Without going into details, I just went through a hell of a day, one long enough that I'm rather excited about a vacation. As such, I think I'll start right now.
You won't see anything on this site till Monday night or Tuesday morning (e.g. September 3 or 4). Call this a friendly reminder to keep you from wasting your time checking in.
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Per the new program, I posted some third-hand thoughts on last night's games over on ArmChairGM, the site where I do these things.
Visit and vote if you like (the voting thing is kind of weird, but that's how the site works).
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Visit and vote if you like (the voting thing is kind of weird, but that's how the site works).
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One of the scrolling front pages on MLS's site poses a good question:
So, yeah, who would you go with?
Me, I'd go with Bob Bradley - and not because he's the better coach (see here, at the bottom). The measure for me comes by looking at Chivas USA last year (sucky, mildly comical) versus this year (fun to watch and five points inside the playoff pool, if a little loose at the back). The comparison to DC's situation (a shock early departure from the 2005 post-season and leading the league by a shrinking mile in 2006) suggests Nowak didn't have as much to do.
Any thoughts out there?
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"This much is certain: when it comes to deciding the top coach in MLS this season, the experts deciding the MLSnet.com Awards Tracker have deemed it a virtual coin flip. On one side is D.C. United's Peter Nowak. On the other is Chivas USA's Bob Bradley. Tough choice. Who would you go with?"
So, yeah, who would you go with?
Me, I'd go with Bob Bradley - and not because he's the better coach (see here, at the bottom). The measure for me comes by looking at Chivas USA last year (sucky, mildly comical) versus this year (fun to watch and five points inside the playoff pool, if a little loose at the back). The comparison to DC's situation (a shock early departure from the 2005 post-season and leading the league by a shrinking mile in 2006) suggests Nowak didn't have as much to do.
Any thoughts out there?
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Two of Major League Soccer's (MLS) brighter lights - Shalrie Joseph (profile) of the New England Revolution and Josh Wolff (profile) of the Kansas City Wizards - were denied oppotunities tomoving abroad ahead of tomorrow's transfer deadline. The players would have gone to Scotland's Celtic FC and England's Derby County, respectively. Of the two, I'd point to Joseph's as the greater tragedy - at least on MLS's side of the equation.
In Wolff's case, it wasn't MLS that blocked the move, but English transfer rules that require that a non-EU player has to have played in a (frankly ridiculous) percentage of games for their national team. With the minimum requirement standing at 75% of these games, and with Wolff coming in under 50%, it's not too surprising he didn't make it. This doesn't mean the situation doesn't suck for Wolff.
Turning to Joseph, though, it was a matter of the league thinking the courting club (e.g. Celtic) wasn't offering enough cash for one of the league's better-known players. But the most irksome part of the league's reasoning appears in Joseph's agent's comments on the situation:
I'm not sure that fans worry about the "message it sends." Speaking as a Revolution fan, sure, I'd hate to see Joseph go; he's a hell of a player that most teams would struggle to replace even out of season. But, to make the leap from soccer to baseball, this isn't unlike a minor league player getting called to the majors. Sure, fans hate to see the player go, but, on a human level, don't they feel a bit of excitement for the player? I know I do. I get these, "Oh, our little boy has grown up," kind of feelings whenever an MLS player gets a shot to head overseas.
A deeper concern - and, again, one that matters no less to fans - also enters this equation. Joseph isn't the only Revolution player being held back by the league: there's also Clint Dempsey, who was denied a move to a couple of English clubs. Add Taylor Twellman's salary woes to this picture and think about what this does for morale in the Revolution locker room. Based on New England's current form, it's a fair question as to whether their lackluster season owes something to a poisonous atmosphere. Does that possibility enter into the league's calculations of what fans will enjoy?
I'm not sure whose interest these decisions are in, but I'm thinking it's neither the fans nor the players. The league, for their part, may discover this winter that the decisions didn't turn out to be in their interest either.
In Wolff's case, it wasn't MLS that blocked the move, but English transfer rules that require that a non-EU player has to have played in a (frankly ridiculous) percentage of games for their national team. With the minimum requirement standing at 75% of these games, and with Wolff coming in under 50%, it's not too surprising he didn't make it. This doesn't mean the situation doesn't suck for Wolff.
Turning to Joseph, though, it was a matter of the league thinking the courting club (e.g. Celtic) wasn't offering enough cash for one of the league's better-known players. But the most irksome part of the league's reasoning appears in Joseph's agent's comments on the situation:
"I understand why they did it, but I am saddened by it. [The league doesn't] want to sell players during the season because it sends the wrong message to fans, plus the Revolution are making a playoff run and a drive for the championship. The offer was being made after the transfer window closed here so they wouldn't be able to replace him."
I'm not sure that fans worry about the "message it sends." Speaking as a Revolution fan, sure, I'd hate to see Joseph go; he's a hell of a player that most teams would struggle to replace even out of season. But, to make the leap from soccer to baseball, this isn't unlike a minor league player getting called to the majors. Sure, fans hate to see the player go, but, on a human level, don't they feel a bit of excitement for the player? I know I do. I get these, "Oh, our little boy has grown up," kind of feelings whenever an MLS player gets a shot to head overseas.
A deeper concern - and, again, one that matters no less to fans - also enters this equation. Joseph isn't the only Revolution player being held back by the league: there's also Clint Dempsey, who was denied a move to a couple of English clubs. Add Taylor Twellman's salary woes to this picture and think about what this does for morale in the Revolution locker room. Based on New England's current form, it's a fair question as to whether their lackluster season owes something to a poisonous atmosphere. Does that possibility enter into the league's calculations of what fans will enjoy?
I'm not sure whose interest these decisions are in, but I'm thinking it's neither the fans nor the players. The league, for their part, may discover this winter that the decisions didn't turn out to be in their interest either.
Reports out of Kansas City regarding the construction of a soccer-specific stadium that would keep the Kansas City Wizards home read optimistically if for only one reason:
It's not a done deal by any means, but the public in Kansas City sounds a bit less pissy about the whole affair than the folks in Salt Lake City did.
Given their "founders" status, count me among those who would hate to see Kansas City lose the Wizards - and I don't even like the team all that much.
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"A raucous crowd of speakers, split roughly 2-to-1 in support of the fields, addressed board members at the special meeting. It was the public’s first opportunity to weigh in on the issue."
It's not a done deal by any means, but the public in Kansas City sounds a bit less pissy about the whole affair than the folks in Salt Lake City did.
Given their "founders" status, count me among those who would hate to see Kansas City lose the Wizards - and I don't even like the team all that much.
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So...Andrea Canales, writing on Soccer365.com this time, wrote a defense of Major League Soccer’s current playoff structure. Yeah, I know, it’s the damnedest thing. In a nutshell, Canales argues that the current system produces plenty of excitement and she points to the current, and inarguably, wide-open playoff race as evidence. The pair of paragraphs in which she makes her key point reads:
Well, not quite. It’s not so much that reaching the playoffs isn’t stressful in a parity-obsessed league. As I see it, the word “easy” substitutes for the word “sucky.” In other words, the problem isn’t that too many teams make it, but that too many teams that suck make the playoffs - i.e. it's "easy" because your team doesn't have to be all that good, or can even suck outright, and still make the cut. Why reward suckiness?
But I think her worst slip comes with projecting the spectacle of this year’s muddled, clumsy playoff race - which is really no fancier than a three-legged race featuring full-time alcoholics; I mean, why celebrate that? - to past seasons. To begin, it’s not often this wide open. Most seasons, there are two, maybe three teams in each conference duking it out for the final spot, with the others already comfortably jockeying for top seeding; even then, any third team’s involvement tends to be mathematical at most. But the worst thing is, this season’s uneven play just hasn’t been that fun to watch. What’s the fun in watching 10 - hell, now 12 - mediocre teams butting heads?
Anyway, all that's a long way of saying the a competitive field isn't inherently righteous. Quality counts for something. And I say that as someone who would watch MLS if they fielded 12 teams populated by eleven full-time alcoholics tied together at the ankles....it’s our league and our game, dammit.
“Folks, we’ve got playoff races on our hands. All fans who give a fig about their team should be nervous, fighting that slight heartburn which comes with both the anticipation and horror of what the future holds.”
“No one is safe.”
“Even DC, from its lofty perch in the standings, should be a bit anxious. Last year, the team just seemed to assume holding Chicago to a scoreless tie was enough – they’d win in their vaunted home field of RFK. Except what ensued was the most lopsided playoff loss of the 2005 season.”
“No one else is even contemplating the postseason seriously yet. It’s going to come down to the wire, frankly. Every game from here to the last game has playoff implications.”
[SNIP]
“If it’s so easy to make the playoffs, why have no MLS teams completely assured themselves of it? Of course, one may look at the simple numbers. Eight of twelve teams make it, so the odds are actually in favor of arriving to the playoffs.”
“That’s simplistic reasoning, though, to take that percentage and then apply the adjective ‘easy’.”
Well, not quite. It’s not so much that reaching the playoffs isn’t stressful in a parity-obsessed league. As I see it, the word “easy” substitutes for the word “sucky.” In other words, the problem isn’t that too many teams make it, but that too many teams that suck make the playoffs - i.e. it's "easy" because your team doesn't have to be all that good, or can even suck outright, and still make the cut. Why reward suckiness?
But I think her worst slip comes with projecting the spectacle of this year’s muddled, clumsy playoff race - which is really no fancier than a three-legged race featuring full-time alcoholics; I mean, why celebrate that? - to past seasons. To begin, it’s not often this wide open. Most seasons, there are two, maybe three teams in each conference duking it out for the final spot, with the others already comfortably jockeying for top seeding; even then, any third team’s involvement tends to be mathematical at most. But the worst thing is, this season’s uneven play just hasn’t been that fun to watch. What’s the fun in watching 10 - hell, now 12 - mediocre teams butting heads?
Anyway, all that's a long way of saying the a competitive field isn't inherently righteous. Quality counts for something. And I say that as someone who would watch MLS if they fielded 12 teams populated by eleven full-time alcoholics tied together at the ankles....it’s our league and our game, dammit.
I just posted previews for Wednesday night's games over on ArmchairGM. They look pretty spiffy, if I say so myself; it seems I'm finally getting the hang of their formatting business. It's a shaping up to be an interesting week, especially with teams like Red Bull New York and Real Salt Lake in action, only a few days after their one-sided affair.
Anyway, here's the link to that preview. Since it's more work than I thought it would be - or, really, wanted to put into it - it's possible I won't do that again. Then again...
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Anyway, here's the link to that preview. Since it's more work than I thought it would be - or, really, wanted to put into it - it's possible I won't do that again. Then again...
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Yeah, the title sucks. What can I say? My insomniac daughter was particularly tough last night. I can barely write my name in the sand with a stick.
Anyway, I think I've mentioned contributing to on another site in the past. I've decided to move all the previews and post-weekend wrap-ups over on that site, ArmchairGM. For a while, I was simply cross-posting between this one and that, but that didn't make much sense. So, I decided to put one kind of content over there and keep the rest here.
So, all (four of) y'all can find the Week 22 wrap-up right here.
Talk at you later.
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Anyway, I think I've mentioned contributing to on another site in the past. I've decided to move all the previews and post-weekend wrap-ups over on that site, ArmchairGM. For a while, I was simply cross-posting between this one and that, but that didn't make much sense. So, I decided to put one kind of content over there and keep the rest here.
So, all (four of) y'all can find the Week 22 wrap-up right here.
Talk at you later.
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Chicago Fire, 7-8-7 (W-L-T), 28 points
Hooked on a Feeling
With being second place in MLS’s Eastern Conference being something of a booby-prize, it’s hardly surprising that people can’t find much good to say about the Chicago Fire’s season so far. And there’s ample cause for complaint: Chicago bookended the modest, three-game winning streak that opened their new stadium with two five-game runs mixing draws and losses; worse, losses outnumbered the draws in both cases. Once one adds odd little details - like the fact that they split the season mini-series with Real Salt Lake back when that team sucked, or that Chivas USA owns them in 2006 - the grumbling seems entirely justified.
And yet, of all the teams in the Eastern Conference, the Fire suddenly seems the likeliest candidate to pull together a late season push. Their recent surge, a four-game winning streak split between league (LINK, LINK) and U.S. Open Cup play (LINK, LINK), when combined with some plausible explanations for the earlier stumbles, point to a Chicago team that could be peaking at precisely the right time.
The Past
First of all, Chicago doesn’t do blow-outs (OK, one exception linked to above), neither on the giving nor the receiving ends. They’ve played the majority of teams very closely, but a knack surrendering late goals (as happened here, here, and here) meant the Fire repeatedly gave up points, sometimes two, sometimes one, this season. But when one digs through the match reports - all of them available here; just click the score - one rarely reads about Chicago getting badly outplayed.
It’s possible that fatigue played a role in those late collapses. After all, Chicago opened the season on a nine-game road-trip in order to provide time for the completion of Toyota Park. They did come back for one “soft” home game (whatever that means), but then went on the road again for their next two - and they lost both of those. More significant, though, were the injuries that bubonic plague key players - most notably, Chicago’s defensive leaders. During the first five-game run mentioned above - a late May to mid-June stretch in which Chicago lost four and drew one - they played without Jim Curtin, Diego Gutierrez, and Tony Sanneh; on the offensive side, the same period saw Justin Mapp sitting out, while Chad Barrett and Chris Rolfe either played through injury or not at all. The second five-game skid, which made for an ugly July (three losses, two draws), saw them still without both Curtin and Rolfe.
Key Men
So many of them appeared below, but it’s worth putting them in context here. Jim Curtin, for instance, anchors the central defense, while Diego Gutierrez both roams the midfield and chips in (a bit) on offense. Persistent injury has seriously limited Tony Sanneh’s participation for the past couple season, so, when he does show, it’s probably feels like a bonus as much as anything. But getting the first two players back means a hell of a lot to Chicago’s defensive solidity.
The one - literally, the only - constant in Chicago’s offense has been Ivan Guerrero; he doesn’t rack up enormous numbers, but provides nearly as much to Chicago as a guy like Joshua Gros does for DC United. All the other key players - forwards Nate Jaqua, Chris Rolfe, and Chad Barrett - suffered through injury at some point this season. Thiago, the Brazilian midfielder who was expected to run their offense this season, apart from a flash or two, hasn’t been up to snuff ; nor has Justin Mapp, for that matter - at least not till recently. Even so, Mapp's healthy right now and picking it up; Thiago, for his part, picked up a knock, which constitutes one last worry now that most the other players have healed.
Injuries aside, none of these players are posting gigantic numbers. Fortunately, they haven’t had to; by collective effort, Chicago’s still produces decent offense - just under the league average of 29 goals for, in fact. Still, any one of these players picking up their game could help the Fire separate from the pack. As if on cue, another potential star, Andy Herron, has done just that...and there was much rejoicing...
These more notable players aside, the Fire also managed a competent rookie class. Jeff Carlisle, writing over on ESPN’s site, wrote defender Dasan Robinson's name on his short list of candidates for Rookie of the Year. Add Calen Carr to the mix, who performed well in recent U.S. Open Cup play, and Chicago shows its depth in some crucial positions.
The Future
Now that they’ve got a schedule with reasonable balance between home and away games and most of their key players healthy - not to mention one intriguing late-season acquisition (one Pascal Bedrossian) - the Chicago Fire hits the home stretch looking pretty damn good. Here’s what that (mostly) healthy selection will face in the weeks ahead:
Basically, the Fire is in great shape to make a hell of a lot of noise. After having already wrapped up their season series against the New England Revolution (2-1-1) and the Kansas City Wizards (2-1-1), the home-and-home series against their other three Eastern Conference rivals loom large. With both the Columbus Crew and Red Bull New York, frankly, dancing on the rim of the toilet, the two games against DC United seem most menacing. But like every other team, Chicago has played DC close - one 1-0 away loss and a 1-1 home draw the Fire should have won, ought to help with the mental side by making that 19-point lead look smaller.
At the same time, Chicago has been average, arguably the most average outfit in the league. Their season pivots on the question of whether they can break out of that. Being able to field their star players, and keeping them fit going forward, should help with that. Getting them to play just one notch higher - especially on the offensive side - should be enough to make Chicago look awfully menacing in the post-season. And that’s when it really matters.
For what it’s worth, I view Chicago as one of the two key teams to watch. And DC United ought to watch as closely as anyone.
Hooked on a Feeling
With being second place in MLS’s Eastern Conference being something of a booby-prize, it’s hardly surprising that people can’t find much good to say about the Chicago Fire’s season so far. And there’s ample cause for complaint: Chicago bookended the modest, three-game winning streak that opened their new stadium with two five-game runs mixing draws and losses; worse, losses outnumbered the draws in both cases. Once one adds odd little details - like the fact that they split the season mini-series with Real Salt Lake back when that team sucked, or that Chivas USA owns them in 2006 - the grumbling seems entirely justified.
And yet, of all the teams in the Eastern Conference, the Fire suddenly seems the likeliest candidate to pull together a late season push. Their recent surge, a four-game winning streak split between league (LINK, LINK) and U.S. Open Cup play (LINK, LINK), when combined with some plausible explanations for the earlier stumbles, point to a Chicago team that could be peaking at precisely the right time.
The Past
First of all, Chicago doesn’t do blow-outs (OK, one exception linked to above), neither on the giving nor the receiving ends. They’ve played the majority of teams very closely, but a knack surrendering late goals (as happened here, here, and here) meant the Fire repeatedly gave up points, sometimes two, sometimes one, this season. But when one digs through the match reports - all of them available here; just click the score - one rarely reads about Chicago getting badly outplayed.
It’s possible that fatigue played a role in those late collapses. After all, Chicago opened the season on a nine-game road-trip in order to provide time for the completion of Toyota Park. They did come back for one “soft” home game (whatever that means), but then went on the road again for their next two - and they lost both of those. More significant, though, were the injuries that bubonic plague key players - most notably, Chicago’s defensive leaders. During the first five-game run mentioned above - a late May to mid-June stretch in which Chicago lost four and drew one - they played without Jim Curtin, Diego Gutierrez, and Tony Sanneh; on the offensive side, the same period saw Justin Mapp sitting out, while Chad Barrett and Chris Rolfe either played through injury or not at all. The second five-game skid, which made for an ugly July (three losses, two draws), saw them still without both Curtin and Rolfe.
Key Men
So many of them appeared below, but it’s worth putting them in context here. Jim Curtin, for instance, anchors the central defense, while Diego Gutierrez both roams the midfield and chips in (a bit) on offense. Persistent injury has seriously limited Tony Sanneh’s participation for the past couple season, so, when he does show, it’s probably feels like a bonus as much as anything. But getting the first two players back means a hell of a lot to Chicago’s defensive solidity.
The one - literally, the only - constant in Chicago’s offense has been Ivan Guerrero; he doesn’t rack up enormous numbers, but provides nearly as much to Chicago as a guy like Joshua Gros does for DC United. All the other key players - forwards Nate Jaqua, Chris Rolfe, and Chad Barrett - suffered through injury at some point this season. Thiago, the Brazilian midfielder who was expected to run their offense this season, apart from a flash or two, hasn’t been up to snuff ; nor has Justin Mapp, for that matter - at least not till recently. Even so, Mapp's healthy right now and picking it up; Thiago, for his part, picked up a knock, which constitutes one last worry now that most the other players have healed.
Injuries aside, none of these players are posting gigantic numbers. Fortunately, they haven’t had to; by collective effort, Chicago’s still produces decent offense - just under the league average of 29 goals for, in fact. Still, any one of these players picking up their game could help the Fire separate from the pack. As if on cue, another potential star, Andy Herron, has done just that...and there was much rejoicing...
These more notable players aside, the Fire also managed a competent rookie class. Jeff Carlisle, writing over on ESPN’s site, wrote defender Dasan Robinson's name on his short list of candidates for Rookie of the Year. Add Calen Carr to the mix, who performed well in recent U.S. Open Cup play, and Chicago shows its depth in some crucial positions.
The Future
Now that they’ve got a schedule with reasonable balance between home and away games and most of their key players healthy - not to mention one intriguing late-season acquisition (one Pascal Bedrossian) - the Chicago Fire hits the home stretch looking pretty damn good. Here’s what that (mostly) healthy selection will face in the weeks ahead:
Colorado Rapids, Houston Dynamo, Red Bull New York, @ Columbus Crew, @ Colorado Rapids, DC United, Los Angeles Galaxy, @ Red Bull New York, Columbus Crew, @ DC United
Basically, the Fire is in great shape to make a hell of a lot of noise. After having already wrapped up their season series against the New England Revolution (2-1-1) and the Kansas City Wizards (2-1-1), the home-and-home series against their other three Eastern Conference rivals loom large. With both the Columbus Crew and Red Bull New York, frankly, dancing on the rim of the toilet, the two games against DC United seem most menacing. But like every other team, Chicago has played DC close - one 1-0 away loss and a 1-1 home draw the Fire should have won, ought to help with the mental side by making that 19-point lead look smaller.
At the same time, Chicago has been average, arguably the most average outfit in the league. Their season pivots on the question of whether they can break out of that. Being able to field their star players, and keeping them fit going forward, should help with that. Getting them to play just one notch higher - especially on the offensive side - should be enough to make Chicago look awfully menacing in the post-season. And that’s when it really matters.
For what it’s worth, I view Chicago as one of the two key teams to watch. And DC United ought to watch as closely as anyone.
DC United, 13-2-8 (W-L-T), 47 points
Dissecting "The Streak"
There’s no question: DC United has enjoyed a banner 2006. Barring an implosion of catastrophic proportions, the 19-point lead they enjoy over their nearest rival means they’ll walk away with the Eastern Conference regular season title. While the rest of the East traded blows and results in league play, DC United strung together wins, including one remarkable stretch of six wins in a row. If one looks at the score sheet and nothing else, DC seems poised for an MLS Cup coronation this November. It’s only when one scratches below the surface that the latest and current hiccup seems less anomalous than predictable, even inevitable.
The Past
Curiously, DC’s best run in league play - a six-game winning streak, which was itself part of a 14-game run without a loss - featured a team that was, in part at least, riding its luck. Just before that streak, they snuck what appeared to be a fortunate draw out of the New England Revolution’s Gillette Stadium. In fact, good fortune played a hand throughout the streak, which featured a series one-goal wins, not a few of them failing to impress MLS’s in-house pundits (LINK, LINK, LINK). It’s also worth noting that four of the six wins came against two teams - the Columbus Crew and the Kansas City Wizards - who are enduring, as opposed to enjoying, their 2006 season.
In the grand scheme, the mini-fizzle was a long time coming. The few blowouts DC meted out (4/22, 5/27, and 5/31) dried up around the end of May; after those, any games in which DC scored more than once, their opposition played right behind (for example) them as if the Soccer Gods required they sacrifice defensive solidity to produce more than one goal. For all that, there’s no denying their consistency. And DC’s defense, the league’s best in terms of goals allowed, deserves much of the credit for that.
Key Men
Following up on that last sentence, one would have to name DC United’s defenders among this team’s key men. Guys like Brian Carroll, Bobby Boswell, and Brian Namoff, even Clyde Simms and Ben Olsen, mean as much to this team as anyone, even if they don’t have the individual statistics to back that claim; the collective statistic - the 20 goals they allowed against the league average, which comes in just under 30 - tells the story there. One could also point to Troy Perkins’ numbers.
While DC shows no signs of flagging form at the back, the downward trend in scoring suggests a need for their offensive players to pick it up. While all their key offensive players - Alecko Eskandarian, Jaime Moreno, and Christian Gomez - all have solid numbers for the season (just click their names), the match reports tell the story of DC United’s slump. (Honorable mention should certainly go to Josh Gros and, OK, OK, Freddie Adu - even if their numbers aren't eye-popping.) Overall, though, they’re threatening to follow the rest of the East into the give-one-take-one rut that’s produced so many frickin’ ties.
The Future
Looking forward through the rest of the season, one could argue that DC has a tough end to the season ahead. Here, somewhat sloppily arranged, is their remaining schedule:
Of all the above, it’s the games against Chicago, the away games to Houston and New England, and the upcoming home game against Los Angeles that should most worry Peter Nowak’s men. Chicago has played them very tough in both meetings, as has New England; in fact, both teams are playing angry these days, though New England to lesser effect. Los Angeles, for all their inability to score, are awfully hard to beat; more than that, they’re finally getting things in place in the wake of Steve (Bastard) Sampson’s departure. And Houston, allowing for the occasional slip-ups, they’re just tough.
At the same time, DC United is certainly up to it; refer again to 1) their defense and 2) the quote at the top of the page. The reality is, DC United’s damned hard to beat themselves; add their penchant for early goals and you’ve got your winning season. The problem with the latter is that they have to do it. There’s a big difference between avoiding losses and actually winning. And they’ll have to figure out not just how to return to winning, but how to win comfortably and confidently to tie a big, pretty bow on what has been a marvelous 2006 season.
If figuring out how to win is your biggest concern, things could be much worse. These guys are in with a very loud shout.
Dissecting "The Streak"
“As they have in so many other matches this year, the Black-and-Red grabbed the all-important first goal...”
- Charles Boehm, MLSnet.com, 07/15/2006 (LINK)
There’s no question: DC United has enjoyed a banner 2006. Barring an implosion of catastrophic proportions, the 19-point lead they enjoy over their nearest rival means they’ll walk away with the Eastern Conference regular season title. While the rest of the East traded blows and results in league play, DC United strung together wins, including one remarkable stretch of six wins in a row. If one looks at the score sheet and nothing else, DC seems poised for an MLS Cup coronation this November. It’s only when one scratches below the surface that the latest and current hiccup seems less anomalous than predictable, even inevitable.
The Past
Curiously, DC’s best run in league play - a six-game winning streak, which was itself part of a 14-game run without a loss - featured a team that was, in part at least, riding its luck. Just before that streak, they snuck what appeared to be a fortunate draw out of the New England Revolution’s Gillette Stadium. In fact, good fortune played a hand throughout the streak, which featured a series one-goal wins, not a few of them failing to impress MLS’s in-house pundits (LINK, LINK, LINK). It’s also worth noting that four of the six wins came against two teams - the Columbus Crew and the Kansas City Wizards - who are enduring, as opposed to enjoying, their 2006 season.
In the grand scheme, the mini-fizzle was a long time coming. The few blowouts DC meted out (4/22, 5/27, and 5/31) dried up around the end of May; after those, any games in which DC scored more than once, their opposition played right behind (for example) them as if the Soccer Gods required they sacrifice defensive solidity to produce more than one goal. For all that, there’s no denying their consistency. And DC’s defense, the league’s best in terms of goals allowed, deserves much of the credit for that.
Key Men
Following up on that last sentence, one would have to name DC United’s defenders among this team’s key men. Guys like Brian Carroll, Bobby Boswell, and Brian Namoff, even Clyde Simms and Ben Olsen, mean as much to this team as anyone, even if they don’t have the individual statistics to back that claim; the collective statistic - the 20 goals they allowed against the league average, which comes in just under 30 - tells the story there. One could also point to Troy Perkins’ numbers.
While DC shows no signs of flagging form at the back, the downward trend in scoring suggests a need for their offensive players to pick it up. While all their key offensive players - Alecko Eskandarian, Jaime Moreno, and Christian Gomez - all have solid numbers for the season (just click their names), the match reports tell the story of DC United’s slump. (Honorable mention should certainly go to Josh Gros and, OK, OK, Freddie Adu - even if their numbers aren't eye-popping.) Overall, though, they’re threatening to follow the rest of the East into the give-one-take-one rut that’s produced so many frickin’ ties.
The Future
Looking forward through the rest of the season, one could argue that DC has a tough end to the season ahead. Here, somewhat sloppily arranged, is their remaining schedule:
Los Angeles Galaxy; @ Chivas USA; Real Salt Lake; @ New England Revolution; @ Chicago Fire; Red Bull New York; @ Houston Dynamo; New England Revolution; Chicago Fire.
Of all the above, it’s the games against Chicago, the away games to Houston and New England, and the upcoming home game against Los Angeles that should most worry Peter Nowak’s men. Chicago has played them very tough in both meetings, as has New England; in fact, both teams are playing angry these days, though New England to lesser effect. Los Angeles, for all their inability to score, are awfully hard to beat; more than that, they’re finally getting things in place in the wake of Steve (Bastard) Sampson’s departure. And Houston, allowing for the occasional slip-ups, they’re just tough.
At the same time, DC United is certainly up to it; refer again to 1) their defense and 2) the quote at the top of the page. The reality is, DC United’s damned hard to beat themselves; add their penchant for early goals and you’ve got your winning season. The problem with the latter is that they have to do it. There’s a big difference between avoiding losses and actually winning. And they’ll have to figure out not just how to return to winning, but how to win comfortably and confidently to tie a big, pretty bow on what has been a marvelous 2006 season.
