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| Friday, September 14, 2001 24:19 EST |
MLS, WUSA must join forces to build the game
By Jeff Bradley
[ESPN The Magazine]
Great news about the projected launch of Women's United Soccer Association in 2001. Especially great news about WUSA financier and Discovery Communications CEO John Hendricks' plan to play the women's games in stadiums with 15-20,000-seat capacities. Only question is, where might those stadiums be? Okay, I see a Columbus franchise. That's one. And then you've got Fort Lauderdale. That's two. And then there's ... uhhhh. Anyway, when you locate a few more, please e-mail Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber, because then he can begin to plot his league's future.
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THE FIRST XI
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Soccer Books on the $1 table at Barnes & Noble:
11. The Art of the MLS Shootout (by Brian Quinn)
10. Hot Nights, Cold Beer and the Village People (by Nick Sakiewicz)
9. Have Goals, Will Travel (by Raul Diaz Arce)
8. Captain For Life and Other Temporary Assignments (by John Harkes)
7. How to Make Friends and Big $$$ in Soccer (by Bora)
6. How To Feel 35 Forever! (by Francis Okaroh)
5. The Worst Day I Ever Had (by Kevin Hartman)
4. If You Build It, They Will Come on Buck-a-Brat Night (by Lamar Hunt)
3. Finding the Right Coach (by Stuart Subotnick)
2. The History of the San Jose Clash (by John Doyle)
1. Single-Entity for Dummies (by Sunil Gulati)
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The point is, there is no greater problem for professional soccer in this country than the lack of proper facilities. On the most pragmatic level, most of the fields in MLS are brutal -- too narrow and not properly mowed for a high-level game. On the aesthetic level, games in these huge stadiums are devoid of atmosphere. There's no way to hide 60,000 empty seats, not matter how colorful your tarps are. If the WUSA ends up playing in these places (and until we see some proof that there's an alternative in the major markets, we believe that's where they're going to be playing), they'll face the same image problems that MLS has dealt with, five years running. Bad fields. Empty seats.
Why not put your heads together here? If the MLS and WUSA investors want to help the sport of soccer grow in the U.S., and not just build their "sports/entertainment products," they should be tackling the stadium issue together. Beginning today.
As the MetroStars, Chicago Fire and Los Angeles Galaxy look into building their own small stadiums, the first brick wall they hit is "dates." Quite simply, 16 MLS games and a few friendlies is not enough to justify building even a $30 million stadium.
But imagine men's and women's teams in all the appropriate cities, sharing those stadiums. If you can envision each stadium also accommodating an affiliated A-League or W-League team, you can envision something that looks a lot like the club system that works in soccer around the globe. Soccer fans would have a club -- not just a team -- to support, and girls and boys could dream of one day wearing their club's shirt.
Can it happen? Former U.S. women's national team coach Tony DiCicco, a consultant for the WUSA, says, "Yes. For MLS and WUSA teams in the same market, it makes a lot of sense to combine efforts on stadiums, and to involve different municipalities. But the stadium in Columbus -- which is fantastic -- may be too expensive for us in the beginning. Our vision may be more in line with the type of stadium teams in the A-League are using. We're also talking with some colleges about upgrading their soccer stadiums. So we're not sure MLS will go for that."
What we're hearing out of MLS is that the WUSA simply wants to go it alone. And we have heard of one prominent women's player saying, "We don't want MLS teams piggy-backing on our attendances." This kind of talk is crazy.
While the women have every right to be proud of their accomplishments -- from their championships to their Madison Avenue allure -- when you take them out of the national team uniform and divvy them out, two-by-two, to eight or 10 teams, they're going to be faced with the same battles the men are facing in MLS. They're going to learn what Tony Meola, Tab Ramos and Eric Wynalda have learned over the past six years: that it's tough to making a living as a soccer player in this country. And it will only be tougher if the men and women are pulling against one another.
For the sake of soccer in this country, let clear heads prevail. Get together and build some stadiums. Get together and build the game.
Who for who?
Sometimes MLS rules and regulations are so muddy, and things like the salary cap so hazy, we never have a clear view of what's happening and why. Take the MetroStars trade this week, for example. The knee-jerk reaction is that they traded Colombian playmaker Henry Zambrano to Colorado for an allocation and got Colombian striker Alex Comas in return. We know this is the reaction, because of the number of phone calls we received from people (people in the league!) wondering how the hell the MetroStars could trade a 25-year-old national team player for a 28-year-old journeyman.
Well, it turns out that wasn't really the trade. The trade was Zambrano for another Colombian, forward Adolfo Valencia. The MetroStars needed to wipe Zambrano's maximum salary off the books to get Valencia. "We wanted to keep Zambrano," said MetroStars coach Octavio Zambrano. "But we had to get under the cap in order to sign another big player."
Not that the debate should end, mind you. Henry Zambrano for Valencia (a well-traveled 31-year-old) is a gamble. It says here if ex-MetroStar Eduardo Hurtado finished half of the sitters Henry Z. put on his foot last year, Zambrano would have been one of the league's top scorers and Zambrano would have been one of the top assist men. We certainly expect Zambrano and Jorge Dely Valdes to be a dynamic tandem in Denver.
