In case you haven't heard, the USL collected a fifth scalp last night when the Seattle Sounders dumped Chivas USA out of the U.S. Open Cup - and by a lopsided score. For those interested in a closer look at this freeway pile-up, I recommend Luis Bueno's near-rant.
Well, thank god the third round is over. The embarrassment was becoming too much. Wait, hold the phone. The Sounders get the Colorado Rapids in the next round. Dang. Looks like Major League Soccer (MLS) - that's America's top-flight, by the way - better practice concealing the blushes.
I think I've already hammered my disappointment with MLS's run in this year's Open Cup into the ground, so I'll leave it to Dan Loney to look ahead and MLS's less-than-ideal chances in the coming rounds. For a discussion of a related subject, Bill Urban took a wider view at a subject I've already examined narrowly (should be the second link in this paragraph), by wondering whether the current reserve set-up will ever produce an MLS-bench side capable of beating a USL side.
Good question. And I'm afraid we have our answer.
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Showing posts with label United Soccer Leagues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United Soccer Leagues. Show all posts
Junk-Drawer, 06.26: USL-1 Pot-Shots; RBNY/TFC Trade
I need a clever lead for this stuff...though that would probably up the "rip-off factor" of du Nord too far past tolerances.
Well....carry on, then...
- A nice little snippet from a United Soccer League Division 1 player (the Portland Timbers' Tom Poltl) on the depth of quality in Major League Soccer (MLS) appeared in The Oregonian's preview for tonight's Open Cup match:
Thoughts on this? Here's mine: as much as I like my Timbers, and even Poltl, throwing in the "after four to six players" line is like a one-legged man saying he could win a race if he had his other leg; those four to six players are there and that's the difference. For all that, he's right that USL-1 teams can compete with MLS clubs; it's just the winning part that gets tricky...
- Nearly everyone has heard by now that Red Bull swapped defenders with Toronto FC; Kevin Goldthwaite went South, while Todd Dunivant went north. For interested parties, commentary both bemused and thorough is out there. After reading the second of these, I'm not sure Red Bull did so bad.
- Steve Davis did his usual breakdown of the weekend's action for MLSnet.com and, let me tell you, the man does sharp analysis; I'm looking at the stuff on what Yallop did to LA's line-up, the stuff on Columbus' left-back situation, and his notes on KC v. Columbus in particular.
- I'm probably alone in thinking that the Copa following so closely after the Gold Cup is the only reason Hugo Sanchez hasn't lost his job - but there it is. Some heavy-hitting outfits (LINK and LINK) Sanchez' seat ain't about to cool off either.
- I don't normally go in for player profiles, but 3rd Degree's piece on Juan Carlos Toja is just so....so....damn cute. It also paints the picture of a very admirable pro. Seriously, Toja looks like one of the acquisitions of the off-season right now.
Well....carry on, then...
- A nice little snippet from a United Soccer League Division 1 player (the Portland Timbers' Tom Poltl) on the depth of quality in Major League Soccer (MLS) appeared in The Oregonian's preview for tonight's Open Cup match:
"The main difference between the leagues is that MLS players get paid to train year-round, said Tom Poltl, a Timbers midfielder who has spent time in MLS training camps in Los Angeles and New England. After the first four to six players on an MLS roster, Poltl said, USL-1 teams 'can compete with them without a doubt.'"
Thoughts on this? Here's mine: as much as I like my Timbers, and even Poltl, throwing in the "after four to six players" line is like a one-legged man saying he could win a race if he had his other leg; those four to six players are there and that's the difference. For all that, he's right that USL-1 teams can compete with MLS clubs; it's just the winning part that gets tricky...
- Nearly everyone has heard by now that Red Bull swapped defenders with Toronto FC; Kevin Goldthwaite went South, while Todd Dunivant went north. For interested parties, commentary both bemused and thorough is out there. After reading the second of these, I'm not sure Red Bull did so bad.
- Steve Davis did his usual breakdown of the weekend's action for MLSnet.com and, let me tell you, the man does sharp analysis; I'm looking at the stuff on what Yallop did to LA's line-up, the stuff on Columbus' left-back situation, and his notes on KC v. Columbus in particular.
