Now that the season has finished, it's time to part, but only for a little while; the off-season is too short to stay away for too long.
The MLS International will return in full force in late-January, just in time to get some more information together to last an entire season.
A site redesign is also in the works and over the next couple months do not be alarmed if the site is not viewable, as possible renditions will come and go. Also if you have any ideas or suggestions I am more than receptive and you can leave them in the comments.
While my break will last to 2010, this is not to say, that posts will not be put up in the future months. As large issues get tackled (CBA, MLS Draft, etc.) look for more stories and reflections here. To make sure that you keep up on everything, subscribe to the blog and follow me on Twitter at @MLSInter (link is on the right).
Thanks for reading, and I'm sure I'll be talking to you all soon.
Memories of the 2009 season are slowly being tucked away, so I feel it is time to create a brand new argument: the 2009 MLS Cup Final was the best ever.
The venue, the players, the result; all of these ingredients made the final something to remember. From the feel-good story of Andy Williams to misses from both team captains in penalties to great offensive displays, this rendition of the Cup is one that we should silently remember as the greatest.
Not convinced? Let's go further.
Real Salt Lake, eighth seed in the playoffs, outplayed Columbus over the course of two matches and played up to the atmosphere that was created in Toyota Park. Rimando was huge, blocking three Fire penalty shots in his effort to help lift the Eastern Conference championship. In the final Kyle Beckerman looked like a man possessed both on and off the ball; it was clear that playing with the national team has given him new-found meaning in the game.
On the other side of the field was the Galaxy, seeking a third title and the first for David Beckham, who was supposed to be an automatic lock for Los Angeles in their search for more trophies. The inclusion of the Rookie of the Year and Landon Donovan to the mix made the game a must-see and gave the Commissioner reason to be excited about this year's possibilities.
In the first half it looked like L.A. would run away with the title, controlling the play and doing what they wanted to the RSL backline. Not to be outdone, RSL pursued more chances and eventually equalized, proving that they were up to par with the best. The only way to resolve the match was in penalties, giving non-soccer fans the ending that they desired and an experience in a heated finale.
While the players on the pitch did a good job to make the game entertaining, the 46,000 fans at Qwest field gave the match purpose at a neutral site. I think we can all agree that the city did a great job to promote the sport and the final due to the large amount of photo-ops, signings and publicizing the Sounders have given to the MLS. Who cares if the home fans cheered for Seattle: getting people into the match when their team isn't playing is almost as important as actually paying attention to the action on the field.
Here's the ending for those that missed it:
Now of course there will be naysayers. Other MLS Cups had higher attendance (1997, 1998, 2002), and more dominant performances (1999 D.C., 2002 San Jose, 2008 Columbus). Similar stories have also been told: small market teams have won a lot of the big games like Kansas City and Columbus and newly founded teams hosting the cup have hosted sold out crowds like D.C. and New England. Just last year New York won the Western conference as a final seed in the playoffs, similar to how RSL got in this season.
What makes this cup unique from others was the build up to it and the sheer magnitude of the event for all parties involved. For the MLS, giving the final to Seattle meant guaranteeing a highly marketable game to a fan base that would be sure to dive at the opportunity to attend it. Seattle wins because they get to host a final in their very first year, making their profits soar and promoting their team.
As for the clubs, L.A. desperately needed to get into the playoffs and have a deep run. Fans were upset with Beckham (not because of his hair) and the lack of production in the past three years. Now that they have made a final, Beckham has unresolved feelings about playing in America, coming so far as to guarantee his appearance in the league next year to help win a cup.
Real Salt Lake, a franchise that has only made the playoffs twice in their five year history, wanted all the glitz that other teams had been accustomed to. The new stadium promoted success and brought new fans to the game, but without the playoffs the team would never grab hold of those fans. While their attendance was abysmal in their first match of the 2009 playoffs, perhaps a championship will help build the club into something larger.
For those fans of teams that did not make it into the playoffs, all these ideas swam (whether consciously or unconsciously) in their heads, giving the game a purpose without having a stake in it. Watching this game on ESPN made it readily available for more passive viewers and the inclusion of all these side-stories gave viewers some meaning behind watching it for close to three hours.
So no, the 2009 MLS Cup Final might not be your favorite for a lot of reasons, but to the layman, the casual fan and to those without affiliations, this one was the best.
The final part of our series for 'The Wizard speaks' will be on expansion in the MLS. The Don might have only mentioned it for a period of 30 seconds, but the words and statements within the paragraph are absolute gold for those that want to speculate on the future of Major League Soccer.
