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| Friday, September 14, 2001 24:18 EST |
Metros must let Matthaeus do what he does best
By Jeff Bradley
[ESPN The Magazine]
At this point, we certainly can't expect Lothar Matthaeus will grace the fields of Major League Soccer for more than one season. Sure, Matthaeus says all the right things now, mainly that he'll make that call after he's had some time to experience life and soccer in the United States.
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THE FIRST XI
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Stars who will be red-carded this week, and why:
11. Ariel Graziani (unfair trade)
10. Cobi Jones (illegal use of peroxide)
9. Lubos Kubik (too Czech)
8. Preki (faking retirement)
7. Lothar Matthaeus (traveling)
6. Marcelo Balboa (too recognizable in Rapids lineup)
5. Mo Johnston (don't want him to get far behind league leaders)
4. John Doyle (in his contract, he gets one per month)
3. Jaime Moreno (abusive dribbling through Metro defense)
2. Robert Warzycha (last week's handball)
1. Carlos Valderrama (lack of sweat)
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But there are no guarantees he'll stick around for an encore. So, after watching Lothar's debut in Miami last Sunday, we couldn't help but think: Wouldn't it be a shame to watch Matthaeus spend his only year in MLS doing so much dirty work? Down in Fort Lauderdale, Matthaeus showed more than anything that he is a gamer. He covered a lot of ground, surveyed the field and picked out areas where he could make a difference. But just about all of his decisions were based on helping the MetroStars defend.
While it's true that the Matthaeus of recent vintage has been a defensive player, we can't help but recall the Matthaeus of the early '90s, an attacking midfielder who led Germany to the 1990 World Cup title and who led Italy's Serie A in goals. Wouldn't it be great if MLS could get even a glimpse of that player? It's not like the Metros have better options in midfield, especially with Tab Ramos back on the injured reserve list.
Sure, it may be too much to ask of a 39-year-old to be an all-out attacker, so we propose a compromise: Let Matthaeus pull the Metros' midfield strings the way Carlos Valderrama and Marco Etcheverry do in Tampa and D.C. In other words, free Matthaeus of all defensive responsibility and let him focus on creating scoring chances for his teammates, and occasionally himself.
There were bursts of speed and power from Matthaeus in Fort Lauderdale, and there were some pretty long passes to the feet of running teammates. But when the Metros lost their shape in the back, which was often, Matthaeus had to, in his own words, "put out fires." Surely, it's got to be easier to find a fireman than a maestro. We say, "Free Lothar."
Tactically, the MetroStars have to entrust their defensive organization to World Cup veterans Thomas Dooley and Mohammad Khakpour. Make them center backs. Then, they have to designate a running mate for Matthaeus in the midfield, a selfless player who will take pride in digging and tackling for the star. When Billy Walsh returns from injured reserve, he can fill that role. Until then, it will have to be a player like rookie Steve Shak. Let Lothar concentrate on setting up Adolfo Valencia and Alex Comas. Not only do we think the Metros will be better off this way, we also think they'll be more pleasing to the eye.
When Roberto Donadoni played for the Metros, one of his teammates once commented that he was "the most expensive role player" in the league because Donadoni so often played deep in the midfield, in a holding role rather than an attacking role. The MetroStars cannot allow Matthaeus to fall into that trap. Let the man run the show.
Looking for live bodies
Colorado is so battered with injuries right now that coach Glenn Myernick is scrambling just to find enough healthy bodies to run a proper training session.
"In all my years of playing and coaching, I've never seen such a wide-range of injuries," Myernick says. "From lacerated faces to nearly broken jaws to torn calf muscles, we've had everything happen to us, and we've only played two games." And, as if it weren't enough for Colorado to be playing without two of its best attacking players in Ross Paule and Paul Bravo, the Rapids will also be waving goodbye to Jorge Dely Valdes for three of their next four matches, as he joins Panama for World Cup qualifying.
While Colorado was able to pull out an impressive win at Dallas last week, Myernick knows he's going to be challenged to plug holes until some of his players return. The coach says he has identified one potential discovery player, a foreign midfielder, and is discussing a trade that would bring the Rapids a young, foreign forward.
This week's feel-good story
Last week we mentioned the good early season karma in Tampa Bay. This week, the team that's feeling the love in the locker room is the 1-0-1 Miami Fusion, fresh off their 3-1 victory over the Metros.
