U.S. Invasion of Cuba? Write the USSF and make it happen

Anyone up for a road trip this September? Beautiful Caribbean setting... beaches.. birthplace of rum.... and the US Men's National Team providing just that little extra spice of total smackdown. Oh, one little problem, the State Department might arrest you when you get back.

WHA????

Thanks to MLS Underground for posting about this issue. As reported on that site, Sven Serrano, a US supporter living in Japan, is asking all members of the US Soccer online community to write a letter to the US Soccer Federation to find a legal way for US supporters to get to go to Cuba this September to watch the USMNT play against el amenaza de rojo in CONCACAF early qualifying for World Cup 2010.


This is a World Cup qualifying round match, and the mere thought that the US team would go to Cuba of all places, -- Cuba! which is only 90 miles from Key West -- and not have a single American fan in the stands is a reprehensible notion. I understand the boycott, yeah, yeah. I understand the human rights violations, yeah, yeah. I understand that the Senators might have signed Fidel all those years ago to a minor league deal, yeah yeah. But come on here. This is the US heading south ready and willing to bust...that...team...UP. There has to be a way to make this happen.

What follows below the vid is Serrano's letter, as posted on the MLS Underground. Feel free to copy and send this to the USSF, or even better, write your own similarly-themed piece, and tell a friend to do the same.

U.S. Soccer Federation
1801 S. Prairie Ave.
Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312) 808-1300
Fax: (312) 808-1301 ­ ­
­

Dear Sirs

As a USMNT supporter who has been to two World Cups and several WC Qualifiers, both home and away, I would like to ask the USSF what your office plans to do to accommodate the wishes of numerous US supporters who have stated their intention to support our team when it (most likely) will play the national team of the Republic of Cuba in Havana this Fall?

We are all aware that a strict economic embargo is in effect, limiting travel and financial transactions with that country. However, should the USSF decide to support the fans who wish to travel to Cuba to cheer our team on, you could do the following:

1. Apply to the State Department for a cultural exchange permit for a small group of US supporters (200-300) to accompany the team. ­ ­ ­ ­

2. Arrange for a charter flight that could fly the group in (on the same schedule as our team) and out of Cuba.

Your support for a legal group of US Supporters traveling to Cuba would reduce the chance Americans traveling to Cuba through 3rd countries on their own, thus breaking U.S. laws and running the risk being charged and fined by US Customs upon their return for the simple reason that they wanted to cheer on an American soccer team participating the FIFA World Cup Qualifying round. ­

American soccer has friends in the House and Senate who could support any move you make on this project. Even President Bush called the team before our match against Mexico in 2002 so perhaps he could be asked to intervene personally in this matter and lift the restrictions just this one time. ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Cuba is at a turning point in its history. I remember a certain American table tennis team that was instrumental in opening up the People’s Republic of China in 1970. A group of American soccer supporters could perhaps do just the same thing in 2008.

Sincerely, Sven A.Serrano

Setsunan University, Osaka Japan

Read more!

Mars Needs Women- Just Like the Blogger MFLS Championship (MLS Fantasy League) Needs Bloggers!

Like Dora the Explorer, we need your help. Whether you are a MLS fan wanting to see how the ‘writing/talking heads’ fare in a fantasy league against each other, MLS blogger, or a foreign blogger who wants to play an MLS fantasy game against other bloggers, you can aid in helping recruit soccer bloggers to participate in our Blogger MFLS Championship. How can you help, you ask? Admit it, if you’ve read this far, you ARE intrigued…

First, if any of your fave bloggers are on this list, you can goad, prod, bug, torture them into participation. Find out their home address- then stalk them relentlessly until they sign up. If your fave blogger is not on the invite list, you can tell me who and how to contact on the below comments section. Then proceed to the stalking section.

If you are a footy blogger who is not on the list, leave your contact info below and list your blog site. You also must have written a blog within the past month on your site.

Finally, if you or your site is on this list, you should have received sign up email. If you did not receive this email or did not respond (cue the angry villagers with torches), please comment below. We are still seeking emails for some of the bloggers on this list.

For a direct link to MFLS, click here. Read more!

Which of these two guys do you want to run your team?

The answer, of course, is neither, but after reading Greg Lalas' recent 3-5-2 column on Goal.com on how to build an MLS side, I think it best to say that the one who actually has the job is the one who should be worried. (Especially if the new season ticket numbers revealed this week are to be believed. Chop, chop goes the GM axe when numbers like that come out, I would think.)

Another question: After reading over the piece, has Alexi done any of what Greg recommends with the Gals?

Also, I very much like Lalas' (that would be Greg of course) notice of both Patrick Ianni and Franco Caraccio. Based on what I saw last year compared to what I saw in Hawaii a few weeks ago, I would not be at all surprised if Ianni is ahead of Bobby Boswell in Dom Kinnear's depth charts.

And one more serious prop: Greg Lalas (When will the Ginger One fade away so that we can all just refer to the Greg by his last name and not have anyone ask "which one" anymore? Soon, please.) pointed out, quite correctly in my mind, that the best of MLS (Dynamo) is better than the lower reaches of the EPL (Derby County being GL's case in point). Check out his column for the obvious points in this regard, and what this might mean for the EPL, especially when you compare that league top to bottom to the Bundesliga and La Liga. Read more!

Inching ever closer to Dynamo Park

Take a good look at that picture, because right there is the three-headed coalition that is going to make Dynamo Park a reality sooner rather than later. Dominic Kinnear has put together the team on the field to produce two titles. Mayor Bill White has coalesced the city's various forces leading to yesterday's purchase of the land for ParadiseTexas. And then Tim Leiweke has represented AEG's interests sometimes controversially, but always consistently.