If figuring out how to win is your biggest concern, things could be much worse. These guys are in with a very loud shout.
The quarterfinals for the U.S. Open Cup came and went last night when all four games were played. Without having actually watched any of the games, I can hardly say anything too intelligent about them. But here are the scores with MLS's in-house match reports embedded under the digits:
Houston Dynamo 3 - 0 FC Dallas
DC United 3 - 1 Red Bull New York
Chicago Fire 2 - 1 New England Revolution
Los Angeles Galaxy 3 - 1 Colorado Rapids
One last thing: for the first time in all my years of on- and off-line punditry, I enjoyed a perfect record with my predictions for the quarterfinals. Where was the frickin' bookie when I needed one?
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Houston Dynamo 3 - 0 FC Dallas
DC United 3 - 1 Red Bull New York
Chicago Fire 2 - 1 New England Revolution
Los Angeles Galaxy 3 - 1 Colorado Rapids
One last thing: for the first time in all my years of on- and off-line punditry, I enjoyed a perfect record with my predictions for the quarterfinals. Where was the frickin' bookie when I needed one?
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First, a caveat: in this and previous blogging incarnations, I've been notorious for assigning myself a massive project only to lose the plot halfway through; this actually results in my deleting the blog in question about half the time. I don't anticipate that happening here, but, well, never say never.
With that out of the way, I intend to spend the next two to three weeks working on what I'm calling The Stretch Run Project." The project's purpose will be to look back at the 2006 season so far for each of MLS's twelve teams in order to see where they've been and, based on that information, to try to gain some grasp of where they're likely to go. The research for the project will rely heavily on past match reports, with the easiest of these being available through MLS's site. For no particular reason, I think I'll start at the top of the table and work my way down.
Each of these will carry the title "The Stretch Run for....[Insert Team Here]."
Whatever happens, I'll be happy if it doesn't feel like a waste of time and if the blog survives in its wake.
UPDATE: Check after the jump....
It seems a good idea pull all the Stretch Run reports into one place. I'll add them here as I crank them out.
DC United
Chicago Fire
With that out of the way, I intend to spend the next two to three weeks working on what I'm calling The Stretch Run Project." The project's purpose will be to look back at the 2006 season so far for each of MLS's twelve teams in order to see where they've been and, based on that information, to try to gain some grasp of where they're likely to go. The research for the project will rely heavily on past match reports, with the easiest of these being available through MLS's site. For no particular reason, I think I'll start at the top of the table and work my way down.
Each of these will carry the title "The Stretch Run for....[Insert Team Here]."
Whatever happens, I'll be happy if it doesn't feel like a waste of time and if the blog survives in its wake.
UPDATE: Check after the jump....
It seems a good idea pull all the Stretch Run reports into one place. I'll add them here as I crank them out.
DC United
Chicago Fire
Jack Bell of the New York Times wrote a nice profile of Real Salt Lake's Jeff Cunningham, a player enjoying what must be one of his Best Seasons Ever. As it turns out, Cunningham - who admits to "playing with a chip on his shoulder" - has a reputation around the league for being difficult. That counts news in this corner of the world; he certainly seems nice enough.
But the main point of interest in the article - one that ties in nicely with a Big Soccer thread on whether Cunningham is a Hall-of-Fame-caliber player - comes with the forward's career statistics:
I didn't express an opinion on the thread, but whether we're talking about a U.S. Hall of Fame (think that's the case), or a Hall of Fame for the league, Cunningham's numbers so far tell me he ought to go in. Still, BigSoccer's debate touches on a fairly interesting angle: what makes a Hall of Fame player? Is it time with the national team? One's record in league play? If it's the latter, Cunningham, having just turned 30, has some time to pad his numbers.
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But the main point of interest in the article - one that ties in nicely with a Big Soccer thread on whether Cunningham is a Hall-of-Fame-caliber player - comes with the forward's career statistics:
"[In 2006, Cunningham] leads the league with 14 goals, ranks second with nine assists and has scored or assisted on 23 of his team’s 34 goals. In 231 career games in M.L.S., Cunningham has scored 88 goals, which ties him for fourth on the career list with Roy Lassiter. He scored 16 for Columbus in 2002 and has scored 10 or more goals in five of his nine seasons."
I didn't express an opinion on the thread, but whether we're talking about a U.S. Hall of Fame (think that's the case), or a Hall of Fame for the league, Cunningham's numbers so far tell me he ought to go in. Still, BigSoccer's debate touches on a fairly interesting angle: what makes a Hall of Fame player? Is it time with the national team? One's record in league play? If it's the latter, Cunningham, having just turned 30, has some time to pad his numbers.
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Jeff Bradley, writing this time on USSoccerplayers.com makes what has to be the most novel argument I've yet read for hiring an American - or, an "American-bred" coach - to coach the U.S. national team. It's not a bad argument either. What is it?
"The shambolic state of American soccer would drive a foreign coach crazy, therefore, let's hire a Yank."
Or, in his phrasing:
I think I paraphrased that fairly...
Is Bradley's assessment correct? Possibly. It depends on the take we want to take toward developing the U.S. team. If the plan is to let the team grow organically along with Major League Soccer, an American coach should do nicely; so long as FIFA keeps allotting three World Cup spaces to our region (CONCACAF), qualifying for the finals shouldn't be that difficult. But if we want to gamble and take a stab at accelerating the technical and tactical development level of the American game, a foreign coach makes more sense; even on this path, we should still qualify for the Cup every four years.
Without claiming strong sympathies in either direction, I'm still leaning toward DC United's Peter Nowak for some dang reason.
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"The shambolic state of American soccer would drive a foreign coach crazy, therefore, let's hire a Yank."
Or, in his phrasing:
"When you examine it closely, [former coach, Bruce] Arena did a great job coaching the U.S. because it was his dream job, and he believed in the American player. He was patriotic about the whole thing. He was willing to deal with a difficult system. He was willing to do whatever it was going to take. In short, he was the perfect American soccer coach."
"Mostly because he was American."
"Now, it's time to find the best American (born or bred) coach out there. A guy who will: look at the job as a dream job and not a stepping stone to something bigger and better. Not a guy who will throw up his hands when he's watching a mid-July afternoon game in Houston or Dallas and wonder what the heck it is he's watching."
I think I paraphrased that fairly...
Is Bradley's assessment correct? Possibly. It depends on the take we want to take toward developing the U.S. team. If the plan is to let the team grow organically along with Major League Soccer, an American coach should do nicely; so long as FIFA keeps allotting three World Cup spaces to our region (CONCACAF), qualifying for the finals shouldn't be that difficult. But if we want to gamble and take a stab at accelerating the technical and tactical development level of the American game, a foreign coach makes more sense; even on this path, we should still qualify for the Cup every four years.
Without claiming strong sympathies in either direction, I'm still leaning toward DC United's Peter Nowak for some dang reason.
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Grant Wahl scribbled an ode to DC United's Barra Brava fan club in his exploration of that team's almost dynastic success. He attributes their place in the league's elite both to the fan support and to a talent pipeline that runs from places like Bolivia and Argentina to our nation's capitol. That could very well be the case: after all, between Marco Etcheverry, Jaime Moreno, and Christian Gomez, DC has done pretty durn well in the market for foreign players (Long Live King Jaime I?).
A more concrete take appeared in most recent of Jeff Bradley's First XI columns (he's putting these out regularly lately; did the league threaten his kids or something?). By way of explaining why he counts DC's fine 2006 as one of the eleven biggest surprises of the season, Bradley writes:
So, there's that. Frankly, I don't know what DC does - I only wish they'd either stop doing it, or let New England in on what "it" is.
By the way, the other ten surprises aren't too shabby for debate fodder either.
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A more concrete take appeared in most recent of Jeff Bradley's First XI columns (he's putting these out regularly lately; did the league threaten his kids or something?). By way of explaining why he counts DC's fine 2006 as one of the eleven biggest surprises of the season, Bradley writes:
"What head coach Peter Nowak has done masterfully -- and this is the formula for success in MLS -- is he's surrounded the two most technically gifted players on his team (Jaime Moreno and Christian Gomez) with guys who will do whatever it takes to win. D.C. brings it just about every game."
So, there's that. Frankly, I don't know what DC does - I only wish they'd either stop doing it, or let New England in on what "it" is.
By the way, the other ten surprises aren't too shabby for debate fodder either.
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(NOTE: I'll be posting, or trying to post (I have yet to try), something very much like this over on Big Soccer's message boards. I'm not totally sure, but think I'll get more comments in that space.)
Whatever one thinks “happened” to Landon Donovan in Germany 2006, his effort in that tournament poses a disturbing question as the U.S. men’s program moves toward South Africa 2010. Namely, when Donovan loses the thread, what’s Plan B? Who creates for the U.S. national team when Donovan is injured or, as in Germany, not up to it mentally?
It takes only a quick trip through Major League Soccer’s rosters for a measure of desperation to sink in. Worse still, no Americans playing overseas spring to mind either. It’s also possible that some young kid working his way through the youth ranks can take over sooner than we’d think. But extending the list to any player who could conceivably replace Donovan today in a playmakers role, reveals few options. Without claiming to produce a complete list (any additions are welcome), one could include: Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven (this one's worth the look for the photo alone), Ned Grabavoy, Freddy Adu, Mark Lisi, Brad Davis, Kyle Martino, Mehdi Ballouchy.
One might notice the absence of some high-profile alternatives in that list. Clint Dempsey, for one, certainly deserves mention as well. But he seems closer in style to DaMarcus Beasley, a two-way player whose offensive qualities rely more on individual skill than utilizing the players around him; and Dempsey, for that matter, doesn’t possess Beasley’s two-way capabilities. Neither, however, excels in the most crucial part of the playmakers role: bringing the rest of the team into the game.
Each of the players would bring different possibilities to the table: for instance, Brad Davis and Justin Mapp play more like traditional wingers, but with less emphasis on the virtuoso skills of either Dempsey and more on getting teammates invovled; for good or ill, Mark Lisi and (arguably) Ned Grabavoy would continue the Claudio Reyna tradition of pacing a game through smart passing; Eddie Gaven, Freddie Adu, and Kyle Martino would play a style quite similar to Donovan’s, though, at this point, to lesser affect. In a few cases, considerably lesser affect...
It doesn't help, of course, that a fair number of these players have spent large chunks of 2006 injured; even outside the walking wounded, a look at the above links suggests that fewer still can lay claim to be having banner years. The best thing that can be said about some of these players is that they’re young and have time to grow into both their bodies and their game. But, obviously, these aren’t names likely to be written either first or in ink on the next U.S. coach’s game-day roster. Whatever this future coach wants, however, the reality is he’s got to choose someone to fill this role.
And it’s in the spirit of a coach that fans should approach this question: in other words, operate from the assumption that you have to name someone as the player the rest of the team should keep in the back of their minds when trying to figure out where to send the ball next. Which of these players seems most capable making the team play effectively together? Failing that, which player seems most likely to inspire through their example?
Donovan will, in all likelihood, be available for 2010. But if he isn’t, or if the Donovan who shows up looks anything like the one who played against the Czech Republic, who should we look to for a replacement? What's Plan B?
Whatever one thinks “happened” to Landon Donovan in Germany 2006, his effort in that tournament poses a disturbing question as the U.S. men’s program moves toward South Africa 2010. Namely, when Donovan loses the thread, what’s Plan B? Who creates for the U.S. national team when Donovan is injured or, as in Germany, not up to it mentally?
It takes only a quick trip through Major League Soccer’s rosters for a measure of desperation to sink in. Worse still, no Americans playing overseas spring to mind either. It’s also possible that some young kid working his way through the youth ranks can take over sooner than we’d think. But extending the list to any player who could conceivably replace Donovan today in a playmakers role, reveals few options. Without claiming to produce a complete list (any additions are welcome), one could include: Justin Mapp, Eddie Gaven (this one's worth the look for the photo alone), Ned Grabavoy, Freddy Adu, Mark Lisi, Brad Davis, Kyle Martino, Mehdi Ballouchy.
One might notice the absence of some high-profile alternatives in that list. Clint Dempsey, for one, certainly deserves mention as well. But he seems closer in style to DaMarcus Beasley, a two-way player whose offensive qualities rely more on individual skill than utilizing the players around him; and Dempsey, for that matter, doesn’t possess Beasley’s two-way capabilities. Neither, however, excels in the most crucial part of the playmakers role: bringing the rest of the team into the game.
Each of the players would bring different possibilities to the table: for instance, Brad Davis and Justin Mapp play more like traditional wingers, but with less emphasis on the virtuoso skills of either Dempsey and more on getting teammates invovled; for good or ill, Mark Lisi and (arguably) Ned Grabavoy would continue the Claudio Reyna tradition of pacing a game through smart passing; Eddie Gaven, Freddie Adu, and Kyle Martino would play a style quite similar to Donovan’s, though, at this point, to lesser affect. In a few cases, considerably lesser affect...
It doesn't help, of course, that a fair number of these players have spent large chunks of 2006 injured; even outside the walking wounded, a look at the above links suggests that fewer still can lay claim to be having banner years. The best thing that can be said about some of these players is that they’re young and have time to grow into both their bodies and their game. But, obviously, these aren’t names likely to be written either first or in ink on the next U.S. coach’s game-day roster. Whatever this future coach wants, however, the reality is he’s got to choose someone to fill this role.
And it’s in the spirit of a coach that fans should approach this question: in other words, operate from the assumption that you have to name someone as the player the rest of the team should keep in the back of their minds when trying to figure out where to send the ball next. Which of these players seems most capable making the team play effectively together? Failing that, which player seems most likely to inspire through their example?
Donovan will, in all likelihood, be available for 2010. But if he isn’t, or if the Donovan who shows up looks anything like the one who played against the Czech Republic, who should we look to for a replacement? What's Plan B?
Just a news item to pass on: 2007 expansion squad Toronto FC signed former Red Bull New York coach Mo Johnston to lead them into their inaugural season.
Given Mo's short track record in the coaching hot seat, I don't have much to say on this beyond confessing to scratching my head at Toronto's apparent lust for the Scot. For one, that short record wasn't much to look at.
In any case, if you have any insight into Mo's talents to make a case for or against the man, please leave them below. Otherwise, we'll know 'round about August 2007 what kind of coach Toronto hired.
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Given Mo's short track record in the coaching hot seat, I don't have much to say on this beyond confessing to scratching my head at Toronto's apparent lust for the Scot. For one, that short record wasn't much to look at.
In any case, if you have any insight into Mo's talents to make a case for or against the man, please leave them below. Otherwise, we'll know 'round about August 2007 what kind of coach Toronto hired.
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While it's not so surprising to see Ives Galarcep, or anyone for that matter, dumping on Red Bull New York - they have "too many flaws" as he puts it - the critical attention the pundit gives to Edson Buddle caught my eye. Part of it comes from a personal fondness for Buddle, who has been one of Red Bull's better players every time I've seen them play.
That's when I turned to Galarcep's points against Buddle:
Sometimes one sees what one wants to see - and, in this case, that habit allowed me to overlook a distinct downside to Buddle's game: specifically, his penchant for, yes, trying, and too often failing, to make something out of nothing at the top of the area. That realization took me to Buddle's career numbers - which are neither hot nor horrible. Even though he never seems to have had a full season, injuries haven't hampered his career as badly as I thought they had.
Where am I going with this? A modest retraction from yesterday's post on nominating forwards for the men's national team: I threw Buddle's name out as a possibility...I know what I was thinking, but Galarcep made a good case as to why, at this point in time, he wouldn't be all that swell a fit.
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That's when I turned to Galarcep's points against Buddle:
"When the Red Bulls lost leading goal scorer Jean Philippe Peguero to Danish club FC Brondby, the scoring load was supposed to be picked up by Edson Buddle. That hasn't quite worked out. Instead of scoring, Buddle leads Major League Soccer in number of balls lost after dribbling into traffic."
Sometimes one sees what one wants to see - and, in this case, that habit allowed me to overlook a distinct downside to Buddle's game: specifically, his penchant for, yes, trying, and too often failing, to make something out of nothing at the top of the area. That realization took me to Buddle's career numbers - which are neither hot nor horrible. Even though he never seems to have had a full season, injuries haven't hampered his career as badly as I thought they had.
Where am I going with this? A modest retraction from yesterday's post on nominating forwards for the men's national team: I threw Buddle's name out as a possibility...I know what I was thinking, but Galarcep made a good case as to why, at this point in time, he wouldn't be all that swell a fit.
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Week 21 Results:
DC United 1 - 1 Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew 1 - 0 Red Bull New York
Real Salt Lake 3 - 1 Houston Dynamo
Chivas USA 1 - 1 Kansas City Wizards
New England Revolution 0 - 1 Chicago Fire
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - 0 FC Dallas
NOTE: MLS’s in-house match reports are embedded under the scores, interested parties can watch highlights of most the games in MLS’s Sights & Sounds page, here are the standings, and, finally, here’s how ESPN figures the weekend’s action impacted each team’s “power” relative to the rest of the league.
Man. Man and damn, this was one screwy weekend, a half-productive one at best with the only constant being that it was a decent week for teams whose name or home city started with "C." Most results only served to tighten the playoff races, which means that the under-achievers over-achieved and the over-achievers under-achieved. Then again, the league’s rigid parity makes it damned hard to state with any certainty what is and is not the norm.
What did each match tell us? Taking them chronologically:
- DC United’s home draw to the Colorado Rapids confirmed the former's rut; it will only take a loss or two to deepen it. The worrying thing, from DC’s perspective, comes with where their heads seem to be down the regular season stretch. Like it or not, winning MLS Cup is the relevant definition of success in the league and that means success in the post-season leading to the Cup. Without the Cup, they won’t get much satisfaction out of reminding about the Supporters’ Shield they won in 2006. On the other side, ESPN’s stable holds up this weekend’s tie with the league leaders (that’s DC) to dub Colorado “the most underrated team” in the league. That goes too far: they’re more like high-end spoilers, a team no one wants to play, particularly in Colorado. But they’re certainly not contenders.
- Tragically, I actually saw the Columbus Crew end their 13-game winless streak; because I haven’t seen every game this season, I can’t call this the worst game of the season, but it’s a strong candidate for that title. There’s an old Monty Python skit in which a team of philosophers lined up against a team of one-legged pirates; nothing happens till it occurs to one of the philosophers that he’s got to do something or the game will be for nothing; he then runs down the field and scores. Joseph Ngwenya’s goal, and it was a nice one, had a similar feel to it. Before that, it was a whole lotta nothin’. Red Bull New York shares a large portion of the blame for that; of the two teams, they surely must view this as the greater let-down, the unwanted hiccup in Red Bull’s mini-revival. For all the talk of weary legs, every team in the league has to deal with over-demanding schedules and Red Bull’s coach - can’t think of who that could be - has to figure it out. He didn’t and that brings back the question marks.
- Hello Real Salt Lake (RSL)! Even with the league’s resolute devotion to parity regularly producing unpredictable story lines, Real Salt Lake’s (RSL) four-game winning-streak came from beyond left field (not to mix sporting metaphors). In a related note, does Jeff Cunningham’s 14 goal, 9 assist season put him to the top of the MVP 2006 race? Can anyone think of another player more vital to his team? Now comfortably a part of the playoff picture, the next question seems to be how high RSL can go. The question for the Houston Dynamo points the other direction. Most reports give the impression that Houston more than held their own in the first half, but their “Ching-less”(as in Brian Ching) offense continues to sputter. Frankly, it wasn’t all that hot before Ching went down injured either - and Ching was part of the problem. Houston’s fall from contender status ranks as one of the bigger stories of 2006. An off-season shopping spree for a quality striker seems nothing short of necessary. After all, you can't win if you don't score...more than the other guys, especially.
- Chivas USA continued their schizophrenic run through 2006; on the upside, it will only take a trip to the post-season for Chivas to claim success (ditto, by the way, for RSL). As one of three members of the “10-Ties Club” (other members, New England Revolution, Red Bull New York), Chivas could very well rue their inability to put away games once the league gets paired into post-season brackets. On the other side, the Kansas City Wizards probably feel an opposite emotion: relief, especially given that this came on the end of a long road-trip. They may currently hold down the final playoff spot, but with the way things have gone this year Kansas City seems likely as any team in the East to fall out of the playoff picture.
- Reports of the Los Angeles Galaxy’s win over FC Dallas name Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala as the chief culprit; two big, first-half gaffes built a hell of a hill for Dallas to climb. It could be that, it could be the “curse” of the Home Depot Center: Dallas hasn’t won there in eight attempts. All in all, this was a hell of a time for Dallas to sputter. As with DC United, the question becomes whether they simply gelled faster and took early advantage before the other teams caught up, or whether they’re sliding into a funk of their own. Even as I expect it with Dallas (we have a hell of history, that team and me), Houston’s loss offered them a clear chance to open up more daylight. They failed and with Los Angeles looking poised to do what they did in 2005, it becomes a worrying time.
- I have a habit of blocking out the scores when I sit down to watch the highlight reels on Sights & Sounds; that way, I still get some taste of the elation and anger that comes with watching the game live. Needless to say, I got ample doses of the latter in enduring the New England Revolution’s loss to the Chicago Fire. By the third (fourth? fifth?) ballooning header in front of Chicago’s goal left I had thoroughly scared my kids - that and taught them still more foul words. So...the old excuse was being on the road and being tired; now that they’re home, what the fuck is wrong with the New England Revolution? Is Jay Heaps' over-exotic vocabulary distracting them from the task at hand? ("I’ve only been in the league eight years and it’s mundane that we’re not getting the same calls"? Mundane?! What the fuck is talking about?) Is it as simple as Michael Parkhurst's post-game comments: “Everyone is waiting for the tide to turn, but maybe we’re waiting too much. Maybe we need to take the initiative and go get some results”? Well, no one's going to do it for you, buddy. The Chicago Fire’s Andy Herron did score a beautiful goal (goal of the week, as I see it), but, apart from that moment, it’s so, so difficult to tell where Chicago’s quality ends and New England’s incompetence begins. Based on their form, I’m thinking it’s time to readjust expectations for New England back to where they were in the late-90s, early-Dicketies (e.g. the “2000s,” for instance 2006 would be “Dickety-Six” in this usage), but I also can’t pretend to neutrality where New England is concerned. Chicago, for their part, has quietly put together a pretty decent run - decent enough to have leap-frogged New England in the Eastern Conference standings. The rest of the teams in the league - and certainly the ones in their conference - would be well-advised to keep one eye on this team.
DC United 1 - 1 Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew 1 - 0 Red Bull New York
Real Salt Lake 3 - 1 Houston Dynamo
Chivas USA 1 - 1 Kansas City Wizards
New England Revolution 0 - 1 Chicago Fire
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - 0 FC Dallas
NOTE: MLS’s in-house match reports are embedded under the scores, interested parties can watch highlights of most the games in MLS’s Sights & Sounds page, here are the standings, and, finally, here’s how ESPN figures the weekend’s action impacted each team’s “power” relative to the rest of the league.
Man. Man and damn, this was one screwy weekend, a half-productive one at best with the only constant being that it was a decent week for teams whose name or home city started with "C." Most results only served to tighten the playoff races, which means that the under-achievers over-achieved and the over-achievers under-achieved. Then again, the league’s rigid parity makes it damned hard to state with any certainty what is and is not the norm.
What did each match tell us? Taking them chronologically:
- DC United’s home draw to the Colorado Rapids confirmed the former's rut; it will only take a loss or two to deepen it. The worrying thing, from DC’s perspective, comes with where their heads seem to be down the regular season stretch. Like it or not, winning MLS Cup is the relevant definition of success in the league and that means success in the post-season leading to the Cup. Without the Cup, they won’t get much satisfaction out of reminding about the Supporters’ Shield they won in 2006. On the other side, ESPN’s stable holds up this weekend’s tie with the league leaders (that’s DC) to dub Colorado “the most underrated team” in the league. That goes too far: they’re more like high-end spoilers, a team no one wants to play, particularly in Colorado. But they’re certainly not contenders.
- Tragically, I actually saw the Columbus Crew end their 13-game winless streak; because I haven’t seen every game this season, I can’t call this the worst game of the season, but it’s a strong candidate for that title. There’s an old Monty Python skit in which a team of philosophers lined up against a team of one-legged pirates; nothing happens till it occurs to one of the philosophers that he’s got to do something or the game will be for nothing; he then runs down the field and scores. Joseph Ngwenya’s goal, and it was a nice one, had a similar feel to it. Before that, it was a whole lotta nothin’. Red Bull New York shares a large portion of the blame for that; of the two teams, they surely must view this as the greater let-down, the unwanted hiccup in Red Bull’s mini-revival. For all the talk of weary legs, every team in the league has to deal with over-demanding schedules and Red Bull’s coach - can’t think of who that could be - has to figure it out. He didn’t and that brings back the question marks.
- Hello Real Salt Lake (RSL)! Even with the league’s resolute devotion to parity regularly producing unpredictable story lines, Real Salt Lake’s (RSL) four-game winning-streak came from beyond left field (not to mix sporting metaphors). In a related note, does Jeff Cunningham’s 14 goal, 9 assist season put him to the top of the MVP 2006 race? Can anyone think of another player more vital to his team? Now comfortably a part of the playoff picture, the next question seems to be how high RSL can go. The question for the Houston Dynamo points the other direction. Most reports give the impression that Houston more than held their own in the first half, but their “Ching-less”(as in Brian Ching) offense continues to sputter. Frankly, it wasn’t all that hot before Ching went down injured either - and Ching was part of the problem. Houston’s fall from contender status ranks as one of the bigger stories of 2006. An off-season shopping spree for a quality striker seems nothing short of necessary. After all, you can't win if you don't score...more than the other guys, especially.
- Chivas USA continued their schizophrenic run through 2006; on the upside, it will only take a trip to the post-season for Chivas to claim success (ditto, by the way, for RSL). As one of three members of the “10-Ties Club” (other members, New England Revolution, Red Bull New York), Chivas could very well rue their inability to put away games once the league gets paired into post-season brackets. On the other side, the Kansas City Wizards probably feel an opposite emotion: relief, especially given that this came on the end of a long road-trip. They may currently hold down the final playoff spot, but with the way things have gone this year Kansas City seems likely as any team in the East to fall out of the playoff picture.
- Reports of the Los Angeles Galaxy’s win over FC Dallas name Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala as the chief culprit; two big, first-half gaffes built a hell of a hill for Dallas to climb. It could be that, it could be the “curse” of the Home Depot Center: Dallas hasn’t won there in eight attempts. All in all, this was a hell of a time for Dallas to sputter. As with DC United, the question becomes whether they simply gelled faster and took early advantage before the other teams caught up, or whether they’re sliding into a funk of their own. Even as I expect it with Dallas (we have a hell of history, that team and me), Houston’s loss offered them a clear chance to open up more daylight. They failed and with Los Angeles looking poised to do what they did in 2005, it becomes a worrying time.
- I have a habit of blocking out the scores when I sit down to watch the highlight reels on Sights & Sounds; that way, I still get some taste of the elation and anger that comes with watching the game live. Needless to say, I got ample doses of the latter in enduring the New England Revolution’s loss to the Chicago Fire. By the third (fourth? fifth?) ballooning header in front of Chicago’s goal left I had thoroughly scared my kids - that and taught them still more foul words. So...the old excuse was being on the road and being tired; now that they’re home, what the fuck is wrong with the New England Revolution? Is Jay Heaps' over-exotic vocabulary distracting them from the task at hand? ("I’ve only been in the league eight years and it’s mundane that we’re not getting the same calls"? Mundane?! What the fuck is talking about?) Is it as simple as Michael Parkhurst's post-game comments: “Everyone is waiting for the tide to turn, but maybe we’re waiting too much. Maybe we need to take the initiative and go get some results”? Well, no one's going to do it for you, buddy. The Chicago Fire’s Andy Herron did score a beautiful goal (goal of the week, as I see it), but, apart from that moment, it’s so, so difficult to tell where Chicago’s quality ends and New England’s incompetence begins. Based on their form, I’m thinking it’s time to readjust expectations for New England back to where they were in the late-90s, early-Dicketies (e.g. the “2000s,” for instance 2006 would be “Dickety-Six” in this usage), but I also can’t pretend to neutrality where New England is concerned. Chicago, for their part, has quietly put together a pretty decent run - decent enough to have leap-frogged New England in the Eastern Conference standings. The rest of the teams in the league - and certainly the ones in their conference - would be well-advised to keep one eye on this team.
The ever-intriguing power rankings ESPN's site puts out every Monday was more intriguing today than usual. The authors snuck some excellent talking points into this week's edition.
