Welcome to my sixth annual MLS season preview. Its amazing how the league has grown and changed over the years, and this season could be the best yet for MLS.
For those not familiar with my season previews, I take a look at the major comings and goings with each MLS team, where they finished last season, and where I see them finishing this season. As you may know if you follow MLS, it may be the most difficult league in the world to predict. In just one season a club can go from worst to first, or first to worst. Mid season transfer can shake up the standings, and the World Cup this season adds another dimension to the predicting, but I will give you the most reasoned preview of which I am capable, and I hope you enjoy it.
Chicago Fire... 2013 Finish: 6th in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 finish: 6th in the Eastern Conference.
IN: D/M: Lovel Palmer, D: Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, D: Patrick Ianni, M: Benji Joya, D: Greg Cochrane, M: Matt Watson
OUT: M: Arvelo Rios, M: Joel Lindpere, F: Maicon Santos, D: Wells Thompson, D: Jalil Anibaba, D: Austin Berry, F: Frederico Puppo, M: Yazid Atouba
New manager Frank Yallop has already made some interesting changes in his short time with Chicago, making the team more solid defensively, but the story of Chicago's 2013 season was the out of his skin form of forward Mike Magee. When predicting a finish for 2014, I took into account the fact that Chicago should be more solid defensively, allowing fewer goals, but also acknowledging that the chances of Magee having a career year yet again are up in the air. If Magee finds his scoring boots again this season, expect Chicago to be fighting for playoff positioning, reaching as high as third in the East, but should the team fail to gel under Yallop in his first season controlling not only the first team but player personnel decisions, or Magee returning to the form of his first few MLS seasons, Chicago could fall as low as 7th or 8th in the conference.
Chivas USA... 2013 Finish: 9th in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 8th in the Western Conference.
IN: M: Mauro Rosales, D: Andrew Jean-Baptiste, F: Adolfo Bautista, F: Eric Zavaleta (loan from Seattle), M: Agustin Pelletieri
OUT: F: Tristan Bowen, D: Jorge Villafana, M: Gabriel Farfan, F: Bryan De La Fuente, D: Steve Purdy
The story of Chivas' 2013 campaign was one of a poor team, racism, and abysmal attendance. The story of 2014 looks to be much brighter, if not just as muddled. MLS itself stepped in to purchase Chivas USA last month, keeping the name, manager, and stadium, with an eye to securing a new LA based ownership group which will provide a rebranding, as well as a new stadium in LA itself, preferably at some point this season.
Wilmer Cabrera has been brought in as manager, as well as an aging Rosales and Bautista. While Chivas should still struggle this season to get results, they should be one of the more interesting teams in MLS, and slightly improved. Few doubt that Cabrera has what it takes to manage in MLS, and the new ownership saga seems to be ripe for exploration as the season progresses.
Colorado Rapids... 2013 Finish: 5th in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 9th in the Western Conference.
IN: D/M: Marc Burch, M: Marvin Chavez, M: Marlon Hairston
OUT: F: Atiba Harris, M: Tony Cascio (loan to Houston), M: Hendry Thomas, D: Kory Kindle (retired after one season)
After a somewhat surprising finish with a young core in 2013, Colorado look to push on in 2014. The major issues seem to be, can the youth continue to mature, and will they find a manager? In a very short span of time this off season Colorado lost an assistant coach and then their up and coming manager, leaving them in limbo as the season begins.
With so much disarray, I have to predict a poor finish for the Rapids. Add to the mix an owner more concerned with his NFL and EPL teams, and the uncertain continued growth of the Dillons, Serna and Powers, the entire bottom half of the West seems plausible for the Rapids, but my gut says they could see themselves fall behind even lowly Chivas USA.
Columbus Crew... 2013 Finish: 8th in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 9th in the Eastern Conference.
IN: GK: Brad Stuver, M: Hector Jimenez, D: Michael Parkhurst, M: Daniel Paladini
OUT: M: Eddie Gavin, D: Drew Beckie, D: Chad Marshall, GK: Andy Gruenbaum, M: Konrad Warzycha
With a new ownership group in place for its first full season (replacing the Hunt family), and a club badge rebranding in the future, it would be easy to see things looking up for the Crew. Throw in former MLS player Gregg Burhalter as manager, sort of a disciple from the Bruce Arena coaching tree, and savvy additions, and a case could be made for Columbus finishing as high as 5th, but the questions are large enough for me to predict them sitting near the bottom of the conference.
One interesting thing to look for throughout the season will be Berhalter's tactical decisions. MLS, mainly known as a 4-4-2 league over the years, seems to be making a switch to 4-3-3. Berhalter, not to be out tweaked, has dabbled using 3 men at the back this preseason. Parkhurst is the perfect MLS player for a 3 back system, but in many games the formation could easily lead to Columbus getting over run with the wrong players to not only partner Parkhurst, but to big lung it up and down the wings all match long. When and where Berhalter tries this wrinkle will tell us a lot about Berhalter as a manager, and the changes they may need to make in the summer transfer window.
DC United... 2013 Finish: 10th in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 8th in the Eastern Conference.
IN: M: Davy Arnaud, D: Sean Franklin, D: Bobby Boswell, F: Conor Doyle, F: Eddie Johnson, F: Fabian Espindola, D: Jeff Parke, M: Alex Caskey
OUT: F: Carlos Ruiz, F: Lionard Pajoy, M: Dwayne De Rosario, D: James Riley, M: John Thorrington, D: Dejan Jakovic, F: Casey Townsend, M: Collin Martin
The argument could be made that no one had a better offseason than DC. Adding a USMNT forward as a designated player in Eddie Johnson, an aging but dangerous proven scorer in Espindola, a solid vet in Arnaud, as well as 3 veteran rocks in defense with Franklin, Boswell, and Parke, I was almost tempted to believe that last seasons rock bottom finish and season of abject misery was a blip, and the playoff team of 2012 is the norm under manager Ben Olsen. While I believe they will be greatly improved, I'm not sold on the team being solidified in time to get the early results they will need to put things in motion for a playoff run. Johnson, even if he wants to show Seattle what they are missing just because of money, he will be away this summer because of the World Cup, which could cause the team to falter should the US be away for longer than just the group stage.
FC Dallas... 2013 Finish: 8th in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 5th in the Western Conference.
IN: M: Adam Moffat, M: Hendry Thomas, F: Andres Escobar, F: David Texeira
OUT: M: David Ferreira, M: Jackson, F: Kenny Cooper, M: Bobby Warshaw, F: Eric Hassli
Oscar Pareja left Colorado this winter to go back "home", and this could be the start of something special in Dallas. The additions of Moffat and Thomas in the midfield could be exactly what Dallas needed to take an underperforming side last season and really put it all together. Thomas in particular could be one of the moves of the offseason, protecting the defense and distributing through the middle, making it all work in ways it hasn't since Daniel Hernandez was shown the door. Look for Dallas to get off to a hot start, and the teams pace to wear the opposition out during the long hot summer. You'll enjoy watching FC Dallas.
Houston Dynamo... 2013 Finish: 4th in the Eastern Conference. 2014 Predicted Finish: 4th in the Eastern Conference.
IN: D: A.J. Cochran, D: David Horst, M: Tony Cascio
OUT: F: Brian Ching, D: Bobby Boswell, F: Callen Carr
Other than the loss of solid veteran Bobby Boswell, it was a quite offseason in Houston. While I could make a case for Houston falling to 7th or 8th in the league, the Dominic Kinnear factor as well as Houston's legacy as a team that grinds it out all season long has me keeping them in the playoffs this season. Typical boring Houston.
LA Galaxy... 2013 Finish: 3rd in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 2nd in the Western Conference.
IN: M: Baggio Husidic, F: Samuel, F: Rob Friend, D: James Riley
OUT: M: Colin Clark, D: Sean Franklin, M: Michael Stephens, GK: Carlo Cudicini, M: Pablo Mastroeni, F: Jose Villarreal, D: Bryan Gaul, D: Greg Cochrane
Bruce Arena is the king of the tweak, making minor changes year after year while keeping his team among the best in the league. This seasons tweak, adding a large target man (2 actually) for Robbie Keane to play off of, while sliding Landon Donovan back into the midfield. The main loss, Sean Franklin, was replaced by James Riley, making it a wash.
The question will be how LA handles the World Cup with Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez being gone, and only that keeps me from placing them as Western Conference winners. If either Samuel or Friend hits the ground running, LA could be in for a dominating season, and Robbie Keane could be headed toward an MVP season.
Montreal Impact... 2013 Finish: 5th in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 10th in the Eastern Conference.
IN: D/M: Eric Miller, D: Heath Pearce
OUT: D: Allesandro Nesta, M: Paolo DelPiccolo, M: Maximilliano Rodriguez, M: Davy Arnaud, D: Zack Valentin
Frank Kloppas has joined Montreal this season as manager, after a mediocre spell in charge of the Chicago Fire. With no major additions to coincide with veteran departures of a mixed nature, nothing about Montreal has me excited for the upcoming season. I don't know who they are, nor do I trust Kloppas to do anything with them. Though they finished just in the playoff race last season, in a wide open battle from 3rd to 10th in the East, my gut says Montreal sink to the bottom.
New England Revolution... 2013 Finish: 3rd in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 5th in the Eastern Conference.
IN: M: Paolo DelPiccolo, M/F: Steve Neumann, F: Patrick Mullins, F: Teal Bunbury, M: Diego Kobayashi
OUT: F: Chad Barrett, D: Tyler Polak, GK: Matt Reis, F: Juan Agudelo, M: Juan Toja
Last season New England took a young squad with a young manager, had fun playing, and took it all the way to the 3rd seed in the East. This season I expect much of the same. A major loss will be Juan Agudelo heading to Europe, but the addition of Teal Bunbury could be just what the doctor, or in this case Jay Heaps, ordered. Bunbury has yet to prove himself, but will finally be given the chance to be the main man for a club, and the positive atmosphere could be just the thing he needs. Throw in 2 of the top 10 players in this years draft and New England is looking good.
The worry of course is a second season syndrome setting in with Heaps and the youngsters of the Revolution. Have other clubs figured them out? To me, the deciding factor in New England making the playoffs could be that they wont be losing anyone to the World Cup.
New York Red Bulls... 2013 Finish: 1st in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 2nd in the Eastern Conference.
IN: M: Bobby Convey, D: Richard Eckersley
OUT: GK: Kevin Hartman, D: Brandon Barklage, D: Heath Pearce, F: Fabian Espindola, D: Markus Holgersson
New York had a relatively quite offseason with no real major losses and no major additions. Eckersley could prove that he is better than a few seasons in the hell that was TFC have shown, and Convey is always serviceable. For the first time since Bob Bradley's Metro Star days, New York decided team chemistry is more important than adding a "name".
Tim Cahill will miss time for the World Cup, and Theirry Henry, in his final contracted season with the club, isn't getting any younger. Already Henry is being pulled from New York's opening match due to the issue of a turf field, which Henry refuses to play on unless it is Portland. While I believe the Red bulls will be in the Supporters Shield race until the season ends, these issues will see them finishing 2nd to me. Then again, who knows what name could enter the fray post World Cup.
Philadelphia Union... 2013 Finish: 7th in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
IN: GK: Andre Blake, M: Maurice Edu, D: Austin Berry, M: Vincent Nogueira
OUT: M/F: Kleberson, D: Chris Albright, M: Michael Farfan, D: Jeff Parke
Philly made two superb acquisitions in Edu and Berry, with Blake, the best keeper in the MLS Super Draft, still needing MLS seasoning before stepping in to take McMath's spot as Philly's #1. Farfan and Parke will be losses, but as the team matures one more season together, Philly looks destined to put it all together and make a run. Every year I pick a team to surprise everyone with their strong finishing position, and this year I feel it is the Union. Look for Philadelphia to be more defensively sound this season, and Jack McInerney to have a season similar to his start of last year. Watch the flanks for Philly this season.
Portland Timbers... 2013 Finish: 1st in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 1st in the Western Conference.
IN: D: Jorge Villafana, M: Steve Zakuani, F: Gaston Fernandez, D: Norberto Paparatto
OUT: D: David Horst, D: Dylan Tucker-Gagnes, F: Ryan Johnson, D: Andrew Jean-Baptiste, M: Sal Zizzo, F: Sebastian Rincon, F: Jose Valencia, D: Mikael Silvestre
This could be the year of Darlington Nagbe. If Steve Zakuani gets fit and back in form, Portland becomes even faster and more dangerous. Should Fernandez hit the ground running with the help of hi countryman Diego Valeri, they may be unstoppable. As long as Will Johnson stays fit, Portland has the inside track to the Supporters Shield. The most fun team to watch as well as the hipster choice thanks to Caleb Porter and the Timbers Army, Porterball 2.0 could be even better than version 1.
Real Salt Lake... 2013 Finish: 2nd in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 3rd in the Western Conference.
IN:
OUT: GK: Josh Saunders, D/M: Lovel Palmer
RSL has been one of the most consistent teams the past several years, and the fact that they made no major changes should see that trend continue. The one major worry is that they are now under a new manager in Jeff Cassar. Much of the credit RSL has received in recent years has been laid at the feet of Jason Kreis. If RSL should falter this season, the legend of Kreis will only grow prior to his debut with NYCFC in 2015.
San Jose Earthquakes... 2013 Finish: 6th in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 7th in the Western Conference.
IN: F: Atiba Harris, F: Billy Schuler, D: Brandon Barklage
OUT: M: Ramiro Corrales, M: Mehdi Ballouchy, D: Justin Morrow, M: Marvin Chavez, D: Steven Beitashour
On paper, the Quakes have a team more than good enough to reach the playoffs in 2014. But games are not played on paper. The Quakes lost most of their depth this offseason, meaning any extended injury or rash of injuries/suspensions could lead to a tumble down the table. I feel this season San Jose will once again fall just short of making the playoffs.
Seattle Sounders FC... 2013 Finish: 4th in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 4th in the Western Conference.
