Major Link Soccer - Trying to Feel Positive About Ties Edition
by Dizzo on Apr 4, 2011 11:25 AM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Regular Season
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PrintThe Sounders played on the road this week against the San Jose Earthquakes. It was a tight game between the two sides this weekend and a 2-2 draw on the road is a positive result for the Seattle Sounders. The team has played some tough teams to start the year, but will need to get some wins soon if they want to stay competitive in the brutal Western Conference. The reserve team was also in action this weekend and picked up a 1-0 win against the San Jose reserves. Rookie Michael Tetteh scored the only goal late in the 2nd half playing at the left-mid position for the Sounders.
Manchester United Ticket Packages: Last week the Sounders organization went against a previously held refusal to open up more seats for MLS matches. Extra seats will be opened for games against the New York Red Bulls and the San Jose Earthquakes as part of a ticket package that includes the upcoming friendly against Manchester United. Sounders VP of Operations Gary Wright discussed the decision in a recent interview with Prost Amerika. The bottom line is the front office wanted to use the packages as a way to gauge demand for opening up more seats without having it muddied by increased demand for a rivalry game between the Cascadia teams.
More after the jump:
NYRB on the Rise: The recent trade of Dwayne De Rosario to the New York Red Bulls was the big news over the weekend in MLS. The trade creates a truly potent attack for the Red Bulls and cements their status as the team to beat. How did Toronto FC lose one of the best Canadian players in MLS? The bottom line is the Toronto FC front office under Mo Johnston broke the relationship when they refused to make De Rosario a designated player. Even if De Rosario had stayed at Toronto FC he wasn't a good fit for the 4-3-3 system being set up by new coach Aron Winter.
Drogba Considering MLS Move: Didier Drogba is being linked again to a move to MLS in the British tabloids. Both the LA Galaxy and the NY Red Bulls are currently tapped on roster space and would need to unload one or more designated players to make room for Drogba. Seattle, Toronto and Chicago could potentially afford Drogba. However, before you get too excited, Drogba has also been linked with a return to his former club Marseille.
Japan Withdraws from Copa America: The devastation in Japan has forced the country to suspend sporting events in order to conserve electricity and focus on reconstruction. The devastation is also impacting foreign games. Japan looks like it will withdraw from July's Copa America competition in Argentina. Japan and Mexico were the two guest teams invited to the South America competition.
Winter Closes Locker Room: Toronto head coach Aron Winter recently sent a letter to the local press informing them of his decision to close his locker room to reporters. It sounded to me like an interesting idea and a way to build up some trust and camaraderie inside a club that desperately needs it. Unfortunately, the policy violates rules set-in place by the MLS. It's also bad timing coming a few weeks into the season and on the heels of trading off their club's best player. Let the bad press continue.
Street Soccer for Social Change: Sounders fans who live in the city are well aware of the homelessness problem affecting the city. It's a problem that has gotten worse as the economy has struggled. Our sister blog over at The Offside has an interesting article on a group that organizes street soccer games for homeless here in Seattle. The effort goes beyond providing entertainment and exercise. Street Soccer Seattle provides a sense of community and connection.
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If Drogba's serious
the Sounders better be involved in talks with his agent. He’s 33 but he still has some gas left.
Drogba up top is certainly a fantasy, but a guy can dream
I’d love to see him score a goal on ManU. Definitely far fetched, and Marseille seems to probably be the better fit, but Hanauer would be derelict in his duty if he didn’t consider offering Drogba a couple of seasons in the rave green.
Aging European stars have not done well here at all, but maybe the third time’s the charm?
Ljunbgerg was good in his first season I felt
As was Nkufo last season. Fernandez is good, but I don’t think he deserves a DP contract or money. I’d trade him for a number of $100k earners in a heartbeat.
by chrisperry1983 on Apr 4, 2011 12:02 PM PDT up reply actions
Drogba Drogba Drogba
He’s like a better version of N’Kufo.
What could possibly go wrong?
(Oh and I’ll send a free hat to whoever is the 500th reply…)
Nevertheless, I’m a fan. Unless Forlan somehow becomes a reasonable DP target. Which I think, contrary to popular belief, he may.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
What's that about us being able to potentially afford Drogba?
