If Hans Backe is still around in 2012 he needs to find a way to not let players skip out of town for national team duty. We got burned too many times this year because of missing players and long-term injuries suffered while earning caps. Not to mention international games when our guys didn't even play (Coundoul and Ream come to mind, and there are probably others.) Maybe Soler can give each player a $1,500 bonus per declined call-up. That would go a long way toward Tim Ream's montly rent.
Oh yeah cause Backe's treatment of Bouna and De Rosario's choices to play for their international teams went over so well for everyone involved.
You don't understand how this process works. Your suggestion would result in long bans by FIFA. I would suggest refraining on posting on this subject for a while.
You're right, I don't know how it works. But I remember Lindpere declining a call-up last year when he felt it was more important to help his employer, so other national team players should follow his example. I'm happy to read more if you have a link or have a moment to explain the process. Thanks.
Teemu Tainio ended his international career with Finland when he signed contract with New York Red Bulls or at least put it in hold due long travel distance and hope of enjoying season without constant major minor injury problems. Would fit into current opening eleven 3-man centre midfield along with Roman Eremenko (Rubin Kazan), Perparim Hetemaj (Chievo Verona), Alexander Ring (HJK) and Mika Väyrynen (Leeds).
FIFA requires that clubs let players go to national team duty if a player gets a call up. But it's often a clunky relationship between club and country because clubs pay the overwhelming majority of the player's salary, and therefore the clubs don't want to see their players get hurt while on duty for national teams. That said, a player can turn down an invitation to play for their national team, but they do so at their own peril. Lindpere could make that decision because he probably said to himself something like, "I'm almost 30. My international career is almost over anyway -- and Estonia ain't qualifying for the World Cup anytime soon. So my best bet to make a living is to stay with my club." As a player, he could make that choice. But the club, technically speaking, doesn't have the choice to block a player from leaving to play for his national team. Shenanigans, however, often ensue. For example, Landon Donovan all of a sudden has a minor injury at a time when the US has two meaningless friendlies to play this upcoming week. Are those injuries real? Or is Bruce Arena creating those injuries in order to keep Donovan healthy for the upcoming MLS playoffs? Figure it out.
Hear what you are saying, is a different animal when a player quit to his country than when the owner or the coach ask him to quit or prohibit him to attend...... If the player quit is the player business along, but when the authorities of the team prohibit him to attend then, become the FIFA business and you will not like to have that kind of business with the FIFA... Beside you have to remember that because that rule the LA was missing Kaine and probable they give away that game because Kaine and Donovan was absents if not I doubt if the RBNY will win to LA with Kaine and Donovan in the game.... . .
If you wanted this sort of policy, you would quickly become a club no young player wanted to play for. It's a dead-end street.
They do have a surprisingly realistic chance of making the European Championships though - which is why I felt bad for Lindpere when he turned down qualification callups last year around this time. Even if they were to qualify without him, he might have lost his chance to play in a massive tournament because of it.
...and Estonia has made the playoffs for the Euro Championships. They will play a two-legged playoff on November 11th and 15th, opponent to be named on Thursday.
...and Lindpere is in the Estonia squad for these playoffs. If they beat Ireland and advance, I would say he is as good as gone, especially if Red Bull maintain this ridiculous stance that they don't want active national team players.
Everyone keeps saying he's as good as gone, but who's knocking at his door with an offer? As far as I can remember he had mild interest from some lower division English clubs last year, but as long as we offer him a reasonable salary I don't see why he would leave.
I think a lot depends upon the Euro 2012 Playoffs. If Estonia beat out Ireland, he will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to go play in the Euros. Estonia has never qualified for a major tournament before. So if you've got a chance to go represent your country in the 2nd biggest club tournament in the world, you're going to take it. His club team is saying things like this: I'm sure he can land a contract paying him 125K somewhere else in Europe. Maybe back to Norway. A guy who as performed as steadily as he has over the last two years will have some options. I think his chances of staying are massively increased if Estonia lose in the playoffs to Ireland. If they win however, he'll be thinking about playing in Euro 2012, and would likely be willing to gamble on his club career in return for a drama-free situation with the national team. If Red Bull does the sensible thing and tells him they want him here no matter what and will accommodate his national team callups, then we probably have a much better chance at bringing him back.
I have an idea. Instead of NOT letting them go, how about we DO let them go and get some depth on this roster. That would be wonderful.
Preferring your INTL players not to take call ups from time to time is understandable. All clubs would 'prefer' to not miss players, nor risk their injury due to international duty. But, there is also a benefit to teams via increased transfer value (see Luis Suarez) should the player do well at a tournament, and increased performance of the player when he gets back after having raised his game (potentially). Problem is, Backe/Soler's post Gold Cup comments were really about none of that. They were about not realizing the impact that the GC would have on this roster. All clubs complain about it- Chelsea with the African Cup of Nations, notoriously- but complaining is one thing. Coming out and saying that you flat out didn't realize the impact, didn't take it into account...makes you look wildly incompetent. Imagine Bruce Arena managing Chelsea, signing African players, and then saying he "didn't realize" they'd be gone in January for 6 weeks during that particular season. He'd be killed in the press, and rightly so. If anything, it's a statement of the easy soccer climate in which Backe/Soler find themselves that they can (a) offer up that lark as some sort of an excuse with a straight face and (b) for the most part, get away with it. Imagine the manager of AC Milan lamenting his lowly place in Serie A because he "didn't realize" they'd have to play so many Champions League games. I liked Backe/Soler originally, and wanted to give them a chance. They seemed to have a plan, a plan that gave them a chance to succeed where other Euros (and Metros) had failed. But their statements about the Gold Cup alone are enough to make me painfully embarrassed that they are leading our team, and those alone (though, there are other reasons too) are enough to give pause to any optimism I have for 2012. The more things change...
1. Estonia got bent-over by Ireland today. Barring the greatest comeback in Euro qualification history, they are finished. 2. Soler mentioned in an article that the team has an option to extend Lindpere's contract and sees no reason why they won't. Options are pretty common in MLS... so i'm wondering if Lindpere has the typical 2+1+1 deal we see a lot. Either way that is a lot better than the situation I was imagining, which was him being a free agent. Also wouldn't be surprised if there is a pay increase worked into his deal.
What you really want is a way to have our players decline callups and have everyone else's players go. That would give us some advantage, because if LA et. al. hold on to all their internationals we're going to be in the same position as this year, maybe worse.
Our internationals are an indication of the strength of our roster. Its just a good thing that Tainio and Lindpere aren't dissapearing as often