Luring Quality Yanks to LA . . .

Discussion in 'LA Galaxy' started by Calexico77, Oct 11, 2007.

  1. Calexico77

    Calexico77 Member

    Sep 19, 2003
    Mid-City LA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So, I was thinking about this years draft pool, and what our chances were - when something else struck me.

    We have Landon Donovan (USMNT captain and locked-in regular) and David Beckham (who's English, and everyone loves English dudes). We have a great stadium, in a great city. We pull 27K+ for games on a regular basis.

    I think, if we tried hard enough - we could really have our pick of young US players in Europe. Now, understand me that when I say YOUNG, I mean, they've had little USMNT first team action. So cancel out Convey, Bradley, Howard, Feilhaber, and everyone at Fulham. Throw in Adu, because he's gonna be in Europe as long as he can.

    But what about the others? Who could we lure back, that might WANT to come back?

    How's this sound? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal_Zizzo
     
  2. FlapJack

    FlapJack Member+

    Mar 3, 2006
    Los Angeles
    I think if we look like we're going to be a squad that plays well and wins, then yes, who wouldn't want to play for a squad featuring LD and Becks, plays in LA, and tours around the globe (free vacation!). UCLA's Zizzo would be great. Not sure if what his situation abroad is now. What's he earning? Is he getting first team minutes?

    EDIT: I think he's played for the USMNT, though. Once he's capped doesn't that mean he's treated differently as a player coming into MLS? I don't think that bodes well for Zizzo getting to pick where he wants to play.
     
  3. shirteesdotnet

    Feb 13, 2007
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How is Sal doing in Hanover? Has he played yet? It would be interesting to have him and Rossi up top :) with Beckham feeding them. Ohh whoops, I just woke up.

    Regarding the draft picks.... are we going to be knocked from 2nd to 3rd pick if Seattle comes into the league for 2008? Man that sucks. Why should they have any pick if they are just bringing their current team into MLS.
     
  4. Baysider

    Baysider Member+

    Jul 16, 2004
    Santa Monica
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Two big problems.

    1) Minor Yanks in Europe still make a lot of money, with the potential for more if they succeed.

    2) Returning Yanks (like Robbie Rogers) will be allocated by lottery, and we've just used up our lottery rights in any case.
     
  5. Eric B

    Eric B Member

    Feb 21, 2000
    the LBC
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A third problem is that most of the time the John Thorringtons, David Quesadas, and Jovan Kirovskis of the world kinda suck ass. For every Jay DeMerit there are plenty of Gus Kartes'.

    I'm sure there are examples I can't recall right now, but it seems to me that there are very few players who shunned MLS out of HS or college that have come back and made an impact in the league. Also, with the advent of development programs, we'll probably see fewer kid's go overseas without being property of pro clubs here first, so I don't think this will be as much of an option anyway...
     
  6. Leedsunited

    Leedsunited Member

    Jun 14, 2007
    Yorkshire
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    I used to go watch him when I was at school and all my mates were Huddersfield Town (spit) fans. I can tell you he most certainly did suck ass, although he found his level when Hudders got relegated. Quite quick with no end product as I remember.

    When you consider that the average wage for a Premiership squad player is now (by basic exchange) $62,000 per week, no wonder MLS is having probs holding onto its own. Those who are squad players around the lower leagues are probably not good enough for LA (or rather what we want to be next season), I wouldn't rate Eddie Lewis in MLS for example and I laughed my ass off when Job Done Davies took him to Direby. That said, Derby will be back in the Championship next season, anyone for Benny?
     
  7. Cyclonis

    Cyclonis Forza Juve

    Jul 12, 2007
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Wow! Sal Zizzo? I'd buy the kid based on the comical nature of his name alone. Sounds like a bad stereotype. LeedsUnited says he couldn't hack it, and there are problems with MLS' screwy rules, I wouldn't rule him out as he's only 20 and still has time to grow. I don't buy all this soccer prodigy at the age of fourteen stuff. From my experience, players don't get better until they face adversity (i.e. getting your butt handed to you) learn from it, and then show what you learned by not being afraid of going back out there and kicking some SS.

    As far as the MLS rules are concerned... FUVK! I know about keeping a balanced playing field, and I'm not exactly sure as to all the rules that apply here but teams have to be able to scout and claim their own talent. The rules should be in place to help, not hinder teams.
     
