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MLS News
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Wednesday, 11 March 2009 08:00 |
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David Beckham’s unique "timeshare" agreement between the LA Galaxy and AC Milan appears to have left him in the middle of a tug-of-war between club coach Bruce Arena and national manager Fabio Capello.
The fresh dispute is over England’s scheduled friendly fixture against the Netherlands in August.
Beckham will be back in the MLS at this time, and his club are extremely reluctant to lose the midfielder for any longer, given that their star man is already missing the first two months of the MLS season, while he sees out the rest of the Serie A campaign with AC Milan.
England face World Cup Qualifying double-headers in June, September, and October, which will see Beckham miss an increasing number of MLS matches if he is selected for national duty.
Galaxy coach Bruce Arena is thus extremely hopeful of being able to keep hold of Beckham in August, rather than see the player travel thousands of miles for a midweek friendly.
However, Capello has previously been very clear in his determination not to be dictated to in regards to player selection.
An FA spokesman made the following statement, further backing up this claim: "Fabio Capello has no plans to make any special exemption with regard to the call-up of any players for England squads.”
The fact that Beckham has self-financed the "timeshare" deal with the primary objective of making himself available for England makes it unlikely that he will be willing to sit out the August friendly.
This will further infuriate the Galaxy as they lose their main attraction for even more games and increasingly appear to be a distant third priority for Beckham, behind his country and AC Milan. Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 11 March 2009 08:00 |
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David Beckham’s unique "timeshare" agreement between the LA Galaxy and AC Milan appears to have left him in the middle of a tug-of-war between club coach Bruce Arena and national manager Fabio Capello.
The fresh dispute is over England’s scheduled friendly fixture against the Netherlands in August.
Beckham will be back in the MLS at this time, and his club are extremely reluctant to lose the midfielder for any longer, given that their star man is already missing the first two months of the MLS season, while he sees out the rest of the Serie A campaign with AC Milan.
England face World Cup Qualifying double-headers in June, September and October, which will see Beckham miss an increasing number of MLS matches, if selected for national duty.
Galaxy coach Bruce Arena is thus extremely hopeful of being able to keep hold of Beckham in August, rather than see the player travel thousands of miles for a midweek friendly.
However, Capello has previously been very clear in his determination not to be dictated to in regards to player selection.
An FA spokesman made the following statement, further backing up this claim: "Fabio Capello has no plans to make any special exemption with regard to the call-up of any players for England squads.”
The fact that Beckham has self-financed the "timeshare" deal with the primary objective of making himself available for England makes it unlikely that he will be willing to sit out the August friendly.
This will further infuriate the Galaxy as they lose their main attraction for even more games and increasingly appear to be a distant third priority for Beckham, behind his country and AC Milan. Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 11 March 2009 08:00 |
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The Recent Results
The Revs came out firing in 2008, but injuries led them to finish the season in a despondent fashion. Though they ended up third in the East, they got lit up by the Chicago Fire in the first round of the playoffs. Their stats were uncharacteristically poor, too, as they finished ninth in both goals and goals allowed. It was a rough year.
The Man in Charge
Despite their poor showing last year, the Revs still have one of the best minds in the MLS, Steve Nicol, managing their affairs. He is “the Dean” of MLS coaches, having been with his squad the longest, and he consistently piles up points even when injuries ravage his squad. He’s got his work cut out for him in 2009 though.
On the Offensive
The Revs are still a team whose attack opponents must fear. Taylor Twellman is tough to stop (when he wants to be) and young Kheli Dube showed he had a nose for the net last season. The straw that stirs the drink though is Steve Ralston, who has suffered some tough injuries the last few years. If he’s healthy, so is NER’s O.
For the Defense
Sharlie Joseph is still one of the best three defensive mids in MLS, and Jay Heaps and Michael Parkhurst are definitely two of the most suffocating defenders in the league, so I think the Revs will be tough to score on in 2009. Matt Reis looked inconsistent at times last year, but I think he will bounce back this season and play well.
Movie They Resemble
I almost went with The Patriot because of the obvious New England theme, but I just hate Mel Gibson too much to even go there. So, I decided to opt for the recent film Revolutionary Road instead.
Why? Well, the Revs, like the movie, are approaching their release date with a ton of hype. The film had Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and was expected to win a slew of Oscars, just like the Revs have traditionally been favored to win many trophies.
However, the film recently got shut out of the Academy Awards, though “word of mouth” tells me it was quite good. Well, I feel the same way about the Revs. They look great on paper, but I don’t think they can win the Big One.