His wages alone…good grief, the mind boggles. Unless MLS decides to foot most of the bill (I wouldn’t discount this; MLS has a tradition of bending or breaking their own rules to lure in star power), how on earth would we afford Drogba?
La Vecchia Signora Forever!
umm, Seattle takes in tens ofmillions of revenue
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
NY could afford both Henry and Marquez
and they a) just built a stadium, b) have about 2/3 of our attendance, and c) far less merchandise revenue than we do.
Theres that old adage: you’ve got to spend money to make money. I bet there would be a ton of Drogba jerseys sold.
Seattle...
Has the money. And they would spend and splash the cash to get the right person as well.
You don’t see us splashing such cash for the most part because a team can’t, with the salary cap in place the way it is. They’re just not able to. (Minus the DP slots of course. Which is where the large sums go.)
by SounderEvertonRomaFan on Apr 4, 2011 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions
There's not a lot of teams that could afford him...
But Seattle is one of them. We have the best attendance in the league, good sponsors and merchandise sales. Fernandez is not an expensive DP. No one knows what Montero is making as a DP, but I don’t think its on the very high end for DPs. Toronto has had great attendance, good merchandise sales and higher ticket prices so they could probably afford a big name like Drogba.
I’m not sure about Chicago. They might be able to scrap together the cash especially since FL is off the books. I don’t think any MLS clubs after that have the juice.
Montero is at 800k according to Steve Kelley
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Thanks Dave
That’s in the lower end for DPs. Seattle should have plenty of room for a big DP signing if they can land the right guy.
by Dizzo on Apr 4, 2011 4:03 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
And we just happen to have a DP slot open...hmmmm :)
By the by, sorry about Roma. New manager, same old Roma. Forza Juve.
La Vecchia Signora Forever!
Well, I'm glad to be apparently wrong about this - certainly a feel-good moment when we can afford such star talent!
But if this is the case, why haven’t we made a serious offer for someone more in the Forlan mold? @Dave: Though Seattle does take in a ton of revenue (thank you fan base/merchandising), this does not seemingly equate to our salary cap/transfer budget. MLS transfer/salary rules have always seemed as labyrinthine as they are bendable (by the league), so maybe I was just speaking from ignorance.
On the other hand, if we can indeed afford him, this wouldn’t be at all a good use of funds. An incredibly talented player, but one who is getting up in years and perhaps in need of an attitude adjustment.
La Vecchia Signora Forever!
Well, we can afford him.. So why not?
I think we would be foolish not to grab him. Right now, the only clubs that can afford him are NY, LA & SEA.
I can see NY drop a player or get him for the 2012 Season.
LA can use the open slot if David Beckham leaves after this season.
Regardless, both LA & NY will go after this guy in a money offer war so to speak. I would like us to do the same, we can get him and afford him “If we really want him badly enough”. We do have that open DP and International spot for him too for this year and next if need be.
So why NOT us? =)
by TheDarkPassenger on Apr 4, 2011 1:11 PM PDT reply actions
Why not?
He’s 33 and past his prime.
He vocally complains about refereeing (where have we seen that before).
He is somewhat egotistical
Sigi does not have a history of making good use of high-priced European talent
He is expensive
There is no indication that he would fit into our locker room
Why?
Even at 33 he might be the best player in the league
You can’t deny the great work he has done through his charity
He would create acres of room for Montero and Zak
He might win the golden boot playing half a season (this may be wishful thinking)
He could help develop our younger guys
Jersey sales & attendance numbers
All of this...
Plus the fact that its Drogba. Arguably has been one of the best strikers in the world over the past years.
It would be nothing but a great signing if it were to happen.
I’ll still call it wishful thinking, but you never know.
by SounderEvertonRomaFan on Apr 4, 2011 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions
He's big, but he doesn't knock people around
I’m sure Graham can come in and offer more details as a Chelsea fan, but he’s never struck me as a guy who’s very physical despite his size. He scores with his speed and his quality and I’d be concerned that he’d get shoved around by the same midfielders and defenders that shoved Ljungberg around.
Target forwards that succeed in MLS tend to be in the Conor Casey mold: people who are eager to mix it up physically and throw their elbows and head around to get chances on goal.
