperated, actually, but that doesn't start with an "s".)

MLS folk were happy because Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon had discussed Freddy Adu on Wednesday on their ESPN talk show, Pardon the Interruption, also known as PTI.

I was less enthused because Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon had discussed Freddy Adu on Wednesday on their ESPN talk show, Pardon the Interruption, also known as PTI. MLS liked having Freddy as a topic of discussion on PTI. It's a symbol to them that MLS is becoming a little more mainstream. Maybe.

If nonsensical discussion counts for mainstream, then I guess MLS has arrived. I don't watch PTI, or haven't watched for a long time, because I came to the conclusion that listening/watching Kornheiser and Wilbon is about as useful as going to my local pub for a discussion on nuclear fusion.They're not complete idiots, but they're near complete.

I only paid attention Wednesday because a colleague was watching as I walked out of work, and I caught a glimpse of "Adu" in their "rundown."Freddy, all 16 years of him, wants to play more. Show me a non-regular that doesn't. He said so publicly on Tuesday of last week, and added that he might look for another team once the off-season hits. Personally, I think Freddy is becoming a brat. But teenagers are like that. I've seen worse brats, and much older than Freddy. Maybe Rich Motzkin should catch a red-eye from Los Angeles and have a chat with his young padawan. I've watched Freddy, in person and on TV, and yeah, there are times when you nod your head. There are also times when you wonder where he's disappeared to. I haven't heard one knowledgeable soccer person/fan in the past two years say: "Ya know, Nowak's an idiot for not playing Freddy more."Maybe that's because Nowak has taken a team that missed the playoffs three times in the four years before his arrival and took it to the title in his first season, and has the third-best record in the league this season.

But predictably, Kornheiser and Wilbon sided with Adu. They expressed essentially the same point last year when Adu didn't start D.C. United's home opener, nor a lot of other early games.Their point then, and now, was not that Adu was a better player than others starting in front of him, but that "the fans", "the people" wanted to see Adu, and that MLS is so hard up for spectators, they should play him. D.C. United management, or MLS itself, should order Peter Nowak to play Adu.

This from one guy (Kornheiser) who, my D.C. sources tell me, has NEVER shown up at a game (at least in the press box), and another (Wilbon) who hasn't been to a game in "at least 3-4 years." I guess they TiVo the games on their Direct Kick package! Wilbon tried to make an argument that came down to: Adu isn't that bad. Gee, that's inspiring.Nobody said he was bad, but as Nick Rimando pointed out in at least one account that I read - and I mentioned above - he's inconsistent.Wilbon compounded his idiocy by ranting in a subsequent Washington Post column that MLS "played" Adu and that the league committed fraud by touting Freddy as some great savior and then not showcasing him as such. This must be the same kind of fraud that the Washington Post perpetrates by saying it will publish informed opinion and reasoned commentary and then publishes Wilbon's rubbish.

Kornheiser prattled on saying something to the effect that "this was about marketing," and "MLS is never going to expand beyond its core fans" unless it did something like play Adu. I remember those kind of arguments in 1996, which led to the oh-so-popular countdown clock and who could ever forget, shootouts! Thankfully, one of the first acts of Don Garber after he took over in 1999 was to ban both, realizing that the shootout and countdown clock weren't attracting all that many new fans and were in fact alienating the old ones _ a lot of them. Now, we (Nowak, D.C. United, MLS, soccer fans) are supposed to take advice from these two, one guy who hasn't shown up to watch Freddy - who's played in 55 of 62 games over the past two years including 30 starts - since he showed up, and the other who has NEVER covered a game!!!!If they wanted to make an argument that Freddy is better than Moreno or Gomez or even Quaranta or Walker, maybe I would be less critical. I wouldn't agree with them, but I'd hear them out.

Their argument really is that MLS, i.e. soccer, must be a circus side show, the bearded lady, the dog-faced boy, the two-headed man, to gain attention. It's not an under-the-big-tent act, like the NFL, MLB, NBA, etc. and never will be.This is the thought process that pervades the over-45 set. As Agent J said: "Hey! Old guys."Wake up. Besides being old, you're not very bright. Do you mind getting out of the way? Down in front.It's not a side show to us: the 15,000 or so who show up at every game every week. And we're not going to become one just to satisfy your infantile attention span.

The boys over at MLS were happy because of the attention. I can understand that, because the younger set also watches PTI (proving the adage of youth being wasted on the young!) But while it may increase exposure, I'm dubious as to how many seeds are falling on fertile ground. MLS is happy with their name in the discussion. I guess I'm looking for an educated discussion, and I should know better than to look for it from guys like Kornheiser and Wilbon, or in places like ESPN.

Of Blind Squirells and Acorns

2005-10-13T21:49:00.000-04:00

With the explosive power of an A1 Abrams Tank, and the acerbic prose of Maureen Dowd, we have the SoccerScribe -

Maybe for all the wrong reasons, FIFA actually has done something right. Come December, the second Club World Championship FINALLY will be staged. Despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth by Euro snobs, the imperfect tournament will determine on the field, not in polls, or boardrooms _ or pubs, which is the best club in the world.
Unlike the Intercontinental-later-named Toyota Cup, which limited participants to Europe and South America, the Club World Championship will give each continent a shot. For those that consider the notion silly, because we all "know" the best club football is played in Europe, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association would love to have you speak on their behalf to defend the notion that their league champion is the "world champion."
Back in 1960, when leagues in Asia, Africa and CONCACAF were limited, the idea of restricting the Intercontinental Cup to Europe and South America probably made sense. But like everything else in life, nothing remains the same.
Europe may still pay the most, and therefore draw most of the best talent; and South America (i.e. Brazil and Argentina) may still produce a large portion of that talent for European clubs; and Asia, Africa and CONCACAF league may still have a long way to go to match the variety and depth of talent as Europe and South America; but then let this all be proven on the field.
The resistance from the European clubs has numerous origins, not the least of which is obviously money. Tradition, arrogance, inconvenience, self-righteousness and ignorance also factor into their opposition, which probably accounts for all the hostility from the street level.
There seems little glory for Liverpool fans to boast they beat Saprissa, a club probably which the overwhelming major of Liverpudlians, Brits or Europeans don't know where is located.
But in 1960, how many Real Madrid fans had really had heard of Penarol? How many today can identify its country of origin? (By the way, it's Uruguay.) The first Club Worlds in 2000 was won by Corinthians (Brazil for those of you wondering). It wasn't overwhelmingly received (probably because new things usually are met with skepticism and disdain in traditional institutions _ like soccer).
The second fell apart due to a lack of sponsorship money and not so subtle antagonism from UEFA. The Europeans insist that the outcome of the first two events demonstrate that there is "NO" interest or desire for the tournament and that it only adds to an already crowded calendar.
That is the opinion of many _ especially in Europe. And while it does add to the calendar, a one whole team is required for all of a week. Absolutely burdensome!Of course the three-week jaunts by Milan, Manchester United, Real, Barcelona, and the rest of the G14+4gang, to the United States and Asia don't have any negative impact on their players!
This schoolyard argument really comes down to who is in control. The major European clubs (read the G14+4) want to be the biggest bullies on the block. They don't run the tournament; they don't control its revenue, timing or structure. FIFA still thinks it is. They also could lose more than a little prestige by getting beaten by some club from nowhere _ which means anywhere outside Europe.
And while there are still elements of the tournament that probably could be improved, the idea of determining a true club world champion seems like a natural. What seems unnatural is that the most played, watched and global of sports does not have a true champion.And if your argument is that the Club World Championship will not really crown the best on the planet, then ask yourself, is a team that finished fifth in England last season really the best in all of Europe?

Another Class Move by an AEG Representative

2005-10-04T21:28:00.000-04:00

I am a bit dissapointed in MLS in general, and the Metrostars in particular. I was going to refrain from posting until the dust settled, but I received this email from someone in MLS. I thought it was worth the read.

From MLSFrontman -

Well, not that it wasn't clear as day that it was something that was coming down the pike, but if you haven't seen, Bob Bradley was relieved of his duties as head coach of the Metro. Like I said, this was not necessarilly a surprise. What did come as a surprise is that AEG Metro front man, Alexi Lalas did so with three games remaining in the season. Why not let his contract run-out at the end of the season? Why let him go now? Well, only Alexi knows, but it is clear that Coach Bradley does not fit in the new Metro organization.

But one has to wonder about how AEG is managing it's teams and it's personnel. Of the teams it appears that San Jose is performing the best... interestingly enough it is the Earthquakes that interest AEG Management the least.... But from an administration stand point, it is becoming painfully obvious that AEG has given the reigns to individuals like Lalas, Guppy and Hamilton who approach soccer, the playing of the game, more as an ancilliary responsibility to selling tickets.

Take Guppy for example. The embarressment that is Scott Blackmun, COO of AEG, ousted out with an executive of the Metrostars who had, at best, and league documents and statistics would bear this out, a mediocre sales record. But according to Blackmun, Guppy was from a "model" franchise that was best suited to lead the Fire into a new era. Of course, he didn't tell you that by any measurable sales statistic except Corporate Sales, the Metrostars we well behind Wilt's Fire. And even in Corporate Sales, if you take away the MSG deal, you are left with a 1/4 of the total $1.5 million in corp sales.

And how was Wilt treated for his years of service? Poorly. Even the Commissioner was pissed at the decision.

Meanwhile out in LA, Doug Hamilton is working on making the HDC the center for everything else but good soccer. And for that, he is considered an AEG up-and-comer in the organization. But you wouldn't think that since every time the Galaxy step on the field, they have been outmatched, outclassed, and outplayed(In spite of their Open Cup win). But hey, it was Sampson and not Sigi who was going to have them play attractive soccer. Of course, half the time it is nearly impossible to play attractive soccer on a field that gets beat up weekly by events other than soccer.

And now we have the joke that is the model franchise, the Metrostars. For his years of incompetence, dereliction of responsibilities, and pandering to his bosses, Nick Sackiewicz was moved up in the organization, replaced by the empty suit that is Alexi Lalas. His mission was to reconnect with the fans, and as such, he went out shaking hands. His promise of Super Clubs, and a new era were quickly dismissed as stage craft. His first action as the Metro GM was to fire two confidants of Coach Bradley. Some confidence. Then there was the promise that he gave Bradley that he would be allowed to see out his contract.

The man who flipped off the ESC when he was a Metro player, flipped off the man "he had tremedous respect for." Obviously not that much. The guy who was a mediocre GM in San Jose is now tightening his grip on the Metro. Mark my words - its more of the same in the swamp.

The Future

2005-10-03T21:48:00.000-04:00

It dawned on me the other day, that maybe the best thing for soccer MAY NOT be the growth in MLS. That maybe, just maybe, it is good that it is a second tier league. Better yet, still the best leagues remain in Europe.

"How dare I?", you say. Well, I came to the realization that in Europe there is an emotional attachment to teams that exceeds the financial aspects of the game. There is a sort of familial loyalty to the game that here, well, no such thing exists. MLS is structured in such a way that fan loyalty isn't that important.

What is important to MLS is the advertising revenue that could be had if the league had some "Buzz," or tv revenue the size of a small nations gross domestic product. But the fan loyalty part? No, not really.

MLS Executive of the Year Nick Sackiewicz boiled it down to butts-in-seats. He could care less what butts they were as long as they paid. Sadly, this is the way of MLS.

So with that, I got to thinking that maybe it would be so great for MLS to succeed like many hope. If it did, it could buy any player it wanted, it could be a league unparalleled in the world. Unfortunately, is would be a league of stars - Long on name recognition, short on any real sentimentality; as popular as sliced bread, but as shallow as a wafer thin mint.

Ah well, we won't be there for awhile. As long as we enjoy such decision makers as Alexi Lalas at the helm of the MLS SuperClub... we've got nothing to worry about.

The SoccerScribe Weekly

2005-10-03T21:44:00.000-04:00

He is without a doubt more published and prolific than the mythical Paul Gardner, although they are equally opinionated...

From the SoccerScribe

Money makes the world go around, or so the song says. It also can make your head spin.And the more money that is made in soccer, the headaches can easily become debilitating migraines.

The latest artillery fire to be heard in soccer was earlier this week in the border dispute between club and country when Bayern Munich, Schalke and Werder Bremen demanded the German federation (known by its German acronym the DFB) increase its payment to the clubs each time they release a player for the national team.

I didn't know the DFB already had paid 6,000 euros ($7,200) per player per game, but now the clubs want more. They claim that they have to pay the players when they are away and that if the players get injured while on national team duty, they lose their services without compensation.

It SOUNDS reasonable. Soccer (football) federations around the globe make money off their team, players and games. They sell tickets, sponsorships and television rights.But this is the same argument made by the players, most recently in this country earlier this year by Donovan, Reyna, Keller, et al, when the dispute nearly forced the U.S. federation (USSF) to field a team of USLers for the start of the final round of World Cup qualifying.The U.S. players, or at least their Washington-based attorney - Mark Levinstein, claim the federation makes gobs of money, all on the backs of the players and they deserve the lion's share of it.

What both the clubs and the players seem to forget in this dance is that most national associations are non-profit organizations. They money isn't going to an owner or shareholders. It goes back into youth development teams, referee programs, clinics, etc.I'm not stoopid. I realize that there are many federations around the world where corruption is rampant, particularly in places like Africa. And that some federation officials are paid very well and get perks that are extravagant even by extravagant measures.

There are not a lot of good guys in this fight, just some that are not as bad as others.Federations, confederations and FIFA make millions (in FIFA's case billions) on national teams, continental championships and the World Cup.Big clubs make tens of millions; "star" players make millions. And they all have this symbiotic relationship. Nobody would make any money - or at best considerably less -- without the others.

FIFA, the confederations and the associations need the players for the games and the clubs to help develop them. But the players and teams use the fame earned at the national team level to increase their marketability as well.

David Beckham may have gained fame with Manchester United and Real Madrid, but his worldwide reputation comes from the English national team and the World Cup. Similarly, Landon Donovan is better known for his exploits in South Korea in 2002 and qualifying not for his play in San Jose or Los Angeles.Ryan Giggs is one of the few who doesn't owe much to his national team - Wales.Players are now asked to compete 12 months a year. But that is largely due to clubs playing in extra cups and off-season friendlies to pay the salaries of the players they've signed.Still, in the case of the elite players and teams, they are compensated well. And many are double dipping, since when they are away on national team duty - as the clubs have noted, they get paid by both their federation and club.Since they are getting paid by the club while on national team duty, should they give the stipend from the federation to their club?

What's that age-old concept: fat chance?Bayern, Schalke and Bremen's whine is only the latest in the growing feud between FIFA and the major European clubs (i.e. the G14+4).Both sides seem to think they alone should make the rules.FIFA sends millions back to the federations and confederations by way of annual and quadrennial payments. But with its reputation of five-star accommodations and other perks for members, FIFA hasn't exactly showered itself with glory, further sullied by unilaterally adding unnecessary events like the Confederations Cup.But major European clubs are just as despicable by opposing the Club World Championship and its relatively recent demand of payments from FIFA.

Everybody seems to think they're entitled to someone else's money, time or effort.

As noted, with the symbiotic - or more cynically said, parasitic - relationship between all involved, players, clubs and associations/FIFA might want to find ways to cooperate rather than agitate. Because, if one suffers, they all suffer.And don't get me started on the women's national team.

2005-09-21T08:13:00.000-04:00

From the SoccerScribe. As prolific as ever -

Watch any MLS game and, if you take notice of the sign boards, you will see the one right at midfield every time the camera pans back and forth that blares: AMERICA'S SOCCER.

A nice thought but, coincidental to Don Garber's "branding" strategy (not a coincidence that it is part of the strategy but a coincidence that it's a nice thought and part of the strategy.) I couldn't help but sigh as I watched Chivas-San Jose Saturday night, seeing the black-and-silver board scroll repeatedly as Paco Palencia and Juan Pablo Garcia ran past several times. I didn't feel exasperated that Mexicans were playing in "America's Soccer" league (I thought Jorge Campos was entertaining, Carlos Hermosillo was legitimate, and that Luis Hernandez was a doof), but I shook my head knowing that two players from OUTSIDE of "America's Soccer" had become the two highest paid players IN "America's Soccer."

Last week I learned that Palencia - a former Mexican national team forward -- had eclipsed Landon Donovan's approximately annual salary of about $970,000 with an annual contract worth $1.3 million; and that Garcia - a regular in the current mix of "El Tri" -- also climbed past with a paycheck of about $1 million.

It was disturbing from the perspective that Donovan is arguably America's best. Those that want to promote Claudio Reyna or DaMarcus Beasley, go ahead. To me, Donovan has played more often, more consistently and better than anybody else on the national team, and also is MLS' most recognized player.

Why he would be relegated to third-best paid in the league to further a concept which I believe is suspect at best and racist at worst is mind blowing. I never endorsed, nor even liked, the idea of Chivas USA. To me, it appeals to the worst in humanity, a balkanization along racial lines - that Mexican immigrants will only and can only identify with, support or like a "Mexican" team.
Chivas doesn't want to appeal to soccer fans; it wants to appeal to Mexicans. It would be like MLS setting granting an expansion team to Philadelphia, calling it the Liberty and saying it wanted to a build a team of American whites only to appeal to the significant suburban youth and amateur playing population in the area.

