ECF: Q&A With Myself

As the Eastern Conference Final quickly approaches, there's numerous questions floating around my head. Who better to answer them than myself:


Q: Why do Revolution fans hate the Chicago Fire so much?

A: That's a fascinating question which would require a 20-part series to answer fully. Since you asked, I'll keep this as concise as possible.

To be honest, the current level of hatred is far less than it was a year ago. At that time, Shalrie Joseph was suspended for the deciding playoff match after MLS, for some reason, went back and punished him for elbowing a player who thought Shalrie wanted to give him a piggyback ride. The suspicion was that weasley manager Dave Sarachan was the one who asked for the review. This was after a suspension was levied against Clint Dempsey a few months earlier in similar fashion. To complicate matters, Chad Barrett wasn't suspended for shoving Jay Heaps to the ground after the whistle that August, because the referee (the same for all three incidents) gave him a yellow card which gave him immunity from a punishment review. So, we felt cheated by MLS and pissed off at the Chicago manager going into that match. There's other issues about Sarachan that I won't go into here, because that's all in the past.

Today, Chicago has a new, less irritating manager. However, they did pick up aging Mexican sensation Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who's the bane of many US Soccer supporters. I'm not as big a Blanco hater as others, but when he starts looking to draw fouls by the bushel on Thursday, the vitriol will flow. All in all, the fact that we have ended their season for three straight years, they aren't as hated as they could be.

Q: So, why do so many people hate Blanco?

A: There's a number of reasons. The main one is he plays with incredible fire on the field and has killed the US in the past. His current incarnation relies on his guile (diving) more than his athleticism, and people don't like some of his simulation antics.

Q: His face got wicked rubbery. Did he have reverse botox or something?

A: No. Every time you go into extreme agony, you make a face that puts a ton of tension on the skin, especially the cheaks. The same is true when you fake extreme agony. Seasons of pretending he got shot in the thigh from a hunting rifle every twenty minutes has taken a toll on Blanco's face. The craters were just an added benefit as I hear he's been used to get those playdough stains out from the Fire's romper room floor.

Q: Is it OK to have a crush on Chris Rolfe if you are a 14 year old girl?

A: Strange question given the source. No, it's not OK. He'll be starting for Real Madrid really soon, according to Fire fans, so hold your affections until then.


Q: What's with Fire fans? Are they the best fans in the league or the worst?

A: Depends on your point of view. From both perspectives, DC has them beat in fan support and in random degenerates looking to start trouble and then running under mommy's coat. I'd also put Toronto ahead of them in the fan support category.

Chicago's got great support by MLS standards. Do they have annoying fans on BigSoccer that are unable to comprehend the loose etiquette standards? Yup. In fact, they've probably got the most. That's just the cyber world, though. Who cares. They'll probably have a good-sized group there on Thursday night. How many show up will vastly depend on the number of people trained at Whopper-board in the Chicagoland area. Critical job skills are scarce these days and Lord be damned if there's a shortage of flame-broiled goodness due to missing fast food operators.

Q: How will the Revolution score against that Fire defense?

A: The Fire defense has been tight as of late, but they broke down in the second half against DC, allowing two goals. It'll probably be another low-scoring affair. The Revs will need to convert two of the six or seven chances they get.

Q: Will there be a large crowd for the game?

A: Unlikely. ESPN was banking on DC United advancing, not Chicago. New England hasn't been known to draw large crowds for weeknight games, and I doubt a four day sales effort will yield a large crowd. Expect around 10,000.

Q: Why would someone go watch a game in 40 degree weather instead of on tv?

A: The ESPN2 broadcast makes you feel sorry for/uncomfortable about soccer in America. Avoid it at all costs. The cold air is also great for your eyebrows, spleen, and Alzheimer's.

Manatee Season

It didn't take long for clueless Red Bull to sack Bruce Arena. Good new for the Revs as their rivals from New York will begin fresh yet again next year, stifling any chance of building a solid foundation. Sure, Bruce did a lot more sweating from his folds than coaching, but his replacement will be their fourth manager since Bob Bradley was erroneously sacked by Alexi Lalas just over two years ago.

Frankie Yallop has left LA Galaxy for re-expansion side San Jose Earthquakes, so there's speculation Arena would go there. That would be funny if it happened, but only expect that if LA can't nail down a high profile coach. I wouldn't hold you breath.

As a Revs fan, I can't help but feel responsible as my team most likely cost chubby his job. Responsibility is a good characteristic.

In other news, Micheal Parkhurst won MLS Defender of the Year. I didn't see that coming. Congratulations to Mike! I just hope this doesn't put too much of a spotlight on him from foreign clubs at a time he needs to concentrate on finishing out the playoffs. Coach Steve Nicol said it would take a lot of money for a team to swoop in and take Parkhurst away. We may see just how much money that is during the off season. My guess: over $3 million. Former MLS players are proving themselves all the time overseas. Parky's also extremely valuable to the Revs. I'm not sure a team would pay that much for him, but New England considers him way too valuable to let go without a major financial benefit. We'll just have to wait and see.

1-0 Is Still 1-0!

Just got back from Gillette. The Revs earned their place in the Eastern Conference final on Thursday. The goal was freaky, but I'll take it. Red Bull didn't look dangerous at all. I guess the Revs won the series by finishing one of their two or three chances they had. New York didn't and that was the difference. I would love to see the play that knocked out Angel. I sure hope Joseph isn't suspended as a result. I missed what happened, but since he wasn't carded, he's vulnerable to a punishment after the fact. Go MLS!