- I'm probably alone in thinking that the Copa following so closely after the Gold Cup is the only reason Hugo Sanchez hasn't lost his job - but there it is. Some heavy-hitting outfits (LINK and LINK) Sanchez' seat ain't about to cool off either.
- I don't normally go in for player profiles, but 3rd Degree's piece on Juan Carlos Toja is just so....so....damn cute. It also paints the picture of a very admirable pro. Seriously, Toja looks like one of the acquisitions of the off-season right now.
Open Cup: A Proposal to Canales' Laudable Gripe
I think Andrea Canales' frustration with how Major League Soccer (MLS) and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) have permanently back-burnered the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has made the rounds by now (seeing as I found it on du Nord, I'm confident that it has).
Taking it as a given, then, that folks have read Canales' piece (if not, here you go), I'll go straight to my proposal for bringing this tournament to (back to? nah) deserved prominence - and if you've heard this one before, please politely sit on your hands:
That's not to say this will be simple, but I think there's a lot to recommend this. First, this would capture the undivided attention of U.S. soccer fans in the depths of their off-season jones. Second, even if they're players show up fat, between vying for a real trophy and getting ready for the MLS (or USL) season, they'll have ample motivation to shape up fast. And while it would lengthen the season, it would help in the middle with fixture congestion.
The tricky piece to all this will be the qualifying rounds; for instance, do teams qualify for this early spring tournament in the previous season or do they - especially professional and amateur teams from our nation's frozen North - find places to play where they can (in front of, well, nobody)? The tournament finals, on the other hand, would be a breeze: once you get down to the final 16, make it a formal tournament in one venue and make hosting this all-at-once tournament as big of a deal as possible. Getting back to qualifying, I'd lean toward, effectively, bookending the MLS/USL seasons with Open Cup play - the preliminary rounds would happen after the season and, after a winter break, would start up again in the spring.
Anyway, that's what occurs to me. Or you can go with the plan Canales fed Chicago Fire coach Dave Sarachan: make winning the U.S. Open Cup a way into the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, possibly at the expense of the Supporters' Shield (DISCLOSURE: I don't count the Shield for anything personally; you either have the playoffs or you don't; that's just a bias of mine). But I like my idea better - not least because it means more soccer, more often.
ON A RELATED NOTE: Andrea Canales strikes again, this time with a look at the difficulties of moving to a split season with a summer break. The god-awful weather around some of this year's openers, especially, gave MLS honchos serious pause about pushing closer to winter on either end of the calendar. And they've got a point. Going back to the above, though, that's why I'd go with qualifying across the country in the fall and hosting a one-spot tournament in a warmer clime during the spring.
But the most reassursing thing I've read all week came with the signs that MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Co. continue to think about these sorts of things. Here's to hoping the Open Cup doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
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Taking it as a given, then, that folks have read Canales' piece (if not, here you go), I'll go straight to my proposal for bringing this tournament to (back to? nah) deserved prominence - and if you've heard this one before, please politely sit on your hands:
Make the U.S. Open Cup a short, sharp preseason tournament for MLS - all levels of club soccer in the U.S. really.
That's not to say this will be simple, but I think there's a lot to recommend this. First, this would capture the undivided attention of U.S. soccer fans in the depths of their off-season jones. Second, even if they're players show up fat, between vying for a real trophy and getting ready for the MLS (or USL) season, they'll have ample motivation to shape up fast. And while it would lengthen the season, it would help in the middle with fixture congestion.
The tricky piece to all this will be the qualifying rounds; for instance, do teams qualify for this early spring tournament in the previous season or do they - especially professional and amateur teams from our nation's frozen North - find places to play where they can (in front of, well, nobody)? The tournament finals, on the other hand, would be a breeze: once you get down to the final 16, make it a formal tournament in one venue and make hosting this all-at-once tournament as big of a deal as possible. Getting back to qualifying, I'd lean toward, effectively, bookending the MLS/USL seasons with Open Cup play - the preliminary rounds would happen after the season and, after a winter break, would start up again in the spring.
