Down a goal with less than a half hour remaining in their 2007 campaign, the Houston Dynamo rallied behind the relentless play of Dwayne De Rosario to defeat the New England Revolution, 2-1, at RFK Stadium in Washington DC on Saturday (11/18) and capture the team's fourth MLS Cup title in seven years.
De Rosario, 29, set up teammate Joseph Ngwenya, just in front of the opposition goal in the 62d minute. Ngwenya took two point blank shots on keeper Matt Reis, the second slipping past for the equalizer.
Moments later, the Canadian born De Rosario scored the winning goal himself, heading home a cross from about 12 yards out in the 74th minute. "I would normally volley it," De Rosario said, commenting on the goal after the match, "but I decided to head it in and luckily it went in."
Just 3 minutes from full time, Houston keeper Pat Onstad rescued his team's victory with a stunning save of Jeff Larentowicz' blast from inside the 8 yard line.
The win marks the second straight title since the San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston and were renamed the Dynamo. The team also won MLS Cups--as San Jose--in '01 and '03.
New England have now played in the last 3-, and 4 of the last 6-, MLS Cup finals, but have yet to walk away with the trophy.
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Showing posts with label MLS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLS. Show all posts
Monday, November 19, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
"Sexy Football" Comes to MLS as Gullit Joins Galaxy
Just as AEG and the LA Galaxy's Beckham gambit seemed to have pulled a fast fade--5 matches, 1 goal, no playoffs, no cup--the MLS club got even "sexier" by announcing Ruud Gullit as new head coach.
Gullit will be introduced tomorrow (Fri., Nov. 9) as the replacement for Frank Yallop, who left at the end of this season to take the reins of the expansion San Jose franchise which begins league play next year.
Gullit, 45, had been rumored as one of two finalists last week, along with former German national coach, Jürgen Klinsmann. Klinsmann is a resident of Newport Beach, California, not far from Los Angeles. His name seems to be added to the list every time a high-profile coaching job comes up lately; earlier this year he was reportedly on the short list to coach the US Men's National Team through the next World Cup, but such a deal did not materialize.
Gullit, former European Footballer of the Year (1987), comes to Los Angeles with previous coaching experiences at Feyenoord, Newcastle, and Chelsea.
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Gullit will be introduced tomorrow (Fri., Nov. 9) as the replacement for Frank Yallop, who left at the end of this season to take the reins of the expansion San Jose franchise which begins league play next year.
Gullit, 45, had been rumored as one of two finalists last week, along with former German national coach, Jürgen Klinsmann. Klinsmann is a resident of Newport Beach, California, not far from Los Angeles. His name seems to be added to the list every time a high-profile coaching job comes up lately; earlier this year he was reportedly on the short list to coach the US Men's National Team through the next World Cup, but such a deal did not materialize.
Gullit, former European Footballer of the Year (1987), comes to Los Angeles with previous coaching experiences at Feyenoord, Newcastle, and Chelsea.
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Sunday, November 4, 2007
US Soccer October Recap: Marta Makes Her Mark, Beckham No-Shows, and Blanco Lights Fire
In October, as so often happens in the USA, the world of women's soccer easily out-shone that of the men.
In that month, the US women's team made it all the way to the semi-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup in China, but having got there were summarily dismissed by Brazil and their emergent national team. Indeed, the USA bowed out to Marta and company, 0-4, the budding superstar punctuating the victory with what had to be the classiest World Cup goal scored since Denis Bergkamp's YouTube classic against Argentina at France 1998.
The "early" exit for the US women seems very much to have disappointed the national federation and--though the Olympic tournament is less than a year away--a coaching change has already been announced.
Simultaneously, the biggest news in US men's soccer is that David Beckham and LA Galaxy are absent from the MLS playoffs, now underway.
This past weekend (Nov. 2-3) the final four teams vying for the 2007 MLS Cup were determined in conference championship semifinal play. In the Western Conference, 2006 champs Houston Dynamo eliminated Texas rivals, FC Dallas, 4-1, while Kansas City Wizards held ChivasUSA socreless to advance as Houston's opponent.
On the Eastern Conference side, the New England Revolution defeated Bruce Arena's New York Red Bulls, 1-0, Saturday night to advance to their sixth straight conference championship appearance. The Revolution will meet Chicago Fire in the conference final match, as the Fire--low seed in their conference--dismissed overall top-seeded DC United, 1-0.
The success of the Chicago Fire this season has surprised many. The club did not look likely to even make the playoffs in June, but--taking advantage of the same league salary rule which brought Beckham to Los Angeles--the Fire acquired Cuauhtemoc Blanco, late of Mexico City's Club America, and the Mexican national side. Blanco, 34, has scored four goals since he joined the Fire in July and totaled 13 points in just 16 games.
The Fire travel to New England Thursday, Nov. 8, for the Eastern Conference final match, while Houston will host Kansas City Wizards for the Western Conference final on Saturday, Nov. 10.
MLS Cup 2007 will be played Nov. 18 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.
Just FYI, let me say that it has been a while since I posted here. My main is excuse is I've been working on other things, my 1988 VW in particular. I hope to have the shifter working properly again sometime this week and thereafter have more time for blogging, etc.