I'm exhausted, yet wired at the same time. There will be a more informative recap within the next day or so.

See everyone on Thursday!

Off To Gillette To Get Wet

Well, this should be fun.

For the third straight year, the Revs home leg for the first round of the playoffs will be hindered by extreme weather. Granted, the torrential rains stopped just in time for the game last year, but we don't appear to be as lucky this time around. The storm formerly known as Hurricane Noel is beginning to slam into Southern New England and it doesn't look pretty. The most severe weather is scheduled for a few hours before kickoff, an ominous sign for those peddling popcorn and super pretzels at the game tonight.

So the crowd will be about half the expected 16,000. Big deal. Those of us who will brave the elements will have the chance to witness firsthand another chapter in Revolution history, before the sport "takes off" and prices out the working man. Though this has been a disappointing trend for the front office (also, the 2004 home leg was during game one of the World Series), the onfield heroics have been legendary for the team. In 2004, they surprised Supporter's Sheild winner Columbus Crew 1-0. In 2006, they bested bitter rivals Chicago Fire in a shootout after going behind 2-0 on aggregate.

However, the most famous has to be the 2005 game against today's opponent's former incarnation, the Metrostars. Fans had to drive through blizzard-like conditions to even get to Foxboro. The Revs went into the game down 1-0, and Youri Djerkoff scored a second half goal against the run of play. Words can't describe what happened next, so I'll just let you watch the video:



Good stuff, huh. A repeat by Khano would negate his 2007 performance in my eyes.

So, keys to the game:

* Get lucky with the weather
* End of keys to the game

Seriously, the wind is going to create havoc. Both teams are fairly evenly matched and it'll be nature deciding this one.

Get out to Gillette. The season is on the line and the winner gets to host the Eastern Conference Final on Thursday (thanks for the choke, DC). History will be made tonight. Will you be watching at the stadium or searching for matches to light candles when the power goes out? I hope the answer is obvious.

Parkhurst Wins Fair Play Award

I guess the MLS Fair Play Award is based more on statistics and performance than sentimentality as Michael Parkhurst was the winner for the 2007 season.

In 25 league appearances, Parky committed an astonishingly low 5 fouls with no cautions or ejections. That's incredible considering he is the anchor of a three man back line. Granted, he was cautioned in the first playoff game, but everyone slips up now and then. (click title to read more)

The sentimental pick would have been Cobi Jones, who has been with the LA Galaxy since the league's inception. However, the dreadlocked old-timer committed 22 fouls and was cautioned once. The other finalist Eddie Pope, also retiring, committed 27 fouls.

Parkhurst is in his third season with the Revs. He may be one of the most unsung players in the league. This is undoubtedly due to the way he quietly negates opposing attacks by always being in position, organizes the defense, and always seems to keep his heartbeat at 40 beats per minute.

Ireland dropped the ball for not taking advantage of his Irish passport earlier in the Cranston, RI native's career. The Irish defense has been very disorganized as of late, and they would be getting an intelligent defender in the Gareth Southgate mold. Luckily for the US, he earned his first cap for the national team over the summer and Ireland in SOL. That's also good for Revs fans. If he had been showcased on the European stage earlier, he would be playing in the Premiership right now.

Sans Gridirons?

Word on the street is the New England Revolution organization is hard at work removing the football markings as best they can for the playoff game on Saturday. This is another positive sign for a front office that has, in the past, been viewed as sacrificing the promotion of soccer in this country in favor of the bottom line. The upcoming game will be televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel, and there is an outside chance of hosting the next round on ESPN2 on Thursday. Needless to say, it's a step forward for the Krafts to be spending the money towards the presentation of a showcase game. (click title to read more)

To acknowledge this as a positive sign, you must look at the environmental conditions which preceded our current circumstance. Robert Kraft was a charter owner in MLS. At first, the novelty of the league sold itself and the Revs had one of the league's best followings. As the new car small faded four years later, what was left was a league that appeared to be in jeopardy, a dwindling fanbase dejected over a poor team and non-existent customer service, and an owner bitter from the Patriots' Boston stadium fight.

It was around this time that AEG, Hunt Sports Group, and Kraft decided the league was worth saving. The first two joining with MLS to form Soccer United Marketing (SUM) in what would prove to be a very successful attempt to control all important soccer events in the United States culminating with the grabbing of TV rights to the 2002 and 2006 World Cup. Kraft, on the other hand, was content with financially backing his soccer operations, sharing losses with the other MLS owners, all while trying to run the Revolution as an entity separate from his other, more successful ventures. This meant running the Revs with a reduced budget while waiting for soccer to take off. The other two ownership groups weren't waiting for the sport to take off, they were trying to get it to take off, cost be damn. After all, they were backed by a recluse billionaire and an aging billionaire willing to take huge losses. That's just not how the Krafts do things.

How bad did it get? Well, there were years without replica jerseys in the pro shop, trouble getting walk-up tickets on game day (loads of seats, no ticket booth attendants), draconian security guards, a lack of any high profile import since Walter Zenga, unused allocations, and a downward trending attendance which seemed destined to be the league's worse sometime in the future. Luckily, the team's on field fortunes turned around with the permanent hire of manager Stevie Nicol in 2002 and they never looked back. The league signed a uniform contract in 2005 which largely lifted the merchandising burden from the team. Also, the growing numbers in organized supporter groups forced the front office to acknowledge some of the widespread concerns. Still, the Revs have always seemed to be the team resisting positive change in MLS. Such recent initiatives such as the designated player rule and the establishment of youth teams haven't been touched by the Revs. They are also the only team never to speak of serious concrete plans to build a soccer specific stadium.