Today, we believe we are going to be a 20-team league. What we think in 2020 or 2025, I can't answer and won't be around to have to address.
We'll start here. The Don admits that his fountain of youth will eventually run dry and that he won't be around forever. No surprise considering the MLS has had two Commissioners in the 13-year history. 2020 or 2025 can be considered huge years for the MLS, as a potential World Cup bid is still in the work for the U.S. The future of the league will springboard off of the success of that bid and can propel many future owners to start investing in the league.
However, the most intriguing comment is the one about the size of the league. As he puts it, a 20-team league is the objective of the MLS entity. Garber said the same thing earlier this year when he was selecting which cities would receive franchises in 2011. It makes sense that the league would be most viable in the next few years at 20 teams, allowing teams to develop and grow within their own systems without constantly being torn apart by expansion drafts or learning new rosters and the logistics around traveling to new cities.
But as soon as he begins on this track, he explores the eventual growth of the league:
This is a big country, it's the size of a continent, and along with Canada, it gets even bigger. We're covering 300-plus million, which is far bigger than any other country where you have the 18- or 20-team leagues in Europe or other parts of the world. We don't have promotion and relegation, so the size of the league is less relevant than a league that might have a second and third division.
Hmm. I know the Soccer Don wasn't trying to backtrack on his words, but it sure seems like it. Since he used a precursor to his statement by saying, 'I won't be here at this point, but....,' I guess I can't blame him for stating it.
The league will be huge one day, and I'm just talking about popularity. To think that the league will just stop increasing the number of teams just because they think they have enough is not going to happen. As Garber says, the league covers a huge amount of area. As a comparison, the MLB has 30 teams spread out all over the place in markets that are most profitable and most widely spread. The NBA is definitely similar (especially by putting a team in Oklahoma City), and perhaps the best example is the NHL where the league has teams in both North American countries as the MLS.
The Commissioner did not come out and say it, but by mentioning the size of the potential market he brings up the topic of how many teams can we include in the league, rather than where do we stop recruiting. The playoff system will keep teams in check and still encourage a 25- or 30-team league to compete to the bitter end, which further enhance his perceived case.
Lastly, the Commissioner brings up new expansion besides the teams already selected:
We have had productive conversations with Montreal to be our 19th team. We have not put a timetable as to when that team would enter the league if we reach agreement with them. We don't have any active discussions for the 20th team.
Uh oh. Montreal? Wasn't that a team that just recently broke away from the USL to form a new league that may or may not receive licensure from U.S. Soccer? I realize that the Canadian club has dominated its opponents, but don't you think it would be more financial suitable to just try and get into the MLS in a couple years rather than just splitting from an already established league and forming some rogue organization? I'm just saying.
But if the Don thinks it's a good idea, I'll buy it. As for the 20th team, I'll leave that up to you to speculate.
So until Don Garber speaks again about topics far and wide, the Wizard will retire once again to the Emerald City (both of them), locking up Oz until next year. Potentially Carey and company can bring up some more topics during the Supporters Summit (rather than talking about how awesome Seattle is). I'm looking forward to it. f
Besides the Columbus Crew, it always seemed unlikely that the players in the MLS would rise up in their overalls and hardhats against the monopoly of a socialist leader. But it seems that is the very case as we head into the off season with hopes that soccer will be played on time in 2010 and with content players.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement, or the discussions and eventual contract signing that will take place by January 31st, puts the MLS against the MLS Players Union in a clash that players hope will guarantee them more rights. While money is the main concern, guaranteed contracts is where most of the fighting is occurring, as the MLS has the power to terminate contracts before the players are finished as long as they do so before July 1st. The result is players do not get paid and that leaves some unhappy former-teammates clamoring for change.
It's unlikely the league will be able to offer everything that the union seeks, but I can imagine that the union also realizes this and has put up more 'wing and a prayer' type goals that will become a part of their next contract. Maybe it's a good thing that we have a SuperDraft... more business savvy players that graduate from college help create better agreements. I kid of course but it would make the Don uneasy.
Regardless, the players seem to be more upset about these slow proceedings than Garber, as he plays the role of devil's advocate towards the negative press many players have been giving the league in the past weeks:
We [MLS and the Players Union] are in regular meetings. We have met a half-dozen times. The formal discussions began six months ago, and like all leagues and unions, they have ebbs and flows and at times they become heated. I expect that this will be a difficult agreement to finalize, but I am very confident that we will be able to reach a productive agreement. Both we and the union are committed to that.