While the three-headed attack of Eric Wynalda, Roy Lassiter and Diego Serna was indeed impressive on Sunday, the most important addition to the Fusion may be ageless defender Francis Okaroh, who came to Miami from Chicago when the Fire started clearing cap room for Hristo Stoichkov. After two years of man-marking in Chicago's three-man defensive system, Okaroh has returned to the sweeper position he filled for New England in 1996-97. Ironically, Okaroh was offered back to his hometown Revs for nothing (literally) and New England said, "pass."
The only thing that should temper Fusion enthusiasm is that they've played two home games against teams, New England and the MetroStars, that are seriously in the "under construction" phase. Don't expect too many teams to give the Fusion's three forwards as much running space and freedom as the Metros did last Sunday.
Newark needs soccer
So the YankeesNets' big plan for a sports mecca for the city of Newark doesn't include a soccer stadium. So what? The MetroStars say they aren't giving up on Newark, and Newark says it isn't giving up on the MetroStars. If clear thinking prevails here, the parties involved will realize that MLS could mean more to Newark -- the city of Newark, not the businessmen who commute into Newark -- than the NBA and the NHL combined.
The Ironbound section of Newark could very well be the purest location for a soccer stadium in the United States, with its eclectic mix of Portuguese, Spanish and Italian residents. Just a short distance from Ironbound are two of New Jersey's most famous soccer towns, Harrison and Kearny, where the game has been living and breathing in restaurants, pubs and shops for more than 50 years. If MLS is indeed serious about reaching out to soccer fans, the Newark Stadium could become a landmark.
On Wednesday, Metro GM Nick Sakiewicz took a petition signed by some 2,000 Newark residents saying "We want the MetroStars" to the mayor's office. The message the Metros want to deliver is that while the Devils and Nets may bring people from the 'burbs into Newark for an evening of entertainment,, the Metros could become "the people's team" in Newark. In fact, a downtown stadium, designed by the same architectural firm that renovated Arsenal's Highbury football ground, has already been shown to the mayor's office by the old Metro regime. Stay tuned. This project is far from dead.
In fact, MLS needs to take a more active role in making sure this one gets done
In tight space
Get ready for Stoichkov II. The league wants L.A. to trade for San Jose's Eddie Lewis allocation, so the Galaxy can get Mexican Luis Hernandez in a manner that ticks off the fewest number of teams. But word out of Southern Cal is that the Galaxy think they can get Hernandez without making the trade, simply because Hernandez will do as Carlos Hermosillo did and tell the league he will only play in L.A. It's just like the Stoichkov-to-Chicago situation, because the Galaxy believe they deserve compensation for Hermosillo, though technically -- by the 2000 MLS rules -- they are not owed a "major" allocation.
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E-mail exchange with ...
Peter Wilt
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JB: Are the Fire going to get their own stadium, or what?
PW: The Fire, like all sports teams, needs stadium revenue streams to be profitable. We currently receive no merchandise, concession, club seat, permanent signage or parking revenue and limited skybox revenue at Soldier Field. There are two ways to rectify that situation. One is to build our own soccer-specific stadium; the other is to renegotiate lease terms in the development of a new Soldier Field. We are in the exploratory phase of both options to determine their comparative economic and practical viability. That's the long way of saying "maybe."
JB: If it's a soccer-specific park, where will it be and what capacity?
PW: The current primary site is in the city and adjacent to an interstate highway with great public transportation access. We had been working for several months on a west side site that was truly centrally located and next to a highway, also with great public transportation access. Unfortunately, the high land-acquisition cost and short time frame made for a negative decision due to economic reasons.
I strongly believe in smaller is better in terms of fan experience and economic models. Even in a large market like Chicago, 20,000 seats plus suites is sufficient, and would increase demand by limiting supply.
JB: Why are amenities important? And what kind of amenities do you think a soccer stadium needs?
PW: Some amenities are needed to increase revenue streams -- suites and club restaurants, for instance. Others are needed to justify higher sponsorship fees, naming rights and high-end ticket prices -- that includes everything from video boards to cup holders on seats. I am also strongly in favor of a stadium with character, including a canopy over seats and a red-brick "Fire House" design. Economics will dictate the viability of these design elements, but I do feel that these elements will allow for greater revenue generation as described above.
JB: There are certain drawbacks to playing at a new Soldier Field, like how to hide 45,000 empty seats, what to do the next two years, and how to deal with the field once the Bears begin. What's your plan?