The straw seemed to break the camel's back last November when it was announced the natural grass surface at Gillette Stadium would be replaced with fieldturf. Sure, it's the Fifa approved newer style, but one of the major gripes with the artificial surface is that NFL markings look gawdawful when soccer is being played on it. To make matters worse, front office personnel had stated that removing the lines require too much time and manpower to complete in short order.

With the word that they are at least attempting to dull the lines, it shows they are attempting to address the soccer fans' needs. Couple that with the rumored hiring of temporary sales personnel for the playoff game, and the Revolution appear to finally be "getting it". Now, if they can only sign a proven playmaker at midfield, announce the construction of a stadium, and loosen some select security restrictions, we'll be in business.

Four Revs Up For Awards

Four New England players are up for end of season awards in MLS: Matt Reis, Michael Parkhurst, Pat Noonan, and Adam Cristman.

Matt Reis is nominated for Goalkeeper of the year. Although Matt has come up big several times this year, his GAA is around half a goal higher than his competition. He's not going to win this award, but he's far from unsung among Revolution supporters. "We all dream of a team of Matt Reis(s)" and "Don't cha wish your goalie was just like Reis" have gotten regular play in the supporter song rotation this year.

Adam Cristman is up for rookie of the year. The late round pick had four goals and four assists this season. However, he didn't have the minutes to compete with Toronto's Maurice Edu or New York's Dane Richards. Keeping of the new songs tip, we'll probably have to change the last line of "You wish you had Adam Cristman" from "the rookie of the year" to something like "the mullet has no fear". That's contingent on him growing it back, of course. I'm thinking his wife made him cut it off at the wedding. Women are evil like that.

Michael Parkhurst is up for two awards: Fair Play and Defender of the Year. The 2007 Fair Play Award will be Cobi Jones' send off medal, so that isn't happening for Parky, even though he once again put up a remarkably low 27 fouls for a central defender. He may have a shot at DOY, but Claudio Suarez at Chivas has gotten a lot of pub and Eddie Robinson has anchored a lights out defense at Houston since June.

Pat Noonan rounds out the list of Revs award nominees as he is up for Comeback Player of the Year. That award usually goes to someone who came out of nowhere. Noonan was hurt for much of last season, but made an impact during the 2006 playoffs and signed a phat contract during the off season. Not exactly under the radar stuff.

All of this is a dog and pony fluff-off, especially in a thirteen team league. Real accolades come from lifting MLS Cup in November. The players will tell you as much.

Revs Blank Themselves, New York

The Revs escaped New York Saturday night with a 0-0 draw. Surprisingly, they are in a better position heading into the 2nd leg than any other higher seeded team in the MLS Cup playoffs. Although the Revs hold a slight advantage going into next Saturday's return leg, it's hard to argue this series is anything but a toss up. I made the bus trip and joined some seventy fellow Revolution supporters in the Meadowland to cheer on the boys. A few things stood out while watching the game from high atop the away support quarantine zone. (click title to read more)

The first thing that should be obvious to everyone who watched the game is how much the right side of Red Bull New York, led by rookie midfielder/Arnold Drumman stand-in Dane Richards, dominated our left side. Khano Smith just couldn't get anything going, was run ragged, and was out of position far too often. Avery John had his worst game in a Revs kit in quite some time, compounding the situation. The local side was one bad field turf bounce away from being down in the series. Maybe that should read "one natural bounce" as the Red Bulls fell prey to the turf monster several times, ending more than a few attacking sequences. That new stadium can't come soon enough. Back on the original point, in the short term, our left side will cost us the series if it doesn't play better. In the long term, it needs a major overhaul. Hopefully, Amaechi Igwe's the answer next year, but I don't want to rely on a youngster curing our left-sided woes.

The second major thing I noticed was how much the Revs indeed bunkered down for the draw. It probably wasn't so apparent on TV, but during many attacks, Joseph and Larentowicz hung back around midfield leaving huge tracks of land in between them and the inevitable errant cross behind the single attacking wave. At least they didn't put ten men in the box like we've seen in the past. Actually, the New England defenders were very aggressive and physical with the Red Bull attack. One of the positives from last night was how much they frustrated Juan Pablo Angel. However, it's yet to be seen how they will handle him when the field is stretched in a game where the Revs are actually trying to score a goal.

We'll have more on this series later on in the week, as well as a recap of the road trip. It was a good time with a lot of new faces, which is damn good to see.


Recaps

The Sports News Network
ESPN Soccernet
Fox Soccer
New England Soccer News
Soccer New England
RevolutionSoccer.net
Soccer Source Blog

SHALRIE PAID!!!! (Heaps too)

Well, well, well. I didn't see this happening at this point in the season, but the Revs have signed Shalrie Joseph to a contract extension along with fellow veteran, Jay Heaps. Terms and salary were not disclosed, as per MLS policy of being very insecure. These deals mean the nucleus will be intact going into next season. Management can now focus on bringing in a true No. 10 during the off season to add even more potency to the Revs attack or, in reality, hope for the best from the draft.