Anyway, that's what occurs to me. Or you can go with the plan Canales fed Chicago Fire coach Dave Sarachan: make winning the U.S. Open Cup a way into the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, possibly at the expense of the Supporters' Shield (DISCLOSURE: I don't count the Shield for anything personally; you either have the playoffs or you don't; that's just a bias of mine). But I like my idea better - not least because it means more soccer, more often.
ON A RELATED NOTE: Andrea Canales strikes again, this time with a look at the difficulties of moving to a split season with a summer break. The god-awful weather around some of this year's openers, especially, gave MLS honchos serious pause about pushing closer to winter on either end of the calendar. And they've got a point. Going back to the above, though, that's why I'd go with qualifying across the country in the fall and hosting a one-spot tournament in a warmer clime during the spring.
But the most reassursing thing I've read all week came with the signs that MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Co. continue to think about these sorts of things. Here's to hoping the Open Cup doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
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Timbers' Weekly: Comings and Goings
OK, to be totally honest I'm still catching up on this whole follow-the-Portland-Timbers project (and, if I'm being honest about it, this has as much to do with getting me to pay attention to them...unless, that is, something I've got in the back of my head pans out). So, bear with me till I find the second beat in my rhythm (crap...that word must be Welsh). And, no matter what I do, I seriously doubt I'll ever keep up with the people who run the Soccer City USA message board. I mean, based on one message thread I just read, these people all but buttonhole the players for information*.
Anyway...
The big news of the week, I suppose, is the signing of a new forward, goes by the name of David Hague (a shock of red hair, like the fires of Hell...). The press release linked to there constitutes the first time I've ever heard of Hague or Grand Canyon University, where he played his college ball - and well, from the looks of it. Obviously, I don't have much to pass on here, but the Timbers Blog posted a thought or two on this as well.
Speaking of the ever-useful (for Timbers' fans anyway) Timbers Blog, it got a facelift! It's a new change, and it looks better than most real-world facelifts, but, also like the real thing, the body carrying that new face, in this case Oregonlive.com, is pretty dang rickety. In fact, you'd have to walk halfway 'round the world to find a clunkier web-site. We're talking the Third World. Seriously. When you hit the ocean, keep walking.
The addition of Hague takes us to the question of what the 2007 Timbers roster does, or even will, look like. The Timbers Blog posted the most recent list of signed players (and it's on the new site already) and, there, I'm counting a total of, um, 14 players...and no goalkeeper. Hmmm. On the upside, we can at least field a team at this point - provided we shift a midfielder into goal, or something - and some of those players (think Kreamalmeyer) ain't shabby. Still, a body gets to wondering where all the players that show on the roster posted on the official United Soccer League's Division 1 site are these days.
All's I can say, is I'll keep my eyes peeled.
This brings me to the message board. The fact that I (may have) completely missed the departure of Hugo Alcarez-Cuellar's departure to the hated Seattle Sounders (see...that's the thing; did I miss it? or have I just forgotten remembering it?) says plenty about my head's familiarity with my ass when it comes to Timbers' news. In any case, Hugo is gone, which does kinda suck, 'cause he's been pretty useful on the right wing over the past couple of seasons. Anyway, there's a lively discussion on this subject on the message boards and a video of Alcarez-Cuellar highlights interspersed with the Seattle Sounders logo.
Another thing that appears on the message boards - and this one picks up steam and gets weird and stalker-esque* around page 6 of the Alcarez-Cuellar thread - is chatter about the potential departure of Byron Alvarez. The thought of trading Alvarez is a tricky proposition: while injury has limited his appearances, he's one of the few genuine "impact players" for the Timbers - e.g. he's capable of doing something special to change a game almost on his own, at least on the USL Division 1 level. To draw a distinction, a guy like Alcarez-Cuellar plays consistently and well, but he can't quite do what Alvarez can. So, on the one hand, Portland would lose a hell of a player if Alvarez moves on; on the other, he's been hobbled enough that one could view this as a "John O'Brien" situation, e.g. what good is a great player if he can't play?