IN: GK: Stefan Frei, F: Tristan Bowen, D: Chad Marshall, F: Kenny Cooper, F: Corey Hertzog, F: Chad Barrett, D: Jalil Anibaba, M: Marco Pappa
OUT: GK: Michael Gspurning, D: Marc Burch, M: Blair Gavin, F: Steve Zakuani, M: Mauro Rosales, M: Adam moffat, F: Eddie Johnson, D: Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, D: Patrick Ianni, F: Eric Zaveleta, M: Alex Caskey
Sigi Schmidt is in the final season of his contract with the Sounders. Eddie Johnson as well as a host of veteran players were shown the door. In return they gained a quality defender in Marshall, a mid who completely lost form during a year away from MLS in Pappa, and a handful of forwards who are either past prime or haven't gotten there yet, and maybe never will.
It would be easy to call Seattle the losers of the MLS offseason, because no one seems to be able to tell me what is going on in Seattle, what the plan is if it does exist. But with Cooper said to be looking better than he has since his brief Red Bulls spell, Marshall ready to marshall the back line, and Pappa being a possible key cog in the mid, should everything go exactly right for Seattle, they will be figting for the top of the West. And yet, should Clint Dempsey fail to reach form, or Obafemi Martins fail to ever achieve any, it is also plausible that by the time the World Cup arrives, Sigi could be unemployed.
Sporting Kansas City... 2013 Finish: 2nd in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 1st in the Eastern Conference.
IN: M: Sal Zizzo, GK: Andy Gruenbaum
OUT: GK: Jimmy Nielsen, F: Teal Bunbury
When you walk away from the 2013 season as MLS Cup champions, you don't need to make many changes to your team, and KC didn't. Can they survive with a new keeper in front of the leagues most consistent defense? Can they repeat as champions? Will CONCACAF Champions League slow them down? Will the hunt for an MLS Cup/US Open Cup double be too much for a team that will be worn thin should the US make it past the group stage at the World Cup?
The questions in regards to KC are many, but as their positioning last year and eventual Cup win tell us, the questions could very well come with positive answers. Like with most teams, as long as the key players stay fit, KC could be fighting on all fronts, sticking in the Supporters Shield race until the bitter end.
Toronto FC... 2013 Finish: 9th in the Eastern Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 7th in the Eastern Conference.
IN: M: Jackson, F: Gilberto, D: Justin Morrow, M: Dwayne De Rosario, F: Jermain Defoe, M: Michael Bradley, D: Bradley Orr, GK: Julio Cesar
OUT: F: Robert Earnshaw, F: Justin Braun, F: Danny Koevermans, GK: Stefan Frei, M: Bobby Convey, D: Richard Eckersley, M: Mattias Laba, M: Reggie Lambe
Where to begin with Toronto FC and the overhaul that has begun? Their best player last season, Mattias Laba, is now gone, but Michael Bradley now anchors the midfield. They added proven EPL goal scorer Defoe to the front line, as well as Gilberto, who came into training camp over weight and out of shape. Elder statesman De Rosario came back to Toronto against all odds, with Brasilian #1 Julio Cesar joining from the English Championship.
All signs would point to Toronto FC climbing the table, solidifying a playoff spot, and even challenging for the Supporters Shield. And yet the game doesn't always work that way. There are still many holes in the Toronto squad to be filled in during the coming seasons, and in its current state, the team seem to be very reliant on Michael Bradley. It would be easy to say as Bradley goes, so goes TFC, but realistically even a brilliant season from Bradley and the TFC new boys should see them fall a few points short of the playoff places in a heavily muddled Eastern Conference.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC... 2013 Finish: 7th in the Western Conference. Predicted 2014 Finish: 6th in the Western Conference.
IN: D: Christian Dean, M: Mehdi Ballouchy, D: Steven Beitashour, M: Matias Laba, M/F: Sebastian Fernandez, M/F: Nicolas Mezquida
OUT: D: Lee Young-Pyo, GK: Joe Cannon, M: Daigo Kobayashi, F: Corey Hertzog
Welshman Carl Robinson takes over Vancouver as they continue to take steps forward. The addition of the fantastic Laba should help secure the back while also helping Vancouver gain and keep possession. Ballouchy and Beitashour should also help in that regard. I expect the Whitecaps to be marginally improved and in position most of the season in a dog fight for the final playoff places. Much will ride on Robinson's vision and tactical decision making.
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As with every season, the summer transfer window can shake things up in positive and negative ways for every team, so while some of my predictions will make me seem a visionary, others will make me seem rather thick. Who knows, maybe both are true? I will close with a few other predictions for the upcoming season...
Supporters Shield Winner: Sporting Kansas City
Potential League MVP: Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), Will Johnson (Portland Timbers), Tim Cahill (NY Red Bulls)
Player To Watch: Matias Laba (Vancouver), Michael Bradley (Toronto), Darlington Nagbe (Portland), Hendry Thomas (Dallas), Eddie Johnson (DC)
Rookie Of The Year: Difficult choice this season as so few rookies look likely to get steady starting minutes.
Well, that was it, season preview #6. I hope you learned something, were aggravated by something, or inspired to watch a club you hadn't really paid attention to before, or watch an old face in a new place.
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
You're Insecure And Need Validation. Don't Take It Out On Michael Bradley.
While many of us expect USMNT and AS Roma midfielder Michael Bradley to be introduced as an MLS and Toronto FC player on Monday, as they also unveil Tottenham's English forward Jermaine Defoe, I would just like to point out that we are a long way from that happening. With the addition of Gilberto earlier in the off season, and Tottenham's Defoe on Monday, TFC will have 3 designated players. League rules only allow 3, so Michael Bradley can not be added to Toronto until they find a buyer, trade partner, or they out right release the talented Mattias Laba. And though AS Roma has already announced the departure of Bradley for a hefty fee to Toronto and MLS, MLS and Toronto itself have not confirmed anything.
Now that we have the minor details out of the way, Bradley is still expected to sign the papers and make the deal official over the next several days, once Laba has been dealt with. (Or MLS comes up with a Bradley rule) The reaction of fans in the US, in particular the euro snobs who support the USMNT but have no interest in supporting MLS, has been a combination of hilarious, vile, hypocritical, and down right ignorant.
One bombastic blowhard, sorry, former stateside soccer talking head, called the move a disaster because Bradley would be moving to a third rate club in a third tier league. Some fans have already predicted World Cup doom because of the move. Some fans have even started to question Bradley making the USMNT squad for the World Cup based on the move. Some have brought out the always fun mental masturbation circle jerk that is the cyclical argument... MLS won't be worth watching until top players in their prime start to play there. Michael Bradley is a top player in his prime, and therefore, too good to join a league like MLS. Some argue that the best American players playing in MLS hurts the USMNT, and attempt to prove this scenario by pointing to Brasil, where their top players rarely play in the Brasilian league past their teenage years. Some have claimed that Bradley is quitting on his career, or pussy-ing out by leaving a top European club for money and comfort in MLS.
While listening to and reading the reactions of American fans during the past few days, I have come to a realization that I believe I already knew... American fans are insecure about their fandom, but more importantly, they are completely dependent on validation from outside the country to make them feel worthy. They don't feel validated as being "real" without Americans abroad being validated as real. Not just in the big 4 european leagues, but with top clubs in the big four leagues. Not just in the Champions League, but in the Champions League with top clubs. Mentally, American fans are middle aged small dicked men driving around in expensive sports cars with a blonde half their age on their arm, hoping that something that will never happen becomes true if they project the right image. Fans in many countries respect you more than you think, but they will never respect you as much as you want, especially when you only want to be a copy of their fandom. And frankly, if you need validation from daddy to feel like a man, you aren't one. The projection of fans own quirks and insecurities onto the Michael Bradley situation has been troubling, and to relax some of those fears, I would like to break it down for you now in a way that may help you understand it, and that the move is actually a good one for Bradley, the USMNT, and MLS.
THE WORLD CUP
One of the major concerns for American fans over the Michael Bradley move has been the impending World Cup in Brasil. Apparently, over the next few months, MLS and Toronto are so bad, Michael Bradley will fall off a cliff and destroy every chance we have of competing at the World Cup. On its face, a completely farcical knee jerk reaction having nothing to do with reality. If you put together a highlight real of the past few World Cups for the Americans, the main star of such a clip would be MLS based Landon Donovan. While Americans have slated Donovan for years for not spending his career in Europe, instead being happy and comfortable in MLS, the truth is, spending his career in MLS hasn't hurt Donovan's career, form, World Cup performances, or life. It may have hurt his bank balance, but if he is fine with that, you should be too. And if reports are even remotely accurate, Michael Bradley will be making more money in Toronto than he ever was going to in Europe.
While bashing Donovan at every turn for his MLS choice, upon a 2 month spell at Everton in the English Premier League, fans reacted as if they never knew that Donovan was a good player, and seemed shocked by his sudden validation in their eyes. His return home seemed to provoke them even more, because he had proven himself in Europe. How could he not want to spend his career there, making their dreams come true, instead, selfishly fulfilling his own desires? The fact is, Landon Donovan has been the greatest American field player ever to walk the face of planet Earth, and he did it almost entirely while playing in MLS.
Should Michael Bradley or the US have a bad World Cup, we already know most American hate-MLS-first fans will blame MLS and the Toronto move for the failure. Completely ignoring that we are in the group-of-death. Ignoring that players have bad World Cups all the time. Ignoring that we got to the World Cup again thanks in part to the hard work of Bradley during qualifying. Should the US succeed at the Cup and Bradley play well, it will be because Jurgen Klinsmann is a genius and Bradley played so long in Europe, MLS didn't have the chance to taint him yet. These are not valid arguments, so get them out of your head now. MLS has done more for the USMNT over the past decade than Europe has.
WHY BRADLEY, WHY?
One thing the fans seem to be having a deep issue with is the "why" question. Why would an American leave a top club in Europe fighting for a spot in next years Champions League? Why would he not leave for another Italian or English club? Why would he choose MLS? If you think for a few moments, the answer are pretty obvious, but let me help you and spell them out for you, saving you from doing the thinking yourself...
Michael Bradley has been continually disrespected by Roma. If you asked managers and scouts all over Europe what a fair wage would be for Michael Bradley, I promise you that most would say he was underpaid at Roma. The club have also continuously brought in new players (with better wages) at his position. Strootman in the summer, Nainggolan this very winter. He lost his position due to an injury, and has been marginalized since. His future wasn't at Roma, even if he tried to stay and fight for a few games a year.
We are led to believe that Bradley had several European options open to him, from Bologna and Chievo in Italy, to Fulham, Sunderland, and Cardiff in England. Why would Bradley choose Toronto over bottom feeding clubs abroad?
In Toronto, Bradley will be a key player. At Roma he was a small piece in a rebuilt puzzle. At Sunderland he would be a cog in an already muddled situation where our starting striker is already caught in the mire, desperately seeking form. At Bologna or Chievo he would be a leader, but still a piece for hire, a stop on the road until a bigger club moves in and makes the club some money. A move he already made in Italy. At Fulham or Cardiff, like Sunderland, he would be caught up in a troubling and stressful situation, trying to settle with his back to the wall. And realistically, Bradley already made his EPL move, and during his loan move to Aston Villa, he again was completely disrespected, not being able to get a game. We all know he was good enough to improve that midfield, and yet he couldn't make it past the training pitch. Not wanting to risk a bad situation again in a World Cup year isn't that surprising.
Michael Bradley, though still 26, has spent a decade in Europe. He proved himself in Holland. He proved himself in Germany. He proved himself in Italy. After a decade away from home, proving himself abroad, what more does he need to do?
Money and comfort are two factors in his choice if reports are reliable. Some have suggested his wages will be 5-6 times that of his current Roma deal. I believe it is more 3-4 times his current wages, but either way, if someone asked you to leave your job for another, where you increased your pay 2 times, 3 times, 6 times over, for doing the same job, who says no?
While we see Bradley on the pitch for 90 minutes each week (when he plays), what do we know of his off pitch life? He is married and a new father. What is life like for his family in Rome? We do not know, and shouldn't make judgements based on our own desires without having walked in those shoes.
For me, the real "why" question is why should Michael Bradley care that you need validation and are insecure? Why should he care that you want a yank at a top club, and a top club in the Champions League? He shouldn't. Its your issue, not his. And why should we care about Americans flying the flag trying to prove something to foreigners? Do we not know when a player is "good enough"? Do we not know that Michael Bradley is good enough? Why must we always need someone else to tell us we are worthy? We shouldn't.
MLS
MLS isn't watchable because good players don't play here in their prime. Landon Donovan, Dwayne DeRosario, and others don't count because they are from here and never really "made it" in Europe. Then, when Clint Dempsey or Michael Bradley come home with years left in the tank, fans freak because they are too good to play in MLS and are throwing their careers away. Its not just an anti-MLS point of view, but again goes to the fans need to be validated, having nothing to do with the players happiness or comfort. Projecting your issues on another isn't healthy. Will Bradley, Dempsey, and any other proven European commodity improve MLS over the course of the next decade simply by their presence? Of course. And that should be a worthy goal of any real fan of the game in America.
One major complaint has been that returning to MLS is bad enough, but going to Toronto (a third rate team in a third tier league) is a kiss of death. These people clearly have little knowledge of MLS or Toronto beyond a surface view. The truth is that Toronto has made blunder after blunder in the past, but with the appointment of former AEG chief, (LA Galaxy President) and current head of MLSE Tim Leiweke, Toronto has made all of the right moves. At the end of the season, Ryan Nelsen's press conference saw a half filled press room and a lack of interest. Since then, Mr. Entertainment Tim Leiweke introduced DP Gilberto during half time of a Toronto Raptors game. He brought in Dwayne DeRosario for locker room leadership and to get fans excited, leading to a packed press room where not everyone could fit. He brought in England international Jermaine Defoe. And now, Michael Bradley. While Nelsen's credentials as manager are still in doubt, (a pre-Leiweke appointment) every move the showman who brought David Beckham to MLS has made has been spot on. Even with years of poor results and poor leadership, the fan base and facilities of Toronto have been near the top of MLS. Add Leiweke's bravado, desire for trophies, and a $26 million war chest heading into the off season, all signs point to a turn around for Toronto. Something we all know can happen in a flash in MLS.
Bradley is important to MLS and Toronto. He will instantly be under pressure to be the face of the franchise as well as the league, but he will also need to lift himself up to be "the man", and his mentality and character says he will be able to do it. Beyond his impact, he will impact the rest of the players in the league as well. Players step up their game and want to prove something against Henry, Donovan, Keane, Beckham, Dempsey, Bradley, etc. Playing against the stars gives the entire league a boost.