The United States was built by immigrants. Our ancestors - if not our parents -- were all immigrants, even those who crossed the Bering Straight! But they became Americans, bonded if not by geography than by purpose and hope for a better life.

Chivas USA doesn't appeal to people's personal history, such as being born in Cleveland and remaining an Indians fan after moving to Los Angeles as an adult, but to an unwillingness to merge into the United States like the countless millions who have come here before them.

I harbor no ill will against Palencia, Garcia, or any other player - native-born or foreign - in MLS. This screed is not to decry neither Palencia nor Garcia but the notion that Jorge Vergara's team will improve MLS or is even acceptable. It may make money (and right now it's not), but that doesn't make it a good idea.

To me, it only gives some another crowbar to keep or pry people apart.Doug Logan didn't like the idea of luxury boxes because he generally believed it separated fans along economic lines, and that without the boxes fans all had to mingle together and share their experience of being a fan of a club team. A game used to bring people together, if only for a few hours.MLS fans, American or immigrant, all have (or at least had) the same complaints about coaches, player acquisition rules, referees, stadia, etc. Chivas USA changes that. MetroStars fans may dislike D.C. United because of Dema Kovalenko, or the Fire just because, but to create a rivalry - with every other team in the league -- based on race is not only asking for trouble, it's just wrong.

MLS general managers even theorized last year that Chivas would be the "Freddy Adu of 2005", i.e. driving attendance wherever the club went because of an expected animus against it.
The league supposedly has a $1.7 million per team salary budget. Well, MLS has spent $2.3 million on two players for Chivas alone.

It's kind of ironic that only a couple of weeks ago Vergara was quoted as defining the differences between the Mexican league and MLS as that MLS had rules but in Mexico the only rules were that the rules changed constantly. Maybe that concept is being imported too.

Making the money is the purpose of ANY commercial enterprise, but it shouldn't have to come at the cost of integrity. And if MLS is "America's Soccer" than why is it spending more for two players to attract non-Americans that apparently don't consider the league worthwhile in the first place primarily because it is American than it is to pay the standard bearer for the league?

Good for Palencia and Garcia that they can command such compensation. I condemn MLS for saying one thing, and doing another.

On Bob Bradley

2005-09-12T22:26:00.000-04:00

The SoccerScribe is at again. I'll leave it at that. This must have been what it sounded like when the ships off the coast of Normandy in 1944, unloaded on the coast to pave the way for the waves of boats, men and machines.

At least as important as any tactical or technical expertise he can impart, the ability to motivate is critical for any coach. It's why, particularly at the younger levels, teams that appear to be incredibly overmatched can achieve previously thought of out-of-reach goals.

But even at the professional level, where the much more wheat is separated from the chaff and players all have passed some level, the capacity to inspire divides the good coaches from those merely handed the whistle.

Bob Bradley has won pro titles, but none since and _ more importantly for purposes of this discussion _ Peter Nowak left Chicago. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is another call to "Throw Bob under the Bus." He's had three years at the House of Happiness known as the MetroStars. Whether it has been his player selections or his total incapability to get those choices to play consistently for him, he hasn't gotten it done.

For a man who has said in his own distinctive "style" that the soccer media has a long way to go to catch up to world standards, Bradley should realize world standards don't tolerate mediocrity in coaching _ particularly at his salary level. Partly, it is his head-scratching choices (just think Sergio Galvan Rey!) But more importantly it is a failure to motivate those who he has picked. He's had some talent, which he either dumped, traded or sent to the moon, from youngsters Rico Clark, Brad Davis or Pablo Brenes to vets like Eddie Pope, who, the argument went, wasn't enough of a leader on the field. Hmmmm. Leader on the field, i.e. someone to motivate the players. That's the COACH'S job. Bradley may go on the theory that professionals should motivate themselves, but when you have about half your team that are barely out of high school, that's a fool's errand.

This is where I bring Nowak back into the picture. I'm now very convinced it was Nowak, not Bradley, who was the inspiration that led the Fire to their titles, the same Nowak who took a D.C. United team from four years of playoff wilderness to the MLS title last year in his first season. And that amid a lot of criticism to "Play Freddy". Nowak somehow managed, mostly with the players he was left with and one 14 year old kid that he probably would not have chosen if for no other reason to not have to deal with the circus that surrounded him, to get the most out of his players. Whether on the field, or on the touch line, Nowak apparently has the quality of leadership.

Bradley, conversely, has constantly overhauled his roster, acquired Jaime Moreno and then ditched them, and given time to players that shouldn't have been on the team at all (I still don't see the magic of Cornell Glen and would love to know how much beer went to Columbus in THAT deal).This season, his son Michael has the most minutes of any player on the side. Blame injuries if you want, but I think its fair to ask _ in light of the team's performance and some of the players left on the bench _ if that is in the best interest of the MetroStars or his son's career. Whatever Bradley's qualities are, leadership does NOT seem to be among them. Bradley has always had a prickly relationship with the media. Anyone who dares suggest his decisions are questionable gets rebuked rather quickly and arrogantly.

It's not necessary to love or even like the media. However, the soccer media in this country does not have the impact of our counterparts in the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. We're not given the same space, time or freedom to express our opinions. So his method of interaction demonstrates his temperament, which is disturbing.

His rumored behind-the-scenes response to the arrival of Alexi Lalas as GM, as reported last week on this blog that the beloved coach had to do Lalas' dirty work and that the former goateed one isn't liked by "anyone," is yet another example that Bradley has outlived his usefulness (and I'm not sure that I can point to a time when he had a utility!) Bradley has had three years without subordinates trying to undermine him and hasn't done better than a first-round playoff appearance. Shouldn't Lalas at least get three months?It is whispered that Bruce Arena doesn't make a major decision without consulting Bradley. THAT is distressing enough. I'm now beginning to wonder if the Nats wouldn't do even better if Bradley was limited to having no more contact than watching them on television.

What is you favorite city? Houston! No, San Jose!!! AHHHHHHH

2005-09-07T21:51:00.000-04:00

So I heard from someone who heard from someone that the fate of the Earthquakes is still up in the air. New MLS HQ is torn between moving them to Houston or keeping them in San Jose. Of course, the short term thinking marketing folks like Garber, et al, think its time for a move. While the other camp sees some value in the team being around the same market for ten years. The debate looks to continue as it appears neither side has managed to come up with convincing arguments one way or another.

I think SoccerScribe said it best when I spoke to him about it. "Every headline will read, "MLS Abandon's City that Hosted the First Game in it History." I think it is safe to say that if they move, San Jose is effectively dead to the league.

SuperClub? Or SuperDud?

2005-09-07T21:32:00.000-04:00

Interesting -

From the SoccerApprentice -

You would have thought that AEG would have been happy to have had only one unlikeable, blustering idiot as the General Manager of the Metrostars. But by all indications, well, they just appointed another.

The much vaunted appointment of Alexi Lalas as the new President and General Manager of the Metrostars is slowly becoming more and more like an extension of the Sackiewicz reign, by proxy. The word out there is that he is neither liked by the players, front office personnel, or anyone for that matter. Aside from the self-aggrandizing press conferences of Lalas in shades, there isn't much substance to what he is doing.

What he has done so far, has royally ticked off people. His first act was to fire a couple of team staff. He didn't event have the courtesy to tell them himself. Instead, they walked in one day to find their stuff gone. Mr. Lalas must have been elsewhere because it was left to Coach Bradley to inform them that they had been fired.

And in the locker room, it is said that the only time Lalas is seen is when he has to yell at someone. Long gone are the days of the long haired hippy freak, happily strumming his guitar. I guess fame and fortune does go to your head....

And what does AEG think of Lalas? Well, much like Sackiewicz, Lalas has convinced the hire ups that he is an effective manager and has all the solutions to the clubs problems. Too bad that doesn't include a self assessment. This is the same outfit that replaced Peter Wilt with that other mediocre salesman in a suit, John Guppy. This is the same outfit that promoted Nick Sackiewicz.

This is the same organization that overseas that other less mediocre team, Los Angeles.

Oh well, when you have money, who needs to be good. Just ask Alexi "Sackiewicz-by-Prroxy" Lalas.

US-Mex

2005-09-05T14:21:00.000-04:00

I thought about writing, but I think the prolific SoccerScribe says it all.

From the Soccerscribe -

Crew Stadium isn’t exactly Camp Nou or Old Trafford, and 24,000 isn’t the same as 120,000, yet compared to 1985, this is the 23rd century.
As one who suffered through the “Dark Times,” Saturday night’s 2-0 victory over Mexico was gratifying vengeance.
Beating “El Tri” was just the start. Mexico doesn’t have much to look down upon us, but soccer was a BIG one. And they let us know it. They still think they’re vastly superior, facts and results not withstanding.
More comprehensively, though, beating Mexico 2-0, rather comfortably, before a capacity crowd, in a Midwestern city, to qualify for a fifth straight World Cup, with three games to play, and as the first team from CONCACAF, gives someone like me enough gumption to say to the American-bashing foreigners and soccer-sneering Americans: NYAH! (Or: Go stick it in your ear!)
The feeling will fade, and because of sportsmanship, it should quickly.
But for a brief moment, let me bathe in the emotion.
Having watched the Nats played, or more accurately described, struggled against the likes from Brazil to the Netherlands Antilles, and having to endure the derisive attitudes of everyone from FIFA presidents to immigrant kids from Central America, I finally can act just arrogant as they. Well, not as arrogant as the Brazilians, but most of the others.
I won’t _ for too long, because I realize that except for Gold Cup titles, the United States hasn’t won a whole lot in soccer, including a World Cup. But neither have the Dutch, the Spanish, the Mexicans, the Belgians, the Costa Ricans…
We have come a loooong way. Trust me. From places like Torrance, New Britain and Fenton to Columbus, Carson and Frisco. From a 40-year absence from the World Cup to a 16-year continuous appearance streak. From qualification on the last day _ or elimination in an early round, to clinching it with three games to spare.
We are gaining on the world, rapidly, whether or not they like that, accept it or grudgingly acknowledge it.
To many, foreigners and American soccer snobs alike, qualifying from CONCACAF is akin to granting the host a place in the final. Someone has to.
That attitude will only change AFTER the United States wins a World Cup. And that’s not likely in Germany. But today, the smile is more of a smirk, the walk more of a strut. And to the self-proclaimed soccer-superior nations, and the soccer-ignorant locals (especially self-appointed experts in the media), UP YOURS, BABY!

Boys at the Bernabeu

2005-08-29T22:36:00.000-04:00

This just in from the SoccerScribe. I must confess however, that I think he missed the point. I think it was a poor showing by MLS, not just from a soccer perspective, but also from a professional perspective. On average, I think we looked like rank amateurs.

However, our disagreement shouldn't surprise you. The SoccerScribe is the same writer who thought that "real" soccer in the US was played in the WUSA. And he fell so hard for Mia Garciaparra after the 1999 Women's World Cup, he took a leave from the Grey Lady to write a book on the women's team.

From the SoccerScribe -

Before we all grind our teeth to the nubs over the Real Madrid-MLS Select debacle, let us consider if anything was really lost.
It was painful to watch. The aftermath hurt. It was embarrassing (especially watching Raul make Jose Burciaga look like a U12.) But if you sit back for a moment, one should realize the long-term consequences of Wednesday’s 5-0 drubbing likely will be minimal at most.
Although the pain may feel similar to getting dumped by a girlfriend, in reality it’s more like getting stood up.
One affects your judgment going forward. The other just bends you outta shape for a couple of days.
The reason the Real Madrid loss is more like the latter than the former is one undeniable reality_ the media.
Considering most people’s opinions are shaped by the media, examine what the opinion of the fourth estate was BEFORE Wednesday. Barring a few notable exceptions, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Fox Soccer Channel, the major media outlets sneer at MLS and soccer in general. And regarding MLS, this includes the non-U.S. media.
They don’t like it, they never did, and it will require long-term cataclysmic events to change that. As former MLS commissioner Doug Logan noted once, to change the attitudes in major media, today’s sports writers/editors are going to have to “retire or die.”
The media didn’t think MLS worthy of their time or attention before Wednesday, and they let it be known either by criticizing it, or by simply ignoring it. As one acquaintance said to me, he thought Madrid was AT LEAST 3-4 goals better than any MLS team. It was’t 3-4 goals better than the Chicago Fire, nor the Los Angeles Galaxy.
But it was the impression he had, most likely shaped by the media (how else do you get information about Real Madrid OR MLS?)
Did Wednesday’s game reinforce that opinion? Oh yeah. But when it’s that low to begin with, not much more damage could be done. Had MLS won the game, or drew, would it have affected the media’s opinion? Doubtful. It was a friendly, it was a select team, the sun was in Real Madrid’s eyes…
Something positive to take out of Wednesday’s game may be this: Real Madrid insisted on a select team rather than one of the 12 club sides. Supposedly they felt Djorkaeff and Donovan would be more recognizeable to their fans. Perhaps, but outside of those two names, are they really trying to tell us that their fans can distinguish between Jeff Cunningham and Taylor Twellman? And their not even the same race.
Maybe MLS has a better reputation with knowledgeable soccer types than is generally known.
A select side, having to take a transcontinental flight two days before a game, having one training session and then playing, is not likely to be able to rely on teamwork to overcome any fatigue or unfamiliarity. Was this Real Madrid’s reason for insisting on a select team?
This is not an MLS apologist’s rant, nor is it intended to give those at the construction site serving as MLS’ new HQ on 37th Street any cover. I still scratch my head as to why they would bend over and grab their ankles for Real Madrid after the way the Spaniards treated MLS TWICE last year.
Hopefully, MLS execs learned a little from this. I wonder.
But in terms of reputation, be mad over getting stood up, let it fade and let’s look forward to beating Mexico, getting to Germany and the MLS Cup.

Can't we just get back to our league, please?

2005-08-19T22:01:00.000-04:00

Gotta love Ives Galarcep. The first paragraph says it all.

"Major League Soccer has developed a nasty addiction. The league got a taste of what having its teams face European competition could mean with friendlies against the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan and Chelsea and now it cannot kick the habit."

This is what happens when you have a promotion/marketing arm like SUM running things. Suddenly, competition for competition’s sake is not enough. Suddenly, there is greater worth in something that can create “buzz”, can “raise the profile of the league”, or compare “our product with that of the best of the world.” For the MLS fan, friendlies, regardless of opponents, are chewing gum for the eyes. For SUM, the chewing gum is worth more than anything MLS can produce…. Other than that other piece of chewing gum, the MLS All-Star game.

Another great quote –

"MLS cannot be serious. Would the English Premier League do this to the FA Cup? Would any other league that claims to be legitimate on the world stage even consider this? Would Real Madrid consider playing a friendly in the United States during the heart of their club campaign. No. Never. Period."

If Real Madrid did that, there would be riots in the street. President Florentino Pérez Rodriguez would be strung upside down in La Cibeles, the fountain where Real Madrid goes to celebrate winning any major title.

The Clean Sheet: One Liners

2005-08-19T21:54:00.000-04:00

Sometimes this is to easy. I, and others, have been warning against the declining standards of soccer journalism for some time now. And Mr. Palace, while I don't question his motives, I do question his style, has certainly run his course. The Sportcenter model of writing must end, not only for Mr. Palace, but for all those Chris Berman wanna be's. Mr. Lalas, did you catch that?

Anyhow, for your reading pleasure, here is the distilled version of Mr. Palace's column -

TCS SAYS: I think the winner between Dubuque State and the Rockford under-17 girls team.

Guy was needed about as much as Jennifer Love Hewitt's acting coach.

By the way, this just in: John O'Brien got hurt again.

TCS SAYS: I don't blame 'em ... who the heck would want to be in Chicago anyway? By the way, love my small market Twins sweeping away the ChiSox this week (although my boys will be watching the Pale Hose in the playoffs, so I better zip my yap).

TCS SAYS: Love it. Now if they can just get their talent on MLS games and highlight shows to learn the names of all the players. Doesn't matter how good you are as a game broadcaster or highlight host, if you can't pronounce names of MLS starters or identify players correctly, your credibility is absolutely shot.

THE NEWS: A group of Metro players will be featured with Brazilian über-babe Gisele Bundchen in the September 2005 issue of Vogue magazine.

TCS SAYS: Unlike most of the Metro senior internationals over the years, finally a Metro foreigner I wouldn't mind seeing washed up.

Saturday - FC DALLAS at CREW (4 p.m. ET on The Deuce): The halftime show will feature Robert Warzycha firing soccer balls at Frankie HEY!DUCK!, who will only be allowed to defend himself with a surfboard.

Saturday - GALAXY at UNITED (7:30 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Channel): The Galaxy taking the field for a road game must feel as hopeless as Greg Lalas strolling into a pick-up bar..

Did you by any chance catch the roast of Pam Anderson on Comedy Central? I'm ashamed to say I did, and I'm even more ashamed to say there were more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. The show stealer: former Jeff Bradley love interest Bea Arthur. Worth a look if you can find it.

Every World Cup game from Schnitzeland is going to be in HD.

T&T, First Half

2005-08-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

Well, the first half ended at 1-0 in favor of the US. Clearly deserved, and some pretty good play from the Red, White and Blue.

The concern? So many chances to score, and only one goes in. Lord knows against better opponents we won't have chances like the one Donovan got after picking up the miskick by the T&T keeper.