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In that month, the US women's team made it all the way to the semi-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup in China, but having got there were summarily dismissed by Brazil and their emergent national team. Indeed, the USA bowed out to Marta and company, 0-4, the budding superstar punctuating the victory with what had to be the classiest World Cup goal scored since Denis Bergkamp's YouTube classic against Argentina at France 1998.
The "early" exit for the US women seems very much to have disappointed the national federation and--though the Olympic tournament is less than a year away--a coaching change has already been announced.
Simultaneously, the biggest news in US men's soccer is that David Beckham and LA Galaxy are absent from the MLS playoffs, now underway.
This past weekend (Nov. 2-3) the final four teams vying for the 2007 MLS Cup were determined in conference championship semifinal play. In the Western Conference, 2006 champs Houston Dynamo eliminated Texas rivals, FC Dallas, 4-1, while Kansas City Wizards held ChivasUSA socreless to advance as Houston's opponent.
On the Eastern Conference side, the New England Revolution defeated Bruce Arena's New York Red Bulls, 1-0, Saturday night to advance to their sixth straight conference championship appearance. The Revolution will meet Chicago Fire in the conference final match, as the Fire--low seed in their conference--dismissed overall top-seeded DC United, 1-0.
The success of the Chicago Fire this season has surprised many. The club did not look likely to even make the playoffs in June, but--taking advantage of the same league salary rule which brought Beckham to Los Angeles--the Fire acquired Cuauhtemoc Blanco, late of Mexico City's Club America, and the Mexican national side. Blanco, 34, has scored four goals since he joined the Fire in July and totaled 13 points in just 16 games.
The Fire travel to New England Thursday, Nov. 8, for the Eastern Conference final match, while Houston will host Kansas City Wizards for the Western Conference final on Saturday, Nov. 10.
MLS Cup 2007 will be played Nov. 18 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.
Just FYI, let me say that it has been a while since I posted here. My main is excuse is I've been working on other things, my 1988 VW in particular. I hope to have the shifter working properly again sometime this week and thereafter have more time for blogging, etc.
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Monday, September 24, 2007
MLS Playoff Spots Going Fast With 5 Weeks To Go
ChivasUSA, the Los Angeles-based "franchise" of Mexico's oldest football club--CD Guadalajara--has become the fourth MLS team to qualify for the league playoffs which begin October 25.
Chivas qualified on the strength of a 2:1 victory Saturday over Kansas City Wizards at the Home Depot Center in LA. The Red and White join DC United, New England Revolution, and holders Houston Dynamo as those clubs qualified for the playoffs. The clumination of the playoffs is the single-match MLS Cup to be contested on Nov. 18 in Washington, DC.
With the addition of Chivas, just four playoff spots remain. Thus far, none of the clubs making midseason acquisitions of former World Cup superstars has qualified to vie for the 2007 MLS championship.
FC Dallas, featuring former Brazilian World Cup star Denilson, is the closest to attaining a playoff berth and likely would face Chivas in a Western Conference seminfinal. Dallas could qualify as early as Wednesday of this week.
Chicago Fire, new home to Mexican international Cuauhtémoc Blanco, remain in the hunt for the lowest seed playoff berth, but are closely bunched on points with Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew. With three points on the line in each of the last five matches, it will likely go down to the wire.
Finally, LA Galaxy, possessed of US international Landon Donovan, and now second home to England uber-star David Beckham, has virtually (though not mathematically) been eliminated from making this year's playoff.
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Chivas qualified on the strength of a 2:1 victory Saturday over Kansas City Wizards at the Home Depot Center in LA. The Red and White join DC United, New England Revolution, and holders Houston Dynamo as those clubs qualified for the playoffs. The clumination of the playoffs is the single-match MLS Cup to be contested on Nov. 18 in Washington, DC.
With the addition of Chivas, just four playoff spots remain. Thus far, none of the clubs making midseason acquisitions of former World Cup superstars has qualified to vie for the 2007 MLS championship.
FC Dallas, featuring former Brazilian World Cup star Denilson, is the closest to attaining a playoff berth and likely would face Chivas in a Western Conference seminfinal. Dallas could qualify as early as Wednesday of this week.
Chicago Fire, new home to Mexican international Cuauhtémoc Blanco, remain in the hunt for the lowest seed playoff berth, but are closely bunched on points with Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew. With three points on the line in each of the last five matches, it will likely go down to the wire.
Finally, LA Galaxy, possessed of US international Landon Donovan, and now second home to England uber-star David Beckham, has virtually (though not mathematically) been eliminated from making this year's playoff.
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Sunday, September 9, 2007
FC Dallas and New England Revolution Set a Date For US Open Cup Final
The finals are now set for the 2007 US Open Cup soccer tournament and the winner will once again be an MLS team. FC Dallas and the New England Revolution each advanced with semifinal victories Sept. 4 over USL Division I clubs.
The two finalists will meet on FC Dallas' home field, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, on October 3. The Cup--officially, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup--is the oldest professional soccer championship in North America, having been contested since 1914.
The Open Cup, as the name implies, is intended to be a single-elimination for all US soccer clubs recognized as competitive by the US Soccer Federation including the MLS, and the several professional divisions of the USL.