The most damning evidence against the MLS haters is that players like Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley see MLS as an option. Not a retirement option. A prime option. They don't see the league as harmful to their career. Their bank balance. Their lifestyle. Their USMNT hopes. Its time the fans catch up to the thoughts of the players. Giles Barnes, former EPL and Championship player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo has said several times that his friends in both of the top two divisions of English football constantly ask him about MLS, and see it as a real option. Money being the factor that holds established players back. Despite what the American fans think of the league, players see it as legitimate and an option. Why many fans can't follow is mind boggling, and harmful to the sport in this country. Including the National Team they claim to support.
For me, a dip in USMNT fortunes over the next decade would be worth it if it helps improve MLS, which in turn will eventually help the USMNT even more than it already has. Though evidence suggests, our best players coming home will not harm the USMNT in any way. Its easy to look at Brasil and claim that they have a great national team because their best players do not play in their domestic league, but against top talent week in and week out. Suggesting that a national team can only be successful with its players based at home, if the domestic league is a top league. (Spain, Germany, Italy, England.) Yet we only need to look south of our border to see the problem with such a view. Mexico has always had a strong base of domestic players. This year, their entire qualifying success was built upon domestic talent. Would anyone suggest they haven't had success in the World Cup? As much and more on all levels from kids to the first team than the US? Does France not have a great national team, with many of its best talents domestic based, even though it isn't in the "big 4" of leagues? Is MLS not one of the best 7 leagues in the world already anyway, based on attendance and quality of play? All with a salary cap that is going to increase with the new collective bargaining agreement, and one that has seen DP slots expand to 3 per team?
IN RETROSPECT
MLS is not a death kiss to your career. MLS is not a death kiss to your USMNT aspirations. MLS does not turn quality players into bad players. MLS is better than you think it is. You don't need validation from someone a world away who has their own issues. You don't need to feel insecure about your fandom or your national team players.
We may need to start daily affirmation to help get the point across. We are good enough. We are smart enough. And who gives a damn if people like us. Our players are good enough. Our league is good enough. And its time we put decade old lazy and ignorant cliches in the trash where they belong.
MLS is demanding your attention.
You're insecure and need validation, but don't take it out on Michael Bradley, or the rest of us who know what you have been missing.
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
Now that we have the minor details out of the way, Bradley is still expected to sign the papers and make the deal official over the next several days, once Laba has been dealt with. (Or MLS comes up with a Bradley rule) The reaction of fans in the US, in particular the euro snobs who support the USMNT but have no interest in supporting MLS, has been a combination of hilarious, vile, hypocritical, and down right ignorant.
One bombastic blowhard, sorry, former stateside soccer talking head, called the move a disaster because Bradley would be moving to a third rate club in a third tier league. Some fans have already predicted World Cup doom because of the move. Some fans have even started to question Bradley making the USMNT squad for the World Cup based on the move. Some have brought out the always fun mental masturbation circle jerk that is the cyclical argument... MLS won't be worth watching until top players in their prime start to play there. Michael Bradley is a top player in his prime, and therefore, too good to join a league like MLS. Some argue that the best American players playing in MLS hurts the USMNT, and attempt to prove this scenario by pointing to Brasil, where their top players rarely play in the Brasilian league past their teenage years. Some have claimed that Bradley is quitting on his career, or pussy-ing out by leaving a top European club for money and comfort in MLS.
While listening to and reading the reactions of American fans during the past few days, I have come to a realization that I believe I already knew... American fans are insecure about their fandom, but more importantly, they are completely dependent on validation from outside the country to make them feel worthy. They don't feel validated as being "real" without Americans abroad being validated as real. Not just in the big 4 european leagues, but with top clubs in the big four leagues. Not just in the Champions League, but in the Champions League with top clubs. Mentally, American fans are middle aged small dicked men driving around in expensive sports cars with a blonde half their age on their arm, hoping that something that will never happen becomes true if they project the right image. Fans in many countries respect you more than you think, but they will never respect you as much as you want, especially when you only want to be a copy of their fandom. And frankly, if you need validation from daddy to feel like a man, you aren't one. The projection of fans own quirks and insecurities onto the Michael Bradley situation has been troubling, and to relax some of those fears, I would like to break it down for you now in a way that may help you understand it, and that the move is actually a good one for Bradley, the USMNT, and MLS.
THE WORLD CUP
One of the major concerns for American fans over the Michael Bradley move has been the impending World Cup in Brasil. Apparently, over the next few months, MLS and Toronto are so bad, Michael Bradley will fall off a cliff and destroy every chance we have of competing at the World Cup. On its face, a completely farcical knee jerk reaction having nothing to do with reality. If you put together a highlight real of the past few World Cups for the Americans, the main star of such a clip would be MLS based Landon Donovan. While Americans have slated Donovan for years for not spending his career in Europe, instead being happy and comfortable in MLS, the truth is, spending his career in MLS hasn't hurt Donovan's career, form, World Cup performances, or life. It may have hurt his bank balance, but if he is fine with that, you should be too. And if reports are even remotely accurate, Michael Bradley will be making more money in Toronto than he ever was going to in Europe.
While bashing Donovan at every turn for his MLS choice, upon a 2 month spell at Everton in the English Premier League, fans reacted as if they never knew that Donovan was a good player, and seemed shocked by his sudden validation in their eyes. His return home seemed to provoke them even more, because he had proven himself in Europe. How could he not want to spend his career there, making their dreams come true, instead, selfishly fulfilling his own desires? The fact is, Landon Donovan has been the greatest American field player ever to walk the face of planet Earth, and he did it almost entirely while playing in MLS.
Should Michael Bradley or the US have a bad World Cup, we already know most American hate-MLS-first fans will blame MLS and the Toronto move for the failure. Completely ignoring that we are in the group-of-death. Ignoring that players have bad World Cups all the time. Ignoring that we got to the World Cup again thanks in part to the hard work of Bradley during qualifying. Should the US succeed at the Cup and Bradley play well, it will be because Jurgen Klinsmann is a genius and Bradley played so long in Europe, MLS didn't have the chance to taint him yet. These are not valid arguments, so get them out of your head now. MLS has done more for the USMNT over the past decade than Europe has.
WHY BRADLEY, WHY?
One thing the fans seem to be having a deep issue with is the "why" question. Why would an American leave a top club in Europe fighting for a spot in next years Champions League? Why would he not leave for another Italian or English club? Why would he choose MLS? If you think for a few moments, the answer are pretty obvious, but let me help you and spell them out for you, saving you from doing the thinking yourself...
Michael Bradley has been continually disrespected by Roma. If you asked managers and scouts all over Europe what a fair wage would be for Michael Bradley, I promise you that most would say he was underpaid at Roma. The club have also continuously brought in new players (with better wages) at his position. Strootman in the summer, Nainggolan this very winter. He lost his position due to an injury, and has been marginalized since. His future wasn't at Roma, even if he tried to stay and fight for a few games a year.
We are led to believe that Bradley had several European options open to him, from Bologna and Chievo in Italy, to Fulham, Sunderland, and Cardiff in England. Why would Bradley choose Toronto over bottom feeding clubs abroad?
In Toronto, Bradley will be a key player. At Roma he was a small piece in a rebuilt puzzle. At Sunderland he would be a cog in an already muddled situation where our starting striker is already caught in the mire, desperately seeking form. At Bologna or Chievo he would be a leader, but still a piece for hire, a stop on the road until a bigger club moves in and makes the club some money. A move he already made in Italy. At Fulham or Cardiff, like Sunderland, he would be caught up in a troubling and stressful situation, trying to settle with his back to the wall. And realistically, Bradley already made his EPL move, and during his loan move to Aston Villa, he again was completely disrespected, not being able to get a game. We all know he was good enough to improve that midfield, and yet he couldn't make it past the training pitch. Not wanting to risk a bad situation again in a World Cup year isn't that surprising.
Michael Bradley, though still 26, has spent a decade in Europe. He proved himself in Holland. He proved himself in Germany. He proved himself in Italy. After a decade away from home, proving himself abroad, what more does he need to do?
Money and comfort are two factors in his choice if reports are reliable. Some have suggested his wages will be 5-6 times that of his current Roma deal. I believe it is more 3-4 times his current wages, but either way, if someone asked you to leave your job for another, where you increased your pay 2 times, 3 times, 6 times over, for doing the same job, who says no?
While we see Bradley on the pitch for 90 minutes each week (when he plays), what do we know of his off pitch life? He is married and a new father. What is life like for his family in Rome? We do not know, and shouldn't make judgements based on our own desires without having walked in those shoes.
For me, the real "why" question is why should Michael Bradley care that you need validation and are insecure? Why should he care that you want a yank at a top club, and a top club in the Champions League? He shouldn't. Its your issue, not his. And why should we care about Americans flying the flag trying to prove something to foreigners? Do we not know when a player is "good enough"? Do we not know that Michael Bradley is good enough? Why must we always need someone else to tell us we are worthy? We shouldn't.
MLS
MLS isn't watchable because good players don't play here in their prime. Landon Donovan, Dwayne DeRosario, and others don't count because they are from here and never really "made it" in Europe. Then, when Clint Dempsey or Michael Bradley come home with years left in the tank, fans freak because they are too good to play in MLS and are throwing their careers away. Its not just an anti-MLS point of view, but again goes to the fans need to be validated, having nothing to do with the players happiness or comfort. Projecting your issues on another isn't healthy. Will Bradley, Dempsey, and any other proven European commodity improve MLS over the course of the next decade simply by their presence? Of course. And that should be a worthy goal of any real fan of the game in America.
One major complaint has been that returning to MLS is bad enough, but going to Toronto (a third rate team in a third tier league) is a kiss of death. These people clearly have little knowledge of MLS or Toronto beyond a surface view. The truth is that Toronto has made blunder after blunder in the past, but with the appointment of former AEG chief, (LA Galaxy President) and current head of MLSE Tim Leiweke, Toronto has made all of the right moves. At the end of the season, Ryan Nelsen's press conference saw a half filled press room and a lack of interest. Since then, Mr. Entertainment Tim Leiweke introduced DP Gilberto during half time of a Toronto Raptors game. He brought in Dwayne DeRosario for locker room leadership and to get fans excited, leading to a packed press room where not everyone could fit. He brought in England international Jermaine Defoe. And now, Michael Bradley. While Nelsen's credentials as manager are still in doubt, (a pre-Leiweke appointment) every move the showman who brought David Beckham to MLS has made has been spot on. Even with years of poor results and poor leadership, the fan base and facilities of Toronto have been near the top of MLS. Add Leiweke's bravado, desire for trophies, and a $26 million war chest heading into the off season, all signs point to a turn around for Toronto. Something we all know can happen in a flash in MLS.
Bradley is important to MLS and Toronto. He will instantly be under pressure to be the face of the franchise as well as the league, but he will also need to lift himself up to be "the man", and his mentality and character says he will be able to do it. Beyond his impact, he will impact the rest of the players in the league as well. Players step up their game and want to prove something against Henry, Donovan, Keane, Beckham, Dempsey, Bradley, etc. Playing against the stars gives the entire league a boost.
The most damning evidence against the MLS haters is that players like Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley see MLS as an option. Not a retirement option. A prime option. They don't see the league as harmful to their career. Their bank balance. Their lifestyle. Their USMNT hopes. Its time the fans catch up to the thoughts of the players. Giles Barnes, former EPL and Championship player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo has said several times that his friends in both of the top two divisions of English football constantly ask him about MLS, and see it as a real option. Money being the factor that holds established players back. Despite what the American fans think of the league, players see it as legitimate and an option. Why many fans can't follow is mind boggling, and harmful to the sport in this country. Including the National Team they claim to support.
For me, a dip in USMNT fortunes over the next decade would be worth it if it helps improve MLS, which in turn will eventually help the USMNT even more than it already has. Though evidence suggests, our best players coming home will not harm the USMNT in any way. Its easy to look at Brasil and claim that they have a great national team because their best players do not play in their domestic league, but against top talent week in and week out. Suggesting that a national team can only be successful with its players based at home, if the domestic league is a top league. (Spain, Germany, Italy, England.) Yet we only need to look south of our border to see the problem with such a view. Mexico has always had a strong base of domestic players. This year, their entire qualifying success was built upon domestic talent. Would anyone suggest they haven't had success in the World Cup? As much and more on all levels from kids to the first team than the US? Does France not have a great national team, with many of its best talents domestic based, even though it isn't in the "big 4" of leagues? Is MLS not one of the best 7 leagues in the world already anyway, based on attendance and quality of play? All with a salary cap that is going to increase with the new collective bargaining agreement, and one that has seen DP slots expand to 3 per team?
IN RETROSPECT
MLS is not a death kiss to your career. MLS is not a death kiss to your USMNT aspirations. MLS does not turn quality players into bad players. MLS is better than you think it is. You don't need validation from someone a world away who has their own issues. You don't need to feel insecure about your fandom or your national team players.
We may need to start daily affirmation to help get the point across. We are good enough. We are smart enough. And who gives a damn if people like us. Our players are good enough. Our league is good enough. And its time we put decade old lazy and ignorant cliches in the trash where they belong.
MLS is demanding your attention.
You're insecure and need validation, but don't take it out on Michael Bradley, or the rest of us who know what you have been missing.
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Parity or Parody?
Is Major League Soccer a league based on parity, or is it a parody of a league?
During ESPN's coverage of the recent Seattle Sounders v Portland Timbers match, the network made one of their usual errors during Alexi Lalas' talk on league parity, with the screen caption about league "parody". While Lalas and ESPN commentator Taylor Twellman had a good laugh about the Freudian slip on their ESPN "Big Head/Red Head" podcast, for many Americans, it is a legitimate question.
The match in which this mistake happened was the home debut of America's captain and the highest paid player in MLS, Clint Dempsey. It was in front of more than 67,000 fans in Seattle, or in other words, one fifth the audience who watched the match on television. The meager 350,000 audience (.001% of our population) was still good enough to garner ESPN its second best rating for an MLS match this season.
Part of the reason the numbers were so low could be attributed to the often late start times for ESPN MLS matches, normally 10PM start times on the East coast. ESPN often points to the small ratings as an excuse for pushing the league into a corner, often late prime time Sunday nights, and the lack of a "southern presence" from the league for their lack of support and promotion. Something that seems to me to be a sort of self fulfilling prophecy. You don't receive strong ratings, so we don't promote and push your product, airing it in a dead zone, guaranteeing a further lack of ratings.
