I thought I said that. In different words. When the kid publically talks about a trade before he's "dafted", an MLS columnist on an MLS web site writes about it, etc. I don't call them preconceptions. Imaterial to the issue. See my family comments. Me:"MLS is not going to "win" in this situation forcing the kid where he just does not want to go. Wait tell he or his mom gets some phone calls from future prospects. " Bill I'm not asuming anything. If the kid states publically he wants to go to NJ then he wants to go. Your missing the whole point [which you really agreed to in your first paragraph about MLS] Putting Columbus/Metros into a fighting frenzy contributes to a poor PR situation that doesn't get the kid what he wants/needs. It's not too damn bad when the league as a whole is hurt. Which is one of my points. You don't make publicity hay out of signing a potential star, then in the publics mind F$#@ him. And despite your protestations that is what's coming across given the family situation and the proposed trade demands between the two clubs. About the only way out of it now is for the Commiss to say to each team what is your best offer. (maybe with some alternatives). Give them 24 hours to settle the situation, then say I'm going to come up with a set in stone compromise. They'll both end up pissed, but a bad PR situation ends.
At the time, I would have agreed with you. But given that none of us were aware of the "Freddy must play some in every match no matter what" clause of his contract, and given that at the time we didn't *know* the U-23s wouldn't qualify, I honestly, honestly think it was pretty close to a fair deal. You got an allocation for a player who, so far, is at best neutral as far as helping DC win. You're not going to argue with that, are you? If he's really great, he's gone after 2 more seasons of unknowable productivity. If he's not, well, you got an allocation for a player who's not really great.
You've asserted this, I think, twice. But you haven't explained it. How is Danny holding out going to hurt MLS?
But I believe that's just it. Danny isn't moving from Poland to England, he's moving from the United States to England. My thinking is that the rationale for the rule (protecting children who move long distances away from home to play football) is the standard FIFA is applying. IE, for the purposes of this rule Danny lives in the United States and can't transfer abroad professionally until he turns 18. Remember that despite having a German passport (necessary for the UK work permit) Jonathan Spector was initially denied the ability to play for Man Utd by FIFA under this rule. Spector eventually was allowed to, but not because of his German passport but because Man Utd sucessfully argued that Spector had signed before the rule was put into effect. With Szetela making a similar claim now, I think you need to open yourself up to the possibility that the rule, while it does say what you wrote (I have read it), is open to a few different interpretations, particularly since the Spector case and Szetela's comments run contrary to your interpretation.
It could be the case. It's always tough to say with insiders (and again, since HPI came out with that report, Dan R has said that to the best of his knowledge, Magee was never put on the table, so who knows.) Szetela is a prospect, Marshall is playing well, but he's also playing a position the Metros don't really need (he wouldn't start over the Pope/Parke tandem), Martino? Are you joking? He'll be joining Chris Carrieri in the A-League the way he's going. Buddle? He gets hurt more than Wolff, and at least Wolff plays like he cares when he is healthy. Buddle's trade stock is WAY down right now, and frankly, he wouldn't be any higher than 5th on our striker depth chart. Hejduk is the only player on your list that the Metros could actually use. He's the only player on your list that would start for the Metros right now. So why on earth would the Metros trade three starters for one and a bunch of Columbus' garbage? If the season ended today, Guevara would be MLS MVP. No single player has played better this season. Gaven isn't too far behind, and Clark is still one of better D-Mids in the league (though his injury problems are beginning to concern me).
I'll be honest here, I don't remember any of this stuff. I vaguely remember some kind of hold up, but I don't have any recollection of what is was about. Is there a link, either to an article or a thread here, that might help me out?
Isn't there some verbage in the youth transfer stuff talking about "country of initial registration" or something like that?
Maybe that's where you should have started What should now be obvious is that MLS should not have bent its rules for Freddy. Now everybody wants similar treatment. Wrong. This is MLS, not the New York City Social Services Organization. You are saying that in an adverse arms length negotiation the buyer [MLS] should be protecting the seller [Danny] from his own mother, his own agent, and his own stupidity. Nope. That's what he has an agent for. Its not MLS's job or duty. Absolutley wrong. What raises distrust is when the league bends its own rules (see Freddy). Here Danny can ABSOLUTELY TRUST that the league WILL live up to its contract. In the first place, if I'm a hot shot player the VERY LAST person I want to take advice from is Danny's mom, who butchered this thing six ways to Sunday. But, to humor you, if such a call were ever made, what they should say is, "Dont hire the bozo I had as an agent!!!" The sky is falling. The sky is falling. No other young stars will sign with MLS. Wanna bet? Lets see who signs up for the 2005 combine and draft.