<br />Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 11 March 2009 05:47 |
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So far, we have looked at the top 20 highest paid players in MLS as well as the five most underpaid players. But who are the five most overpaid players? Who doesn't live up to their salary?
The source for this data is here.
David Beckham (making $6.5 million)
The $6.5 million for Becks is the figure before his recent “timeshare” deal, so I would anticipate that his salary will be cut in half. But even at $3 million a year, Beckham is not worth that amount for his play on the pitch.
Of course, with Beckham, it is not just what he does on the field; it's also the merchandising and ticket sales that he can generate. When the Galaxy come to town, teams can charge higher prices, because people want to see Beckham play.
Fredrick Ljungberg (making $1,314,000)
Ljungberg makes the list of most overpaid players before even logging a minute in MLS.
He's here because of his injury history. I doubt that he'll ever be fully fit for the Sounders for an extended period of time.
There is a reason West Ham let him go last year; he is a shell of his former self.
Christian Gomez (making $430,000)
To be a top-10 player in terms of salary, you need to consistently be one of the top performers in the league.
Gomez is not consistent enough to be the ninth-highest paid player in the league.
He is on the downside of his career and is not the man that he once was. Additionally, I want my highest-paid players to be leaders in the locker room, and Gomez is anything but that.
Jeff Cunningham (making $267,500)
At No. 4 is forward Jeff Cunningham.
He's one of the few players to score 100 goals in MLS, but his best days are well behind him. Last season, between Toronto and Dallas, the man managed to find the back of the net only eight times in 27 games.
If he does that this year, Dallas will be paying Cunningham about $33,000 a goal.
Nate Jaqua (making $208,121)
Rounding out the list is Nate Jaqua.
Last season, Jaqua signed with the Houston Dynamo on Jul. 15 and produced four goals and four assists in 14 games.
Not a bad half-season, but some simple math tells us that translates to eight goals in a full season or about $26,000 a goal.
Who do you think is the most overpaid player in MLS?
Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 11 March 2009 02:51 |
Anyone kicking around BigSoccer already knows that the Major League Soccer (MLS) Players' Union (MLSPU) has released most of the salaries for the coming 2009 season—and I love them for it.
They have also probably picked through the list for shockers on ends high and low of the market and there's plenty there for that. Cheapskate that I am, I wound up thinking harder about the low-end, specifically, how cheaply I could build a 24-player roster that would be competitive in MLS?
While I make no great claim to originality—people do roughly the same thing in these magical things called "fantasy leagues"—this self-assigned project proved remarkably edifying. The simple act of picking through the numbers teaches one plenty about how MLS teams value various players—more on that before unveiling the Buck-Fifty Starting XI—but, no less significantly, it also teaches the architect of said shabby team what HE (or she) actually thinks of any given player.
To give an example, I defend Alan Gordon all the damn time, but when push came to shove, a hell of a lot of players rank above him in my world.
While this exercise taught a number of things, none of them hit home the way a whole slew of trades suddenly added up. Take James Riley: sure, 8 out of 10 BigSoccer posters cite salary and cap issues every time a guy gets traded, but I've never read an entry that framed the question to get at the ultimate issue: Riley makes $72,625 guaranteed compensation. Why's that a big deal? It gives a team a proven player, and a decent one, who can play in both defense and midfield. The same goes for Kelly Gray, who's even cheaper at $46,222.13. Set aside what you think of the player in pure quality terms and that's a steal for what any given team gets. Hell, this even explains Jovan Kirovski - at least this year - because he's only making $80K. Like I said, I've read numbers a million times, but this has never quite turned over. Some players are crazy steals, even if they're nothing like tops.
It's also kinda weird knowing exactly—and I mean down to the penny a shocking number of times—what these guys earn per annum.
More lessons lurk in there, but, in keeping with the Brevity Project (which will get broken), the time has come to name the Buck-Fifty Starting XI. By way of mechanics, I'll name the roster first with brief explanations for each player provided after. When that's done, I'll name my starting XI.
And, please, feel free to post your own selection; try to underbid me, or, what the hell, just do the best you can under the salary cap. So long as you follow the league, it doesn't take all that long and you'll learn a lot about how you rate players and what you value on a team....it's crazy...really.
One last item for the record: this team would cost $1,490,641,641.04. That comes in at $809,358.9 below cap...plenty of room for upgrades should they prove necessary (I'm guessing they would).
Goalkeepers
Will Hesmer ($77K): If last year never happened, he wouldn't be here. But, between leadership and shot-stopping, Hesmer showed a lot last season.
Dan Kennedy ($50K): He's good enough to start, as proved last season, and even better depth - especially at that price.
Josh Wicks ($42K): I've seen Wicks bone a healthy number of plays, but I've also seen him make more. At that price...yep.