As has been reported all over the place, Houston City Council yesterday voted to spend $15.5 million to purchase five blocks just east of downtown for Dynamo Park. The council also approved a land swap to obtain an additional block. This was mostly a foregone conclusion with White in charge of the, well, charge. However, it was crucial after it was announced at Oscar De La Hoya's official welcoming party last week that the team was putting a self-imposed April 1 deadline in place for a stadium deal with the city. There is no other site under consideration, and April 1 is, after all, only 27 days away. So it's this site (many, many pictures of it are here) or we go back to Square One.

Dynamo starts against the Revs March 29 in NE. Their home opener is April 6 against the Frisco candystripers. My personal prediction is the announcement of the deal will come March 28, the Friday before the Revs game. What's your prediction? Read more!

Blogger MFLS Invitational Championship: Is Your Fave Blogger Playing?

The three amigos at Nutmegged are hosting the 1st Annual Major League Fantasy Soccer Bloggoff using Mark Wheeler's MFLS game site. MFLS is the original soccer fantasy league on the web, now in its 13th season. It is free to play, but contributions help to keep it online.

This competition will be comprised of a fantasy league and a prediction league. Bragging rights for the whole kit and kaboodle will mean having the most points combined from both competitions. Each blog can only have one team- though decisions can be made by a collective (as we will do).

Inclusion presently is by invitation only. These were selected through recommendations from our many friends and contacts- ranging from professional to amateur bloggers. Not all of our invites will respond or accept- so if you want to join, please email us with your contact name and the name of your blog. Your blog must be active with posts within the past month.

Scroll down to see if your favorite blog or blogger was invited. We are also seeking help locating the emails of some of the below bloggers.

Beau Dure USA Today- sent email
Phil Schoen GolTV- sent email
Steve Goff- Washington Post- need email
Logan's Revenge- sent email
Statesidefooty.com- emailed off their site
Sidelineviews.blogspot.com- know Andrea Canales is one of contributors, need email
Center Holds It- sent email- CONFIRMED
LAG Offside- sent email
Dan Loney- can't find his email- help anyone?
Du Nord- sent email
Blue Blooded Journo- sent email
The Offside Rules- sent email
Kenn at Kenn.com- sent email
Nutmegging- sent email
Soccer Silicon Valley- emailed off their site
Bernardo Fallas- Houston Chronicle- sent email
Ives Galarcep- sent email
MLS Rumors- sent email
Who Ate all the Cupcakes- need email?
MLS Underground- sent email
DCenters- sent email- CONFIRMED

We will be updating you about League Results, strategies, and speculation about who's hot and who's not. We will also shamelessly post some of our picks- both players and game predictions.

If your favorite blogger is one of the above who has not responded- tease/goad/ challenge her/him/shim! Make it about their womanhood/manhood/otherhood! Then once they do play, check our site regularly. After all, we Pro or Am Bloggers are pompous enough to publish our opinions on the net- how well will we do when going head to head?

If you feel a blog needs to be invited, email us and tell us who and why.

If you do not write for a blog but would like to compare your points against any of us, sign up for MFLS today.

If you want to read a good write up describing the MFLS experience, click here. Read more!

Shameless MFLS Plug: Best MLS Fantasy Game Around

He's the only other person at the office who even knows when you're talking about MLS, you're not talking about real estate. Anytime you tell him about the new deal for that South American World Cup veteran your team just cemented, he lets you know he knew about it three days ago. He has a beautiful girlfriend whom he refers to as "Stupid." The Company promoted him over you due to Eddie Haskell mannerisms.

You can defeat this enemy of all things good without poisoning his pets! Challenge him and other axises of evil to an MFLS faceoff.

Yes, Major League Fantasy Soccer (MFLS), the oldest online fantasy soccer league, comprised of fantasy teams and a prediction league. Pick your team, get your favorite enemies to sign up, then use every underhanded tactic you or others can think of (planting false rumors, such as Joe Cronin leading the League in Goals Against Average or Fernando Clavijo being Coach of the Year). If he's stupid enough to believe it, call it Soccer Darwinism and bury him.

Deep.

Call it a humanitarian act.

MFLS.

Check it out.

For a fantastic description of MFLS gameplay from the site, Soccer Tickets Online, click here. Read more!

Bhoys/Barca to be on ESPN Classic

A big thank you to the Orlando Sentinel for letting us all know the error in ESPN's lineup. ESPN Classic (Channel 35 on my Comcast box at home) will indeed be showing the Bhoys/Barca game on tape delay this afternoon at 4 p.m. central time.

Now, to be sure, I am under no illusions here and will offer no bold tilting-at-tsunamis predictions of a Celtic road upset. I will also say that I admire Barcelona and there is no doubt that the best team won at Paradise two weeks ago. (Wow, did Barca ever look good in that game!) However, I will direct you to the Gorgeous Greek's fearlessness, not to mention the realistic confidence emanating from Captain Stevie. And if truth be told, even as beautiful as the weather is today in Houston and no matter my commitments to the this evening's caucus festivities, I'd rather be with these guys.

So I guess I'll just have to warm my Hoops Heart with this:

Read more!

My early thoughts on the arrival of the Golden One and why the April 1 stadium deadline makes me nervous

Wow, as Glenn Davis says, "Game On!"

Y'know, throughout the offseason I looked on in mounting trepidation as many other MLS teams were highly, highly active and the only thing Dynamo was seemingly doing was looking forward to a crowded fixture schedule and losing Joseph Ngwenya and Nate Jaqua. Then the last two weeks happened and I'm starting to get spoiled. "What? What do you mean there's no Dynamo news happening today? What's going on?"

In the last 10 days, the champs have:

1. Destroyed Sydney FC 3-0
2. Gotten beat down by Gamba Osaka 6-1
3. Signed Argentine Franco Caraccio
4. Brought in perennial winner Oscar De La Hoya as a new, and seemingly very active, co-owner; and
5. Set a deadline for stadium negotiations with the City of Houston for April 1.

Have I missed anything?

So, here are my quick takes:

1. Good and fun
2. Laughingly bad
3. Franco who? Guy seems green, but I refer back to my mantra of "Trust in Dom...Trust in Dom..Trust in Dom..." And even though Kinnear said he has never seen the guy play live, based on past performance, I feel like trusting him is like trusting Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man when he says to take another hit when you've got 19 on the blackjack table. Just do it, OK?

