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| Friday, September 14, 2001 24:18 EST |
Is 'team' still an emphasis in MLS?
By Jeff Bradley
[ESPN The Magazine]
Former commissioner Doug Logan once described Major League Soccer as a "team" as much as a "league." He was talking about the single-entity structure of MLS, and how the league handled player contracts as if it was dealing with a 240-man roster. Basically, Logan was talking about how the 12 MLS clubs couldn't compete with each other over players and contracts, but that the league had to compete against the rest of the world.
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THE FIRST XI
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All-underrated team:
11. Scott Garlick (Tampa Bay)
10. Jeff Cassar (Miami)
9. Ezra Hendrickson (L.A.)
8. Sergi Daniv (Dallas)
7. Andy Williams (Miami)
6. Carey Talley (D.C.)
5. Diego Gutierrez (Chicago)
4. Danny Pena (L.A.)
3. Lothar Matthaeus (MetroStars)
2. Richard Mulrooney (San Jose)
1. Chris Klein (Kansas City)
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And "yadda yadda yadda."
What really made sense after Logan's speech was the reason why MLS is so secretive about player salaries and so vague about the cap: because it's trying to keep 240 guys reasonably happy. And if there was any way to have as little jealousy as possible over Who's Making What ... well, it was probably a good idea to keep the numbers secret.
The only negative was that keeping salary information confidential made MLS look small-time, like the league was trying to cover up something suspicious (like the cap). In the end, everyone had to toe the line and accept the give-and-take if MLS was going to grow as a league and a business. Did it make MLS something less than a "real" league? Without a doubt. Did it open up a million conspiracy theories? Oh yeah.
But this was reality.
It followed that all the GMs and coaches had to be good "team players." Even if, for example, the MetroStars had used twice the acquisition money that Columbus had used, the Crew had to keep quiet "for the good of the league." And, if a team was down in the dumps and needed a pick-me-up in the form of a "special" allocation, well, if it was for the good of the MLS "team," well, then the other 11 teams just had to suck it up.
Rules like "Discovery Options" were more gray than black-and-white, and terms like "future considerations" and "conditional draft picks" were used to muddy things even further. You don't have to jog your memory too far back to recall the San Jose Clash agreeing to pay some of Diego Sonora's salary for D.C. United (uh, why?) and so-called marquee allocations like Tampa Bay's Jefferson Gottardi simply disappearing from the MLS landscape, turning quickly from "future stars" to "vapor."
Hey, everyone said, if it's for the good of the league, let it happen.
Well, times have changed a bit. The allocation rules have been adjusted (though they're more difficult to figure out) and the league is allowing teams to be more autonomous. More and more, we are seeing teams dumping players to get under the "cap" (as the fans beg to see some real numbers) and "allocations" sitting on the bench until they can be sold. "For the good of the league" is not something you hear quite as often these days.
And along comes the Luis Hernandez situation.
As we wrote last week, the league is willing to purchase, the star of the Mexican national team and Tigres, but only if he goes to Los Angeles, where he'll sell the most tickets. And one team, either the New England Revolution or the San Jose Clash, is being asked to trade their allocation to L.A. to make it happen. Can either team get fair value for the Hernandez allocation? Not likely. El Matador would be a great player and sell a lot of tickets in San Jose and New England, too.
But Sunil Gulati, the man making the soccer decisions for both of the Kraft-run clubs, knows Hernandez needs to be in L.A. because more than the e-Quakes and Revs need a quality player, the league needs to make the most of this investment. It's like Gulati is turning back the clock to his former life, when he was the man trying to situate players in appropriate cities to get MLS up and running.
So, where's this ordeal going? Los Angeles has a very good team and doesn't want to give up a ton to get Hernandez, because for one thing, they won't see him until June, and for another, he's probably only going to be around for something like 15 regular-season games. Even in future seasons, it's likely Hernandez will be dividing his time between the Galaxy, the Mexican League and the Mexican national team.