Well then, it seems like the ol' Commish has got things in order. Problem is, January 31st is right around the corner in terms of the off season since teams start forming in that month. If a deal does not seem likely by mid-January, how many teams do you think will have complete squads? It might be in their contract to show up on obligated days, but to think that they are going to show up happy and focused is beyond natural thinking.
Garber's thoughts on a strike:
Any discussion about a strike or work stoppage is totally premature. It's way too early for anyone to come to that conclusion. It's counterproductive to what has been a very mutual commitment with our union to reach an agreement that will be good for management and good for players.
I heavily doubt that the MLS will go on strike since the wages most of these players earn is hardly enough to go on for two years, let alone a couple months. Collecting a paycheck is almost as much work for young development players as it is riding the bench most weekends. Demoralizing an already crappy situation for them would almost kill any chance that talent youth would want to play in the MLS after college. A higher minimum salary would be a start, but is $22,000 going to allow you to survive in New York?
As fans, we can only hope that both sides will come away with something positive. If 'The Office' has proven anything to me, a win-win-win situation can happen. Perhaps we all sacrifice a little: players don't get everything they want, the league backs down a little, fans pay more at the door.
I'm not saying, "Let's stay together for the kids," but what I would like to see is a proper opening of Red Bull Arena and the inaugural match for Philadelphia Union. Destroying those two days because of the CBA is just going to ebb away at the credibility of this leasgue.
Just as importantly, I want to see players that are only focused on the game, and not on what injustices were done to them this winter. I would hate to see a picket line at the gates with players marching in with wooden signs in their hands instead of a soccer kid's.
Coming out behind the green curtain, the Commissioner spoke live, in person, rather than with his nebulous green face and fire spewing from colums on both sides.
In his speech he proved he has heart for the fans, courage to speak his mind, and most importantly, a brain for creating new ideas to improve the league in the coming years. Don Garber is not one to rush, but from what I gathered from his State of the League Address, he spoke a lot of truth that fans need to hear in regards on a myriad of issues, the best being his stance on the table and the CONCACAF Champions League.
East Side, West Side
Garber didn't say much about the single table debate, but I figure it's enough to get people off his back:
Not next year, no. And whether or not it's in the near future, we haven't gotten that far.
I guess if you want to break it down, the Don is basically saying that it is in the works, but in terms of planning it's going to take a little more time than just meeting with Sepp Blatter every once in a while to get the MLS on track with other leagues.
It won't happen next year, which means that people will still be upset in 2010 when he says that it's likely to not happen for the 2011 season. But really, did we expect change to come this quickly? With the World Cup coming up and larger issues in terms of scheduling, addressing the issue in 2012 probably seems like the most reasonable date to start rebranding the league.
Finally someone who cares
What I liked about his approach to the Champions League was that he came right out and said what MLS franchises should immediately know:
We need to win the Champions League. Those opportunities to compete in a global competition are important to show how far we have developed as a soccer nation, and the opportunity to do it on the pro club side is with the world club championship. We've got to win that [CONCACAF] tournament...There are things we have to look at so we are not penalizing those clubs and be disadvantaged in the league tournament, but probably more importantly, what do we need to do to ensure that these teams make it a priority? Right now, not all of our clubs believe it is a priority.
Right on the head. Garber also mentions in the address that teams don't find it 'fair' to be playing more games than other clubs since it puts them at a disadvantage with small rosters, but man, I can't agree more with what he is saying (which is a lot coming from me).
The league needs to grow, and taking a look at these quotes, it's clear that he realizes that additional prestige is earned internationally- if we can't be popular here, let's get it out everywhere else. Sure it's important that clubs win the domestic league; it's the only distinguishable way to prove that a team is good in American since a star is over the crest or a scudetto is on your chest. To win at the international level, however, means so much more to other clubs around the world that it can be just as good as winning the league.
Look at a quarter of the clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League. Would we know anyone from the Israeli league or from middle-of-nowhere Romania were it not for a big tournament like this? Probably not, considering no one really cares in America or in Western Europe. But the positive side is that they are being mentioned, regardless of derogatory or pejorative comments. Sometimes bad press is better than no press at all, which is close to what the MLS is receiving as the season ends, football amps up and basketball takes over weeknights.
Admittedly, the CONCACAF Champions League is still in its infancy, but all good things come to those that care about these tournaments. Come March it will be on quite a few people's mind, although only one team from the MLS has advanced for the quarterfinals. Hopefully next year it will be a different story, and if Garber has any influence on it, it will be.