Look at the history of MLS and decide for yourself which is harder to find, a good goal poacher or a good second forward. Seems a lot easier to find or develop another Roy Lassiter, Raul Diaz Arce or Ante Razov than another Jaime Moreno. As for the MetroStars, well, Comas was described by one MLS evaluator as "kind of dumpy and slow with good feet and a blistering shot." He was a top scorer in the Colombian league, but MetroStar fans have nightmares of one Ruben Dario Hernandez, who came to the club in 1996 with a similar pedigree and scored not a single goal in 10 games before he was dumped.
Allocation update
Now, let's try (operative word "try") to bring clarity to another MLS issue. Who's still got allocations coming to them, and why? Keep in mind, some allocations are considered "major" and others "minor," and that's based on the value of the players these new allocations will be replacing. Some restrictions apply. Your actual mileage may vary.
Here we go.
New England is the only team with two (a "major" for Joe-Max Moore and a "minor" for Gio Savarese). There's strong speculation New England's major allocation will fit the league's Youth International criteria, and therefore not count as one of the Revolution's four foreign players. The Revs have done extensive scouting in Portugal and would love to bring in a player from that country, but the name mentioned most often in the Portuguese press, Daniel Kenedy, is 26, and Youth Internationals need to be 24 or younger. Look for a different Portuguese defender. As for the Revs' other allocation, well, everyone knows New England is shopping for a 'keeper. Just days ago, it seemed almost certain there would be a multi-player deal involving Dallas' Mark Dodd. But Dodd has an injured hand that may require surgery, so that deal may well have died on the table.
Tampa has one, a "major" which they got from the Revolution in the Mauricio Ramos trade (the Revs' "You Stink" allocation awarded for missing last year's playoffs). The Mutiny are willing to deal the allocation if it lands them Roy Lassiter, but if Miami keeps asking for Steve Ralston, look for Tampa Bay to sign Mozambique striker Tico Tico (who instantly takes the lead over Junior Agogo in the "Best Name" race).
San Jose still has their "YS" allocation, and is expected to announce the signing of Iranian forward Khodadad Azizi any minute now.
Columbus has one coming their way, a "major" to replace Stern John. That player is expected to be Slovakian international midfielder Vladislav Zvara.
Also, the MetroStars will get another minor allocation, though they're out of Full International slots if the league can sell the contract of Sasa Curcic (he's on trial with Dundee in Scotland). The league, meanwhile, vehemently denies there's any "cloak and dagger" story behind Curcic's release. He came to MLS without a transfer fee, and his contract with the MetroStars was not guaranteed beyond '99.
Still unknown is what type of compensation Los Angeles will get for Carlos Hermosillo, and the Galaxy doesn't have a lot of room to maneuver under the cap. Finally, if Jorge Rodriguez doesn't show up in Dallas camp, the Burn could also qualify for an allocation. Rodriguez is under contract, AWOL, and not returning phone calls.
And, for you Fire fans wondering why you get no replacements for Roman Kosecki and Jerzy Podbrozny, it's because the club did not pick up their options and did not attempt to sell their contracts. Understand that Chicago is very unhappy about this because they have, by far, the cleanest record of foreign acquistions in MLS history. Basically, over a two-year period, they were 4-for-4, used very little league acquisition money, and still have Peter Nowak and Lubos Kubik on their books, gearing up for a third season. They believe the league should give them some credit for managing their club well and that the allocations for "losing a player of signifance" are way too subjective.
Going to Agogo
Chicago filed a Discovery Claim on 20-year-old striker Manuel "Junior" Agogo, and the league is now finalizing a contract with the Ghanaian-born, London-raised Agogo, who was most recently property of Premier League club Sheffield Wednesday. What does a Discovery Claim mean? Well, it means no other team can sign Junior until the Fire decide what to do with him. They filed the claim shortly after Agogo had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 exhibition win over Colorado.
If he can earn a spot on the Fire, Agogo will be classified under the 2000 rules as either a Transitional International (meaning he counts against the cap, but not as one of the four foreigners) or a full international (counts against both cap and foreign limit). It depends on how many of the allotted 12 Youth and Transitional International players make their clubs. If the number falls below 12, teams (from worst to first, based upon their '99 standing) will have the chance to add one of these players. Discovery Claims are not made public, but we know Tampa has staked one on Felipe Minambres, a left-sided midfielder and former Spanish international who played most recently with Tenerife.
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E-mail exchange with ...
Jeff Agoos
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JB: So, Goose, saw on your website you weren't too pleased that the ESPYs dissed MLS?
JG: Yeah, I was really bitter because I wasn't nominated for the jockey of the year award ... maybe next year.
How about you and I give out our own MLS ESPY's?
Let's do it.
Best MLS goal of '99?
Too many good ones to choose from, but Marco's goal from midfield against Miami certainly counts as a long-distance one.
Yeah, Jeff Cassar will be happy to hear that.
How about Player of the Year?