Joseph is the big one here. Earlier in the season, his agent tried to talk him into holding out. That practice is barely accepted in "American" sports, but is alien to soccer. I'm sure glad Shalrie's judgment got the best of him. His old contract had him signed through 2008 on a salary he found unacceptable. One can only assume his salary is in the neighborhood of $300K/yr, a value which he has proven to be worthy of.

Heaps's extension will go a long way in providing depth in the back line, especially if Amaechi Igwe isn't ready to step into the starting role next season. Jay may have lost a step or two, but he does bring grit to the pitch every time he plays. He's also as classy a person as they make them, providing a strong role model for the younger players.

The only key player left unsigned is Andy Dorman. One has to wonder where he will be playing next year. He's greatly underpaid, and the Revs may be hurting for cap space if Joseph's salary is as high as it appears to be. The Revs like to keep their options open which means having enough wiggle room to fit a DP under the cap. If paying Dorman how most valuate him would put the team too close to the cap, that may not be a possibility. I don't want to see Dorman go, but he has to do what's best for himself and his situation.

Twellman Plays Against Swiss. Was Bradley Bribed?

Taylor Twellman played nearly eighty minutes for the US National Team, which won 1-0 today. It was good experience for him, and while he played alright you have to question a crucial player on an MLS side nearing the playoffs being flown out to Europe on short notice to play a friendly at high altitude. For Twellman, the playing time with the team's European-based players is important. There is a certain cohesion that must develop for a quick-strike forward, like Taylor, to begin receiving the kind of service he needs to score. If he is to ever become a starter for the team, that understanding has to develop over a number of games. This game, along with the games over the summer, hopefully contributed to this understanding.

However, this game came at the wrong time for the Revolution. The team needs to be ready for the playoffs next week, especially since New York will be coming off two extra days of rest. The team can ill-afford to have it's star striker burned out when he needs to be peaking.

So was this a case of Bradley giving Twellman the nod out of kindness, or did he have ulterior motives? In my opinion, the fact that this call-up could help out coach Bradley's good friend, Bruce Arena, lends me to believe that could have come into play here.

This is all circumstantial, but let's face it. Arena took the fall after the 2006 World Cup. Bradley is a good friend of the former national team coach, as well as a former assistant. They are still in very close touch and the only bridge Arena has to the USMNT is through Bob (he burned the rest on his way out). Bradley has to feel Arena received a raw deal, and would be looking for any way possible to prop up his former mentor. There's also rumors that a young Bob developed the "Bob Bradley Face" while staring at Bruce's manboobs during those long, hard two-a-days at the University of Virginia.

Now, this could be the ramblings of a paranoid Revolution supporter. However, it's hard to argue this call up will have no negative impact on Stevie Nicol's side heading into the post season.

Revs Limping Into Playoffs

Some teams rise to the occasion only when they have to. Champions rise to the occasion because they are champions. Unfortunately, the Revs have been the former vice the latter in the Stevie Nicol era. Granted, they never had much to play for before the great Scot arrived at Foxboro. However, it's tough to argue that the Revs are finishing strong in the second best season in team history. The best, 2005, ended in similar fashion. At least this time around, the team is limping to the finish line, vice being carried to it on a stretcher.

The Revs have taken only one point in their last three MLS encounters, thus bowing out of Supporters Shield contention. That's OK by me. However, it would take a Revs win and a Houston loss on the last week to solidify third place overall. Meaningless this year, but we don't want to be the odd team out when MLS decides to give LA a Superliga seed "for the good of the competition". Unlikely, but you never know with the marketing gurus who run the league.

All of that is secondary to form, which the Revs haven't actually been atrocious. After all, they did achieve the greatest victory in team history by winning the US Open Cup two weeks back. A legitimate cup in the trophy case was much needed to put to rest any jinx talk. However, there's only one truly major cup in US soccer, MLS Cup. To win it, you have to get hot going into the playoffs.

The Revs can't exactly claim that they are on a tear. They are a team that has fourteen legitimate MLS starters. The problem is, they aren't all that interchangeable. Andy Dorman started Saturday's game on the bench, so Wells Thompson could start at right midfield. That meant Steve Ralston moving to attacking mid. The Revs have had only a few decent AM's in team history, and I only count the 2006 version of Dorman as one of them. You can tell the difference when he's not in there and performing well.

Another area the Revs are slipping is in defense. They haven't fielded a back line with Avery John in awhile and I'm curious as to why. The regular three of Riley, Parkhurst, and Heaps have looked week, allowing at least two goals in every game for a month. Reis has been fine, but not perfect in net. The game-winner against Columbus caught him sleeping.

The good thing is there is only one hot team in the East, Chicago Fire. The great thing about that is they will probably face DC United in the playoffs and I like their chances. If the Revs get by New York, they could host the Eastern Conference Finals. Red Bull is also ho-humming it, so our series is a toss up. If you haven't been planning to make the return leg on November 3rd, what the heck is wrong with you? The Midnight Riders are also planning a bus trip to Jersey for the first leg. If you are from the area and want to sit with the Revs fans, you need to get tickets through the Riders, also. If you can't do either, take TO's advice and get the popcorn ready. It's going to be fun.

Twellman Sets Up Dempsey - They Couldn't Do That Here?