In no particular order:
- From #7: Is there another viable rookie of the year candidate besides Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein? Quick question: does FC Dallas' Kenny Cooper count as a rookie? Even if he did, I'd still go in for Bornstein. I'm also drawing a blank on alternatives.
- From #1: There's no ignoring DC United's funk, but how bad is it?
- From #9: Is the New England Revolution's shot at the 2006 title over before it started? I'm thinking yes and ESPN's people seem to think the same thing.
- Implied from #6: Anyone talking seriously about Jeff Cunningham as MVP? If not, why not? His numbers are good enough. And Saturday's win wasn't the first time he led/carried Real Salt Lake this season.
All for now.
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In no particular order:
- From #7: Is there another viable rookie of the year candidate besides Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein? Quick question: does FC Dallas' Kenny Cooper count as a rookie? Even if he did, I'd still go in for Bornstein. I'm also drawing a blank on alternatives.
- From #1: There's no ignoring DC United's funk, but how bad is it?
- From #9: Is the New England Revolution's shot at the 2006 title over before it started? I'm thinking yes and ESPN's people seem to think the same thing.
- Implied from #6: Anyone talking seriously about Jeff Cunningham as MVP? If not, why not? His numbers are good enough. And Saturday's win wasn't the first time he led/carried Real Salt Lake this season.
All for now.
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To begin, full credit to MLS for making available through the official web-site articles crapping on their wage policy. They didn’t have to do it.
But they did, by linking to articles from the LA Breeze not once, but twice. Both deal with the same subject: is the dream of playing professional soccer strong enough for MLS to pay a pittance-plus-a-nickel for developmental players? To put a dollar value on a “pittance-plus-a-nickel,” one article puts it nicely in context:
As anyone might guess, it would be hard enough to live on the senior roster minimum in a number of the league’s cities. But detailing the essential impossibility of living on the developmental contract is the point of one of the articles and a sub-text of the other.
A couple prominent players speak to the league’s limitations in this regard - one of them, unfortunately, was Alexi Lalas:
(MEMO to Alexi: Sometimes it’s not about providing colorful quotes; you sound like a dickhead.)
Ivan Gazidis does a better job by far:
To the question of should this change, the answer must be yes. I’ve seen talk (can’t say where) of applying freshly-acquired TV revenues to boosting pay on the lower end of the pay-scale and that adds up pretty well. It’s a status thing, in part, which was illustrated nicely in the lead to one of the articles.
A second, more concrete question is whether this can change from a financial perspective and that’s something else again. Again, the answer here should be yes. MLS can’t compete with Europe financially at the top end of the scale, which renders trying to do so a little pointless and a little suicidal. For every Landon Donovan, whose desire to stay States-side balances against salary considerations, there’s a Clint Dempsey willing to risk washing out if it means playing against the best in the game. Bidding wars seem as likely to expose MLS’s weakness at the bargaining table as anything. Worse, it also poses the potential for breeding resentment when salary figures don’t match production (call this Twellman’s Conundrum).
So, here’s to hoping the league makes a serious push to raise the minimum, both for developmental and senior players. Based on Hercules Gomez’s comments (Los Angeles Galaxy), they risk losing some decent players. Then again, I suppose Gazidis would respond to Hercules by reminding him that he’s one who made the grade in spite of it all.
But they did, by linking to articles from the LA Breeze not once, but twice. Both deal with the same subject: is the dream of playing professional soccer strong enough for MLS to pay a pittance-plus-a-nickel for developmental players? To put a dollar value on a “pittance-plus-a-nickel,” one article puts it nicely in context:
“The senior roster minimum is $28,000, while players signed to standard developmental contracts make $11,700 or $16,500, or $5.635 or $7.933 an hour.”
As anyone might guess, it would be hard enough to live on the senior roster minimum in a number of the league’s cities. But detailing the essential impossibility of living on the developmental contract is the point of one of the articles and a sub-text of the other.
A couple prominent players speak to the league’s limitations in this regard - one of them, unfortunately, was Alexi Lalas:
"This may sound Scrooge-esque, but as far as the sacrifice they're making, nobody is holding a gun to their head. This is not indentured servitude or slavery."
(MEMO to Alexi: Sometimes it’s not about providing colorful quotes; you sound like a dickhead.)
Ivan Gazidis does a better job by far:
"’We have limited financial resources,’ Gazidis said. ‘And we don't want to be closing a door to players who may want to have an opportunity in MLS.’"
To the question of should this change, the answer must be yes. I’ve seen talk (can’t say where) of applying freshly-acquired TV revenues to boosting pay on the lower end of the pay-scale and that adds up pretty well. It’s a status thing, in part, which was illustrated nicely in the lead to one of the articles.
A second, more concrete question is whether this can change from a financial perspective and that’s something else again. Again, the answer here should be yes. MLS can’t compete with Europe financially at the top end of the scale, which renders trying to do so a little pointless and a little suicidal. For every Landon Donovan, whose desire to stay States-side balances against salary considerations, there’s a Clint Dempsey willing to risk washing out if it means playing against the best in the game. Bidding wars seem as likely to expose MLS’s weakness at the bargaining table as anything. Worse, it also poses the potential for breeding resentment when salary figures don’t match production (call this Twellman’s Conundrum).
So, here’s to hoping the league makes a serious push to raise the minimum, both for developmental and senior players. Based on Hercules Gomez’s comments (Los Angeles Galaxy), they risk losing some decent players. Then again, I suppose Gazidis would respond to Hercules by reminding him that he’s one who made the grade in spite of it all.
With Brian McBride’s retirement and Eddie Johnson slipping away from his potential, who is out there, particularly in MLS, to run up top for the U.S. men’s team?
Just to throw a candidate out there: I’d like the see DC United’s Alecko “Esky” Eskandarian get some serious grooming. I’m a fan of “little/big-man” forward tandems (e.g. the Big-Man forward knocks balls down to “little,” while, of course, serving as a traditional target player) and think Eskandarian possesses a useful skill-set for that little-man role: he’s quick, plays alertly, has decent close control, and, most important, he’s got a powerful left peg.
The “grooming” would really amount to seeing what he can do at that level - and that’s vital, especially with the 2010 World Cup cycle not yet started. Ample evidence shows that scoring in MLS isn’t the same as scoring at the international level - see, Twellman, Taylor; Ching, Brian. But Esky has enough, and has shown enough, that he ought to get a look as long as Twellman’s at the very least.
There’s a second question, of course: if Esky, or anyone else for that matter, works out, with whom should he be paired?
There’s Ching, of course, as well as Eddie Johnson, assuming the latter ever returns to his potential. But who else is out there? What about Edson Buddle? (Answer: Not a traditional "Big Man.") Or Kenny Cooper? (No answer.) For long-shots, would Nate Jaqua be out of the question? (Answer: Hasn't shown enough just yet.) If we went away from Little/Big-Man, an argument could be made - and not a bad one either - for Jeff Cunningham, given his current MVP-caliber form. (Answer: Too old for a serious look?)
Anyone else out there? Just throwing this out there to see what sticks.
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Just to throw a candidate out there: I’d like the see DC United’s Alecko “Esky” Eskandarian get some serious grooming. I’m a fan of “little/big-man” forward tandems (e.g. the Big-Man forward knocks balls down to “little,” while, of course, serving as a traditional target player) and think Eskandarian possesses a useful skill-set for that little-man role: he’s quick, plays alertly, has decent close control, and, most important, he’s got a powerful left peg.
The “grooming” would really amount to seeing what he can do at that level - and that’s vital, especially with the 2010 World Cup cycle not yet started. Ample evidence shows that scoring in MLS isn’t the same as scoring at the international level - see, Twellman, Taylor; Ching, Brian. But Esky has enough, and has shown enough, that he ought to get a look as long as Twellman’s at the very least.
There’s a second question, of course: if Esky, or anyone else for that matter, works out, with whom should he be paired?
There’s Ching, of course, as well as Eddie Johnson, assuming the latter ever returns to his potential. But who else is out there? What about Edson Buddle? (Answer: Not a traditional "Big Man.") Or Kenny Cooper? (No answer.) For long-shots, would Nate Jaqua be out of the question? (Answer: Hasn't shown enough just yet.) If we went away from Little/Big-Man, an argument could be made - and not a bad one either - for Jeff Cunningham, given his current MVP-caliber form. (Answer: Too old for a serious look?)
Anyone else out there? Just throwing this out there to see what sticks.
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Here we go: the second half of (what is it?) Week 21. It seems like it’s been a while since everyone played on a single weekend. As always, the home team is listed first and MLS’s in-house previews are embedded in the title. For more preview goodness, USSoccerplayers.com’s Kyle McCarthy pulled together his usual previews (well ahead of the official outlet no less) and tops each of them with both teams’ records over the past five games.
DC United v. Colorado Rapids
Stalled Joe-Mentum?
Will DC pull out of what amounts to a slump? Fortunately for them, they’re playing a Colorado team that 1) doesn’t travel well, and 2) who, through injury (Terry Cooke) or a war-inspired trade (Dedi ben Dayan) has lost a lot of offensive punch in the past couple of weeks. The weird thing, they’ve got players who should be able to create - Jovan Kirovski, Clint Mathis, and, in a pinch, Pablo Mastroeni - but who, unless they’re doing so really quietly, haven’t yet. Whatever ails ‘em, Marvin Tarley can’t fix all of it.
DC UNITED WINS - and gets out some frustration while they’re at it; I’m guessing two goals at the very least.
(TV: ESPN2, Saturday, 1 p.m.)
Columbus Crew v. Red Bull New York
Sigi’s Resignation, Both Withdrawn and Persistent (and the Guilt)
I’ve made a lot - perhaps too much - of Columbus sneaking up on an unwanted superlative. It took only Sigi Schmid’s pained ruminations and talk of resigning to drive home the fact that losing streaks can really suck for those directly involved. (NOTE: Fans don’t count; if your team losing genuinely hurts you, seek counseling.) So, there’s the guilt...but that’ll go away, especially if Columbus beats the record. Both teams picked up injuries in their last games: between them, Columbus’ loss of Jacob Thomas, one of their better performers this season, seems a deeper loss than Red Bull losing Mike Magee. While both sides also added players - the Crew picked up Duncan Oughton and Red Bull, John “King Journeyman” Wolyniec - neither are true game-breakers. So, it’s down to form then: Red Bull has it, Columbus has tons of it...just the wrong kind.
RED BULL WINS - and Wolyniec bags at least one; I’m pulling for the winner. I love that guy.
(TV: FSC, Saturday, 4:30 p.m.)
Real Salt Lake v. Houston Dynamo
Match of the Week
C’mon. Admit it. You want to see RSL win this win. Even you Houston fans out there...yes, you want an RSL win...
...and you may not be disappointed. Somewhere in the above preview, Jeff Cunningham jinxed the team by stating outright that RSL will make the playoffs, but that’s also indicative of the team’s new-found confidence. That - how do you say? - elan syncs nicely with some potentially major injury/suspension issues for Houston: they’ve lost Brian “No, Please; Someone Else Score” Ching to the former and Eddie Robinson to the latter. Add a home game to the mix and this one gets interesting fast. The “X-Factor” comes with Houston’s midfield; Dwayne DeRosario is already having a very solid year and Brad Davis always seems on the edge of returning to form of his stellar start to 2005. With emotions taking over, I’m going to say...
RSL WINS - this ends in a draw at worst. But the national-team fan in me really wants to see Brad Davis play well; he’d be a nice option for the left side to the DaMarcus Beasley/Bobby Convey style.
Chivas USA v. Kansas City Wizards
Freaky Friday
Who would have thought when the season started, all those years ago, that Chivas USA would have five points on Kansas City? The latter had the stacked roster and added Eddie Johnson in the off-season; the former only had question marks. Two-thirds of the way through the current campaign and these teams’ situations reversed: Chivas is not only doing well, they’re one of the more entertaining teams in the league (courtesy of a less than stalwart defense); for their part, Kansas City retained the dullness of “Gansler-ball” but dropped the winning ways. Whatever the history, KC has a shot at this one; between that vulnerable defense and a roster of players who once knew how to score, it seems only a matter of waking up. The suspension of Jesse Marsch, a key team leader by my observation, constitutes the best news for the Wizards; the worst comes with the “probable” listing beside Juan Francisco Palencia’s name. With Chivas a good enough team at home....
CHIVAS USA WINS (I’m a bit hesitant to call ties; feels like a cop-out.)
LA Galaxy v. FC Dallas
Battle of the Buns
One team tops the meaty center of the Western Conference while the other creaks under its weight. But LA’s sputtering return to form, built on a highly impressive defensive record (the preview tells me they’ve given up only two goals in the past eight games!), makes this a trickier game to call than the league table would suggest. The hard thing to swallow (well, for people disinclined to like LA anyway) is the fact that, punchless as the Galaxy may be, that defensive record means they may need only one goal. But Dallas, who has nearly everyone back and healthy, will test the bejesus out of that record. Between Ronnie O’Brien, Ramon Nunez, Kenny Cooper, and, some guy named Carlos Ruiz, they’ve got loads of players able to apply the finishing touch. No, they didn’t do this last week against Houston - which cost them “El Capitan” - but their scoring record suggests this won’t last. There’s also a bit of history standing against that array of talent: Dallas has beat LA only three times in LA. Hmmmm....
FC DALLAS WINS
New England Revolution v. Chicago Fire
Who Shows Up?
This one is about as interesting as a mid-table clash can get; on the other hand, with DC United so far ahead in the standings, finishing second might feel pretty cool when all’s said and done. For all Jeff Bradley’s faith )in a New England turn-around (see #11) and for all the talk of grueling schedules, the Revolution’s record raises the question of whether this team can win games, or if they’re simply good enough to not lose them. In the other camp, a series of wins over Kansas City could have Chicago feeling a little jiggy. Come Sunday, we should find out whether it was down to the new formation, left-sided midfielder "Waiting for" Justin Mapp’s playing to expectations, or if the whole thing comes down to simply having Kansas City’s number.
DRAW - As I said earlier, I don’t share Bradley’s faith; it could be the New England fan in me.
DC United v. Colorado Rapids
Stalled Joe-Mentum?
Will DC pull out of what amounts to a slump? Fortunately for them, they’re playing a Colorado team that 1) doesn’t travel well, and 2) who, through injury (Terry Cooke) or a war-inspired trade (Dedi ben Dayan) has lost a lot of offensive punch in the past couple of weeks. The weird thing, they’ve got players who should be able to create - Jovan Kirovski, Clint Mathis, and, in a pinch, Pablo Mastroeni - but who, unless they’re doing so really quietly, haven’t yet. Whatever ails ‘em, Marvin Tarley can’t fix all of it.
DC UNITED WINS - and gets out some frustration while they’re at it; I’m guessing two goals at the very least.
(TV: ESPN2, Saturday, 1 p.m.)
Columbus Crew v. Red Bull New York
Sigi’s Resignation, Both Withdrawn and Persistent (and the Guilt)
I’ve made a lot - perhaps too much - of Columbus sneaking up on an unwanted superlative. It took only Sigi Schmid’s pained ruminations and talk of resigning to drive home the fact that losing streaks can really suck for those directly involved. (NOTE: Fans don’t count; if your team losing genuinely hurts you, seek counseling.) So, there’s the guilt...but that’ll go away, especially if Columbus beats the record. Both teams picked up injuries in their last games: between them, Columbus’ loss of Jacob Thomas, one of their better performers this season, seems a deeper loss than Red Bull losing Mike Magee. While both sides also added players - the Crew picked up Duncan Oughton and Red Bull, John “King Journeyman” Wolyniec - neither are true game-breakers. So, it’s down to form then: Red Bull has it, Columbus has tons of it...just the wrong kind.
RED BULL WINS - and Wolyniec bags at least one; I’m pulling for the winner. I love that guy.
(TV: FSC, Saturday, 4:30 p.m.)
Real Salt Lake v. Houston Dynamo
Match of the Week
C’mon. Admit it. You want to see RSL win this win. Even you Houston fans out there...yes, you want an RSL win...
...and you may not be disappointed. Somewhere in the above preview, Jeff Cunningham jinxed the team by stating outright that RSL will make the playoffs, but that’s also indicative of the team’s new-found confidence. That - how do you say? - elan syncs nicely with some potentially major injury/suspension issues for Houston: they’ve lost Brian “No, Please; Someone Else Score” Ching to the former and Eddie Robinson to the latter. Add a home game to the mix and this one gets interesting fast. The “X-Factor” comes with Houston’s midfield; Dwayne DeRosario is already having a very solid year and Brad Davis always seems on the edge of returning to form of his stellar start to 2005. With emotions taking over, I’m going to say...
RSL WINS - this ends in a draw at worst. But the national-team fan in me really wants to see Brad Davis play well; he’d be a nice option for the left side to the DaMarcus Beasley/Bobby Convey style.
Chivas USA v. Kansas City Wizards
Freaky Friday
Who would have thought when the season started, all those years ago, that Chivas USA would have five points on Kansas City? The latter had the stacked roster and added Eddie Johnson in the off-season; the former only had question marks. Two-thirds of the way through the current campaign and these teams’ situations reversed: Chivas is not only doing well, they’re one of the more entertaining teams in the league (courtesy of a less than stalwart defense); for their part, Kansas City retained the dullness of “Gansler-ball” but dropped the winning ways. Whatever the history, KC has a shot at this one; between that vulnerable defense and a roster of players who once knew how to score, it seems only a matter of waking up. The suspension of Jesse Marsch, a key team leader by my observation, constitutes the best news for the Wizards; the worst comes with the “probable” listing beside Juan Francisco Palencia’s name. With Chivas a good enough team at home....
CHIVAS USA WINS (I’m a bit hesitant to call ties; feels like a cop-out.)
LA Galaxy v. FC Dallas
Battle of the Buns
One team tops the meaty center of the Western Conference while the other creaks under its weight. But LA’s sputtering return to form, built on a highly impressive defensive record (the preview tells me they’ve given up only two goals in the past eight games!), makes this a trickier game to call than the league table would suggest. The hard thing to swallow (well, for people disinclined to like LA anyway) is the fact that, punchless as the Galaxy may be, that defensive record means they may need only one goal. But Dallas, who has nearly everyone back and healthy, will test the bejesus out of that record. Between Ronnie O’Brien, Ramon Nunez, Kenny Cooper, and, some guy named Carlos Ruiz, they’ve got loads of players able to apply the finishing touch. No, they didn’t do this last week against Houston - which cost them “El Capitan” - but their scoring record suggests this won’t last. There’s also a bit of history standing against that array of talent: Dallas has beat LA only three times in LA. Hmmmm....
FC DALLAS WINS
New England Revolution v. Chicago Fire
Who Shows Up?
This one is about as interesting as a mid-table clash can get; on the other hand, with DC United so far ahead in the standings, finishing second might feel pretty cool when all’s said and done. For all Jeff Bradley’s faith )in a New England turn-around (see #11) and for all the talk of grueling schedules, the Revolution’s record raises the question of whether this team can win games, or if they’re simply good enough to not lose them. In the other camp, a series of wins over Kansas City could have Chicago feeling a little jiggy. Come Sunday, we should find out whether it was down to the new formation, left-sided midfielder "Waiting for" Justin Mapp’s playing to expectations, or if the whole thing comes down to simply having Kansas City’s number.
DRAW - As I said earlier, I don’t share Bradley’s faith; it could be the New England fan in me.
(NOTE: As bad as that title may be, the original "Jeff Bradley's Tasty Nuggets," was worse by far.)
Jeff Bradley, whose work usually hides behind a subscription wall, turned in a rare “First XI” column for MLS’s site. Whatever inspired the man (and can I get some of it?), he decorated the piece with delectable talking points. From his faith that the New England Revolution will turn it around (a faith I don’t share), through the big love he passes to former-interim Red Bull New York coach Richie Williams, to the insight into DC United’s long-term strategy he picked up from Ben Olsen, one can find something to turn over and over in all eleven items.
But it was the subtly-voiced prognostications in #2 that most interested me:
Where to begin?
Will the Columbus Crew have a chance? (Personally, I’m pulling against this one; not out of animosity, but a wish to see history made.) The Colorado Rapids “will be trying to hold on to a [playoff] spot?” Predicting anything about Colorado seems as risky a proposition as anything in MLS’s 11th season.
One could find a talking point in each call - and Bradley admits to exaggerating - but the same neck-stretching spirit pervades the column. And that's a good thing.
This is the time of year when people start thinking of the end-game. Bradley's start isn't a bad one. I think he's got some misses - as already mentioned, I see Columbus sitting out the post-season, New England continuing to stagnate, and I worry more about the LA Galaxy shitting all over the regular season than he does - but educated guessing is the name of the game.
In any case, I'd trust Bradley before trusting me...
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Jeff Bradley, whose work usually hides behind a subscription wall, turned in a rare “First XI” column for MLS’s site. Whatever inspired the man (and can I get some of it?), he decorated the piece with delectable talking points. From his faith that the New England Revolution will turn it around (a faith I don’t share), through the big love he passes to former-interim Red Bull New York coach Richie Williams, to the insight into DC United’s long-term strategy he picked up from Ben Olsen, one can find something to turn over and over in all eleven items.
But it was the subtly-voiced prognostications in #2 that most interested me:
"2. Remember the date: October 14."
"It's all set up. The final week of the regular season, every single game will have playoff implications. Book it. New England hosts Columbus, which will need a win to have a chance. New York hosts Kansas City with playoffs riding on the line for both clubs. Houston hosts Colorado, which will be trying to hold on to a spot. Los Angeles will need the full three points in its home match with FC Dallas. Supporters' Shield winners D.C. United will host a mathematically-alive Chicago Fire team. And Chivas USA will host RSL in a win-and-in match for both clubs. OK, maybe I've exaggerated a bit here. But it's shaping up.
Where to begin?
Will the Columbus Crew have a chance? (Personally, I’m pulling against this one; not out of animosity, but a wish to see history made.) The Colorado Rapids “will be trying to hold on to a [playoff] spot?” Predicting anything about Colorado seems as risky a proposition as anything in MLS’s 11th season.
One could find a talking point in each call - and Bradley admits to exaggerating - but the same neck-stretching spirit pervades the column. And that's a good thing.
This is the time of year when people start thinking of the end-game. Bradley's start isn't a bad one. I think he's got some misses - as already mentioned, I see Columbus sitting out the post-season, New England continuing to stagnate, and I worry more about the LA Galaxy shitting all over the regular season than he does - but educated guessing is the name of the game.
In any case, I'd trust Bradley before trusting me...
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USSoccerplayers.com’s Kyle McCarthy tops his column previewing this weekend’s MLS action with some sharp insights on MLS salaries and transfers:
The chopping and dicing omits some balance in his points, so check out the full post (I’m trying to stay within fair-use limits).
Like my earlier comments (LINK and LINK), McCarthy is responding to Taylor Twellman’s (NE Revolution) midweek gripe about his pay package. McCarthy also improves on mine in terms of pith and clarity. MLS needs to either keep their athletes happy, let them go when other suitors come a-courtin’, or cope with the best talent opting to bypass the league to START their career in Europe. Whether the league likes it or not, American players have career options - more risky and trying options to be sure, but promise of a bigger payout mitigates some of the risk.
There’s also a comparatively high-quality Big Soccer thread on this issue. At last reading, “Ursula” and “goussoccer” turned in the best comments.
On the subject of previews, I’ll put mine out later today.
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“Rumblings of a move here or a move there and players whining about contracts and their ill-fitting value distracts from the on-field business that is increasingly important during this time of year...The league should be forthright in placing a reasonable value on a player and letting him move if the interested parties reach a suitable accord with MLS.”
“Instead, players around the league are caught in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with the league, not knowing whether or not the league will show the midseason money, place an unreasonable bounty on a player's head or allow a player to move to supposedly greener pastures.”
The chopping and dicing omits some balance in his points, so check out the full post (I’m trying to stay within fair-use limits).
Like my earlier comments (LINK and LINK), McCarthy is responding to Taylor Twellman’s (NE Revolution) midweek gripe about his pay package. McCarthy also improves on mine in terms of pith and clarity. MLS needs to either keep their athletes happy, let them go when other suitors come a-courtin’, or cope with the best talent opting to bypass the league to START their career in Europe. Whether the league likes it or not, American players have career options - more risky and trying options to be sure, but promise of a bigger payout mitigates some of the risk.
There’s also a comparatively high-quality Big Soccer thread on this issue. At last reading, “Ursula” and “goussoccer” turned in the best comments.
On the subject of previews, I’ll put mine out later today.
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The Portland Timbers take the field tonight - a game I, unfortunately, cannot make - against one of their few plausible rivals for a playoff spot, the Puerto Rico Islanders. As The Oregonian’s Timbers Weblog rather bluntly points out, though, it’s a pretty unequal rivalry with the Timbers on the wrong end of it. (The permalink feature isn’t working, so just visit the site and look for the title, The Playoff Push (Kind of).) They've also got a good "magic number" table for your edification.
Whatever happens, this weekend begins the moment of clarity in the Timbers 2006 season. Between tonight’s game and their next on August 31st (against, gulp, L’Impact de Montreal), the several teams the Timbers could remotely (very remotely) hope to catch will play out their respective games in hand. So, while the Timbers play two games between now and August 31...
...the Virginia Beach Mariners will play three games.
...the Puerto Rico Islanders will play four games.
...the Atlanta Silverbacks will play three games.
...Miami FC will play four games.
This means that, by the end of the day on August 31, the Timbers and their Mariners will have their total points from 26 games, Puerto Rico and Miami from 25 games, and Atlanta from 24 games. The rough equality among the players should tell our Timbers, in fairly clear terms, the importance of their last two games. Sad to say, the current standings kind of flatter the Timbers' position till one picks through the details.
Nearly everyone figures the fat lady is deep into her aria so far as the Timbers are concerned. Not that this loosens the "official" Timbers' site's grip on their delusions:
Ah...such sweet belief, such touching hope. They’re like kids searching under an empty Christmas tree for the pony they mentioned to Santa Claus.
Whatever happens, this weekend begins the moment of clarity in the Timbers 2006 season. Between tonight’s game and their next on August 31st (against, gulp, L’Impact de Montreal), the several teams the Timbers could remotely (very remotely) hope to catch will play out their respective games in hand. So, while the Timbers play two games between now and August 31...
...the Virginia Beach Mariners will play three games.
...the Puerto Rico Islanders will play four games.
...the Atlanta Silverbacks will play three games.
...Miami FC will play four games.
This means that, by the end of the day on August 31, the Timbers and their Mariners will have their total points from 26 games, Puerto Rico and Miami from 25 games, and Atlanta from 24 games. The rough equality among the players should tell our Timbers, in fairly clear terms, the importance of their last two games. Sad to say, the current standings kind of flatter the Timbers' position till one picks through the details.
Nearly everyone figures the fat lady is deep into her aria so far as the Timbers are concerned. Not that this loosens the "official" Timbers' site's grip on their delusions:
“The Timbers were able to snap an 11-game winless streak when they downed the Virginia Beach Mariners for the first time in franchise history on Aug. 10. With four games to play and only five points [ed. - yes!] separating the Timbers from a playoff position, Portland will be trying to get the most out of its home-field advantage.”
Ah...such sweet belief, such touching hope. They’re like kids searching under an empty Christmas tree for the pony they mentioned to Santa Claus.
Looks like 2006's favorite Cinderella team, Roma FC, plopped those glass slippers into the big pile of bullshit laid down by the U.S. Soccer powers-that-be. Pundit Steve Davis, writing for WFAA.com, lays out the sordid tale of Prince Charming stiffing Cinderella.
The key question in play was who received the $10,000 bonus that goes to the amateur team that goes deepest in the U.S. Open Cup. Roma split that honor with the Premier Development League's (PDL) Carolina Dynamo, but was initially told that they wouldn't receive a dime for their labors. The priceless reasoning:
Sensing that all the publicity Roma enjoyed during their Cup run might make this one hard to hide, U.S. Soccer offered to give them half the bonus with the rest going to the Carolina Dynamo.
As Davis points out, the rule for determining who gets the bonus when two amateur teams reach the same round awards the money to the team "with the most victories against opponents from a higher division." The U.S. Soccer spokesman points out that there's no language stipulating that beating an MLS team counts for more than beating a second-division team - which is what happened in this case (Roma beat Chivas, while Carolina beat the Seattle Sounders.).
For what it's worth, I hope they change the language for next year's tournament.
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The key question in play was who received the $10,000 bonus that goes to the amateur team that goes deepest in the U.S. Open Cup. Roma split that honor with the Premier Development League's (PDL) Carolina Dynamo, but was initially told that they wouldn't receive a dime for their labors. The priceless reasoning:
"In the letter [directing Roma's attention to the stiffing], U.S. Soccer discounted Roma's result over {MLS's Chivas USA] because it was achieved in a penalty kick tiebreaker."
