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| Friday, September 14, 2001 24:18 EST |
Hernandez deal in hands of Galaxy
By Jeff Bradley
[ESPN The Magazine]
Major League Soccer's financial planners have told the Los Angeles Galaxy they will sign Mexican star Luis Hernandez. Now, all MLS asks in return is that the Galaxy hold up their end of the bargain and acquire one of the league's two remaining allocations.
If only it was as easy as it sounds.
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THE FIRST XI
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Best one-name players in MLS history:
11. Guido
10. Damian
9. Zico
8. Nico
7. Bora
6. Branco
5. Paulinho
4. Gilmar
3. Digital
2. Welton
1. Preki
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You see, the league only wants Hernandez and his flowing blond mane in Los Angeles, where he figures to spike attendance by 5,000 to 10,000 per game. But the league's also trying to enforce its allocation rules. And that means L.A. won't get without giving.
So, the Galaxy now find themselves dealing with two teams, the New England Revolution and the San Jose Earthquakes, who are looking to cash in on the trade. And who can blame them? Both have been bottom-feeders since the beginning of MLS, and both would obviously love to add a couple of young L.A. starters to their lineups.
It's an "only-in-MLS" dilemma.
Everyone -- including the people at Kraft Soccer, who own both the Revs and the e-Quakes -- want Hernandez in Los Angeles. It's just good business. Everyone understands the league cannot justify buying Hernandez and not placing him in the proper market.
But at the same time, those major allocations are valuable. New England is getting closer to a deal for Honduran defender Samuel Caballero and San Jose was speaking to several Mexican players this week. The Galaxy will have to offer up something better than that -- think Clint Mathis-caliber -- if those clubs are going to part with an allocation.
Can L.A. just wait it out and force the league's hand? Perhaps. As you recall, Chicago balked at early trades for the Hristo Stoichkov allocation and the league eventually created a "half" allocation, which Chicago acquired from San Jose for draft picks.
But during those negotiations, it's interesting to note, Chicago (which has one of the United States' largest Mexican communitites) told the league they weren't going to gut their team in a trade, "unless you're going to get us Luis Hernandez."
So the stakes are different this time around.
Where's this going?
Kansas City, the worst team in the MLS West last year, has already beaten Chicago and Colorado. The MetroStars, the worst team in the world last year (according to one German paper, anyway), have already beaten D.C. United. New England went on the road and got a tie with Los Angeles, and San Jose deserves to be unbeaten.
"I think what you're seeing," says U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena, "is that the weak teams have gotten a little better and the strong teams have gotten a little worse."
Obviously, it's early, but "competitive balance" seems to be the buzz phrase around MLS this year. Here's a prediction: teams will start to live by the "win at home, draw on the road" theme. And the teams that can accomplish that will be at the top at season's end.
Honor thy contract
Roy Lassiter may deserve more money than the $130,000 MLS is offering him right now. But you know what? He'll get a chance to earn much more than that next year when his contract is up. While it's true that there's no free agency within MLS, there's a whole world out there for a soccer player once his contract expires. Literally, a whole world.
Understand, we think MLS should come up with some form of free agency -- maybe letting a player shop for a team after he's put in four years and is out of his contract -- but there's no sympathy here for a player who doesn't honor his contract until the end.
MLS players can moan and groan about the wages they earn, but the proof of their value will be out there for all to see when they go shopping on the world market.
In tight space
Chris Albright hasn't scored a goal in D.C. United's first two games, but has been so close so many times (and in the right place so often) it's only a matter of time. D.C. is also going to start using ex-Charleston Battery forward Mike Burke as a reserve.
Former Metro and U.S. midfielder Mike Sorber has been training with the Chicago Fire this past week and is trying to earn a spot on their roster. The Fire have been playing so far this season one player shy of a 20-man roster.
San Jose is looking to sell the contract of Costa Rican Mauricio Solis, so they can clear a foreign spot for either their next allocation or a potential trade.
Miami is shopping forward Welton everywhere, but the Brazilian's guaranteed contract is making him a difficult player to move.
There are some in the Los Angeles organization who would consider trading Mauricio Cienfuegos to either San Jose or New England, but the league would not let it happen after the way the Salvadoran fans reacted in D.C. following the trade of Raul Diaz Arce in '98.
The Metros are still searching for foreign help, which means that classy Iranian defender Mohammad Khakpour (already waived and re-signed) may yet be dumped.
Pub talk
Kudos to D.C. United general manager Kevin Payne for helping to orchestrate a hilarious April Fools' joke with Metro fan Michael Mejido. Basically, Payne went along with a gag that he was suing Mejido (master of the Anti-DC United Hate Page) for libel. Many fell for it.
Couldn't help but think how great it would have been if the Metros' Opening Night crowd of 27,000-plus had been a sellout in a smaller stadium.
There are definitely enough good soccer cities in the United States for a dozen MLS teams. Unfortunately, Kansas City is not one of those cities. Excuses like, "it's not summer yet" don't fly. If you can't draw more than 7,000 and change for your opener, you shouldn't be in the league. Who sees this situation getting any better?
Maybe the league isn't all that worried about parity after all. I mean, if they were really concerned, would they really let teams like New England open the season with four straight road games?
Hopefully the $500 fine will at least keep Columbus' Mike Duhaney from bragging the next time he knocks someone out of a game with a wild and dangerous tackle.
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