Last night, the US national team won their Gold Cup opener by defeating Guatemala 1-0. The lone goal came from a Clint Dempsey tap in which was set up by a Taylor Twellman pass:



This begs the question: why couldn't they do that enough here? Dempsey featured as a forward with the Revolution in his fair share of outings with the team. He was mostly used as a midfielder, but saw extensive time at forward in 2004 and 2006 due to injuries. The results were comme se comme sa with the Revs attack usually looking inept. This was especially true last season with Deuce and TnT pairing up top with Pat Noonan spending so much time on the DL.

It's good to see Twellman delivering a nice set up like that. Let's hope that's the start of a trend, not just an aberration.

In other former Revs news, Pepe Cancela scored a goal from the spot in Colorado's 2-1 loss in Houston last night. This game ran opposite the US game and also featured Dwayne DeRosario calling part of the game from a sports bar via his cell phone. DeRo was in Miami with the Canadian national team and couldn't make the game for his club. I hope this shines the spotlight even more on MLS's reluctance to schedule a few weeks break every June to allow for international competitions.

Avery John Banned From Gold Cup

I was a little surprised when I didn't see Avery John's name on Trinidad and Tobago's Gold Cup roster. It would have been nice to see him play in more international matches after the Soca Warriors' brave display at last year's World Cup. I just figured that their national team program was going to break in some younger players and Avery John's time had past. He is 32 years old, after all.

However, that isn't exactly the case. According to Frank Dell'Apa in today's Boston Globe, several T&T players have been blacklisted because they want the money that had been promised to them from last summer.

After doing some digging, I came across this article in the LA Daily News explaining the situation in greater detail. There are some shenanigans going on down there:

"The dispute stems over a three-tiered agreement between the players and the T&TFF that was signed before the team qualified for the World Cup, according to Townley.

It called for a 50-50 split of the FIFA participation award of $7 million Swiss francs (about $5.5 million in U.S. dollars), a 50-50 split of profits from warm-up matches leading up to the World Cup, and, most lucratively, a 50 percent cut for the players of licensing and endorsement deals the federation would receive.

The T&TFF has told the players it was necessary to deduct expenses and set aside funds for 2010 World Cup qualifying, and they've distributed all that's left - about $5,000 apiece.

A big problem, says Townley, is that nobody's really sure what the players should be getting. He said an adidas press release touted an $11 million agreement with the T&TFF, but the federation produced paperwork showing less than $300,000 income from the deal."

The least surprising part about this ordeal is that veteran soccer bureaucrat Jack Warner is behind this whole mess. Whenever there's a financial scam involving CONCACAF, he's usually there. Whether it's vastly overselling games in his native Trinidad or scalping World Cup tickets which should have gone directly to supporters, Jack Warner has greatly abused his authority while climbing the ladder of soccer's governing bodies. He's currently a vice president with Fifa as well as president of CONCACAF.

It's good for the Revs to have the services of Avery John during the month of June. Although he hasn't seen a lot of action as of late, he should be starting at left back when James Riley moves to central defense in Micheal Parkhurst's absence. However, seeing him miss out on one of his last chances to represent his country in a meaningful competition is quite a shame.

Three Revs Make Gold Cup Roster

US National coach Bob Bradley announced his 23-man Gold Cup roster today. Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, and Micheal Parkhurst were all on it. The roster is considered his "A team" with the USSF firmly behind winning the championship of CONCACAF over Copa America which will be played shortly afterwards (more on that later). (click title to read more)

No surprise with Twellman. He's been on form to start the season with six goals in eight games. His body of work, which should have earned him a World Cup spot, is second to none in regards to MLS forwards over the past five years.

Parkhurst is a slight surprise and may have a lot to do with Jimmy Conrad's current injury woes. It would be nice to see him line up next to Oguchi Onyewu in central defense. Parky will provide the coverage while Gooch provides the muscle. He will have some competition from Simek and Demerit. However, play time is over and Bradley has been instructed to win the tournament. Players won't get special treatment because they are based in Europe and won't be going to Copa America.

Steve Ralston may be the biggest surprise. He's surely earned the spot with his current MLS form. However, he won't be in the USMNT picture much longer. This just goes to show how much emphasis the US is putting on this cometition.

No word yet if there will be any overlap with the Copa America roster, which won't feature any players from Europe. Reis and Noonan may be sure a sure bet for that team, and it would be a tremendous hit to the Revs if they lost the other three for another two weeks.

So, does the US Soccer Federation have it's priorities in the right place? Winning the Gold Cup earns the US a birth for the next Confederations Cup in 2009. The logic being, that is where they would face the best roster that teams like Brazil and Italy would throw at them. The consensus is that many teams won't be sending their best to this year's competition. It's played at the absolute wrong time for those players based in Europe who need a month off before the ten month grind starts up again. Many of the South American federations are resigned to that fact and haven't invited their best.

Just don't tell that to Lionel Messi and Robinho, who seem desperate to play in it. Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico (who always try to win whatever competition they are in) will all be fielding rosters which will likely have an easy time with the US B team. Our A team would actually have an outside chance at winning Copa America, which would be a lot more impressive than beating Cuba and Canada in our own stadiums.

They are also passing up the opportunity to seriously compete in a meaningful competition in a hostile environment. This year, it is in Venezuela. Not only will they be chanting "Osama" and throwing rocks at our bus, they'll be sniffing the air while shouting "Satan was here yesterday! I smell Sulfur". There's a similar environment that the US competes in every four years and always seem to lose: Mexico City's Azteca Stadium. Am I the only one who thinks it would be a heck of an experience to seriously prepare for, and be successful in that type of environment?