Sensing that all the publicity Roma enjoyed during their Cup run might make this one hard to hide, U.S. Soccer offered to give them half the bonus with the rest going to the Carolina Dynamo.
As Davis points out, the rule for determining who gets the bonus when two amateur teams reach the same round awards the money to the team "with the most victories against opponents from a higher division." The U.S. Soccer spokesman points out that there's no language stipulating that beating an MLS team counts for more than beating a second-division team - which is what happened in this case (Roma beat Chivas, while Carolina beat the Seattle Sounders.).
For what it's worth, I hope they change the language for next year's tournament.
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August 16, 2006 Scoreboard:
Columbus Crew 1 - 2 Real Salt Lake
Red Bull New York 0 - 0 DC United
Chicago Fire 3 - 0 Kansas City Wizards
Real Salt Lake (RSL) made a clear statement last night: We are not the worst team in the league; those guys are. Since their arrival last year, there has been no easier game in Major League Soccer than playing Real Salt Lake at home. Last night, they passed the torch.
The Columbus Crew are the unlucky recipients of said torch. In fact, the defining challenge of the remainder of Columbus' 2006 season comes down to ducking the crown for worst team in MLS history. Only six futile games to go and they'll top the 18-game winless streak RSL garnered between their first and second seasons in the league. Are they bad enough to do it? Head coach Sigi Schmid said it as well as anyone:
This is the coach, mind you, discussing the success of the product he organizes on the field. No one posed the question, but one has to wonder whether Schmid would place a bet on RSL passing the "worst-team" torch (this needs a name, I think; how about "The Poo Stick"?) to Columbus before the season ends.
As for RSL, one can only credit them for an impressive run. If beating up on the Columbus Crew compares unfavorably to pounding on a one-armed toddler, one has only to refer to previous wins against DC United and the Colorado Rapids for a little perspective on their three-game winning streak. They've scored seven goals over that span and let in two; it's also worth noting that two of those were away games. Even if RSL coach John Ellinger misspoke when he said that RSL's away record bettered their home record (in wins, yes, in points earned no), a little confidence on the road helps with the overall.
Four points out of playoff contention isn't ideal - due to that one "extra" point, it's a maddeningly tricky place to be - but who thought RSL would be where they now are in, say, mid-June?
Of the other two games, DC's tie with New York is remarkable only insofar as it suggests some slowing to United's torrid early-season pace. While most other teams have endured three winless games, this is new territory for the Red and Black - at least in 2006. There's no reason to suspect, at this point, that they'll surrender the 16-point lead they've got in the Eastern Conference, but the playoffs can abruptly render a stellar regular season irrelevant.
Whoops. One last thing to add: the "missed" penalty for Red Bull. Watch the highlights (see Sights & Sounds) and check out how DC's Brian Namoff positions his hands as he runs alongside Youri Djorkaeff. It's not hugely obvious - Namoff's running with his hands up in the classic "I'm-not-pushing" position, but he squares his chest toward Djorkaeff just as he's about to deliver the shot/cross. With the benefit of replay, I would have called this one. In the live action, I can't say I blame the ref for passing.
Finally, if Kansas City hasn't been so woefully weak this season, Chicago's win would have meant a whole lot more. It seems wise to wait till this weekend's visit to the New England Revolution before drawing any conclusions from this one.
Columbus Crew 1 - 2 Real Salt Lake
Red Bull New York 0 - 0 DC United
Chicago Fire 3 - 0 Kansas City Wizards
Real Salt Lake (RSL) made a clear statement last night: We are not the worst team in the league; those guys are. Since their arrival last year, there has been no easier game in Major League Soccer than playing Real Salt Lake at home. Last night, they passed the torch.
The Columbus Crew are the unlucky recipients of said torch. In fact, the defining challenge of the remainder of Columbus' 2006 season comes down to ducking the crown for worst team in MLS history. Only six futile games to go and they'll top the 18-game winless streak RSL garnered between their first and second seasons in the league. Are they bad enough to do it? Head coach Sigi Schmid said it as well as anyone:
""We might still be in the hunt until the last game but if I were going to Vegas I wouldn't bet on us."
This is the coach, mind you, discussing the success of the product he organizes on the field. No one posed the question, but one has to wonder whether Schmid would place a bet on RSL passing the "worst-team" torch (this needs a name, I think; how about "The Poo Stick"?) to Columbus before the season ends.
As for RSL, one can only credit them for an impressive run. If beating up on the Columbus Crew compares unfavorably to pounding on a one-armed toddler, one has only to refer to previous wins against DC United and the Colorado Rapids for a little perspective on their three-game winning streak. They've scored seven goals over that span and let in two; it's also worth noting that two of those were away games. Even if RSL coach John Ellinger misspoke when he said that RSL's away record bettered their home record (in wins, yes, in points earned no), a little confidence on the road helps with the overall.
Four points out of playoff contention isn't ideal - due to that one "extra" point, it's a maddeningly tricky place to be - but who thought RSL would be where they now are in, say, mid-June?
Of the other two games, DC's tie with New York is remarkable only insofar as it suggests some slowing to United's torrid early-season pace. While most other teams have endured three winless games, this is new territory for the Red and Black - at least in 2006. There's no reason to suspect, at this point, that they'll surrender the 16-point lead they've got in the Eastern Conference, but the playoffs can abruptly render a stellar regular season irrelevant.
Whoops. One last thing to add: the "missed" penalty for Red Bull. Watch the highlights (see Sights & Sounds) and check out how DC's Brian Namoff positions his hands as he runs alongside Youri Djorkaeff. It's not hugely obvious - Namoff's running with his hands up in the classic "I'm-not-pushing" position, but he squares his chest toward Djorkaeff just as he's about to deliver the shot/cross. With the benefit of replay, I would have called this one. In the live action, I can't say I blame the ref for passing.
Finally, if Kansas City hasn't been so woefully weak this season, Chicago's win would have meant a whole lot more. It seems wise to wait till this weekend's visit to the New England Revolution before drawing any conclusions from this one.
As I see it, last Friday’s “half-assed” predictions were the best I’ve produced in terms of format and content. As such, bits of that will be retained for future editions...like today’s.
For first-timers, MLS’s in-house (and wearyingly thorough) game previews are embedded in the match-up headers; home teams are always listed first. After some I have some fun, I’ll pass on the concrete stuff I think matters.
Columbus Crew v. Real Salt Lake
(TV: Fox Soccer Channel, 4:30 p.m. PST)
The Battle for Superlative Dominance
It’s no secret Columbus stinks, though just how bad may not be common knowledge. Their current 12-game winless streak equals the second-worst run in league history. With this team approach goal with the timid reverence the apes showed the obelisk in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the assumption that the Crew will seize sole ownership of the second-worst all-time run seems a safe one. RSL - who, by the way, set the record for futility with 18 winless games - is actually on a bit of an up. They’ve now won two(!) in a row and, unlike the Crew, they’re scoring goals.
- If the Crew’s injuries didn’t equal RSL’s the latter would have a problem. That many of RSL’s injury woes and worries (those listed as “probable”) includes many of the familiar names in defense at least holds out hope for a Columbus goal.
- Really, this one is about Joe-mentum. RSL has it, while Columbus has its opposite.
- RSL’s road form isn’t the worst: 3-7-0 (W-L-T; 9 points); shockingly, it’s actually better than Columbus’ home form (1-4-5, 8 points). Ouch.
REAL SALT LAKE WINS.
Red Bull New York v. DC United
Who’s Schoolin’ Who?
As noted in several spaces, tonight marks Bruce Arena’s official coaching debut; the whuppin’ he guided Red Bull through against Barcelona didn’t really count. Out of curiosity, did anyone ask DC head coach Peter Nowak what he thinks about Bruce debut? The answer, I’m assuming, would be some variation, of “So what?” As hard as it is to sneak out from under that story line, Red Bull’s recent, decent run serves as the more important sub-text for this game; can they keep it up? Even against the league’s indisputably best team? They've got home field, if nothing else.
- Too little has been said (to me anyway) about DC’s good fortune with injuries. I don’t even know who Devon MacTavish is. Could this be the secret to their success?
- Not to be crass, but is Brandon Prideaux still alive? I don’t see him on the injured list and he’s not in either of the past two line-ups.
- This is a good rivalry, formally (or is it informally?) dubbed the Atlantic Cup. DC leads the all-time series with 23 wins to Red Bull/Metros 15 (there are 4 draws besides). Given DC’s history, one would think it’d be more lopsided. It seems New York plays DC tough.
Still, DC UNITED WINS. I’m thinking The Bruce will have to wait for his first - and Dema Kovalenko for his revenge.
Chicago Fire v. Kansas City Wizards
Shrug
Like most mid-table clashes, not a lot of enthusiasm in this one; it's playing for the playoffs, really, and no one of which I'm aware thinks either of these teams will go far. It doesn’t help that these teams have played one another something like eight times in a row (NOTE: This is only perceptual). Chicago had the better of the last meeting, an Open Cup win featuring each side’s B-team. The question of who wins comes down to whether KC remembers how they scored those four goals against Columbus, or whether Chicago rediscovers the comforts of home.
- From a personnel point of view, Chicago finally seems close to whole. It now seems a matter of making the parts serve the whole.
- Who does Chicago coach Dave Sarachan pair with Nate Jaqua? Chris Rolfe (stats) or Andy Herron (stats)? Never having been all that high on Rolfe, my answer would be Herron.
- History plays a role here: Kansas City has a hell of a time with Chicago away. Based on that detail, I went against KC over the Fire for the Open Cup draw, which counted as my umpteenth wrong pick of this 2006.
CHICAGO WINS.
For first-timers, MLS’s in-house (and wearyingly thorough) game previews are embedded in the match-up headers; home teams are always listed first. After some I have some fun, I’ll pass on the concrete stuff I think matters.
Columbus Crew v. Real Salt Lake
(TV: Fox Soccer Channel, 4:30 p.m. PST)
The Battle for Superlative Dominance
It’s no secret Columbus stinks, though just how bad may not be common knowledge. Their current 12-game winless streak equals the second-worst run in league history. With this team approach goal with the timid reverence the apes showed the obelisk in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the assumption that the Crew will seize sole ownership of the second-worst all-time run seems a safe one. RSL - who, by the way, set the record for futility with 18 winless games - is actually on a bit of an up. They’ve now won two(!) in a row and, unlike the Crew, they’re scoring goals.
- If the Crew’s injuries didn’t equal RSL’s the latter would have a problem. That many of RSL’s injury woes and worries (those listed as “probable”) includes many of the familiar names in defense at least holds out hope for a Columbus goal.
- Really, this one is about Joe-mentum. RSL has it, while Columbus has its opposite.
- RSL’s road form isn’t the worst: 3-7-0 (W-L-T; 9 points); shockingly, it’s actually better than Columbus’ home form (1-4-5, 8 points). Ouch.
REAL SALT LAKE WINS.
Red Bull New York v. DC United
Who’s Schoolin’ Who?
As noted in several spaces, tonight marks Bruce Arena’s official coaching debut; the whuppin’ he guided Red Bull through against Barcelona didn’t really count. Out of curiosity, did anyone ask DC head coach Peter Nowak what he thinks about Bruce debut? The answer, I’m assuming, would be some variation, of “So what?” As hard as it is to sneak out from under that story line, Red Bull’s recent, decent run serves as the more important sub-text for this game; can they keep it up? Even against the league’s indisputably best team? They've got home field, if nothing else.
- Too little has been said (to me anyway) about DC’s good fortune with injuries. I don’t even know who Devon MacTavish is. Could this be the secret to their success?
- Not to be crass, but is Brandon Prideaux still alive? I don’t see him on the injured list and he’s not in either of the past two line-ups.
- This is a good rivalry, formally (or is it informally?) dubbed the Atlantic Cup. DC leads the all-time series with 23 wins to Red Bull/Metros 15 (there are 4 draws besides). Given DC’s history, one would think it’d be more lopsided. It seems New York plays DC tough.
Still, DC UNITED WINS. I’m thinking The Bruce will have to wait for his first - and Dema Kovalenko for his revenge.
Chicago Fire v. Kansas City Wizards
Shrug
Like most mid-table clashes, not a lot of enthusiasm in this one; it's playing for the playoffs, really, and no one of which I'm aware thinks either of these teams will go far. It doesn’t help that these teams have played one another something like eight times in a row (NOTE: This is only perceptual). Chicago had the better of the last meeting, an Open Cup win featuring each side’s B-team. The question of who wins comes down to whether KC remembers how they scored those four goals against Columbus, or whether Chicago rediscovers the comforts of home.
- From a personnel point of view, Chicago finally seems close to whole. It now seems a matter of making the parts serve the whole.
- Who does Chicago coach Dave Sarachan pair with Nate Jaqua? Chris Rolfe (stats) or Andy Herron (stats)? Never having been all that high on Rolfe, my answer would be Herron.
- History plays a role here: Kansas City has a hell of a time with Chicago away. Based on that detail, I went against KC over the Fire for the Open Cup draw, which counted as my umpteenth wrong pick of this 2006.
CHICAGO WINS.
Blogger Maradawga caught word that MLS received an offer for Kansas City's Eddie Johnson from England's West Bromwich Albion. As he says, the league should go for it before Eddie's stock tanks further - unless the offer was totally insulting; I'm thinking only something less than $1 million fits that description.
He picked that out of a New York Times article that clocks progress, or lack thereof, on several trades (scroll down). For what it's worth, I'm pretty mystified by a few of them. For instance, why pass on $750,000 for Jimmy Conrad? Unless Conrad doesn't want to leave, take the money and let the guy go; that goes double if he does want to go. How much more can one expect for a defender pushing 30?
I mentioned potential Clint Dempsey trade(s) below (LINK and LINK), who has a couple English clubs on his tail; Jack Bell, who wrote the Times article, names West Ham United. The only offer so far cited (confirmed? don't know) was $2 million and that's a tough call. While the league does need to get all it can when it loses high-profile players, the line between alluring and coy isn't a thick one. The "X-Factor" in the Dempsey situation is pretty straight forward: in all probability players in Dempsey's league view MLS as a springboard to Europe. If a perception grows that the league is something of a trap, the question could whether they'll simply by-pass MLS. The balance isn't simple, but frustrating a player's ambition poses very real risks of its own. For what it's worth, $2 million sounds good enough for a player who wants to leave.
The rest of the trading news seems brighter. Austrian Markus Schopp sounds New York-bound; that one waits on terms. And a couple promising youngsters seem homeward bound as well: Bell names Stefani Miglioranzi while another outlet mentions Daniel Karbassiyoon's return. I won't pretend to great knowledge of either player, but with both of them seeminly good enough to attract interest in Europe, it's hard to believe their presence and play will hurt the league.
He picked that out of a New York Times article that clocks progress, or lack thereof, on several trades (scroll down). For what it's worth, I'm pretty mystified by a few of them. For instance, why pass on $750,000 for Jimmy Conrad? Unless Conrad doesn't want to leave, take the money and let the guy go; that goes double if he does want to go. How much more can one expect for a defender pushing 30?
I mentioned potential Clint Dempsey trade(s) below (LINK and LINK), who has a couple English clubs on his tail; Jack Bell, who wrote the Times article, names West Ham United. The only offer so far cited (confirmed? don't know) was $2 million and that's a tough call. While the league does need to get all it can when it loses high-profile players, the line between alluring and coy isn't a thick one. The "X-Factor" in the Dempsey situation is pretty straight forward: in all probability players in Dempsey's league view MLS as a springboard to Europe. If a perception grows that the league is something of a trap, the question could whether they'll simply by-pass MLS. The balance isn't simple, but frustrating a player's ambition poses very real risks of its own. For what it's worth, $2 million sounds good enough for a player who wants to leave.
The rest of the trading news seems brighter. Austrian Markus Schopp sounds New York-bound; that one waits on terms. And a couple promising youngsters seem homeward bound as well: Bell names Stefani Miglioranzi while another outlet mentions Daniel Karbassiyoon's return. I won't pretend to great knowledge of either player, but with both of them seeminly good enough to attract interest in Europe, it's hard to believe their presence and play will hurt the league.
There's a cool breeze blowing out of New England, where Revolution star Taylor Twellman spoke for himself and, apparently, want-away Clint Dempsey, about some frustration with MLS's salary policy and general rules. Comparative pay serves as the bone of contention and the passage on this one is interesting:
Twellman has got a point. He's certainly not pulling down MVP pay; hell, Tony "Wrong Side of the Hill" Sanneh's salary doubles Twellman's take and then some. As for Dempsey, Twellman gives the impression the league is stalling on his move to England in hopes of a bigger pay-out. That may make sense on the business side, but one has to feel for Dempsey.
In Dempsey case, at least, the league's salary position makes sense; if he's going to move on, there's no point in renegotiating his contract. The league would be wise, however, to fix up Twellman's, who is as close to a marquee player as MLS gets.
Elsewhere, Will John is wondering why the Kansas City Wizards snatched him from the Chicago Fire to leave him languishing with the reserves. In fairness to him, he's got a point.
(Ugh. Those KC ass-bags. You can only hit this link once before the Kansas City Star wants your family and financial history in exchange for the privilege. So, go through Soccer Daily (LINK) if you want to read this one.)
"Twellman has scored 73 goals in the last four seasons, more than any other MLS player, and he was named the league's Most Valuable Player last season...He signed a four-year contract at the league minimum annual salary of $24,000, then received a raise to about $120,000 annually. He reached incentives as the Revolution advanced to the conference championship four successive seasons and played in two MLS Cups."
"'Percentage-wise, that's fine,' Twellman said of the difference between his first and second MLS contracts. 'But when you see the players' union numbers and I am not among the highest-paid, it's frustrating. For me, the most frustrating part is the way everything has been handled. Other players in the league are being paid very good salaries and contracts have been redone in the middle of the season.'"
Twellman has got a point. He's certainly not pulling down MVP pay; hell, Tony "Wrong Side of the Hill" Sanneh's salary doubles Twellman's take and then some. As for Dempsey, Twellman gives the impression the league is stalling on his move to England in hopes of a bigger pay-out. That may make sense on the business side, but one has to feel for Dempsey.
In Dempsey case, at least, the league's salary position makes sense; if he's going to move on, there's no point in renegotiating his contract. The league would be wise, however, to fix up Twellman's, who is as close to a marquee player as MLS gets.
Elsewhere, Will John is wondering why the Kansas City Wizards snatched him from the Chicago Fire to leave him languishing with the reserves. In fairness to him, he's got a point.
(Ugh. Those KC ass-bags. You can only hit this link once before the Kansas City Star wants your family and financial history in exchange for the privilege. So, go through Soccer Daily (LINK) if you want to read this one.)
With Red Bull New York head coach/technical director Bruce Arena overseeing his first meaningful game tonight (more later), the commentariat turned out some perspective pieces. Check out the line up:
Andrea Canales (LINK)
Grant Wahl (LINK)
Steve Goff (LINK)
Each takes a subtly different approach: Canales finds out what the league's other leading lights think; Wahl's is a weird-to-useless piece of water-carrying; Goff, for his part, seems perplexed that Arena got back into coaching. All have their place -even Wahl's - and here's one more take: If The Bruce manages to take Red Bull to the semifinals of the playoffs, the man's legend grows. Otherwise, there's always next year.
One last point: Arena's schtick has started to wear to the point that, yeah, I'd kind of like to see him fail. Not completely, mind you, but the man's ego could definitely use some deflation; check out Wahl's piece by way of reference. If any coaching post can trip up a career, it's got to be Red Bull.
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Andrea Canales (LINK)
Grant Wahl (LINK)
Steve Goff (LINK)
Each takes a subtly different approach: Canales finds out what the league's other leading lights think; Wahl's is a weird-to-useless piece of water-carrying; Goff, for his part, seems perplexed that Arena got back into coaching. All have their place -even Wahl's - and here's one more take: If The Bruce manages to take Red Bull to the semifinals of the playoffs, the man's legend grows. Otherwise, there's always next year.
One last point: Arena's schtick has started to wear to the point that, yeah, I'd kind of like to see him fail. Not completely, mind you, but the man's ego could definitely use some deflation; check out Wahl's piece by way of reference. If any coaching post can trip up a career, it's got to be Red Bull.
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For some dang reason, today’s a slow one for news - or at least super-swell and insightful commentary. Yes, it seems that everyone has trades on the brain. With a fair number of trades floating around, and with other sites providing better analysis on individual trades, it seems wise to just lump’ all the moves and potential moves into one post - and, for shits and giggles - to rank them in order of significance.
By way of criteria for ranking, the staff (of one) got together and opted to start the rankings with trades already confirmed; from there, the list will rank the rumors and long-shots with one eye on the odds a trade will 1) happen, or 2) matter (when the last name appears, you’ll get this distinction).
- DC United signs another Argentine, this one by the name of Matias Donnet. He’s got an impressive-for-MLS resume, including stops at Argentine Big Boys Boca Juniors and a goal scored against AC Milan in the World Club Championshp (see here). The blog DCenters provided a solid, DC-United-centric analysis of the move.
- Marvin Tarley returns to MLS, this time to the Colorado Rapids. Um, no one seems particularly nervous about this one, or, really, to care much about it. Prove ‘em wrong, Marvin. Prove ‘em wrong.
- The Deseret News is telling people that DaMarcus Beasley wants to return to the States; his desire to play for Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger poses a two-fold challenge to the trade - especially given the August 31 deadline. The first question is whether Ellinger will have the job (signs, and RSL’s current run, point to yes, but...). Second, there’s RSL’s fourth-place ranking in the allocation lottery; three teams would have to pass on Beasley to make this work.
RSL blog, Are You Loyal, figures this won’t happen till next year - and he makes sense.
- The Clint Dempsey/Taylor Twellman/Pat Noonan situation, of which the Dempsey situation seems hottest. Bigsoccer.com has a thread devoted to a rumored trade to England’s Charlton Athletic (which, I suppose, would make this a “rumoured” trade). Maybe they’ve figured out what’s going on since I last checked, but most people on the thread seem to agree that the reported $2 million offer was too low. My Soccer Blog provided a good analysis of this one - especially with regard to the issues of contracts and timing.
- Paul Dalglish, who is the son of a legend (Kenny Dalglish), may be Houston-Dynano-bound. Dalglish currently plays in Scotland and that’s where this one got started.
- Metrofanatic passes on the juiciest rumor of the day (and admits it’s a rumor), which would send Italian striker, Christian Vieri, who is nearing the crest of the hill at the very least, to Red Bull New York. OK. I’m not seeing this one. Still, it’s a fun story. In spite of an illustrious playing career, I can’t say a Vieri trade would excite me; he’s old and, like some old people, he seems cranky.
By way of criteria for ranking, the staff (of one) got together and opted to start the rankings with trades already confirmed; from there, the list will rank the rumors and long-shots with one eye on the odds a trade will 1) happen, or 2) matter (when the last name appears, you’ll get this distinction).
- DC United signs another Argentine, this one by the name of Matias Donnet. He’s got an impressive-for-MLS resume, including stops at Argentine Big Boys Boca Juniors and a goal scored against AC Milan in the World Club Championshp (see here). The blog DCenters provided a solid, DC-United-centric analysis of the move.
- Marvin Tarley returns to MLS, this time to the Colorado Rapids. Um, no one seems particularly nervous about this one, or, really, to care much about it. Prove ‘em wrong, Marvin. Prove ‘em wrong.
- The Deseret News is telling people that DaMarcus Beasley wants to return to the States; his desire to play for Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger poses a two-fold challenge to the trade - especially given the August 31 deadline. The first question is whether Ellinger will have the job (signs, and RSL’s current run, point to yes, but...). Second, there’s RSL’s fourth-place ranking in the allocation lottery; three teams would have to pass on Beasley to make this work.
RSL blog, Are You Loyal, figures this won’t happen till next year - and he makes sense.
- The Clint Dempsey/Taylor Twellman/Pat Noonan situation, of which the Dempsey situation seems hottest. Bigsoccer.com has a thread devoted to a rumored trade to England’s Charlton Athletic (which, I suppose, would make this a “rumoured” trade). Maybe they’ve figured out what’s going on since I last checked, but most people on the thread seem to agree that the reported $2 million offer was too low. My Soccer Blog provided a good analysis of this one - especially with regard to the issues of contracts and timing.
- Paul Dalglish, who is the son of a legend (Kenny Dalglish), may be Houston-Dynano-bound. Dalglish currently plays in Scotland and that’s where this one got started.
- Metrofanatic passes on the juiciest rumor of the day (and admits it’s a rumor), which would send Italian striker, Christian Vieri, who is nearing the crest of the hill at the very least, to Red Bull New York. OK. I’m not seeing this one. Still, it’s a fun story. In spite of an illustrious playing career, I can’t say a Vieri trade would excite me; he’s old and, like some old people, he seems cranky.
With the Chicago Fire’s B-Team beating the Kansas City Wizards' last night, the quarterfinal draw for the U.S. Open Cup is now set. Here are the quarterfinal match-ups (home teams first):
LA Galaxy v. Colorado Rapids
Houston Dynamo* v. FC Dallas
Chicago Fire v. New England Revolution
DC United v. Red Bull New York
* Due to renovations at their home stadium, the Dynamo/Dallas Open Cup tie will be played in some little shitbox. (I’m kidding. It sounds intimate.)
And now for the touch of heresy: as much as I love this tournament, with its giant-killing dramatics (see Roma FC), it just reeks of consolation prize. And that’s only in the years when no team pulls off the double - i.e. when they win MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. Every team may say the right things about “taking the tournament seriously” (check the article about the Houston venue for just the latest example), but come game time, they’re looking under their bench - never mind the far end of the thing - for their starting 11.
As with a lot of things, put the blame on MLS’ playoff structure. With nearly every team making the post-season - where there’s always hope; just ask the 2005 Chicago Fire - this short-circuits another tradition of England’s FA Cup, the tournament on which the U.S. Open Cup is modeled: that of teams “putting all their hopes” into a Cup run. Put another way, when a team knows they're not going to win the league, they start to get really excited about the Cup games in hopes of walking away with something for the season.
While this year hasn’t necessarily been as bad in this regard as past editions - for instance, New England’s fielded their starters against the USL Division 1 Rochester Raging Rhinos - even two clubs with a snowballs chance in hell of winning MLS Cup (see Kansas City and Chicago) chucked only a pair of starters in with the parade of anonymity that were their game-day rosters (Ryan McMahen? Stephen Shirley? Jared Montz? Floyd Franks? (truth be told, this last player received some praise). While it’s true that the Wizards, especially, have a tight schedule (three games in six days, the last two on the road), the thing to look for is which of those games featured more of their bench.
Limit playoff participation to the top six teams - or, better still, the top four - and I’m betting that would change. I'll still tune in and will squeal like a five-year-old girl if my New England Revolution bring home a trophy - it would be their first, after all - but it's a methadone trophy, not unlike the Supporters' Shield, and everyone seems to know it.
LA Galaxy v. Colorado Rapids
Houston Dynamo* v. FC Dallas
Chicago Fire v. New England Revolution
DC United v. Red Bull New York
* Due to renovations at their home stadium, the Dynamo/Dallas Open Cup tie will be played in some little shitbox. (I’m kidding. It sounds intimate.)
And now for the touch of heresy: as much as I love this tournament, with its giant-killing dramatics (see Roma FC), it just reeks of consolation prize. And that’s only in the years when no team pulls off the double - i.e. when they win MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. Every team may say the right things about “taking the tournament seriously” (check the article about the Houston venue for just the latest example), but come game time, they’re looking under their bench - never mind the far end of the thing - for their starting 11.
As with a lot of things, put the blame on MLS’ playoff structure. With nearly every team making the post-season - where there’s always hope; just ask the 2005 Chicago Fire - this short-circuits another tradition of England’s FA Cup, the tournament on which the U.S. Open Cup is modeled: that of teams “putting all their hopes” into a Cup run. Put another way, when a team knows they're not going to win the league, they start to get really excited about the Cup games in hopes of walking away with something for the season.
While this year hasn’t necessarily been as bad in this regard as past editions - for instance, New England’s fielded their starters against the USL Division 1 Rochester Raging Rhinos - even two clubs with a snowballs chance in hell of winning MLS Cup (see Kansas City and Chicago) chucked only a pair of starters in with the parade of anonymity that were their game-day rosters (Ryan McMahen? Stephen Shirley? Jared Montz? Floyd Franks? (truth be told, this last player received some praise). While it’s true that the Wizards, especially, have a tight schedule (three games in six days, the last two on the road), the thing to look for is which of those games featured more of their bench.