  8. Leedsunited

    Leedsunited Member

    Jun 14, 2007
    Yorkshire
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    Never seen him play to be fair, but I just have a worry that if Galaxy want to be the team the FO says, it might be fair to say we need to be more ambitious. I think a canny manager can still build a team that dominates despite a salary cap, look at Rugby League in Britain, two teams in the Grand Final every year Leeds and St Helens. Its not coincidence, we just need that intelligent scouting and player acquisitions in my opinion.
     
  9. Cyclonis

    Cyclonis Forza Juve

    Jul 12, 2007
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    Oppss... thought you were talking about Zizzo, my bad, guess I should read the threads more thoroughly. I shall go flog myself for my this display of ignorance

    Ah, that's better, anyway...Yeah, MLS draft system sucks. Never liked the whole "super" draft thing. It takes away from scouting the global, college-grassroots aspects. Clubs should be looking for and signing their own college kids. Shoot, I knew two guys that got drafted by some MLB team out of high school and got loaned out to the minors till they were ready. Those baseball guys don't wait till you go to college to let you know they're interested.

    If there wasn't a draft system, clubs would have find their own youngsters, and the teams would have to compete for the better ones. Competition at all levels, not just playing, but the FO's and fans, will only make the MLS better. Their is the argument of, balance of play, but screw that, the teams that work harder under the MLS guidelines should be rewarded, not the other way around. In Europe, not only do losing teams, NOT get top-choice draft picks, but they get booted down a division. How's that for balance of play

    This is the nature of the Americanized soccer beast. We have familiar things like draft picks and playoffs from other sports. We know that even if we have an abysmal season, we can still sneak into the playoffs, and if we don't, it's okay cause we got draft picks coming and we'll still be playing top flight soccer next year. Oh well, good for us this year...
     
  10. Leedsunited

    Leedsunited Member

    Jun 14, 2007
    Yorkshire
    Club:
    Leeds United AFC
    Thing is the system here has bred permanant lower league sides. Too many to name but either their fanbase is too small or they don't have the money. Look at Crewe for example, they have produced players like Dean Ashton and Rob Hulse and five or six others who have played PL football, but they rarely get more than one season of games at Crewe before they are sold on, and new youngsters take their place, and the club survives from that and sell-on clauses (Ashton netted Crewe £1.5m roughly when he moved from Norwich City to West Ham) They will never rise above the bottom half of the championship at best, but their fans are aware of that and can accept it, I just think the new American audience might not be prepared to support their team if they thought that next season they may be playing Charleston in the USL (no disrespect intended).
     
  11. Hushx

    Hushx Member

    Aug 20, 2007
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I for one support the draft/playoffs idea. Thats not to say I'm happy with how the current system works however. Some major reforms and policy changes should be in order. I completely agree though - we should be doing scouting runs and courting prospective players just like every other major American sport. Even Hockey does it for crying out loud! With the number of Eastern Bloc players in the NHL, they probably have more Europeans than the freakin' MLS. We should get on the ball in regards to our youth development programs and minor clubs, so as to improve the product and quality on the field. That said though, time is absolutely everything. We can't really wish for MLS to drastically switch over to a system similar to how the PL works, not only due to financial obligations, but also just sheer cultural differences.

    Soccer/Football is obviously much more established across the pond; we are nowhere near that level of acceptance in society and in popular culture. Compared to much more established and accepted American sports such as American Football, Basketball and Baseball, Soccer is like a man in the company of giants. The simple fact is Americans hate losing - it would be impossible to try and gain mainstream acceptance when a city's team is getting constantly promoted up and then knocked down into a lower tier league. It is for that and many other reasons, I believe the MLS needs to find its own efficient way of doing things, navigate its own path independent to the procedures of much older leagues. Until we reach the level of popularity shown in the other sports, some of the things we dream about are still out of our reach.

    This is still a young league though, and with time it will definitely grow. For a league thats only 10-11 years old, its doing fairly well. Its expected that blunders and mistakes will be made along the way to forming an established and respected league, just like with all American sports that have preceded it. Just remember: This is an American league, and that entails American problems. It just wouldn't be possible to solve such problems with European solutions.
     