PW: The ever popular "downsizing" would work better at the rebuilt Soldier Field. There would be a lower bowl of approximately 35,000 seats that would take the upper 30,000 out of play -- not perfect, but significantly more compact and intimate than the current Soldier Field set-up. The two years we'd be out of Soldier Field would be a challenge. Only viable options in Chicago are Comiskey and Wrigley Field (see below). Turf systems have made tremendous improvements since the Soldier Field system was built decades ago. The totally rebuilt Soldier Field would have a totally rebuilt turf system, which would make the playing surface world-class during the Fire season and much better than it is now during the Bears season. As for football lines, I understand that there is a new, state-of-the-art (how's that for redundancy?) field paint that is easily removable. We are hoping the Bears use it this year.
JB: Can the Fire survive two seasons if they have to play at Wrigley or Comiskey? Won't that be butt-ugly?
PW: The Sting played many years at Wrigley and old Comiskey. They survived through the end of the NASL. I imagine we could make it through two years until we reach the pot of gold at the end of the new stadium rainbow.
Soccer on infield dirt? Wouldn't be all that different from the Fire's early season home games in '99!
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The rumor that David Regis was headed to San Jose has quieted down, mainly because the Earthquakes don't think they want to spend the max on a defender.
We don't read too much into formations, but already we've seen Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami playing with three forwards. Did somebody ask them to renew their vows to play "attractive, attacking soccer" as written in the original MLS bylaws?
D.C. United and South African youth international Steven Armstrong are close to a deal that will put the left-sided midfielder onto the defending champions' roster. Currently, Armstrong is finishing his class work at Butler University, but would be ready to report to United in May. One other move United is contemplating is the signing of 6-foot-4 target striker Matthew Okoh, a Nigerian-American who played with Peter Nowak on 1860 Munich. Okoh has been on a week-long trial with United.
In Tampa, the consensus opinion on midfielder Mauricio Ramos was that he didn't make enough "plays that mattered," or, in other words, when he got the ball in the attacking third, he was more interested in launching long-range shots than in making the decisive pass. In New England, Ramos is showing that same tendency. The Revs, who are playing through him, desperately need Ramos to create chances.
Eduardo Hurtado, another Rev who was added this off-season, is showing the same form that made him the whipping boy of Metro fans for two seasons. In fact, when big Alex Comas scored on a breakaway in his debut, one MLS official commented, "Already he's better than Hurtado, because there's no way Hurtado would have finished that chance."
Pub talk
Can't blame Metro fans for wanting to know if they could pick up playmaker Henry Gutierrez from Miami in a trade. Gutierrez, who's lost his starting spot to Andy Williams, tried out for Carlos Queiroz's Metros in 1996, but couldn't earn a spot. Last year, he was sixth in MLS in assists, and is not a happy camper on the Fusion bench.
Personally, I don't think Marco Etcheverry's red-card foul on Mauricio Cienfuegos was intentional. When Etcheverry does foul someone intentionally, he always does it behind the play, where refs, cameramen and impressionable children can't see it.
An MLS person who knows economics tells me I'm dead wrong, but I'd sure love to hear more talk of stadiums in the 12,000-18,000 range. The crowd at Lockhart -- about 10,000 --looked and sounded just fine on television because of that stadium's size. If that game had been played at the Orange Bowl in front of 15,000, it would have looked worse to everyone who tuned in to the telecast. On-screen image should not be ignored.
It's not a must game or a life-and-death situation, but the MetroStars desperately need to put on a good show on Saturday night when they host D.C. United, to show their fans that they've turned the corner into a new era.
Got to admit, those Crew boys look pretty spiffy in those all-yellow uniforms. As for my take on the Robert Warzycha handball? The question isn't was it intentional or not. The question is, was it the best save since Gordon Banks on Pélé in the 1970 World Cup?
If the Wizards impress in Kansas City and 7,000 see it, do they make a sound? Bob Gansler looks like he's put together a very competitive, feisty squad in K.C., but that town's running out of chances as an MLS city. Unless -- and will never happen, because they make money at Arrowhead -- they decide to build a 10,000-12,000-seat stadium.
All it's taken is two games, and Fire fans have already witnessed the world of possibilities that came with the signing of Hristo Stoichkov. Two goals one game, a red card the next. At this rate, he'll surpass Roman Kosecki's two-year totals in both categories in no time.
The only reason I want to see MLS win out on the women's league battle with the WUSA? I want to see new stadiums, and I think the quickest route to new stadiums is if the men and women get in the boat and row together. I've said this before -- and it's a pipe dream -- but I want to see the "club" system take root in the States, where you see men and women (and boys and girls) representing the same club.
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