Limit playoff participation to the top six teams - or, better still, the top four - and I’m betting that would change. I'll still tune in and will squeal like a five-year-old girl if my New England Revolution bring home a trophy - it would be their first, after all - but it's a methadone trophy, not unlike the Supporters' Shield, and everyone seems to know it.
You'll all have to bear with me as I find my feet. I was a little late and a little more rushed than I like to be. The one vote received in determining whether this space would do several smaller posts versus one "master post" came in favor of the former (helps that I like this too). In any case, I'm working on it - posting and thinking and so on - so, please, bear with me.
- The best item of the day by far came out of the LA Times Grahame Jones. His article, which urges MLS to find ways to sign quality players in spite the economic constraints, contains the most precise explanation as to why the "Beckham Rule" won't fly:
The "Beckham Rule," for those not familiar with it, boils down to allowing MLS teams a one-player exemption from the salary cap. And what Grahame has here arguably shatters that: team dynamics define any given player's responsibilities - that is defines and, at times, limits. Sad, but true.
In other news...
- The final game of the U.S. Open Cup's fourth round plays tonight when the Kansas City Wizards return to the Chicago Fire's Toyota Park to play "the tie that never was." Seriously, the first game was postponed for (I think) lightning. This game will finally get us entirely set for the quarterfinals. Who will win? Even if they only beat up on Columbus, KC is probably feeling a bit more frisky than the Chicago team that lost to Chivas USA at the end of Saturday's game. Then again, KC has cause to feel a bit pooped. For what it's worth, the good vibes of finally winning will put KC over top: KC wins away.
- Quick USL Division 1 update: Apart from the Virginia Beach Mariners slide down the table, the standings haven't changed all that much. Put another way, the Portland Timbers' chances didn't significantly improve over the weekend. They're still five points out of playoff contention and behind two teams (Puerto Rico Islanders and Atlanta Silverbacks) with three games in hand to boot. The fact that Puerto Rico comes a calling this weekend - which makes for a nice zero-sum match-up - constitutes the best silver lining I can find.
- For your reading pleasure, the blog On the Pitch pulled together a very, very nice (and dauntingly long) post on youth development and the way the current set-up continues to encourage kids to go to college. (Whoa. That's disastrous phrasing..."encourage kids to go to college" like that's a bad thing.) If you've got the time, it's well worth the read.
Whew. All for today.
- The best item of the day by far came out of the LA Times Grahame Jones. His article, which urges MLS to find ways to sign quality players in spite the economic constraints, contains the most precise explanation as to why the "Beckham Rule" won't fly:
"Ronaldinho is at the top of his game, enjoying the spotlight like no player before him. His skills are unparalleled. His popularity is enormous. But put him on any MLS team and the trademark smile would vanish. It's an 11-player team. Ronaldinho shines because he has the likes of Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o, Deco, Eider Gudjohnsen, Javier Saviola, Rafael Marquez, Edmilson, Mark Van Bommel and all the rest of Barcelona's starry stable around him."
The "Beckham Rule," for those not familiar with it, boils down to allowing MLS teams a one-player exemption from the salary cap. And what Grahame has here arguably shatters that: team dynamics define any given player's responsibilities - that is defines and, at times, limits. Sad, but true.
In other news...
- The final game of the U.S. Open Cup's fourth round plays tonight when the Kansas City Wizards return to the Chicago Fire's Toyota Park to play "the tie that never was." Seriously, the first game was postponed for (I think) lightning. This game will finally get us entirely set for the quarterfinals. Who will win? Even if they only beat up on Columbus, KC is probably feeling a bit more frisky than the Chicago team that lost to Chivas USA at the end of Saturday's game. Then again, KC has cause to feel a bit pooped. For what it's worth, the good vibes of finally winning will put KC over top: KC wins away.
- Quick USL Division 1 update: Apart from the Virginia Beach Mariners slide down the table, the standings haven't changed all that much. Put another way, the Portland Timbers' chances didn't significantly improve over the weekend. They're still five points out of playoff contention and behind two teams (Puerto Rico Islanders and Atlanta Silverbacks) with three games in hand to boot. The fact that Puerto Rico comes a calling this weekend - which makes for a nice zero-sum match-up - constitutes the best silver lining I can find.
- For your reading pleasure, the blog On the Pitch pulled together a very, very nice (and dauntingly long) post on youth development and the way the current set-up continues to encourage kids to go to college. (Whoa. That's disastrous phrasing..."encourage kids to go to college" like that's a bad thing.) If you've got the time, it's well worth the read.
Whew. All for today.
Week 20 (2nd half) Results*
Chicago Fire 1 - 2 Chivas USA
Houston Dynamo 1 - 0 FC Dallas
Kansas City Wizards 4 - 0 Columbus Crew
Colorado Rapids 1 - 0 LA Galaxy
* Commentary on the exhibition games against international opposition appears here.
How bad can the Columbus Crew get? For this space, that’s the biggest question to come out of this weekend’s four MLS games. While the other games provided talking points of their own, with this weekend's 4-0 loss to the Kansas City Wizards, Columbus has staked an official and indisputable claim on “League’s Worst” title.
A local paper gave a favorable impression of the first half, but even a Crew player (Ezra Hendrickson) implied that they came apart before the game ended. The problems begin with a complete inability to score, but the team’s defense also has the second worst record in the league: the combination of the two produces a goal differential twice as bad as the nearest competition (hey...the LA Galaxy).
At this point, one has to acknowledge that the Sigi Schmid Experiment, named for the coach (well, by this space) isn’t working. Setting aside the appalling fact that a team this bad sits only four points out of playoff spot - which means they’re only a modest run away from contention, not to mention a weird kind of redemption - the Crew’s season now threatens to sink below “transition” status.
Curiously - or not so curiously, seeing as they just played one another - talk of Columbus’ record brings one to an interesting detail about Kansas City’s: four of their seven wins came against, yes, the Columbus Crew. There’s an old joke about bad opposition - “wish we could play those guys every week” - but it’s a joke that could very well backfire against Kansas City; since they don’t play the Crew for the rest of the season, they’ve lost their padding.
With the other results, the Houston Dynamo’s win over FC Dallas stands as the most striking. The first half (all I saw) was entertaining enough, even if the game was pretty hard-nosed. That a defender (Craig Waibel) scored the winner can’t constitute good news for a team that has been goal-shy of late; word that Brian Ching, who carried this team offensively through 2006, will miss a few weeks constitutes worse news. I read that Dallas’ near-equalizer came off the post, but a win is a win and race in the West improved for it...though how much remains an open - and, given how far we are from the playoffs - something of a tedious question. (NOTE: Whomever determines the rules of competition: FIGURE THIS SHIT OUT. I’m getting bored, which is kinda like losing a Walter Cronkite who worked for the Johnson administration.)
As for the other two, if the Chicago Fire didn’t suck so bad at home, Chivas USA’s win would seem to have confirmed that they have arrived; truthfully, their current fifth-place, league-wide ranking arguably does support that point. Like the Sigi Schmid experiment, Chivas USA coach Bob Bradley’s efforts seem worth following - though, obviously, for different reasons. The Colorado Rapid’s win only means something by adding to the Los Angeles Galaxy's woes; for their part, Colorado’s near-total inconsistency reduces this win to another warp in the cosmically inscrutable pattern that shapes their season.
That’s Week 20 over and done (how many left? Hmm...9 weeks). No need to worry: Week 21 starts (crap!) Wednesday...
Chicago Fire 1 - 2 Chivas USA
Houston Dynamo 1 - 0 FC Dallas
Kansas City Wizards 4 - 0 Columbus Crew
Colorado Rapids 1 - 0 LA Galaxy
* Commentary on the exhibition games against international opposition appears here.
How bad can the Columbus Crew get? For this space, that’s the biggest question to come out of this weekend’s four MLS games. While the other games provided talking points of their own, with this weekend's 4-0 loss to the Kansas City Wizards, Columbus has staked an official and indisputable claim on “League’s Worst” title.
A local paper gave a favorable impression of the first half, but even a Crew player (Ezra Hendrickson) implied that they came apart before the game ended. The problems begin with a complete inability to score, but the team’s defense also has the second worst record in the league: the combination of the two produces a goal differential twice as bad as the nearest competition (hey...the LA Galaxy).
At this point, one has to acknowledge that the Sigi Schmid Experiment, named for the coach (well, by this space) isn’t working. Setting aside the appalling fact that a team this bad sits only four points out of playoff spot - which means they’re only a modest run away from contention, not to mention a weird kind of redemption - the Crew’s season now threatens to sink below “transition” status.
Curiously - or not so curiously, seeing as they just played one another - talk of Columbus’ record brings one to an interesting detail about Kansas City’s: four of their seven wins came against, yes, the Columbus Crew. There’s an old joke about bad opposition - “wish we could play those guys every week” - but it’s a joke that could very well backfire against Kansas City; since they don’t play the Crew for the rest of the season, they’ve lost their padding.
With the other results, the Houston Dynamo’s win over FC Dallas stands as the most striking. The first half (all I saw) was entertaining enough, even if the game was pretty hard-nosed. That a defender (Craig Waibel) scored the winner can’t constitute good news for a team that has been goal-shy of late; word that Brian Ching, who carried this team offensively through 2006, will miss a few weeks constitutes worse news. I read that Dallas’ near-equalizer came off the post, but a win is a win and race in the West improved for it...though how much remains an open - and, given how far we are from the playoffs - something of a tedious question. (NOTE: Whomever determines the rules of competition: FIGURE THIS SHIT OUT. I’m getting bored, which is kinda like losing a Walter Cronkite who worked for the Johnson administration.)
As for the other two, if the Chicago Fire didn’t suck so bad at home, Chivas USA’s win would seem to have confirmed that they have arrived; truthfully, their current fifth-place, league-wide ranking arguably does support that point. Like the Sigi Schmid experiment, Chivas USA coach Bob Bradley’s efforts seem worth following - though, obviously, for different reasons. The Colorado Rapid’s win only means something by adding to the Los Angeles Galaxy's woes; for their part, Colorado’s near-total inconsistency reduces this win to another warp in the cosmically inscrutable pattern that shapes their season.
That’s Week 20 over and done (how many left? Hmm...9 weeks). No need to worry: Week 21 starts (crap!) Wednesday...
Not to celebrate a talent for saying a sunny day will remain so - and making the call around noon...in the desert...in June - but I see my predictions for last weekend’s exhibition games held together. This past Saturday, Red Bull New York (Red Bull) and Real Salt Lake (RSL) lost to FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively.
Without having watched RSL’s tilt against their namesake, I’ll only say 2-0 wasn’t a bad scoreline, given everything (e.g. players). And some reports tell me that RSL played a decent game as well. That’s to their credit and I hope it broadened the horizons - not to mention the opportunities - of some of RSL’s younger players.
Mehdi Ballouchy, I’m looking at you. Carey Talley...eh, not so much...
The full 90 of Red Bull versus Barcelona, which I did see, was just a fun thing to see; that goes double for the first 45 when Red Bull didn’t look all that bad out there. As Bruce Arena said somewhere, Edson Buddle played a real good game"; hopefully, the (not-so) youngster’s stock will continue to rise and his health will hold out to assist with this. Between a hard shot from way out on the the right, some good spells of possession (including one where he simply held the ball too long), and the shot that set-up the tap-in for Red Bull’s lone goal, Buddle was everywhere and, by and large, doing good things.
Red Bull’s other stars - Amado Guevara, Youri Djorkaeff, etc. - didn’t show as well. Dema Kovalenko, the club’s new boy/thug, did well to steal the ball around the halfway line that set up Red Bull’s first goal, but, before that, one struggled to confirm that Kovalenko was even on the field (and at forward?). In spite of ceding the first penalty, Marvell Wynne showed a bit of why he was the first rookie selected in this year's draft.
The game ended 4-1 in Barcelona’s favor, of course, and it could have been worse. One quote captured a thought that came to me when I saw Barcelona’s Eidur Gudjohnsen clearly pull up when running onto a ball for an easy score:
That’s all to say, of course none of the Major League Soccer’s teams possess the quality of Barcelona - or Real Madrid for that matter - and not a few, though by no means all of them, would likely face relegation competing in those leagues. But, by avoiding a disaster - e.g. by not serving as the Washington Generals to either Spanish team’s Harlem Globetrotters - even MLS’s “B-sides” did the league proud in the end. Speaking specifically to Red Bull’s situation, the decision to come out and play, to open the game up and play it like as exhibition and for the fans, was the right one - and for 45 minutes, they looked like they belonged on field with the current European Champions.
That’s all a long way of saying that, with exhibitions, the result doesn’t matter near as much as, well, the exhibition - i.e. what people see on the field.
Without having watched RSL’s tilt against their namesake, I’ll only say 2-0 wasn’t a bad scoreline, given everything (e.g. players). And some reports tell me that RSL played a decent game as well. That’s to their credit and I hope it broadened the horizons - not to mention the opportunities - of some of RSL’s younger players.
Mehdi Ballouchy, I’m looking at you. Carey Talley...eh, not so much...
The full 90 of Red Bull versus Barcelona, which I did see, was just a fun thing to see; that goes double for the first 45 when Red Bull didn’t look all that bad out there. As Bruce Arena said somewhere, Edson Buddle played a real good game"; hopefully, the (not-so) youngster’s stock will continue to rise and his health will hold out to assist with this. Between a hard shot from way out on the the right, some good spells of possession (including one where he simply held the ball too long), and the shot that set-up the tap-in for Red Bull’s lone goal, Buddle was everywhere and, by and large, doing good things.
Red Bull’s other stars - Amado Guevara, Youri Djorkaeff, etc. - didn’t show as well. Dema Kovalenko, the club’s new boy/thug, did well to steal the ball around the halfway line that set up Red Bull’s first goal, but, before that, one struggled to confirm that Kovalenko was even on the field (and at forward?). In spite of ceding the first penalty, Marvell Wynne showed a bit of why he was the first rookie selected in this year's draft.
The game ended 4-1 in Barcelona’s favor, of course, and it could have been worse. One quote captured a thought that came to me when I saw Barcelona’s Eidur Gudjohnsen clearly pull up when running onto a ball for an easy score:
“[Red Bull head coach/technical director Bruce] Arena wasn't kidding himself. He understood Barcelona could name the final score, depending on its commitment. The Barca players were playing their final preseason match, pacing themselves for the start of the Spanish season.”
That’s all to say, of course none of the Major League Soccer’s teams possess the quality of Barcelona - or Real Madrid for that matter - and not a few, though by no means all of them, would likely face relegation competing in those leagues. But, by avoiding a disaster - e.g. by not serving as the Washington Generals to either Spanish team’s Harlem Globetrotters - even MLS’s “B-sides” did the league proud in the end. Speaking specifically to Red Bull’s situation, the decision to come out and play, to open the game up and play it like as exhibition and for the fans, was the right one - and for 45 minutes, they looked like they belonged on field with the current European Champions.
That’s all a long way of saying that, with exhibitions, the result doesn’t matter near as much as, well, the exhibition - i.e. what people see on the field.
Obviously, I blabbed so much about other crap today that I almost skipped this.
To begin, you can skip all this crap and just read USSoccerplayers.com's Kyle McCarthy's previews; if nothing else, these give you a handy "form" reading - i.e. each teams results over the past five games. They haven't made me a better prognosticator, but I view this as a personal problem.
As for the rest, I embedded MLS's official previews into the "headline" for each game. What follows thereafter are half-jibberish notes I took, intending to flesh them out into full, gloriously-wrought sentences.
Here goes:
Houston Dynamo v. FC Dallas
The match of the week, and not just because it's on television.
Invovles trophy called "El Capitan," which is, apparently, a great big cannon.
Only minor injury issues for both teams.
Houston gets DeRosario back.
Houston leads series 1-0-1 (didn't know that).
Streaks: FC Dallas, 4 game win-streak; Houston 4 game winless streak.
Tough, tough call: Let's say (dart hitting board), FC Dallas wins; the snake bites Houston harder.
Chicago Fire v. Chivas USA
Chicago - No big injuries, but several impacting overall depth.
Chivas injuries: R. Ramirez, out; O'Brien, doubtful, Palencia, Questionable (yee-ouch!).
Chicago winless past three all at home.
Chivas can't win (four ties); 8 draws in last 10 (1 W, 1 L).
Chivas 1-0 in two-game series.
Draw - might even see goals.
Colorado Rapids v. LA Galaxy
Colorado: BIG injuries: Terry Cooke (assist leader), C. Wingert; P. Mastroeni Probable.
Colorado Suspensions: Mike Petke, Eric Denton (ouch!).
LA injuries: All questionable: Tyrone Marshall, Ugo Imemelu, Landon Dononvan.
2006 Series: 1 game each; 1-0 wins.
LA 7-game unbeaten.
LA wins. Colorado has too many missing.
And, apparently, no one cared enough to do a preview for Columbus Crew v. Kansas City Wizards. It's likely they didn't need to: Expect a goalless draw.
To begin, you can skip all this crap and just read USSoccerplayers.com's Kyle McCarthy's previews; if nothing else, these give you a handy "form" reading - i.e. each teams results over the past five games. They haven't made me a better prognosticator, but I view this as a personal problem.
As for the rest, I embedded MLS's official previews into the "headline" for each game. What follows thereafter are half-jibberish notes I took, intending to flesh them out into full, gloriously-wrought sentences.
Here goes:
Houston Dynamo v. FC Dallas
The match of the week, and not just because it's on television.
Invovles trophy called "El Capitan," which is, apparently, a great big cannon.
Only minor injury issues for both teams.
Houston gets DeRosario back.
Houston leads series 1-0-1 (didn't know that).
Streaks: FC Dallas, 4 game win-streak; Houston 4 game winless streak.
Tough, tough call: Let's say (dart hitting board), FC Dallas wins; the snake bites Houston harder.
Chicago Fire v. Chivas USA
Chicago - No big injuries, but several impacting overall depth.
Chivas injuries: R. Ramirez, out; O'Brien, doubtful, Palencia, Questionable (yee-ouch!).
Chicago winless past three all at home.
Chivas can't win (four ties); 8 draws in last 10 (1 W, 1 L).
Chivas 1-0 in two-game series.
Draw - might even see goals.
Colorado Rapids v. LA Galaxy
Colorado: BIG injuries: Terry Cooke (assist leader), C. Wingert; P. Mastroeni Probable.
Colorado Suspensions: Mike Petke, Eric Denton (ouch!).
LA injuries: All questionable: Tyrone Marshall, Ugo Imemelu, Landon Dononvan.
2006 Series: 1 game each; 1-0 wins.
LA 7-game unbeaten.
LA wins. Colorado has too many missing.
And, apparently, no one cared enough to do a preview for Columbus Crew v. Kansas City Wizards. It's likely they didn't need to: Expect a goalless draw.
I intend no offense to either Red Bull New York or Real Salt Lake, but...well, it’s hard not to notice a - how do you say? - downward trend in the quality of MLS sides setting out to face two of Europe’s giants. Not to characterize this too harshly, but, given the combined records of these two teams - 11 wins, 16 losses, 14 draws (check my math here if you must) - a return to praying for anything this side of a blowout doesn’t seem out of order.
Whatever happens on the field, at least we’ll be able to see it. Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) will carry both the game between Red Bull New York and FC Barcelona (4:30 p.m. PST) and the later game between Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid (6:30 p.m. PST).
(NOTE: This weekend ought to be soccer bliss for MLS fans. If you’re wife/significant other is either out of town, working, completely pissed off at you, or just a slack-jawed junkie, between FSC and ESPN2 there’s six-and-a-half hours of straight soccer on the TV this Saturday. So, build a couch-fort, haul in a case of beer, and enjoy!)
There’s a surprising paucity of coverage of both. Early morning Google searches yielded only MLS’s in-house previews - not that there’s anything wrong with them. For their part, RSL’s stadium issues gobbled up a hell of a lot of their copy, but with that appearing headed for a happy ending, people might not mind so much. Even so, MLS’s preview gives some idea of just how giddy RSL’s players are at the prospect facing their illustrious namesakes.
Jeff Cunningham, for his part, may be a little too giddy. Here’s what he had to say:
Ah, Jeff, you said such smart things, such sane things - right up until you got to “we are a very good team”...
Not to be too critical, but the Red Bull/Barcelona preview doesn’t even offer risible commentary. It’s all about (again) excitement and who gets Ronaldinho’s jersey. And there’s some rather extended copy on the NBA’s Steve Nash showing up to practice with the squad (OK, I actually thought it was pretty cool; he seems a very humble man).
(Whoops. Turns out the late edition of MLS’s Newstand has many, many more previews, though I should mention that this link will self-destruct by Monday at the latest. Still, props to the MSM for pimping the game, even if it’s late for my purposes).
Obviously, I’m not high on RSL’s or Red Bull’s chances. As correct as Cunningham may be about “cohesion and fitness” these are damn good players and, frankly, there’s little risk of Red Bull or RSL being confused with the cream of the league. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be watching the games and freaking out if and (hopefully) when they do good things.
Whatever happens on the field, at least we’ll be able to see it. Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) will carry both the game between Red Bull New York and FC Barcelona (4:30 p.m. PST) and the later game between Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid (6:30 p.m. PST).
(NOTE: This weekend ought to be soccer bliss for MLS fans. If you’re wife/significant other is either out of town, working, completely pissed off at you, or just a slack-jawed junkie, between FSC and ESPN2 there’s six-and-a-half hours of straight soccer on the TV this Saturday. So, build a couch-fort, haul in a case of beer, and enjoy!)
There’s a surprising paucity of coverage of both. Early morning Google searches yielded only MLS’s in-house previews - not that there’s anything wrong with them. For their part, RSL’s stadium issues gobbled up a hell of a lot of their copy, but with that appearing headed for a happy ending, people might not mind so much. Even so, MLS’s preview gives some idea of just how giddy RSL’s players are at the prospect facing their illustrious namesakes.
Jeff Cunningham, for his part, may be a little too giddy. Here’s what he had to say:
"They are a good team, obviously, but I'm sure there are some issues, fitness as well as cohesion. We've been playing together for six or seven months now. At this point, we are a very good team, so it should be a very good game tomorrow."
Ah, Jeff, you said such smart things, such sane things - right up until you got to “we are a very good team”...
Not to be too critical, but the Red Bull/Barcelona preview doesn’t even offer risible commentary. It’s all about (again) excitement and who gets Ronaldinho’s jersey. And there’s some rather extended copy on the NBA’s Steve Nash showing up to practice with the squad (OK, I actually thought it was pretty cool; he seems a very humble man).
(Whoops. Turns out the late edition of MLS’s Newstand has many, many more previews, though I should mention that this link will self-destruct by Monday at the latest. Still, props to the MSM for pimping the game, even if it’s late for my purposes).
Obviously, I’m not high on RSL’s or Red Bull’s chances. As correct as Cunningham may be about “cohesion and fitness” these are damn good players and, frankly, there’s little risk of Red Bull or RSL being confused with the cream of the league. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be watching the games and freaking out if and (hopefully) when they do good things.
Are You Loyal, an actual, living breathing Real Salt Lake fan site, just posted this:
If true, and that's an "if" we'd be wise to take seriously, this is great news for RSL fans. Maybe Dave Checketts will actually get to have David Beckham stick the shovel in the dirt after all...(see the penultimate-penultimate paragraph in this one).
UPDATE: We're now bordering on official confirmation. A margin of error remains...
Based on the report, the team got damn near everything it wanted; it even appears the city of Sandy threw $5 million more into the kitty - though I have to confess that I don't understand all the angles well enough to state that definitively.
Anyway, we're getting closer. If they reach an agreement, we all ought to see something about it during tomorrow's game between Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid (viewing times here),
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"If Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson is to be believed, there will be a groundbreaking for the stadium tomorrow. At least that is what he said on the Doug Wright show on local radio station KSL."
If true, and that's an "if" we'd be wise to take seriously, this is great news for RSL fans. Maybe Dave Checketts will actually get to have David Beckham stick the shovel in the dirt after all...(see the penultimate-penultimate paragraph in this one).
UPDATE: We're now bordering on official confirmation. A margin of error remains...
"Salt Lake County officials are putting the finishing touches on a deal that would put a Major League Soccer stadium in Sandy and keep Real Salt Lake in Utah. Now, it's up to the team to say yes - and Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan expects that to be RSL's answer."
Based on the report, the team got damn near everything it wanted; it even appears the city of Sandy threw $5 million more into the kitty - though I have to confess that I don't understand all the angles well enough to state that definitively.
Anyway, we're getting closer. If they reach an agreement, we all ought to see something about it during tomorrow's game between Real Salt Lake and Real Madrid (viewing times here),
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On the way into looking into another matter, I came across some late developments in the Real Salt Lake's efforts to build a home for that team in or around Salt Lake City. The most surprising aspect comes with how the tone of the dialogue seems to have changed between yesterday and today.
Whereas on Thursday, people said things like this:
In spite of a headline reading, "Stadium deal clinging to life," Come Friday, things sounded a bit more cheery:
As it has in the past, the question of hotel tax dollars, combined with the size of the public contribution from Sandy, Utah, where the proposed stadium would actually be situated, both loomed large and formed the stumbling block. While the county commissioners seem like their standing by a $10 million as their upper limit, something curious seems to be happening with the hotel tax:
The "Friday" article suggests that they've got all the right people in the room, including the Utah House Speaker who seems like a leading player in an effort to spend the hotel tax cash on public transit.
There's a thread up on Big Soccer discussing the ins & outs of all this as well. Some tangential dross about the defensibility of spending public funds on sports stadiums begins the thread - the funding debate suggests this isn't directly zero-sum - but the conversation returns to the specific question after Beau Dure enters the fray; if nothing else, that thread will give some impression of Checketts' popularity with soccer-folk (low). It's all very convoluted, but it seems more plausible today than it did yesterday that we'll all see headlines tomorrow telling us that RSL will stay put.
UPDATE: To say this fight has generated some bad blood understates things just a tad. The latest article in Deseret News (hope I've got the outlet's name correct) contains some positively scathing quotes. A favorite:
There are a couple more in there. Hmmm...with an atmosphere that poisonous, one has to wonder whether the above was too optimistic. Still, the timeline is a bit foggy here; a lot of this seems to have been said prior the true last-ditch meetings in the governor's mansion.
Whereas on Thursday, people said things like this:
"'If he gets the people on board, he can count on my vote,' Councilman Joe Hatch said. 'But I don't know where he's going to get the votes. Rocky's a dollar short and a day late. The time for a deal was three weeks ago.'"
"Still, [RSL owner, Dave Checketts] was not necessarily optimistic. 'It's been rejected by the county twice and that means we're nowhere,' Checketts told the sports radio station 1280 The Zone."
In spite of a headline reading, "Stadium deal clinging to life," Come Friday, things sounded a bit more cheery:
"Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon offered the tottering team a ray of hope. 'I think we can get there.'"
"Exhausted but amiable Thursday night, RSL owner Dave Checketts called the soccer summit 'a really important step' as he leaned against the fence outside the governor's mansion. 'I certainly feel like we'll know by the close of business' today."
As it has in the past, the question of hotel tax dollars, combined with the size of the public contribution from Sandy, Utah, where the proposed stadium would actually be situated, both loomed large and formed the stumbling block. While the county commissioners seem like their standing by a $10 million as their upper limit, something curious seems to be happening with the hotel tax:
"Before the governor's mansion meeting, [Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky] Anderson [a, if not the, leading champion of the last-ditch effort] gathered county and RSL officials at City Hall to crunch numbers and mend feelings. His interest is keeping the team in Utah and preserving the $90 million in hotel taxes - partly for a downtown performing-arts center - that the Legislature could take away if some of it isn't spent on a Sandy stadium."
"'I don't think the public understands the dynamics and what's really at stake for Salt Lake City and the county, as well as the entire state, if we don't find a solution to this challenge,' Anderson said."
The "Friday" article suggests that they've got all the right people in the room, including the Utah House Speaker who seems like a leading player in an effort to spend the hotel tax cash on public transit.
There's a thread up on Big Soccer discussing the ins & outs of all this as well. Some tangential dross about the defensibility of spending public funds on sports stadiums begins the thread - the funding debate suggests this isn't directly zero-sum - but the conversation returns to the specific question after Beau Dure enters the fray; if nothing else, that thread will give some impression of Checketts' popularity with soccer-folk (low). It's all very convoluted, but it seems more plausible today than it did yesterday that we'll all see headlines tomorrow telling us that RSL will stay put.