30 Seconds of Fame

2005-08-17T21:18:00.000-04:00

Ridge Mahoney says all that needs to be said about the Metro, their past, and their efforts to transform into a “Super Club.” Which begs the question, how can the Metro become a “Super Club” if supposedly, everyone operates until the same salary cap? Reality, meet myth.

Jamie Trecker’s new Kitchen Sink column on Foxsports.com. I give him credited for disagreeing with Arena’s comments on MLS. I would have thought he would have said the Bruce’s comments didn’t go far enough…

This has to be a record. Lionel Messi of Argentina, and youth player for FC Barcelona, was shown a red 30 seconds into his debut with the national team.

Also, Maradona’s Ferrari, which is being auctioned on a website is going for $300,000. The car in question is a Ferrari F355 Spider. Go ahead, bid on it.

The Philosophy of Pink Floyd

2005-08-16T21:14:00.000-04:00

An article on Arsenal’s new stadium. Yesterday, Bloomberg ran with another piece on how important the new stadium will be from a competitive standpoint (Sorry, no link). The new Emirates Stadium, twice the capacity of the legendary Highbury, will be an economic boom for the Club and effectively help them double their current revenue. This would put them on par (100-150 million pounds) with most of the other big clubs in Europe.

The new stadium is placing a huge debt load on the club – 357 million pounds. Nonetheless, this highlights the economic realities of the top clubs, and what it takes to remain competitive – Money.

For Chelsea, the reality is much different. As long as Sugar-Daddy Abramovic continues to support the club, it won’t matter that they actually lose money…. But the day his assets get seized by the Russian government, the high times at Stamford Bridge may end.

In the US, MLS is moving on up in its own right. Of course, readers of the SoccerPundit knew about this some time ago.

An interview with Chivas USA owner, Jorge Vergara. On the differences between running a club in Mexico and a club in the US – “Well, many differences. First of all in the U.S. you have rules. They are really clear, straight and everybody follows them. If you want to change them, it is between everybody. In Mexico, rules or no rules, they can change them the next day, the next morning, the rules have changed. In the U.S. all the owners have one goal, that is to have soccer as a product for the masses. In Mexico the only goal is to have the team be champions for the season.” We don’t need no stinkin’ rules!

Meanwhile, the English FA is rumored to be interested in getting the World Cup in 2018. With the whole continent rotation system going on for the assignment of World Cup’s, I think 2018 is the next European bid. After having successfully stage the European Championships, they should be in a good position, at least from an infrastructure standpoint, to host the Cup. Of course, with FIFA, nothing is ever that clear cut.

Every so often, Soccer America demonstrates why Ridge Mahoney and Co. are some of the best reporters covering the game in the US. This look at a number of current and past players who went through P-40 is one of those articles that gives great context and color some of the successes of MLS and US Soccer.

And speaking of Ridge Mahoney – here he is in USA Today.

I Don't Care about Hollywood

2005-08-12T21:29:00.000-04:00

Tino Palace's column on MLSnet.com, distilled for our readers -

Forget the slumping film industry. Forget the fact gas just hit $11 a gallon out here. Forget the fact that one day recently the weather wasn't exactly 100 percent perfect. Forget how Jennifer Aniston is dealing with the constant attention being given to Brangelina.

I am going to refrain from comment on this one, but let's hope Edson Buddle's problem stem from stupidity rather than addiction. One can be rectified in short order, while the other is a life long battle.

At Center Mid - Abraham Lincoln

2005-08-12T21:01:00.000-04:00

Here is Ives Galarcep on what it means for the Metro to be building their own stadium. Needless to say the accomplishment will be significant.

And after the debacle of the Metro's recent visit to DC,

Soccer and the American Dream

2005-08-09T21:32:00.000-04:00

If you haven't had a chance to catch Jack Bell's piece in the NY Times about the trials and tribulations of Thiago Martins of Chivas USA, it is well worth the read. It's a pretty impressive story about someone who gambled it all to learn english and come to the United States, managed to find a future in soccer right here in the United States. Remember this the next time Jim Rome goes off on one of his tirades about soccer being a non-American sport.

The story of Thiago Martins is, if you ask me, the quintessential story of the American dream.

Trash the US Open Cup?

2005-08-06T15:22:00.000-04:00

Don't get me wrong, I like Andrew, and I think he can write some pretty compelling articles. But this one is plain wrong. Consider me one of those who thinks that the US Open Cup is a very compelling competition, not necessarily MLS clubs, but more so for every other club that can participate.

I have a theory - Soccer will survive in the US as long as there are teams that play competitively at all levels.... From MLS to the PDL. I think as long as this is the case, MLS can thrive. Now, the US Open Cup, for as much as an afterthought for most MLS teams, it is a chance for the lower division teams to taste the glory; to get a chance to win something much more meaningful than their division or league titles; and of course, it is a chance to take on Goliath.

What more could you want? Now what Andrew suggests is plain silly, although I would think that someone in MLS probably though it might be a good idea.

Just like MLS had to start somewhere, so too does the US Open Cup. While the competition may be 80 plus years old, it's only been in the past ten where it actually took on some real meaning.

It's Been Awhile

2005-08-06T09:21:00.000-04:00

Hey all. It's been awhile. I thought I could keep posting, but with the birth of my second son, things have been hectic....

Amazing how you can turn away for a second, and lo' and behold, things have radically changed.

For my return, let me just touch upon the much needed, much welcomed, "Promotion" of Nick Sackiewicz and the hiring of former US National Team mediocre player-Uberstar Alexi Lalas as GM of the Metrostars. Well, for many of us, it was a welcome change. But I liken this to replacing a brick with a colorful paper cup. Not much substance to either.

Don't get me wrong, Mr. Lalas will be a great replacement and spokesperson to his self-proclaimed "Super Club". And we won't need to hear about Nick S. Anymore.... After all it was ALL about him. But from a management perspective, I am not sure what Alexi brings to the table. Aside from the great news that they will be building the Metro's "Iron Mill" stadium, there are some serious problems with the Metro organization. The question that is on many minds is, "is it too late?" The momentum, the passion, the excitement, and the opportunity that once existed has been replaced with acrimony, skepticism, and pessimism. And under any circumstance, that is a tough sell.... Even for corporate sales guru, John Guppy.

Now, the one thing I would like to ask Mr. Lalas is, how does one build a "SuperClub" in a league like MLS? Not an easy proposition since the money is very, very controlled. That may be a thought for another day.

Speaking of another day..... Arsenal v. Chelsea at 10 am on the Fox Soccer Channel on Sunday. And better yet, the inaugural game at Pizz Hit Park with FC Dallas facing the Metro. Enjoy.

Let's Stop Before it Get's Serious

2005-06-04T14:57:00.000-04:00

Could we please stop talking about the remote chance that someday David Beckham will play in MLS? I mean, the talk, while certainly a tantilizing thought for the MLS Marketing department, is silly in it's own right. How many times are we going to have to learn that one player, a league does not make? Wasn't Luis Hernandez suppose to bring in this huge Hispanic population? Or was that Carlos Hermosillo? No, no, it was Lothar Mattheus who was suppose to garner MLS all the international respect it clamors for. Or was it Donandoni?

Point is, David Beckham at the age of 31, may be worth the effort. A David Beckham at the age of 28, definately. A David Beckham at the age of 35? No thanks.

I look forward to the day when someone, anyone at MLS realizes that catchy slogans, catchy buzz words, and an individual player will not make MLS into the "sports entertainment choice" of John Q. Public. What will do it is making the league into something worth watching, and ultimately it comes down to the type of soccer that gets played... not the fact that David Beckham is on the field.

A friend of mine use to say that there is no lightening in a bottle.... perhaps, but it seems to me that that's exactly what MLS HQ hopes for.

The Depth of Giorgio's Intelligence

2005-05-25T09:20:00.000-04:00

Well this is interesting. Apparently, Malcolm Glazer is looking to build a sports empire and is contemplating creating a Man U USA in MLS, a la Chivas USA. I must confess, while I welcome new investors into the league, I am not all that pleased that MLS is becoming a marketing tool for non-US teams. I understand the business logic to it, but this is becoming a bit much. Granted this is something that will happen down the road, but call me a skeptic of Mr. Glazer and co.. His work with the Mutiny, along with his recent purchase of Manchester United gives me a very sour taste in my mouth. I think MLS may be better off without him.

In other news, MLS’ marketing arm, SUM, was outbid by an Italian company for the rights of the Championsworld trademark, which had recently gone belly up. This was the company started by Charlie Stillitano and had as one of it’s employee’s the ever present blowhard and all-around block head, Giorgio Chinaglia. Ironically, he was the “Senior Vice President of Business Development. Well, he has reappeared as an employee of the Italian company and had this to say about the failure of Championsworld. Can we accept the less he says the better off we are?

It looks like Beckham won’t be bending it against the USA in Chicago. Understandably so, Real Madrid wants to keep him training, despite the fact that he can’t play this weekend because of an accumulation of yellow cards.

Finally, the Champion’s League final is today on ESPN2. Enjoy it. It should be a cracker.

MIA

2005-05-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

Sorry, I know, I have remained MIA. I wish I could say that I've been consulting on some huge project, or have been travelling around the world to exotic place. Or that Malcolm Glazer was asking me for the inside skinny on Man U. Nope. Instead I have been like so many other worker bee's - doing more work than I probably should.

My apologies all. But once the storm clouds clear, it will be back to business.

The SoccerPundit.

The Trouble with New York

2005-05-11T09:01:00.000-04:00

While I agree with much of what the SoccerScribe writes below, I think in the case of the Metro, the Front Office has done little to hold fans attention. In fact, I would argue that Sackiewicz and Guppy alienated those fans that needed to be courted. When you lose your core, like the Metro have done, losing everyone else becomes very easy.

From the SoccerScribe -

Following the uninspired crowd of 8,000 that failed to fill Giants Stadium for the Metros match against San Jose on Saturday, several soccer pundits in New York’s press turned their philosophical attention to the malaise that has become what MLS has said needs to be its model club.

Among those was the New York Daily News’ Filip Bondi, who placed all the fault on the club. And while it’s very hard to argue that those who sit in Secaucus aren’t to blame, Bondi absolved New York’s fans from any responsibility.Throw some eggs in the direction of the public _ along with the media _ too, some ostrich eggs.

Blame Charlie Stillitano and his mindset, encouraged by the likes of the Giorgio Chinaglias of the world, that you must have the “big names” like Roberto Donadoni, Bora Milutinovic, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Lothar Matthaeus, et al, to draw the crowds in New York. Blame Nick Sakiewicz for his corporate mentality of employing all the contemporaneous orthodox marketing techniques, including his latest: the MetroGirlzz. But both of their methods/concepts are justified _ at least superficially _ by the attitudes of New Yorkers.

When Roma-Real draws 70,000, and Manchester United vs. FC Anybody draws 60,000, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that the flash is more important than the film.
So the MetroStars management has figured that it must have a bright light to catch the attention of the public, subjugating the notion of putting together a good team to at best a secondary priority.

Media and fans can remember when Parreira and Matthaeus were here, and they certainly can find the MetroGirls in their binoculars. How many remember when Kerry Zvagnin wore MetroStars colors? Or that when Timmy Howard was here, he was a just good goalkeeper. (Now that he’s with Man U, magically, he’s world class.)

Bondi called New York fans “tough but fair.” No, ignorant and lazy. And that, magnified by club management, is a recipe for a slough. Tough fans are fans that support their club, but are demanding. They attend matches; they yell; they scream; and they expect results.

Examples of the aforementioned types in Europe and South America are too numerous to list. In the United States, one such group that comes to mind is Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles fans. (As a native Philadelphian, I can speak with some authority here.)

Philly fans have a notorious reputation, not just for the municipal court that used to be housed in the bowels of Veterans Stadium to deal with the out-of-hand drunk morons at Eagles games, but probably mostly for booing Santa Claus (also at an Eagles game!)

But at least Philly fans show up. In cold, in heat, humidity, rain, snow… (I know, I’ve frozen and baked at the Vet more times that I can count!)

For the most part, New Yorkers _ like most places _ are bandwagon jumpers. They’re pretty good at it too. They’re very good at telling you that they went to see Real, Roma, Milan, Man U, Bayern, etc. They’re not so good at identifying Eddie Gaven.

When you judge on reputation alone, that’s akin to judging the book by its cover.

Winning always attracts _ in New York as well as Philly, Manchester, London, Madrid, Buenos Aires and Tokyo. That doesn’t make New Yorkers worse than most places. But certainly no better either.

Much of New York’s media also is deserving of blame. The New York Times has decided to stop covering the Metros on the premise that the team doesn’t draw enough attention to warrant ink and paper in their fish wrap of a publication. That doesn’t seem to influence the Times’ decision regarding coverage of the WNBA’s Liberty, which consistently draws fewer fans than the Metros.

The Liberty has that “flash,” at least with the politically correct feminist/lesbian/liberal readership the Times courts.

Do I think the Metros are worthy of the same loyalty Fire fans seem to have (or at least had under Peter Wilt) for their club? No. Wilt made that club one you wanted to be loyal to. Do I expect the Metros to draw like the Galaxy, which wins and has a really pretty stadium to visit? Hardly.

But like it or not, the Metros are my hometown club. I go or watch because, like any fan of any team in any sport in any country, there’s always hope that MY team will win, if only for the day. It’s not a realistic hope, it’s a fan’s hope.

I did it as a kid and watching pitiful Eagles and Phillies teams in the early 70s. Then, I took solace in players like Steve Carlton and Bill Bradley (Eagles safety). I do it now watching kids like Gaven and Mike Magee, a veteran like Youri Djorkaeff, and hoping for the bomb of a goal John Wolyniec scored two years ago against Columbus.

I will go and I will bitch, moan and complain bitterly about Sakiewicz, especially his “MPF: Metro Playoff Fever, It’s Coming” and those stupid red plastic bowler hats that make me as a fan look silly _ for two years running.

I will bitch, moan and complain about Bob Bradley and his intransigent arrogance about his player selections like Sergio Galvan Rey and Cornell Glen, his inability to adjust his tactics that enable opposing managers to come into East Rutherford and frustrate his teams with ease, and his dismissal of anyone (particularly reporters) who dare question his methods and decisions.

I will bitch, moan and complain about Chris Leitch and his seeming inability to pass the ball forward without giving it away.

There are plenty of people, and specific decisions they’ve made, to deride for the Metros’ woeful state, and even more to berate for them being as awful as they have been for so long.

But at least part of that blame rests with New York’s so-called soccer fans. If the people get the government they deserve, New York has gotten the soccer team IT deserves.

So long, AC San Antonio

2005-05-10T21:33:00.000-04:00

Sorry all. My diligence with blogging has been somewhat lacking due to some unforseen events. Hopefully I am back on track now.

With that, let me just say that I wouldn't be at all surprised if at some point this week or next, MLS HQ starts to temper it's enthusiasm and backs away from all the San Antonio hype.

First off, MLS doesn't want to be anywhere it is not wanted, and by all accounts, everyone except the current mayor are opposed to the Alamo Dome give away.

Secondly, the Commisioner has been catching a bit of heat for suddenly jumping all over the availability of yet another large stadium. Yes, the finances would have been great, but it would have been a dud for the fans.

Also, it looks like the Game of Their Lives will be hitting DVD a lot quicker than expected. It is apparently not doing as well as hoped. That should come as no surprise since they ended up doing the movie on the cheap. It was initially slated to have a $40 million budget, but was scaled back to $13 million. So when you hear about the comparison between GotL with Hoosiers or Rudy, laugh.

Again, sorry for the lack of posting, I hope to pick it up.

Slave to the (Bristol) Man

2005-04-26T21:26:00.000-04:00

From the prolific (and irate?) SoccerScribe -

The next time Don Garber calls ESPN Major League Soccer’s “television partner,” ask him if that’s like the Israel and the Palestinians being “partners in peace.” In the 9 years ABC/ESPN/M-O-U-S-E has televised MLS games, they have ridiculed, mocked, spit on and, finally on Saturday night, took a dump on MLS. Can we finally decontaminate ourselves of these guys _ and the 110 E 42nd St. house slaves who think we have to remain on the plantation?!?!

What will it take for MLS/American soccer to realize that ABC/ESPN/M-O-U-S-E sees our sport, the world’s most popular, as nothing more than filler? And annoying filler at that. Remaining with the NFL draft for one hour and 15 minutes _ to let Chris Berman and the rest of The Bristol Idiots drone on like some yabbos sitting at your local bar while acting as though they were providing critical insight on geopolitical consequences of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions _ instead of switching to a really good (and regularly scheduled) soccer game in Carson was disgraceful.

ABC/ESPN/M-O-U-S-E at least would have had a fig leaf of justification had The Bristol Idiots actually been commenting on the third-round selections that were being made. Instead, they nattered on about minutiae that occurred in the first 10 hours of the day, while the actual selections were introduced by the NYSE bell and a graphic.

They couldn’t do that with a crawler at the bottom of the MLS game?!?!?!?!?!

Even more insulting is that another announcer on ESPN News simultaneously prattled on about the same thing with different graphics. Did we really need TWO channels from the same company blather about the same nothingness?!?!?!?!

All the while, Cobi Jones scored a great goal, got socked over the touchline and nearly started a brawl, two teams were intensely going at it – before a full house at HDC, and a pretty good game was being played. Not that the Connecticut Cracked Pots would ever know.