Last year I thought Jaime Moreno had a great year, so having a DC United bias I'd give him the nod.
How about an ESPY for the player the Goose hates to face?
My ESPY for toughest opponent goes to Jaime ... he has just too many weapons.
Uh, Goose, Jaime's on your team. You must be having flashbacks to that U.S.-Bolivia game. Dude, you gotta get over that.
Oh yeah, Ariel Graziani then.
Team of the Decade? Oh, forget that one.
Thanks for easing the pressure on this one.
Yeah, too bad that Cup loss to Chicago ruined it for you guys.
Hey, I got one for you, if you don't mind? I'd like to present to you the ESPY for the haircut that's most due for an update ...
C'mon. Carlos Valderrama could use an update for sure, and without a doubt, Ben Olsen's look needs to go forward rather than backward.
I wouldn't go there if I were you, Goose.
I'm going there. You seen Ben? I definitely think I should go there.
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In tight space
Octavio Zambrano says he's unsure where he'll play Lothar Matthaeus when he arrives in three weeks. "We're still evaulating our players to see how they will line up," Zambrano says. "Lothar will play either as a free man in the back or in the midfield. When we met with him last month, he said he would play anywhere on the field."
Miami's Jay Heaps may have won the Rookie of the Year trophy last year, but he's not the most talked-about sophomore in MLS. That player would be Dallas midfielder Sergi Daniv. "We knew he was a good player," says Burn coach Dave Dir, "but we didn't know he'd come along this fast." Daniv plays wide right now because Dir likes him to have a little space, but Daniv may find a space in the middle of the field before long. It's not just Daniv's running or his skill on the ball that's impressive, he's earning the reputation as one of the hardest, cleanest tacklers in the league. In fact, the players on Dallas have dubbed him "The Ukrainian Freight Train."
Here's the latest on Hristo Stoichkov. The league has only talked to the Bulgarian about coming to Chicago, and a deal probably could have been signed, sealed and delivered by now if the Fire owned an allocation. Since those teams with allocations only want to talk to Chicago about trades involving significant young players, and because Bob Bradley and GM Peter Wilt are not interested in dismantling the Fire, the deal for the former European Player of the Year may never get signed.
Two weeks ago, Leon and Costa Rica forward Hernan Medford's signing with MLS was imminent. Now it's unlikely, because no team with an allocation had sufficent cap room.
DC United thinks it found a sleeper in the second round of the draft in Santa Clara defender Eric Denton. Not because he is a stopper, but rather because he can attack. United is also quite confident that A.J. Wood and Chris Albright will score as many goals combined as Lassiter scored last year. In other words, DC is feeling just fine, thank you..
DaMarcus Beasley is worth getting excited about, and not just because he's got some goals and assists in exhibition games. If you could have seen Beasley playing in the Fire's frantic, tight-space possession games in practice, you'd know what we're talking about. This kid's not just fast. He's alert, good with the ball and very competitive.
Pub talk
Commissioner Garber gets good marks so far, and as long as he keeps the phrase "attractive, attacking football" out of his jargon, I'll continue to support him.
Along the same lines, the next time I hear a player described as "elegant," I hope it's the last. I mean, I like footy-speak as much as the next guy, but can't we talk about these guys like they're athletes? Elegant is a dining-room set, not a midfielder.
I'm a Charleston Battery supporter. Bleed black and yellow and red. Since yesterday, anyway, when I visited their official website, www.charlestonbattery.com. Blackbaud Stadium is a shrine. Their supporters' pub is magic. They have cool kits. Anyone who lives within 50 miles of Charleston who is not a season ticket holder, don't you dare call yourself a soccer fan.
Just another reason why DC United has it all over every club in MLS. They sent a U-12 team to France last year to compete in a tournament at Parc de Princes. Played against PSG, Boca Juniors and some other great clubs. Was it a headache for DC? Sure. Were there political problems dealing with soccer parents? Of course. But they did it anyway, and they're doing it again this year. "One of the best things we've ever done to make a connection to the community," says DC President Kevin Payne. Memo to MLS. Challenge every team to do like DC and have a tournament the weekend of MLS Cup. Boys and Girls teams representing all 12 MLS clubs. Oh. You're welcome.
If we're going to get a few new stadium projects going, here's my advice. Sellouts are good. What I mean is, less is more. If a team averages 12,000, but pulls in 30,000 for its Fourth of July fireworks game and 25,000 for its Goo Goo Dolls concert, don't be ashamed to build a stadium with a capacity of 10,000 to 15,000. The more empty seats there are on a nightly basis, the less reason I have to buy a ticket in advance. Again, you're welcome.
And one last thing. A soccer game is two hours. You sit or stand for 45 minutes. You go the bathroom. Maybe refresh your beverage. You sit or stand for another 45 minutes. You go home or out to the parking lot (or supporters' pub!!!) to talk about the game. This is not a four-hour American League game. We don't need no stinking amenities! Set up some tents outside the park, keep the bathrooms clean, and have enough concession stands to keep the lines moving. If you want something novel, figure out a way to keep the beer and soda cold and carbonated. If you can do that, you will have broken new ground.
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