In response, MLS commissioner Don Garber has stated the league will be expanding, and as I have stated in a previous article, two of the four expansion teams are expected to be in the south, with the leagues newest expansion side NYCFC being in the New York/East Coast media market. Don Garber seems to be acquiescing to the desires of ESPN, with no proof of support on the offer. Worst of all, with television rights ready to come up for the bidding, ESPN may not even be a partner with the league when next season rolls around, let alone by the time a "southern presence" enters the league.
As I have stated in previous posts, an increase in MLS television deals to that of what the National Hockey League receives would automatically lend itself to a massive increase in the salary cap, allowing MLS to compete financially with Mexican clubs, but also allowing itself to keep improving the standard of play with the type of players it can attract. At the same time the TV deal comes up for bidding, MLS must also renegotiate its collective bargaining agreement with the MLS players union. American Soccer Super Agent Ron Waxman, who barters for a large percentage of MLS player as well as American exports like Michael Bradley, has come out as of late and made outrageous claims about the league and its standard (insulting his own clients no?) claiming the league has never been this bad in its entire history. Obviously Waxman is either the most ignorant man to ever watch MLS, or he is completely invested in the raising of the salary cap and increasing the wallets of his clients and more importantly himself.
The behavior of ESPN toward a sports league it shows on their air, and the behavior of the most influential agent in the game in America, lend themselves to saying MLS is in fact a teenage parody of a football league. The reactionary behavior of Don Garber lends itself to people believing the league and its commissioner as being a parody of what American sports are, in particular the socialist and most popular sports league in the country (let us not forget, the organization Garber came from) the National Football League.
The Eurocentric snobbery of many fans in America is one based on wanting "the best". It may be based on "the American spirit", or more likely an inferiority complex when it comes to a game many of us came to later in life than those in the rest of the footballing world. What we have isn't as good as what you have, so we will mock what we have, ignore it, and support what others have to offer as a way of fitting in. The American soccer fandom itself can be seen as a parody of European football culture, from the support of major European football powers, to the naming of recent Major League SOCCER teams ending with an "FC". (Football club)
One of the many reasons Americans seem to mock their home league, is because it is a league based on parity. Squads are very fluid. Every club for the most part has the same advantages and disadvantages as all the others. Location and owners with open pockets can give a small leg up on the competition, but in the end, MLS is harder to predict week in and week out than any sports league in the country. And what drives many fans crazy, the league is rather secretive about its rules, as well as who and what the money is being spent upon. In response to these valid criticisms, Don Garber has given a rather snarky yet honest response, when transparency is beneficial to the product and the fan experience, transparency will be granted, until then, they will stick with what they do.
Some might argue that MLS is not a league of parity, as the LA Galaxy have built a dynasty in the era of designated players. This argument shows the short term memory loss or ignorance of many fans. The first three years of the "Beckham Experiment" were for the most part a complete and utter failure in the results department. It wasn't until the arrival of Robbie Keane to complete the Galaxy trinity that LA won back to back MLS Cups. Last season included a playoff to get into the playoffs (#4 seed v #5 home and home series) and some playoff scares along the way which could have made the "dynasty" one time champions in a five year era. Not exactly the Yankees or Patriots.
The New York Red Bulls have spent massive amounts of money on designated players while having nothing to show for it. Apart from a few US Open Cup victories, (thanks in part to a long home match streak) the Seattle Sounders have spent large amounts of money to mediocre results. Meanwhile, small spenders like Houston Dynamo continue to compete, as do Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids, teams that have nearly as much "dynasty" claim as the Galaxy. When it comes to results on the pitch, despite the "have and have not" mentality most fans view MLS with, MLS is the most open and unpredictable league in the world.
This weekend a few hundred thousand Americans sat in front of a television and watched Manchester City, soon to be MLS franchise owner and one of the best teams in England, take on Hull City, one of the weakest clubs in the English top flight. The majority of Americans would tell you about the quality of English football and the superiority of the product on every level. They like to watch "the best". On the same network, NBC Sports Network, a smaller audience tuned in to see the New York Red bulls, one of the best teams in MLS, take on DC United, the worst team in all of MLS. What those who tuned in saw was a much more competitive match, a much more fluid match, a much more entertaining match, a much more open match, a match filled with more talking points, and frankly, more interesting football.
When you combine the inferiority complex of American fans with the PR machine that backs European football, you get a sense that anything European is automatically better than whatever MLS can and does give us. It is rarely based on visual evidence and experience, but on old beliefs about a league in its infancy.
Am I saying MLS is better than the EPL? Of course not. But the standards are not as far apart as many American fans suspect. Don Garber has stated his goal for MLS is to be one of the top leagues in the world by 2020. While ratings would suggest MLS is a few country miles away from such a placement, those who view football from all over the world thanks to the current plethora of options available to us, reality is that MLS has already achieved that goal on the pitch. While England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France can all lay claim to having "better" leagues, MLS is at or near the top of the pack following those top leagues. But unlike those leagues, where only 2 or 3 clubs ever have a chance of lifting the title, MLS is wide open, a potentially more inclusive fan experience.
Parity can be the strength of MLS. Revenue sharing. Salary caps. All staples of the most successful league in America. If we as fans get behind our MLS clubs and the league itself, the improvements MLS has made in the past few years will only make the league everything we hoped but never thought it could one day be. The alternative would be a continued ignorance of and disdain for the league, unnatural expectations, and a league which is nothing more than a parody. Support the league and we will get what we deserve, fail to do so, and we never will. The choice is ours, parity or parody, and the end result is completely up to us.
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
During ESPN's coverage of the recent Seattle Sounders v Portland Timbers match, the network made one of their usual errors during Alexi Lalas' talk on league parity, with the screen caption about league "parody". While Lalas and ESPN commentator Taylor Twellman had a good laugh about the Freudian slip on their ESPN "Big Head/Red Head" podcast, for many Americans, it is a legitimate question.
The match in which this mistake happened was the home debut of America's captain and the highest paid player in MLS, Clint Dempsey. It was in front of more than 67,000 fans in Seattle, or in other words, one fifth the audience who watched the match on television. The meager 350,000 audience (.001% of our population) was still good enough to garner ESPN its second best rating for an MLS match this season.
Part of the reason the numbers were so low could be attributed to the often late start times for ESPN MLS matches, normally 10PM start times on the East coast. ESPN often points to the small ratings as an excuse for pushing the league into a corner, often late prime time Sunday nights, and the lack of a "southern presence" from the league for their lack of support and promotion. Something that seems to me to be a sort of self fulfilling prophecy. You don't receive strong ratings, so we don't promote and push your product, airing it in a dead zone, guaranteeing a further lack of ratings.
In response, MLS commissioner Don Garber has stated the league will be expanding, and as I have stated in a previous article, two of the four expansion teams are expected to be in the south, with the leagues newest expansion side NYCFC being in the New York/East Coast media market. Don Garber seems to be acquiescing to the desires of ESPN, with no proof of support on the offer. Worst of all, with television rights ready to come up for the bidding, ESPN may not even be a partner with the league when next season rolls around, let alone by the time a "southern presence" enters the league.
As I have stated in previous posts, an increase in MLS television deals to that of what the National Hockey League receives would automatically lend itself to a massive increase in the salary cap, allowing MLS to compete financially with Mexican clubs, but also allowing itself to keep improving the standard of play with the type of players it can attract. At the same time the TV deal comes up for bidding, MLS must also renegotiate its collective bargaining agreement with the MLS players union. American Soccer Super Agent Ron Waxman, who barters for a large percentage of MLS player as well as American exports like Michael Bradley, has come out as of late and made outrageous claims about the league and its standard (insulting his own clients no?) claiming the league has never been this bad in its entire history. Obviously Waxman is either the most ignorant man to ever watch MLS, or he is completely invested in the raising of the salary cap and increasing the wallets of his clients and more importantly himself.
The behavior of ESPN toward a sports league it shows on their air, and the behavior of the most influential agent in the game in America, lend themselves to saying MLS is in fact a teenage parody of a football league. The reactionary behavior of Don Garber lends itself to people believing the league and its commissioner as being a parody of what American sports are, in particular the socialist and most popular sports league in the country (let us not forget, the organization Garber came from) the National Football League.
The Eurocentric snobbery of many fans in America is one based on wanting "the best". It may be based on "the American spirit", or more likely an inferiority complex when it comes to a game many of us came to later in life than those in the rest of the footballing world. What we have isn't as good as what you have, so we will mock what we have, ignore it, and support what others have to offer as a way of fitting in. The American soccer fandom itself can be seen as a parody of European football culture, from the support of major European football powers, to the naming of recent Major League SOCCER teams ending with an "FC". (Football club)
One of the many reasons Americans seem to mock their home league, is because it is a league based on parity. Squads are very fluid. Every club for the most part has the same advantages and disadvantages as all the others. Location and owners with open pockets can give a small leg up on the competition, but in the end, MLS is harder to predict week in and week out than any sports league in the country. And what drives many fans crazy, the league is rather secretive about its rules, as well as who and what the money is being spent upon. In response to these valid criticisms, Don Garber has given a rather snarky yet honest response, when transparency is beneficial to the product and the fan experience, transparency will be granted, until then, they will stick with what they do.
Some might argue that MLS is not a league of parity, as the LA Galaxy have built a dynasty in the era of designated players. This argument shows the short term memory loss or ignorance of many fans. The first three years of the "Beckham Experiment" were for the most part a complete and utter failure in the results department. It wasn't until the arrival of Robbie Keane to complete the Galaxy trinity that LA won back to back MLS Cups. Last season included a playoff to get into the playoffs (#4 seed v #5 home and home series) and some playoff scares along the way which could have made the "dynasty" one time champions in a five year era. Not exactly the Yankees or Patriots.
The New York Red Bulls have spent massive amounts of money on designated players while having nothing to show for it. Apart from a few US Open Cup victories, (thanks in part to a long home match streak) the Seattle Sounders have spent large amounts of money to mediocre results. Meanwhile, small spenders like Houston Dynamo continue to compete, as do Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids, teams that have nearly as much "dynasty" claim as the Galaxy. When it comes to results on the pitch, despite the "have and have not" mentality most fans view MLS with, MLS is the most open and unpredictable league in the world.
This weekend a few hundred thousand Americans sat in front of a television and watched Manchester City, soon to be MLS franchise owner and one of the best teams in England, take on Hull City, one of the weakest clubs in the English top flight. The majority of Americans would tell you about the quality of English football and the superiority of the product on every level. They like to watch "the best". On the same network, NBC Sports Network, a smaller audience tuned in to see the New York Red bulls, one of the best teams in MLS, take on DC United, the worst team in all of MLS. What those who tuned in saw was a much more competitive match, a much more fluid match, a much more entertaining match, a much more open match, a match filled with more talking points, and frankly, more interesting football.
When you combine the inferiority complex of American fans with the PR machine that backs European football, you get a sense that anything European is automatically better than whatever MLS can and does give us. It is rarely based on visual evidence and experience, but on old beliefs about a league in its infancy.
Am I saying MLS is better than the EPL? Of course not. But the standards are not as far apart as many American fans suspect. Don Garber has stated his goal for MLS is to be one of the top leagues in the world by 2020. While ratings would suggest MLS is a few country miles away from such a placement, those who view football from all over the world thanks to the current plethora of options available to us, reality is that MLS has already achieved that goal on the pitch. While England, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France can all lay claim to having "better" leagues, MLS is at or near the top of the pack following those top leagues. But unlike those leagues, where only 2 or 3 clubs ever have a chance of lifting the title, MLS is wide open, a potentially more inclusive fan experience.
Parity can be the strength of MLS. Revenue sharing. Salary caps. All staples of the most successful league in America. If we as fans get behind our MLS clubs and the league itself, the improvements MLS has made in the past few years will only make the league everything we hoped but never thought it could one day be. The alternative would be a continued ignorance of and disdain for the league, unnatural expectations, and a league which is nothing more than a parody. Support the league and we will get what we deserve, fail to do so, and we never will. The choice is ours, parity or parody, and the end result is completely up to us.
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Penalty Kicks: 8-23-13
As the 2013 MLS season begins to wind down, the matches and story lines of the season start to take on a greater and more dramatic feel. Here with Penalty Kicks, I cover the 5 things in MLS you should be talking about this week...
1: ESPN's Sunday Night game featuring Clint Dempsey, the Seattle Sounders, and more than 60,000 of their friends, against Caleb Porter, 1,500 members of the Timbers Army, and the Portland Timbers.
As soon as Clint Dempsey took off his sweatshirt to reveal his Sounders jersey in one of the most grotesque displays of ego stroking and anticlimactic hype MLS has ever produced, the executives at ESPN started licking their lips over the thought of having Clint Dempsey's home debut on their air. If it wasn't enough that they had Dempsey's debut, it was against the Portland Timbers, possibly the fiercest rivalry in all of MLS.
Earlier in the season with the Sounders struggling and Portland riding high, the Timbers dismantled the Sounders vaunted attack through Will Johnson and Diego Chara running the game in Portland's midfield. That was Seattle without Dempsey, and now Portland will face this task with a midfield 3 missing Will Johnson, and possibly Diego Chara and Jack Jewsbury as well.
Porter's tactical decisions and team selection will be key to Portland's success or failure, while for Seattle, all eyes will be on Clint Dempsey and the crowd. Tune in, set your DVR, or throw a viewing party for family and friends, this one has the potential to be special.
Oh, and did I mention that while sitting at 7th place in the West, that this is close to a must win for Seattle?
2: Vancouver Whitecaps FC v LA Galaxy
In the highly competitive Western Conference, 5th place hosts 4th place in what could show us who is real in the West, and who isn't. This will be the third meeting of these two sides this season, with the home team walking away with a victory on the previous two occasions. That trend would seem to favor the floundering Whitecaps, but don't count out the streaking Galaxy just yet.
Martin Rennie may be the "Tinker Man" of MLS, while Bruce Arena is the steady and solid rock of LA. The team selection each man gives us will tell us who is playing to win, and who is playing not to lose.
A side note from this match would be the recent admission of Vancouver's Daigo Kobayashi that MLS has not been as easy a league as he expected. There is no tougher test in MLS than the always professional (possible dynasty) that is the Galaxy. Coming on the back of 4-2 win against Western leaders Real Salt Lake, LA will look to push on for playoff position. Whether or not Vancouver can play the role of spoiler is yet to be seen.