It was bad enough ABC bumped MLS the day JFK Jr. died. And then Pope John Paul II had the bad timing to die 20 minutes before the MLS opener this season. Those were, pardon the religious reference, acts of God.

Saturday night was just plain idiotic human arrogance.

What makes it worse, however, is the insistence from folks like Garber – a “marketing” guy, who spouts all the jargon like “buzz” and their favorite: BRAND. The New York Times is a brand. ESPN is a brand. And Garber wants to be associated with those BRANDS, no matter how many times they spit, urinate, crap on HIS brand (read MLS/soccer). Any BRAND that urinates or defecates in public _ especially on you _ is sort of like the White Star Line brand. For you historically challenged, the White Star Line was probably the New York Times/ESPN brand of its day in steamship passenger travel – until it built the (arrogantly proclaimed unsinkable) Titanic!

We Care.

2005-04-20T21:26:00.000-04:00

Someone on Bigsoccer.com suggested the following for a sign at the upcoming Metro v. Chicago match at Giants Stadium this Friday –

Guppy: We Care, You Sucked

I think that sums it up nicely. It says an awful lot about person who spends five years in an organization, and this is the best he has to offer. It is offers a glimpse into why many consider the Metrostars the worst Club in Major League Soccer.

An excellent read over at BigAppleSoccer.com – Ramos on Harkes and Balboa…

Another Michael Lewis article on Ramos’ observations on the league.

Greg Lalas on MLSnet.com. Yes, it’s Hall of Fame material. If you can’t read it, here are the money quotes –

If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone up to Oneonta, N.Y. and sat in the parking lot, waiting for the white smoke to appear -- the sign that, yes, new Hall of Famers had been elected.

I determined that the conclave of soccer cardinals had made good decisions.

Or maybe they've just been put out to stud. (Can you tell I'm getting excited for the Kentucky Derby?

Gentlemen, I raise a glass of ouzo to you.

A review of the movie, The Game of Their Lives… the American and not the North Korean version.

Oh yeah, if you didn’t know already, Tab Ramos, John Harkes and Marcelo Balboa have been elected to the Soccer Hall of Fame.

Finally, is Iker Casillas the best keeper in the world? Not sure if I can argue with the assessment. No other goalkeeper in the world has had such an impact on the success of a Club like Casillas.

The Commissioner’s Conundrum

2005-04-16T23:30:00.000-04:00

So you are MLS Commissioner Don Garber for the day that word comes from AEG that they are set to replace Peter Wilt as GM. Now, the Commissioner and the AEG folks get along well, considering they are sort of the same breed. You know the image conscious, marketing driven, symbolism over substance kind of people. So in of itself, relieving Wilt of his duties does not bother you considering Peter is somewhat of the “anti” AEG or commissioner type.

But the development has to give you an extra push to call upon possible new investors as soon as possible. After all, AEG is the elephant in the crystal shop. For all intents and purposes, they control the league and by sheer size and influence they can do as they please. When you own five teams in a twelve-team league, it’s called power.

And for the Commissioner this can be trouble. As long as AEG continues its work to develop a network of stadiums for it’s concert business, and sees soccer as a means to an end, everything is ok. But imagine if the time comes when, as with Wilt, an up and coming exec in AEG determines that soccer is no longer necessary, that’s trouble. It’s troubling, and a bit concerning.

After all, imagine you are the commissioner and AEG determines that you should go the way of Peter Wilt? Your accomplishments mean nothing, your fans mean nothing.

The only thing that matters is that you make sure the “transition” is nice and smooth.

More on Wilt

2005-04-16T14:25:00.000-04:00

Ives Galarcep does a good job with the demotion of Peter Wilt.

This is one of those things that I am struggling to let go of. As a supporter of MLS and it’s mission, this is somewhat of a blow. Perhaps that’s why this enrages so many Fire supporters. It is a classic case when idealism gets run over by the tractor-trailer of the realities of business. Regardless of the motives, this was a totally classless move by AEG. Anyone who does not see it that way probably has some skin in the game, and is concerned with being overly critical of the move.

Nonetheless, Wilt deserved better. It is a sad fact that one of the best club GM’s is now being replaced by a number two player at the MLS’ worst club. Makes you wonder what kind of politicking John Guppy did to get the job. And even worse, it makes you wonder what exactly the brain trust over at AEG was thinking.

Don’t get me wrong, business is business, but there are ways of doing things the right way. It strikes me as a bit of a betrayal to someone who has done everything asked of a GM, and then to be demoted.

Certainly the Commisioner and everyone over at MLS HQ wasn’t pleased with the fact that instead of the Metrostars, the Fire were the example of how a Club should be run. Maybe that runs contrary to the notion that comes out of HQ that a club is an “asset”, the game is a “product”, or that players are “deliverers of product value”, but the Fire was special.
With Wilt at the helm, the Fire did everything the other Clubs only dreamed of. There was an intrinsic partnership between fans and the Fire that motivated everyone to want to be successful.

Contrast that with the Metrostars, and the experience could not be completely different. The Metro, thanks to the leadership of Nick Sackiewicz and John Guppy became nothing more than a ticket pushing organization, willing to capitalize on anything to make a buck.

What is clear now, is that the Metro model is exactly what AEG wants.

The question is - will the fans agree to be mere ticket holders? I doubt it.

On Wilt's Demotion

2005-04-12T10:50:00.000-04:00

From the SoccerScribe -

For those of us who’ve been ‘round American soccer long enough, we have more than enough reasons these days to walk with a small smirk. We shouldn’t, but we could.If you can remember when the St. Louis Soccer Park, all 5,000 seats of it, was a big deal, these are heady days. For the most part, soccer columnists have stopped mocking our sport (for fear of getting inundated with e-mail from – as Frank Deford called us only a couple of years ago – soccer smugnuts, or out of worry of just looking plain stupid); MLS is in its 10th year and; and Bruce Arena appears to have “the lads” on their way to their fifth straight World Cup.

And then there are the days like Monday, a head-shaking, shoulder-sinking, aw crap kinda day which wipes out the 10,000 attaboys. Anschutz Entertainment Group’s decision to essentially demote Peter Wilt – and supplant him with John Guppy from the MetroStars – makes you wonder if what we’ve accomplished isn’t merely a house of cards.

Wilt made the Fire one of the model MLS franchises. Love ‘em or hate ‘em (and there were plenty who weren’t particularly thrilled with the Hristo Stoitchkov-type player personnel decisions,) no one could argue that the Fire was one of the best-run teams, if not the best, in the league. Even when they had to move to Naperville, play on that awful scarred turf, their fans didn’t run away (like they did in Dallas), they still were a good team, and the rest of the league knew this was not some pushover.

Wilt made sure that the Barnburners were taken care of.

When they were upset by the Galaxy in the 2000 semifinals, a significant group of Chicago fans still made their way to MLS Cup and provided much of the atmosphere – and humor – in Columbus by chanting “We’re in denial.” That kind of loyalty – or passion as the MLS HQ marketing cabal now likes to espouse when discussing Chivas USA – started with Wilt, who created a club you wanted to be loyal too. (He reinforced that loyalty that chilly day in Columbus by going over to those fans and buying beer for the entire section! Not that they needed any more lubrication, but it was a nice gesture!)

Fire fans may criticize players and decisions, but it doesn’t appear to be anything like the antipathy Metros fans have for Nick Sakiewicz and his brain trust – which includes Guppy. I don’t recall ever seeing a “Get Rid of Wilt” thread on BigSoccer, especially not in the semi-monthly frequency as Metro fans start one for Sakiewicz.

Wilt’s Fire has won four titles (one MLS Cup, three U.S. Open Cups); the Metros have won none (and Guppy has been around at the Metros for five years including the last three as executive VP). Neither team makes money, but the Metros – by Don Garber’s own admission – lose at least twice as much as any other team in the league.

Wilt managed to start construction on the club’s own stadium, which when completed next year, will be one of only four in the league. The Metros have been going at building their own for…five years now!!

Further evidence of AEG’s shadiness – and classlessness – in making this move was demonstrated by announcing this move in a press release, and then not having the integrity to have senior management, i.e. Tim Lieweke and/or Scott Blackmun, answer the overwhelmingly obvious question – WHY? In one word, it was GUTLESS!

They’re cowards, and somebody should say so.

If Wilt was caught molesting nuns, or some such, few of us would question their decision (unfortunately I’m sure somebody would still think it wasn’t egregious enough.) One line in a press release indicated something about Guppy being able to “capitalize on commercial opportunities in the Chicago market,” or some such marketingspeak.

It would indicate that AEG thinks that Wilt wasn’t the guy, despite all his above detailed accomplishments. It also indicates they think Guppy is, despite a perceived lack of a successful track record at the MetroStars. This follows the firing of Sigi Schmid at the Galaxy last year for Steve Sampson, and the much-less publicized dismissal of Tom Neale at the MetroStars earlier this year.

When the good/smart guys keep getting pushed out of soccer, that memory of the dread we knew all too well 20 years ago in the post-NASL Dark Times returns.

It’s on these days you start wondering if we’re not headed back to Fenton, Mo.

Rongen's Replacement?

2005-04-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

With his history, you have to prepare for the eventuality. If I were him, I would start watching my back. If Chivas USA struggles, it wouldn't surprise me if Javier "El Vasco" Aguirre's name get thrown into the mix. He has a history with Guadalajara, a history with LA, and his current club is not fairing so well in La Liga.

Enjoy the start of the season! Half hour to first kick.

The Clean Seats or the Cheap Sheet?

2005-04-01T21:20:00.000-05:00

Greg Lalas has his weekly column up at MLSnet.com. Here is a unique summary of the article –

Some are unforgiving, branding him a Roberto Duran-type pushover as if LD should have "No Mas!" tattooed on his forehead for the rest of his life.
No one's getting a tan in Leverkusen these days. They're just drinking beer and growing cheesy moustaches to keep their stiff upper lips warm.
considering his AYSO-level performance against Liverpool
Sure, compared to the MLS toddler brigade with the likes of Freddy Adu and Nik Besagno, Donovan is eligible for his AARP card.

Not to heavy on the one-liners this week. In fact, I would say he was downright serious. Speaking of serious, kudos to Lalas for sticking up for Donovan’s move. Disappointed he didn’t make it, yes. Does that make him less of a player, absolutely not.

And here is the other TCS column. This one though is by Tino Palace. Another good defense of Donovan.

UEFA.com on MLS

2005-04-01T12:59:00.000-05:00

Here is a pretty positive article about MLS on UEFA.com.

On Drugs and Peace in our Day

2005-04-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

Now this is an encouraging bit of news. For all the violence and racism that taints the sport, the fact that the Israeli national team is enjoying success because of two Arab’s gives glimmer of hope to the troubled region. I am always fascinated at how the game can act as a unifier of different, polar opposite groups of people. In fact, I remember watching an MSNBC special on terrorism in the Middle East where they interviewed a jailed terrorist. It was mentioned that he had a passion for soccer. In the course of the interview he was asked if he would ever consider blowing up a soccer stadium for his cause. To my surprise, almost indignant, he said absolutely not, that he would not dare do such an act because he loved the game to much.

Sean Wheelock on the six people in MLS who have something to prove. Not sure if I would have added Preki to my list, but the Steve Sampson mention is spot on. He has as a lot to prove to a lot of people, and with Chivas USA in the mix, he will be playing in a must win derby. Sometimes the bragging rights are more important than your wins and losses. In addition to those six, I think I would have added Bob Bradley to the mix. He has to prove his worth in salt this year, or he could be shown the exit.

I guess the fine and touchline ban on Jose Mourinho hasn’t really had an impact on the Chelsea coach.

The LA Galaxy’s signing of Landon Donovan is nothing short of a coup for the club. San Jose can’t be happy, and neither can Antonio Cue of Chivas USA. The former probably feels screwed; the latter feels like they are now a spec in the Galaxy’s rear view mirror.

George Vescey of the NY Times on Mathis and Fake Salt Lake.

MLS is going to be called on by congress to discuss how MLS, among other leagues, handles the issue of steroids. At their request, the Commissioner has already appeared before congress. He testified to a number of issues, in particular the leagues policy toward Ephedra use among the league’s players. Just recently, Jack Bell of the NY Times reviewed the testing policy MLS players are subject to. Fortunately for soccer in general and MLS in particular, the policy is written into the players contracts. If you ask me, this is one area where MLS is leading the pack, not following. And in today’s world, only good can come out of a specific drug policy that holds players accountable. Had it been the other way around, MLS would have been forced to skirt the issue for years, or until something blew up.

Zero Hour

2005-03-31T15:07:00.000-05:00

Jerry Trecker on how far MLS has progressed. Doubt you would see anything like this out of his progeny, Jamie. This is the money quote –

No, there isn't the rush of enthusiasm we felt 10 years ago when MLS arrived and fans set crowd records in their eagerness to see the new product. But also absent is the sense that the league is teetering on the brink, a feeling prevalent during the lengthy legal debate over the single entity structure and later when the two Florida franchises were contracted and league-wide attendances seemed stuck in the low teens.

Yesterday was Zero Hour. The Metro and the state of NJ met to discuss the Harrison Stadium Project. I don’t think there are any jokes left…. In fact most of us are tired of the drama. Just build it.

UEFA has just passed judgment on Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho. He has been given a 2-game touchline ban (He can’t stand on the sidelines for the next round in the Champion’s League), which also prohibits him from communicating with the team immediately before, during and after the game. I guess his assistants won’t be able to IM him… He was also fined $16,700, and the Club was fined $62,600. Chelsea can still appeal, although not likely.

Looks like Eddie Johnson has now become a bigger blip on Sir Alex Ferguson’s radar. Just last month, Sir Alex was making overtures to Freddy Adu.

'Bama

2005-03-31T01:57:00.000-05:00

Well, the Nat's returned to the US to play host to Guatemala. If you had a chance to watch the game, you saw a pretty impressive performance. A sharp contrast to the performance down in Mexico City. And for the record, Donovan's goal that was dis-allowed was a picture perfect play.... and he looked to be onside.

Broad-Mindedness Befitting a Heroic Man

2005-03-30T20:29:00.000-05:00

The US is looking for redemption against Guatemala tonight. On paper, we should win. But in WC qualifier’s anything is possible. Make sure you watch, 8 pm ET on ESPN2.

Meanwhile the Force is looking to be sold. If no buyer can be found, next season is in jeopardy. I wonder if this has anything to do with the fight? Word has it that if that if a buyer is not found by 1 May, the franchise will fold. Confidence is not high that an owner will be found.

For those who did not know, the Board of Governors was in town yesterday….

Jon Conway over at ESPN.com…. not that it is worth the read….

MLS now has a Golden Boot. Guess now that Adidas is on board with MLS, we can now have a pair of Copa’s dipped in gold and silver.

The title on MLSNet.com is “FC Dallas lure big Fish to Texas.” Something tells me there was a whole lot of string pulling on this one. The next headline will surely be “Big Announcement: LA Galaxy Pull Off Blockbuster Deal to Land Donovan.”

He are the Top Sports Websites.

The Great Father can’t like this very much. Looks like the North Korean national team may “go on an extended trip” sometime soon, compliments of General Kim Jong Il, who “is a rare great man of Baekdu type who was born at Mt.Baekdu, the sacred mountain of our nation, and made an unusual growth amidst the special revolutionary education of his parents, brilliant commanders of Baekdu, as well as the practical training of the revolutionary struggle. He personifies the revolutionary spirit, trait and nature of Mt.Baekdu. The revolutionary spirit of Mt.Baekdu personified by him is the spirit of independence associated with the soul of Baekdu, the spirit of gun inheriting the linage of Baekdu, the indefatigable revolutionary spirit replete with the mettle of Baekdu and the optimistic spirit consistent with cheerfulness of Baekdu. The revolutionary trait of Mt.Baekdu possessed by him is pluck and courage of Baekdu-style giant, ever-victorious sagacity of the brilliant commander of Baekdu, broad-mindedness befitting a heroic man, organizing ability of leading millions of people, indefatigable attacking spirit, strong ability of execution."

Gringos in a Foreign Land

2005-03-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

From the SoccerScribe -

Fences make good neighbors, and if you’re attending a World Cup qualifier in Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, so do about 50 or so riot police. As one who sat among the red-shirted crazies at Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Mexico, I can say things went off fairly well (at least from the perspective of not getting dead.)

Arriving about an hour or more before kickoff and situated parallel to the goal where all the scoring took place, it was clear police and officials were concerned that not everybody would behave (and you definitely got the impression the concern was more with the locals than the gringo tourists). A stray bottle cap, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, was seen to zing through the area now and then with its origins undetermined.

Besides the riot police, replete with helmets, shields and batons, officials and police took other precautions as well. They moved one group of American fans _ near the fence (topped by barbed wire) separating the fans behind the goal wearing green from those along the touchline (us) _ across an aisle to be consolidated those in with Sam’s Army who were equal with the top of the 18. Handfuls of Mexican fans _ who also were in the group near the fence and thought they were getting shafted _ also moved. (apparently not bothered by having to sit next to the gringos.) This resulted in the officials moving all the American fans back next to the fence.

It all was kind of pointless. Either location was well within bombing range from the upper deck (as some unfortunately discovered after Eddie Lewis’ goal). And if the 110,000 or so became so enraged they wanted to scale the fence, the 50 or so riot police within sight would have provided us gringos only a couple of more seconds to find the “Ruta de Evacuacion” or brace for a second Alamo.

