Cubo's last good MLS season was so long ago it was with Chivas USA. EDIT: okay, he had one good year after that (out of three) with Houston, in 2017.
Believe the podcast you're referencing is the last Allocation Disorder. It has a lot of interesting league information, as well as some short tidbits about RSL. Belief is pretty strong that the owners will trigger the force majeure clause that was put into the CBA after the pandemic started, but before MiB tournament. Expectation is it'll be fairly soon, not late in the preseason schedule. However, a work stoppage doesn't seem as likely, given the players just don't have a ton of equity themselves to sustain a lockout. What might happen is a delayed start of the season - which actually makes a whole lot of sense on multiple fronts - to be pushed back from the current plan of Mid March. Given the vaccine disbursement, I think an April start makes the most sense. Just spitballing here, the league could be creative in holding a preseason "MiB" type tournament, in that first month in a remote location like Orlando. Maybe you split it by conference or something. Test fans in stadiums in a place like LA, should it be allowed, or maybe a Phoenix (they seem to be the location youth soccer tournaments are pivoting to) to see how it could be done and push the start of the actual season into May. The small tidbits about RSL were tied into the discussion of the league looking to private equity firms to infuse cash into the league, given the rumored billion dollar loss the league took last year. At first I thought this was going to go in the direction that RSL would be a ripe place for a private equity firm to invest, but that doesn't seem to be the thought. Houston and Orlando, as full franchise sales, are likely more attractive for a private equity firm that wants to be full owner. But more than that, private equity firms, at least with how it was framed, aren't looking to be primary owners, just minority owners looking to cash out in a 5-10 year timeline. What became jarring, at least for me, was Stejskal's comments about Ryan Smith. From the way it was framed, it sounds like Smith will in fact become the owner of the team. I guess that means that he just didn't want to cut the check to DLH directly? I dunno. it seemed really weird Oh, and another post about that article we need to talk about is analytics and what, if anything, RSL is doing in that area
As for BWP, we don't have any clue what his contract option number is. He signed the 1 year deal, with a 1 year option, with LAFC at the start of 2020. This certainly was below his 2019 number (1.2MM) as he wasn't a DP for the team. He won comeback player of the year in 2020 but still got released by LAFC. That seems really strange and hints he likely is outside our pay ability.
He'd be a great second forward in a two forward set up, and still might score ten in that scenario. Running by himself as a lone striker in our weird system wouldn't help his productivity at all. The BWP of four, five, six years ago would have helped us even with our peculiarities.
Good points. With this roster, Freddy has to change the tactical identity of this team, right? Well, let me rephrase that, he has to CREATE a tactical identity, right? The 4-2-3-1, blast it to the wing players and hope they become Ronaldo/Messi tactical approach isn't an acceptable answer
The RSL Show interviewed Freddy and I've seen questions asked to 5 year olds that were more "interrogating". This is a ********ing joke of a podcast And Freddy doesn't think there is much wrong with this team. We are so very ********ed I'm with goob, there really really needs to be a better podcast/blog/reporting done on this team because, with how this interview was done, you'd have thought we lost in the second or third round of the playoffs. Not had a historically bad season. Freddy simply doesn't get it and these guys didn't press him AT ALL on serious issues These guys also fall victim to blaming all issues on a specific individual(s) to justify the incompetence's of their guy. Mike Petke is in the "******** this guy" camp. I'm not against that, but he also isn't the reason this team sucks.
That was from last offseason... I agree with them not even asking easy questions, let alone some that actually address the issues we all see.
RSL didn't pick anyone in the Waiver draft yesterday and the two players formerly of RSL didn't get picked either. Additionally, stage 1 of the re-entry process starts at 1pm Eastern today, RSL picks 6th. Free agency opened yesterday, but I don't think there have been any signings, but there have been a few trades in the league. I'm hoping for some moves this off-season that inspire some hope/confidence in the team.
Even if it's an old podcast these guys are still way too complimentary and far more interested in ingratiating themselves into and with the club then being any kind of arbiter or critic. They're fans and that's cool but I do think that a more critical/questioning/'inquisitive fan based podcast would be more interesting. The club may not like it but I think it would be more valuable and interesting.
wait, WHAT?! That was from a year ago? Why the hell did they re-publish it? I should read the details with it. Dumb of me to assume that a new post, with an interview, would be something recent I guess. The irony is that, even with the softball questions, the way Freddy answers almost 100% contradicts what we saw in 2020. So... That's awful
When the team finishes with 5th worst record (end of season performance even worse), the bar isn't very high. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/12/17/three-players-selected-stage-one-2020-mls-re-entry-draft RSL didn't pick anyone and there wasn't an RSL player picked. Typically don't see much movement in Stage 1. Should hear about more players re-signing with their team before Stage 2 as teams can re-negotiate with players picked in Stage 2 (don't have to pick up their option, essentially). We'll see if there's any RSL news before Tuesday.
Did I miss conversation about this somewhere? It's been 22 minutes and we should have had this link posted ages ago... https://www.rsl.com/post/2020/12/21/real-salt-lake-icon-kyle-beckerman-announces-his-retirement
Yeah, kind of hard to comprehend. The video there is really well done. He'll be missed on the team, but I'm looking forward to how he can help the organization going forward.
I joked about it before, but how the hell has Luke Mulholland not retired yet? I'm getting more and more nervous that he'll somehow be on one of the rosters next year (RSL or Monarchs) and it'll be so very dumb
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/12/17/eligible-players-mls-2020-re-entry-process-stage-2 Anyone worth adding to the roster? You get to negotiate a new deal with the player and don't have to take them at their previous salary. Keep in mind that right now, it appears there are 5 senior roster spots open and 2 international slots. Need difference makers.
Are there players on there we should take a shot at? Sure But do I trust this GM and staff to negotiate a good deal? no
Miguel Ibarra? Connor Sparrow? Yes I know. Thought he was better than Ochoa and Putna. Andy Najar? Greg Garza? Tanner Dietrerch? Andres Flores? I have no idea. I was just looking for familiar names and good teams cast offs. I'm sure there are good players, diamonds in the rough, but I wouldn't trust the current RSL FO to find one even if it came in a box by Neil Lane.
If RSL gets new ownership very soon maybe just maybe we would see some new signings. But my money is RSL is a league run team with Freddy and Elliott at the wheel. Don’t expect that much change with their hands tied in bureaucracy and lack of ability.
If RSL ends up being run by Freddy and Elliott 2021 will be EPIC! The utter incompetence on display will be astounding. If that ends up being the case with no new owner one season of the Freddy and Elliott show and RSL will be primed for a move out of Utah and to another market. Which might be a decent option for MLS. If no one steps up to buy the team and they suck as a bad as their coach this fan base will be so small hardly anyone will notice if they drive on down the road to Vegas. I hope that does not happen. Knock on wood.
I've said this here and other places, but it deserves repeating: While SLC/Provo/Ogden (as of the 2010 census) was a "smaller" market, by all measurements it is one of (if not the) fastest growing metros in the country. This league would be dumb to not only remove a club from the area, but to make it pretty much impossible for one to return for quite some time. The hype about Vegas is especially ironic given that, if you actually include Provo and Ogden in the SLC/Metro population (which you should, this club pulls from those areas) the population is larger than Vegas/Henderson/Paradise