Defenders
Sean Franklin ($76,850): By my estimation, Franklin's ahead of the curve...at that price too.
James Riley ($72,625): Explained above; depth, depth, depth.
Patrick Ianni ($72K): One doesn't sniff at a player who has played credibly in Houston's back-line well more than once.
Dasan Robinson ($46,856.25): After resisting the temptation to just add the Chicago Fire's defense - which is cheap - I picked and chose.
Gonzalo Segares ($64,019.50): Still one of the great bargains in MLS.
Chris Tierney ($34K): Someone called him "Baby Beckham" and he's good for it based on what I've seen of him.
Kosuke Kimura ($52.5K): A good solid right back, good speed, good brain...and, yep, cheap.
Mike Petke ($80,000.04): Enough talent and veteran leadership for my young defensive line.
Midfielders
Brad Evans ($44.5K): Yes, depth kind of keeps me up at night...and he's the king, especially at his age.
Dax McCarty ($68,105): I'm expecting these to grow more controversial as I move up the field. For me, though, McCarty has the goods to really pitch in on offense...and that's hard to find at cut-rate prices.
Marco Pappa ($42K): So I'm buying a guy I've never seen...again, the price, which leaves me entirely willing to take a chance.
John Thorrington ($64,875): The run-all-day player meets veteran leadership; he's been around.
Stuart Holden ($34,728.75): Worth the gamble, even absent a guarantee he's up for running the attack.
Pat Phelan ($34,650): We have our bruiser...and not a bad one.
Santino Quaranta ($72.5K): I believe in Quaranta's desire, a low-risk proposition on a number of levels, but he's talented and, I suspect anyway, would flourish if he knew he'd own the reins.
Corey Ashe ($34,650): Another bargain I to which I couldn't say no; this isn't the fastest bunch.
Andy Williams ($84K): More veteran leadership and if he has an equal coming off the bench, I've never heard of him.
Forwards (aka, where I finally spend real money)
Chris Rolfe ($100,250): It's hard to beat his versatility in the attack and he's got hella talent and a powerful shot, even if his size is lacking - plus he's a hungry fella.
Yura Movsisyan ($70,582): Another gamble, but he gives defenses a lot oflooks...and, in honesty, a lot of time to clean the ball off his toe...too much dribbling, but it's worth the chance.
Adam Cristman ($34,650): Easily the hardest pick for forward - I almost splurged and went with Conor Casey - but Cristman intrigues me and I think he'll come good besides.
Alejandro Moreno ($137,300): Not a block-busting goal scorer, but he does so much for any team he's on.
Now, the starting XI....which will prove hard here and there:
GK: Hesmer
Defense
Left Back: Gonzalo Segares
Central: Patrick Ianni
Right Back: Dasan Robinson
Midfield
Left Mid: Santino
Central: Pat Phelan
Central: Dax McCarty
Central: Santino Quaranta
Right Mid: John Thorrington
Forward
CF: Chris Rolfe
ST: Alejandro Moreno
One last note: naturally, this is a team that could never be fielded; the odds of getting all 24, never mind my starting eleven, are higher than Jeff Spicoli.Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 10 March 2009 22:51 |
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It is done...almost.
The Portland City Council needs to put its final stamp of approval on the Paulson Plan on Wednesday at 9:30 am, then the MLS has to go through the formality of granting the Rose City a franchise on or about March 19, then it should really be done.
Two prominent yellow-bellies on the Council, Commissioner Randy Leonard and Mayor Sam Adams, rolled-over for Paulson this morning by agreeing to a $129 million deal to build a baseball stadium and to soccerize/renovate the current multi-use Civic Stadium/PGE Park (not insignificant in that it is where the Triple-A Beavers have also called home for the better part of the last 60 years).
The other 4th Avenue poltroons are keeping nice for the time being, though they'll be just as much to blame—or to praise, if Providence shines bright upon them—when it all goes down.
Glossed over in much of the coverage is the price-tag jumping from $85 million to $129 million...indeed more than the "conservative 20 percent" I warned about last week. The deal was not a good one at $85 million and it certainly stinks at $129 million.
Merritt Paulson has been up front during his quest, as much as I can tell, and I can't fault him for that. Appearing Saturday evening on (Portland Channel 8) KGW's Straight Talk, he made a decent case for his proposal and maintained a relatively cool head throughout the debate show.
He knows how the game is played, is by all accounts a smart man, and is keenly aware of how he can use the taxpayers of Portland to his advantage by taking on little risk in exchange for much reward. However, even if widely used by other "developers," such tactics are shameful, no matter who or what the man is.