The Mexicans chanted their “Mexico, Mexico, rah, rah, rah”; our group countered with “Ehs-TAHD-oh yoo-NEE-dohs” (Estados Unidos); the locals tried an anatomical insult in the local culture; we thumbed our nose with: DOHS-ah-SEHR-oh (2-0) _ just to remind them of who won in South Korea: That’s when the courtesies ended. A handful of Mexicans repeated their Osama chant (following their classy display during Olympic qualifying!); not to be outdone, some of us returned fire with “Kohr-TEHZ, Kohr-TEHZ”.

It was at this point the riot guys flipped down their face shields and the non-armored cops began scanning the crowd with very powerful binoculars. The tension seemed to be eased when the video screens scanned both crowds and located a very well endowed American female fan attired in a star-spangled bikini top. Both sides cheered _ loudly. Every soccer crowd likes big-breasted women _ especially the next day’s papers!!!

The rest of the game went without major incident. For the first 20 minutes or so, when the Mexicans were ineffective, the Mexicans were very quiet, prompting Sam’s Army to start singing “It’s just like playing at home”. When El Tri scored and went up 2-0 midway through the first half, the Mexican fans were too busy being happy to be worried about us. A few tried to taunt, but…

We did our own taunting, waving adios to Ricardo Lavolpe as he walked off the field after getting tossed before the end of the first half. Even after Lewis pulled the Camisetas Blancas within one, it didn’t seem to phase the Mexican fans.

Fences, riot police and letting the home team win is a combination that helps ensure your well-being.

Landon Donovan, Gigante de Oro? o Pies de Barro?

2005-03-29T00:02:00.000-05:00

I was going to comment on the US v Mexico match, but with the quantity that has been written about it, I don’t think there is much to be said that can add any insight (See here for articles). Nevertheless, I do think that on paper, the idea of a 4-5-1 was a smart move as this could have slowed down the Mexicans. However, with a formation like that, you need a big game out of your outside midfielders which we did not have. Whether it was Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley or Eddie Lewis, we lost the ability to get forward when we had the ball. Blame the smog, or blame it on Rio, whatever. We deserved to lose.

Over at ESPN.com, Jen Chang has a critical article on Landon Donovan – Read No Longer the US Great Hope. Two things – First, I wrote just the other day how disappointed I was that he may be leaving Europe to return stateside. So in that regard, it sounds like Chang and I are close to being on the same page. Second, the question about whether he is or is not the golden boy of US soccer, has me somewhat stumped. Was he a young player with tremendous amounts of potential that had many fans excited about the prospect of him becoming an even better player? I think the safe answer to that was yes.

But Chang’s argument is based upon a two false premises – the first being that his performance against Mexico warrants us to reconsider his “golden boy” status. Furthermore, his failure at Leverkusen is a further indication that maybe he is a brass or silver boy, but certainly not golden. The second premise, where much of the mental stretching occurs concludes that because of his performance against Mexico and his failure abroad, then somehow his ability to contribute to the US National team is somewhat limited. To add insult to injury, Chang suggests that the time has come to look at Eddie Lewis or DMB if we want to find the real Golden Boy of US Soccer.

Well let’s state the obvious first. Neither Preston North End of the English First Division, Lewis’ club, nor DMB’s club, PSV Eindhovan of the Dutch First Division remotely even come close to the competitive environment within the club and within the league as Donovan’s side, Bayer Leverkusen. Aside from that, one bad game does not a career make… especially if that one game is in Mexico City. I think the statistics (to use as a general benchmark) will bear out the fact that over the past 3 years Donovan has been one of the more dynamic players on the national team.

Finally, again the statistics – if we are seeking who should be the anointed golden boy of US Soccer, see below. Now I may pretend to be a coach, but if I am looking for a player… who would I choose?

Eddie Lewis – 61 Caps, 6 Goals
DaMarcus Beasley – 40 Caps, 8 Goals
Landon Donovan – 57 Caps, 19 goals

Better yet, you’re the coach. Who would you go with?

Finally, I won’t even begin the “loser mentality” that Chang sprinkles about his column. Frankly, one of the best things about this national team and Bruce Arena is the fact that when they win or deserve to win, they tell you. When they lose and do so deservedly, they tell you as well. No sugar coating. And having watched the game, I can’t say I blame Donovan being concerned about a blow-out as he went to the locker room at half time.

Maybe not an outright winner, but Mr. Chang could be a contender for the George Metellus Absurd Column Award.

Prediction

2005-03-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

This is one where I hope I am wrong -

Mexico - 3
USA - 1

Enjoy the game.

Random Reads

2005-03-27T12:13:00.000-05:00

I guess Gus Martins doesn't realize that personality is not the reason why some of us dislike Tommy Smyth. Maybe it has to do with the fact that he is a terrible at following a game, or actually providing insight into what we are watching, or for that matter, won't refrain from making some silly comment while the game is going on.

What's at stake in the game for Mex.

Chivas USA lost to Osasuna.

On Homesickness

2005-03-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

Word is that Landon Donovan is trying to make his way back to MLS, and in particular, the LA Galaxy. I know of a number of people who are excited at the prospect of his return to any team in the league, but count me as someone who is a bit disappointed. Donovan is a great player, exciting to watch, and extremely dangerous with the ball. So the reaction of many is understandable. Unfortunately, I don't want Donovan in MLS because it is an easy outlet for him if he is not playing overseas. Count me as one who wants him to be tested, pushed, and put through some difficult times in Europe. It's not that I want him to struggle, it's that I want him to become a better player.

He is quoted as saying that he will go anywhere as long as he can play. Well, if that's the case, I hope he tries to pursue other opportunities in Europe before he returns to the US. While I am a big supporter of MLS, I also accept it for what it is. And if we want Donovan to be an even better player, I don't think he can do so in the states. The competition, the rivalry's, the training, and yes, the experience in Europe will make him an even better player. If Leverkusen doesn't want him, so be it. But there has to be someone else in the Bundesliga, the EPL, or La Liga that would. If that doesn't pan out, then welcome home Landon. Until then, keep plugging away. If it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger.

The Easter Showdown

2005-03-27T08:34:00.000-05:00

Let's hope the Easter Bunny is set to deliver a pair of goals to the US. Playing in Azteca they will need all the help they can get. It goes without saying, but there is plenty of stuff to read on the game. For some good retrospectives, check out US Soccer's site. Also, if you get a chance Bob Ley's Outside the Lines will be featuring this match-up at 9:30 am ET. There is a preview you can watch in the middle of this page. The game is on at 1 pm ET on ESPN2.

Check out Marc Connelly's column.
Ron Blum's report on the hostile reception awaiting the US.
A photo montage on the rivalry.
Filip Bondy, From Mexico with Grudge
If you haven't done so, check out the Men's National team thread over at Bigsoccer.com.

This is by far the best quote I have read on the game - “Today there will be a ‘Clasico’ of Concacaf and as the soccer laws unofficially state, one’s glory will be the other’s hell. Today we will again live through the biggest war in North American sports.”

With that, enjoy the game and Happy Easter to you and your kin.

The Evander Holyfield of letter writing

2005-03-25T22:19:00.000-05:00

From an MLSFan -

Sometimes this is too easy….

I won’t generally say this about anyone so inclined to put their thoughts on paper, but this simply is the most absurd opinion column I have read in a long time. In fact, I think we should create an award, the George Metellus Absurd Column Award in honor of the author. That’s how silly it is.

Metellus’ premise is that “MLS & U.S. Soccer has embraced European style soccer and ignored Latin American stylings” and that somehow this is harmful to the development of soccer in the United States. He argues that Eurocentrism is the acceptable point of view in all matters (this because we are a Eurocentric society…) – from economics to commerce. And that somehow, this point of view is “prejudiced and exclusionary when applied to the style of the U.S. game and establishment of an American soccer identity.”

Point of order – really, technically, and you can ask any historian or anthropologist for good measure, we are not a “Eurocentric” society. If by that it means we are biased to all things European, perhaps in Mr. Metellus’ company this may be the case. But if there is some transcendental bias, it is undoubtedly an Anglo-Saxon one. No difference? Well, there is. We take much more of our cultural, legal and economic biases more from our British heritage, than say, our French, Italian or Portuguese heritage. But this is a discussion of soccer, not of heritage.

Mr. Metellus continues - “Over the last 5 years, MLS & U.S. Soccer has embraced European style soccer and ignored Latin American stylings. This is harmful to the desired growth of soccer in the States, especially considering the proximity of Latin American nations and the massive numbers of Latin people living in the U.S.”

Five years? Interesting. I am trying to understand what it is about five years ago that may have helped this be the case. And in all honesty, I can’t think of any. Five years ago was 1999, and aside from the debacle in France a year earlier, there really wasn’t anything that occurred soccer wise, other than Bruce Arena becoming the National team head coach.

Now we could discuss at some length what soccer bias he has, whether European or South American, but if his tenure as head coach of DC United is any indication…. He seemed to have a biased toward good soccer players. As far as I can tell, he didn’t have a preference of style. His only requirement was that you could play, and play well. His team of course was led by those great “European” playmakers, Jaime Moreno and Marco Etcheverry.

The above, of course, was in jest. But it makes an apt point that I think Mr. Metellus, with all his pontificating and his pseudo-intellectual observations, clearly misses. If we are to trace the development of a unique American system of play, it can be traced to our reliance not on the accomplishments or abilities of one single player, but on any one group of players. Perhaps this is the American style, which in many ways is a microcosm of the American Way – that is, we play within the means and abilities of the players on our roster. In MLS, we have the luxury of being able to build teams around a player or two or three. At the national team level we rely on a core of players who have demonstrated time and again that they can deliver. It may not have the Latin American flare, or the efficiency of a European team, but it is an effective use of what we have. And what we have are players that have largely developed on the grass fields of California, Virgina, New Jersey or Florida… not the fields of Rio, Buenos Aires or Mexico City.

Nonetheless Mr. Metellus continues –

“U.S. Soccer & MLS is in a fantastic position to meld the two styles into a uniquely American game, a style that is entertaining and technically sound. Instead coaches in the U.S. have decided to go the way of technical structure which does not entertain much. If the game is to grow in the U.S. four things have to happen:

1) Infuse U.S. born talent with talent from all over the world

2) Forget about converting fans of American football, baseball & basketball to soccer

3) Forget about competing with the money machines of American football, baseball, & basketball

4) Incorporate more of a Latin American style game with Latin American players and coaches”

There is so much here I don’t know where to begin. But it all comes down to the fact that I don’t think the author has watched or followed MLS for any extended period of time. First of all, his idea that the US and MLS should meld together the two styles, the Latin American and the European, to create a game unique to America is already occurring. Any successful coach will tell you that your players dictate how you play, and the majority of players in MLS are American’s and from Latin America.

But point for point –

1. How do you “Infuse” US Born talent with talent from all over the world? Maybe we need to get US players to start families… quickly. But seriously, doesn’t this contradict the notion that MLS is becoming Europeanized?
2. Not much to say here. Follow the league and you understand this is not what they are trying to do. In fact, many hardcore supporters complain that MLS is bending over backwards to cater to the casual and Hispanic fan.
3. Who is competing? All MLS is looking to do is to carve out a permanent and profitable piece of the American sports landscape.
4. Incorporate more Latin American players? More than the 16 on six teams I researched? I can’t even say that is the complete number considering I gave up trying after the 11th Hispanic player. Of course, when compared to the one Israeli, the Ugandan, and the Finish player, I can understand the concern.

And then there is this -

“MLS General Managers and player personnel directors are not scouting Latin American players; they would rather take a bench warmer from a 3rd division team in Norway than a starter from a 2nd division team in Brazil. MLS can be a great door to players from the Caribbean, Central & South America to show their skills when the big name clubs may not see them in their home nations.”

See my fourth point above. On it’s face, the assertion is false. Patently false.

“The U.S. pro soccer game cannot mirror the Eurocentric leaning of U.S. trade and commerce and must include the various styles and characteristics brought to the pitch by its ethnically diverse citizens.”

If I sat on his doctoral committee, I would have told him that for the good of the profession, it would be best if he found another line of work. Aside from that, as a journalist, the quantity of run-on sentences, the bad research and verbal gymnastics, the writing for writing’s sake, is atrocious.

Finally, this author gives me hope. Yes, hope. Hope that someday I can find my place in the sport of soccer, be that as an author, or like yourself, a pundit. If Mr. Metellus can do it, I certainly can.

Sorry Mr. Metellus, but I can honestly say, that you have no idea what you are talking about.

Best MLS Clubs

2005-03-25T14:24:00.000-05:00

Considering our club rankings, this comes as no surprise. Congratulations to both DC United and the Chicago Fire for some well deserved recognition.

Hannibal of Carthage FC

2005-03-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

The War of Words has begun. I love the Landon quote about Cobi coughing up something resembling a brownie…. Priceless.

Speaking of Mexico, former coach Javier Aguirre thought about retiring after his current club, Osasuna, got thumped at home, 6-1 by visiting Malaga.

Here is Greg Lalas over at MLSnet.com and a survey of his one liners –

the groupies all look like Juliette Binoche and are tantric specialists to boot, but the reality is that sitting on the bench for FC SoccerGiant or starting for Nowhereburgfurt in the German Third Division

which is like a Saturday afternoon men's league except that the players don't go to the bar in their shinguards after the games.

Thank you for coming, drive home safely ... "I love it when a plan comes together," as Hannibal used to say.

Not sure I understand the Hannibal reference. In fact, the first Hannibal I thought of hailed from Carthage, and I don’t seem to recall him regaling himself in glory during the Punic Wars. If anyone can help me out with that one, I would appreciate it.

Insert joke here

2005-03-24T20:34:00.000-05:00

Over at the US Nat Team Players site we have Greg Lalas on the US v. Mexico game. Rather than commenting on the point of the column, which yes, is valid, I thought I would take a look at all the colorful and comedic one liner’s that were in the column. It is a style of writing that, quite frankly, I find tiresome. Nonetheless, here they are –

as if Landon Donovan himself drew up the 1848 peace treaty that gave Texas, California, and New Mexico to the United States.
Not too long ago, Mexico-USA was more one-sided than a Saddam Hussein election.
So it blows my mind how all the hype seems to be setting the US up to win 10-nil this weekend and still have energy to party with Sammy Hagar in Cabo. You’d think Bruce Arena was soccer’s Obi Wan Kenobi, and that he’d been playing Jedi mind tricks on the Mexican players so that they can’t even make a ten-yard square pass.(This one is the winner in my book)
and enough attitude to enjoy a knockdown drag-out brawl in a Tijuana cantina.
nipping the mescal a few too many times

Now, back to the actual point of the column to which I say, thank you, Mr. Lalas.

All of the brimming confidence (See Tino Palace over at MLSnet.com), the casting aside of the history of this game, and the “swagger” of the team, has me looking for a sucker punch. Call me skeptical, but as Lalas succinctly explains, this is a good squad. While we may enjoy the fact that they are under a lot of pressure to win, the fact of the matter is that the Mexican national team has had a laser like focus on this game. It will be looking to reassert it’s dominance on the series, and could very well do it. And if they manage to score within the first 15 minutes, as I am sure they will be looking to do, it could prove to be a long day for the US.

With that said, the United States is at a point where they can inflict some serious damage on our main regional rival. A victory could send their national team into a downward spiral that could see the US replace Mexico as the pre-eminent team of the region. This is one of those games that could be the threshold for US Soccer regional dominance. But before we can start sipping tequila, we have to win. And that is something that I don’t think will come easy – even if we can swagger into Mexico City.

Finally, if you have Real Audio, here is a segment on NPR’s Marketplace discussing MLS’ tenth year.

On Retirement and the Chinese Super League

2005-03-24T09:54:00.000-05:00

With a win, the US can send Mexico into a tailspin. This, according to Sean Wheelock over at Foxsports.com. To be honest, how sweet it would be beating Mex in the Azteca, and taking it to head coach Ricardo Lavolpe. It will be a cauldron of hostility on and off the field, so this is an extremely difficult task…. Ah, but we can dream.

Talk about a nightmare league. Now even more troubles on the horizon for the Chinese Super League.

Fabian Barthez announced his retirement. I never was a fan of his, and never thought he was a particularly gifted goalkeeper. He was however, an inspiration to his team, and was certainly a catalyst to the French national team winning the World Cup in 1998. But ask any Man U fan, when Barthez made a bad decision, or made a mess of a simple play, it generally turned out to be disastrous for the team.

Looks like the owner of the Colorado Rapids, Kroenke Sports Enterprises will be unveiling his proposed stadium plans on Friday. HOK is the architectural firm commissioned with the overall project. At this rate, the Rapids will have a stadium before the Metrostars…. Now if they would only switch their colors back to green.

Too rich for the knock-out rounds

2005-03-23T21:11:00.000-05:00

Manchester United CEO David Gill suggested the Champions League should seed top clubs so that they don't run the risk of being knocked out early. He seems to think that the likes of Real Madrid and Man U should be exempted from the tedium of having to play in the early rounds against teams like Weder Bremen or Monaco. Well, I will leave it to boys over at Round and White to discuss.

Ivory Tower FC

2005-03-23T21:09:00.000-05:00

Brazilian soccer explained by a Ph.D. candidate.

