Well, the money is not there yet. The owners have the money but I agree with kp, each division needs to stand alone before a justification of greater, more speculative spending.
Oh definitely. But that's kind of besides the point: at whatever level of costs, an owner who controls revenue streams will have more incentive to buy assets that produce revenue than a lessee who does not control revenue streams. Of course I agree completely with you about the cost-revenue structure-- yes, the costs of ownership may be higher than the costs of renting. But voros was challenging the idea that stadium ownership could actually increase the incentive to invest in players. Clearly, it can-- and that analysis looks an awful lot like looking at taxation.
I just read this quote from Lalas: http://www.nynjsoccer.com/ Yes, resources are limited. Yes, you need to prioritize investments.
Rob Friend who plays in Norwegian tippeliga was today sold to Heerenveen of the Dutch top league for 2 million euros. This after only playing one year in the norwegian tippeliga. Guess he is the first one to go from here to a bigger league ?.. Oliver Ocean wil be the next one
Nice little bit of coin there, thanks for the news. It's good to see Canadians doing well for themselves, the US can only benefit from the competition.
Very happy for the Canadians and Costa Rica better watch it next cycle. This makes me wonder. The guys we have lost to Norway were middling players. Good, but not great. Not Nats material, not stars in MLS and some of then stagnant. They have done nicely for themselves over there. This young Canucks however are a different story. They are young players with potential who really didn't have too many options in MLS. Will Johnson was basically let go if I am not mistaken because of money (yes/no?) Now, they get contracts and these other guys from Norway get transferred after short stints and make some nice money. Young US players see this (Lee Nguyen, Bradley, Zimmerman and Benny already have) and wonder. Hmm, if I can't get a gig at a bigger league right off why not do what the Canucks are? Pay is probably the same or better than MLS starting out and I have a shot at a nice payday if things work out. If I get signed the club probably means to use me and give me the chance because their resources aren't huge while in MLS I may just play reserves and make very little. Hell, why not? This is a real danger to MLS's current system. Losing middle of the road, middle aged guys to Norway or Denamrk is one thing. Losing young prospects to B'liga or Holland is one thing. Losing decent young prospects to Norway or Denmark could be another (Heath Pearce may even be more encouragement on th epayday scene soon). As we found out later, many Yanks had strong interest or offers from pro clubs after the U20's, some nice interest for a few of the U17's also. Many declined and went to MLS. What if these guys can't get much playing time early on and see players who they feel are of equal caliber going to a place like Norway or Denmark, performing well, and getting to bigger clubs with a nice raise ina couple of years, while many may just start getting time for their MLS team. Could be a very dangerous scenerio IMO. Could throw all of our arguements in this thread out of the window pretty quick kpaulson. If this happens MLS will have to think real hard about spending more money on players before they want to, and before the infrastructure is built. May just upset the business plan. Does MLS even abandon the policy of trying to keep most of it's best young players in order to stay on the infrastructure course? Something to keep an eye on very closely IMO. I have my beliefs obviously, but I am always trying to pay attention to the changing landscape, or possible changing landscape, and how it could affect things down the road. What if all of the U20's had taken the Euro plunge instead of MLS? While I believe in the plan of building a stable platform and then spending, this is a possible monkey wrench. Borchers, Corrales, West, Califf to Scandanavia....good luck to you. Sign with PSV, Heerenveen, Hamburg or the like. Hey, can't argue with a young kid for that. Our young guys starting to sign with smaller leagues for more cash, playing time and exposure? Oh oh. Not a problem yet, but one to look at in maybe two years. Hopefully by then MLS will have 8 stadiums and 14 teams and more money will be invested in players. If not. Hmmm. Always think of the possibilities. Good and bad.
Well, H-veen needed some forward help after selling Huntelaar and Samaras. €2M is a nice chunk of change for Molde. Will Johnson is a project for the Dutch outfit.
The Canadians are doing very well in Norway: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8051510#post8051510
I remember being shocked, a few years back, at how many Canadians were playing in Scotland given how few US players were abroad at the time and the relative size and depth of the US and Canadian talent pools. From that, I guessed that being able to get work visas was a pretty important factor in being able to play abroad, but also that the Canadians had a decent number of guys who were near, at or above MLS level. So, I think the players have always been there-- but Canada needs to take better advantage of them (a lot like the US 20 years ago).
Or maybe, as I have been saying for the last couple of years, lower end Europe isn't all that great. I'll take that answer because I know it's true from first hand knowledge. We give so many average players/teams so much more credit than they deserve over there it's not even funny. Well, not all, but waayyy too many. Guess what? If we had the same work permit laws the number of Yanks over there, even before MLS, would be much greater than what Canada has now. I'm happy for the Canadians, but thems just the facts.
The work permit laws in Europe are the same for Canadians as Americans. In fact, because of your higher ranking it's probably easier for an American to get a British work permit then it is for a Canadian. Most of the time, Canadians either have an EU passport or have to appeal to get the work permit. That's a big reason they've flocked to Scandanavia, and now recently Holland instead of England.
