There is a bit more to the relationship than that. Particularly in coaching and player recruitment. Ever wonder why so many US national team players came through the Chicago Fire Premier team? Its quite a list: Brad Guzan, Jay DeMerit, Jonathan Spector, Ricardo Clark, Drew Moor, Chris Rolfe, Matt Pickens, and others I can't think of right now. Basically, its no coincidence those guys came to Chicago Fire Premier while Bob Bradley was there. Throw in Carlos Bocanegra, who Bob drafted straight onto the MLS squad, and the entire defensive side of the ball for the US Confed Cup team was in the Chicago system during the Bradley years. They even play their matches on the Toyota Park practice complex.
Because the Fire have a chance to see them first hand. And they occassionally practice/scrimmage with the Fire. Different owners. But arrangements that are beneficial to both sides. It's a big boon for the Premier to be able to offer the watchful eyes of the Fire as a selling point.
Additional info on why he left the Fire http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-fire-confidential/2009/09/rolfes-rationale-it-has-a-lot-to-do-with-the-way-youre-treated.html
^^^ The low-ball offers to middle-class Americans (or Latin Americans) who haven't received much interest from abroad is a fact of life in MLS with the salary cap. Probably hundreds of other players could tell the same tale; it just so happens Rolfe had an option abroad.
hopefully Rolfe does well for himself.... however, if all goes under, Fire will gladly take him back seeing as we hold onto his rights for 2 yrs i wish Rolfe the best...guy is quite underrated in my opinion
Can't we just be happy for the guy? He's going to make some more money and has the chance to play at a slightly higher level. That's great. He came into the league a total unknown even by the standards of American soccer, from the University of Dayton, who even there mostly played hurt. I'm not even sure what "he should have been gone from MLS years ago" means in this case. There's no evidence any European teams wanted him years ago, or that there was any opportunity for him to go overseas. We often talk on these boards about players as if they exist solely to win trophies for the US National Team and if they don't, then they've failed, or the system has failed. Which is a ridiculous way to think about these people.
I am happy for him. My critizism was more for MLS. Trying to hold on to players when they should let them go so MLS can make more stars. When young, talented, players like Rolfe or Dempsey are trying to go overseas, they're going to do it one way or another. MLS is actually making less money by holding on to a player, then being forced to sell him when his contract is near an end, which makes him cheaper.
Its not MLS's duty to let players go abroad so they can improve for the national team and there's no damn guarantee that they will be able to "make more stars" with the next guys. MLS is trying to improve on the field which is the lone remaining glaring criticism of the league.
I'm not really speaking for the national team. I'm saying that MLS is not looking at reality and selling these players for better money instead of holding onto them. Most players that are going to Europe are going to do it anyways. Like I wrote before, they'll wait for their contracts to run out, forcing MLS to except a smaller portion of money then they would've made if they sold him earlier. Or they'll let their contracts expire, then move to Europe and MLS will get nothing.
With the euro's strength against the dollar the last year and a half, MLS should have been selling as many players as possible to realize the value of their assets. Instead the league prefers to watch its assets depreciate.
Seriously, how can you not understand that MLS, and more importantly, its teams are trying to be as good as possible ON THE FIELD. Why would Chicago let Chris Rolfe go? To get a bit of money? What's to guarantee that they can find another cheap player from Central or South America to replace him? Chicago doesn't have as good of a season as they had if they hadn't held on to Chris Rolfe. Or Jon Busch. Or Wilman Conde. Or Marco Pappa. Chicago could have made money off of all of those players, but they were trying to compete on the field. Only Jozy Altidore type money should/will make MLS teams make a decision that is more financial, and less competitive. That is why Cooper lingered for so long and why Sacha Kljestan is still in LA.
I don't think you watched much of Chicago this season. Chris Rolfe was horribly utilized, trying to turn him into a right wing midfielder and only being used at his natural spot when forced to by injuries or call ups. Chicago were not utilizing him to compete "on the field". Further, Pappa is on loan and the Fire have made no move to keep him, failed to offer Blanco a contract to bring him back after the WC, pays Justin Mapp (who barely plays) a shitload of money. No one is coming calling for Busch either and with Conde injured most of the last half of the season, his value is not what it has been, not to mention Bakary Soumare left the club after getting into a post game fistfight with Denis Hamlett. There was very little trying to compete "on the field" for most of the season in Chicago
lol... so he could have been injured on someone else's bench?? he's not a player who should have left, he's a player Fire should have promoted and sold ASA-F*cking-P
He's that bad now? I haven't seen much Fire games in the last year or so. But from what I remember, he was a promising player.
Not only that, is there any evidence that any offer would be more than token money? Rolfe is a nice player, but he's not a difference maker. He's just not worth very much on the transfer market; guys like him are, not a dime a dozen, but not real valuable either. The tiny scratch the league would get for selling Rolfe is almost certainly less than the (extremely hard to measure, I acknowledge) league and Chicago would lose by letting guys like him go and fostering the impression that MLS isn't committed to excellence.
did i just step into a time portal and arrived at 2007?? though funny, i suspect this is how the Fire FO thinks of it... why else would he be getting paid 225k??
mapp's biggest flaws: 1) 1 dimensional... 2) lack of opposite foot 3) doesnt play defense anywhere on the field 4) injury prone of course he has some up side, but overall, he's an average MLS player IMO
What a disappointment this guy has been. Maybe the MLS is bad for developing guys like Rolfe and Mapp. Sure they play day in day out, but when you put a Blanco on the field, the Mapps and Rolfes of the team aren't expected to be as big of playmakers as their potential could take them. But I don't know, Mapp's issue could be mental. Either way, he sure split those Denmark defenders lil bi*tches a few years back...lol.