I will grant the author the point that his space is limited. Nonetheless, his analysis of the role in Brazilian soccer displays a lack of understanding about the “social cultural expression” the sport plays in Brazil. From the perspective of a Ph.D. candidate in education, Brazilian soccer looks on its face as an entity apart from educational institutions, something the author laments. However, a cursory review of major and minor clubs uncovers something more complex than a simple avenue out of poverty.

Most clubs, in part out of necessity, in part because of the need in their communities, and in part to discover future players, established ties with the community through club schools. For a club like Vasco da Gama, such schools exist throughout Brazil. And while ultimately it is hoped that the next Pele or Ronaldhino will rise through the ranks of their program, they often perform other roles.

In the case of Gremio, the youth section the club created in 1969 has taken its role as a catalyst for social and educational success for children. While it may not have any direct association with local schools - much like a YMCA or YWCA, Gremio’s youth programs act as a compliment or an addition to the role of those schools.

In this manner, the function of the club becomes as much a supporter of the local educational process, as it does as a promoter of the beautiful game. Of course, such a relationship in a country like Brazil, further ingrains the sport in the social fabric of a local community.

Finally, within an historical context, much like the Roman Catholic Church, Brazilian clubs acted as pivotal social organizations within their communities (Perhaps shedding some light on the phrase “football is the new religion”). And as such, soccer clubs provided elemental societal functions in the absence of any other organizing institution, be it a government agency, school, family or church.

So, while the author may lament the limited role Brazilian clubs play in schools, the fact of the matter is that in some respects these clubs have gone far beyond that. And there in lies the value of soccer in Brazil.

Aside from the pride one must feel seeing someone like Ronaldo or Juninho at work… err, play.

On Unionism and Capitalism

2005-03-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

Mourinho expects all charges levied against him and his staff will be dismissed. Of course he does, he understands UEFA. I can’t see a situation in which UEFA would willingly do something to jeopardize their cash cow that is the Champions League. This is an issue of integrity, and when faced with issues of integrity versus issues of money, they always side with the money.

According to this report, it looks like UEFA will issue a fine.

Richard Snowden over at Soccer 365 reflects on the lack of a real agreement between the USSF and the US National Team Players Association. Unfortunately, I think Snowden misses the point of the compromise. If you ask me, the compromise itself, regardless of how it took shape was a recognition by all party's that a strike was the last thing their respective organizations and the sport needed at this time. Granted, the strike clause is only good for 2005, and yes, we wish it could have been for longer. But, for both sides, having an open ended non-commitment is not something that should be extended indefinitely. Regardless of the side you support, had a strike happened, both would have been disgraced considering that the public perception would have been that each side would willingly screw over the game and US soccer fans for money.

Tampa Bay Bucaneer’s owner Malcolm Glazer is looking to re-submit his bid to buy Manchester United. In light of their recent earnings statement announcing a 50% drop in half year profits, Glazer’s hand is strengthened. Not sure how I would react if I were a fan of ManU. But if I were a disinterested shareholder, my only question would be, how much are you going to pay for my shares? Well, according to Man U CEO David Gill, 300 pence per share is fair value (Roughly $5.65/share). Currently MNU LN Shares trade at 265 pence, or $4.97 per share. It appears that Glazer would have to leverage the Club quite a bit to complete the purchase. And if Man U fans thought ticket prices were expensive, wait until Glazer got a hold of the club. He clearly sees untapped value in the club, and would undoubtedly try to bully his way to get more profit out of Man U. The question is, would the fans tolerate it? I’ve always said that I think there will come a point where fans of clubs like Man U may start to rebel against trying to get them to pay more and more every year. It’s just a matter of where that line is.

The odds are against the US down in Mexico. 0-21-1 when playing Mex in Mex.

And while we are talking about Azteca – the NY Times Editorial board has chimed in about the proposed West Side stadium and the bidding process. You thought NJ politics was sticky… try a development project in NY.

Based on the FIFA rankings, the US is now ranked tenth in the world. Of course, Mex is 6th. For the life of me, I still can’t figure out how the rankings are figured.

Kicking sand

2005-03-22T21:14:00.000-05:00

Brazilian legend Romario has been called up for another World Cup. Romario was selected Tuesday for the Brazilian team for the first FIFA Beach Football World Cup. Teams from 12 nations will compete May 8-15 on Rio's famed Copacabana beach. Between soccer and having six kids, he sure stay's busy.

Azteca

2005-03-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

A Mexico v. US primer. Just thinking about this game brings me back to the 2002 World Cup.

The Flat Earth Society and the WUSA II

2005-03-22T20:39:00.000-05:00

From the SoccerScribe -

Once again, someone is reporting the possible return of the WUSA. (sigh). Will someone please drive a wooden stake through this, please!

The latest prayer is that Tonya Antonucci will somehow convince sponsors and the American public that women’s professional soccer _ at least at the hoopla level of the WUSA _ is commercially viable. She reportedly believes the WUSA II can succeed because she is more grounded in reality without _ as the moniker was credited to Bruce Arena _ “the Title IX mentality.”

Ah-oooooo-gah! This is STILL the Title IX mentality. Besides being an incredibly bad law, because it proceeded from the assumption that girls (women) are as interested, enthusiastic, inspired, etc. …by sports in anywhere near the same numbers as boys (men), Title IX has had the notorious effect of helping to convince many people that females are somehow ENTITLED to things _ in particular fame, glory and a comfortable living _ simply because they are female.

NOBODY is entitled to those things _ unless of course you are born into a wealthy family, live in a dictatorship or can bully someone enough in a free society.

Title IX also ignores that some college sports (read MEN’S college basketball and MEN’S college football) actually make money for many schools, and that even where they don’t, the do provide a social gathering place for the school, students, and also in many cases the community. Many times that’s a good thing, sometimes not.

Except in VERY rare cases, women’s sports provide neither profit nor a social gathering place _ at least no more than the men’s swim team or even the guy’s soccer team!
This is not to say women’s sports or non-revenue generating sports have no place in college. Vince Lombardi once said that a college without football is in danger of becoming a medieval study hall. Substitute sports (athletics) for football, and I would heartily agree.

However, Title IX’s inspiration _ or at least the reason it has become the monster that it has _ was not that women weren’t/aren’t getting opportunities to play, it was that women weren’t/aren’t getting the glory _ or at least the attention _ male athletes receive(d). Money often can buy attention, and even glory.

And because we’ve now convinced a generation that women are entitled to nationally televised glory at the collegiate level, many now believe they are entitled to it at a professional level _ even if the market won’t sustain it. The market won’t sustain it at the college level either, but if you have courts that can find rights in “penumbras”, you can have legislatures that are just as inane _ and courts willing to enforce those laws rather than find them unconstitutional.

The W-League has been a part of the USL since 1995, and players like Canadian international Charmaine Hooper played in it for the simple enjoyment of playing. But that doesn’t have the money _ and especially not the glory _ the Julie Foudys of the world need to justify themselves.

So the WUSA must be resurrected (interesting juxtaposition of words this week if you like those kinda things, huh).

Professional women’s sports have a tough slog, overwhelmingly because they are nowhere near the level of men. As one columnist wrote recently when reviewing the movie “Million Dollar Baby” _ (and I’m paraphrasing), calling themselves the best women’s boxers in the world is a dubious distinction along the lines of calling oneself the world’s tallest midget.

The WTA and LPGA tours exist, and many women make a relatively comfortable living there, but they have had their struggles _ even recently. It was only last decade both searched long and hard for title sponsors.

Women’s team sports leagues struggle to break even at best.

Many bring up the argument that minor league baseball, college basketball and football clearly make money and they’re not the highest level of their respective games. True. But they’re still way above the highest women’s level.

Women soccer players have an opportunity to play, it’s called, and been called, the W-League. Just like MLS is not the Serie A _ and some guys are willing to play in it for less than $30,000 a year, room with three other guys and drive in 10-year-old cars just for the opportunity to play.

But since it is my suspicion that opportunity is not the motivation of the WUSA’s supporters, there are those who will try to recreate it in some form.

There is nothing illegal or immoral about this, disingenuous and self-righteous maybe...

Besides having some dilatory effect on soccer in this country by siphoning off investment capital in the men’s pro game that might actually develop the game and increase its awareness and acceptance in the mainstream, it’s just incredibly foolish.

They can recite their prayers, sing hallelujah and say amen. The Flat Earth Society still thinks you’ll fall off the end if you sail too far.

Undisclosed Location

2005-03-22T20:27:00.000-05:00

TopDrawerSoccer.com is going to become a subscription-based site. Aside from making it a daily stop, I don’t know much more about the site than what I have read. With that said, there is only one site that reportedly is a successful subscription-based site – The Wall Street Journal. All other sites that turned to some sort of subscription fee, no matter how small, lost a considerable number of their readers. I would like to think however, that the readers of TopDrawerSoccer enjoy the site enough that they will pay a fee to read it.

UEFA’s report is pretty damning of Mourinho’s behavior following the first leg of Chelsea’s Champion’s League game against Barcelona. Here is a thorough analysis of the story.

Meanwhile, Manchester United announced that it will be expanding Old Trafford by some 7,600 seats in order to make up for rising personnel costs. CEO of Man U David Gill said, “We’ll still sell out every game next season.” Capacity at Old Trafford will now be about 76,000.

Ives Galarcep on the continuing saga that is the Metrostars stadium. He raises some interesting issues surrounding the need for a stadium, some of the handicaps, and some of the current roadblocks. 30 March is the day that matters. This is when all principle interests will sit down and hammer out a deal… or walk away.

It’s tough to get much going in terms of excitement just before the season kick-off when every time a player is signed to a contract, the terms of the contract is never disclosed.

Meanwhile, it has been disclosed that the U20 national team beat Argentina by a score of 2-1.

On the Cosmos

2005-03-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

Oscar over at Record as I am has asked why some fans don't want to see the Cosmos make a return to MLS. On face value he is correct. It is sort of silly. After all, it is without a doubt the single most recognizable soccer club in the US. Of course, much of the fascination with the name is purely fiction. You know, everyone has heard the story line - 77k attending matches, great players, etc.. Well, some of that may be true, but on balance, while successful, over the history of the franchise, it was not nearly as successful as some of it's vocal supporters would have you believe. (I won't bore you with a history lesson on the franchise, but suffice it to say that they heyday of the team lasted for roughly three years.)

Let's be clear on something. It's not that people oppose the use of the Cosmos name, what many opposed, and still do to this day, is changing the Metrostars name to the Cosmos. As if the cosmetic change of a new name would somehow cleanse the team of it's extremely poor imagine. As if the name would somehow recapture the greatness of a by-gone era...err, few years. I don't know of a person who would be opposed to a Cosmos franchise in New York if it was the result of someone buying an expansion team.

I'll be honest though. I still have reservations about the name, but would be more inclined to use it for an expansion team, than I would for changing the Metro's name. No matter how mickey mouse the name is. I wasn't pleased with the change from the Clash to the Earthquakes That changed things around, didn't it?.

The Metrostars may be more appropriate for some made-for-Disney boy/girl band, but it is now the name of a soccer club. And should remain so.

Referee's are People Too

2005-03-21T20:47:00.000-05:00

Link sent to me from SoccerEG -

Article on referee's and the pressure they face. You can understand why Anders Frisk is giving it up.

Ultimatums for Everyone

2005-03-21T20:28:00.000-05:00

Not going to comment on this considering everything that could be said about a Metro stadium has. And everything that is expected of the Club in terms of on-field performance has also been said. All I will say that in terms of what Commissioner Garber said last week, and Metro GM Nick Sackiewicz said at media day, it appears that someone at some level within AEG has issues an ultimatum. Meaning, get a stadium deal with the next x amount of time, or we close up shop. It may not be that dramatic, but pretty close. Also, in terms of what Coach Bob Bradley said, it is clear that he understands he won't be in New York next year unless he wins. Sackiewicz may get to stay, but the coach will be gone.

"Reviewing Our Position"

2005-03-21T13:57:00.000-05:00

Looks like Chelsea is a bit concerned that UEFA will throw the book at them and disqualify the club from the Champions League. When the fear of God hits you, review your position.

On Karate Kicks and the WUSA

2005-03-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

This article gives me enough hope to think that the WUSA does have a shot of making a comeback. There are still far too many obstacles in the way, but at least this time those who are making the decisions, are using business rationale to justify how it will be run. In other words, no more sugar-daddy’s.

Could the fact that Real Madrid may get rid of David Beckham mean they are getting serious about soccer?

Eric Cantona would be proud.

Chelsea out of the Champions League? Perhaps Mourinho should learn the phrase “No Comment.”

Nick Webster on player fatigue in the English Premier League.

Meanwhile, Arsenal coach, Arsene Wenger has criticized the English national team trip to the states.

You can’t say that Mexico isn’t taking the World Cup qualifier’s seriously, especially against the US. With Eddie Johnson and Clint Mathis playing the way they are, they better be serious.

Here is an interesting read on DC United and their vanquished foe in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Harbor View. It provides a good contrast between the benefits of a professional league like MLS, v. a semi-professional league like the Jamaican league.

Now this is shameful. I guess the MISL has gotten so serious players have to come to karate kicks to win.

Also, let’s give a nice round of applause for Dan Courtemanche who is back at MLS HQ. Now let’s see if we change the “every-announcement-is-a-big-announcement” policy.

San Siro with Artificial Turf?

2005-03-17T15:52:00.000-05:00

There is talk about putting down artificial turf in the legendary home of Milan and Inter. During the winter months, with both teams playing, it seems like there are those who are interested in the idea. Call me old-fashioned, but for as impressive San Siro is, it's aura would be dimmed a bit if it had a plastic surface.

Article in Spanish

The subject was brought up a number of times, including this past January. Granted, artificial turf has come a long way, but consider me one who thinks the game should be played on grass.

#4 Lucilla, Center Back

2005-03-17T15:01:00.000-05:00

Sean Wheelock on the US National team goalkeeping landscape. Also, check out the photo essay “First Class, Second Choice”.

Michael Lewis over at BigAppleSoccer.com comments on the “move” by the Metro to the West Side of Manhattan.

Former Dallas Burn, US Nat and Charleston Battery player, Chad Deering has announced his retirement from the game. As an aside, if you haven’t seen Blackbaud Stadium, you should.

If only this was what GM’s in MLS could expect for not winning trophies, oh how things would be different -

Lucilla: The mob is fickle, brother. They’ll forget him in a month.

Commodus: Sooner than that. It has been arranged.

Looks like Tim Howard may have some competition for his spot. It’s in Spanish, but current RCE Espanyol’s goalkeeper Idriss Carlos Kameni has been catching the eye of some English clubs, including Man U.. Kameni has been quite a solid, if not spectacular keeper in the last two years, and has won the accolades of anyone who has had to play against him. Who knows if Tim Howard has it within himself to win back the confidence of Sir Alex. He is certainly capable, just not sure if he is willing. See this report in English.

Ian Plenderleith takes a look at the new and existing soccer magazine’s available for US soccer fans. Only time will tell if it is a sign of greatness, or the warning before the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse come galloping down from heaven.

Roster for Future MLS Team in Toronto?

2005-03-16T23:04:00.000-05:00

Could this be the future expansion team in Toronto? Actually, considering the country, this would be an excellent start for a Toronto franchise. There are only a few players on the list (Hirschfeld, deGuzman, and Radzinski) that I think would probably stay put. Nonetheless, as they say, this is all theory.

Players called in for Canadian National Team Friendly
1 Greg Sutton GK Montreal Impact, USL First Division
33 Lars Hirschfeld GK Leicester City, League Championship
4 Kevin McKenna D Hearts, Scottish Premier
5 Marco Reda D Aalborg, Danish First Division
6 Julian deGuzman M Hanover 96, German Bundesliga
7 Paul Stalteri D/M Werder Bremen, German Bundesliga
8 Daniel Imhof M St. Gallen, Swiss First Division
9 Tomasz Radzinski F Fulham, English Premier
10 Patrice Bernier M Tromso, Norwegian Premier
11 Jim Brennan M Norwich City, English Premier
12 Mike Klukowski D/M FC Brugge, Belgian First Division
13 Atiba Hutchinson D/M Helsingborg, Swedish Premier
14 Dwayne de Rosario M/F San Jose Earthquakes, MLS
15 Josh Simpson D/M Millwall, League Championship
16 Olivier Occean F Odd Grenland, Norwegian Premier
17 Jaime Peters M Ipswich Town, League Championship

On Currency and Garber's Comments

2005-03-16T20:23:00.000-05:00

From and email from the SoccerFX -

Aside from all of that, the biggest obstacle that a hypothetical (MLS and MFL) league would experience could very well be the currencies involved. From a pure business perspective, the new league would have to determine a base currency for all operations. Consider this an accounting practice if you must, but it would be essential. You would want to conduct business, player transactions, sponsorship, etc., in some sort of standardized and practical manner. This way everyone is on a level playing field of sorts. This then begs the question, which one? USD or MXN? I think you may find that everyone would agree to USD, which is the stronger of the two. But here is the hitch. On a transaction between north and south of the border clubs worth a hypothetical $1 million. Depending on delivery of the $, and depending when you convert to MXN, you could win or lose significantly depending on exchange rates. There are ways to mitigate this, but clubs are not banks, thus making it more difficult (and expensive). Now, let's say for hypothetical purposes, that these issues are properly mitigated because Club America hires me to hedge against currency fluctuations, then say we go through another 1982 or 1995 devaluation and subsequent financial crises... who suffers the most? Not only the Mexican clubs would suffer, but so would the Northern clubs since more than likely they would be forced to shore up any financial shortfalls. There was a great article in the Financial Times a few years back on the NBA and the Toronto Raptors that looked at the financial ramifications being a foreign club in the NBA. I will try to dig it out for you. What was most eye opening was that what you think would be not a big deal, say the purchase of basketballs, can become much more expensive because of the currency of your country. Obviously, this is a lot more complicated than this. But think about everything you can think of that makes a successful American sports franchise. Then apply whatever exchange rates you want... pick two dates and multiply or divide, and see the differences. It's a high level analysis, but enlightening nonetheless.