The USL comprises three divisions of professional-, and three of amateur or development soccer clubs for men and women, from North America (US and Canada) and the Caribbean. In general, only the top three divisions participate in the Open Cup, but the Federation does maintain the competition as truly "open".
While the MLS clubs are given something of a pass into the later rounds, the Cup does present an opportunity for a Cinderella to emerge in the same way as do the national open tournaments for other sports like golf and tennis. This would seem to be particularly true of late as the monetary prize of $100,000 for the winnng side (to be shared by the entire team mind you) has become less and less significant.
Despite the slight nature of the prize money however, MLS clubs have won the Cup in each of the league's 11 years of existence, excepting 1995 and 1999.
And so again in 2007.
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The two finalists will meet on FC Dallas' home field, Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, on October 3. The Cup--officially, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup--is the oldest professional soccer championship in North America, having been contested since 1914.
The Open Cup, as the name implies, is intended to be a single-elimination for all US soccer clubs recognized as competitive by the US Soccer Federation including the MLS, and the several professional divisions of the USL.
The USL comprises three divisions of professional-, and three of amateur or development soccer clubs for men and women, from North America (US and Canada) and the Caribbean. In general, only the top three divisions participate in the Open Cup, but the Federation does maintain the competition as truly "open".
While the MLS clubs are given something of a pass into the later rounds, the Cup does present an opportunity for a Cinderella to emerge in the same way as do the national open tournaments for other sports like golf and tennis. This would seem to be particularly true of late as the monetary prize of $100,000 for the winnng side (to be shared by the entire team mind you) has become less and less significant.
Despite the slight nature of the prize money however, MLS clubs have won the Cup in each of the league's 11 years of existence, excepting 1995 and 1999.
And so again in 2007.
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Saturday, September 1, 2007
The Mr. Off, the Mrs. On, As Beckhams' World Turns
The Beckhams--David and Victoria--have been in Los Angeles for barely two months, but their individual careers may never be the same.
Mr. Beckham was injured this week as his Galaxy of the MLS fell in the first-ever SuperLiga final to Mexican club Pachuca. The SuperLiga features midweek, inter-league play between the top clubs in MLS and Mexican football.
Beckham's injury--a knee ligament sprain--basically spells an end to his play for the regular MLS season and may see him miss two Euro 2008 qualifiers for England as well.
In all honesty, the Bendy One does not seem happy in Los Angeles or MLS and this reporter would not be very surprised to see him end his career in red at Old Trafford one day very soon. He seems to have been born Cockney Red and so perhaps that's as it should be. It's likely that even the earlier transfer to Madrid was a mistake as well.
Meanwhile Mrs. Beckham, the artist formerly known as Posh Spice, has signed for her first acting job on a nationally televised prime-time program("-me"?) entitled, "Ugly Betty". This follows an earlier "reality show" one-off titled, "Coming to America", about her move from Spain to California which was generally ignored by the summer viewership.
It is said that PS will play herself (again) in "Ugly Betty", a weekly "dramady" (part comedy, part drama) which presents the serialized adventures of a less-than-stunning dental patient who is employed as a New York fashion magazine excutive's assistant.
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Mr. Beckham was injured this week as his Galaxy of the MLS fell in the first-ever SuperLiga final to Mexican club Pachuca. The SuperLiga features midweek, inter-league play between the top clubs in MLS and Mexican football.
Beckham's injury--a knee ligament sprain--basically spells an end to his play for the regular MLS season and may see him miss two Euro 2008 qualifiers for England as well.
In all honesty, the Bendy One does not seem happy in Los Angeles or MLS and this reporter would not be very surprised to see him end his career in red at Old Trafford one day very soon. He seems to have been born Cockney Red and so perhaps that's as it should be. It's likely that even the earlier transfer to Madrid was a mistake as well.
Meanwhile Mrs. Beckham, the artist formerly known as Posh Spice, has signed for her first acting job on a nationally televised prime-time program("-me"?) entitled, "Ugly Betty". This follows an earlier "reality show" one-off titled, "Coming to America", about her move from Spain to California which was generally ignored by the summer viewership.
It is said that PS will play herself (again) in "Ugly Betty", a weekly "dramady" (part comedy, part drama) which presents the serialized adventures of a less-than-stunning dental patient who is employed as a New York fashion magazine excutive's assistant.
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Saturday, August 25, 2007
MLS Cup Playoffs Minus 60 days: Moreno Marks Most and Denilson Does Dallas
MLS Cup Playoffs Minus 60 days: Moreno Marks Most and Denilson Does Dallas
With the MLS playoffs looming just 60 days away the league's focus finally has begun to shift from the galactic starpower of David Beckham to the Cup final which is set for Washington, DC on Nov. 18.
DC United midfielder Jaime Moreno scored a second half penalty against New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night (Aug. 22) to bring his MLS career total to 109. Moreno takes over first place on the list of the league's all-time leading scorers, just ahead of the recently retired Jason Kreis.
"For me, in the back of my head the main thing is the team," said the Bolivian-born Moreno after his record-setting performance. "Anything you do is because you work hard at it," continued the 33 year old. "I'm proud, and now I'm just going to keep working, keep scoring, and we'll see what happens." Moreno is also the league's lifetime leader in spot-kick goals with 33.