Anyway, that's it for now. I saw talk of some preseason games on the message boards - a couple that look like they'll be played in Portland to boot (very good) - though I feel compelled to mention I think I saw this on the Timbers Blog, but didn't process the information correctly. Those sound like they're a ways off, so I'll talk about them more when we get closer. Who knows? I might even drag my munchkins to one of 'em.
Anyway...
The big news of the week, I suppose, is the signing of a new forward, goes by the name of David Hague (a shock of red hair, like the fires of Hell...). The press release linked to there constitutes the first time I've ever heard of Hague or Grand Canyon University, where he played his college ball - and well, from the looks of it. Obviously, I don't have much to pass on here, but the Timbers Blog posted a thought or two on this as well.
Speaking of the ever-useful (for Timbers' fans anyway) Timbers Blog, it got a facelift! It's a new change, and it looks better than most real-world facelifts, but, also like the real thing, the body carrying that new face, in this case Oregonlive.com, is pretty dang rickety. In fact, you'd have to walk halfway 'round the world to find a clunkier web-site. We're talking the Third World. Seriously. When you hit the ocean, keep walking.
The addition of Hague takes us to the question of what the 2007 Timbers roster does, or even will, look like. The Timbers Blog posted the most recent list of signed players (and it's on the new site already) and, there, I'm counting a total of, um, 14 players...and no goalkeeper. Hmmm. On the upside, we can at least field a team at this point - provided we shift a midfielder into goal, or something - and some of those players (think Kreamalmeyer) ain't shabby. Still, a body gets to wondering where all the players that show on the roster posted on the official United Soccer League's Division 1 site are these days.
All's I can say, is I'll keep my eyes peeled.
This brings me to the message board. The fact that I (may have) completely missed the departure of Hugo Alcarez-Cuellar's departure to the hated Seattle Sounders (see...that's the thing; did I miss it? or have I just forgotten remembering it?) says plenty about my head's familiarity with my ass when it comes to Timbers' news. In any case, Hugo is gone, which does kinda suck, 'cause he's been pretty useful on the right wing over the past couple of seasons. Anyway, there's a lively discussion on this subject on the message boards and a video of Alcarez-Cuellar highlights interspersed with the Seattle Sounders logo.
Another thing that appears on the message boards - and this one picks up steam and gets weird and stalker-esque* around page 6 of the Alcarez-Cuellar thread - is chatter about the potential departure of Byron Alvarez. The thought of trading Alvarez is a tricky proposition: while injury has limited his appearances, he's one of the few genuine "impact players" for the Timbers - e.g. he's capable of doing something special to change a game almost on his own, at least on the USL Division 1 level. To draw a distinction, a guy like Alcarez-Cuellar plays consistently and well, but he can't quite do what Alvarez can. So, on the one hand, Portland would lose a hell of a player if Alvarez moves on; on the other, he's been hobbled enough that one could view this as a "John O'Brien" situation, e.g. what good is a great player if he can't play?
Anyway, that's it for now. I saw talk of some preseason games on the message boards - a couple that look like they'll be played in Portland to boot (very good) - though I feel compelled to mention I think I saw this on the Timbers Blog, but didn't process the information correctly. Those sound like they're a ways off, so I'll talk about them more when we get closer. Who knows? I might even drag my munchkins to one of 'em.
We're the Best, eh!
Having followed to USL teams, and having some knowledge of the woes all USL teams have experienced at the hands of L'Impact de Montreal (or is it "du Montreal"?), I'd like to express my appreciation for the Quebecois clubs big-league moxie when it comes to their supposed superiors. When asked about where his club ranks with to the new kids on the block, some team called Toronto FC, club president Joey Saputo made it crystal clear they stood next to them, till further notice anyway:
I love this inter-division rivalry stuff.
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"Toronto FC hasn't proven anything yet. We're still the best team in Canada and our goal is to continue to be the best team in Canada and, if we have the opportunity to play Toronto FC, our goal would be to prove it."
I love this inter-division rivalry stuff.
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