And that's the end of the quick takes, because these next two are going to take some time.


Bienvenidos Oscar. There's nothing in the Golden Boy's resume to suggest that he ever loses at anything. Geez, what do you want? He has had doubters are every step of the way in everything he has ever done, and you know what's he's done each time? Proven them waaay wrong. Too small to win at Olympic boxing? Too small and slow to win a prizefight? Too American to receive Mexican support? Too Mexican to receive American support? Too inexperienced to to succeed at boxing promotion? Too into boxing business to succeed in the ring? OK, that's 6-0 for De La Hoya here, alright?

Six....and.....oh.

Anything else? Oh yeah, now we can add, never been in soccer and thus cannot lead an MLS team.

Now, y'know, I'm not measuring the trophy case for that third Rothenberg trophy just yet here. But I really don't see a downside. I'm desperately looking for one and here's the best I can come up with:

Not even remotely local. As my brother wrote to me the other day:

De la Hoya also, to my knowledge, has little or no contact with the Houston business scene. This argues for maintaining the existing management structure of the Dynamo (and really, why would Golden Boy Prod want to change the model that's working so well?).

It would be so much better for a Houston entity to purchase the team. Is there not a Houstonian-led group who could purchase the Dynamo??? Tilman Fertitta, perhaps? But if we're going to have absentee, corporate ownership, that damn lease for the new stadium better be air-tight!

One other at least potential negative about Golden Boy Productions, they are a relatively new sports company, having been around just about 10 years now. All they do are prizefights. This would be an expansion of their business, and something about which they have almost no experience. We may be begging for a return to AEG if they can't pull this off.

So bottom line, they are not local and they are not experienced. But they are Hispanic owned and they have cash. I see storm clouds on this one.

Yes, I also see the storm cloud potential on this one. And both Bernardo Fallas and Glenn Davis specifically asked the Golden Boy about this. First, here's Glenn Davis' thoughts on the matter:

If you were worried about De La Hoya not being involved locally you can think again.
Just listen to his interviews and his desire for this market for both soccer and boxing.
Charismatic , young, intelligent and ambitious is a great combination for someone who gets the importance of soccer both locally and globally.
MLS had courted De La Hoya to buy a new franchise but he elected to buy into the Dynamo.

And here's what De La Hoya himself had to say:

To Davis:

“Well I have been an MLS fan for quite a while now and ever since I can remember I have loved soccer and especially now that Houston is the back-to-back champions you tend to pay more attention not only to the team that one but also the city. We go way back where we first staged our first boxing event many years ago; Houston is a great boxing and soccer town. I remember having various meetings with my colleagues and executives at Golden Boy. If we can ever do boxing events in Houston maybe once a month let’s take advantage of the opportunity so I have been spending quite a while in Houston . I travel to Houston quite often and it is a city I really enjoy.”

and

“Absolutely, the surface has just been scratched and the possibilities are endless for the MLS and especially for the Houston Dynamo. I have been now religiously following the Houston Dynamo for quite a while now. This is such an exciting moment for me personally because when you have an opportunity to join or be part of a team who is just coming off great success it is really a big thrill and an honor and we have to make sure that the level of integrity and level that the Houston Dynamo have been for quite a while we make sure we keep it like that and make sure the fans are happy and Houston Dynamo live on forever.”

and finally:

"The league overall has done a tremendous job you have to commend the commissioner and everyone else who has been involved in structuring in putting together to what the league is today. Like I said before this is only the beginning soccer will grow and expand. Houston Dynamo will have a stadium to play in. I am very positive that the city will make sure that all the fans in Houston will have a home, a home to cheer on their favorite team. I can not wait to wear my orange jersey and be part of (El Batallon) crew that they have down there cheering on our team.”

Here's what he told Fallas:

Q: When this all said and done, the team will still lack local ownership. Houston sports fans are used to having a visible owner, which the Dynamo don't have. Will you be a visible owner?

A: Absolutely. If I have to buy an apartment in Houston I will buy an apartment in Houston. I am dedicated to being part of a championship team and Houston will see my face very often. It's an exciting time for us. The passion and drive is there from our part.

And here he is at the rally yesterday:




and then this one:



So, I remain cautiously optimistic on this.

And about the April 1st deadline on plans for Dynamo Park, there has been nothing but positives on this story so far, except for the slow pace of the negotiations. De La Hoya's now active involvement (Who knows how active he was up to this point? My guess is not that much.) can only speed things up. This is all sheer conjecture on my part and with any negotiations with a municipality, I am well aware that things can turn south rather quickly, but I see nothing in the run-up to this point to make me think anything other than good thoughts. Last year, before the playoffs began, Mister3d made this prediction for the playoffs: "Predicting Dynamo to win it all makes me happy, so I predict Dynamo to win it all again." Similarly, on April 1st, I expect to gather again in Jones Plaza or on the site the city is about to purchase just east of downtown, and party at the announcement. The thought makes me happy, so I predict it will happen. So there. Read more!

Buenos dias El Niño del Oro

Dynamo sent out this e-mail today about a downtown party Friday to welcome the Golden Boy to town. I kinda suspect this will be sparsely attended, but I plan on going anyway. The weather will be nice and if I'm lucky, maybe I'll score an interview. At the very least, I'll take some shots and post them here. Maybe we'll even get a stadium announcement, but I think the chances of that are zero to, well, zero.

Read more!

"Hey, where'd all the players go?" or "He's gone, he's gone...I'd pay the devil to replace him (Da or Nyet???)"

What follows is a long back and forth discussion between Playtherapy, Mister3d and myself on the migration of mid-market, or middle class, players out of MLS this offseason. Hopefully, this is just another chapter in a very long discussion. What do you think?