Meanwhile, FC Dallas, looking to make a run at finally capturing a Cup title for its growing legion of fans, has acquired the rights to field Brazilian star Denilson. The 29 year old Denilson was a member of Brazil's "penta-campeon" at World Cup 2002; his professional career has included time with São Paulo FC, Real Bétis, Flamengo, Bourdeaux and Al-Nasr of Saudi Arabia.
"Now, I am anxious to get started playing," he told reporters at a press conference announcing his signing on Thursday (Aug. 23). "[And happy] to join a team that is in a good position in the league," he continued, "I hope that through my work I will be able to contribute to this team and have success in this league." FC Dallas is in second place in the Western Conference behind Houston Dynamo, last year's champ, with just 12 games to go in the regular season.
The playoffs include the 8 clubs with the best regular season records in two-leg series; the winners move on to conference championships and then the single, final match in Washington.
Denilson was acquired as FC Dallas' "designated player". In MLS, teams have a limited amount of league funds to use for player salaries, but each club is allowed one "designated player". The "designated player"-, or "Beckham" rule provides that one player's salary per team will not be counted against that club's allotted amount. In that way, the "designated player" may be payed quite a bit more than the others.
So it's all back to the bendy one in the end, isn't it?
With the MLS playoffs looming just 60 days away the league's focus finally has begun to shift from the galactic starpower of David Beckham to the Cup final which is set for Washington, DC on Nov. 18.
DC United midfielder Jaime Moreno scored a second half penalty against New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night (Aug. 22) to bring his MLS career total to 109. Moreno takes over first place on the list of the league's all-time leading scorers, just ahead of the recently retired Jason Kreis.
"For me, in the back of my head the main thing is the team," said the Bolivian-born Moreno after his record-setting performance. "Anything you do is because you work hard at it," continued the 33 year old. "I'm proud, and now I'm just going to keep working, keep scoring, and we'll see what happens." Moreno is also the league's lifetime leader in spot-kick goals with 33.
Meanwhile, FC Dallas, looking to make a run at finally capturing a Cup title for its growing legion of fans, has acquired the rights to field Brazilian star Denilson. The 29 year old Denilson was a member of Brazil's "penta-campeon" at World Cup 2002; his professional career has included time with São Paulo FC, Real Bétis, Flamengo, Bourdeaux and Al-Nasr of Saudi Arabia.
"Now, I am anxious to get started playing," he told reporters at a press conference announcing his signing on Thursday (Aug. 23). "[And happy] to join a team that is in a good position in the league," he continued, "I hope that through my work I will be able to contribute to this team and have success in this league." FC Dallas is in second place in the Western Conference behind Houston Dynamo, last year's champ, with just 12 games to go in the regular season.
The playoffs include the 8 clubs with the best regular season records in two-leg series; the winners move on to conference championships and then the single, final match in Washington.
Denilson was acquired as FC Dallas' "designated player". In MLS, teams have a limited amount of league funds to use for player salaries, but each club is allowed one "designated player". The "designated player"-, or "Beckham" rule provides that one player's salary per team will not be counted against that club's allotted amount. In that way, the "designated player" may be payed quite a bit more than the others.
So it's all back to the bendy one in the end, isn't it?
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Beckham Makes His Mark as MLS Tries to Turn "Soccer" Into "Football" in USA
David Beckham finally took the field last night (August 15) as captain of the Los Angeles Galaxy at the club's Home Depot Center in California. Playing at something approaching full speed for the first time in his new "kit", the bendy one scored once from a free kick at 20 meters and placed an assist at the feet of linemate Landon Donovan for a second half clincher. The Galaxy advanced, 2-0, to the first ever finals of the brand new SuperLiga tournament featuring MLS and Mexican league clubs.
Beckham's heroics come just one month into his MLS career and one day after former league star Freddy Adu debuted with Benfica of Portugal. Adu, entering the league as barely a teenager in 2004, had been touted as the star who could bring US soccer some star power and some devoted fans. After helping DC United win MLS Cup in his first season he made clear his intention to play professionally in Europe. He departed Real Salt Lake City, his last MLS club, for Portugal at nearly the exact moment that Beckham arrived from Madrid in July.
MLS has become the most successful professional soccer league in the history of the USA over the eleven years of its existence, but soccer still has yet to achieve the same status here as it does in those countries where it is known as "football". In the US, "soccer" is associated with moms driving minivans, and co-eds (mostly female) kicking the ball around at private colleges.
If Beckham can change that image, and give the US game the same kind of street-cred that Tiger Woods has given golf, or that John McEnroe gave tennis in the 1980's, MLS is hoping that fans and advertisers will naturally follow.
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Beckham's heroics come just one month into his MLS career and one day after former league star Freddy Adu debuted with Benfica of Portugal. Adu, entering the league as barely a teenager in 2004, had been touted as the star who could bring US soccer some star power and some devoted fans. After helping DC United win MLS Cup in his first season he made clear his intention to play professionally in Europe. He departed Real Salt Lake City, his last MLS club, for Portugal at nearly the exact moment that Beckham arrived from Madrid in July.
