6/30/05: No More Guest Spots

From the article: "World football governing body Fifa does not recognise the existence of the Gold Cup ..."

Does FIFA not recognize the Gold Cup simply because it's not a FIFA tournament (i.e., does FIFA also not recognize the Euro Cup and other regional cups?), or is there some specific qualification CONCACAF's Gold Cup has not met in order to be recognized by FIFA (like a regular schedule, no guest teams, etc.)? Just curious.

 

Just wanted to post that this was the dominant story on the front page of sports here in town. Third of the page with some more inside. large photo and headline.

 

Here's an article in Spanish. If it's accurate it has important MLS ramifications.

La Opinion: Sin Tentaculos (Without Tentacles)

The "tentacles" reference is that Chivas USA goalie Martin Zuniga aka El Pulpo (the Octopus) has been dropped from the roster and given a position with their youth academy. Aaron Lopez is also being let go.

More importantly, I think, the article mentions Chivas USA's incoming reinforcements as Juan Pablo "el Chato" Rodriguez (sometime Mex Nat - I think he plays for Tecos); Chivas de Guadalajara's Paco Palencia (Mex Nat forward until recently) and Luis Alvarez (not familiar with him). Rodriguez would arrive after the Gold Cup, Palencia in August and Alvarez in the next few days.

 

This has Chivas2 written all over it.

 

If I was another of the 11 teams in MLS, I'd take on flyer on Lopez if he's released.

In a heartbeat.

 

That's why FIFA doesn't recognize the Gold Cup? Got it. Makes sense. Thanks!

Okay, any <<other>> reason?

 

Wow, does it really have that many consonants? I guess I never counted them.

Anyway, I was just curious whether it was true, and, if so, what the reasons might be. Thanks for being more clear this time.

Also, did you forget a question mark at the end of your post, or were you commanding me to understand? (HaHa, I just kill myself sometimes!)

 

It's actually Juan Pablo Garcia formerly of Atlas who's long been rumored to have signed with CDCU. Garcia's better than Chato.

 

I believe Segroves is correct about the CONCACAF teams being able to force the club teams to release players and the guest teams don't have the luxury. There was an article on Reading's website about Bruce maybe forcing them to release Convey for the Gold Cup because of FIFA's rules

 

A little knowledge is a confusing thing.

Thanks for the correction / clarification. I now realize that I've been thinking of the wrong player when I've been reading about JP Garcia. What position does Garcia usually play?

 

Why is it that the sale of the Quakes, who have more support, more history, and a decent rivalry, is so much further along but the sale of KC isn't? You figure MLS might try a bait-and-switch because of this. I don't remember who owns KC (I know AEG owns SJ). I would say if SJ is moved that they need to be on the bubble for expansion every year if a stadium deal can ever be worked out. Do something kinda like what the Ravens/Browns did when they moved to Baltimore. Contract the Quakes, expand to Club America. That way all of the Quakes stuff (records mainly) remains with SJ. They seem to be a lot like Browns fans...except for the complete insanity some Browns fans have.

I also bet CA has a lot more sense than Chivas. They have the benefit of seeing the F-up that is Chivas and would hopefully draft and sign a little better.

 

Well, in that case, since you just pulled the number out of your ...uh, air, I wish you had picked a number other than thirteen. I'm occasionally a little bit superstitious, you know. (I'm not usually this loopy. Must be something I ate this morning.)

 

Higher costs? It costs more to play in Spartan than Arrowhead now, and it would cost more to build a new stadium in SF Bay than in KC.

 

The South African article is wrong, the Gold Cup is a FIFA competition and if a player is called up, the clubs can't do anything about it.

 

Okay, see, now I'm confused. I thought it was a CONCACAF competition? (When did they stop calling it TFC, by the way?) Do you mean FIFA "recognizes" it?

Also, by "if a player is called up, the clubs can't do anything about it", do you mean only the CONCACAF players, or players for guest teams as well?

 

Now I'm really confused. I thought the Gold Cup was an AFL-CIO competition.

Someone, please clarify.

 

I would say don't believe everything you read on the internet.

http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/index/0,2527,107095,00.html?articleid=107095

 

I guess I should have put a smiley face in my post. I wasn't really confused.

 

Well what I'm saying is if you were going to move a team, it wouldn't matter where the old stadium or whatever is. I just wish MLS would push for someont to *move* KC before they move San Jose. I'd just hate to see the Quakes moved to Houston next year and KC still playing in Arrowhead.

 

I would suspect that it has something to do with the ownership groups. CA approached AEG some time ago, I think while AEG owned 6 teams. If any ownership group was going to divest, it would be most likely to be AEG. Thus, over time and relationship building, and since AEG does have a team they don't want (SJ), it just made the most sense, rather than change horses and work with HSG re Wizards. Something tells me that HSG is also more caring about the Wizards staying in KC than AEG is about Earthquakes staying in SJ. Why this feeling? Because in all the dealings, Hunt has seemed like he realizes and cares about the connections he and his company builds with the communities he is in, moreso than AEG which seems much more corporate/money-driven. Case in point being the way they hire and fire people--Hunt hates firing people and gives them every opportunity (see Marty Schottenheimer and Greg Andrulis). AEG, meanwhile, removed a proven winner and fan favorite Peter Wilt in favor of a corporate hack/goon/stooge/your epithet here.

It will be interesting to see what CA does with a new team. They aren't burdened with the ethnic requirement that Chivas is, and will start with an existing team, not a bunch of castoffs coming together for the first time. If they do move SJ, it already starts with a decent team.

 

I love to point out silliness in press reports, this one from the Rocky Mt. News:

Rep points to anyone who spots the f-up.

 

Yep, I saw that too. If the game had ended up in a draw, the Rapids would not have moved "one point closer" to the Quakes in the standings. The lead would have remained 7 points since both teams would have earned the point for a draw.

 

How would they move 1 pt closer with a tie? Wouldn't SJ get a point as well?

 

Doh!

That'll teach me to read the next post.