San Jose (or New England) wants a "good player" (like Greg Vanney or Clint Mathis), a "useful" player (like Steve Jolley or Joey Franchino) and a draft pick. The Galaxy are said to be having substantive discussions with both clubs. It seems there's going to be a resolution. What will probably happen is San Jose will accept a trade for less than they really want, then the league will give them a little "under-the-table, over-the-cap" money for a Discovery player like Argentinean midfielder Antonio "El Turco" Mohamed, a very popular player for Monterrey in the Mexican League, who is currently a free agent.
As always in MLS, some teams will complain, and then they'll move on and accept the move as "for the good of the league." They'll be team players. They have no choice.
"This deal isn't just about one team trying to win a championship," said one of the involved negotiators. "It's about trying to keep this league alive."
Double standard
Our old friend Ray Ratto, a columnist for the San Francisco Examiner, wrote a piece the other day about MLS turning back the clock to the days of the NASL by signing "old" players like Lothar Matthaeus (39) and Hristo Stoichkov (34). Ray made it sound like signing these guys was a sign of desperation on the league's part.
We disagree, and in fact, look forward to reading Ray wax poetic on the pages of the Examiner about youngsters like Barry Bonds (36 in July) and Ken Norton Jr. (34 in September) in the future.
It seems soccer always has to defend itself in ways that other sports in the United States don't, and this is just another case. Scan the American Mainstream Sports landscape and you'll find plenty of key players who could have been classmates with Lothar and Hristo. Guys like Raymond Bourque, John Stockton and Karl Malone. How about Andres Galarraga (39 in June) or the Yankee pitching staff, with Roger Clemens (37) David Cone (37) and Orlando Hernandez (anyone's guess)? The point is, athletes in all sports are playing longer than they did 10 and 15 years ago because they're keeping themselves in better shape than ever. MLS should make no apologies.
Good for the Big Lug
Comeback Player of the Week? Gotta be San Jose's John Doyle, who scored both goals in the e-Quakes' 2-0 victory over the MetroStars last Saturday.
What did he come back from? Well, technically, Doyle never retired. But mentally, at the end of last season, he was history. "I was ready to move on, definitely," says Doyle, who even finished up his 'A' Coaching License in the off-season. "But after I thought about playing for Lothar Osiander, it gave me incentive to keep playing. I'm glad I did. Now, I could see myself playing a few more years."
What was it about Osiander that excited Doyle? Mainly the coach's attention to backline detail. "The only team in MLS that's talented enough to give up a lot of goals and win is D.C. United," Doyle says. "The rest of us have to win with defense." Last year, it took the Clash 26 games before they recorded a shutout. This year, the e-Quakes already have a couple of clean sheets, mainly because Osiander is playing four in the back, which makes it a lot easier to cover for Mauricio Wright when he ventures into the attack.
It was also heartening to see a crowd of 20,000-plus at Spartan Stadium, and Khodadad Azizi dashing around the field making things happen. San Jose's not a great team yet, but once the e-Quakes add a player (maybe an allocation) or two (trade with the Galaxy), they should move solidly into the middle of the MLS pack, and get back into the playoffs for the first time since the '96 inaugural season.
In tight space
New England is inching ever closer to a deal for Honduran defender Samuel Caballero, and it could be sweeter for the Revs than they originally thought. Caballero owns a green card because his mother is American, so he will not occupy a foreign spot. Once he's signed, the Revs could have as much as $100,000 remaining for a foreign discovery player. That could open the door for Australian defender Ante Kovacevic, who impressed coach Fernando Clavijo during a preseason trial. Kovacevic also had a trial with the Crew, who didn't think they could afford his transfer (about $50k) and the salary he's asking for (between $50k and $75k). Kovacevic is property of the Melbourne Knights.
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E-mail exchange with ...
John O'Brien
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JB: How's the Under-23s confidence going into Olympic qualifying, and who do you see as the toughest opponents in CONCACAF?
JO'B: I was with the team last in January and the confidence seemed in place. With the MLS season starting up again that the confidence should only have grown, with each player playing games weekly. Mexico definitely, Canada with their recent win in the Gold Cup could also be difficult. The other teams are often unpredictable.
JB: Do you have a feel for where you'll be playing and what your main tasks will be?