I don't place all the blame on the USSF, though. The scheduling for Copa America stinks (not as bad as W's sulfur undies apparently). They are missing an absolute golden opportunity to set up a competition opposite the European Championship every four years. Just imagine if they invited a certain amount of CONCACAF teams who in turn made this year's Gold Cup the basis for qualification? Both tournaments would then take a quantum leap in importance. That's something they both need, but sadly, it's something we will never see.

In the meantime, it'll be nice to see which newcomers will succeed when called apon and which will crash and burn. We're likely see Byrne get some time at RM, and we'll probably find out who Nicol rates as the fourth best forward on the team. Gary Flood will see some time, especially if Avery John gets called up to the Trinidad and Tobago team. I'd also like to see if Ryan Solle has what it takes yet.

Time will tell. Until then, congrats to Twellman, Ralston, and Parkhurst. You've earned it.

RSL Wants To "Take A Run" At Joseph

Real Salt Lake, unsatisfied with being one of the worst teams in MLS, traded their only proven goalscorer today for a flash in the pan crybaby. Congratulations RSL, you're #13 and you've earned it. The aim of Salt Lake's deal was to free up salary cap by sending Jeff Cunningham to Toronto in exchange for Alecko Eskandarian, their first round pick next season, and cash. It's a clear sign that they are looking into the distant future on this one. (click title to read more)

Or maybe not. This quote at the end of the article threw me for a bit of a loop:

A high-ranking RSL official said, "Parting with Jeff [Cunningham] was hard but we are in a much better position now to improve our team. If you think of the cap room we've created not only from this deal, but also from Jason's [Kreis] retirement and [Luis] Tejada's departure, we've got the cash to possibly make a run at Shalrie Joseph or another player looking for the right change of venue."

Now, I could be wrong here, but that comment is all sorts of wrong. First off, as discussed here, Shalrie Joseph is under contract with the Revs until the end of the 2008 season. If this were Europe, it would be a clear instance of tampering if a club official made a statement like that. The setup is completely different in MLS, where all contracts are owned by the league. The survival of the league up until now has been dependent on a system where individual teams haven't had to bid for players. Some may say this has held MLS back, but this business plan has been vital in keeping the league afloat by keeping costs down. Some of the owners and league officials swear by it, and I highly doubt they feel the league can stand to let the floodgates open with so many unknowns about the economic impact of the designated player rule, youth setups, etc...

I'm a bit surprised this "high ranking team official" was so liberal with throwing Shalrie's name out like that. Joseph's situation has indeed been the most public, but two other MLS stars, who may be on the downside of their careers, are also unhappy with the lack of new contract offers: DC's Christian Gomez and Houston's Dwayne De Rosario. He may have been thinking about the other two, but one thing I know: not mentioning someone has no effect on their contract negotiations. That's where this will wind up hurting the Revs. Ron Waxman, Joseph's agent, can use comments like that to their advantage. The main negotiator on behalf of the Krafts is Sunil Gulati, who just so happen to be on the league's audit committee (among 12 other positions of varying degrees of importance). Sunil also has to think about the league's finances when making these deals. Real Salt Lake doesn't have an employee embedded at MLS HQ quite like Gulati. Although this situation is a sore spot with me, the fact remains comments like that one are not in the league's best interests. It would be interesting if anything becomes of this.

So what would it take for Real Salt Lake to wrestle control from us? Well, it would require a trade. What's funny about the whole thing is it probably would require giving up cap space which would make it hard to give Joseph the raise he deserves. All that aside, I would imagine one of their first round picks in 2008 would be involved, and probably the better of the two. RSL will be at or close to the bottom and Toronto, although better off coming out of that trade, will at worst be a 6th or 7th pick. That has to be enticing for Steve Nicol, who has had success bringing along American talent. Imagine if it was a straight-up trade for their two first round picks? That would almost be worth it from our end if Daniel Hernandez comes back strong from his nagging groin injury.

Another scenario could develop from all of this. The Revs could nail down a designated player this summer. Needing cap space, they could make a trade with RSL sending Joseph there in exchange for one draft pick. I would expect the return from such a trade would be lower if New England had to make it in short order like that.

If not, teams are going to have to be prepared to give the Revs a ton in return for Joseph. He's quite possibly the most important player on the team. He's under contract for awhile and is going nowhere unless it makes the Revs stronger in the process.

Revs Fill Out Roster, Sign Helton

The Revs signed Kyle Helton on Saturday, their sixth and final pick of the 2007. Helton is a speedy defender, and will be reunited with former Duke teammate Chris Loftus on the developmental roster. Given his draft position, he elected to finish out his degree at Duke before giving MLS a try. Helton will most likely play right back on the reserves and will join a large crop of promising youngsters being groomed to step in when some of the aging Revolution players begin to fade.

Although some may think this closes the door on the Revs landing a designated player during the summer, Helton's arrival has no effect on that possibility. A DP would have to go on the 18-man senior roster, which is already full. The team would have to waive a player, most likely Marshall Leonard or Daniel Hernandez, to make room.

Speaking of Hernandez, rumor has it his groin is finally healed and may see action as soon as this week. It would be nice to see him eased into the lineup in a similar fashion to how Pat Noonan has been used. We don't want Joseph or Larentowicz burning out.