Martek



MARTEK: Found this on DuNord:

After nabbing 2 goals in 2 games for his new team Rheindorf Altach, Nate Jaqua has been called "a penalty-area cobra with a lion's heart" by a local paper. Their league must be awful, cuz he just isn't that good. But it's fantastic for Jaqua!

PLAYTHERAPY: Jaqua was also good @ scoring slop goals with the Dynamo. Slop is slop but looks good on the score sheet.


MISTER3D: Your nonchalant disregard of jaqua's talent flies in the face of the recent breathless panting we are losing mls talent to europe postings. Pickens, jaqua, ngwenya, gbandi, noonan etc. are not indispensable and will be readily replaced by younger cheaper players, do they deserve better, yes; but they are not huge losses. Something needs to be done to keep the middle class mlser but movement to and from our league and various other leagues is a sign of the strength of mls, no?


PLAYTHERAPY: Pant pant pant
You so right, me so horny. Seriously, you make an excellent point, I'm speaking out of both sides of me mouth. Another zinger is this may be healthy for the league.

Let's use your middle class analogy:


Upper Class A Players (starters on any team)- Ching, Twellman, De Ro, Donovan, etc.
Creame de la creme- top of the league.

Lower Upper Class A- Starters on most teams, but not best in the league.

Upper Middle Class- Starters, or good subs. Something lacking in their game, preventing them from higher status.

Middle Class- Good subs, occasional starters but you don't want them starting for too many games.
The kind of players you want on almost every game sheet, ready to come in if needed.

Lower Middle Class- Fair subs, perhaps youth to be blooded or situational players. Have some strengths but definite liabilities.

Upper Lower Class- Slightly better than reserve team- spot players on the rotation, occasional subs when there are injuries.

Lower Class- Provide roster depth but most of these will not get game time. A permanent fixture in the reserve league.

Lower Lower Class- Developmental player you're not sure if you'll keep or bodies you keep just to have a full roster- the first to be waived if needed.


Now, to borrow from Soccer Hooligan, here's who has left.

Chicago GK Matt Pickens - via free transfer Queen’s Park Rangers (England)
Lower upper class
Chivas- ALMOST but no work permit- Brad Guzan
Definitely elite- had he gone, would this change the worry factor?
Columbus- Marcos Gonzalez - via transfer Universidad Catolica (Chile)
DC- GK Troy Perkins - transfer to Valerenga IF (Norway)
Lower upper class
DC- Bryan Arguez - transfer to Hertha Berlin (Germany)
FC Dallas- DF Chris Gbandi - transfer FK Haugesund (Norway)
Middle to upper middle class
Houston- FW Joseph Ngwenya - SK Austria (transfer)
Between upper middle class and lower upper class. A second year under
Kinnear and Spencer might have elevated his game.
Houston- FW Nate Jaqua - via transfer SCR Altach (Austria)
Middle class
KC- FW Eddie Johnson - via transfer Fulham (England)
Lower upper class though sometimes upper middle class.
KC- DF Will John - via transfer Randers FC (Denmark)
Middle class
LAG- MF Clint Mathis - Ergotelis (Greece on transfer)
Middle class
NE- MF Andy Dorman – St. Mirren (Scotland on free transfer)
Upper middle class/ lower upper class until last year (middle class).
NE- FW Pat Noonan - Aalesund SK (Norway on free transfer)
Upper middle class in previous years. Last year upper middle to middle.
NE- DF Avery John - not resigned, currently a free agent (looking for lucrative
overseas transfer).
Middle class
SJ- (via expansion draft thru FC Dallas) DF Clarence Goodson - IK Start (Norway - free transfer)
Exceptional year- previously middle but last yr upper middle.

As replacements, we have the new foreigners, a new cast of middle class players yet to emerge (from the bench, reserves, or draft), or players who are returning from abroad.

How would you rank these players?

San Jose- Ramiro Corrales
Colorado- Chase Hilgenbrinck - free transfer from Ñublense (Chile)
RSL- Nat Borchers - via transfer Odd Grenland (Norway)

I agree, for other leagues to view the MLS as a cheap talent pool can promote league health- if adequate replacements can be found.

One of the things I've noticed about the league today versus 10 years ago is the present quality of the nonstar players- the middle class- so to say. During their championship runs, El Diablo, Moreno, and De Arce were surrounded by a cast of players that don't seem on par with the class I see today.

Is the talent pool deep enough to replace the listed players without a ripple- especially in light of the number of expansion teams on the horizon? I hope so. No matter what, many teams have not made the moves to replace these players (KC bring the most blatant violator).


MISTER3D: (Playtherapy), just copy and paste this to the blog and you have an excellent post. With everything right in front of my eyes this whole exodus issue warrants a little more stress and definitely needs to be monitored over the next few seasons, but as of right now no sweat. If the 2008 season play suffers along with the american player then this issue becomes a huge issue. As for jaqua scoring slop goals I would prefer it being done for the dynamo but oh well. I will miss noonan's intuitive sneaky play, can I even watch the revs without him...yes as long as they have shalrie joseph, but still.


MARTEK: Now, THIS is the discussion to be having out there, and the one that I'd love to have with the collective brainpower not just of the three of us, but multiple of our fell Bloggy McBlogmeisters.

I will have to take your word for it as to how much MLS has progressed since the 1990s, since I have to admit I did not follow the league in any significant way until Dynamo got here. However, I suppose I do not have to just take your word for it, as the view seems to be the consensus among those out there who have been following the league since its inception.

MLS has so many challenges in its development that are unique to it, at least in relation to other American sports leagues. The main one being, for the purposes of this discussion at least, concerning player development and retention. MLS has now progressed to the point where it has become an ideal place for a young player, whether American or furrin, to get valuable, intense and quality game experience. It is also a place where those who have found their greatest glory elsewhere, but still have something in the tank, can show of their still significant but declining skills for a variety of of reasons both personal and professional.