Granted, Paulson is out of pocket roughly a $40 million fee if the Major League Soccer brass decide to grant him and the Portland Timbers a franchise in their league. That is not chump-change in my opinion.
Though all signs point to the taxpayers actually bearing the cost burden in one way or another, he claims, "[t]his plan creates hundreds of jobs, protects taxpayers from risk and brings even better soccer and baseball to Portland and Oregon." Jobs, yes—though many temporary and low-wage. Better soccer, yes. Status quo baseball.
Somewhat redeeming is Paulson's claim that cost overruns will be financed independent of city government. At least this removes the prospect of OHSU Aerial Tram Redux...or at least for the time being.
The most foolish thing uttered today was by Mayor Adams, who proclaimed, "[t]o become the most sustainable economy in the world, Portland must build its international profile. And the language the world speaks most is the language of fútbol (Spanish for soccer)." Not to get too deep, but not only is this foolish, it is wrong. Are we to heed Valiant Sam's call and become one globalized state?
If so, get out of the way, Sam, your days are numbered anyhow. If not, and we are to remain a strong America and recapture the strength of the Oregon and Portland spirit—ironically built on the back of Big Timber—then the language we speak is football, baseball, basketball, and (though some would disagree) ice hockey. Soccer is but mere dialect.
The MLS is a farce compared to the Big 4 and to the top European soccer leagues, and does nothing significantly to grow our "international profile." This is silly talk, plain-as-day.
However, and a relatively uplifting notion, the MLS should do moderately well in Portland at the very least, notwithstanding the mess which has occured by trying to get a club in the first place. There exists a solid and rabid fan base driving support for Timbers FC. Others will follow.
The seeds of discontent, though, may have been sown with part of the financing package, passed down to the ticket-holders in the form of a roughly seven percent tax, massaged by language into a just a measly ol' "surcharge." Now, however, in a downward-trending economy, a few bucks more per ticket might mean that—not only does the family of four not go to the game—dad stays home, as well.
The decision-making in this debacle has been unacceptable, chiefly as a result of being imprudent. Stadia financing money will largely come from voiceless people who do not agree with the package and/or are coerced—wittingly or not—into paying for something that is not necessary, but mandated by a second or third-rate sports league for a minor upgrade in Portland's athletic scene.
If the Civic Stadium deal wasn't botched the last time around...If Merritt wasn't the son of Hank...If we had NFL or MLB already...If soccer wasn't such a renowned sport worldwide...would this be an issue at all in the first place?
Consider the Scottish: If "ifs" and "ands" were pots and pans, we would be washing up forever.
Tell Madge to get the Palmolive ready. Are soft hands really the best we can do? Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 10 March 2009 22:21 |
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Landon Donovan draws compliments or disdain on the field and on the message boards in the U.S. He often is often a target because he flamed out as the face of U.S. soccer in Europe twice already.
Donovan most recently found out that he won't be kept at Bayer Munich, and will return to the Los Angeles Galaxy in time for the 2009 MLS season. Landon is an easy target but this time it probably wasn't his fault. He tried his best with one of the world's best soccer organizations, and wasn't good enough.
Donovan may return to MLS—and more importantly the U.S. National Team—with a renewed sense of purpose, having put his thoughts of Europe behind him. The question is whether other European clubs will ask him to join them once more. If given the right environment, Donovan does have the skills to benefit major European clubs.
Ironically, Donovan turned 27 on March 4. Guess this wasn't the birthday present he was hoping for. Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 10 March 2009 15:31 |
Citing mounting opposition to the proposed new DC United stadium in Prince George's County, Maryland, United team President Kevin Payne today sent an e-mail to supporters asking them to contact legislators to express their feelings on the project.
It's a good idea. Though it's left to wonder on two fronts.
One, if it shouldn't have been done in the couple days after the plan was announced last month, so that supporters of the plan could get the jump on their opponents and plant the seed in the head of those in the Maryland General Assembly that the project was in fact a good idea (if they didn't already believe so).
Two, how much will the legislators take all the e-mail carpet bombs from those on both sides of the issue into consideration when considering their vote.
There's also the matter of whether or not the plan is even going to get voted on. The Maryland House Appropriations Committee has a hearing on the bill scheduled for March 17 at 1 p.m., and according to the Payne letter, the Senate Tax and Finance Committee will also take up the bill next week.
But the General Assembly session, a 90-day free for all of fun where more than 2,000 bills are introduced, ends on April 13. A delay in considering the bill at this point could lead to it not being acted upon until 2010, putting a grand opening into 2013, if construction were on schedule.