George Best's Son's Agent Thinks We're Shite

Here's an interesting little doozy I came across in the Daily Star: Calum Best, son of the late, great footballer George Best, thinks he can give MLS a go! I had to stop typing in my name on the online Paris Hilton amnesty petition to read the story, and I'm glad I did.


(click title to read more)
For those not in the know (like myself until I googled his name ten minutes ago), Calum Best is a fashion model known for his antics in the British tabloids. He's more famous for who he's dated and for being a self-publicizing whore than for actually being talented at something. He's like the male version of Lindsey Lohan. Not surprisingly, he's dating Ms. Lohan as we speak. It would be the perfect storm of celebrity idiocy if a decent portion of America knew of his father, much less his privileged ass.

The story about him coming to MLS is nonsense to us, of course. It's hardly worth noting. It's a widely held belief among outsiders, especially the British, that our brand of soccer is crap. There's is better, I'll give them that. I'm a big fan of one and a fifth of their five national club systems (SPL's nothing after the Old Firm). Seeing how much money is being thrown at Beckham reaffirms their superiority complex. Think about it, if a Korean baseball team signed Barry Bonds for A Rod money, what would we think? Korean baseball sucks, that's what we'd think. We already knew that, but it would be in the front of our minds after the deal.

This quote from his agent did interest me:

“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. It’s certainly an option for him.”
The ambitious Red Bulls might be a goal too far for Calum.

They have just signed former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel on a £800,000 a year contract and also boast US national team hero Claudio Reyna.
But the struggling New England Revolution could snap him up. A source there said: “If he’s a tenth as good as his old man he’ll go straight into the team."

I'm not nearly as insulted as you might think. In fact, I'm rather flattered and encouraged. The agent had to think of an eastern team off the top of his head, and New England Revolution came to mind. I attribute that to Steve Nicol's name popping up in any American transfer gossip. Granted, it's due to the fact the "reporters" are just being lazy and throw in the name of the only manager they know of. However, by hook or by crook, the Revs are getting their name out across the pond. I'll chalk that up as progress.

Besides, his agent is probably wired into the fashion world and knows of our struggles in that area. The more I think about it, the more I'm sure that's what he meant.

Here's the part that frightens me:

“It’s going to be an interesting time and he’s pencilled in for trials at both clubs."

God, I hope that's not true. Sure, we'll give anyone a trial. However, I don't want to see him penciled in as anything to do with the Revs save "Slyde the Fox celebrity host body".

Then again, wouldn't Calum Best and Stevie Nicol make a great Dennis the Menace-Mr. Wilson duo in a reality show? Just as long as they throw in a talent contest with three judges. That angle hasn't been overused yet.

Franchino's Quiet Return

Joey Franchino's second half substitution for Avery John may have been the spark the team needed to obtain their 3-1 victory over the Chicago on Sunday. It allowed Micheal Parkhurst to move back from an unfamiliar holding midfield role to his favored position of central defense. It also provided the physical deterrent needed to free up Jeff Larentowicz who began creating attacking opportunities. That performance, combined with the brief runout against DC last Thursday, solidified the rather anticlimactic return of the former Revolution captain from his mysterious five week "leave of absence for personal reasons". (click title to read more)

So where has he been? Well, the appropriate question should be why hasn't anyone in the press made a serious effort to find out? There's a very good answer for that. There's also a reason why a blogger like myself, who's relatively free to speculate all he wants and spread rumors and half-truths around the blogosphere, hasn't tackled this issue until now.


You read about them all the time. College basketball players stealing laptops, MLB players fathering children in various cities, NFL players making it rain money in a gentleman's club and then bouncing a stripper's head off of the stage, European footballers getting really bad mullets. The press seems to have a fascination with some of the unfortunate things athletes do in their private lives. The reason for this is simple: it sells newspapers. Reporters can make names for themselves or solidify their reputation by breaking such a story. So why didn't the press dig deep enough into the Franchino situation to find out the specifics?

As much as we like to praise the growth of MLS, it is still not anywhere near important on the national landscape. I recall an Eric Wynalda interview on the Jim Rome Show from 2005 where the host asked if there would ever come a time when he would pick up the sports page and MLS was featured on a regular basis. Wynalda, to his credit, said he wasn't sure if that would ever be the case. He then went into some of the negative byproducts of professional athletes automatically achieving celebrity status and how MLS could develop a niche in the short term to benefit as an alternative.

Like it or not, Joey Franchino isn't a celebrity. No media outlet would make any kind of money from uncovering the truth behind his absence. They are better served getting the inside scoop of the songs on Big Papi's iPod than delving into the private lives of MLS players. Not a qualified celebrity, Franchino has the benefit of keeping his private life private if he has the opportunity and chooses to, within reason. To the team's credit, they have stood by their player and kept the reasons quiet. The press has asked about it periodically, but coach Steve Nicol has been tight-lipped and the front office has issued a statement saying they wouldn't comment on the situation.

Writing a New England Revolution blog, you would figure I would be all over this issue. There was the original article which gave a few clues, a mention in MLS Underground that mentioned he was in rehab in a matter of fact kind of way (When I inquired, a "source" gave them the info. The wording has since been changed.), and several second hand rumors on messageboards mentioning very personal issues.