3: Chicago Fire v Sporting KC
Friday night NBC Sports Network hands us the best team in the East taking on 7th place in the home team Fire. If the Fire are to take advantage of the goals delivered by Mike Magee this season, they need to push on and move into the final playoff position out East.
Tied on points and games with New York out East, while being tied on points with Colorado who has played one more match, Portland which has played 2 fewer matches, and 3 points behind Real Salt Lake who has played 1 more match out West, KC needs points to stay in the Supporters Shield race to have hopes for home field throughout the playoffs.
This is another one of those getting to be must win situations for both teams should they have any chance of achieving their playoff goals for the season.
The home fans will be hoping for something from new DP signing "El Cacha" Arevalo Rios. He and Magee need to form a partnership between distributor and goal scorer quickly if Chicago is going to make and succeed in the playoffs.
4: Chicago's Communications Director
I'll just let you read it for yourself. The following is from Chicago Fire Director of Communications Dan Lobring...
I have a confession to make. I’m a new Chicago Fire fan, having been hired to oversee communications for the club just six months ago. But according to some folks, I was also a “shitty hire.” The only professional experience (“zero soccer experience”) I have is “promoting a video game” and I do “not belong leading the Communications department.”
Additionally, I also “need to shave.” To be fair, that one is true, but my wife thinks I look weird totally clean shaven. To be fairer, all of the other statements might also be true, but I would like the opportunity to prove how shitty I am first. To be fairest of all, maybe I already have proven it six months into the job.
But I’m more interested in learning what made me a shitty hire on day one? What brought about the warm reception from a vocal few as I was introduced as a new member of the “Fire family?” My best guess is that because I work for an owner who is supposedly “cheap,” “doesn’t care,” and only sees the team as a “toy.” Or maybe it’s because I’m joining a front office staff that just “doesn’t get it” or only makes “bad decisions.”
Really? Yikes.
Want to make calls for front office firings? Find me someone who doesn’t think they could be doing their job better. Telling me I suck at my job? That all comes with the territory I guess.
Fortunately, those are the only things that I’ve read about online, or have had forwarded my way, or that I have seen on the supporter message boards (I would hate to read the non-supporter boards).
I don’t pretend to know everything there is to know about soccer, the Fire or MLS.
That was Lobring's rambling defense of himself, and an attack on fans who criticize him or the front office. If you were wondering, not only did the owner approve the rant before Lobring posted it to the Fire website, they have come out in support of their passionate director of communications.
Oh to be a fly on the wall in the stadium on Friday night. I'm kind of sad I didn't buy tickets for the game.
5: Landon Donovan wants LA to show him the MONEY!!!!!
Even the most ardent Landon Donovan supporter will admit that LA Galaxy have fair to Landon Donovan more often than not. Pre-Designted Player (Beckham) Rule, Donovan was the highest paid player in MLS. Post Beckham Experiment and Beckham Rule, there also was let us not forget a Landon Donovan Rule which led to a second DP spot. When Landon wanted to spend his winter break with Everton, LA, against their better judgement, acquiesced. When Landon wanted to take a break and get his mind right in Cambodia, again against their better judgement, LA allowed it.
Granted, they also forced him to publicly hand over the captains armband to David Beckham, of his own free will, wink wink. They got away with years of underpayment due to the salary cap, and plenty more, but overall, LA has been good to Landon.
So what does Landon do just days after Chris Klein, former teammate and current Galaxy President, tells the official MLS podcast that he wants to keep Donovan beyond his expiring contract? Donovan comes out and says that he has offers from Europe that he is considering. (He already has 6 MLS Cup titles to his name and maybe a 7th on the way, what more does he have to prove?)
Already MLS all time assist leader, to go along with his assist and goal records for the USMNT, Donovan is close to surpassing the all time MLS goals mark. He has established himself as not only the best American field player to ever play the game, but the greatest player in the history of MLS. All while looking at Clint Dempsey making at least 3 times his salary having done next to nothing in or for MLS. (Dempsey's transfer did pay for the Revs academy, something Bob Kraft is far too stingy to do himself.)
With people asking where Donovan could go, or why he would want to leave MLS now at the end of his career, Donovan came out once again and sent a message to MLS, and in particular LA Galaxy. He stated that "all things being equal", he would prefer to remain with the LA Galaxy.
We all know LA was one of three teams interested in Clint Dempsey, but the money they were willing to give Dempsey was not what Seattle ended up offering. We know LA offered a Dempsey size deal to Giovanni Dos Santos just a few months ago. We all know "all things being equal" means "MONEY".
Donovan is a Southern California kid. His family is there. His ex-wife is there. His friends are there. Its where he wants to stay, but not at the cost of losing even more money out of loyalty and comfort.
LA is used to distraction. They had the Beckham circus. They had the Ruud Gullit experiment. They had Beckham announcing he was leaving MLS before last season even ended with a trophy being raised in LA. They had Donovan finding himself in Cambodia. They are used to distraction, so this current drama should have little effect, but how this plays out will be very interesting indeed.
Will Donovan follow the money to a mid table Serie A club? Will LA show him the money despite his age and penchant for retirement? Will he give LA a loyalty discount? Will Donovan stay in MLS with a hefty raise, just not in LA? Where else would Donovan be willing to go in MLS?
One thing seems certain, Landon Donovan will be entering a higher tax bracket thanks to his next contract.
Those were my penalty kicks for 8-23-13, thank you for reading. Until next time, remember, MLS MATTERS!
1: ESPN's Sunday Night game featuring Clint Dempsey, the Seattle Sounders, and more than 60,000 of their friends, against Caleb Porter, 1,500 members of the Timbers Army, and the Portland Timbers.
As soon as Clint Dempsey took off his sweatshirt to reveal his Sounders jersey in one of the most grotesque displays of ego stroking and anticlimactic hype MLS has ever produced, the executives at ESPN started licking their lips over the thought of having Clint Dempsey's home debut on their air. If it wasn't enough that they had Dempsey's debut, it was against the Portland Timbers, possibly the fiercest rivalry in all of MLS.
Earlier in the season with the Sounders struggling and Portland riding high, the Timbers dismantled the Sounders vaunted attack through Will Johnson and Diego Chara running the game in Portland's midfield. That was Seattle without Dempsey, and now Portland will face this task with a midfield 3 missing Will Johnson, and possibly Diego Chara and Jack Jewsbury as well.
Porter's tactical decisions and team selection will be key to Portland's success or failure, while for Seattle, all eyes will be on Clint Dempsey and the crowd. Tune in, set your DVR, or throw a viewing party for family and friends, this one has the potential to be special.
Oh, and did I mention that while sitting at 7th place in the West, that this is close to a must win for Seattle?
2: Vancouver Whitecaps FC v LA Galaxy
In the highly competitive Western Conference, 5th place hosts 4th place in what could show us who is real in the West, and who isn't. This will be the third meeting of these two sides this season, with the home team walking away with a victory on the previous two occasions. That trend would seem to favor the floundering Whitecaps, but don't count out the streaking Galaxy just yet.
Martin Rennie may be the "Tinker Man" of MLS, while Bruce Arena is the steady and solid rock of LA. The team selection each man gives us will tell us who is playing to win, and who is playing not to lose.
A side note from this match would be the recent admission of Vancouver's Daigo Kobayashi that MLS has not been as easy a league as he expected. There is no tougher test in MLS than the always professional (possible dynasty) that is the Galaxy. Coming on the back of 4-2 win against Western leaders Real Salt Lake, LA will look to push on for playoff position. Whether or not Vancouver can play the role of spoiler is yet to be seen.
3: Chicago Fire v Sporting KC
Friday night NBC Sports Network hands us the best team in the East taking on 7th place in the home team Fire. If the Fire are to take advantage of the goals delivered by Mike Magee this season, they need to push on and move into the final playoff position out East.
Tied on points and games with New York out East, while being tied on points with Colorado who has played one more match, Portland which has played 2 fewer matches, and 3 points behind Real Salt Lake who has played 1 more match out West, KC needs points to stay in the Supporters Shield race to have hopes for home field throughout the playoffs.
This is another one of those getting to be must win situations for both teams should they have any chance of achieving their playoff goals for the season.
The home fans will be hoping for something from new DP signing "El Cacha" Arevalo Rios. He and Magee need to form a partnership between distributor and goal scorer quickly if Chicago is going to make and succeed in the playoffs.
4: Chicago's Communications Director
I'll just let you read it for yourself. The following is from Chicago Fire Director of Communications Dan Lobring...
I have a confession to make. I’m a new Chicago Fire fan, having been hired to oversee communications for the club just six months ago. But according to some folks, I was also a “shitty hire.” The only professional experience (“zero soccer experience”) I have is “promoting a video game” and I do “not belong leading the Communications department.”
Additionally, I also “need to shave.” To be fair, that one is true, but my wife thinks I look weird totally clean shaven. To be fairer, all of the other statements might also be true, but I would like the opportunity to prove how shitty I am first. To be fairest of all, maybe I already have proven it six months into the job.
But I’m more interested in learning what made me a shitty hire on day one? What brought about the warm reception from a vocal few as I was introduced as a new member of the “Fire family?” My best guess is that because I work for an owner who is supposedly “cheap,” “doesn’t care,” and only sees the team as a “toy.” Or maybe it’s because I’m joining a front office staff that just “doesn’t get it” or only makes “bad decisions.”
Really? Yikes.
Want to make calls for front office firings? Find me someone who doesn’t think they could be doing their job better. Telling me I suck at my job? That all comes with the territory I guess.
Fortunately, those are the only things that I’ve read about online, or have had forwarded my way, or that I have seen on the supporter message boards (I would hate to read the non-supporter boards).
I don’t pretend to know everything there is to know about soccer, the Fire or MLS.
That was Lobring's rambling defense of himself, and an attack on fans who criticize him or the front office. If you were wondering, not only did the owner approve the rant before Lobring posted it to the Fire website, they have come out in support of their passionate director of communications.
Oh to be a fly on the wall in the stadium on Friday night. I'm kind of sad I didn't buy tickets for the game.
5: Landon Donovan wants LA to show him the MONEY!!!!!
Even the most ardent Landon Donovan supporter will admit that LA Galaxy have fair to Landon Donovan more often than not. Pre-Designted Player (Beckham) Rule, Donovan was the highest paid player in MLS. Post Beckham Experiment and Beckham Rule, there also was let us not forget a Landon Donovan Rule which led to a second DP spot. When Landon wanted to spend his winter break with Everton, LA, against their better judgement, acquiesced. When Landon wanted to take a break and get his mind right in Cambodia, again against their better judgement, LA allowed it.
Granted, they also forced him to publicly hand over the captains armband to David Beckham, of his own free will, wink wink. They got away with years of underpayment due to the salary cap, and plenty more, but overall, LA has been good to Landon.
So what does Landon do just days after Chris Klein, former teammate and current Galaxy President, tells the official MLS podcast that he wants to keep Donovan beyond his expiring contract? Donovan comes out and says that he has offers from Europe that he is considering. (He already has 6 MLS Cup titles to his name and maybe a 7th on the way, what more does he have to prove?)
Already MLS all time assist leader, to go along with his assist and goal records for the USMNT, Donovan is close to surpassing the all time MLS goals mark. He has established himself as not only the best American field player to ever play the game, but the greatest player in the history of MLS. All while looking at Clint Dempsey making at least 3 times his salary having done next to nothing in or for MLS. (Dempsey's transfer did pay for the Revs academy, something Bob Kraft is far too stingy to do himself.)
With people asking where Donovan could go, or why he would want to leave MLS now at the end of his career, Donovan came out once again and sent a message to MLS, and in particular LA Galaxy. He stated that "all things being equal", he would prefer to remain with the LA Galaxy.
We all know LA was one of three teams interested in Clint Dempsey, but the money they were willing to give Dempsey was not what Seattle ended up offering. We know LA offered a Dempsey size deal to Giovanni Dos Santos just a few months ago. We all know "all things being equal" means "MONEY".
Donovan is a Southern California kid. His family is there. His ex-wife is there. His friends are there. Its where he wants to stay, but not at the cost of losing even more money out of loyalty and comfort.
LA is used to distraction. They had the Beckham circus. They had the Ruud Gullit experiment. They had Beckham announcing he was leaving MLS before last season even ended with a trophy being raised in LA. They had Donovan finding himself in Cambodia. They are used to distraction, so this current drama should have little effect, but how this plays out will be very interesting indeed.
Will Donovan follow the money to a mid table Serie A club? Will LA show him the money despite his age and penchant for retirement? Will he give LA a loyalty discount? Will Donovan stay in MLS with a hefty raise, just not in LA? Where else would Donovan be willing to go in MLS?
One thing seems certain, Landon Donovan will be entering a higher tax bracket thanks to his next contract.
Those were my penalty kicks for 8-23-13, thank you for reading. Until next time, remember, MLS MATTERS!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Expansion: 2 for 24
At this years MLS All-Star game in Kansas City, MLS commissioner Don Garber completely overshadowed the festivities during his annual half time interview with ESPN. With ESPN analyst "Soccer Jesus" Alexi Lalas lying in wait to spring questions on Garber over the recent HBO expose on the Chivas USA situation, Garber trumped all of that with an announcement that caught everyone by surprise. In their effort to become a "top league" by the year 2020, MLS will be expanding to 24 clubs.
The 20th MLS club, New York City FC, hasn't hired a player, a coach, found a site to play games at, or found a place to build their own stadium yet, but already Garber was looking to the future.
There was a time not that long ago where MLS was forced to contract. Having learned many lessons from the NASL experiment, MLS was prudent and frugal in their business approach, and yet the league could not support itself. The only thing that kept the league alive was the willingness of a few owners, in particular the Hunt family and AEG to own all of the clubs themselves, eating financial loss after financial loss. Having been at the helm of a failed sports league, (NFL Europe) Don Garber knew the league was in dire straits.
In a matter of a few years, under the stewardship of Garber and the support of Phil Anschutz of AEG, the league not only began to expand again, they found a path forward. Stable ownership groups willing to take losses, stable stadiums, preferably soccer specific, and the "Beckham Experiment". In a short amount of time clubs like Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, and Montreal joined the league, creating a Pacific Northwest rivalry, as well as a Canadian one, while also pulling from the built in fan base of teams that pre-dated MLS. In many ways the new approach while seeming prudent, also had a slight smell of the old NASL to it.