UPDATE: To say this fight has generated some bad blood understates things just a tad. The latest article in Deseret News (hope I've got the outlet's name correct) contains some positively scathing quotes. A favorite:
"'It seems [Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's] position was, everything has to be in Salt Lake City or he won't support it. That was certainly his presentation to the County Council. He accused us of making back-room deals that I'm still not pleased about,' [Sandy, Utah, Mayor Tom] Dolan said of Anderson's public accusation. 'He shot himself in the foot. He ruined the arts district and soccer complex for Salt Lake City. And yes, do quote me.'"
There are a couple more in there. Hmmm...with an atmosphere that poisonous, one has to wonder whether the above was too optimistic. Still, the timeline is a bit foggy here; a lot of this seems to have been said prior the true last-ditch meetings in the governor's mansion.
The Portland Timbers, searching out the path to the USL Division 1 post-season, tried something new last night: winning. Perhaps someone picked up the rules of competition in the American second division, where they would have discovered that the playoffs are not, in fact, by invitation. No, it seems the six teams that earn more points than the other six teams in the league head to the playoffs.
Equipped with this seemingly new information, the Timbers are now poised for a push to the post-season. The question is whether it’s too late.
Sarcasm aside, it was nice to see the Timbers (finally) pick up a W. Had they managed one or two earlier this season, last night’s 1-0 win against the Virginia Beach Mariners could have meant so much more. But, with only four games remaining - and, therefore, a maximum 12 points available - the Timbers remain five points behind now-sixth-place Virginia; it doesn’t help, of course, that Virginia retained their three games in hand, a reality that poses the very real threat of building on that five point lead. That the fourth and fifth place teams - the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Rochester Raging Rhinos - have four and five games in hand, respectively, only shrinks the margin of error (though Rochester’s 10 point lead renders the chances of overtaking them near-completely mathematical).
Naturally, anything is possible. Plausible? Well, that’s something else again.
That’s not to say there’s no happy news. Timber Jim finally got to saw that damn log. He reportedly handed the resulting slab to Luke “Krispy” Kreamalmeyer - who remains a consistent bright spot in a dim season - to thank him for the privilege. The simple relief of just winning must have made for one of the team’s happiest nights since late June and I certainly wouldn’t begrudge these guys a happy moment given the few causes to celebrate thus far.
So...why not make more happy memories next Friday, when Puerto Rico comes calling? I’ll do my bit by staying away from the stadium. If the team finds belittling posts helpful, I’ll write some profanity-laced screed against the team’s competence and commitment; Coach Chris Agnello could then pin it on the locker room wall as something the players can glare at when they need a little rage to fire flagging motivation.
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Equipped with this seemingly new information, the Timbers are now poised for a push to the post-season. The question is whether it’s too late.
Sarcasm aside, it was nice to see the Timbers (finally) pick up a W. Had they managed one or two earlier this season, last night’s 1-0 win against the Virginia Beach Mariners could have meant so much more. But, with only four games remaining - and, therefore, a maximum 12 points available - the Timbers remain five points behind now-sixth-place Virginia; it doesn’t help, of course, that Virginia retained their three games in hand, a reality that poses the very real threat of building on that five point lead. That the fourth and fifth place teams - the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Rochester Raging Rhinos - have four and five games in hand, respectively, only shrinks the margin of error (though Rochester’s 10 point lead renders the chances of overtaking them near-completely mathematical).
Naturally, anything is possible. Plausible? Well, that’s something else again.
That’s not to say there’s no happy news. Timber Jim finally got to saw that damn log. He reportedly handed the resulting slab to Luke “Krispy” Kreamalmeyer - who remains a consistent bright spot in a dim season - to thank him for the privilege. The simple relief of just winning must have made for one of the team’s happiest nights since late June and I certainly wouldn’t begrudge these guys a happy moment given the few causes to celebrate thus far.
So...why not make more happy memories next Friday, when Puerto Rico comes calling? I’ll do my bit by staying away from the stadium. If the team finds belittling posts helpful, I’ll write some profanity-laced screed against the team’s competence and commitment; Coach Chris Agnello could then pin it on the locker room wall as something the players can glare at when they need a little rage to fire flagging motivation.
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Apart from going on way too long, readers and regular visitors may have noticed that I broke up my usual one post into two. Comments? Input of any kind?
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Because a dogfight in Portland always tops a friendly scuffle in Seattle let’s begin with tonight’s must-must-must-win game for the Portland Timbers. They’re hosting the Virginia Beach Mariners this evening, a team that’s 8 points and 4 places above them in the USL Division I standings; the three games in hand will only become relevant if, y’know, the Timbers manage a win. And, fuck me, if that doesn't seem a lot to ask these days...
In their favor, Mamba Chisoni returns from Zimbabwe for tonight’s game. Against that, though, defender Scot Thompson’s away in England trying out with the Coventry FC team that visited earlier in the season (friggin' thieves) and forward Alan Gordon was called back up to the LA Galaxy for their current run of games (I can testify to this one; he came on late as a sub against the Houston Dynamo).
What’s it all mean? I can’t fake optimism. I’d be surprised many times over to read word of a Portland win in tomorrow’s press. Between their form (11 games without a win) and the last live performance I saw first-hand (versus Minnesota) something bordering on chronic ails this bunch (or is it just the Chronic?). With the Mariners still very much alive in the playoffs and with Portland looking more like a spoiler, odds point toward a win for the visitors.
P.S. I’d love to be wrong.
In other news...
Sure DC United tied Real Madrid in front of a record-breaking crowd in Seattle last night, but that’s nothing to the big, big news:
Real Salt Lake spanked the trousers right off of the Colorado Rapids - in Colorado, no less, where the Rapids tend to outlast the opposition. The 4-1 whuppin’ both flustered the visitors and set RSL forward Jeff Cunningham on the top of this season’s race for top goal-scorer.
For those seeking a little more simple pleasure in this win, here's one more report.
I happened to catch the last 30 minutes of last night’s other Western Conference contest: the LA Galaxy’s 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. Apart from congratulating new-fella Santino Quaranta for making a stellar first impression, Houston walked away with a little plug of injustice between their cheek and gums. While I caught Brad Davis' wunder-rocket that, tragically, smacked against the crossbar and Eddie Robinson’s justly disallowed goal, the post-game highlights showed a parade of blown chances for Houston and great saves by LA’s Kevin Hartman. It wasn’t quite one-way traffic; it’s more like LA’s goal was “Portland” and the field was the Sunset Highway round about 9 a.m. on Thursday.
And, yes, DC United tied mighty, mighty Real Madrid in Seattle last night, with each side scoring a goal. Very cool result, even if it doesn’t mean anything. It sounds like Alecko Eskandarian scored a tidy equalizer (should be able to see it here) for the Yanqui side and that DC put in a great effort overall. Of all the write-ups, the Washington Post’s Steve Goff put the reader closest to the action. But another article contained the best of the many quotes provided by Freddy Adu:
Wonderful. One can almost see the chip from here...
All for now.
Wait. Yeah. The New England Revolution played the Kansas City Wizards to a scoreless draw. The less said about this one, the better.
At least I got one prediction right...
In their favor, Mamba Chisoni returns from Zimbabwe for tonight’s game. Against that, though, defender Scot Thompson’s away in England trying out with the Coventry FC team that visited earlier in the season (friggin' thieves) and forward Alan Gordon was called back up to the LA Galaxy for their current run of games (I can testify to this one; he came on late as a sub against the Houston Dynamo).
What’s it all mean? I can’t fake optimism. I’d be surprised many times over to read word of a Portland win in tomorrow’s press. Between their form (11 games without a win) and the last live performance I saw first-hand (versus Minnesota) something bordering on chronic ails this bunch (or is it just the Chronic?). With the Mariners still very much alive in the playoffs and with Portland looking more like a spoiler, odds point toward a win for the visitors.
P.S. I’d love to be wrong.
In other news...
Sure DC United tied Real Madrid in front of a record-breaking crowd in Seattle last night, but that’s nothing to the big, big news:
Real Salt Lake spanked the trousers right off of the Colorado Rapids - in Colorado, no less, where the Rapids tend to outlast the opposition. The 4-1 whuppin’ both flustered the visitors and set RSL forward Jeff Cunningham on the top of this season’s race for top goal-scorer.
For those seeking a little more simple pleasure in this win, here's one more report.
I happened to catch the last 30 minutes of last night’s other Western Conference contest: the LA Galaxy’s 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. Apart from congratulating new-fella Santino Quaranta for making a stellar first impression, Houston walked away with a little plug of injustice between their cheek and gums. While I caught Brad Davis' wunder-rocket that, tragically, smacked against the crossbar and Eddie Robinson’s justly disallowed goal, the post-game highlights showed a parade of blown chances for Houston and great saves by LA’s Kevin Hartman. It wasn’t quite one-way traffic; it’s more like LA’s goal was “Portland” and the field was the Sunset Highway round about 9 a.m. on Thursday.
And, yes, DC United tied mighty, mighty Real Madrid in Seattle last night, with each side scoring a goal. Very cool result, even if it doesn’t mean anything. It sounds like Alecko Eskandarian scored a tidy equalizer (should be able to see it here) for the Yanqui side and that DC put in a great effort overall. Of all the write-ups, the Washington Post’s Steve Goff put the reader closest to the action. But another article contained the best of the many quotes provided by Freddy Adu:
""We wanted to prove American soccer is not a joke. We wanted to go out there and tell all you guys who diss American soccer that you can just forget about it."
Wonderful. One can almost see the chip from here...
All for now.
Wait. Yeah. The New England Revolution played the Kansas City Wizards to a scoreless draw. The less said about this one, the better.
At least I got one prediction right...
The messy stadium situations affllicting MLS’s most threatened franchises - the Kansas City Wizards and Real Salt Lake (RSL) - continue to play out, albeit at drastically different tempos.
With RSL owner, Dave Checketts, “self-imposed” deadline for securing a soccer-specific stadium coming due Saturday, a last minute, political scramble has ensued in Salt Lake City, Utah. It spite of the participation of what one report dubs some of the state’s political heavyweights, the stumbling block remains the same: how to fund a stadium without reaching into a hotel-tax kitty? The intricacies of the funding formulae make sorting the odds on the deal tricky; Checketts, for his part, continues to talk some kind of “win-win” solution. But absent any apparent means to close the “funding gap” in any of the going proposals, one has to wonder when Plan B (other buyer in Utah) or Plan C (moving the team out of state) go operative.
August 14, when Checketts has promised an announcement seems likely.
The situation in Kansas City, which works only under a later, league-appointed deadline set for October, looks better - at least on paper. A new ownership group, which would buy the franchise from current owner Lamar Hunt, has three municipalities bidding against one another for the privilege of hosting the stadium: Olathe, Gardner, and De Soto - nearly all of them appearing to be in the same corner of Kansas City’s outskirts/suburbs. At the same time, working between the official directions to Arrowhead Stadium and a Yahoo! Map, it doesn’t appear they’re much further out than the Wizards’ current home. Not being a local, though, such things aren’t easy to judge.
That question of distance curls another wrinkle into the larger equation. Suburban locales take sporadic, yet regular abuse from both fans and pundits; the abuse ratchets higher when exurban locations enter the discussions. For instance, rumors that a Philadelphia franchise will relocate to suburban New Jersey sent USSoccerplayers.com’s Kevin McGeehan into fits of incredulity. Smack in the middle of that essay, he grounds his argument in current realities:
The famous formula - “If you build it, they will come” - has a pleasant simplicity to it, but will they come if they have to stew in their cars for two hours going both ways?
For all the relief that comes with MLS building homes for their teams - thereby capturing all streams of revenue, gaining control over scheduling, etc - that’s hardly enough to bring the story to a happy end. The question comes down to one of alternatives. Do MLS’s comparatively modest revenues force it either to the low-end within major markets (Vineyard, Utah anyone?) or to shift to minor markets exclusively? Rochester, New York, which is already in play in RSL’s situation (see Plan C above), serves as one long-time example, but there’s also a fetching proposal for a Milwaukee, Wisconsin franchise currently being organized by Peter Wilt, who was a major player in the Chicago Fire’s arrival in their stadium.
Between the two, Kansas City seems to have the more favorable scenario; whether that’s down to KC’s people playing a smarter hand or differing political realities in each market remains an open question. As potentially risky as plunking down expensive buildings in nowhere locations may be, however, that seems a wiser course than the obvious alternative - moving franchises (San Jose), or folding them outright (Tampa Bay and Miami, Florida). If MLS gains a reputation as being either rootless or somewhat mercenary, that would pose very real problems in what is, between the league and suitor cities, a buyer’s market. So, this space favors building the stadiums...though on the condition that the owners hold as many tractor pulls and garden shows as it takes to make these things break even.
With RSL owner, Dave Checketts, “self-imposed” deadline for securing a soccer-specific stadium coming due Saturday, a last minute, political scramble has ensued in Salt Lake City, Utah. It spite of the participation of what one report dubs some of the state’s political heavyweights, the stumbling block remains the same: how to fund a stadium without reaching into a hotel-tax kitty? The intricacies of the funding formulae make sorting the odds on the deal tricky; Checketts, for his part, continues to talk some kind of “win-win” solution. But absent any apparent means to close the “funding gap” in any of the going proposals, one has to wonder when Plan B (other buyer in Utah) or Plan C (moving the team out of state) go operative.
August 14, when Checketts has promised an announcement seems likely.
The situation in Kansas City, which works only under a later, league-appointed deadline set for October, looks better - at least on paper. A new ownership group, which would buy the franchise from current owner Lamar Hunt, has three municipalities bidding against one another for the privilege of hosting the stadium: Olathe, Gardner, and De Soto - nearly all of them appearing to be in the same corner of Kansas City’s outskirts/suburbs. At the same time, working between the official directions to Arrowhead Stadium and a Yahoo! Map, it doesn’t appear they’re much further out than the Wizards’ current home. Not being a local, though, such things aren’t easy to judge.
That question of distance curls another wrinkle into the larger equation. Suburban locales take sporadic, yet regular abuse from both fans and pundits; the abuse ratchets higher when exurban locations enter the discussions. For instance, rumors that a Philadelphia franchise will relocate to suburban New Jersey sent USSoccerplayers.com’s Kevin McGeehan into fits of incredulity. Smack in the middle of that essay, he grounds his argument in current realities:
“There is no form of public transportation from Pennsylvania to that part of New Jersey. Don't have a car? Don't feel like driving? Too bad. By placing the team in New Jersey, you eliminate a large part of your fanbase that is unwilling or unable to get to the stadium. We've already seen in Dallas and Chicago what happens when a team moves away from its fans -- they stop coming. This is not rocket science.”
The famous formula - “If you build it, they will come” - has a pleasant simplicity to it, but will they come if they have to stew in their cars for two hours going both ways?
For all the relief that comes with MLS building homes for their teams - thereby capturing all streams of revenue, gaining control over scheduling, etc - that’s hardly enough to bring the story to a happy end. The question comes down to one of alternatives. Do MLS’s comparatively modest revenues force it either to the low-end within major markets (Vineyard, Utah anyone?) or to shift to minor markets exclusively? Rochester, New York, which is already in play in RSL’s situation (see Plan C above), serves as one long-time example, but there’s also a fetching proposal for a Milwaukee, Wisconsin franchise currently being organized by Peter Wilt, who was a major player in the Chicago Fire’s arrival in their stadium.
Between the two, Kansas City seems to have the more favorable scenario; whether that’s down to KC’s people playing a smarter hand or differing political realities in each market remains an open question. As potentially risky as plunking down expensive buildings in nowhere locations may be, however, that seems a wiser course than the obvious alternative - moving franchises (San Jose), or folding them outright (Tampa Bay and Miami, Florida). If MLS gains a reputation as being either rootless or somewhat mercenary, that would pose very real problems in what is, between the league and suitor cities, a buyer’s market. So, this space favors building the stadiums...though on the condition that the owners hold as many tractor pulls and garden shows as it takes to make these things break even.
I don’t know that anyone has noticed, but I made conscious effort this week to write from the third-person perspective. It occurred to me a bit ago that blog writing - with its half-conscious tendency to celebrate the author - takes me away from the way I’m “supposed” to write. Anyway, expect that trend, or at least conscious efforts in that direction, to continue - albeit with some regressions.
Like this one...
Damn, I am so jealous of the guy who started the wunderbar Big Soccer thread with a clever way to use college education as a lure for youth soccer players to MLS (found that thread here, by the way). Titled, “Why Can’t MLS Teams Provide Scholarships?”, and posted by a guy named Bora Fan, it forwards a nice formula for giving money for college education to aspiring American soccer players, while simultaneously laying out a sound path to a pro career.
The question of when it’s reasonable for a young athlete to turn pro constitutes one clear dividing line between the soccer in the U.S. and the rest of the world. In broad terms, Europe’s future soccer stars - not to mention their journeymen counterparts - embark on their careers at an early age, typically in their early teens, though, if memory serves, places like Ajax of Amsterdam pick up players as young as 10. These youths continue their regular education inside a given club’s “academy” the quality of which varies considerably (Ajax’s, for instance, has an impressive reputation). But, whatever these kids do for studying, the emphasis remains on manufacturing professional soccer players.
Outside Nike’s Project-40, and something called Generation Adidas (info on both here), this method has never taken off in the U.S. It could be that long-established traditions in the major sports - think football and basketball - established the pathway through college as the norm. Whatever caused it, it’s an anomaly in the world’s game; albeit one that doesn’t necessarily add up logically. On a personal level, and knowing what I know about higher education, a key fallacy in support of this system is the idea that one can’t postpone the beginning of their college education. Given the clear falseness of this idea, what’s the harm in a young man (or woman if WUSA, the women’s league, ever comes back on-line) trying his hand at playing professionally? If one college won’t take money from a 25-year-old washed-up soccer player, the next one almost certainly will.
But the concept forwarded in that thread does even better. Under that proposal a player joins an MLS clubs developmental squad, now that it seems they’ll have such things, during their teenage years. Upon turning 18, the club/league offers those deemed capable a contract under which they’re paid the league’s (underwhelming) minimum salary and “a 4 year college scholarship that vests 25% for each year they are an active developmental player.” I didn’t quite know how to interpret that, but Bora Fan goes on to use the figure $12.5K per year of a four-year education.
What’s not to like? It’s hard to say. Parents know that the kids who enter the system are earning money for college as they follow their dream (check); the kids will find out, in almost definitive terms, whether they’re cut out to be pros, or whether they should just stop dreaming and go to school (check); even if the contracts aren’t guaranteed, these athletes would get paid to do what must be the one of the coolest jobs to have right out of high school (check). Someone in the thread points out that they’d lose their college eligibility for getting paid to pay, but...well, who cares? They’re not going to cut it, so why shouldn’t the washouts focus on their studies and play intramural soccer for the fix.
Anyway, bang up idea. Wish I thought of it.
In other news...
- Six MLS teams are in action tonight. The blabbing above points to the wisdom of keeping it short here, so let’s do it:
The New England Revolution hosts the Kansas City Wizards tonight (preview). With the Revs finally having (nearly) all their players available, and with KC more flaccid in the face of scoring than Hugh Hefner sans Viagra, the safe call here would be a Revolution win. But, with a nod to form - specifically, the Revs penchant for draws - I’m calling this one a draw. Some habits die hard; I’m thinking the Revs won’t shake this funk till 2007.
The LA Galaxy visits the Houston Dynamo in Reliant Stadium - and this one is on the TV. The preview lists Donovan as “questionable” and that’s something. The Dynamo isn’t losing much, but, by common consensus, they’re not winning enough either. That changes tonight...for no better reason than they’re good enough. Houston wins.
Finally, Real Salt Lake heads to Colorado to fight the Rapids (preview) for some trophy the fans titled the Rocky Mountain Cup. As much as I don’t like going this way, because it’s a home game, I’m calling a win for Colorado...and wait on the rumored return of Alain Nkong, a thug with talent enough to make the violence palatable.
- Paul Gardner, a famously curmudgeonly pundit, had some nice things to say about MLS in the wake of the All-Star game, but his most interesting of his points was this:
If you think he’s exaggerating about the “salary gap” compare the $240K new Chelsea signing Michael Ballack will reportedly take home with this list of MLS players and their salaries. It’s a whopper of a comparison, even if it points to the insanity of what Europe’s pros can earn as much as it compares dollar for value.
- Whoops. Another MLS team is in action tonight: DC United plays Real Madrid in Seattle tonight. Even as I’d like it if DC beat the Spanish giants, I’m not too bothered with this one. Enjoy some previews (LINK, LINK).
- Word of Alain Nkong’s potential return to the league appears above, but there’s more trades happening ahead of the transfer deadline, which (I think) falls on August 15, 2006. Costa Rican midfielder Jafet Soto (not to be confused with Yaphet Kotto) is headed to Real Salt Lake; given that the Costa Ricans don’t play so bad, this one looks like a plus. But the bigger(-ish) deal comes with Santino Quaranta’s trade from DC United to the LA Galaxy. Given, however, that Quaranta’s spent much of this season picking splinters from the bench out of his butt, this isn’t nearly as big as it could be. As a U.S. fan, I hope he finds his feet - though, I have to confess that I’ve never been as high on Quaranta as the rest of the world.
- Finally, every year, EA Sports issues updated editions of a FIFA-sponsored video game. An LA newspaper reports that the game is popular with many of the Galaxy players, even as they found some surprises in the “recreations” of themselves:
Yeah, OK. That’s bum-fluff. And kinda cutesy-weak to boot. I couldn’t resist.
Like this one...
Damn, I am so jealous of the guy who started the wunderbar Big Soccer thread with a clever way to use college education as a lure for youth soccer players to MLS (found that thread here, by the way). Titled, “Why Can’t MLS Teams Provide Scholarships?”, and posted by a guy named Bora Fan, it forwards a nice formula for giving money for college education to aspiring American soccer players, while simultaneously laying out a sound path to a pro career.
The question of when it’s reasonable for a young athlete to turn pro constitutes one clear dividing line between the soccer in the U.S. and the rest of the world. In broad terms, Europe’s future soccer stars - not to mention their journeymen counterparts - embark on their careers at an early age, typically in their early teens, though, if memory serves, places like Ajax of Amsterdam pick up players as young as 10. These youths continue their regular education inside a given club’s “academy” the quality of which varies considerably (Ajax’s, for instance, has an impressive reputation). But, whatever these kids do for studying, the emphasis remains on manufacturing professional soccer players.
Outside Nike’s Project-40, and something called Generation Adidas (info on both here), this method has never taken off in the U.S. It could be that long-established traditions in the major sports - think football and basketball - established the pathway through college as the norm. Whatever caused it, it’s an anomaly in the world’s game; albeit one that doesn’t necessarily add up logically. On a personal level, and knowing what I know about higher education, a key fallacy in support of this system is the idea that one can’t postpone the beginning of their college education. Given the clear falseness of this idea, what’s the harm in a young man (or woman if WUSA, the women’s league, ever comes back on-line) trying his hand at playing professionally? If one college won’t take money from a 25-year-old washed-up soccer player, the next one almost certainly will.
But the concept forwarded in that thread does even better. Under that proposal a player joins an MLS clubs developmental squad, now that it seems they’ll have such things, during their teenage years. Upon turning 18, the club/league offers those deemed capable a contract under which they’re paid the league’s (underwhelming) minimum salary and “a 4 year college scholarship that vests 25% for each year they are an active developmental player.” I didn’t quite know how to interpret that, but Bora Fan goes on to use the figure $12.5K per year of a four-year education.
What’s not to like? It’s hard to say. Parents know that the kids who enter the system are earning money for college as they follow their dream (check); the kids will find out, in almost definitive terms, whether they’re cut out to be pros, or whether they should just stop dreaming and go to school (check); even if the contracts aren’t guaranteed, these athletes would get paid to do what must be the one of the coolest jobs to have right out of high school (check). Someone in the thread points out that they’d lose their college eligibility for getting paid to pay, but...well, who cares? They’re not going to cut it, so why shouldn’t the washouts focus on their studies and play intramural soccer for the fix.
Anyway, bang up idea. Wish I thought of it.
In other news...
- Six MLS teams are in action tonight. The blabbing above points to the wisdom of keeping it short here, so let’s do it:
The New England Revolution hosts the Kansas City Wizards tonight (preview). With the Revs finally having (nearly) all their players available, and with KC more flaccid in the face of scoring than Hugh Hefner sans Viagra, the safe call here would be a Revolution win. But, with a nod to form - specifically, the Revs penchant for draws - I’m calling this one a draw. Some habits die hard; I’m thinking the Revs won’t shake this funk till 2007.
The LA Galaxy visits the Houston Dynamo in Reliant Stadium - and this one is on the TV. The preview lists Donovan as “questionable” and that’s something. The Dynamo isn’t losing much, but, by common consensus, they’re not winning enough either. That changes tonight...for no better reason than they’re good enough. Houston wins.
Finally, Real Salt Lake heads to Colorado to fight the Rapids (preview) for some trophy the fans titled the Rocky Mountain Cup. As much as I don’t like going this way, because it’s a home game, I’m calling a win for Colorado...and wait on the rumored return of Alain Nkong, a thug with talent enough to make the violence palatable.
- Paul Gardner, a famously curmudgeonly pundit, had some nice things to say about MLS in the wake of the All-Star game, but his most interesting of his points was this:
“Most of the players on the Chelsea team earn as much in a week as the average MLS player takes home in a year... Those colossal figures ought to mean a huge gap in caliber between Chelsea and the MLS team. They ought to mean that Chelsea could stroll through this one. Instead, they labored.”
If you think he’s exaggerating about the “salary gap” compare the $240K new Chelsea signing Michael Ballack will reportedly take home with this list of MLS players and their salaries. It’s a whopper of a comparison, even if it points to the insanity of what Europe’s pros can earn as much as it compares dollar for value.
- Whoops. Another MLS team is in action tonight: DC United plays Real Madrid in Seattle tonight. Even as I’d like it if DC beat the Spanish giants, I’m not too bothered with this one. Enjoy some previews (LINK, LINK).
- Word of Alain Nkong’s potential return to the league appears above, but there’s more trades happening ahead of the transfer deadline, which (I think) falls on August 15, 2006. Costa Rican midfielder Jafet Soto (not to be confused with Yaphet Kotto) is headed to Real Salt Lake; given that the Costa Ricans don’t play so bad, this one looks like a plus. But the bigger(-ish) deal comes with Santino Quaranta’s trade from DC United to the LA Galaxy. Given, however, that Quaranta’s spent much of this season picking splinters from the bench out of his butt, this isn’t nearly as big as it could be. As a U.S. fan, I hope he finds his feet - though, I have to confess that I’ve never been as high on Quaranta as the rest of the world.
- Finally, every year, EA Sports issues updated editions of a FIFA-sponsored video game. An LA newspaper reports that the game is popular with many of the Galaxy players, even as they found some surprises in the “recreations” of themselves:
“Defender Tyrone Marshall, for example, is seen sporting a bushy mustache and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman is dark-skinned. Midfielder Pete Vagenas has short hair in real life, but he's bald in the video version. The game also has Landon Donovan with a full head of hair.”
“’I paid them off,’ Donovan joked. ‘They used rogaine or something on my guy.’"
Yeah, OK. That’s bum-fluff. And kinda cutesy-weak to boot. I couldn’t resist.
To begin with an ongoing story, the back-slapping enthusiasm generated by the MLS All-Stars’ win over FC Chelsea finally produced an inevitable backlash. One column in particular - Andrea Canales great, big “Oh, Snap!” to MLS-bashers - caught the attention of her part-time colleague, Ives Galarcep. While one can’t prove Galarcep was responding specifically to Canales without asking him directly, one paragraph in his piece addresses her point pretty directly:
This is, so far as it goes, true; among soccer snobs, sneering at MLS goes past preference and into matters of identity. And that’s no big deal: free country and all that. But, if one doesn’t accept a part of Galarcep’s premise - i.e. that the All-Star game was, exclusively, or even explicitly, about converting soccer snobs, his argument carries less force.
For instance, this game could have impressed not the soccer snob him- or herself, but the friend of that soccer snob. This formula would work like so: Soccer Snob dragged friend with zero familiarity with soccer to watch games during the World Cup - for brevity's sakey, call this hypothetical friend, Jim Rome; during the Cup, word reaches of MLS’ existence reaches Jim Rome, who then asks Soccer Snob about the league; as usual, Soccer Snob answers by dumping all over MLS and informs Jim Rome that the English Premier League is “where it’s really at" and that those MLS “wankers/tossers” wouldn’t know “football” if it “shagged their arses”; Jim Rome watches the All-Star game and sees MLS not only beat FC Chelsea, but does so in an intelligent manner.