There was one idea that could make this all for naught - a unified currency like the Euro. And there are proponents of it... but a hell of a lot more opponents of it in the US. So it would never happen. And even if we started planning for it today, well, it took the EU almost 50 years of planning to do what they did.

Soccer, the Guppy Family Business?

2005-03-16T19:13:00.000-05:00

Garber on the league’s progress. Can we just agree that for the forseeable future a possible union of MLS and the MFL is absurd? I couldn't even begin to list the reason's why we would want to avoid this (although I may try). In the future? Perhaps. Maybe in that future where Bruce Willis drives a taxi..... I think it is also fair to ask aloud why the Commissioner thinks this would be a good idea... or has all that marketing commentary gone to his head?
Still some commentary on the Metro changing their name to the Cosmos? Heaven forbid. Courtesy of the Oscar at the Record as I am Blog. Can we accept that the history of the Cosmos includes the death of the franchise?
The debate over the West Side stadium in New York is heating up, as the NFL has promised to Super Bowl to the city if the stadium gets built. Now that Garber opened a can of worms with his comments about the Metro possibly moving there, it is now a topic of interest.
The continuing saga of Chivas USA and Ramon Ramirez. Considering the expectations for Chivas USA, this is not the greatest way to start your inaugural season.
Another Guppy join’s Major League Soccer. Could this be a relation to the Metro Brain Trust member, John Guppy?

Enemy of Football, Friend of Jurisprudence

2005-03-15T21:25:00.000-05:00

I guess he has the right to do so, but I find it almost comical that Jose Mourinho may sue over the comments made by the chairman of UEFA's referee's committee. Granted, I think calling Mourinho an "enemy of football" is a bit over the top, but the fact that he is suing to regain his "good" name is laughable. With any luck it will give Ander's Frisk an idea....

What I do find interesting is how far Mourinho is going to take this. It may not seem like much, but UEFA referee's have been unhappy with how they are being treated for quite some time. And now that a favorite has decided to retire, rather than deal with all the noise associated with being a top level ref this may be the token case the referee's are looking for. While no one has threatened a strike, it has been mentioned. Considering that I am no legal eagle, I wonder what the ramifications would be if the Referee's Committee called for a strike, say the day of the Champion's League final. Would a scab be sent in to officiate? Or would that be a violation of EU labor law? Nonetheless, you can see why everyone from the top down in UEFA and FIFA are standing by the side of Anders Frisk.

2005 Algarve Cup Champions

2005-03-15T21:10:00.000-05:00

The US women's national team defeated Germany by a score of 1-0 to win the 2005 edition of the Algarve Cup. Now down to the serious business - Who is going to be the next head coach?

For your reading and viewing pleasure

2005-03-15T16:50:00.000-05:00

Gotta love this new ReAL Salt Lake commercial.
It appears Freddy may be tiring of the spotlight. It shouldn't surprise anyone, really. He was only 14 when he was drafted. He has a lot of great soccer ahead of him, let's just hope he doesn't burn out, regardless of what Neil Young says.
A great photo essay on Roy Keane.
And another on the top MLS foreign transfers. Interesting that of 13 pics, only five, Nowak, Johnston, Spencer, Stoitchkov and Valderrama, proved to be worthwhile. And of those five, only Nowak and Valderrama are peerless in MLS history.

Re: Leadership Changes

2005-03-15T12:55:00.000-05:00

From Someone in the Know -

It looks like the Chicago Storm of the MISL is set to announce owner Mitre Kutanovski as the teams new President. The announcement should come today or tomorrow.

The Commissioner's Round Table

2005-03-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

If you had the opportunity to meet with the Commissioner today, the most striking comments were on the Metrostars stadium issues. In essence, Garber publicly announced that if in fact the Metro fail in their efforts to secure their dream home in Harrison, NJ, AEG, the owner of the Metrostars will contemplate a move to the proposed football stadium on the West side of Manhattan. Needless to say there were a number of us who are, one, skeptical of the idea, and two, surprised that the Commissioner would speak on such a sensitive matter. It makes you wonder what exactly he is being told about the discussions. Some thoughts -

Under what circumstances would it be a better opportunity for the Metro to move to a brand new stadium in Manhattan? Would the move spark a tremendous jump in attendance? Short term, maybe. Long term, doubtful. Yet it also stands the test of logic to assume that even under the best of circumstances, the Metro would still be losing a lot of money.
I thought it was only a couple of months ago that the stadium in Harrison was... close, real close. Anyone who follows NJ politics knows that it is a racket, and that the Metro are getting shaken down, but it was the Commissioner and Metro's GM who at the beginning of the year made it sound like all that was needed was to "cross the t's and dot the i's."
Garber said it wasn't about "leverage." Baloney. A comment like this is all about leverage. Too bad it is as idle a threat as any that can be made. I cannot, under any circumstance think of what benefit could come from moving the Manhattan. And anyone who has to tell everyone something is "not about leverage", definitely means the opposite.
To me this is just another example of why the Metro should give up on the idea of an $80 million dollar stadium, and find out how they can build something, anything, for a lot cheaper-a-la-Hunt. Whatever happened to building a modular stadium? Get beyond the stadium issue, and concentrate on building the club. When you have real leverage, then go for broke.
According to the Commissioner, the Metro lose two to three times as much as any club. Under the circumstances, #4 sounds all the more appealing.
The Commissioner stated that it is "inconceivable" to him that there would not be a New York franchise. I guess it is conceivable that there be a New York franchise that is considered the laughing stock of MLS.

Below are some additional items that were mentioned. Aside from the all the standard talking points (Doubled the number of investors, new stadia coming on line, increased marketing etc.) these are some of the more interesting ones.

Expansion in Toronto is a possibility. The team would be the reverse of a stateside team in that all but four players would have to be Canadian. As an aside, Brian Lewis asked whether their was a sufficient number of Canadian players who could field an adequate MLS team. Garber retorted that he was confident that there were enough players for a team or two, but that if they wanted a third team, that when they may have some problems.
The biggest mistake he has made while Commissioner was pushing for Luis Hernandez and getting him at a price tag of $6 million. Interesting. Who knows if he mispoke, but back in 2000, the price tag was supposedly $4 million.
If you wondered about the league's staying power, the league recently agreed to move it's HQ in June to 420 5th Avenue. It is a ten-year lease.
The Commissioner's contract expires at the end of the year. Not much to report here since he said he hasn't thought about it much, and neither have his wife and kids.
The league is redoubling it's efforts at the grassroots level in partial response to the recent announcement by the SGMA. According to the trade group, soccer is the "hottest" sport in the past five years. Expect to hear this quite a bit.....
Finally, if it is not obvious, Chivas USA is the "Freddy" factor for 2005. Too bad that Chivas USA may fall flat on it's face if one strictly looks at their on-field results. 7-0 loss to the Nats? Players walking out? Thomas Rongen as coach? Chivas USA fans may feel a bit betrayed if they don't start pulling it together.

That about covers it. For those of you in LA and Salt Lake, you can expect a visit by the league tomorrow and Wednesday .

The Chorus is Getting Louder

2005-03-14T18:46:00.000-05:00

Now, even Sepp Blatter is raising concerns over Jose Mourinho and his comments about Anders Frisk. Again, no one is saying that Mourinho is responsible for the threats on Frisk. But in his position, what he say's can be taken as a rallying cry for any number of unbalanced Chelsea supporters. To make matters worse, I haven't seen Mourinho comment on the incidents. I may be wrong, but anyone with an ounce of class would have said something in support of Frisk. But then again, Mourinho is not known for his magnanimity.

Brand Beckham starts Academy

2005-03-14T18:39:00.000-05:00

According a number of news sources, David Beckham is starting a youth soccer academy in England and in LA. For the LA academy he has team up with the Anschutz Entertainment Group (Family of Companies... and jobs.). Who knows, maybe one day all those rumors about Beckham playing in the US will come true.
Here is an interesting article on what life after soccer may look like for Beckham.

Big Announcement, or the ReAl Salt Lake Jersey's

2005-03-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

Well, ReAl Salt Lake had it's big reveal and showed us their 2005 uniforms. As mentioned previously, this was another one ferreted out by some Bigsoccer blood hounds. Based on the announcement however, you would have thought that they had found the mythical golden tablets. The next announcement out of ReAl will clearly be some sort of partnership with Real Madrid.

What's a million between friends

2005-03-12T13:42:00.000-05:00

It started out as a $4 million rejection for Eddie Johnson. The AP is now reporting that it is more like $5 million. I am still trying to figure what about the "timing or the offer" was not right.

A Premature "Big" Announcement

2005-03-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

From still another SoccerInsider -

You may have already heard the news about the US v. England match scheduled to be played in Chicago. Well it seems like the announcement was made prematurely and has upset the English FA. Generally speaking the FA likes to make all arrangements prior to the announcement of any friendly. It does so in order to prevent price gouging (pretty significant from what we understand). Well, someone overstepped their bounds on this one. Even officials at US Soccer are annoyed because despite what the original scoop by Grant Wahl suggested, no one at the Soccer House "confirmed" the friendly. Nonetheless, you have to give credit to "Scoop" Wahl for being ahead of breaking the story.

Chelsea Question Answered

2005-03-12T10:05:00.000-05:00

See my previous post where I ask how can anyone support Chelsea... well, ask a silly question, and get a serious reponse. Here is a column on SI.com that may sum it up for many Chelsea fans by Arash Markazi. To be honest though, I don't buy "Chelsea, however, plays with a style and grace that transcends the borders of England." I am impressed with their ability on the counter, which proved deadly against Barcelona. But to be honest, in both matches I don't think there was anything special with how they played. Yes, they are hard on defense, and yes they counter with clinical precision. But there was nothing that said to me that this year's Chelsea was a memorable one. The 4-2 win against Barcelona was. And if they win the Premiership and the Champions League, that will be memorable. But chalk me up as someone who thinks they are a team that effective in defending, and deadly on the counter. Mourinho has the wind in his sails, and the team is playing with confidence. And I think that has made all the difference. And by the way, if you are a Chelsea fan, no disrespect was intended... I would hate to get phone calls and emails from you guys......

Premature Retirement

2005-03-12T09:46:00.000-05:00

What can you say about Anders Frisk retiring because of the death threats he received from Chelsea supporters? Obviously, it's clearly unacceptable that one of the best referee's in the world decides to retire because of the actions of what is probably a minority of Chelsea supporters. But I will say that if a poisonous atmosphere is partly responsible for this, then it has to start with Chelsea's own Jose Mourinho. Of course he is not responsible for the threats, or the actions some fans have taken. But he helped create a climate that may have enabled or affirmed a minority of Chelsea fans' opinion of Frisk's performance. His post-game comments after the first leg game against Barcelona, were irresponsible, and based on further investigation by UEFA, without merit. I've asked this a number of times over, but how can anyone truly support Chelsea now. Despite not winning titles under the tutelage of Claudio Ranieri, this club used to have class. Now, well, I'll leave it at that.

New Magazine

2005-03-12T09:36:00.000-05:00

For fans of US Soccer, Soccer America has long been a staple. Within the past year or so we saw 90 Minutes make it's debut in the marketplace. Now we are getting a third called Striker Magazine. I am not sure if this is a another growth trend for the sport, or another sign of the apocolypse.

For Academics

2005-03-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

Came across this article in the Sport Journal. A scholarly piece on Hooliganism in the UK during the inter-war period. I do have to say that I am not a big fan of the sociology style guide. Certainly very choppy reading but informative nonetheless. If you take anything away from this scholarly piece, let one thing be certain - in soccer, the ball is round and the game is 90 minutes, the rest is just theory.

Big Announcement?

2005-03-11T20:25:00.000-05:00

From a conversation with yet another SoccerInsider -

Does this qualify as a "Big" announcement? ReAl Salt Lake is unveiling it's jersey tomorrow. As irony would have it, over at Bigsoccer.com (the Internet's gift to soccer fans), they seem to have known for some time what it will look like. They do look remarkably like the Spanish National team kits. Now I am not saying that this is indeed the jersey they will be unveiling. But I will say that IF it is, it would not surprise me in the least. There are sleuths on Bigsoccer that are on the same playing field as Woodward and Bernstein. I do long for the day, however when MLS clubs do not feel compelled to issue a press release for every event. If this is their idea of "creating" news, I think they should go back to J-school. This is not the kind of news you use to stir a soccer fan's passion. Sadly, MLS has been known to hire hitmen (No, not the WWF kind) to go out and silence anyone who may be suspected of "leaking" something unapproved, unsanitized or that may hurt the ego of a GM or the Commissioner. The league has taken the whole concept of managing the story to a whole different level. It has also done so at the expense of relationships with the press. But this is another topic for another day. Get ready to rock! Salt Lake is unveiling it's jersey's!!

Oh, before I forget. We all know how bad Tommy Smyth is, but I dare say that the commentary during the DC-Harbor View and the KC-Saprissa match was down right sad. Whatever happened to following the play?

Eddie Johnson the Commodity

2005-03-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated is reporting that MLS turned down a $4 million dollar offer for the Burn's Eddie Johnson from Benfica. It reports that his contract expires in 2006. Needless to say, this is an interesting development and further's the notion that MLS isn't simply developing players simply to sell them. At some point however, MLS will want to sell him. Of course, what MLS is banking on is that Johnson will continue to develop not only in MLS but also with Bruce Arena. Exposure at the big dance, the 2006 World Cup could drive up his market value significantly. It would also give MLS the time to get Eddie's name and reputation out to the non-rabid soccer fans in the US. If all turns out as hoped, it could net MLS a lot of publicity and ultimately, $$$. However, as with any sport, the spotlight is now on him.... now let's see how he does.

Bummer for the Metro

2005-03-11T18:40:00.000-05:00

Fortunately it is only a muscle pull, but nonetheless, key Metrostars signing Youri Djorkaeff is out for 4-6 week with a pulled hamstring. Me thinks their is truth to the Metro curse. And count me as one who is looking forward to him playing... some day.

A Couple of Reads for a Friday...

2005-03-11T16:16:00.000-05:00

Here is an interesting interview with Landon Donovan.
And another victory for the women in the Algarve Cup against Finland.

Enjoy the weekend everybody. Lot's of games to catch....

Speaking of Hollywood FC...

2005-03-10T20:41:00.000-05:00

Former star of Melrose Place, and former Galaxy player, Andrew Shue is producing a movie with his lovely sister Elizabeth called Finding Gracie. I don't care what anyone tells me, but her best role was in Adventures in Babysitting.

Hollywood FC

2005-03-10T20:34:00.000-05:00

The website for the movie The Game of Their Lives.

Phil Anschutz, #77

2005-03-10T17:34:00.000-05:00

Phil Anschutz has made the Forbes Billionaire’s list. He is ranked 77th with a paltry fortune of $5.8 billion. If you were to accept the fact that MLS has lost in the area of $250 million since it’s inception, and you were to accept that each penny of that loss was covered by Mr. Anschutz, that would only represent 4.31% of his entire fortune. If you pro-rated the debt by the number of clubs, his share of debt drops to 2.61% of his entire fortune.