The phrase I used over on Center Holds It, that Dan Loney picked up and Jeff Bull highlighted, was that MLS was in danger of becoming primarily an under-23 and over-32 league. I believe we all share the dream of having MLS take its place among the great leagues in the world. There is no objective reason why MLS can not be every bit the league the Mexicans, Brazilians and Argentines have, not to mention La Liga, the Eredivisie, Serie A, Bundesliga and, yes, the EPL. I would even go so far as to maintain that MLS is already every bit as good as the Coca Cola Championship, the lower reaches of the EPL, the SPL (minus Celtic and the Huns), the Austrian Bundeliga, possibly the Eredivisie (Mr3D, Bradley's experience in the Mexico game giving credence to your argument here), the Portuguese Superliga and several others. (It's way better than the three-year-old A-League, judging not just from Dynamo's Sydney experience but from games I've seen on FSC.)

All of that being said, how does MLS get from its current situation to that promised land among the best in the world. Well, of course, it all revolves around the green, now doesn't it? It's damn easy to be called a visionary when you have a lot of money and spend it. And, conversely, no matter how visionary you are, without the money you become less like Pete Rozelle and David Stern and more like Phil Woosnam (former NASL commissioner).

Playtherapy, your list below of the range of middle class players who have left MLS in the last few months is revealing on several levels. Looking at purely on-field reasons, there is no reason why any of these guys would go to the Austrian Bundesliga, Scandinavian leagues, Greece to sit on the bench when they could playing much, much closer to their families and in their home countries. So what is it?

Well, anyone who is straining their brain on answering this question is trying too hard. Payday is more than just a mediocre candy bar. The increase in money these players get over in Europe is extremely persuasive on many levels. First, when a team like Preston North End, in the lower reaches of the Championship, can treble the pay of one of MLS' premier players, it's a very simple calculus. But it gets more deep than that. Second, players' No. 1 adviser on contracts is always their agent, who makes his or her money on the commission of the contract. Hence, here's someone who is highly motivated to get the player the best deal (most money) possible.

But third, a contract and career abroad, above and beyond the immediate remunerative qualities, gets that player seen by more European scouts than it does here. So the contract becomes an investment that is both immediately lucrative and could play out into a greater deal later on.

A player's average career is, what, 5-6 years, and how long is the player in what could be considered their prime during that period of years? And can injury or other factors beyond your control take it all away in a second? Yes. Thus, when you get a chance to sign for that much money, you are beyond foolish not to take it. Turning it down for some abstract concept of "loyalty" is laughable.

So where does that leave MLS? Clearly, they have hit a ceiling of some sort when you have so many of the type of players you listed here leaving. here is no need to panic and by itself this does not constitute evidence of disaster, but the situation outlined above is the long and short of a problem that is very real. MLS MUST pay their players more, must compete on the world player market, in order to develop. They MUST take steps away from their current price taker status or what you're seeing now is what you'll be seeing in MLS in 3, 5, 10 years and more.

There are no two ways around this very simple and obvious fact. Ignoring it means PlayTherapy will be able to make a list like this with every single offseason and summer transfer window. Only the names will be changed. Read more!

Naka's strike-a

And I would be remiss if I did not include this wonderful strike from my main Bhoy Shunsuke Nakamura in Celtic's 1-0 win over St. Mirren Sunday. That's the way to put that pasting from Barca in the rear-view mirror. Forza!

Read more!

Niño del Oro interview

Glenn Davis' blog has a fascinating interview (read it here) with incoming Dynamo minority owner Oscar De La Hoya. (And, of course, you can listen to the interview on Davis' Dynamo Power Hour podcast here.)I haven't wanted to post much on De La Hoya and Gabriel Brener's impending acquisition as the reports leave me somewhat confused about the business power structure, and the interview sheds no further light on this.

According to Bernardo Fallas' story in the Chron, AEG has the team valued at $40 million. De La Hoya will have a $10 million stake and Brener will have another $10 million stake. AEG, meanwhile, will still own 50 percent of the team. So the question is, who's in charge here? Hopefully, at the official announcement, which the story says could come by the end of the week, this question will be answered.

While I wholeheartedly welcome a guy like De La Hoya, who has done nothing but succeed in every thing he's ever done (much like this guy), my three main concerns are:

1. The power structure
2. No local ownership (though Fallas says Brener has family in Houston, and I know De La Hoya has multiple connections, to which he alludes in the Glenn Davis interview, in the city's vibrant boxing scene).
3. Will the Oliver Luck/Chris Cannetti/Dominic Kinnear/John Spencer on-field power structure be left intact or will De La Hoya/Brener start intervening?

One this last point, here's a great quote from De La Hoya in the interview, which is exactly what I, for one, want to hear:

“I think Coach Dominic Kinnear and President Oliver Luck have just done a tremendous job with the team. The team’s nucleus of players like Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Ching, obviously you have Pat Onstad who are incredible talented players who have had great success. You let the management take care of that, what they are doing now is perfect. No other team out there can say they are back-to-back champions and that is the thrill about our team. I say our team because it is not just Golden Boys team or AEG teams or MLS teams but it is the fans team and that where we want to keep it with the fans.”

Also, one other question, AEG has been trying to sell this team since they came in. Is their remaining 50 percent stake still up for sale?

Hopefully, more will be revealed when the sale is finalized.

But for now, here's another great quote from the Golden One:

"I can not wait to wear my orange jersey and be part of (El Batallon) crew that they have down there cheering on our team.”

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Mark Van Bonehead video

I first saw this incident late last night on a replay of the game on FSC. A tight, tough, hard fought game had this drama which just made the whole night for me. Saw this video over on Soccer by Ives this morning and felt it meshed perfectly with the previous post below. Just awesome.

Here's Ives' great take on it:

In Germany, not only is touching a referee a major offense, even insulting one with a gesture is risky. Consider Bayern Munich midfielder Mark Van Bommel, who disagree with a call by referee Lutz Wagner. Rather than simply shout at the referee, Van Bommel tried to sneak in an "Up yours" while Wagner was walking away. Unfortunately for Van Bommel, Wagner must have known he was up to something and turned around just in time to catch him.