In this scenario, hopefully, not an over-tortured one, Jim Rome might one night be inspired to treat his new fondness for soccer to a night out at an MLS game. The extent to which MLS actually believes it can convert this country’s soccer snobs - and, as Galarcep points out, there are more of them than MLS fans - is an open question. In truth, I don’t doubt this hope played a considerable role in the choice of competition for the All-Star game. Whatever inspired the choice, a very high-profile match followed by adulatory coverage brings a potential bounce all its own. It’s that coverage that makes sense of the post-All-Star buzz.
Galarcep does, unquestionably, get one thing right, though:
Yeah, that is kinda pathetic.
The rest of the news is pretty standard:
- ESPN’s site reports that Landon Donovan has recovered from his hamstring issue and was moved to “probable” for Wednesday night’s (televised) game against the Houston Dynamo - which ought to be a good ‘un. Expect previews for that, and the rest of Wednesday’s games, tomorrow. And given LA's record sans Donovan, that's very good news for the Galaxy.
- That same article notes that Donovan’s LA Galaxy signed a new defender/midfielder: Canada’s Ante Jazic. USSoccerplayers.com provided a longer write-up on Jazic, a new name to me. He may be good, he may not, but with LA struggling to score, one has to wonder whether they’re adding players on the right side of the field.
- In other transfer news (help! What’s the “American” word for this? Trade? Player movement?), Red Bull New York looks poised to add several reinforcements of their own. Tucked in the bottom of the second of two really dull reports on Bruce Arena inching toward Red Bull’s helm (here’s the first dull report), one finds word that former Chicago Fire/DC United standout and, as my wife would have it, beautiful thug Dema Kovalenko will join Red Bull by the end of this week. They’re also trying out an Austrian international midfielder named Markus Schopp. One last bit of Red Bull business, here’s the latest from Youri “Vacation, All I Ever Wanted” Djorkaeff:
In his defense, it’s possible that Youri only re-emphasized the lesson Donovan’s LA Galaxy taught last season: the regular season doesn’t matter so much...
- Finally, I have to confess that I wonder what will become of this space when the U.S. domestic season’s reach the off-season. Will daily posting even be possible absent the games and results to discuss? Perhaps I’ll go the “Yanks Abroad route" and start looking in on American youngsters (and geezers) plying their trade during Europe’s fall-winter-spring season. For instance, who’s this Jeremiah White kid? Where’d he come from and how did he reach France’s second division? (And why does a picture of Oguchi Onyewu to the column about him?) And, as Aaron Gidding, of Yanks Abroad fame, points out, there are more “Yanks” in England’s top flight this season than there ever have been - and these are not players riding pine, but key parts of their respective teams. For the record, Gidding considers this comparative explosion of American talent in top leagues the best support for optimism about America's future in the game.
Anyway, following American players overseas isn't something I've done much of, but it’s an option that matches the mission.
Overall, I’d just recommend that y’all prepare yourselves for frequent mention of “slow news days” and exclamations like “For the love of GOD, when’s fucking APRIL going to arrive?” in posts from December 2006 through March 2007.
“You heard repeatedly about how the win could change the minds of many who have written MLS off as being too inferior a product to follow. Don't hold your breath on that one. Although there will be some casual observers who give MLS a closer look after Saturday, there will be no tangible dent in the demographic MLS was hoping to convert. American fans who prefer European soccer won't be swayed by the result of a friendly. If anything, many of them probably looked at the postmatch mess and chuckled at the amateurishness of it all.”
This is, so far as it goes, true; among soccer snobs, sneering at MLS goes past preference and into matters of identity. And that’s no big deal: free country and all that. But, if one doesn’t accept a part of Galarcep’s premise - i.e. that the All-Star game was, exclusively, or even explicitly, about converting soccer snobs, his argument carries less force.
For instance, this game could have impressed not the soccer snob him- or herself, but the friend of that soccer snob. This formula would work like so: Soccer Snob dragged friend with zero familiarity with soccer to watch games during the World Cup - for brevity's sakey, call this hypothetical friend, Jim Rome; during the Cup, word reaches of MLS’ existence reaches Jim Rome, who then asks Soccer Snob about the league; as usual, Soccer Snob answers by dumping all over MLS and informs Jim Rome that the English Premier League is “where it’s really at" and that those MLS “wankers/tossers” wouldn’t know “football” if it “shagged their arses”; Jim Rome watches the All-Star game and sees MLS not only beat FC Chelsea, but does so in an intelligent manner.
In this scenario, hopefully, not an over-tortured one, Jim Rome might one night be inspired to treat his new fondness for soccer to a night out at an MLS game. The extent to which MLS actually believes it can convert this country’s soccer snobs - and, as Galarcep points out, there are more of them than MLS fans - is an open question. In truth, I don’t doubt this hope played a considerable role in the choice of competition for the All-Star game. Whatever inspired the choice, a very high-profile match followed by adulatory coverage brings a potential bounce all its own. It’s that coverage that makes sense of the post-All-Star buzz.
Galarcep does, unquestionably, get one thing right, though:
“There were celebrations, a trophy presentation and the painful sight of confetti cannons being shot off after MLS All-Stars won an exhibition match. Yes, you read that right.”
Yeah, that is kinda pathetic.
The rest of the news is pretty standard:
- ESPN’s site reports that Landon Donovan has recovered from his hamstring issue and was moved to “probable” for Wednesday night’s (televised) game against the Houston Dynamo - which ought to be a good ‘un. Expect previews for that, and the rest of Wednesday’s games, tomorrow. And given LA's record sans Donovan, that's very good news for the Galaxy.
- That same article notes that Donovan’s LA Galaxy signed a new defender/midfielder: Canada’s Ante Jazic. USSoccerplayers.com provided a longer write-up on Jazic, a new name to me. He may be good, he may not, but with LA struggling to score, one has to wonder whether they’re adding players on the right side of the field.
- In other transfer news (help! What’s the “American” word for this? Trade? Player movement?), Red Bull New York looks poised to add several reinforcements of their own. Tucked in the bottom of the second of two really dull reports on Bruce Arena inching toward Red Bull’s helm (here’s the first dull report), one finds word that former Chicago Fire/DC United standout and, as my wife would have it, beautiful thug Dema Kovalenko will join Red Bull by the end of this week. They’re also trying out an Austrian international midfielder named Markus Schopp. One last bit of Red Bull business, here’s the latest from Youri “Vacation, All I Ever Wanted” Djorkaeff:
“’I want to finish well,’ said Djorkaeff, who has said that this will be his final season as a player. ‘I want to be here.’”
In his defense, it’s possible that Youri only re-emphasized the lesson Donovan’s LA Galaxy taught last season: the regular season doesn’t matter so much...
- Finally, I have to confess that I wonder what will become of this space when the U.S. domestic season’s reach the off-season. Will daily posting even be possible absent the games and results to discuss? Perhaps I’ll go the “Yanks Abroad route" and start looking in on American youngsters (and geezers) plying their trade during Europe’s fall-winter-spring season. For instance, who’s this Jeremiah White kid? Where’d he come from and how did he reach France’s second division? (And why does a picture of Oguchi Onyewu to the column about him?) And, as Aaron Gidding, of Yanks Abroad fame, points out, there are more “Yanks” in England’s top flight this season than there ever have been - and these are not players riding pine, but key parts of their respective teams. For the record, Gidding considers this comparative explosion of American talent in top leagues the best support for optimism about America's future in the game.
Anyway, following American players overseas isn't something I've done much of, but it’s an option that matches the mission.
Overall, I’d just recommend that y’all prepare yourselves for frequent mention of “slow news days” and exclamations like “For the love of GOD, when’s fucking APRIL going to arrive?” in posts from December 2006 through March 2007.
Though the MLS All-Star Game has already gone, the impressive result - the 1-0 win against England’s FC Chelsea - garnered a lot of attention for the a league that can comfortably be described as scrappy. Before calls of snobbery come down on the site, All-Star coach Peter Nowak (DC United) said as much (in here):
See? And it wasn’t just Nowak; second-half ‘keeper Joe Cannon (Colorado Rapids) took up the same line (in here):
Whatever produced the win, something no less interesting came out of Saturday’s showcase match-up: some very excited copy from the mainstream media (MSM). Check out these headlines (or sub-heads):
“One giant kick for MLS”
“The World Is Theirs”
“Major Miracle for MLS”
That should bring home some of the tone. One paper - and here, one would assume the “Southtown” on the paper’s banner means somewhere “south” of Chicago, where the game was played - wrote four nice mood pieces (LINK, LINK, LINK, plus "Giant Kick" above). So, the breadth and enthusiasm of the coverage bears noting. In the end, the All-Star win has a good number of soccer reporters - who, outside World Cup years and, realistically, till 2006, seemed forced to grovel for column-inches for the sport - feeling their oats, their barley, their corn-cobs...just the whole freakin’ vegetable patch.
One columnist, Andrea Canales, who toils for more outlets than seems possible, wielded the game against every MLS-bashers she could recall:
All in all, Canales wrote a hell of a sassy defense of the league - and that was pretty cool to read. As mentioned yesterday in this space, the praise, if occasionally over-excited, comes from the proper place: respect for a very solid performance. MLS’s All-Stars played their hearts out yesterday and they got the result to show for it.
Before letting this go, a couple pundits looked at the All-Star game from a slightly different angle. For instance, USSoccerplayers’ Kyle McCarthy essentially live-blogged the thing, which created a poppy and playful read on the game. The Sunday Times of London viewed the entire episode from Chelsea’s perspective - which is not surprising so much as it makes for a very different read.
It seems that what I took to be a good day for the league was a bit better than that.
In other news...
- Peter Nowak’s stewardship of this team he received inspired the the LA Times’ Grahame Jones to forward a new suggestion for the U.S. men’s team vacancy: bring in Peter Nowak as the coach and current front-runner, Jurgen Klinsmann, as the technical director. I have to confess he makes a good case on paper.
- The reason for several All-Stars’ absence - the Sunday match between the New England Revolution and Chivas USA - ended in a 1-1 draw. Guys like Taylor Twellman and Clint Dempsey missed out on a high-profile event, but, on the upside, they still played in front of 90,000+ (hey, even if a huge chunk of these fans were there for the second half of the double-header - FC Barcelona v. Chivas of Guadalajara - they cheered loud enough for the MLS game).
- Some guy named Pete Grathoff, who writes for a Kansas City paper (and therefore is wondering whether he’ll lose his reporting beat come 2007), wrote an “MLS at the half” column of his own. For what it’s worth, he wrote a tidier column than I did and I agree with nearly everything he’s got.
"They showed the will to win and the determination to do this with this team. I'm very proud of them. We had the fighters on the field today, and I think we showed that."
See? And it wasn’t just Nowak; second-half ‘keeper Joe Cannon (Colorado Rapids) took up the same line (in here):
“This is a blue-collar team, and for American soccer, that's what people want. “I think people were disappointed in the World Cup because they didn't see that blue-collar effort. But you saw that today."
Whatever produced the win, something no less interesting came out of Saturday’s showcase match-up: some very excited copy from the mainstream media (MSM). Check out these headlines (or sub-heads):
“One giant kick for MLS”
“The World Is Theirs”
“Major Miracle for MLS”
That should bring home some of the tone. One paper - and here, one would assume the “Southtown” on the paper’s banner means somewhere “south” of Chicago, where the game was played - wrote four nice mood pieces (LINK, LINK, LINK, plus "Giant Kick" above). So, the breadth and enthusiasm of the coverage bears noting. In the end, the All-Star win has a good number of soccer reporters - who, outside World Cup years and, realistically, till 2006, seemed forced to grovel for column-inches for the sport - feeling their oats, their barley, their corn-cobs...just the whole freakin’ vegetable patch.
One columnist, Andrea Canales, who toils for more outlets than seems possible, wielded the game against every MLS-bashers she could recall:
“Enough with the ‘MLS is an inferior league’ clichés from those who never even bother to watch the games. Enough with the 'Where are the stars' comments from those who don't remember that many of the big names who used to play in the U.S. were on the fading end of their careers. While some of those players were still capable of moves and skill, it was nostalgia as much as actual performance that colored the glowing opinions of many.”
All in all, Canales wrote a hell of a sassy defense of the league - and that was pretty cool to read. As mentioned yesterday in this space, the praise, if occasionally over-excited, comes from the proper place: respect for a very solid performance. MLS’s All-Stars played their hearts out yesterday and they got the result to show for it.
Before letting this go, a couple pundits looked at the All-Star game from a slightly different angle. For instance, USSoccerplayers’ Kyle McCarthy essentially live-blogged the thing, which created a poppy and playful read on the game. The Sunday Times of London viewed the entire episode from Chelsea’s perspective - which is not surprising so much as it makes for a very different read.
It seems that what I took to be a good day for the league was a bit better than that.
In other news...
- Peter Nowak’s stewardship of this team he received inspired the the LA Times’ Grahame Jones to forward a new suggestion for the U.S. men’s team vacancy: bring in Peter Nowak as the coach and current front-runner, Jurgen Klinsmann, as the technical director. I have to confess he makes a good case on paper.
- The reason for several All-Stars’ absence - the Sunday match between the New England Revolution and Chivas USA - ended in a 1-1 draw. Guys like Taylor Twellman and Clint Dempsey missed out on a high-profile event, but, on the upside, they still played in front of 90,000+ (hey, even if a huge chunk of these fans were there for the second half of the double-header - FC Barcelona v. Chivas of Guadalajara - they cheered loud enough for the MLS game).
- Some guy named Pete Grathoff, who writes for a Kansas City paper (and therefore is wondering whether he’ll lose his reporting beat come 2007), wrote an “MLS at the half” column of his own. For what it’s worth, he wrote a tidier column than I did and I agree with nearly everything he’s got.
Hey. I've monkeyed around with both the template and the sidebar today, but it's the former that prompts this editorial note.
As I've done with my "politics 'n' shit" site, I've rigged this thing to show only the lead to each post. That way, I can stuff more crap on the front page and spare you, the reader/visitor, from having to scroll down through the many, many words I throw on this site.
In order to make clear when there is and isn't a jump, check the bottom of each post for this: (########). When you see that directly above the "No, I'm serious; There's more." that means you've read the entire post.
With regard to the sidebar, I added a link to ArmchairGM (and here's another one). That's basically a "Wiki" style sports page for amateurs. From what I'm seeing, it covers most sports - i.e. it's not just a soccer page. So, knock yourself out and have a read.
I'm not sure how I'm going to use that space at this point. I finally learned that I can simply cross-post what I put out here, but I'm leaning toward doing something weekly, or excerpting a "best of" out of the monster posts I do here. More than likely, I'll just play it by ear and what will happen will happen.
Right. All for now
(#######) (see it? I'm done here.)
As I've done with my "politics 'n' shit" site, I've rigged this thing to show only the lead to each post. That way, I can stuff more crap on the front page and spare you, the reader/visitor, from having to scroll down through the many, many words I throw on this site.
In order to make clear when there is and isn't a jump, check the bottom of each post for this: (########). When you see that directly above the "No, I'm serious; There's more." that means you've read the entire post.
With regard to the sidebar, I added a link to ArmchairGM (and here's another one). That's basically a "Wiki" style sports page for amateurs. From what I'm seeing, it covers most sports - i.e. it's not just a soccer page. So, knock yourself out and have a read.
I'm not sure how I'm going to use that space at this point. I finally learned that I can simply cross-post what I put out here, but I'm leaning toward doing something weekly, or excerpting a "best of" out of the monster posts I do here. More than likely, I'll just play it by ear and what will happen will happen.
Right. All for now
(#######) (see it? I'm done here.)
Let's take the weekend's action, at least as I witnessed it, chronologically.
- Friday night, the Portland Timbers continued to choke on what's left of their post-season ambitions. The only thing that would have made their 1-0 groaner of a loss to the Minnesota Thunder worse was the rest of the relevant opposition running away with timely wins. But a quick check at the scoreboard reveals that the Atlanta Silverbacks lost not once (ouch!), but twice (ouch!) over the weekend; the Virginia Beach Mariners managed a tie with league-leading L'Impact de Montreal, while the Puerto Rico Islanders stumbled 3-1 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. In other words, in spite of their worst efforts, the Timbers ended the weekend about where they started - the only exception being they've got one fewer game in which to get it right.
And judging by what I saw on the field Friday, the Timbers are a hell of a long way from right. Apart from creating one or two chances, the Timbers put on a clinic in how not to score; whether it's having the 'keeper hold the ball and overlook the obvious, wide-open option when he finally does get rid of it, or rushing the ball down the flank, only to slow it down and...switch...the...ball...very...very...very...slowly just on top of the opposition's defensive third, the Timbers graphically illustrated a lack of urgency. I can't even say anyone really stood out.
The sad reality is, this Timbers team can't make the playoffs unless they start winning. Signs, in general, suggest this ain't gonna happen, at least not this year. And, by the way, it looks like Coach Chris Agnello just made it official:
Say no more.
- While the Timbers floundered, the cream of MLS - well, the cream with a little skimmed off (see: Twellman, Taylor; Dempsey, Clint; Joseph, Shalrie; Razov, Ante) - showed some unknown percentage of the world's population that Americans can play this game. For his part, Dwayne "DeRo" DeRosario showed that Canadians can be pretty damn handy as well. It was MVP DeRo who scored the lone goal in the MLS All-Stars 1-0 victory of FC Chelsea. By the way, that lone goal is worth the gander (Sights & Sounds, as always).
I read a few bloggers' reviews last night and all maintained a sober perspective of the result (LINK, LINK and, for the most original angle, LINK)- though there's a touch of giddiness just below the surface in each of them. It's entirely true that even the best players in the world need time to get up to speed, but it's also fair to say that the MLS All-Stars simply played a a good game and created several great openings. Again, DeRosario played especially smart and creative stuff, from well-weighted chips to players lurking on the wings, or sneaky-shit backheels that nearly snuck through. For all he did, however, nearly everyone who took the field for MLS played intelligent, effective soccer. And that's just good stuff.
Some closing quick notes:
- I don't think DeRosario will stay in MLS much longer. His game has reached a point where the rich fellers may come a-courtin'.
- Someone else said it, but it's worth repeating: Chris Albright showed again that, while he came into the league as a forward, he's defender material. That miss was just friggin' painful. Overall, though, the man has done well since finding his groove.
- Facundo Erpen's near-own-goal, the one when he nutmegged (was it?) Joe Cannon? Just magical. Eddie Robinson's clearance of the same was also something special.
- It's good to see Alecko Eskandarian back out there. He's a good player and a ballsy one.
- Another great moment: Jimmy Conrad's total unwillingness to feel awe at the occasion as demonstrated by his early, um, discussion with Didier Drogba on their separate theories on diving. Grant Wahl's write-up has more on Conrad's battle with Drogba.
- The strangest question - and I didn't hear the answer, 'cause my kid barked over it - came when someone asked Eric Wynalda whether he thought the win helped Peter Nowak's chances of securing the U.S. national team post. I hope Waldo just replied, "Well, it can't hurt them" and left it there.
- Was it just me or did Joe Cannon look the most thrilled of anyone with the win?
Anyway, it was a good day for the league.
- Friday night, the Portland Timbers continued to choke on what's left of their post-season ambitions. The only thing that would have made their 1-0 groaner of a loss to the Minnesota Thunder worse was the rest of the relevant opposition running away with timely wins. But a quick check at the scoreboard reveals that the Atlanta Silverbacks lost not once (ouch!), but twice (ouch!) over the weekend; the Virginia Beach Mariners managed a tie with league-leading L'Impact de Montreal, while the Puerto Rico Islanders stumbled 3-1 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. In other words, in spite of their worst efforts, the Timbers ended the weekend about where they started - the only exception being they've got one fewer game in which to get it right.
And judging by what I saw on the field Friday, the Timbers are a hell of a long way from right. Apart from creating one or two chances, the Timbers put on a clinic in how not to score; whether it's having the 'keeper hold the ball and overlook the obvious, wide-open option when he finally does get rid of it, or rushing the ball down the flank, only to slow it down and...switch...the...ball...very...very...very...slowly just on top of the opposition's defensive third, the Timbers graphically illustrated a lack of urgency. I can't even say anyone really stood out.
The sad reality is, this Timbers team can't make the playoffs unless they start winning. Signs, in general, suggest this ain't gonna happen, at least not this year. And, by the way, it looks like Coach Chris Agnello just made it official:
"We’ve got to get these guys to push themselves through the rest of the season and learn valuable "dance lessons" so we can build on that. We’re still a team in transition right now."
Say no more.
- While the Timbers floundered, the cream of MLS - well, the cream with a little skimmed off (see: Twellman, Taylor; Dempsey, Clint; Joseph, Shalrie; Razov, Ante) - showed some unknown percentage of the world's population that Americans can play this game. For his part, Dwayne "DeRo" DeRosario showed that Canadians can be pretty damn handy as well. It was MVP DeRo who scored the lone goal in the MLS All-Stars 1-0 victory of FC Chelsea. By the way, that lone goal is worth the gander (Sights & Sounds, as always).
I read a few bloggers' reviews last night and all maintained a sober perspective of the result (LINK, LINK and, for the most original angle, LINK)- though there's a touch of giddiness just below the surface in each of them. It's entirely true that even the best players in the world need time to get up to speed, but it's also fair to say that the MLS All-Stars simply played a a good game and created several great openings. Again, DeRosario played especially smart and creative stuff, from well-weighted chips to players lurking on the wings, or sneaky-shit backheels that nearly snuck through. For all he did, however, nearly everyone who took the field for MLS played intelligent, effective soccer. And that's just good stuff.
Some closing quick notes:
- I don't think DeRosario will stay in MLS much longer. His game has reached a point where the rich fellers may come a-courtin'.
- Someone else said it, but it's worth repeating: Chris Albright showed again that, while he came into the league as a forward, he's defender material. That miss was just friggin' painful. Overall, though, the man has done well since finding his groove.
- Facundo Erpen's near-own-goal, the one when he nutmegged (was it?) Joe Cannon? Just magical. Eddie Robinson's clearance of the same was also something special.
- It's good to see Alecko Eskandarian back out there. He's a good player and a ballsy one.
- Another great moment: Jimmy Conrad's total unwillingness to feel awe at the occasion as demonstrated by his early, um, discussion with Didier Drogba on their separate theories on diving. Grant Wahl's write-up has more on Conrad's battle with Drogba.
- The strangest question - and I didn't hear the answer, 'cause my kid barked over it - came when someone asked Eric Wynalda whether he thought the win helped Peter Nowak's chances of securing the U.S. national team post. I hope Waldo just replied, "Well, it can't hurt them" and left it there.
- Was it just me or did Joe Cannon look the most thrilled of anyone with the win?
Anyway, it was a good day for the league.
I didn't intend on posting today, but a couple things have come up since this morning.
First, I was alerted to the existence of a site called ArmchairGM, which looks to be kind of a "Wiki" sports outfit. Random people - like me - get to write in whatever they see fit. It seems an interesting enough concept: people click and comment on what the registered users post and some combination of views and comments does something....still not really clear on this, but it seemed like enough fun that I thought I'd give it a go.
And that brings me to the second item. MLS Commissioner Don Garber did his State of the League address today. I didn't listen to it, but, inspired by a really bitchin' commentary on the announcement of "vertical player development," I felt compelled to post something somewhere. With the existence of ArmchairGM in the back of my mind, I posted a basic news item over there on my second-hand reading of the State of the League. (For what it's worth, I'm a fan of that site's decision to separate news and opinion content).
Returning to the State of the League, things are looking pretty rosy these days. Sure, there's the TV deal with ESPN (looks pretty decent), but the bigger news comes with the apparent establishment of youth academies attached to the clubs. But it's even better than that: according to a very good post on a blog called From College to the Pros, there's more good news:
What you don't see here, you can find (some of) in the chat MLS's site hosted with Commissioner Garber.
Have good weekend. Go Timbers (even if it's just going to be more painful in the end.) And go check out that ArmchairGM site...well, if you wanna.
UPDATE: Going through some of the other posts, I'm reminded that Garber didn't cover one issue near and dear to me: the league's current, bloated playoff structure. That one seems like one of the easier things to fix...so, what gives? There's a discussion on this subject under way over at Big Soccer. I don't know whether the guy who kicked off the post is the Peter Wilt, but hope it is. He's big cheese in that world.
(######)
First, I was alerted to the existence of a site called ArmchairGM, which looks to be kind of a "Wiki" sports outfit. Random people - like me - get to write in whatever they see fit. It seems an interesting enough concept: people click and comment on what the registered users post and some combination of views and comments does something....still not really clear on this, but it seemed like enough fun that I thought I'd give it a go.
And that brings me to the second item. MLS Commissioner Don Garber did his State of the League address today. I didn't listen to it, but, inspired by a really bitchin' commentary on the announcement of "vertical player development," I felt compelled to post something somewhere. With the existence of ArmchairGM in the back of my mind, I posted a basic news item over there on my second-hand reading of the State of the League. (For what it's worth, I'm a fan of that site's decision to separate news and opinion content).
Returning to the State of the League, things are looking pretty rosy these days. Sure, there's the TV deal with ESPN (looks pretty decent), but the bigger news comes with the apparent establishment of youth academies attached to the clubs. But it's even better than that: according to a very good post on a blog called From College to the Pros, there's more good news:
"What does vertical development mean in soccer? Youth academys. For the first time, MLS clubs will be allowed to sign players to professional contracts without the player being subject to the MLS SuperDraft and strange back room draft processes."
What you don't see here, you can find (some of) in the chat MLS's site hosted with Commissioner Garber.
Have good weekend. Go Timbers (even if it's just going to be more painful in the end.) And go check out that ArmchairGM site...well, if you wanna.
UPDATE: Going through some of the other posts, I'm reminded that Garber didn't cover one issue near and dear to me: the league's current, bloated playoff structure. That one seems like one of the easier things to fix...so, what gives? There's a discussion on this subject under way over at Big Soccer. I don't know whether the guy who kicked off the post is the Peter Wilt, but hope it is. He's big cheese in that world.
(######)
(NOTE: I changed the title to this one. The original didn't work for me)
Right around the time yesterday’s post went up, word of U.S. defender Eddie Pope’s retirement had hit the Web. The staff got together (in my head....we're a small outfit) and decided to hold off on Pope’s retirement till today’s edition when, the assumption was, there would be more online jibber-jabber.
The “real” soccer press (LINK, LINK, LINK) and the several bloggers (LINK, LINK, LINK) visited seemed primarily interested in discussing Eddie Pope’s career in terms of achievements and statistics. Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl, who seems to enjoy wonderful access, turned in the best effort with his interview with Pope - a session that capably reveals the almost distrubingly humble man under that U.S. uniform. Most surprising was the lack of personal recollections or associations - especially among the blogs (I'm not knocking anyone's content; just thought I'd see more fulsome tributes in a medium devoted to ready self-expression). For what it’s worth, the Big Soccer thread on this came closest - even if that capably reveals the high quality of Pope’s character (the bastard!).
My contribution to that Big Soccer thread (look for Snacky1) formed the starting point of this, my highly personalized tribute to “Steady” Eddie Pope.
I barely tuned into MLS’s first season - too busy drinking, I suppose (it wasn’t till 1997 that I figured out one could drink and watch soccer at the same time...sad, but true). But I still wound up watching MLS Cup I, a game played (if I’m not mistake) in New England under monsoon conditions. Part of the reason I tuned in arose from my decision to be a D.C. United supporter, in spite of my then-and-now residence in Portland, Oregon; for the record, my decision was based exclusively on their choice of uniforms - less teal and god-awful colors than the quite high league average (Christ. Hit the link. So, so ugly.)
For all the things that made that game memorable - the conditions, D.C. United’s comeback from two goals down - Pope’s extra-time winner stuffed him into the memory of every person watching that game. That day put Pope in the spotlight, but his remarkable consistency kept him there. For as long as the league existed, Eddie Pope has been a player respected and admired by many, many people.
So, Pope is nice and talented - as many people, including Bruce Arena are saying, Pope is “arguably the finest defender this country has ever produced” - but it’s his demeanor that most intrigued me.
The word “quiet” recurs in the Big Soccer recollections of Pope, but that’s not the half of it. Never mind yelling at his peers, I’ve never seen the man so much as talk to them. More notable still is the man’s expression, even in the tensest of games: it never changes. And what a look it is: it’s neither concentration, nor intensity nor frustration. Eddie Pope plays the game with the appearance of a man whose mind is ever elsewhere. For the life of me, Pope plays the game as if he's wondering whether he switched his laundry before the game, or mulling his options for dinner after it.
Perhaps that air of distraction pointed me toward a long-held impression that Pope plays on what I’d awkwardly call the Edge of Incompetence. Back when I still liked DC United - and through the many times watching him play on the national team, when I’m still a bundle of nerves - Pope repeatedly seems on the edge of getting beat, and beat badly. He always looked like he had started moving too late to cover, or that he had lost his balance at the point of contact. And yet...he rarely did. Every defender gets beat, but, 9 times out of 10 - literally that often - Eddie Pope made both the correct decision and the necessary play. All in all, he was a damn good player for our national team. One of the best? Yeah, one of the best.