I’d love to get Tim Cahill before he retires.
Nos Audietis
I had to read this twice
to believe it was said. He’s incredibly physical, it’s just that he doesn’t have to use his arms like most supposed strong forwards to create space. The guy simply shrugs and people go flying. He made the Sounders look like children.
Fair enough
I don’t watch a lot of Chelsea, but when I do I mostly see Drogba drifting around in space and/or shooting from 18 yards out. But I admit that there are players so fast that they don’t look fast because they make running look easy. And it’s possible Drogba is so strong that he doesn’t look strong because he makes being strong look easy. If that makes sense.
Nos Audietis
Endorsement deals
What effect would this have on his endorsement deals like with Pepsi? Is anyone familiar with what he’s got going on? I can imagine that a move to the MLS makes you much more invisible to the European soccer community, damaging the value of a great deal of endorsement contracts. I’d like to see how Henry’s signing dealt with this. I know Beckham got a boat-load of money, but Drogba doesn’t have the same celebrity attached to his name. Perhaps Microsoft can step in and make an endorsement offer?
Another source for Drogba to MLS, this one probably more credible
http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/6289711/drogba-headed-mls
Highlights: the move would wait until his current contract is up in 2012, management is tired of his “petulance” both on and off field, Marseille is in financial trouble and might not be able to afford him, and the part that gets us all excited:
He is deadly in set pieces as he can hit pinpoint free kicks and knock in goals off headers.
That sounds like exactly what the Sounders have needed for awhile. Waiting till 2012 would probably work out alright, though it gives LA and NY time to clear cap room. Again though, the character problems are of serious concern. I question whether Sigi could handle him.
re: Aron Winter closing the locker room (or at least trying to)
I have always found the American tradition of allowing reporters to roam around the post-game locker room to be pretty silly, if not downright stupid. I also strongly believe in the importance of making players and coaches available – at the appropriate time – to reporters; because this is, by proxy, making them accessible to the Fans.
If I were a head coach I would fight tooth and nail against letting reporters in my locker room, and I would probably be pilloried for it. But I would also do my best to make myself and players available at times that are more appropriate, and I would emphasize the importance of this to my players.
...that's MISTER Keller to you!!!
I think a system could be worked out...
…where reporters didn’t get to go into the locker room and still got plenty of “access.” The coach doesn’t really need to shower or anything right after the game, so the two head coaches could take their turns answering press questions, and then the team could send out 3-4 players to answer a few questions. There could be some kind of media scrum area after that where other players could come talk to media members if they wanted to. The press would scream bloody murder about it at first, but I don’t think we would miss anything in the end. After all, I’m pretty sure there’s no locker room access during the World Cup, and I’m pretty sure that manages to be a pretty popular event.
Considering that 122 of the richest 160 teams in the world allow this
I think that Winter might be wrong.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I don't think that's a good justification here
The US is a huge country which has had a ton of disposable income over the last half-century. Our sports teams were going to get rich with or without the press walking around locker rooms. Most of the questions reporters ask in locker rooms are not revealing, result in the most cliched of responses, and 100% of the questions could just as easily be asked 10 minutes later when the player is dressed and presentable.
There are certainly reasons to not have locker room access
“rest of the world does it” as per Winter, is not one of them at all.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Access to the locker room...
Is a balancing act. Is it necessary? No. But it is practical when you are trying to balance the needs and realities of reporters working on deadlines and overworked media staff. As it is, coaches hold small press conferences post game and about 10 minutes later the press is allowed into the locker. In areas where this isn’t possible, like in San Jose where the locker is too small to allow press in, the media staff basically has to fetch players, which can be a huge hassle for all involved. That’s not to say a compromise can’t be reached, but it’s not just about what works for reporters vs. what works for players.
The real problem here, though, is the way Winter handled this thing. He didn’t immediately inform the press, essentially waiting until postgame of Game 1 to tell them no locker room access and then waiting to formalize that until last week. The team obviously didn’t clear this decision with the league, as the league is claiming to still be working on the situation. And his reasoning (that’s not how we do it in Europe) is totally tone deaf.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Apr 5, 2011 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions
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