MLS is not in UEFA. (btw, the rankings are legit, if you accept their premise - the 5 year cumulative of the UEFA Cup performances) As to the lower tier (below 10th) Euro leagues, my opinion is somewhat more subtle. The west Europeans teams do have a professional approach that you may not find in MLS all the time and its players are playing for their careers, knowing that a good year even with an average club could catapult one to a contract with a big team that would set someone for the rest of his life. In the pro-rel systems clubs have to survive by achieving records and playing a pleasing soccer, all within their budgets. Most of their coaching staffs have a number of very experienced veterans, who know every trick in the book. But the quality of athletes, given the 5-10 million total population of these nations, is not exactly NFL like. A good American athlete with a modecum of skills should be able to do reasonably well there. A smart American athlete will also learn a lot in a couple of years and move on to bigger and better things thereafter.
Rossi Is At The Dallas Cup2006!!! Hey can you start a post letting everyone know that MAN U Whiz kid ROSSI-IS PLAYING THE DALLAS CUP. They arrived today and rossi is with the reserve team. Here are links that can help you."Giuseppe Rossi and Gerard Pique are listed on Man-U's 18-man travel squad"-dallasmorning news http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory...categoryid=624 or http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...s.3a19e16.html dallascup.com
Did not know that. Lesson learned. My point is, and usually is, how us NAmericans, Canadians inc, can compete and do well at these levels. No problem. The comp isn't superior. Yes, SFS is correct that it is probably much easier to make a contact and get noticed there, and decent athletes with half a brain, and some will, should be able to compete there. I'm glad to see it happening finally because it helps all. I just have way too many memories of American teams wiping the floor with many youth teams from Europe in tourneys here, as far back as the early to mid eighties. Common occurence. We just had nowhere to go while they did. Can't wit to see Torornto in MLS and I hope Vancouver follows suit.
MLS isn't in UEFA. The ratings you refence are from two different organisations. Come on you put out lots of good posts (most of whoch I disagree with). Don't turn into one of those oversensitive mongs who get upset about insults that don't even exist. We need more quality posters not less. Edit NM.
Well physical superiority can bring you a long way at the youth levels. Playing against adults, lack of football intelligence is exposed quickly, even at the lower levels of the sport (did you see Mr Wynne on Eskys goal?) and punished severely at the higher levels. This is what SFS is refering to when he talks about what a smart american athlete can learn in a few years. Results at youth level are simply not indicative of quality since the vast majority of players at youth level never make the leap to the next level (even in countries where they do have somewhere to go). And that really is the problem. In this country we think youth team results have some great meaning (to some extent that has been the problem in Germany recently - thus the decline ion standards there) so we try to build youth teams that achieve success on the field. Meanwhile most successful nations concentrate on creating talent that that can play the game intelligently. Thats why you see poor tiny countries like Uruguay continually produce players that are in demand by the best teams in the world. Youth team result don't really mean much except to people who want to make them seem more important than they are.
Good post Rommul, and even though I seemed to be ranting I understand this. My frustration was watching (back then) that we are just as good physically, and technically at the U14, U15 and evn U16 levels with the better Yank teams. The game just kind of ended there for most of us and the Euros could continue onwards. The buiding blocks have always been there, and not only physical, it's just we had no chances, few teachers, aspirations, a future in the game, etc. It's good to see Yanks and Canadians getting them regularly now as I always knew they could play and produce at these levels no problem. Now, higher end Euro football is a different story and if you read my posts you would knoaw that I think we are tactically bereft, with coaches who just aren't up tp snuff. I kind of feel as frustrated as I was back then becuase I beleive that technically and physically we are now close to most, but we just don't have the teachers en masse, or the culture at the lower levels to push the agenda. Hate seeing wasted talent and opportunities. In anything. Drives me nuts. Oh well.
I can see your point that the euros/south americans continue to progress while our young players tsagnate becaue they don't have the environment.
Non of the americans in the norwegian league has impressed med so fra. Only Occean har scoread a couple of goals, but is not the big sucess Lillestørm had hoped for. Here is a film clip from mye team Sk Brann (Bergen). I don't know how the atmosphere is on your games in the MLS, but this is how it is here in Bergen when the sun is shining and our team is winning. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mE0FFk2X80 http://media.putfile.com/Tidligere-Storesta http://media.putfile.com/Vi-e-Brann---Bergens-Stolthet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vcXRL3_vFw Tifo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXvdZBIyx2g&search=brann see more here: http://www.takeforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=179&mforum=tribunelivbrann cheers!! Brann is on the top of the league!!
This article is amusing. First it says that Caribean players are going to bypass MLS for Scandanavia. Then it uses examples of guys who couldn't cut it in MLS. Finally, the agent says that MLS is no good because what's the point of sitting on the bench.
Yes but it raises an interesting point - if Allsvenskan can resell these "not ready for MLS" players to someone higher on the food chain, why can't MLS?