The scene, which must play out in schools across the country, was the funniest moment of the weekend, and has to be seen to be appreciated.

The best is Van Bommel running off the field clearly upset at being caught doing something so dumb. Who knew the Dutch midfielder was only 12 years old?

In short, don't mess with referees.

I'm with you Ives.

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A soccer video well worth watching

Perhaps getting knocked around by by a 10-foot-tall Brazilian at the Pan-Pacifics (just how big a guy is Bare anyway?) has me just a little bit whack right about now, but it got me to thinking that this, along with Soccer Made in Germany, was my very first exposure to the game (which probably explains a lot).




But after seeing it again, I wonder how well this guy would do against such heavyweight competition:






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A very simple final thought on the Pan Pacific Championship

After watching that whole final, I only have one thing to say:

How much would it cost to get that Bare guy on our team? If you can't beat 'im, buy 'im. It's the American way.

Oh wait, one other thing to say:

After watching Bobby Boswell get burned on all four of Bare's goals, I hope that Boz takes those lead shoes he was wearing and hurls them into the nearest volcano before leaving the islands tomorrow. Of course, he might have been able to move just a little faster if he wasn't so damn captivated with ball-watching, but seeing as how this is preseason and all, I'm willing to let him blame it on the shoes. In two years, I've yet to see the Texian Army or El Batallon turn on one of our own, but if Boswell plays like that during the regular season, he's going to get an earful in at least two languages whenever Dynamo is defending the north side.

So remember Bobby: Shoes. In the volcano. Now. Read more!

Just what is the USL's future anyway, not to mention soccer in the US?

In the wake of the Austin Aztex' announcement that Everton Hall of Famer Adrian Heath (see the Soccernet story here) is going to be the team's new head coach, I got to wondering about the future of the United Soccer Leagues and it's ultimate relationship to MLS. The future I see is a bright one, not just for the USL, but also, ultimately for MLS and teams, or at least those who choose to exploit it, around the world.


In the Soccernet story Heath is quoted thusly:

"I am overjoyed at the opportunity to Coach the Austin Aztex. I have had several offers recently to coach in the English League but the chance to build something from scratch with Phil was just too tempting to turndown. I have followed U.S. Soccer closely over the past few years and believe the game here is about to take-off and I want to be a part of that."

Like Heath, I too believe that soccer in the US is about to take off (indeed, I think, to continue the NASA parlance, the spaceship has cleared the tower already). I also believe that MLS, despite its completely wrongheaded labor policies, will take its place among the top four major sports loops in North America (Some may say five, but in all honesty, I don't see the declined NHL reversing its fortunes anytime soon, if ever.) However, I have to wonder, if Heath truly believes or completely understands how the USL will be a major part of this developing situation and, if so, what role the league, and its various levels, will have.

It's easy to understand Heath's enthusiasm, and it's also easy to understand his possible misperception of the American situation. Without promotion/relegation (for Playtherapy's excellent posts on this "forbidden" subject, visit here and here.), the question of USL's eventual role is particularly apt. In Heath's world, of course, circuits exist in a ladder to be ascended and descended in a merit basis annually. Here, though, this is not true, and in all likelihood, for better or worse, never will it be.


The Austin Aztex present a particularly interesting case, and for the purposes of this discussion, a fabulous lab in which to pursue this issue. The team, which will field a U-23 side only this season in the USL's Premier Development League (along with the Houston Leones, of course) doesn't begin full play until 2009, but is owned by Phil Rawlins, who is also an owner and director of Stoke City FC an English League Championship side. The Potters are in terrific position in their promotion campaign to the Premiership for 2008-09, which will definitely affect the Aztex and present a situation unique (to my knowledge) in American soccer.


Check out this note from the Stoke City Web site on their arrangement:

The Austin Aztex will have an official affiliation with Stoke City which will begin immediately. The affiliation will include the English club holding their summer training camp in Austin, scouting for talent both locally and across the US, exchanging players with the Aztex and sharing best practices between the two clubs.

This situation brings up a series of questions. The fact of the matter is that USL will remain, for reasons too numerous to detail, a minor soccer league in the United States. MLS is, and will be, the top flight. And yet, the USL's Aztex will be the only US side to have a direct pipeline to the English Premiership, the so-called best league in the world.


(Similarly, USL-2 side Crystal Palace Baltimore has relationship with League Championship side Crystal Palace FC, not currently in position to go to the Premiership, but the situation bears noting in this discussion.)

What then is the USL? Minor leagues are by their nature developmental leagues, filled with players looking for the opportunities to develop their skills at the next level up, or those playing out their careers because they can't quite hang it all up just yet. USL definitely fits this bill, but for whom is the talent being developed?


Should an MLS team establish a similar relationship with a USL club? The league has talked about expanding into, among other cities, San Antonio. It does not tax the imagination unduly to posit a situation where a proposed San Antonio USL club (the Alamo?) has a relationship to, say, the Houston Dynamo exactly the same as Austin/Stoke City. The benefits of a "Dynamo/Alamo" alliance would be enormous, of course, but what about USL? In American baseball, Branch Rickey established the first true farm system as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1930s Quick local history: The Houston Buffs were the last stop before the bigs. Pepper Martin, Dizzy Dean and Country Slaughter, among others, were all Buffs before joining the Redbirds. (Interestingly, the Buff Stadium site is now occupied by a Finger Furniture Store, directly across I-45 from the University of Houston and Robertson Stadium, Dynamo's current home.) The Austin/Stoke City relationship seems to be similar. Players will play at Austin until needed by Stoke City, or at least, until needed by Stoke City's reserve squad. But does this fit in with USL's vision? What is the USL's vision?