While for most clubs there are plenty of butts in seats, an ever growing number it seems (MLS is one of the best attended leagues in the world) but the television numbers have remained rather stagnant. MLS is a growing niche market, but a niche none the less. While the owners have become younger and more ambitious, and more willing to part with their cash, eventually the league needs higher viewership numbers to create bigger television deals. (A deal the size of the minuscule by American standards NHL deal would see MLS teams compete budget wise with Mexican teams and beyond.) One way to do that is create bigger exposure in the southern market, or so ESPN has told MLS. In the meantime, the best way to create an influx of cash is through ever increasing expansion fees.
Over the next 7 years we can expect 4 more (5 including NYCFC) clubs to join the league. We already know that the league and ESPN want a renewed presence in the southern market. With David Beckham having a sweetheart deal in what is likely to be a Miami franchise, that leaves just 3 places open for the bidding.
While I am no fan of MLS in Miami, a horrible sports town, it seems to be happening, especially if the rumors are true that Posh and Becks are in the market for the Versace mansion in Miami. As I stated previously, not only does MLS need a solid southern presence, they also need rivalries. With Miami entering the league the nearest rivals would seem to be Washington DC. This makes me believe the second of four will be Orlando City. The team has a committed ownership group with big dreams (Kaka), a stadium plan finally on its way to approval, and a small loyal fan base which surely would grow given a step up to the big leagues. While the stadium deal still has a 30-40 million dollar hole in it, all signs point to a double Florida entrance back into MLS. And now we have 2 places remaining to reach 24.
At this point MLS is allowed to be very picky. While Don Garber never said that MLS could not expand beyond 24 clubs, he has put a limit on the openings in the future, raising the price for entrance into the league. Wealthy young ambitious owners, soccer specific stadiums, and ready made fan bases are not too much to ask. A high eight or even a nine figure franchise fee for the final clubs to join the league of 24 is not out of the question. The question becomes, where will the final two clubs be placed. Below is a quick overview of the early contenders...
ATLANTA: Pro: Southern market. The Atlanta Silverbacks are a known commodity in the soccer community. Con: Atlanta is a horrible sports town, unless that sport is American football, in particular college football, as is the case with most of the south. They also most likely would overlook the Silverbacks, and be reliant upon another NFL owner using their already built stadium and organization, not exactly the dream choice MLS should be chasing.
DETROIT: Pro: A small fan movement has begun. Con: Seemingly always bankrupt, not known as the greatest of sports towns, let alone as a soccer town.
MINNEAPOLIS: Pro: Good size market which has shown a passion for soccer in the past. Con: Again they would most likely be reliant upon an NFL owner with an already built dome stadium, not the direction MLS should be heading on their way to be a "top league".
OKLAHOMA CITY: Pro: Southern market with built in Texas rivalries. Con: No potential ownership group has been formed. The desire of the city or a fan base is not known.
OTTAWA: Pro: It would bring the Canadian presence to 4 clubs. Con: Banal Canadian city. Another northern team would make an eventual calendar change difficult.
SACRAMENTO: Pro: An ownership group has formed and is attempting to garner more investors. Built in rival for San Jose. Could be a 4th Californian club. Con: Not known as the best sports town. A rather unknown potential fan base, despite 14,000 showing up for a double header exhibition recently.
ST. LOUIS: Pro: Hot bed of soccer? Built in rival for Kansas City and Chicago. Con: No ownership group.
SAN ANTONIO: Pro: A good size market. Could make it a 3-way Texas derby. Con: No potential ownership group. The football south.
Honorable mention: Austin (Aztec presence in a Portland of the south), Charlotte (southern market), Indianapolis (midwestern rivalries), Milwaukee (midwestern rivalries), New York Cosmos (name value), Phoenix (good size media market).
It is always possible that an ownership group will appear out of nowhere. It is possible that the new Columbus Crew owner will fall back on his promise of keeping the team in the city, moving it to one of the above mentioned destinations. It is possible that Chivas USA could come into play, not just as a rebrand but a potential relocation target. It is possible the Becks in Miami rumors are just that, and Orlando City can fail to fill the gap in stadium financing.
With money coming into the league, expansion fees looking to climb, the collective bargaining agreement set to be renewed, television deals set to be renewed, and an ever expanding number of designated players, not just for the clubs in LA or NY, these are interesting times for the MLS. Will the league reach the goals Garber has set for it, having met the goals he set in the past, or are we on the road to NASL part two, another failed league expanding too far too fast spending too much money? Only time will tell.
(If you have any comments or suggestions of your own, feel free to leave a comment either here or for me on facebook. I'm sure some of you have some very interesting and passionate views.)
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
The 20th MLS club, New York City FC, hasn't hired a player, a coach, found a site to play games at, or found a place to build their own stadium yet, but already Garber was looking to the future.
There was a time not that long ago where MLS was forced to contract. Having learned many lessons from the NASL experiment, MLS was prudent and frugal in their business approach, and yet the league could not support itself. The only thing that kept the league alive was the willingness of a few owners, in particular the Hunt family and AEG to own all of the clubs themselves, eating financial loss after financial loss. Having been at the helm of a failed sports league, (NFL Europe) Don Garber knew the league was in dire straits.
In a matter of a few years, under the stewardship of Garber and the support of Phil Anschutz of AEG, the league not only began to expand again, they found a path forward. Stable ownership groups willing to take losses, stable stadiums, preferably soccer specific, and the "Beckham Experiment". In a short amount of time clubs like Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, and Montreal joined the league, creating a Pacific Northwest rivalry, as well as a Canadian one, while also pulling from the built in fan base of teams that pre-dated MLS. In many ways the new approach while seeming prudent, also had a slight smell of the old NASL to it.
While for most clubs there are plenty of butts in seats, an ever growing number it seems (MLS is one of the best attended leagues in the world) but the television numbers have remained rather stagnant. MLS is a growing niche market, but a niche none the less. While the owners have become younger and more ambitious, and more willing to part with their cash, eventually the league needs higher viewership numbers to create bigger television deals. (A deal the size of the minuscule by American standards NHL deal would see MLS teams compete budget wise with Mexican teams and beyond.) One way to do that is create bigger exposure in the southern market, or so ESPN has told MLS. In the meantime, the best way to create an influx of cash is through ever increasing expansion fees.
Over the next 7 years we can expect 4 more (5 including NYCFC) clubs to join the league. We already know that the league and ESPN want a renewed presence in the southern market. With David Beckham having a sweetheart deal in what is likely to be a Miami franchise, that leaves just 3 places open for the bidding.
While I am no fan of MLS in Miami, a horrible sports town, it seems to be happening, especially if the rumors are true that Posh and Becks are in the market for the Versace mansion in Miami. As I stated previously, not only does MLS need a solid southern presence, they also need rivalries. With Miami entering the league the nearest rivals would seem to be Washington DC. This makes me believe the second of four will be Orlando City. The team has a committed ownership group with big dreams (Kaka), a stadium plan finally on its way to approval, and a small loyal fan base which surely would grow given a step up to the big leagues. While the stadium deal still has a 30-40 million dollar hole in it, all signs point to a double Florida entrance back into MLS. And now we have 2 places remaining to reach 24.
At this point MLS is allowed to be very picky. While Don Garber never said that MLS could not expand beyond 24 clubs, he has put a limit on the openings in the future, raising the price for entrance into the league. Wealthy young ambitious owners, soccer specific stadiums, and ready made fan bases are not too much to ask. A high eight or even a nine figure franchise fee for the final clubs to join the league of 24 is not out of the question. The question becomes, where will the final two clubs be placed. Below is a quick overview of the early contenders...
ATLANTA: Pro: Southern market. The Atlanta Silverbacks are a known commodity in the soccer community. Con: Atlanta is a horrible sports town, unless that sport is American football, in particular college football, as is the case with most of the south. They also most likely would overlook the Silverbacks, and be reliant upon another NFL owner using their already built stadium and organization, not exactly the dream choice MLS should be chasing.
DETROIT: Pro: A small fan movement has begun. Con: Seemingly always bankrupt, not known as the greatest of sports towns, let alone as a soccer town.
MINNEAPOLIS: Pro: Good size market which has shown a passion for soccer in the past. Con: Again they would most likely be reliant upon an NFL owner with an already built dome stadium, not the direction MLS should be heading on their way to be a "top league".
OKLAHOMA CITY: Pro: Southern market with built in Texas rivalries. Con: No potential ownership group has been formed. The desire of the city or a fan base is not known.
OTTAWA: Pro: It would bring the Canadian presence to 4 clubs. Con: Banal Canadian city. Another northern team would make an eventual calendar change difficult.
SACRAMENTO: Pro: An ownership group has formed and is attempting to garner more investors. Built in rival for San Jose. Could be a 4th Californian club. Con: Not known as the best sports town. A rather unknown potential fan base, despite 14,000 showing up for a double header exhibition recently.
ST. LOUIS: Pro: Hot bed of soccer? Built in rival for Kansas City and Chicago. Con: No ownership group.
SAN ANTONIO: Pro: A good size market. Could make it a 3-way Texas derby. Con: No potential ownership group. The football south.
Honorable mention: Austin (Aztec presence in a Portland of the south), Charlotte (southern market), Indianapolis (midwestern rivalries), Milwaukee (midwestern rivalries), New York Cosmos (name value), Phoenix (good size media market).
It is always possible that an ownership group will appear out of nowhere. It is possible that the new Columbus Crew owner will fall back on his promise of keeping the team in the city, moving it to one of the above mentioned destinations. It is possible that Chivas USA could come into play, not just as a rebrand but a potential relocation target. It is possible the Becks in Miami rumors are just that, and Orlando City can fail to fill the gap in stadium financing.
With money coming into the league, expansion fees looking to climb, the collective bargaining agreement set to be renewed, television deals set to be renewed, and an ever expanding number of designated players, not just for the clubs in LA or NY, these are interesting times for the MLS. Will the league reach the goals Garber has set for it, having met the goals he set in the past, or are we on the road to NASL part two, another failed league expanding too far too fast spending too much money? Only time will tell.
(If you have any comments or suggestions of your own, feel free to leave a comment either here or for me on facebook. I'm sure some of you have some very interesting and passionate views.)
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Oil Money, Gaythletes, and Depth, Oh My...
The Curious Case of Robbie Rogers
Several months ago former Columbus Crew, Leeds United, and USMNT player Robbie Rogers announced that he was stepping away from the beautiful game because he was gay, and did not believe he could be open about his sexuality and continue his chosen career. Support from around England and the USA flooded toward Rogers who used his new profile to garner an internship at Men's Health, an offer of a place at a prestigious fashion design school, and loads of interviews including the Guardian and Anderson Cooper. He was even called last Monday for his support and advice by Jason Collins of the NBA before his coming out.
While ESPN was constantly scrolling and reporting on the Collins announcement, one couldn't help but think of Robbie Rogers. The next two days, Rogers made his return to the beautiful game (sort of), by training with the LA Galaxy, which he had previously mentioned as a possibility in his Guardian interview. In the immediate aftermath of Rogers putting a kit on once again, Landon Donovan came out and suggested it was time for Rogers to come back to the game, and in particular LA. Bruce Arena praised Rogers fitness and lack of rust and also suggested that Rogers might be a good fit for LA. Frank Kloppas, Chicago Fire head coach, the team which actually owns Rogers rights, reiterated what he had said all along, which is that he desires Rogers to play for him in Chicago. Not to be outdone, Sigi Schmidt, Rogers former manager with title winning Columbus Crew and current manager of Seattle Sounders stated that he too would love to have Rogers join up with his club should he decide to play again.
While Rogers doesn't have the cache of a Jason Collins due to his playing the beautiful game as opposed to basketball, his case is one which should be garnering more interest, and is far more interesting. While Collins is a free agent and has a chance to find the best fit for himself as far as the right team and right support, Rogers, if he chooses to return to MLS, has a much different path the tread.
Chicago Fire traded for the rights of Rogers before his coming out in hopes that his departure from Leeds and failure to find his feet after injury issues in England would see the player come back to MLS. Due to MLS rules, should Rogers wish to come back to MLS, there will be many parties at play in his return. Any contract that Rogers should sign is with MLS, not any individual club. The League Office will play a vital role in any return. Chicago Fire own his rights and desire to have the player, so should the player wish to return to the league, he either has to agree to play for Chicago, or find a team he does desire willing to force a trade of equal value to the Fire, and again the league comes to play. In theory, Chicago could say "In return for the rights to Robbie who we value, we want Landon Donovan, take it or leave it." A deal LA would never accept. Once again the league would step in and force a more realistic deal, forcing Chicago to settle for Michael Stephens (just a suggestion) or a draft pick, maybe allocation money. Perhaps not a fair and equal trade, but better than nothing at all. Should Seattle or another team enter the sweepstakes and be appealing to Rogers, a bidding war could potentially ensue, adding multiple clubs, Rogers, and MLS to the negotiating mix.
With the rules as they are, Rogers will eventually be able to force a deal through if a club and MLS truly want him, but getting there may be more complicated in every way than any deal Collins should find for himself. While there is a new marketplace for "gaythletes" (Yes, I coined a new term), as always has been the case in the US, footballers are second class citizens. While the traumas faced by returning Americans to MLS are not exclusive to gay footballers, in the new world of out athletes, a gaythlete has a much more difficult road to travel.
Should he chose to return to the game, Rogers has a support system already built in with LA, his family. In Chicago, there is a very vibrant and healthy gay community. All things that need to be taken into consideration before any gaythlete makes a move. But the rules and regulations of MLS can make the situation more difficult for the player. While I don't believe MLS should give preferential treatment to out players, I also don't believe they should scrap their current system completely, where in a free market Chicago would find themselves holding an empty bag.
I don't believe the national press will really take hold of the Rogers situation, or the predicament that MLS should find itself in upon his return, but I believe they should. Not only should Rogers be treated with the same type of groundbreaking fanfare as Jason Collins, the inner workings of MLS should also be exposed, debated, and discussed. With MLS, the story isn't just the gaythlete, but MLS itself, a much more layered and intriguing story in my mind than anything Collins or the NBA could throw at us. As it pertains to the Robbie Rogers situation, sexuality may be the least interesting aspect of the story.