Tomorrow: Commissioner talks about the Collective Bargaining Agreement f
Many fans are already looking towards next year, since majority of teams are now eliminated from playing soccer for the rest of 2009. But for those lucky enough to attend, a look towards 2010 is not far away.
The annual Supporters Summit is to take place November 21st in Seattle before the MLS Cup Final. It will feature the likes of Commissioner Don Garber and minority owner Drew Carey, who will help moderate the event. On tap are some key items. From the release:
The MLS Commissioner will deliver a special address to some of the League's most dedicated and fervent fans, after which Carey will moderate a question and answer session. The summit will also include a formal discussion addressing the officiating and technical structure of MLS with top League stakeholders, Joe Machnik and Alfonso Mondelo.
The first thing I noticed was that the Commissioner wishes to address officiating and the technical structure of the MLS. It seems like every year this is a discussable issue, but nothing ever gets done. Referring in the MLS has long been a topic of hatred for MLS fans and players, but is there ever a league that never has problems?
Also, the 'technical structure,' aka. the single table debate, will be spoken about in hopes of quelling the ideas of changing the league towards something more European-like. While there are pros and cons for every format, this one is constantly on the mind of FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his potential puppet Garber. Scheduling will most likely also be a topic of debate, as the couple weeks off from World Cup play could be an indicator of things to come.
I'm not saying that the MLS will go to a more European-friendly schedule, but I'm sure it will be addressed or at least deflected by a 'we're not going to discuss that' comment.
So what should be the most important topic of discussion? Single table, schedule, referring, or something else?
I like the old adage "the best is yet to come." It makes me feel warm and fuzzy, like, something new, exciting and better is around the corner and the anticipation towards that event can be easily cut with a knife.
What's better is that 2009 is almost over and I feel the good times are just starting for soccer in America. My nascent league is developing nicely, sheathed in the hopes and dreams of true fans across the nation.
After reading a nice little article in the Huffington Post about soccer in 2009, however, I just got this weird feeling; it was as if my gut was telling me that I should reject something foul I ate. Problem was I hadn't eaten in hours and all I was doing was looking at soccer blogs during class.
It eventually dawned on me that what I was reading was 'soccer has arrived,' or more eloquently, 'soccer is ruined for me.'
As Gude explains, 2009 is the year that soccer finally arrives in America. To argue with him would be futile- his writing makes perfect sense. Sponsorship is up, TV deals are higher than ever and the U.S. National Team qualified for the World Cup on one of the most wonderful plays in recent memory. Yes, it certainly does seem that soccer is making it.
While I am certainly proud of the fact that America is finally embracing the fairer sport, I have hesitations. I mean, growing up loving soccer has always meant fighting for it, tooth and nail, through thick and thin, with hopes that you might just convince one friend to sit down and watch a game with you in between his busy college football viewing schedule. Without the idea that soccer is not mainstream literally hurts my head, making me think of all the ways that I can come to actually dislike a sport I grew up with.
Ugly fans that show up and shout at players non-stop, ogling the cheerleaders that some MLS franchises utilize, shouting obscenities more than the supporters sections do. Disgusting people wearing jerseys around town, thinking that they are cool because they are supporting the new fad that has come into America. Ugh I feel sick.
What happens if frat boys start coming to games, bonging beers and hitting on women at games rather than watch them? Or if mom and dad start showing up because the thing their son has loved for so long starts to interest them? That would probably be the death of me.
Sometimes I think of what could happen if soccer actually caught on here. Sure it would be nice to go to a match with 40,000 screaming fans, and I am sure that the talent pool would grow leading to American successes all over Europe and abroad. But what if I start liking the sport more because other people do also? Am I a hypocrite of my own devices? Can't I just take the sport for what it is in its current state and just love it?
I can't do this. I won't let America accept soccer- not yet. I'm not ready to lose this thing that seems so delicate, so new and innocent, depraved of the molestations of modern sports fans with their painted faces and ridiculous costumes (Yes I am looking at you, person who dressed up as a banana for a sporting event just to get on T.V. You are dumb, and you are not touching my soccer).
So no, Huffington Post, I cannot absorb your claim of mainstream soccer, nor will I acknowledge your factually based article. I will just crawl in my hole for a little while longer, writing responses with tears in my eyes on blogs across the interwebs, crying out that soccer is not accepted by Americans. Oh no, not yet. f