JO'B: I think I'll be center in the midfield trying to spread the ball around as well as organizing the team. This could always change, though, depending on injuries, the opponent, or team tactics.
JB: How has the Ajax experience been? Is the "system" all it's said to be?
JO'B: "The system" produces. Ajax has always been able to bring players up from the youth, because of the open attitude towards giving youth a chance.
JB: Do you feel you made a good impression with the senior national team during the last camp?
JO'B: My last camp was the first time I made a good impression. I felt comfortable with the team and the way we played, however it is only my second cap and I know I need to improve a lot of things.
JB: How would your American peers fare in the Dutch League?
JO'B: It's different playing over here. My peers are definitely good enough to play here if you want to compare technique and such. The question is only, how they would adjust to a different playing style?
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Stephen Armstrong, the South African midfielder out of Butler University who was drafted by D.C. United, has decided to pursue a career in Europe (most likely Sweden) rather than play in MLS. One person close to Armstrong's negotiations with MLS said he was never really serious about playing in the States but wanted to gain leverage.
See if you can follow me here. Would it be possible for MLS to categorize player salaries on a scale of 1-10 from minimum to maximum, set a team limit of 75, then make those numbers public so fans can have a clue how much cap space their team has? No? I didn't think so. I'll go back to my room now.
Chicago hopes to get Project 40 rookie Carlos Bocanegra into the lineup Saturday in its home opener against Miami. Bocanegra, who's had some nagging injuries throughout camp, played twice with the Pro-40 team last week and says he's ready. The Fire have to find a replacement for Andrew Lewis, who sits out the game as Chicago's weekly red-card recipient.
The Galaxy are about to give defender Danny Califf and midfielder Peter Vagenas some run as well. "We're hoping that Califf proves he can match up with some of the big, physical forwards in the leaugue," says coach Sigi Schmid. "We think he can."
The MetroStars desperately need to find someone to play in the center of the field in an attacking role. Of course, Tab Ramos is close to his return ... forget I said that.
One reason the Galaxy may consider trading Clint Mathis? One agent says Mathis wants to get out of the country and see if he can make some real cash in Europe.
Pub talk
Dear Juergen Klinsmann, We know you're in shape. We'd love to have you in MLS. We -- at least I -- promise not to call you an "aging star." And you'll see that in the U.S. you can play professional soccer and still have a life. Just do it, JK.
You will never, ever read anything in this column about referees. It's a tired topic. Calls are missed in every game all over the world. Period.
I realize I've been out of line. I'm not going to ask Columbus to sell out two games this year. So, all I want is one crowd of 20,000. Is that fair?
And to all my friends in Kansas City, stop with the whine about lack of advertising and promotion. If they don't know there's a soccer team in town by now, they never will. But that doesn't mean, guys, I didn't appreciate the copy of the Emerald City Gazette.
In Game 3 of their 1996 playoff series with the MetroStars, DC United got an 89th-minute penalty kick to win the game. In the MLS Cup final that year, they came from 2-0 down in the final minutes to force overtime before winning on Eddie Pope's golden goal. And, it seems, since then, they've been the masters of the last-gasp victory. Well, they got another one last week, scoring two in stoppage time to beat Chicago 3-2. On the other side of that story are the Fire, who are turning last-gasp defeats into their trademark.
My friend Evan Whitney, a.k.a. "The Magpie," suggests MLS take a look at the stadiums of English clubs Wigan Athletic (www.wiganlatics.co.uk) and Stoke City (www.stokecity.co.uk) for an idea of how to build in the future. We agree, so we forwarded Evan's suggestions to the people who work for the Galaxy, Fire and Rapids.
Venerable Soccer America columnist Paul Gardner, who views soccer more as performance art than athletic competition, never had a kind word for the Chicago Fire when they won the MLS championship in 1998. My favorite column was when he said they played "dreary" soccer because they had players from "cloudy, rainy" countries. But in his recent column, Gardner actually praises the Fire (I think it's praise) for having a disorganized defense. So, at least the Fire can feel good that they've won over Paul.
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