MLS has become the most successful professional soccer league in the history of the USA over the eleven years of its existence, but soccer still has yet to achieve the same status here as it does in those countries where it is known as "football". In the US, "soccer" is associated with moms driving minivans, and co-eds (mostly female) kicking the ball around at private colleges.
If Beckham can change that image, and give the US game the same kind of street-cred that Tiger Woods has given golf, or that John McEnroe gave tennis in the 1980's, MLS is hoping that fans and advertisers will naturally follow.
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Friday, January 12, 2007
Beckham to LA Galaxy
Ex-England captain David Beckham will leave Real Madrid for the MLS when he joins LA Galaxy in August this year.
The deal
The 31 year-old player will earn £128m (US$250m) for a five-year contract. Equivalent to £50 a minute and make Beckham the highest-paid sports star in the US.
The contract provides for Beckham to share a part of profits made by his new team LA Galaxy possibly worth US$10 per year.
Beckham's annual salary with the Galaxy will be US$10m.
David Beckham's four main sponsors - Gillette, Motorola, Pepsi and Volkswagen bring in approximately US$25m a year.
David Beckham shirt sales total US$10m each year.
His share of the club profits: US$10m
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The deal
The 31 year-old player will earn £128m (US$250m) for a five-year contract. Equivalent to £50 a minute and make Beckham the highest-paid sports star in the US.
The contract provides for Beckham to share a part of profits made by his new team LA Galaxy possibly worth US$10 per year.
Beckham's annual salary with the Galaxy will be US$10m.
David Beckham's four main sponsors - Gillette, Motorola, Pepsi and Volkswagen bring in approximately US$25m a year.
David Beckham shirt sales total US$10m each year.
His share of the club profits: US$10m
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Sunday, November 12, 2006
Much Adu about Freddy
Much Adu about Freddy
So the American soccer whizzkid Freddy Adu is finally coming to England, for a two-week trial with the mighty Manchester United beginning on the 18th of November.
The phony war surrounding press speculation on Adu & English clubs was ended on the 9th of this month when United confirmed Adu was coming for a trial, a day after denying news that was plainly around the town in American soccer circles. Unlike Madonna, United failed to adopt an African youngster when Chelsea snatched Jon Obi Mikkel from their clutches so second time around they are in no mood to be gazumped again.
So, 'Is Adu any good?' is the next question. The jury is out is my answer. Freddy debuted in MLS aged 14 in 2004, the youngest professional American sportsman of all time. But in much of West Africa, from where he hails, births are often not officially recorded for some time (remember Roger Milla?) and there was much talk that Adu is actually two to three years older than his mother claims.
Adu is 17 now and has 87 appearances and 11 goals for DC United under his belt. He has played one friendly for the US national team, which means he can still switch allegiances to Ghana, the land of his birth, should he so desire. Given that he is a US citizen and has been brought through the various US youth teams, I would say it is only a matter of time before he gains his first full cap and ends the Ghana/USA debate.
Freddy also attended the US Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Florida, whose alumni include Bobby Convey, DaMarcus Beasley and Jonathan Spector, now plying their trade in the Premiership, the league Adu dreams of playing in.
Freddy is doing exceptionally well for his age, has very good technique and balance, is fast though not supersonic, and strong but not powerful. He likes to dribble, attack defenders and is not afraid to shoot. He is in conclusion one of America's most talented 17 year olds, but is he good enough to get into Manchester United's 1st XI? Not yet, I would say.
He was not deemed good enough for the US team that exited the first round of the 2006 World Cup either. At a press conference in Kaiserslautern during the build-up to the tournament, a German journalist asked coach Bruce Arena, "What about Freddy Adu? Is he going to the World Cup?" to which Arena sarcastically, and typically, replied, "I don't know, I'll have to ask him."
MLS is not the Premier League and Freddy is not yet the finished product in many ways. On the other hand, only by coming to Europe might we really find out what he is truly capable of. As someone who mixes in the US Soccer community, I can honestly say there is no consensus about whether Adu is America's soccer messiah. Off the record, someone who works with him told me he thought he wasn't 'a 90-minute player' yet.
True, Freddy is young and cannot short-cut the experience that will endow him with intimate knowledge of the nuances and phases of the game at the highest level. For that reason alone we should be patient and give him time in my opinion and stop trying to jump the gun on football in America, which is a long work in progress, an oak tree, not a cypress leylandii. Adu is still only 17 for goodness' sake. We also never seem to learn that players peak at different ages.
All those drunk on the dream of Adu becoming a superstar would do well to remember Nii Lamptey, a 16 year-old starter for Anderlecht who was touted as the new Pele and played for PSV before moving to Aston Villa, where he started a gradual decline which saw him hawking his boots around clubs in 11 different countries, wondering what might have been while the rest of the football world quickly forgot about him.
I last watched Adu in the flesh last month playing for DC United against New England Revolution at RFK Stadium in Washington DC. He certainly stood out as one of the liveliest and most inventive players on the field, but seemed lacking in experience as he often over-dribbled or ran into avoidable danger.