This could be trouble if it's decided at some point along the way that RFK Stadium is no longer structurally suitable to house United, or if the club feels it can no longer make a successful go of it there.
I do wonder if I'm the only one who gets a sense of impending doom when reading the close to Payne's letter (the bold and italics are his emphasis by the way, not mine):
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Payne
I cannot over-emphasize the importance of this. We have to let the lawmakers know that we want the stadium, and we'll fill it up once it's built. A failure in this effort could have far-reaching effects -- the bottom line is we cannot remain long-term in RFK, and this is the only stadium option which is available to us now.
Don't take anything for granted. Call or e-mail today, if you care about your team!
I hope this deal gets done ...Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 10 March 2009 08:00 |
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Recent Results
The Galaxy have fallen, and they can’t get (it) up.
Though they tied with SJE for last in the entire league in 2008, they also had both of MLS’s two most high-profile loans this offseason.
Yes, they led the league in goals. Congratulations. They also ceded waaaaay more than anyone else.
Sexy soccer does not equal good soccer.
Man in Charge
Bruce Arena, how do I not envy thee? Let me count the ways. I don’t envy the fact you have to deal with selfish superstars like Beckham—and to a lesser degree, Landycakes.
I don’t envy the fact you still have absolutely no defense. I definitely don’t envy the fact your schedule is going to be arduous again. I envy Cobi Jones.
On the Offensive
Well, this may be the one part of the preview I can’t talk a bunch of crap. Donovan is the most electric player in the league (assuming he is in the league). It’s true, deal with it.
Beckham (assuming he is around) is still one of the best set piece men in the game (assuming he wants to be in the game). Buddle is a rising star. The Gals can definitely score.
For the Defense
Ah, but here’s the rub—and not the kind Posh gives DB). The Galaxy still have no defense. Eddie Lewis, Buddle, LD and Becks like to play the O, but not the D.
Who will they have back there next year? Franklin (injured)? Klein? All of their defenders are either inexperienced or over the hill.
And who will be in goal? Ricketts? Seriously?
Movie They Resemble
It wasn’t hard to come up with a movie title to symbolize the Gals, but it was hard to narrow it down to only one. I almost went with Dumb and Dumber. Then, I switched it to The Stupids.
I finally decided on Battlefield Earth, because both the film and the team are massive bombs, but then I had an epiphany—it’s got to be Adventures in Babysitting
I am sorry for what you have to deal with, Bruce, I really am. I would rather spend my time knitting than spend it trying to fix the debacle that is the L.A. Galaxy. Well, I would rather spend it with Ms. Elizabeth Shue, the star of that film, come to think about it.
Hey Bruce, is her brother still available? Why not give him a tryout? Lord knows Lalas already signed every other player past his prime for the Gals... Source: Click Here
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MLS News
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 10 March 2009 05:18 |
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Yesterday, we covered the 30 highest-paid players in Major League Soccer, according to the MLS Players Union. Today we will look at the five most underpaid players in the league.
Now, by underpaid, I don’t mean some rookie earning $18,000 a year. I mean someone who is in the upper echelon of players but isn’t paid like it. The source for my data is here.
Landon Donovan (making $900,000)
I am not a huge Landon Donovan fan, but with Beckham leaving, Donovan is probably the most talented player playing in MLS.
Donovan had 20 goals in 25 games last season, so at $900,000 for the coming season, I think that he's a bargain for the Galaxy.
Guillermo Barros Schelleto (making $775,000)
He received nice pay as a reward for leading the Crew to the MLS Cup, but the bottom line is that the entire reason that Columbus won last year was Schelleto.
His 19 assists on 43 Crew goals last season show how valuable the MVP was to his team.
Darren Huckerby (making $385,000)
Huckerby almost single-handedly turned the San Jose Earthquakes' season around. Despite playing in only 14 games, he led all SJ players with six goals and managed to add four assists also.
Based on last season’s form, Huckerby should be at least a top-ten player in terms of salary (he is currently 12th).
Sacha Kljestan (making $203,000)
Thirty-two others players in MLS stand to make more money this season than Kljestan, though he had a breakout season last year, both for club and country.
In only this third year in MLS, Kljestan was a member of the league’s Best XI, led Chivas USA in scoring, and was an All-Star. He is young, entertaining, and creative, and is probably the most underpaid player on the top-50 list.
Javier Morales (making $200,000)
If Kljestan is not the most underpaid player in MLS, then that honor has to go to Morales.
In the 2008 MLS regular season, he was second in the league in assists and instrumental in helping Real Salt Lake in their improbable late-season charge.
Tomorrow, we will look at the five most overpaid players in MLS.
Source: Click Here
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