Oil Billions With A Budget
The hot story in the press over recent days has been the pending announcement of Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan becoming the owner of the 20th MLS club, to be named New York City FC, and playing in Queens.
As a Manchester United fan, nothing would turn my stomach more than such a partnership. As an MLS fan, nothing would make me happier. Or so I thought. But with a little time to ponder the deal, I am left with more questions and concerns than perhaps I should have from something as simple as a billionaire buying an MLS franchise.
The immediate reports from England were that Sheik Mansour would use NYCFC as an academy of sorts, a place to send young players who need match time, or a place to send overpriced signings they are having troubles getting rid of as Designated Players. It also would give them an added youth academy to mine talent from, with any rare talent being found getting sent "up" to the "big" club.
One question that arose from this developing news, is "why would Sheik Mansour want to buy an MLS franchise?". While the English press speculated that the Sheik wanted to expand his footprint into America, and that while India, China, etc are seen as the developing nations of football, the USA is really the treasure trove of emerging nations due to wealth, population, and the games presence which is growing, but has much more room to grow, I see the situation slightly differently. As other billionaire MLS owners have suggested, its smart business, not something you hear often when it comes to football clubs. Other than from stadiums, MLS clubs do not carry debt, and their entire payroll is comparable to one top EPL player. This is a chance for Manchester City and Sheik Mansour to get a foot in the door in the US and grow their market share, while paying a bargain basement price for the potential return, even at $100 Million in a transfer fee.
Many MLS fans have been excited by the prospect of the money and talent the Sheik can bring to NYCFC and MLS, but I for one am being extremely skeptical. This seems to me to be a case of what can MLS do for Sheik Mansour, as opposed to what Sheik Mansour can do for MLS. I would love to return to this topic with a more in depth look at the mountains of possibilities it could entail, but I will save that for the official announcement. I'm sure you're breathless with anticipation.
Timber Taka
With 14 points from 9 matches played, this surely isn't John Spencer's Portland Timbers. "Porter-ball" is what Arlo White dubbed it, a term Caleb Porter hates, and with good reason. The style with which Portland plays is not really "Porter-ball", as this squad is not yet fully Caleb Porter's players.
While I did coin a new term earlier with "gaythlete", I now would like to add a fresh term to the American soccer fan vernacular that joins other such brilliant inventions as "Boom Boom Chelis" and "Landycakes", terms I did not create but use in my daily lingo. The new term is a much more appropriate term for the style of play that is currently the unaptly named "Porter-ball", and that term is "Timber Taka".
My only fear for this current incarnation of the Portland Timbers is that due to injuries in the back and overall defensive frailty, Portland will stumble down the table when the goals inevitably dry up for a spell during the season.
A Question Of Depth
One of the issues with MLS expansion is the thinning of league depth, an issue MLS has struggled with for quite some time. Back when MLS was 10 clubs, half of what it will be after the addition of NYCFC, 1-11 was a strong bunch of players, while today you have 6 names on the team sheet, and then a squad to support them.
Roger Espinoza, former Sporting KC player also brought this subject up recently when discussing the differences of playing in England as opposed to playing in MLS. He suggested that the main difference between the EPL and MLS is one of competition. In England, a player needs to fight to attain a starting role, fight to get onto the subs bench, and fight to keep those roles once they are achieved. In MLS, this isn't the case, players are much more comfortable. When you know your name is on the team sheet no matter what, what are you really fighting or striving for?
For MLS to grow as a league and reach the potential Don Garber and the fans expect, player depth and competition will need to catch up to the expansion. My hope is that after NYCFC joins the league, the league will put a moratorium on expansion until depth catches up. The league does need a presence in the South, but with Orlando's stadium plans apparently dead, best case scenario would not be expanding yet again to 21 clubs, but the sale and move of Chivas USA to Atlanta or another southern market, maintaining the league as is until a balance has returned to the league.
The Importance of 2014
As NYCFC looks to enter MLS, another key moment in MLS history will be taking place, the television rights for the leagues stagnant viewership will once again come up for bidding.
NBC has put their eggs into the EPL basket, and rightly so, so the MLS bid from them may be dead on arrival. ESPN has been in the game for years and has strong backing from the top should John Skipper continue to run the network, but stability is not always the case in television. Fox has stated an intent to get back into MLS, but without a network devoted to it as Fox Soccer falls away and becomes FX2, I fear the bidding for the rights will be a war of attrition with MLS losing.
What many fans do not realize is that if MLS ratings could increase even marginally, and the bidding for the rights reached a similar level to that of the deals the NHL has with the networks, the MLS salary cap would increase dramatically, increasing the quality of the product and the depth of talent.
As I've said before, if you're not a fan, you're a problem.
Thank you for reading. Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
Several months ago former Columbus Crew, Leeds United, and USMNT player Robbie Rogers announced that he was stepping away from the beautiful game because he was gay, and did not believe he could be open about his sexuality and continue his chosen career. Support from around England and the USA flooded toward Rogers who used his new profile to garner an internship at Men's Health, an offer of a place at a prestigious fashion design school, and loads of interviews including the Guardian and Anderson Cooper. He was even called last Monday for his support and advice by Jason Collins of the NBA before his coming out.
While ESPN was constantly scrolling and reporting on the Collins announcement, one couldn't help but think of Robbie Rogers. The next two days, Rogers made his return to the beautiful game (sort of), by training with the LA Galaxy, which he had previously mentioned as a possibility in his Guardian interview. In the immediate aftermath of Rogers putting a kit on once again, Landon Donovan came out and suggested it was time for Rogers to come back to the game, and in particular LA. Bruce Arena praised Rogers fitness and lack of rust and also suggested that Rogers might be a good fit for LA. Frank Kloppas, Chicago Fire head coach, the team which actually owns Rogers rights, reiterated what he had said all along, which is that he desires Rogers to play for him in Chicago. Not to be outdone, Sigi Schmidt, Rogers former manager with title winning Columbus Crew and current manager of Seattle Sounders stated that he too would love to have Rogers join up with his club should he decide to play again.
While Rogers doesn't have the cache of a Jason Collins due to his playing the beautiful game as opposed to basketball, his case is one which should be garnering more interest, and is far more interesting. While Collins is a free agent and has a chance to find the best fit for himself as far as the right team and right support, Rogers, if he chooses to return to MLS, has a much different path the tread.
Chicago Fire traded for the rights of Rogers before his coming out in hopes that his departure from Leeds and failure to find his feet after injury issues in England would see the player come back to MLS. Due to MLS rules, should Rogers wish to come back to MLS, there will be many parties at play in his return. Any contract that Rogers should sign is with MLS, not any individual club. The League Office will play a vital role in any return. Chicago Fire own his rights and desire to have the player, so should the player wish to return to the league, he either has to agree to play for Chicago, or find a team he does desire willing to force a trade of equal value to the Fire, and again the league comes to play. In theory, Chicago could say "In return for the rights to Robbie who we value, we want Landon Donovan, take it or leave it." A deal LA would never accept. Once again the league would step in and force a more realistic deal, forcing Chicago to settle for Michael Stephens (just a suggestion) or a draft pick, maybe allocation money. Perhaps not a fair and equal trade, but better than nothing at all. Should Seattle or another team enter the sweepstakes and be appealing to Rogers, a bidding war could potentially ensue, adding multiple clubs, Rogers, and MLS to the negotiating mix.
With the rules as they are, Rogers will eventually be able to force a deal through if a club and MLS truly want him, but getting there may be more complicated in every way than any deal Collins should find for himself. While there is a new marketplace for "gaythletes" (Yes, I coined a new term), as always has been the case in the US, footballers are second class citizens. While the traumas faced by returning Americans to MLS are not exclusive to gay footballers, in the new world of out athletes, a gaythlete has a much more difficult road to travel.
Should he chose to return to the game, Rogers has a support system already built in with LA, his family. In Chicago, there is a very vibrant and healthy gay community. All things that need to be taken into consideration before any gaythlete makes a move. But the rules and regulations of MLS can make the situation more difficult for the player. While I don't believe MLS should give preferential treatment to out players, I also don't believe they should scrap their current system completely, where in a free market Chicago would find themselves holding an empty bag.
I don't believe the national press will really take hold of the Rogers situation, or the predicament that MLS should find itself in upon his return, but I believe they should. Not only should Rogers be treated with the same type of groundbreaking fanfare as Jason Collins, the inner workings of MLS should also be exposed, debated, and discussed. With MLS, the story isn't just the gaythlete, but MLS itself, a much more layered and intriguing story in my mind than anything Collins or the NBA could throw at us. As it pertains to the Robbie Rogers situation, sexuality may be the least interesting aspect of the story.
Oil Billions With A Budget
The hot story in the press over recent days has been the pending announcement of Manchester City owner Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan becoming the owner of the 20th MLS club, to be named New York City FC, and playing in Queens.
As a Manchester United fan, nothing would turn my stomach more than such a partnership. As an MLS fan, nothing would make me happier. Or so I thought. But with a little time to ponder the deal, I am left with more questions and concerns than perhaps I should have from something as simple as a billionaire buying an MLS franchise.
The immediate reports from England were that Sheik Mansour would use NYCFC as an academy of sorts, a place to send young players who need match time, or a place to send overpriced signings they are having troubles getting rid of as Designated Players. It also would give them an added youth academy to mine talent from, with any rare talent being found getting sent "up" to the "big" club.
One question that arose from this developing news, is "why would Sheik Mansour want to buy an MLS franchise?". While the English press speculated that the Sheik wanted to expand his footprint into America, and that while India, China, etc are seen as the developing nations of football, the USA is really the treasure trove of emerging nations due to wealth, population, and the games presence which is growing, but has much more room to grow, I see the situation slightly differently. As other billionaire MLS owners have suggested, its smart business, not something you hear often when it comes to football clubs. Other than from stadiums, MLS clubs do not carry debt, and their entire payroll is comparable to one top EPL player. This is a chance for Manchester City and Sheik Mansour to get a foot in the door in the US and grow their market share, while paying a bargain basement price for the potential return, even at $100 Million in a transfer fee.
Many MLS fans have been excited by the prospect of the money and talent the Sheik can bring to NYCFC and MLS, but I for one am being extremely skeptical. This seems to me to be a case of what can MLS do for Sheik Mansour, as opposed to what Sheik Mansour can do for MLS. I would love to return to this topic with a more in depth look at the mountains of possibilities it could entail, but I will save that for the official announcement. I'm sure you're breathless with anticipation.
Timber Taka
With 14 points from 9 matches played, this surely isn't John Spencer's Portland Timbers. "Porter-ball" is what Arlo White dubbed it, a term Caleb Porter hates, and with good reason. The style with which Portland plays is not really "Porter-ball", as this squad is not yet fully Caleb Porter's players.
While I did coin a new term earlier with "gaythlete", I now would like to add a fresh term to the American soccer fan vernacular that joins other such brilliant inventions as "Boom Boom Chelis" and "Landycakes", terms I did not create but use in my daily lingo. The new term is a much more appropriate term for the style of play that is currently the unaptly named "Porter-ball", and that term is "Timber Taka".
My only fear for this current incarnation of the Portland Timbers is that due to injuries in the back and overall defensive frailty, Portland will stumble down the table when the goals inevitably dry up for a spell during the season.
A Question Of Depth
One of the issues with MLS expansion is the thinning of league depth, an issue MLS has struggled with for quite some time. Back when MLS was 10 clubs, half of what it will be after the addition of NYCFC, 1-11 was a strong bunch of players, while today you have 6 names on the team sheet, and then a squad to support them.
Roger Espinoza, former Sporting KC player also brought this subject up recently when discussing the differences of playing in England as opposed to playing in MLS. He suggested that the main difference between the EPL and MLS is one of competition. In England, a player needs to fight to attain a starting role, fight to get onto the subs bench, and fight to keep those roles once they are achieved. In MLS, this isn't the case, players are much more comfortable. When you know your name is on the team sheet no matter what, what are you really fighting or striving for?
For MLS to grow as a league and reach the potential Don Garber and the fans expect, player depth and competition will need to catch up to the expansion. My hope is that after NYCFC joins the league, the league will put a moratorium on expansion until depth catches up. The league does need a presence in the South, but with Orlando's stadium plans apparently dead, best case scenario would not be expanding yet again to 21 clubs, but the sale and move of Chivas USA to Atlanta or another southern market, maintaining the league as is until a balance has returned to the league.
The Importance of 2014
As NYCFC looks to enter MLS, another key moment in MLS history will be taking place, the television rights for the leagues stagnant viewership will once again come up for bidding.
NBC has put their eggs into the EPL basket, and rightly so, so the MLS bid from them may be dead on arrival. ESPN has been in the game for years and has strong backing from the top should John Skipper continue to run the network, but stability is not always the case in television. Fox has stated an intent to get back into MLS, but without a network devoted to it as Fox Soccer falls away and becomes FX2, I fear the bidding for the rights will be a war of attrition with MLS losing.
What many fans do not realize is that if MLS ratings could increase even marginally, and the bidding for the rights reached a similar level to that of the deals the NHL has with the networks, the MLS salary cap would increase dramatically, increasing the quality of the product and the depth of talent.
As I've said before, if you're not a fan, you're a problem.
Thank you for reading. Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Jurgen Were You Watching (And Other Musings)
Jurgen Were You Watching?
On Saturday night, while most people were going to bed on the East coast or out enjoying the night life on the West coast, LA Galaxy were taking on Sporting Kansas City at the Home Depot Center in Carson California.
During Landon Donovan's often criticized sabbatical, the US National Team has seen many struggles in finding a replacement for the greatest ever American player during CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. While many American fans are of the opinion that the solution to a Donovan-less USMNT over the next several years should be natural winger Josh Gatt of Molde, Jurgen Klinsmann has instead chosen natural central midfielder turned right mid by necessity in KC Graham Zusi, or other natural central midfielders.