Eddie: If you ever make your way to Portland, Oregon, drop me a line and I’ll buy you a beer. Hell, if I have the cash on me, I’d feed you a fountain of girl-drinks all to thank you for 11 great years of watching you play the game. It’s the least I can do, sir.
In other news...
- Truth to tell, my favorite U.S. team moment was one not everyone may remember: Tab Ramos’ friggin’ bullet against Costa Rica in Portland, Oregon (I lived in Washington DC at the time) the lone goal in the game. So, Tab, if you're ever in Portland, the offer for a beer stands.
- I’m actually going to go see the Portland Timbers game tonight. As mentioned yesterday, they play the Minnesota Thunder, one of two teams below them in the USL-1 standings. I don’t know what to call the next step up (or is it down?) in urgency, but we’re somewhere beyond “must-win.” The thing is, I figure Portland will win tonight. And it’s not personnel, desperation, or even a belief they're a better team that points me that way: it’s the aesthetics of the situation. Look, if they lose tonight, things continue as they have - kind of an incompetent amble. I, for one, don’t think that’s this Timbers teams’ style. No, they’re the kind who will respond to their fans’ urgings, but only to the point of setting them up for Grand Disappointment; think last season’s first-round flame-out to a Seattle Sounders team they’d dominated over the regular season. It’s the difference between simply getting stabbed and someone twisting the knife. In spite of the general implausibility of such phenomenon, some teams have personalities - and some teams are assholes.
- This isn’t a knock; I have a soft spot for assholes.
- The All-Star Game: Factually, I don’t give two shits about this one. Seriously. I’m only going to watch the thing to fight off the withdrawal symptoms. But there was an interesting quote from Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho in one of the many previews striving to convince me to take an interest in this game:
More fodder for hiring Peter Nowak to coach the U.S. national team? I think so. And I'm not alone on this call.
Right around the time yesterday’s post went up, word of U.S. defender Eddie Pope’s retirement had hit the Web. The staff got together (in my head....we're a small outfit) and decided to hold off on Pope’s retirement till today’s edition when, the assumption was, there would be more online jibber-jabber.
The “real” soccer press (LINK, LINK, LINK) and the several bloggers (LINK, LINK, LINK) visited seemed primarily interested in discussing Eddie Pope’s career in terms of achievements and statistics. Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl, who seems to enjoy wonderful access, turned in the best effort with his interview with Pope - a session that capably reveals the almost distrubingly humble man under that U.S. uniform. Most surprising was the lack of personal recollections or associations - especially among the blogs (I'm not knocking anyone's content; just thought I'd see more fulsome tributes in a medium devoted to ready self-expression). For what it’s worth, the Big Soccer thread on this came closest - even if that capably reveals the high quality of Pope’s character (the bastard!).
My contribution to that Big Soccer thread (look for Snacky1) formed the starting point of this, my highly personalized tribute to “Steady” Eddie Pope.
I barely tuned into MLS’s first season - too busy drinking, I suppose (it wasn’t till 1997 that I figured out one could drink and watch soccer at the same time...sad, but true). But I still wound up watching MLS Cup I, a game played (if I’m not mistake) in New England under monsoon conditions. Part of the reason I tuned in arose from my decision to be a D.C. United supporter, in spite of my then-and-now residence in Portland, Oregon; for the record, my decision was based exclusively on their choice of uniforms - less teal and god-awful colors than the quite high league average (Christ. Hit the link. So, so ugly.)
For all the things that made that game memorable - the conditions, D.C. United’s comeback from two goals down - Pope’s extra-time winner stuffed him into the memory of every person watching that game. That day put Pope in the spotlight, but his remarkable consistency kept him there. For as long as the league existed, Eddie Pope has been a player respected and admired by many, many people.
So, Pope is nice and talented - as many people, including Bruce Arena are saying, Pope is “arguably the finest defender this country has ever produced” - but it’s his demeanor that most intrigued me.
The word “quiet” recurs in the Big Soccer recollections of Pope, but that’s not the half of it. Never mind yelling at his peers, I’ve never seen the man so much as talk to them. More notable still is the man’s expression, even in the tensest of games: it never changes. And what a look it is: it’s neither concentration, nor intensity nor frustration. Eddie Pope plays the game with the appearance of a man whose mind is ever elsewhere. For the life of me, Pope plays the game as if he's wondering whether he switched his laundry before the game, or mulling his options for dinner after it.
Perhaps that air of distraction pointed me toward a long-held impression that Pope plays on what I’d awkwardly call the Edge of Incompetence. Back when I still liked DC United - and through the many times watching him play on the national team, when I’m still a bundle of nerves - Pope repeatedly seems on the edge of getting beat, and beat badly. He always looked like he had started moving too late to cover, or that he had lost his balance at the point of contact. And yet...he rarely did. Every defender gets beat, but, 9 times out of 10 - literally that often - Eddie Pope made both the correct decision and the necessary play. All in all, he was a damn good player for our national team. One of the best? Yeah, one of the best.
Eddie: If you ever make your way to Portland, Oregon, drop me a line and I’ll buy you a beer. Hell, if I have the cash on me, I’d feed you a fountain of girl-drinks all to thank you for 11 great years of watching you play the game. It’s the least I can do, sir.
In other news...
- Truth to tell, my favorite U.S. team moment was one not everyone may remember: Tab Ramos’ friggin’ bullet against Costa Rica in Portland, Oregon (I lived in Washington DC at the time) the lone goal in the game. So, Tab, if you're ever in Portland, the offer for a beer stands.
- I’m actually going to go see the Portland Timbers game tonight. As mentioned yesterday, they play the Minnesota Thunder, one of two teams below them in the USL-1 standings. I don’t know what to call the next step up (or is it down?) in urgency, but we’re somewhere beyond “must-win.” The thing is, I figure Portland will win tonight. And it’s not personnel, desperation, or even a belief they're a better team that points me that way: it’s the aesthetics of the situation. Look, if they lose tonight, things continue as they have - kind of an incompetent amble. I, for one, don’t think that’s this Timbers teams’ style. No, they’re the kind who will respond to their fans’ urgings, but only to the point of setting them up for Grand Disappointment; think last season’s first-round flame-out to a Seattle Sounders team they’d dominated over the regular season. It’s the difference between simply getting stabbed and someone twisting the knife. In spite of the general implausibility of such phenomenon, some teams have personalities - and some teams are assholes.
- This isn’t a knock; I have a soft spot for assholes.
- The All-Star Game: Factually, I don’t give two shits about this one. Seriously. I’m only going to watch the thing to fight off the withdrawal symptoms. But there was an interesting quote from Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho in one of the many previews striving to convince me to take an interest in this game:
“[DC United] played like they are the same level we are. The way they play from a tactical point of view is like they want to play with the top quality teams."
More fodder for hiring Peter Nowak to coach the U.S. national team? I think so. And I'm not alone on this call.
Bob Kellett, who writes the Oregonian’s Timbers Blog, speaks for the optimist’s club in today’s post:
This provides the backdrop for tomorrow evening’s game against the once-mighty Minnesota Thunder - a team that Kellett now recognizes as even more lowly than your Portland Timbers. While I’m sure he’s aware of it, nowhere in his post does Kellett mention the three games in hand enjoyed by each of the teams now sitting in 5th, 6th, and 7th places; and, for the playoffs, 6th spot is the last seat to the post-season Promised Land. This space covered this “math issue” a ways back and, to be honest, I halfway thought more movement would have occurred by now. As it turns out, though, the three teams in question - the Atlanta Silverbacks, the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Virginia Beach Mariners - have all idled since that post.
That will all change Friday night because all three teams have games that same night - and, it’s also worth noting, none of them play one another. Instead, Virginia Beach plays L’Impact de Montreal (that’s the best team in the league!* Hooray!), Puerto Rico plays Vancouver (4th best*...hmmm), and Atlanta plays Toronto (crap!* They’re worse than Portland). So, barring a slew of ties, we ought to know a bit more about who’s punching those tickets to the Promised Land.
With the present sixth-place team (Puerto Rico) on 28 points* and the Timbers on 21*, Portland need to win no matter how one slices it.
Say, there’s one other thing I noticed: we, that is Portland, has the worst goal-differential* in the league. I did not know that...
*All these factoids may be found in the current standings for the A-League. I should also note that, in spite of sitting 7 points below the Timbers, Minnesota has scored more and surrendered fewer goals. Yikes.
In other news...
- Had the results been more shocking, the U.S. Open Cup would have warranted higher placement. But, apart from the Charleston Battery scaring the crap out of FC Dallas, the results played to expectations (which isn’t to say they played how I expected): Red Bull New York topped Wilmington (barely); the New England Revolution’s offense continued to shoot blanks, but that didn’t stop them from sneaking a win on PKs over the Rochester Raging Rhinos - and they almost fucked that up, too; the Houston Dynamo beat the “Junior Dynamos” of Carolina 4-2; and, heartbreakingly, Real Salt Lake stumbled against the Colorado Rapids. The fifth game, between Chicago and Kansas City, was postponed due to crap weather. Ah well, the amateur, semi- and, um, lesser-pro dream is dead in this year’s Open Cup. At least they all put the fear into MLS.
- I found an interesting rant against Real Salt Lake owner, Dave Checketts, who has really got up the butts of some Utahans (Utahians? Utahaks? Utahonians?). Well, if they don’t like Checketts, he might want to look to Rochester, where an interested party are lingering near the phone, with some even more interesting parties looking over their shoulders.
- Soccertimes.com, a long-forgotten publication in my world, ran an interesting piece today on potential implications of FIFA’s planned 18-team league rule for MLS.
- More interesting than that (at least to me) was Marc Connolly’s post on some kid named Johann Smith, who now plays for Bolton in the EPL. That, along with an earlier effort by Connolly provides an answer of sorts to an essay posted by a guy named Tim Froh regarding how MLS can improve the on-field product. A short answer: the talent is out there and it's improving - or at least a scout for Bolton Wanderers thinks so. Getting them to stay is one thing to do - and Froh's point about raising the league's paltry minimum may do that - but there’s also luring them back to consider (again, see Cooper, Kenny).
Then again, if I had a better answer to Froh’s question, I would have lead with this instead of ending with it.
“The scenario to play this game is that with the addition of forward Alan Gordon and a sudden gelling of a team that hasn't gelled all season, Portland will win all six games and end up with 39 points for the season. Thirty-nine points might just be enough to make the playoffs this year in an USL-1 league where the middle-tier teams are all bunched up.”
This provides the backdrop for tomorrow evening’s game against the once-mighty Minnesota Thunder - a team that Kellett now recognizes as even more lowly than your Portland Timbers. While I’m sure he’s aware of it, nowhere in his post does Kellett mention the three games in hand enjoyed by each of the teams now sitting in 5th, 6th, and 7th places; and, for the playoffs, 6th spot is the last seat to the post-season Promised Land. This space covered this “math issue” a ways back and, to be honest, I halfway thought more movement would have occurred by now. As it turns out, though, the three teams in question - the Atlanta Silverbacks, the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Virginia Beach Mariners - have all idled since that post.
That will all change Friday night because all three teams have games that same night - and, it’s also worth noting, none of them play one another. Instead, Virginia Beach plays L’Impact de Montreal (that’s the best team in the league!* Hooray!), Puerto Rico plays Vancouver (4th best*...hmmm), and Atlanta plays Toronto (crap!* They’re worse than Portland). So, barring a slew of ties, we ought to know a bit more about who’s punching those tickets to the Promised Land.
With the present sixth-place team (Puerto Rico) on 28 points* and the Timbers on 21*, Portland need to win no matter how one slices it.
Say, there’s one other thing I noticed: we, that is Portland, has the worst goal-differential* in the league. I did not know that...
*All these factoids may be found in the current standings for the A-League. I should also note that, in spite of sitting 7 points below the Timbers, Minnesota has scored more and surrendered fewer goals. Yikes.
In other news...
- Had the results been more shocking, the U.S. Open Cup would have warranted higher placement. But, apart from the Charleston Battery scaring the crap out of FC Dallas, the results played to expectations (which isn’t to say they played how I expected): Red Bull New York topped Wilmington (barely); the New England Revolution’s offense continued to shoot blanks, but that didn’t stop them from sneaking a win on PKs over the Rochester Raging Rhinos - and they almost fucked that up, too; the Houston Dynamo beat the “Junior Dynamos” of Carolina 4-2; and, heartbreakingly, Real Salt Lake stumbled against the Colorado Rapids. The fifth game, between Chicago and Kansas City, was postponed due to crap weather. Ah well, the amateur, semi- and, um, lesser-pro dream is dead in this year’s Open Cup. At least they all put the fear into MLS.
- I found an interesting rant against Real Salt Lake owner, Dave Checketts, who has really got up the butts of some Utahans (Utahians? Utahaks? Utahonians?). Well, if they don’t like Checketts, he might want to look to Rochester, where an interested party are lingering near the phone, with some even more interesting parties looking over their shoulders.
- Soccertimes.com, a long-forgotten publication in my world, ran an interesting piece today on potential implications of FIFA’s planned 18-team league rule for MLS.
- More interesting than that (at least to me) was Marc Connolly’s post on some kid named Johann Smith, who now plays for Bolton in the EPL. That, along with an earlier effort by Connolly provides an answer of sorts to an essay posted by a guy named Tim Froh regarding how MLS can improve the on-field product. A short answer: the talent is out there and it's improving - or at least a scout for Bolton Wanderers thinks so. Getting them to stay is one thing to do - and Froh's point about raising the league's paltry minimum may do that - but there’s also luring them back to consider (again, see Cooper, Kenny).
Then again, if I had a better answer to Froh’s question, I would have lead with this instead of ending with it.
Two games down, eight to go. Let’s dig in:
It seems appropriate to begin with the end of the tournament’s Cinderella story - and, while on that subject, to celebrate the end of the awful clichés attending FC Roma’s run in the 2006 U.S. Open Cup. I mean, check out these headlines:
“Cinderella Sleeps: Galaxy Tops Roma”
“Roma FC Is Again a Pumpkin”
There’s more in the articles. Check the links and you’ll see MLS's LA Galaxy shut out Roma 2-0, but the most telling, and painful, detail comes with the reports on that second goal (from first report):
It reads a little worse in the “Pumpkin” report:
Merlo, it’s worth noting, was a stand-in at ‘keep. It sounds like he did well enough overall, but...well, what a mistake to make...y’know, with the whole country reading about it and all.
Last night’s second match played to expectations with DC United topping the Columbus Crew in overtime. Columbus’ local paper reported unfavorably on the Crew’s offensive puissance in the match, but that’s only more of the same from the Hardest-Working Team in America.
The Open Cup continues tonight with eight more games. A series of Google searches on each match-up provided some background - just enough in some cases. And, because I love being wrong, I’ll contrive picks out of that sparse background. As always, the home team appears first.
Rochester Raging Rhinos v. New England Revolution
(LINK, LINK, LINK)
My faith in New England has officially ebbed. Rochester wins - in overtime.
Charleston Battery v. FC Dallas
(LINK, LINK)
My faith in FC Dallas has officially crested; they’re playing too confidently to lose to a second-division team, even away from home. Dallas wins.
Wilmington Hammerheads v. Red Bull New York
(LINK, LINK)
Can’t say why, but Red Bull going 3-1-1 over the past five games somehow spells hubris to me. Plus, Wilmington sounds a bit desperate (see second link). Wilmington wins...ugly.
Houston Dynamo v. Carolina Dynamo
(LINK, LINK, LINK)
A look at the links reveals that the Carolina Dynamo ran away with the Professional Development League’s regular season; it took a “fluky goal” (link #2) in the playoffs to derail a perfect season. Just days after stating plainly that Houston would prove too tall a test for Red Bull New York (they didn’t), I’m going to say it again: the Houston edition of the Dynamo wins. For some reason, though, I really want Carolina to win it.
Chicago Fire v. Kansas City Wizards
(LINK, LINK)
The second link tells one tale: “Kansas City has only one win in Chicago in eight MLS seasons.” As that awful geek Stan Lee has one of his creations say, ‘nuff said. But there's something telling me that Kansas City will make this the second win in eight seasons.
Real Salt Lake v. Colorado Rapids
(LINK, LINK)
The toughest call of the bunch. My first choice for Real Salt Lake’s season would feature them losing the rest of their games in MLS (see earlier musings regarding variations on perfection), while walking away with the U.S. Open Cup. That would make me very happy and give lots of nice people something to enjoy. Despite climatic similarities that conceivably could make Colorado feel more at home, Real Salt Lake wins.
We’ll see how all that pans out tomorrow. In other news...
- The roster is set for the MLS All-Stars, who will take on FC Chelsea this Saturday. I’m actually quite pleased to see that Ricardo Clark made the roster; I’m high enough on that kid to figure the more exposure the better; it's time to go overseas, son. Speaking of the All-Star game, Jeff Bradley chipped in a rare-for-’06 contribution to MLS’s site in which he recalled “special moments” from past All-Star games. The several points of interest include past, silly formats (see 1997, 1999, 2000), some silly, half-forgotten names and players (see Takawara, Digital), and the once-controversial sports bra incident.
- A guy named Ken Pendleton, who works down the way at Oregon State University, generally writes a decent column. Today’s effort looks at recent, under-reported goings-on within FIFA, specifically Sepp “Slack” Blatter’s cunning plan to reduce all Euro leagues to 18-team tables as part of the effort to cut down on the number of games played. Pendleton has some other suggestions:
Amen, brother.
It seems appropriate to begin with the end of the tournament’s Cinderella story - and, while on that subject, to celebrate the end of the awful clichés attending FC Roma’s run in the 2006 U.S. Open Cup. I mean, check out these headlines:
“Cinderella Sleeps: Galaxy Tops Roma”
“Roma FC Is Again a Pumpkin”
There’s more in the articles. Check the links and you’ll see MLS's LA Galaxy shut out Roma 2-0, but the most telling, and painful, detail comes with the reports on that second goal (from first report):
“[LA Galaxy/Portland Timbers forward Alan] Gordon had his revenge moments later. [Roma FC Goalkeeper Nestor] Merlo mishandled a pass back allowing Gordon to steal the ball right off of his foot, and he dribbled the ball into the net uncontested to double the advantage for the hosts.”
It reads a little worse in the “Pumpkin” report:
"’He pretty much tripped on it,’ Gordon said of Merlo.‘”
Merlo, it’s worth noting, was a stand-in at ‘keep. It sounds like he did well enough overall, but...well, what a mistake to make...y’know, with the whole country reading about it and all.
Last night’s second match played to expectations with DC United topping the Columbus Crew in overtime. Columbus’ local paper reported unfavorably on the Crew’s offensive puissance in the match, but that’s only more of the same from the Hardest-Working Team in America.
The Open Cup continues tonight with eight more games. A series of Google searches on each match-up provided some background - just enough in some cases. And, because I love being wrong, I’ll contrive picks out of that sparse background. As always, the home team appears first.
Rochester Raging Rhinos v. New England Revolution
(LINK, LINK, LINK)
My faith in New England has officially ebbed. Rochester wins - in overtime.
Charleston Battery v. FC Dallas
(LINK, LINK)
My faith in FC Dallas has officially crested; they’re playing too confidently to lose to a second-division team, even away from home. Dallas wins.
Wilmington Hammerheads v. Red Bull New York
(LINK, LINK)
Can’t say why, but Red Bull going 3-1-1 over the past five games somehow spells hubris to me. Plus, Wilmington sounds a bit desperate (see second link). Wilmington wins...ugly.
Houston Dynamo v. Carolina Dynamo
(LINK, LINK, LINK)
A look at the links reveals that the Carolina Dynamo ran away with the Professional Development League’s regular season; it took a “fluky goal” (link #2) in the playoffs to derail a perfect season. Just days after stating plainly that Houston would prove too tall a test for Red Bull New York (they didn’t), I’m going to say it again: the Houston edition of the Dynamo wins. For some reason, though, I really want Carolina to win it.
Chicago Fire v. Kansas City Wizards
(LINK, LINK)
The second link tells one tale: “Kansas City has only one win in Chicago in eight MLS seasons.” As that awful geek Stan Lee has one of his creations say, ‘nuff said. But there's something telling me that Kansas City will make this the second win in eight seasons.
Real Salt Lake v. Colorado Rapids
(LINK, LINK)
The toughest call of the bunch. My first choice for Real Salt Lake’s season would feature them losing the rest of their games in MLS (see earlier musings regarding variations on perfection), while walking away with the U.S. Open Cup. That would make me very happy and give lots of nice people something to enjoy. Despite climatic similarities that conceivably could make Colorado feel more at home, Real Salt Lake wins.
We’ll see how all that pans out tomorrow. In other news...
- The roster is set for the MLS All-Stars, who will take on FC Chelsea this Saturday. I’m actually quite pleased to see that Ricardo Clark made the roster; I’m high enough on that kid to figure the more exposure the better; it's time to go overseas, son. Speaking of the All-Star game, Jeff Bradley chipped in a rare-for-’06 contribution to MLS’s site in which he recalled “special moments” from past All-Star games. The several points of interest include past, silly formats (see 1997, 1999, 2000), some silly, half-forgotten names and players (see Takawara, Digital), and the once-controversial sports bra incident.
- A guy named Ken Pendleton, who works down the way at Oregon State University, generally writes a decent column. Today’s effort looks at recent, under-reported goings-on within FIFA, specifically Sepp “Slack” Blatter’s cunning plan to reduce all Euro leagues to 18-team tables as part of the effort to cut down on the number of games played. Pendleton has some other suggestions:
“Perhaps Blatter should start by eliminating some of FIFA's own unnecessary competitions, such as the Confederations Cup and the FIFA Club World Championship, and advocate the streamlining of domestic cup competitions. The English should be compelled to abandon the League Cup, where top clubs usually field reserve sides, and Italy should eliminate two-legged ties in the Copa Italia, which minimizes the possibility of small clubs toppling giants. While we're at it, we could get rid of the Intertoto Cup, which forces teams to begin training far too early, the European Super Cup and the Charity Shield, or any competition in which clubs or countries are not willing to give 100 percent to win.”
Amen, brother.
Well, I couldn’t very well have ignored this (LINK):
Beyond saying this can only be a good thing, I don’t have much else. It’s not in that excerpt, but it sounds like Fox Soccer will show games on Saturday, while ESPN will carry a Thursday night game. In related news, Fox picked up a bunch of games for the remainder of the 2006 season, which MLS’s site helpfully posted (check the very bottom of the page; I also see the next two games air at distinctly “unhelpful” times for West coasters). And, there’s also the games played for FC Barcelona’s U.S. tour on Fox (same link). Like I said, good stuff for the right people.
There is, however, the question of how my marriage will hold together with so many games on the TV.
There’s a big discussion about this - and, honestly, more subjects than one could possibly conceive - over on BigSoccer.com's corner of MLS's site. And that brings me to another point of interest: as one poster put it, MLS finally recognized BigSoccer (I can't find it, but here's a stand-in). On a personal level - how to put this? - BigSoccer is kind of a blackhole; addictive and well beyond time-consuming. It’s “affiliation” with MLS’ site will make it easier for me to find and that’s great because the people who populate it catch and discuss all kinds of breaking stuff; it's also a decent barometer of what the people I fondly call "the obsessives" are thinking. At the same time, I find I can’t be bothered to comment on anything; by the time I see the topics, upwards of 100 people have already sounded off, with at least two of them covering the same point I have in my head. What can I say? I’m too slow for message boards...
Still, it’s good MLS finally got on the ball with that one.
I’ve been intending to do what I am doing today for some time now, but haven’t yet managed to discipline my impulses. The basic idea is to have a “feature topic” and then close out the post with short notes on other stuff. Because I do only one post a day (barring weird breaking stuff), I feel some compulsion to get everything I can in that one post. But I also want to focus, at least a bit, on one story. We’ll see how that goes tomorrow and going forward, but here’s today’s quick notes:
- Round Four of the U.S. Open Cup. Two games play today: D.C. United v. Columbus Crew and LA Galaxy v. FC Roma. It’s fair to say the latter generates quite a bit more excitement. For interested parties, the latest previews come from the Boston Globe (LINK), the Dallas Morning News (LINK), plus two more from some outlet called the LA Daily Breeze (LINK and LINK). The Breeze’s second is the pick of the bunch as I see it. Only MLS seems all that interested in Columbus v. DC. (OK, not true; one fan blog, DCenters, pulled together a nice preview).
By the way, the rest of Round Four plays tomorrow. I strongly suspect the Open Cup will dominate the commentary tomorrow.
- In local news, Alan Gordon returns from the LA Galaxy’s subs bench for the six games remaining in the Portland Timbers’ season. I don’t think much of the Timbers’ chances, but head coach Chris Agnello figures they’ve got some kind of chance:
Yeah, we’ll see you in the post-season, Chief. If it weren’t for Seattle’s 3-game skid on the road, which left them only four points ahead of Portland over an equal number of games, I would have written the season off completely.
“U.S. pro league Major League Soccer (MLS) is about to cash in on the sport’s growing popularity with a series of television deals that will bring in upwards of $15 million annually. Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of MLS, is close to a multi-year agreement with Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) for a wide-ranging rights deal worth around $20 million through 2010, according to sources.”
“With a separate, multi-year deal with ABC/ESPN —said to be worth at least $7 million-$8 million annually—expected to be announced as soon as this week, SUM could have four national TV deals. The others are a previously announced HDNet contract (said to be worth $2 million-$3 million annually) and another deal with Univision currently in the works.”
Beyond saying this can only be a good thing, I don’t have much else. It’s not in that excerpt, but it sounds like Fox Soccer will show games on Saturday, while ESPN will carry a Thursday night game. In related news, Fox picked up a bunch of games for the remainder of the 2006 season, which MLS’s site helpfully posted (check the very bottom of the page; I also see the next two games air at distinctly “unhelpful” times for West coasters). And, there’s also the games played for FC Barcelona’s U.S. tour on Fox (same link). Like I said, good stuff for the right people.
There is, however, the question of how my marriage will hold together with so many games on the TV.
There’s a big discussion about this - and, honestly, more subjects than one could possibly conceive - over on BigSoccer.com's corner of MLS's site. And that brings me to another point of interest: as one poster put it, MLS finally recognized BigSoccer (I can't find it, but here's a stand-in). On a personal level - how to put this? - BigSoccer is kind of a blackhole; addictive and well beyond time-consuming. It’s “affiliation” with MLS’ site will make it easier for me to find and that’s great because the people who populate it catch and discuss all kinds of breaking stuff; it's also a decent barometer of what the people I fondly call "the obsessives" are thinking. At the same time, I find I can’t be bothered to comment on anything; by the time I see the topics, upwards of 100 people have already sounded off, with at least two of them covering the same point I have in my head. What can I say? I’m too slow for message boards...
Still, it’s good MLS finally got on the ball with that one.
I’ve been intending to do what I am doing today for some time now, but haven’t yet managed to discipline my impulses. The basic idea is to have a “feature topic” and then close out the post with short notes on other stuff. Because I do only one post a day (barring weird breaking stuff), I feel some compulsion to get everything I can in that one post. But I also want to focus, at least a bit, on one story. We’ll see how that goes tomorrow and going forward, but here’s today’s quick notes:
- Round Four of the U.S. Open Cup. Two games play today: D.C. United v. Columbus Crew and LA Galaxy v. FC Roma. It’s fair to say the latter generates quite a bit more excitement. For interested parties, the latest previews come from the Boston Globe (LINK), the Dallas Morning News (LINK), plus two more from some outlet called the LA Daily Breeze (LINK and LINK). The Breeze’s second is the pick of the bunch as I see it. Only MLS seems all that interested in Columbus v. DC. (OK, not true; one fan blog, DCenters, pulled together a nice preview).
By the way, the rest of Round Four plays tomorrow. I strongly suspect the Open Cup will dominate the commentary tomorrow.
- In local news, Alan Gordon returns from the LA Galaxy’s subs bench for the six games remaining in the Portland Timbers’ season. I don’t think much of the Timbers’ chances, but head coach Chris Agnello figures they’ve got some kind of chance:
"With all these home games, and with a lot of teams going on the road now, it gives us a sliver of hope there to sneak in. Looking at the standings, everything is so tight in terms of points. Maybe we get a couple wins, someone drops a couple and we're right back in the mix. It's promising."
Yeah, we’ll see you in the post-season, Chief. If it weren’t for Seattle’s 3-game skid on the road, which left them only four points ahead of Portland over an equal number of games, I would have written the season off completely.
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