  12. Cyclonis

    Cyclonis Forza Juve

    Jul 12, 2007
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    This is sad and true, but at the least those places have teams. The USA is huge compared to England, and there are many small towns that will never know the thrill of experiencing pro-sports. Though it might be much for the fans to cheer about, those teams will have the small consolation of knowing those players started with them


    Very sage post though I differ in opinion. First let me say I hope their will never be relegation in the MLS. But I feel you are correct in that most Americans won't support losing teams. Relegation in the MLS would be a death knell for clubs here.

    The draft system is fine, I begrudgingly accept it due to the youth of our league. However the free trade system in Europe is part of the excitement, i.e. the transfer sagas. It's no fun when MLS gets a player as a single entity league and allocates him to a team because of some agenda, like weather preferential. The eventual individualism of the clubs here and the race to get the signatures for the young talent will only benefit the MLS, though I accept that we are a young league and that will take time if it ever happens.

    As far as the playoffs go, I disagree. Most of my friends would agree with you however and they are happy with the current playoff system. Maybe a few years ago I would be with you guys, but my tastes have changed. I just get drawn into the whole weekly ritual they follow in Europe. The league format makes every game important. Many could teams followers drift off when their didn't have a chance anymore, but I'd argue that it happens anyway with the current system.

    The league format is so different from anything else here in the States, so alien. Like a new drug, I became intoxicated and am now addicted to it. But like you said, Americans like winners, so I don't think it will ever happen here anyway... Hey different strokes for different folks
     
  13. Hushx

    Hushx Member

    Aug 20, 2007
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh I definitely know what your talking about - its as if they are playing a completely different game when you watch some of the more intense PL league games. Certainly the "climate" is a big part of it as well.

    Like I said though, I support the system, but who knows? That could easily change later on down the line when MLS does something so freakin' dumb or something absolutely brilliant, it'll completely cast off the current system. If they could master some sort of hybrid setup between what we're currently using and how the leagues are set up over in Europe, it could do wonders...provided they do it right. Objectively speaking, I think both ways have their individual merits and downfalls. Everything is always two-sided.
     
  14. convergecrew

    convergecrew New Member

    Jan 17, 2007
    Los Angeles
    Not to be Debbie Downer, but during one of the U-20 matches I heard the commentator say that Sal turned down the opportunity to enter the MLS Draft in order to keep options for a european move open. That and the fact that he just signed for Hannover this summer, makes me think that he wont be coming back anytime soon.

    Players who arent a sure bet to make it at their current youth situations (like Johann Smith), I would love to see back in MLS. Im sure many would come back and play, like Conor Casey did.
     
  15. Dixie_Gnawmuss

    Dixie_Gnawmuss New Member

    Jul 18, 2007
    Great thread, some really excellent points thrown in here.

    I think that a lot of the players who are currently in development will work their way into the major US teams, but for those currently abroad, i believe that European football in whatever guise will their preference. This is for a number of reasons, but the main one for me is the kudos attached with being a professional footballer in Europe, as opposed to the status it affords in the US (currently). Our friend in Leeds is also right to point out that the lads in the EPL are pulling over $2,000,000 a year in salary, which may have some influence on their decision-making process :p

    What is becoming clear is that MLS and American Soccer is very much here to stay. The brand will only get stronger and players the world over are starting to be attracted to the prospect of playing there. This influx of talent will help the younger/development players and US Soccer will have what you guys really deserve, which is a Golden Era. Players are not considering the USA because of the money (Becks could have earned LOADS more in the UK/Spain), they will go because there is something very special going on over the pond, and it is starting to resonate over here.

    There were 60-odd thousand in New York watching Becks, and the Galaxy have been filling their stadia virtually week in, week out, irrespective of whether Beckham plays or not. Who wouldn't want a piece of that? I envisage a number of top English players would fancy America as their EPL careers come to an end because it's exciting, vibrant & every Englishman is a latent "Americophile", and if a deal could be swung whereby US teams are entered into the Copa Liberatadore (sic?), then the US has a top-quality continental tournament, with players perhaps getting the chance of playing at the Maracana/Bombanera. Everyine would like a slice of that.

    Good luck with it, looks like i won't catch a game on my annual NY shopping trip but am an avid watcher on C5, and i'm loving what i see.

    Oh, and good luck to the England Rugby team in the World Cup final. You'll be into that next :D

    All the best lads
     

Share This Page