My hope is that Klinsmann was watching his one time friend Landon Donovan return to form for LA Galaxy as they took on Zusi's Sporting KC. While LA dictated play for most of the first half and had the best chances often created from counter attacks thanks to the pace of Donovan, (something sorely missing from the USMNT minus Donovan) the moment the match turned was when Landon Donovan drifted to the left flank switching with Mike Magee and began a face to face confrontation with Graham Zusi. Donovan wasted no time in sprinting past Zusi as he nearly set up LA's first goal, and then did it a second time, this time assisting on a goal. Minutes later when Zusi gave a bit of a clatter to LA central defender A.J. De LaGarza, Donovan gave a little back to the KC man when he won the ball from him fairly in my mind, but was called for a foul thanks to the extra zeal with which he challenged Zusi. In response during the second half, Zusi was forced to drift more inside when Donovan was around, and only looked even a mild danger when Donovan moved back to the right flank. Later in the match Donovan got his first goal of the season in only his third full 90 of the short campaign.
If Klinsmann was watching, he saw Donovan returning to form and proving that he is twice the player Zusi is. Time will tell if Jurgen will bring the legend back into the fold, or stick with the younger man out of spite, but if Klinsmann is half the manager he thinks he is, Landon Donovan is already on the team sheet for the next qualifier the US will face. And he should be on that team sheet not in pencil, but ink.
Paper Tiger
Saturday also saw a win for New York Red Bulls, bringing them their third win of the season to go with their 4 losses and 2 draws, and lifting them to 4th place with 11 points. In a season where new Red Bulls manager Mike Petke has constantly been forced to admit the performances of his team were "not good enough", it would be easy to foresee a turn around that leaves New York battling for the Eastern crown as everyone believes they should be, as the Eastern Conference version of an MLS Superclub. Unfortunately for Petke and New York, the win was against a poor New England Revolution side, and their encounters with the better teams of MLS have seen them fall dramatically short.
While they now find themselves in 4th, the troubles for the Red Bulls are not yet over. If the teams below them win their matches in hand, New York could find themselves in 9th place. Chances are such a turn of events won't happen, but if even a few teams win even a single match in hand, the Red Bulls will find themselves out of the playoff places. Not exactly a scenario becoming of a Superclub.
The issues with the organization are deep, as can be expected from any organization that brings in Rafa Marquez, follows that disaster up with Tim Cahill, struggles to find managers in a timely fashion, and routinely hires executives without a day of MLS experience. But this season the main issue seems to be one of too many free spirit cooks in the kitchen.
Thierry Henry likes a free role. Juninho likes a free role. Tim Cahill likes a free role. Fabian Espindola covers the space vacated by the others, basically giving him a roaming free role. All this leaves Dax McCarty trying to cover for everyone while also protecting the back 4. When you add to this that Juninho has a lack of defensive skill not seen in the league since Blanco walked his way through his Chicago years, it makes New York an all or nothing proposition. Against poor teams their skill leads to plenty of attack, against the better sides it leads to defensive frailty. It's no coincidence either that the Red Bulls got their easy victory over the Revs with Juninho suspended.
Unless Juninho starts to show the dead ball accuracy of his past and puts in more of a defensive shift, and Tim Cahill starts to earn even a fraction of his $3 Million salary, the Red Bulls will be nothing more than a paper tiger looking to rebuild once again in the near future with a new crop of overpaid has beens and yet another new (and foreign again) manager.
Western Surprise? Bottles and Cans, Clap Your Hands
Even if LA Galaxy win both of their matches in hand on Western Conference leaders FC Dallas, they will still be 2 points behind. Thus far in the early MLS season the surprise of all surprises has been the form of Dallas. They have shown to have pace, defensive strength, and a mental toughness even manager Schellas Hyndman questioned in the preseason. Zach Lloyd, George John, and Matt Hedges have proven to be the most formidable defense while also having a flair for starting an attack, and the answer to the question of who will score the goals seems to be "anybody".
But the biggest surprise in Dallas has not been their form, but the recent attack on defender George John by a Dallas fan after his match winning goal. Following an 87th minute goal against LA Galaxy, John was hit by a beer bottle thrown from the North stand by one of his own supporters behind his right ear, immediately drawing blood and keeping him down for a few minutes. After several days, thanks to a tip from another fan, the perpetrator has been identified and banned from FC Dallas Stadium.
The question has to be, why would anyone throw a beer bottle at their own player, or even just onto the pitch at the players as a way of celebrating a goal? The fan has not been identified publicly by FC Dallas, but we do know that he has made no contact with John, though John would be open to hearing an apology and moving on, and is also open to using this incident and the fan as a way of promoting more responsible fan behavior in the future. Let us hope the fan reaches out to John and good can come from this blatant stupidity.
3 + 1 = 4
This week San Jose Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon will start the first of the four match ban he picked up last week. One match was given to the forward for getting sent off for a second bookable offense thanks to an elbow to the face of Mikel Silvestre of Portland, and another three from his homophobic slur aimed at Portland's midfielder Will Johnson.
Of the several issues at play here, one is the apparent use of technology by referees to send Gordon off for the elbow, another is Portland's rule breaking of showing the contentious decision on the big screen before the referee seemed to know if he should even take action. While the referee seemed to be inclined to let things go while he looked over Silvestre and his bloody face, a replay was shown in the stadium which caused the crowd to lose their minds, and the referee to book the forward, sending him off for a second bookable offense. The league is looking into the possible infraction, but the odds of any action being taken against the referee Hilario Grejeda or the stadium crew of the Timbers seems to be slim.
The ban for the slur however can not be seen as controversial. In fact, following the comment, Will Johnson's reaction to Alan Gordon was to hold up three fingers, suggesting they both knew what the slur just cost Gordon. For his part, Alan Gordon followed the game with an immediate apology for the homophobic language he hurled at Johnson.
The problem here is that while players will be forced to keep their language to themselves in the future, it does nothing to change the mentality behind the use of such slurs. As Robbie Rogers does the rounds with print and television interviews on why he feels a gay man can not be open about his sexuality and continue playing the game, his feelings have been reinforced publicly once again.
Many of us who support the equality movement believe MLS would be the perfect and safest training ground for the future of the game with openly gay players, but idiotic moments like this from Gordon (on the back of 2 more such public incidents and bans last season) tell us it is ingrained in the culture of the league to some extent, just as it is in our culture.
My hope is that some day we will no longer have to see bans for the use of homophobic slurs, because they no longer exist. I know this is a dream that may not come true in my lifetime, but I have to believe we will get there. Until then I will have to live with the knowledge that ignorance gets you three. (Though one can assume racism would get you more. Equality takes time.)
Boom Boom vs The Chosen One
Finally, this saturday also gave us a little something extra in the closing stages of the Real Salt Lake vs Chivas USA clash.
As Javier Morales slowly exited the pitch while being substituted, Chivas manager Boom Boom Chelis began to give Morales a piece of his mind. This got RSL manager Jason Kreis a bit heated and led to the two managers letting each other know just what they thought of each other.
Frankly, I am one who believes this little bit of agro is just what MLS needs to add to the personality of the league. Love him or hate him, Boom Boom Chelis surely isn't boring.
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
On Saturday night, while most people were going to bed on the East coast or out enjoying the night life on the West coast, LA Galaxy were taking on Sporting Kansas City at the Home Depot Center in Carson California.
During Landon Donovan's often criticized sabbatical, the US National Team has seen many struggles in finding a replacement for the greatest ever American player during CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying. While many American fans are of the opinion that the solution to a Donovan-less USMNT over the next several years should be natural winger Josh Gatt of Molde, Jurgen Klinsmann has instead chosen natural central midfielder turned right mid by necessity in KC Graham Zusi, or other natural central midfielders.
My hope is that Klinsmann was watching his one time friend Landon Donovan return to form for LA Galaxy as they took on Zusi's Sporting KC. While LA dictated play for most of the first half and had the best chances often created from counter attacks thanks to the pace of Donovan, (something sorely missing from the USMNT minus Donovan) the moment the match turned was when Landon Donovan drifted to the left flank switching with Mike Magee and began a face to face confrontation with Graham Zusi. Donovan wasted no time in sprinting past Zusi as he nearly set up LA's first goal, and then did it a second time, this time assisting on a goal. Minutes later when Zusi gave a bit of a clatter to LA central defender A.J. De LaGarza, Donovan gave a little back to the KC man when he won the ball from him fairly in my mind, but was called for a foul thanks to the extra zeal with which he challenged Zusi. In response during the second half, Zusi was forced to drift more inside when Donovan was around, and only looked even a mild danger when Donovan moved back to the right flank. Later in the match Donovan got his first goal of the season in only his third full 90 of the short campaign.
If Klinsmann was watching, he saw Donovan returning to form and proving that he is twice the player Zusi is. Time will tell if Jurgen will bring the legend back into the fold, or stick with the younger man out of spite, but if Klinsmann is half the manager he thinks he is, Landon Donovan is already on the team sheet for the next qualifier the US will face. And he should be on that team sheet not in pencil, but ink.
Paper Tiger
Saturday also saw a win for New York Red Bulls, bringing them their third win of the season to go with their 4 losses and 2 draws, and lifting them to 4th place with 11 points. In a season where new Red Bulls manager Mike Petke has constantly been forced to admit the performances of his team were "not good enough", it would be easy to foresee a turn around that leaves New York battling for the Eastern crown as everyone believes they should be, as the Eastern Conference version of an MLS Superclub. Unfortunately for Petke and New York, the win was against a poor New England Revolution side, and their encounters with the better teams of MLS have seen them fall dramatically short.
While they now find themselves in 4th, the troubles for the Red Bulls are not yet over. If the teams below them win their matches in hand, New York could find themselves in 9th place. Chances are such a turn of events won't happen, but if even a few teams win even a single match in hand, the Red Bulls will find themselves out of the playoff places. Not exactly a scenario becoming of a Superclub.
The issues with the organization are deep, as can be expected from any organization that brings in Rafa Marquez, follows that disaster up with Tim Cahill, struggles to find managers in a timely fashion, and routinely hires executives without a day of MLS experience. But this season the main issue seems to be one of too many free spirit cooks in the kitchen.
Thierry Henry likes a free role. Juninho likes a free role. Tim Cahill likes a free role. Fabian Espindola covers the space vacated by the others, basically giving him a roaming free role. All this leaves Dax McCarty trying to cover for everyone while also protecting the back 4. When you add to this that Juninho has a lack of defensive skill not seen in the league since Blanco walked his way through his Chicago years, it makes New York an all or nothing proposition. Against poor teams their skill leads to plenty of attack, against the better sides it leads to defensive frailty. It's no coincidence either that the Red Bulls got their easy victory over the Revs with Juninho suspended.
Unless Juninho starts to show the dead ball accuracy of his past and puts in more of a defensive shift, and Tim Cahill starts to earn even a fraction of his $3 Million salary, the Red Bulls will be nothing more than a paper tiger looking to rebuild once again in the near future with a new crop of overpaid has beens and yet another new (and foreign again) manager.
Western Surprise? Bottles and Cans, Clap Your Hands
Even if LA Galaxy win both of their matches in hand on Western Conference leaders FC Dallas, they will still be 2 points behind. Thus far in the early MLS season the surprise of all surprises has been the form of Dallas. They have shown to have pace, defensive strength, and a mental toughness even manager Schellas Hyndman questioned in the preseason. Zach Lloyd, George John, and Matt Hedges have proven to be the most formidable defense while also having a flair for starting an attack, and the answer to the question of who will score the goals seems to be "anybody".
But the biggest surprise in Dallas has not been their form, but the recent attack on defender George John by a Dallas fan after his match winning goal. Following an 87th minute goal against LA Galaxy, John was hit by a beer bottle thrown from the North stand by one of his own supporters behind his right ear, immediately drawing blood and keeping him down for a few minutes. After several days, thanks to a tip from another fan, the perpetrator has been identified and banned from FC Dallas Stadium.
The question has to be, why would anyone throw a beer bottle at their own player, or even just onto the pitch at the players as a way of celebrating a goal? The fan has not been identified publicly by FC Dallas, but we do know that he has made no contact with John, though John would be open to hearing an apology and moving on, and is also open to using this incident and the fan as a way of promoting more responsible fan behavior in the future. Let us hope the fan reaches out to John and good can come from this blatant stupidity.
3 + 1 = 4
This week San Jose Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon will start the first of the four match ban he picked up last week. One match was given to the forward for getting sent off for a second bookable offense thanks to an elbow to the face of Mikel Silvestre of Portland, and another three from his homophobic slur aimed at Portland's midfielder Will Johnson.
Of the several issues at play here, one is the apparent use of technology by referees to send Gordon off for the elbow, another is Portland's rule breaking of showing the contentious decision on the big screen before the referee seemed to know if he should even take action. While the referee seemed to be inclined to let things go while he looked over Silvestre and his bloody face, a replay was shown in the stadium which caused the crowd to lose their minds, and the referee to book the forward, sending him off for a second bookable offense. The league is looking into the possible infraction, but the odds of any action being taken against the referee Hilario Grejeda or the stadium crew of the Timbers seems to be slim.
The ban for the slur however can not be seen as controversial. In fact, following the comment, Will Johnson's reaction to Alan Gordon was to hold up three fingers, suggesting they both knew what the slur just cost Gordon. For his part, Alan Gordon followed the game with an immediate apology for the homophobic language he hurled at Johnson.
The problem here is that while players will be forced to keep their language to themselves in the future, it does nothing to change the mentality behind the use of such slurs. As Robbie Rogers does the rounds with print and television interviews on why he feels a gay man can not be open about his sexuality and continue playing the game, his feelings have been reinforced publicly once again.
Many of us who support the equality movement believe MLS would be the perfect and safest training ground for the future of the game with openly gay players, but idiotic moments like this from Gordon (on the back of 2 more such public incidents and bans last season) tell us it is ingrained in the culture of the league to some extent, just as it is in our culture.
My hope is that some day we will no longer have to see bans for the use of homophobic slurs, because they no longer exist. I know this is a dream that may not come true in my lifetime, but I have to believe we will get there. Until then I will have to live with the knowledge that ignorance gets you three. (Though one can assume racism would get you more. Equality takes time.)
Boom Boom vs The Chosen One
Finally, this saturday also gave us a little something extra in the closing stages of the Real Salt Lake vs Chivas USA clash.
As Javier Morales slowly exited the pitch while being substituted, Chivas manager Boom Boom Chelis began to give Morales a piece of his mind. This got RSL manager Jason Kreis a bit heated and led to the two managers letting each other know just what they thought of each other.
Frankly, I am one who believes this little bit of agro is just what MLS needs to add to the personality of the league. Love him or hate him, Boom Boom Chelis surely isn't boring.
Until next time, remember, MLS Matters.
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