When I get a chance I'll look it up. It was on Yanks Abroad somewhere. There was one other instance that escapes me (might not have been American) where again I was confused as to what the hold up was, and so now after three instances I think the rule might be interpreted differently than the work permit rules (you live where you live, end of story). Now if a person has an English passport, that might be enough, but only because it would be easy enough to argue "non-footballing" reasons for the move. Such reasons don't hold water with a Polish passport. I think what may be happening is that Szetela and Co. made the same assumptions and guess to the rule as you and I made and were suddenly surprised to find that it wasn't the case.
I'm pretty sure that's not the case, because the whole issue comes down to the fact that the EU courts ruled that for employment purposes, the EU is one labor market. But I guess that's what we're arguing about, isn't it?
So the numbnuts on the metros broadcast were wrong when they said he was not in uniform last night? I missed most of the Crew game soo didn't hear.
He was there, in uniform, dressed like a sub, acting like a sub, but there is one problem. He reportedly wasn't on the sub list, so there was no way he was ever going to go into that game. He was dressed up and trotted out for photos like a dog and pony show. This crap needs to stop. Columbus won him fairly, they want more than the Metros (or any other sane person) would give for him. Szetela, his agent and his mother need to shut up and play the game. Columbus (though they did win in the end) could have used a late game defensive sub. If Danny weren't so busy pouting, he could have possibly been playing.
I want to see the guy who wrote "Szetela signing with MLS was a victory for MLS over Europe". Thats a guy who really knows his stuff. His agent did the damage. Well maybe after 5 others had lost the job his new man might have seen the light. He wanted to go to everton but got rejected and then used Metros as a coverup. If you dont belive me read if we had know he was not going to The Metrostars he would have signed with Everton. It was never about him playing in the US it was about him getting as much money as possible. I have no issue with that but when you screw up the deal dont start to cry figure it out first before you make your move.
Mom, with or without the collusion of a collection of agents who got fired presumably for telling her what she didn't want to hear, tried to run a game on some EPL sides. She honestly thought that she could play ManU and Man City against each other. Now I gotta say, playing poker with the big boys is a task many a stout heart would find daunting. These are big time businessmen, not a couple of U12 coaches trying to win State Cup. She overplayed her hand and everybody walked away. She thought Everton was her fall back, only to discover that they don't like being the chump either. Imagine that. Frankly though, it may turn out to have been a blessing to young Daniel. MLS is not a bad place to learn the craft as opposed to 1:30 PM reserves and Youth matches in front of 50 people. Donovan, Beasley, Convey, to name three, seem to have done OK by it despite what the snobs say. I find it ironic that people on BS who are bemoaning him not ending up living alone in a foreign city think it's a scandal that he's going to be a one hour plane ride from his Mom. And I'm sorry his Dad died, but it was THREE (not two, three) years ago, and he has lived since then year-round in Bradenton Florida. His homesickness apparently has a signally long gestation period. Yes, his Mom is ill (although people who keep mentioning this have no idea what her "health problems" amount to. Neither do I, but a little restraint might be in order). I'm betting there's not much wrong with her that a mid-six figure salary can't ameliorate to some extent, regardless of where he mails the checks from. The biggest problem here, to me, lies squarely on MLS. Don Garber babbled on like Gabby Hayes about how much the kid wanted tp play in Jersey and how great it would be if the kid could play in Jersey, blah, blah, blah. He should have just shut his stupid face and not worked so hard at raising Danny's expectations. I think his agent, his Mom and MLS got him way more pumped up about the possibility than circumstances dictated. Was he lied to? Likely not, but he heard what he wanted to hear from abunch of people who knew exactly what they were doing. So now he's moved in with the Warczycha family enjoying Mrs. W's famous kielbasa and pierogis. Good for him. When the dust settles maybe we can all just sit back and see what the kids' got to show us.
I'm glad the Metros didn't trade for the kid, but you don't know what you're talking about. Playing for the Metros would have put him in his home. Playing for Columbus puts him out of his home. His agent's quote (though a stupid thing to say) makes sense. Everton, even after they cut the worth of the original offer, was reportedly still offering significantly more than MLS/Adidas. Thus, if he was going to play away from home anyways, he likely would have chosen the place where he'd be making more money to support his family. This whole situation was handled horribly by just about everyone involved. The kid should never have opened his mouth in the first place, the agent should never have taken the negotiations to the press, Garber should never have gone on like a school girl about how it should be just a matter of time until a trade took place, Andrulis and McCullers should have refused to even talk trade if they were just going to waste everyone's time by insisting on Guevara or nothing. Nobody knows what the Metros offer was, so they may have been wrong for offering too little (who knows). Szetela is in Columbus and that's the best thing that ever could have happened for the Crew or the Metros. It sucks for the kid, but he may learn to love it. The ball's in his court on how he wants to act from here.
Reported? Where? Grant's article was talking about the ORIGINAL Everton offer, not the 2nd, reduced offer. If you have another report, I'd love to see a link to it.