There was a more impressive American on the field that night, a 23 year-old who is desperate to come to Europe and unlike Adu, can boast a CV with 23 international caps and 6 goals, including one in a World Cup Finals. European clubs, I give you Clint Dempsey, a fiery right-sided attacking midfielder. Buy him and stop worrying about whether Freddy Adu can become the 'American Pele.'
(C) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
So the American soccer whizzkid Freddy Adu is finally coming to England, for a two-week trial with the mighty Manchester United beginning on the 18th of November.
The phony war surrounding press speculation on Adu & English clubs was ended on the 9th of this month when United confirmed Adu was coming for a trial, a day after denying news that was plainly around the town in American soccer circles. Unlike Madonna, United failed to adopt an African youngster when Chelsea snatched Jon Obi Mikkel from their clutches so second time around they are in no mood to be gazumped again.
So, 'Is Adu any good?' is the next question. The jury is out is my answer. Freddy debuted in MLS aged 14 in 2004, the youngest professional American sportsman of all time. But in much of West Africa, from where he hails, births are often not officially recorded for some time (remember Roger Milla?) and there was much talk that Adu is actually two to three years older than his mother claims.
Adu is 17 now and has 87 appearances and 11 goals for DC United under his belt. He has played one friendly for the US national team, which means he can still switch allegiances to Ghana, the land of his birth, should he so desire. Given that he is a US citizen and has been brought through the various US youth teams, I would say it is only a matter of time before he gains his first full cap and ends the Ghana/USA debate.
Freddy also attended the US Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Florida, whose alumni include Bobby Convey, DaMarcus Beasley and Jonathan Spector, now plying their trade in the Premiership, the league Adu dreams of playing in.
Freddy is doing exceptionally well for his age, has very good technique and balance, is fast though not supersonic, and strong but not powerful. He likes to dribble, attack defenders and is not afraid to shoot. He is in conclusion one of America's most talented 17 year olds, but is he good enough to get into Manchester United's 1st XI? Not yet, I would say.
He was not deemed good enough for the US team that exited the first round of the 2006 World Cup either. At a press conference in Kaiserslautern during the build-up to the tournament, a German journalist asked coach Bruce Arena, "What about Freddy Adu? Is he going to the World Cup?" to which Arena sarcastically, and typically, replied, "I don't know, I'll have to ask him."
MLS is not the Premier League and Freddy is not yet the finished product in many ways. On the other hand, only by coming to Europe might we really find out what he is truly capable of. As someone who mixes in the US Soccer community, I can honestly say there is no consensus about whether Adu is America's soccer messiah. Off the record, someone who works with him told me he thought he wasn't 'a 90-minute player' yet.
True, Freddy is young and cannot short-cut the experience that will endow him with intimate knowledge of the nuances and phases of the game at the highest level. For that reason alone we should be patient and give him time in my opinion and stop trying to jump the gun on football in America, which is a long work in progress, an oak tree, not a cypress leylandii. Adu is still only 17 for goodness' sake. We also never seem to learn that players peak at different ages.
All those drunk on the dream of Adu becoming a superstar would do well to remember Nii Lamptey, a 16 year-old starter for Anderlecht who was touted as the new Pele and played for PSV before moving to Aston Villa, where he started a gradual decline which saw him hawking his boots around clubs in 11 different countries, wondering what might have been while the rest of the football world quickly forgot about him.
I last watched Adu in the flesh last month playing for DC United against New England Revolution at RFK Stadium in Washington DC. He certainly stood out as one of the liveliest and most inventive players on the field, but seemed lacking in experience as he often over-dribbled or ran into avoidable danger.
There was a more impressive American on the field that night, a 23 year-old who is desperate to come to Europe and unlike Adu, can boast a CV with 23 international caps and 6 goals, including one in a World Cup Finals. European clubs, I give you Clint Dempsey, a fiery right-sided attacking midfielder. Buy him and stop worrying about whether Freddy Adu can become the 'American Pele.'
(C) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
Monday, April 3, 2006
MLS 2006 – Sowing Another Seed of Hope
The U.S. domestic league kicked off its second decade yesterday with survival still the key and a sense of established security still elusive.
Everyone is Europe asks if and when football is going to grow in America and the answer is still the same: Give it time.
If crowds are the measure of success then MLS is either stagnant or stable, depending on how you look at it. Attendances have stayed at around 15,000 over the past decade although some clubs do better than others. The LA Galaxy drew a respectable 21,677 average last season and new arrivals Real Salt Lake were second on 18,037 and Chivas USA fourth with 17,080.
The league is certainly in better financial health than before having jettisoned its lowly-supported teams, moved into new stadia and signed a recent $150 million sponsorship deal with Adidas, and will still leap at any opportunity to cash in if European clubs want to sign its players.
Last year the league took the unprecedented step of revealing some salary figures, which made interesting reading. Top of the pile was LA’s Landon Donovan on $900,000 but at the other end Chicago's Gonzalo Segares took home a measly $11,700.
Teammate Chris Rolfe, who recently played striker for the US National Team, collected a paltry $16,500 while fellow US international Clint Dempsey, who scored against England last summer and got the winner in the US' recent win over Poland, earned a modest $57,875, some way behind their European colleagues and light years behind the stars of America’s major sports leagues.
