Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? While Derby has rejected the first bid, Maccabi's general manager stated that negotiations are still ongoing. In regards to Bornstein, he said that MLS will give Maccabi an answer regarding availability and/or price later today.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? I am guessing that Derby thought initially the offer that they got from Maccabi was the best they were going to get, but when MLS heard the # they expressed interest b/c they thought they could do better. Derby likes more money as opposed to less. If Maccabi wants to pay they can have him. I want to know where Benny wants to go.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? I'm sure he wants to go where he can get paid more. If any team in MLS is going to shell out over a mil in a transfer fee for a player then he's bound to get near DP money. NE, DC, and KC (after the pending EJ deal) strike me as the teams that have enough allocation $'s sitting around to realistically do this.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? The blue font on that blog is actually Luis Bueno, who covers a lot of Mexican soccer, but also occasionally covers the LA MLS teams and the US national team. He cut off the recorder right after that question because Bob would only talk about it off the record! So frustrating. Psh. Bueno and his "journalistic integrity."
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? What does one have to do with the other? If MLS is held up by Derby and they make us pay $1million there's not a whole lot left to pay Benny with. We don't routinely pay millions for guys who haven't ever made their mark at the club level.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Geez, you'd think Benny could find something in Holland better....Earnie Stewart, save this kid...
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? I agree, they are usually independent. I could see MLS shelling out tons of money to satisfy Derby and beat Maccabi for a young American prospect. On the other hand, look at Feilhaber's status in the league. Is he going to be one of the best players? I'm not sure. And even if he is, he still will only get paid about as much as he would at Tel Aviv, if not less, right? This is just from what I've gathered on this thread. This is a true conundrum. Benny is not an Israeli hero, Maccabi will not pay 1mil for him, but they will pay him high wages and I think Benny might want to go there. Benny is an American hero for now, so MLS will pay top $ for him, but he hasn't made any statement about wanting to come here, nor will MLS pay him as highly. Off topic, does anybody else think Benny looks a LOT like Brad Pitt in certain movies? (not a man-crush)
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Shnaider will pay as well as Earnie. Brad Pitt is blond. And 44. Adrian Grenier he ain't.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Benny has been in movies?? (actually, I thought the same thing when watching the video interview he gave to Israeli TV)
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Your point is a valid one. However, the reason there is no news is likely because the teams that are interested, assuming what Derby's chairman said is true, aren't talking. The likes of Ives and Steve Goff are surrounded by MLS folks at the draft. I'd be shocked if they haven't asked a few suits about Benny. Thing is, "no comment" does not make for good copy.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Eh. If Ives asked anybody, I'd think he would at least say so on his blog. And if he did, I'd expect that he would have a take on what's happening. He's not usually shy about trying to explain something that no one wants to talk about. But he hasn't, and I guess he never looked into it. Instead, it's seven different mock drafts in two days. Woo!
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Jaime Cardenas update from Thursday that I didn't see posted
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Much appreciated. Not sure is it's that reliable, though.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? And your post is valid as well. I take the point however to be that a team (doesn't really matter which, or in which league) has recently been courting two current US senior internationals simultaneously. That, by anybody's standards, should be a newsworthy item. You'd think that a few more journalists would've sniffed out a bit more by now. Even if mostly conjecture and analysis (and qualified as such).
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? I'm sorry, but when several ppl in this thread keep praising the tactical level I have to make a comment.. Watching Israeli teams in Europa cups, I think they always seem to play some pretty nice short passing and individually the players usually seem to be on pair if not better skilled... So once in a while Israeli teams do produce some good single results against very good European sides (perhaps no so much this season, but if you use this link to look a few years back) : http://kristian.ligastat.dk/uefa/matches.php?countries=Isr ... But ... The reason they just about always fail in Europe (also at NT level) against Scandinavian sides, is no doubt because they are too slow paced, mainly rely on individual solo performances and tactically look very very very very naive. Not only in defense, but more or less all over the pitch. Tactically they are far from being on pair with average European teams. .
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? I kinda agree. They do get burned both in club and NT for pace. Even Benayoun only turns on the jets a couple times each match. Ben Haim is just too slow, neither quick nor fast. I agree about their defensive tactics in Israel. I think naïve is a great word for it. It's like they've never seen the type of attack that comes at them when they play other teams. Like I said, defending in Israel is pretty poor for the most part. I don't agree about the individuality. In Israel, and for the NT, most of the goals, especially the best ones, come from explosive passing and a quick backheel, then another and a great thru ball and an easy finish. Brilliant individual efforts are rare, though they do happen, see P. Balili or Y. Benayoun. I think Israel has a great tactical attack. If they can score frequently on teams like France, who has some of the best defenders in the world, they must be good.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? This would be, in all likelihood, the wrong move for Feilhaber. Most likely, he could find an option in Europe and/or with MLS just as good ..both of which would be better for his long-term career prospects (including Men's Nat team- which should be important factor for him).
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Who do you think Feilhaber is? an automaton? He's Jewish, has been to Israel for the Maccabi games (as has Bornstein), tried Germany [edited by mod], and landed at the worst EPL team. Tel Aviv is a much better place than the ones you think he will be comfortable in and flourish.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? He might flourish, but will his career? IMO, Feilhaber should go back to Germany or the Netherlands. France would also be a good option, but I guess Benny's had his fair share of culture shocks in the recent past.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? I've just edited out some random cultural commentary from the above 2 posts, and deleted one that was not problematic by itself but had to go because it responded solely to the cultural stuff. As has already been asked in this thread, let's focus on soccer. The discussion of national character goes bad faster than 2 day old fish. edit: To Friedel's Accent: Affirmative--Ruth Benedict is of historical interest, only.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? New(?) comments from Benny's agent courtesy of Yanks Abroad.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Yeah, I believe those comments are pretty recent.
Re: Borenstein and Feilhaber to join Maccabi Tel Aviv? Let's just say there aren't a ton of Europe- Europe- Israeli- now I'm a star back in Europe stories out there...