Besides the fact that tabloid issues don't get me that excited, the main reason I haven't been fanning the fading embers of this story is I don't wish to speculate on this issue, and then be wrong. I've seen my fair share of rumors float around in my personal and professional life. They usually get legs when there's a scenario that is logical and people, for one reason or another, want to believe it. I have seen a handful of those rumors seriously backfire on those gleefully spreading them when they turned out to be false.

Several fans around the league don't like the aggressive way in which Franchino plays. Some of those people loved hearing bad things were happening in his personal life and he was taking a leave of absence. Something that did surprise me was the amount of people who were despicable enough to start rumors and the amount of people who were gullible enough to take those rumors as fact. It's a good thing the number of diehards on the BigSoccer boards are limited to the triple digits and these antics don't spread to the household of joe america yet. Again, this is one of the few positive aspects of MLS failing to live up to the expectations the founders had when it kicked off in 1996.

So where does that leave the Revs in regards to this issue? Joey has done surprisingly well coming off the bench. He will prove vital for the team when the inevitable injury occurs seeing he can competently play at least five positions on the field. His ability to be an effective leader behind the scenes is most likely seriously diminished. However, he can be a leader on the field which will be important throughout the season.

Odds are, we will eventually find out the truth. Having this information released on his own terms is a luxury few professional athletes possess. Most MLS players hold the status of role model only when they choose to based on their own involvement in the community. They aren't celebrities who have that status thrusted on them based on who they are. The trade-off is they are allowed a certain amount of privacy in these situations so they can go about their lives like normal people.

We American soccer fans suffer from an inferiority complex at times. Take solace in the fact that we can afford to behave like humans in these issues. Fans of other "major" sports certainly can't make that claim.

2007 Revs Player Salaries

Thanks to Steven Goff for publishing a link to the 2007 MLS player salaries. He did this the last two years, which has help us fans see the pay issues previously hidden from the public eye.

Here's the Rev's base salaries:

1. Taylor Twellman------$325,008
2. Pat Noonan-----------$225,000
3. Shalrie Joseph-------$170,625
4. Daniel Hernandez-----$155,000
5. Matt Reis------------$150,000
6. Steve Ralston--------$150,000
7. Jay Heaps------------$110,000
8. Joey Franchino--------$90,000
9. Micheal Parkhurst-----$80,575
10. Avery John-----------$63,000
11. Doug Warren----------$50,000
12. Marshall Leonard-----$47,500
13. Amaechi Igwe---------$45,000
14. Khano Smith----------$44,100
15. Willie Sims----------$35,500
16. James Riley----------$30,870
17. Andy Dorman----------$30,870
18. Wells Thompson-------$30,000
19. Bryan Byrne----------$30,000
20. Jeff Larentowicz-----$30,000
21. Ryan Solle-----------$17,700
22. Adam Cristman--------$17,700
23. Chris Loftus---------$12,900
24. Miguel Gonzalez------$12,900
25. Arsene Oka-----------$12,900
26. Brad Knighton--------$12,900
27. Gary Flood-----------$12,900

Total------------------$2,092,945

Please check my math on that total, but it appears the Revs are a little more than $100,000 under the cap (it was $2.2 million in 2006 and had a "modest increase" this year). What's more intriguing is the rumor that they are waiting to see if they can land a DP before renegotiating Joseph's contract. Non-DP's can only count as $325,000 against the cap, so he would add $155,000 more towards the cap if he maxed out. If it ever came to it, they could always put Hernandez and his $155,000 salary on waivers to make room for a marketable player.

Now, they do have to make sure they leave enough to sign Dorman and Parkhurst to $150-200k deals in the near future and players like Jeff Larentowicz to a $100k deal. However, with all the contract moaning coming from the league's top players, MLS would be crazy not to raise the cap by at least $200k over the next one or two years. That would help the Revs keep most of the players they are currently grooming.

By the way, I have my doubts about the $2.2 million cap figure seeing how a lot of the teams are over that amount. I'm guessing it's closer to $2.5 million.

This list also points out the standard salaries for developmental players and senior journeymen. That pay needs to be augmented before decade's end. I sure hope those salaries come with benefits.

Shalrie Joseph May Refuse To Play

That's right. According to the Soccer New England, Shalrie Joseph may consider sitting games out until he either gets the contract he and his agent are demanding or he is traded:

The figure offered by New England, continued Waxman, fell $10,000 under Joseph’s wage demands and that, coupled with further disagreement over potential bonuses, led to Joseph requesting a trade in March. Almost one month later, and with no sign that a solution to the dispute is imminent, Joseph admits he is facing a difficult decision about whether to play or not:

“It’s really hard; I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that point at all but they leave no other choice and I have just got to do what it best for me at this point in time.”

Well Shalrie, take a look at how well the Krafts respond to this tactic from players on their NFL side. The owners have no problem with players holding out if they feel their demands are too high.

Now, Kraft & Son probably aren't too hands on in these deals. That aspect appears to be the job of Mike Burns and Sunil Gulati. The problem with Joseph is the league owns all player contracts. A trade wouldn't guarantee him a raise. Coach Steve Nicol, who has most of the say in acquiring and letting go players, has said he won't trade him.

So Joseph and the Revs are at an impasse. The team says they are still working on the contract negotiations. Joseph and his agent says they made a final offer. Well, which one is it? This situation was just upgraded from tricky to messy and has the potential to screw with team chemistry. Not good.

In other news, Frank Dell'Apa is under the impression the Revs are shopping around for international talent. I'll believe that when I see it.