The new season sees the first franchise move in the league's history with the San Jose Earthquakes, one of the league's top teams, moving from Northern California to Texas to become the Houston Dynamo.
The Earthquakes had been losing money hand over fist renting a stadium from San Jose State University, and MLS, which still controls the clubs centrally, was not prepared to sustain the losses for another season.
Houston, the nation's fourth largest city with a substantial Hispanic and football-loving population, was an obvious candidate for expansion. But the initial team name of Houston 1836, with its commemoration of Anglo-American victory, offended that very Latin community the league had angled to appeal to, so the name was swiftly and embarrassingly changed to the less offensive Dynamo.
This was par for the course for MLS, which had seen two teams vanish (Miami and Tampa Bay) as well as four name changes in its first ten years.
There have been several such 'seminal' moments since MLS was born in 1996, the question remaining how many of these scattered seeds will truly take root in the long term. At least the days of playing on Astroturf with American Football markings, 35 yard shoot out to settle drawn matches and jazzy stadium announcements during the game are over.
Chicago will also open the nation's fourth professional soccer-specific stadium when they kick off in June at their 20,000 capacity Bridgeview home. Because of construction delays the Fire will oddly play their first nine games away and then have nine in a row at home from late June to mid August.
Five of the league's twelve sides will be playing in their own football-only stadia, which is the key to maximizing revenue and keeping the league going. A further four have stadium plans in place so the days of 15,000 crowds drowning in 80,000 seat NFL bowls should soon be over.
The Kansas City Wizards, owned by Lamar Hunt, founder of NFL's Superbowl, remain in limbo with a number of takeover possibilities after the billionaire passed on building a modest stadium for his team.
The fans are always eager for more teams but given one expansion team (Miami Fusion) folded after four years, the league is extremely wary and has insisted that only clubs with proper external financial backing and concrete plans for an exclusive stadium will be considered. On this basis, MLS has confirmed that Toronto will join the league in 2007 while several American cities continue to inspire rumours.
The quality of MLS play did not blind us again in 2005 although the MLS All-Star team beat Premiership Fulham convincingly 4-1 at the start of the season, a game US fans will recall for some time.
Reigning champions LA Galaxy are still the team to beat with Landon Donovan their talisman and 1990 World Cup veteran Cobi Jones still on their books.
From the opposing coast the New England Revolution, coached by former Liverpool midfielder Steve Nicol and England striker Paul Mariner, are also expected to mount a stiff challenge although could lose upcoming star Clint Dempsey and striker Taylor Twellman following their World Cup duties for the United States in June.
The big news though has been the name change of the Metrostars to New York Red Bulls. The team that began life as the long-winded New York/New Jersey Metrostars ten years ago has never approached the popularity of the New York Cosmos and their 70,000+ crowds of the late 1970s but at least will have their own stadium to play in before long in Harrison, New Jersey.
European fans will predictably pour scorn on a corporate naming of a team but although it is a first for US major league sport it is not for football – Philips SV Eindhoven and Bayer Leverkusen are just two who got there first in Europe.
The team colours and future stadium name will reflect the famous energy drink and although the price for this 'sell-out', divided between major investor-operator AEG and MLS, has not been confirmed, it has certainly exceeded the $26million the same company bought the LA Galaxy for in 1998.
"This is a seminal moment in the history of this team and this league," general manager and former US soccer icon Alexi Lalas told the media. On that we are all agreed, but will the seed flower or wither is the unanswerable question on everyone's lips.
Lastly there is the matter of the month of June. While MLS is in full flow, the World Cup will be going on in Germany. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has accepted that sooner or later they will have to fit in with FIFA's international calendar but for the moment the show goes on during football’s biggest tournament.
In 2002 the US reached the quarter-finals but the knock on effect on domestic crowds was not noticeable even though the majority of its players had been in MLS, a statistic that will be true again this summer.
While MLS grows slowly but surely, unless the US wins the right to host the World Cup again, which probably will not be until 2018, the national team's exploits on the world stage provide the only source of optimism for football getting a kick across the pond.
There will be millions stateside watching the 2006 tournament, many of them so-called 'soccer snobs' who disdain the domestic version, but one can only hope that out there in America, a land that rates domestic competition above all others, there are those whose interest will be sparked by the World Cup and who will then come and give Major League Soccer the fans it needs, and increasingly deserves. Sean O'Conor
Eastern Conference
Chicago Fire
Columbus Crew
DC United
Kansas City Wizards
New England Revolution
New York Red Bulls
Western Conference
Chivas USA
Colorado Rapids
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
LA Galaxy
Real Salt Lake
cheap hotels in the usa
soccer tickets guaranteed
Everyone is Europe asks if and when football is going to grow in America and the answer is still the same: Give it time.
If crowds are the measure of success then MLS is either stagnant or stable, depending on how you look at it. Attendances have stayed at around 15,000 over the past decade although some clubs do better than others. The LA Galaxy drew a respectable 21,677 average last season and new arrivals Real Salt Lake were second on 18,037 and Chivas USA fourth with 17,080.
The league is certainly in better financial health than before having jettisoned its lowly-supported teams, moved into new stadia and signed a recent $150 million sponsorship deal with Adidas, and will still leap at any opportunity to cash in if European clubs want to sign its players.