Whatever that vision, it is easy, and not just a little bit exciting, to see a future where the MLS' budding reserve sides, and reserve circuit, are rendered obsolete by a relationship with USL squads that turns the lower division's leagues into an MLS feeder or farm circuit. An MLS team could place reserves on their USL squad, where they could play full, somewhat meaningful seasons. The senior clubs could then call up whomever was needed whenever they're needed, send down whomever needs to go down, etc. The mechanics of this are well-established in Major League Baseball by now, so there would be no need to reinvent the wheel here. What is needed is a vision of player development at multiple professional levels that fits American geographic realities and business models, in essence, a professional farm system.

The reality is that promotion/relegation of teams is not going to happen in the United States, not now, not ever. But promotion/relegation of individual players, now there's a reality we can all get behind, regardless of our feelings on the other issue. What's more, if the Aztex/Stoke City and CP/Baltimore situations are copied, then it will put MLS into business competition with the best sides in the world, while never once straying from US shores. And furthermore, and perhaps more importantly, MLS' developmental players will be in competition on the field with up-and-comers from and heading to overseas teams. It is easy to see ho this situation is a winner for MLS, USL and the American soccer player.

So a USL future as farm system to the world? Now that would be a storyline worth following for decades to come. Read more!

Waibel, Statham. Separated at birth?

Take a look at it yourself and tell me if I'm not making this all up.


All-around Mr. Tough Guy with a heart of gold (and four MLS championships) Craig Waibel and Brit movie tough guy Jason Statham, currently starring in The Bank Job.

Every time I see that guy (generally on late night TV when I have better things to do, like go to bed) I think, "Holy God. It's Waibelinho! No, wait. Yes. No....." Anyone else have the same reaction?



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The Pan Pacific-it's only preseason, it's only preseason.

I was able to watch most of the Galaxy/Gamba Osaka match and the first 45 of the Dynamo/Sydney FC contest. I must remember to temper my reactions with the mantra, it's only preseason, it's only preseason, and early preseason at that, but...damn!

Clearly the soccer gods have audited David Beckham's karma balance sheet and have concluded that some readjusting is in order. The man is in some sort of shiny soccer purgatory and it is painful to watch. He is paying for something and the gods must have their play. The match last night was awash in moments of pure malice from the fates.

One of the better of these illustrative moments came in the first half when Beckham's well-placed cross found the chest of a dumbstruck Kelly Gray and the ball thumped innocently to the ground, a threatening moment turned into painful comedy.

It's not that I want the galaxy to win, on the contrary but I would prefer them to lose courageously. I can only imagine what is going through Beckham's mind as all these earnest simple plodders huff and puff about him. What must Ruud Gullit be thinking?!

The artifical field simply played the galaxy; there were moments where I expected the team to pick up the ball and forfeit. As I sympathetically watched I made a mental note to adjust my expectations for the second game. How can I put this gently, the field played the galaxy but somehow the dynamo played the field.

The class difference between the PPC MLS teams was evident simply in this regard alone. I think Gamba Osaka will bring more to the field than Sydney FC, for a variety of reasons, but the field was the field and this speaks volumes of the galaxy's skill set.

Here comes the mantra, it's only the preseason, it's only the preseason and it's wise to remember how the Dynamo looked sharp and electric in the 2007 preseason Concacaf Champions Cup and then was anything but in the opening months last season.

Putting aside all this useless commentary, it was fantastic to be once again watching the dynamo run around. Oh how I missed that raver's hunter's orange burning itself into my eyes. Viva Naranja! Read more!

Go get your earplugs and heart meds

Saw this over on Steve Goff's wonderful Soccer Insider blog. I know it's several days old now, but still, this reaction is beyond great, from Barnsley's 2-1 win at Anfield last weekend.



And for those of you who are Liverpool fans, fear not, here you go (Playtherapy, this is for the K boy.):


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So, just who are the Boys in Blue anyway? A Q&A

Earlier this week, through the wondrous miracle of the Internets, at which all footy fans genuflect in gratitudinous awe, I held a back and forth question and answer session with Aussi blogger extraordinaire The Football Tragic's Mike Salter. Salter blogs regularly on all things A-League, but most specifically on Sydeny FC, Dynamo's opponent in the first round of the Pan Pacific Championship. (The two play at 12:30 a.m. Houston time tonight.) Salter sent me five questions about Dynamo, an I sent him my five to learn more about Sydney. (To read my take on Dynamo, check out his excellent site here.) And what follows below, in an effort to promote cross-cultural understanding and blah, blah, blah, are Mike's answers to mine.


1. Who is Sydney FC? How would you characterize the team and its style
of play?


Sydney FC is currently the only side in the A-League (our new national league) that represents Australia's largest city; we've been in existence since early 2005.

The team is a bit of a mix of old and young, with not much in between. Players like Steve Corica and Ufuk Talay were around in Australia's then domestic league in the mid-nineties, and have returned after various wanderings overseas; then there are the likes of Alex Brosque and Mark Milligan, who have been touted as future stars of the national team. The playing roster is made up mainly of Australians; currently our foreign players are Juninho (ex-Middlesbrough), who won't be making the trip to Hawaii, another Brazilian called Patrick da Silva, who has not had much first-team action this season, and a Northern Irish midfielder called Terry McFlynn, who has been a mainstay of the team.

Although we've had four different managers in our first three years, the team's style has only changed superficially in that time. We play without a great deal of width, often resort to long balls when closed down by quicker opposition, and rely quite largely on Steve Corica (and more recently Juninho) for creativity in midfield. On the upside, we're very tenacious, physically strong across the park and tend to fight our corner until the final whistle.

2. Sydney just lost a hard-fought game against Queensland earlier this
month in the A-League playoffs at the end of what seems to have been a
turbulent year, rife with coaching changes and personnel moves. How
hard is it going to be for the team to get up for this tournament? Are
they taking it seriously?


It's an interesting question. I have a feeling that some of the players will be treating it as a holiday, but having said that, there are a few whose contracts (I believe) are up for renewal or renegotiation soon, and they won't want to slack off too much.