The world's billionaires, according to Forbes magazine
The ranking of the world's richest people as estimated by Forbes magazine. Listings include rank, name, home country or state, age where known, wealth in billions of dollars and source of the money.
Listings where the home country is United States are for American citizens living abroad.
1. William Gates III, Washington, 49, $46.5, Microsoft
2. Warren Buffett, Nebraska, 74, $44, Berkshire Hathaway
3. Lakshmi Mittal, India, 54, $25, steel
4. Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico, 65, $23.8, telecom
5. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud, Saudi Arabia, 48, $23.7, investments
6. Ingvar Kamprad, Sweden, 78, $23, Ikea
7. Paul Allen, Washington, 52, $21, Microsoft, investments
8. Karl Albrecht, Germany, 85, $18.5, supermarkets
9. Lawrence Ellison, California, 60, $18.4, Oracle
10. S. Robson Walton, Arkansas, 61, $18.3, Wal-Mart
11. Jim Walton, Arkansas, 57, $18.2, Wal-Mart
11. John Walton, Arkansas, 59, $18.2, Wal-Mart
13. Alice Walton, Texas, 56, $18, Wal-Mart
13. Helen Walton, Arkansas, 85, $18, Wal-Mart
15. Kenneth Thomson and family, Canada, 81, $17.9, publishing
16. Liliane Bettencourt, France, 82, $17.2, L'Oreal
17. Bernard Arnault, France, 56, $17, LVMH
18. Michael Dell, Texas, 40, $16, Dell
19. Sheldon Adelson, Nevada, 71, $15.6, casinos, hotels
20. Theo Albrecht, Germany, 83, $15.5, supermarkets
21. Roman Abramovich, Russia, 38, $13.3, oil
22. Li Ka-shing, Hong Kong, 76, $13, diversified
23. Amancio Ortega, Spain, 69, $12.6, Zara
24. Steven Ballmer, Washington, 49, $12.1, Microsoft
25. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy, 68, $12, media
25. Abigail Johnson, Massachusetts, 43, $12, Fidelity
27. Barbara Cox Anthony, Hawaii, 81, $11.7, Cox Enterprises
27. Anne Cox Chambers, Georgia, 85, $11.7, Cox Enterprises
29. Stefan Persson, Sweden, 57, $11.2, Hennes & Mauritz
30. John Kluge, Florida, 90, $11, Metromedia
31. Raymond, Thomas and Walter Kwok, Hong Kong, no age given, $10.9, real estate
32. Forrest Mars Jr., Virginia, 73, $10.4, candy
32. Jacqueline Mars, New Jersey, 65, $10.4, candy
32. John Mars, Virginia, 68, $10.4, candy
35. Luciano Benetton and family, Italy, 69, $9.9, Benetton
35. Pierre Omidyar, Nevada, 37, $9.9, Ebay
35. Galen Weston and family, Canada, 64, $9.9, retail
38. Lee Shau Kee, Hong Kong, 77, $9.3, real estate
38. Azim Premji, India, 59, $9.3, software
40. Nasser Al-Kharafi and family, Kuwait, 61, $9, construction
41. Kirk Kerkorian, California, 87, $8.9, investments, casinos
42. Sumner Redstone, California, 81, $8.8 Viacom
43. Leonardo Del Vecchio, Italy, 69, $8.5, eyewear
43. Michele Ferrero and family, Italy, 78, $8.5, chocolates
45. Michael Otto and family, Germany, 61, $8.3, retail
46. Susanne Klatten, Germany, 43, $8.2, BMW
46. Philip Knight, Oregon, 67, $8.2, Nike
46. Hans Rausing, Sweden, 79, $8.2, packaging
49. Serge Dassault and family, France, 80, $7.8, aviation
49. Carl Icahn, New York, 69, $7.8, leveraged buyouts
49. Keith Rupert Murdoch, New York, 74, $7.8, News Corp.
52. Rudolf August Oetker and family, Germany, 88, $7.7, food
53. Birgit Rausing and family, Sweden, 81, $7.6, packaging
54. Spiro Latsis and family, Greece, 58, $7.5, banking
55. Sergey Brin, California, 31, $7.2, Google
55. Charles Ergen, Colorado, 52, $7.2, EchoStar
55. Larry Page, California, 32, $7.2, Google
55. George Soros, New York, 74, $7.2, hedge funds
55. Reinhold Wurth, Germany, 69, $7.2, manufacturing
60. Mukesh and Anil Ambani, India, no age given, $7, diversified
60. Mikhail Fridman, Russia, 40, $7, oil, banking
60. Vladimir Lisin, Russia, 48, $7, steel
60. Donald Newhouse, New Jersey, NJ, 75, $7, publishing
60. Samuel Newhouse Jr., New York, 77, $7, publishing
65. Adolf Merckle, Germany, 70, $6.9, drugs
66. Stefan Quandt, Germany, 39, $6.7, BMW
67. Micky Arison, Florida, 55, $6.5, Carnival Cruises
68. Philip and Cristina Green, Britain, no age given, $6.3, retail
68. Maria-Elisabeth and Georg Schaeffler, Germany, no age given, $6.3, ball bearings
68. August von Finck, Germany, 74, $6.3, investments
71. Eli Broad, California, 71, $6.1, investments
72. Curt Engelhorn, Germany, 78, $6, drugs
72. Friedrich Flick Jr., Germany, 78, $6, investments
72. Edward Johnson III, Massachusetts, 74, $6, Fidelity
72. Nicky Oppenheimer and family, South Africa, 59, $6, De Beers
76. Francois Pinault, France, 68, $5.9, retail
77. Philip Anschutz, Colorado, 65, $5.8, investments
77. Ernesto Bertarelli, Switzerland, 39, $5.8, biotech
77. Nobutada Saji and family, Japan, 59, $5.8, beverages
80. Sulaiman Bin Abdul Al Rajhi, Saudi Arabia, 85, $5.6, banking
80. Yoshitaka Fukuda and family, Japan, 57, $5.6, credit
80. Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor and family, Britain, 53, $5.6, real estate
80. Reinhard Mohn and family, Germany, 83, $5.6, media
84. Shari Arison, Israel, 47, $5.5, inheritance, cruise ships
84. Oleg Deripaska, Russia, 36, $5.5, aluminum
84. Yasuo Takei and family, Japan, 75, $5.5, credit
87. Jean-Claude Decaux and family, France, 67, $5.4, advertising
87. Antonia Johnson, Sweden, 61, $5.4, diversified
87. Johanna Quandt, Germany, 77, $5.4, BMW
90. Maersk McKinney Moller, Denmark, 91, $5.3, shipping
91. Joseph and Moise Safra, Brazil, no age given, $5.2, banking
91. Onsi Sawiris and family, Egypt, 75, $5.2, contracting
93. Dan Duncan, Texas, 72, $5.1, natural gas
94. Michael Bloomberg, New York, 62, $5, Bloomberg L.P.
94. Gustavo Cisneros and family, Venezuela, 59, $5, media
94. Rafael del Pino, Spain, 84, $5, construction
94. Robert Kuok, Malaysia, 81, $5, diversified
94. Kerry Packer, Australia, 67, $5, media
94. Hasso Plattner, Germany, 61, $5, SAP
94. Jeffrey Skoll, Canada (lives in California), 40, $5, Ebay
94. Viktor Vekselberg, Russia, 47, $5, oil, metals
94. H. Ty Warner, Illinois, 61, $5, Beanie Babies
103. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, Netherlands, 50, $4.9, Heineken
103. Eitaro Itoyama, Japan, 62, $4.9, golf courses
103. Rahmi Koc and family, Turkey, 74, $4.9, diversified
103. Ronald Perelman, New York, 62, $4.9, leveraged buyouts
107. Karl-Heinz Kipp, Germany, 81, $4.8, retail
107. Alexei Mordashov, Russia, 39, $4.8, steel
107. Jim Pattison, Canada, 76, $4.8, diversified
107. Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, France, no age given, $4.8, Chanel
111. Kunio Busujima and family, Japan, 79, $4.7, gaming
111. Michael Kadoorie and family, Hong Kong, 64, $4.7, diversified
111. Kyosuke Kinoshita and family, Japan, 64, $4.7, credit
111. Ferit Sahenk and family, Turkey, 41, $4.7, banking
115. Robert Bosch Jr. and family, Germany, 77, $4.6, manufacturing
116. Giorgio Armani, Italy, 70, $4.5, fashion
117. David Geffen, California, 62, $4.4, entertainment
117. James, Arthur and John Irving, Canada, no age given, $4.4, oil
117. Fukuzo Iwasaki, Japan, 80, $4.4, real estate
117. Vladimir Potanin, Russia, 44, $4.4, metals
117. Mikhail Prokhorov, Russia, 39, $4.4, metals
122. Vagit Alekperov, Russia, 54, $4.3, oil
122. Donald Bren, California, 72, $4.3, real estate
122. Walter Haefner, Switzerland, 94, $4.3, software
122. Erivan Haub and family, Germany, 72, $4.3, retail
122. Kun-Hee Lee and family, South Korea, 63, $4.3, Samsung
122. Gordon Moore, California, 76, $4.3, Intel
122. Henry Ross Perot and family, Texas, 74, $4.3, computer services
122. David Sainsbury and family, Britain, 64, $4.3, supermarkets
122. Masayoshi Son, Japan, 47, $4.3, Softbank
122. William Wrigley Jr., Illinois, 41, $4.3, chewing gum
132. John Abele, Massachusetts, 68, $4.2, Boston Scientific
132. Cheng Yu-tung, Hong Kong, 79, $4.2, real estate
132. George Kaiser, Oklahoma, 62, $4.2, oil and gas, banking
132. Andronico Luksic and family, Chile, 78, $4.2, mining
136. Jeffrey Bezos, Washington, 41, $4100, Amazon
136. Lorenzo Mendoza and family, Venezuela, 39, $4.1, beverages
138. Charles Koch, Kansas, 68, $4, oil, commodities
138. David Koch, Kansas, 63, $4, oil, commodities
138. Ananda Krishnan, Malaysia, 66, $4, diversified
138. Kwek Leng Beng and family, Singapore, 64, $4, hotels
138. James Sorenson, Utah, 83, $4, medical devices, real estate
143. Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair and family, United Arab Emirates, 51, $3.9, banking
144. Lester Crown and family, Illinois, 79, $3.8, investments
144. John Menard Jr., Wisconsin, 65, $3.8, home improvement stores
144. Thomas Schmidheiny, Switzerland, 59, $3.8, cement
144. Andreas Strungmann, Germany, 55, $3.8, generic drugs
144. Thomas Strungmann, Germany, 55, $3.8, generic drugs
149. Kumar Birla, India, 37, $3.7, commodities
149. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, Japan, 70, $3.7, real estate
151. Jeronimo Arango, Mexico, 79, $3.6, retail
151. Bernard Ecclestone and family, Britain, 74, $3.6, Formula One
151. Stanley Ho, Hong Kong, 83, $3.6, gaming
151. Frank Lowy and family, Australia, 74, $3.6, malls
151. Victor Rashnikov, Russia, 56, $3.6, iron, steel
156. Jorgen Clausen and family, Denmark, 56, $3.5, heating, refrigeration, gears
156. Willi and Isolde Liebherr and family, Switzerland, no age given, $3.5, construction
156. Peter Nicholas, Massachusetts, 63, $3.5, Boston Scientific
156. Julio Mario Santo Domingo, Colombia, 81, $3.5, beer, diversified
160. David and Frederick Barclay, Britain, no age given, $3.4, media, retail
160. Otto Beisheim, Germany, 81, $3.4, retail
160. John Fredriksen, Norway, 60, $3.4, shipping
160. Preston Tisch, New York, 78, $3.4, Loews
164. Robert Bass, Texas, 57, $3.3, oil, investments
164. Paul Desmarais, Canada, 78, $3.3, finance
164. Charles Johnson, California, 72, $3.3, Franklin Resources
164. Sunil Mittal, India, 47, $3.3, telecom
164. Robert Rowling, Texas, 51, $3.3, oil and gas, hotels, investments
164. Rainer and Michael Schmidt-Ruthenbeck, Germany, no age given, $3.3, retail

Foosball - America's Pastime

2005-03-10T17:31:00.000-05:00

An all MLS US National Team manhandled Colombia by a score of 3-0 (Pictures courtesy of Foxsports.com). By all it reports, it sounded like an impressive win. You have to like Clint Mathis scoring on a corner, and Pat Noonan holding his own with a goal. If he continues to be a threat, his caps will continue to add up.
Talk about a challenge. The U20’s have drawn the Group of Death for the 2005 World Youth Championship. They will be facing the 2001 champions, Argentina. They will also get the opportunity to play Germany and Egypt.
Wednesday’s Champions League action in pictures, courtesy of Foxsports.com.
Don Garber on the future of the league. Could this be? My eyes must be deceiving me, but could this be Mr. Chris Cowles writing on Major League Soccer? At one point he had nothing but contempt for the league. I remember him saying at a game in Foxboro how much he would rather watch Liverpool play than anything MLS had to offer. Interestingly enough, he was slapped down by Seamus Malin who said he wouldn’t have a job if MLS goes under, so he better learn to enjoy the league. Mr. Cowles fell silent…..
For those of you who spent your college days playing Foosball, this one is for you – Foos; Be the Greatest

Eddie Johnson

2005-03-09T21:26:00.000-05:00

Eddie Johnson has Come a Long Way - Great article on Eddie Johnson. Who says soccer is just a game for rich suburban kids....

On Sir Alex, Chivas Falling Apart, and Weight Control Methods

2005-03-09T21:24:00.000-05:00

You know if Sir Alex Ferguson’s future at Manchester United is a topic of discussion, you know coaching is a tough business.
Algarve Cup Action – US tops France
Maradona has just had stomach surgery to help him deal with his weight. While certainly a few sandwich's short of a picnic, he still is one of the greatest players the game has produced. Here is a pictorial of “El Pelusa.”
Seems the idea of Chivas USA is a lot better than the reality of Chivas USA. Ramon Ramirez and Alonso Sandoval, two players Thomas Rongen was counting on for this inaugural season have left and will not be returning. This can’t make anyone happy…. unless you work for the LA Galaxy.

Legends of the Fall

2005-03-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

From a SoccerInsider -

The Chicago Storm are putting together a Legends game for April 3. The legends will be made up of MISL and outdoor stars, including one. While unconfirmed as of right now, he has expressed interest. If he makes the game, consider this a game of interest not only for storm fans, but also MLS fans.

Where Have You Gone, Seamus Malin, A Soccer Nation turns it's Ears to You

2005-03-09T11:08:00.000-05:00

Thought this email from a SoccerFan to ESPN was worth the read. He echoes the sentiments of many.

From a SoccerFan -

I have intended to write this message for some time. I know I speak for far more US soccer fans than just myself when I say that Tommy Smyth is virtually unlistenable as a broadcaster. Yesterday's game between Chelsea and Barcelona on ESPN2 provided yet another platform for Mr. Smyth to expose himself as a woefully inadequate color man who is out of his league on the big stage. He is only good for adding some emotion and excitement to the proceedings, and frankly that doesn't take much talent. There are hundreds of thousands of fans of the game who could come into the booth from just outside the stadium du jour and do virtually the same job that Mr. Smyth does.

There were many moments during the broadcast where Mr. Smyth's shortcomings caused me to raise an eyebrow, too many to enumerate here. The main one however, begs to be brought to light: his inexplicable failure to mention even the possibility of a foul on Chelsea's fourth goal. As I see it, this can only be interpreted in one way: Mr. Smyth simply did not see it. So busy was he pouring out post-goal hyperbole that he somehow overlooked the most controversial moment of the match, the moment that is today's hot topic of discussion in the soccer world.

How could a color broadcaster on international TV fail on such a basic level? Could I as an American sports fan imagine Joe Morgan, Billy Packer, John Madden or John Davidson committing a similar gaffe? Certainly not, and if, in a great stretch of my imagination, it were to happen, that failing would be instant news in every sports publication and on every sports talk radio show around.

I have often preferred to watch the matches on mute, but at this stage in the Champs League competition, one needs to hear the fans at the stadium in order to experience the game to the fullest. Sadly, the roaring of the spectators comes at a price – Tommy Smyth. I can only guess that his staying power over all these years is a function of the lack of soccer afficionados at ESPN.

Taiwan Downgraded

2005-03-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

Another great photo montage on the Champions League games on Tuesday.
Perhaps Kim Jong Il will have to throw one of those lavish North Korean parades for their victory over Taiwan.
Kansas City hosts Deportivo Saprissa in the CONCACAF Champion’s Cup today. DC United takes on Harbor View in the same tournament. Both games can be seen on the Fox Soccer Channel. Here is a review of both on USSoccerUK.com.

Make sure you check out the two matches on the Fox Soccer Channel. For MLS, these matches, unlike having an All-Star team playing someone like Fulham, will assess the real measure of how far, or not, US Soccer has progressed. We may be competitive at the national level, but it's the club level that will dictate the overall standing of the sport here in the US.

Chelsea and AC Milan Move-On.CL

2005-03-08T23:16:00.000-05:00

Its old news by now, but Manchester United has been eliminated from the Champions League after losing to AC Milan for the second time, 1-0. The loss at San Siro is a bitter pill to swallow.

Barcelona is out after a fantastic game against Chelsea. Barcelona lost 4-2. This game report doesn't mention the pretty clear foul on Barcelona's keeper, Victor Valdez, that led to the third goal. Had the goal been called back, and the score remained 3-2, Barcelona would have passed to the next round. This one does. If you happen to have the game on tape, email me. I would like a copy for my library.

(&^(%#@# the All-Star Game

2005-03-08T21:11:00.000-05:00

Jack Bell of the NY Times on the legacy of Rinus Michels. It includes a spot on how the rumor's of Championsworld's demise were greatly over-exaggerated. If you don't know by now, the NY Times site requires registration.
Yeah, right, this will happen…..
Frank Dell'Apa speaks with Commissioner Don Garber on Soccer Specific Stadia. Well, it makes for good copy, even though it may not say much. But you can't blame The Don for being repetitious, progress is measured in terms of Bricks and Mortars these days. One does have to wonder though what the Metrostars have been telling him. They are nowhere closer to a stadium now than they were when Charlie Stillitano was offered a spot to build in Elizabeth... something rejected by that soccer visionary, Stuart Subotnick.
The Big Announcement - MLS All-Stars will be facing Fulham FC in Columbus. I understand it's purpose…. It is strictly sponsorship and marketing driven….. But I think I am not alone in wishing the All Star game good riddance. Will never happen, but you can wish. By the way, talk about blowing the notion of a "big announcement" out of the water. It's bad enough that MLS sends out meaningless press releases, hold's pointless conference call's, or hold press conferences of little substance, but any "Big Announcement" in reference to anything related to the All-Star game, is more of the same - meaningless, pointless, and of little substance. With that said, kudos to the league for making it somewhat more interesting than the East v. West format.
Thanks to USSoccerPlayers.com for this great article. If you are a coach, it is well worth the read.