Last year the league took the unprecedented step of revealing some salary figures, which made interesting reading. Top of the pile was LA’s Landon Donovan on $900,000 but at the other end Chicago's Gonzalo Segares took home a measly $11,700.
Teammate Chris Rolfe, who recently played striker for the US National Team, collected a paltry $16,500 while fellow US international Clint Dempsey, who scored against England last summer and got the winner in the US' recent win over Poland, earned a modest $57,875, some way behind their European colleagues and light years behind the stars of America’s major sports leagues.
The new season sees the first franchise move in the league's history with the San Jose Earthquakes, one of the league's top teams, moving from Northern California to Texas to become the Houston Dynamo.
The Earthquakes had been losing money hand over fist renting a stadium from San Jose State University, and MLS, which still controls the clubs centrally, was not prepared to sustain the losses for another season.
Houston, the nation's fourth largest city with a substantial Hispanic and football-loving population, was an obvious candidate for expansion. But the initial team name of Houston 1836, with its commemoration of Anglo-American victory, offended that very Latin community the league had angled to appeal to, so the name was swiftly and embarrassingly changed to the less offensive Dynamo.
This was par for the course for MLS, which had seen two teams vanish (Miami and Tampa Bay) as well as four name changes in its first ten years.
There have been several such 'seminal' moments since MLS was born in 1996, the question remaining how many of these scattered seeds will truly take root in the long term. At least the days of playing on Astroturf with American Football markings, 35 yard shoot out to settle drawn matches and jazzy stadium announcements during the game are over.
Chicago will also open the nation's fourth professional soccer-specific stadium when they kick off in June at their 20,000 capacity Bridgeview home. Because of construction delays the Fire will oddly play their first nine games away and then have nine in a row at home from late June to mid August.
Five of the league's twelve sides will be playing in their own football-only stadia, which is the key to maximizing revenue and keeping the league going. A further four have stadium plans in place so the days of 15,000 crowds drowning in 80,000 seat NFL bowls should soon be over.
The Kansas City Wizards, owned by Lamar Hunt, founder of NFL's Superbowl, remain in limbo with a number of takeover possibilities after the billionaire passed on building a modest stadium for his team.
The fans are always eager for more teams but given one expansion team (Miami Fusion) folded after four years, the league is extremely wary and has insisted that only clubs with proper external financial backing and concrete plans for an exclusive stadium will be considered. On this basis, MLS has confirmed that Toronto will join the league in 2007 while several American cities continue to inspire rumours.
The quality of MLS play did not blind us again in 2005 although the MLS All-Star team beat Premiership Fulham convincingly 4-1 at the start of the season, a game US fans will recall for some time.
Reigning champions LA Galaxy are still the team to beat with Landon Donovan their talisman and 1990 World Cup veteran Cobi Jones still on their books.
From the opposing coast the New England Revolution, coached by former Liverpool midfielder Steve Nicol and England striker Paul Mariner, are also expected to mount a stiff challenge although could lose upcoming star Clint Dempsey and striker Taylor Twellman following their World Cup duties for the United States in June.
The big news though has been the name change of the Metrostars to New York Red Bulls. The team that began life as the long-winded New York/New Jersey Metrostars ten years ago has never approached the popularity of the New York Cosmos and their 70,000+ crowds of the late 1970s but at least will have their own stadium to play in before long in Harrison, New Jersey.
European fans will predictably pour scorn on a corporate naming of a team but although it is a first for US major league sport it is not for football – Philips SV Eindhoven and Bayer Leverkusen are just two who got there first in Europe.
The team colours and future stadium name will reflect the famous energy drink and although the price for this 'sell-out', divided between major investor-operator AEG and MLS, has not been confirmed, it has certainly exceeded the $26million the same company bought the LA Galaxy for in 1998.
"This is a seminal moment in the history of this team and this league," general manager and former US soccer icon Alexi Lalas told the media. On that we are all agreed, but will the seed flower or wither is the unanswerable question on everyone's lips.
Lastly there is the matter of the month of June. While MLS is in full flow, the World Cup will be going on in Germany. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has accepted that sooner or later they will have to fit in with FIFA's international calendar but for the moment the show goes on during football’s biggest tournament.
In 2002 the US reached the quarter-finals but the knock on effect on domestic crowds was not noticeable even though the majority of its players had been in MLS, a statistic that will be true again this summer.
While MLS grows slowly but surely, unless the US wins the right to host the World Cup again, which probably will not be until 2018, the national team's exploits on the world stage provide the only source of optimism for football getting a kick across the pond.
There will be millions stateside watching the 2006 tournament, many of them so-called 'soccer snobs' who disdain the domestic version, but one can only hope that out there in America, a land that rates domestic competition above all others, there are those whose interest will be sparked by the World Cup and who will then come and give Major League Soccer the fans it needs, and increasingly deserves. Sean O'Conor
Eastern Conference
Chicago Fire
Columbus Crew
DC United
Kansas City Wizards
New England Revolution
New York Red Bulls
Western Conference
Chivas USA
Colorado Rapids
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
LA Galaxy
Real Salt Lake
cheap hotels in the usa
soccer tickets guaranteed
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