3. Speak to some roster issues. Specifically: Who are Sydney FC's key
players for this tournament? Which players who starred for the team
during the season will not be making this trip? How hard will it be for
the team to cover for those absences, if any? Who do you expect to do
well in Hawaii?


Our key players are midfielder Steve Corica, Alex Brosque up front, and Mark Milligan and Tony Popovic at the back. Corica is a class player, good on the ball and an excellent passer, but he is getting on a bit. Brosque has scored plenty of goals this season, often while playing in a lone striker role which doesn't suit him, but he's been out of form of late (as I'm sure you noticed in the tie against Queensland!). Mark Milligan, who performed very well for the Socceroos at last year's Asian Cup, has also had a nosedive in form recently; Tony Popovic is a Socceroo veteran who had a shaky start to the season but has stepped up in recent weeks.

Juninho will be absent for the Hawaii tournament, but we have coped without him at other times this season, so we'll have to do so again!

4. Speak to the A-League as a whole. How would you rate the league on
the world stage? MLS, for example, has grown every year and is finally
establishing itself, but is seemingly forever in danger of becoming
mainly an under-23 and over-32 league. Does the A-League have problems
like this as well?


Yeah, we're in a very similar situation. There are youngsters just breaking through (Nathan Burns, Robbie Kruse, Nikita Rukavystya) and returning ex-Socceroo veterans (Tony Vidmar, Craig Moore, Tony Popovic), but most of the better Australian 24-30-year-olds are in Europe. The crowds have been encouraging, though, and the standard of football is not as bad as it's sometimes portrayed by our more snobbish local media.

It's hard to compare the league to others in terms of standard without some direct competition; we beat LA Galaxy in a friendly game last year, but the Galaxy were hardly going at full throttle. In the Asian Champions League, our teams (so far) have looked more or less on a par with comparable teams in China, Japan and Korea, which is also encouraging.

5. What do you hope Sydney FC gets out of this tournament, that is apart
from two wins and a trophy? Would a win here carry any momentum for the
club in its offseason?


A chance to build our brand (and that of the A-League), a decent hitout, and a few good tans. Our pre-season doesn't start until July, so in that respect it's sadly not all that relevant.
Read more!

Movement on building Dynamo Park (WITH PICTURES!)

The Chronicle's story about the city of Houston starting their purchase of five blocks just east of downtown (not really "five downtown blocks" is it since it's east of US-59?) is really, really good news for anyone who's interested in getting this stadium built. Simply put, without the city owning that land, there's no way the stadium deal gets done in such a great location, so deal with Dynamo in place or not, this is an incredibly positive development.

(The pictures I have run up here before, but it bears running them again. They are of the site in question, six blocks (the city plans to barter for the sixth) bordered by Texas and Walker streets on the north and south, and Hutchins and Dowling streets, just east of U.S. 59.)

But of course, that's not going to stop the Chron's Bernardo Fallas in his blog from trying to get a complaint fest going. In it, he faults AEG for not responding quicker to the news, again blames the company for the slow pace of this stadium deal because they're trying to sell the team and generally makes sure to put the negative spin on things. What is it with that guy? This is not the first time he's done this, so I think a little perspective is once again in order:

1. City buying land on the edge of downtown with the express purpose of turning it eventually into Dynamo Park? Good. Fallas does correctly point out that the city beginning the process of purchasing the land before the stadium deal is done is a sign of Mayor White's commitment. True, and more needs to be made of this. Both Carolyn Feibel's story and Bernardo's blog should play up this angle more. Instead, the story has a headline that talks about a delay, when in fact there is no such thing. The "delay" in the headline refers to the fact that Council will consider the land purchase Wednesday, but probably not have a vote until next week. This is not a delay in any way. This is the way City Council works. Calling it a "delay" is disingenuous at worst and just plain wrong at best.

2. AEG trying to sell the team? Good. What do you want them to do, keep it while focusing all of the attention on that other team they own, the one with Beckham's husband on it? I am all for them selling the team and there's no time like the present.

3. Slow pace of the deal while both are going on at the same time? Welcome to the real world Bernardo. He may think that business deals get done overnight, but in truth, when you're talking about this much money at stake, the pace is glacially slow to say the least. This deal has gone from Nowheresville to the city announcing its intent to spend $15.5 million almost overnight by City of Houston standards. This town never moves faster than this. Never. We knew this was going to happen when AEG brought the team here. There is nothing new here and i both happening at the same time makes the pace go slower, then that's what it does.

4. Major stadium construction negotiations so far without any public acrimony? Unbelievably, almost scarily, good. Bernardo was not here in this city when the negotiations about building the Astros' playpen were going on in the 1990s. That had to go to a referendum, and it passed by this much, though it eventually resulted in Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and the Toyota Center in a series of deals that are nowhere near as beneficial for the city coffers as the Dynamo Park deal figures to be. These negotiations, by contrast, are going slowly (as did the Astros' thing, as we should all remember) but with everyone on the same page and all disagreements, what ones there are, in private. That is, except for what Bernardo is trying to get going on his blog.

I know much has been written about this in the last 24 hours, but I just wanted to add my $.02 as well. There is absolutely nothing, and I mean, nothing in all senses of the word, not to be optimistic about here. Of course, there is still no deal here either, as we would all like for there to be. But patience is more than a virtue here. It is a necessity. My favorite comment so far came from "Chris" on Fallas' blog:

Bernardo, I can't decide which is driving me more crazy. Waiting for the Dynamo to get some help up top to relieve Wondo and Ching or waiting for the Houston City Council and Mayor White to get the Stadium deal done and started. I have friends who sarcastically claim soccer is prt of a conspiracy to make Americans learn patience and delayed gratification since scoring is less frequent than any other sport, but these types of patience testers are getting to me.

Indeed. But if I had to predict, I would say that both the sale and the stadium deal will be done before the end of 2008. I will even go out on a limb and predict by Labor Day both will be finished. If I'm wrong, I'll write a pro FC Dallas post, and for those of you who know me, you know how hard that will be!! Read more!