from ussocceruk.com: http://www.ussocceruk.com/modules.p...e=article&sid=247&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 The most important statement I see is that Lens have to makes a decision by the end of April regarding picking up Joe's option to extend the contract beyond the initial 6 months. Oh yeah, there's some Donovan talk about playing in England as well.
Sounds like someone got their feelings hurt.....this isn't NBA or NFL or MLB. They can't go on comitting to huge contracts before the final season of a contract is over or before it even starts. For example, if Cannon signed a big contract before the playoffs last season and say during the playoffs he blows out his ACL, he's out for the next season and MLS is on the hook for his salary. This league isn't in a place, financially, where it can have that stuff happen. Guys like Robinson and Russell who's salaries aren't near what a Goalkeeper Of The Year would have commanded are worth the risk(ironically both are injured). In Robinson's case, MLS was smart to sign him early since he's a rising star and probably would have commanded a higher salary with another solid season under his belt. Cannon just needed to be patient and understanding about the leagues situation and if he's smart, he'll come back. Sitting the bench anywhere is a bad move.....it's a gamble.
Schmid concerned at LA clocking up the miles. Los Angeles manager Sigi Schmid is hoping the vast amount of travelling his Galaxy team are having to endure this month won’t affect the start of their title defence. Good. Let's kick them when they're down !! If we don't do it now it'll be a bitch getting the wins on Victoria street. I'm really NOT looking forward to the Onstad / Ruiz matchup.
Every so often I run into one member of the EQs staff when I am getting my morning coffee. A couple of months ago I asked him about Joe and Wade. He said that the league low-balled Joe right after they gave Howard a huge contract. So, it didn't seem that Joe was too thrilled with the league and after that I wonder if there was anything the Quakes or the league could do to make him stay. Given the rapport he had with the fans, the way he was finally knocking on the National Team door, things were looking good for him here. (Knowing that they EQs HAD to want him back, I think that "unemployed" excuse he mentioned is pretty flimsy.) But, since European teams weren't exactly knocking down the door to sign him, you have to wonder if he didn't just jump at the first team that showed some interest. I'd love it if the contract in France wasn't there and he came back at mid-season. IMHO, Joe is a steadier, if marginally less spectacular, keeper than Howard and, if his distribution improves, could seriously challenge for a spot on the national team someday.
Yeah, it sounds like the guy ahead of him is younger, so Joe's looking at three more years on the bench unless the situation changes. Can't see Joe going for that. Looking forward to the next two installments of the interview...
Cannon is a great club keeper. There is no way anybody on these boards can justify paying Cannon as much or more than Howard. Howard is getting interest from ManU - Cannon had to take a 6month trial deal from a French team that most people aren't familiar with. Howard is Arena's #3 keeper. Cannon has been called in by Arena what 3 times? Howard plays in a big market like NY Cannon plays in SJ Howard is young Cannon is old
That's ridiculous. Cannon has posted much better numbers than Howard. Therefore, on a level field Cannon should make as much or more. Yawn. I'd rather have Cannon between the pipes than Howard any day in any match. Howard gets more attention because he plays in NYJ, but that doesn't make him a better keeper. I don't know why Arena thinks Howard is better, I sure don't, and neither do the numbers. Sure Howard makes some spectacular saves, but that's often because he was out of position in the first place. Cannon is not that old, especially for a keeper. Cannon is also bigger than Howard and therefore covers more space. GO QUAKES!! - Mark
Then why would Cannon say that MLS didn't even offer him a contract? As far as Howard is concerned, he is a more complete keeper than Cannon, the only thing Cannon does better is the 1v1 breakaways.
In the article Cannon said "But, toward the end of the season, the league had still not approached me with a contract. They didn't come in with an offer until late 2002." So, I don't see your point, LDB. He said an offer came in, not that they didn't offer him a contract. He didn't have a job, because he rejected the offer. Again, the "unemployment" was his choosing, he could have negotiated with the league. It sounds like he was too pissed off to stay around and try. That, combined with a desire to prove himself overseas, and off he goes. Now, I hope he comes back, I think this is a better situation for him, long and short term. As for his ability, I've seen Howard make some brilliant saves only to give up some incredibly soft goals. Like I said, distribution is someplace Joe can definitely improve. And, such a glaring weakness probably goes a long way towards keeping him off the National team or signing on in a major role on a European team. That said, I'd just as soon have Joe coming up big most of the time than Howard pulling off unbeleivable saves only to let one in that he should have saved. No doubt about it, Howard is the better athlete-that doesn't mean he's a better goalkeeper.
I miss Super Joe and would rather have him in the nets here than sitting on the bench with the Frenchies! Aren't we boycotting French soccer too? Go Quakes!
Yes!! We've opted for Freedom Soccer!!! (No, not Washington Freedom.) I totally agree. I'd love nothing more than to have SuperJoe come back. I'm concerned, though, that the damage may have been done between him and MLS and that if he doesn't get the extension in France there are a lot of teams in Europe. He may well get another opportunity elsewhere to pursue his dream. IMHO, it would take Joe's not getting the extension and a really strong desire to play, coupled with a better offer than this alledged low-ball figure thrown at him in late 2002. Maybe if MLS showed that they do recognize his value after all, the chance to come back and start might be appealing enough. (He'd surely get a hero's welcome if he did!) On the plus side of Joe's foray, I would suspect that his distribution has ratcheted up a bit from all of this...but at the end of the day, better distribution or not, I still want Joe Cannon back--no questions asked!!
At the risk of spamming, I'll restate here what I posted on another (less appropriate) thread. According to SoccerAmerica's MLS Confidential, Howard's new contract pays him close to the league max of $280,000. Considering that their stats aren't that dissimilar, I can see where Joe could consider himself low-balled by the league, even if they offered him something well over $100,000. However, Joe doesn't have Manchester United considering him, either...
I don't know if any of you have attempted to read the various articles on the RC Lens website, but combining my three semesters of college French and Babelfish, I was able to read some of the things said by and written of Joe. Of course, you don't learn much more than what most of us already know... In a nutshell, here's what I found: 1) Joe felt that he would have better chances to crack the national team by proving himself in Europe, as Friedel and Keller have. He suggests that will be looking elsewhere in Europe should Lens not opt to extend his stay there. 2) Joe as we know, is stuck behind #1 Lens keeper Charles Itandje. Itandje is seven years younger than Joe and is French, which puts Joe at a distinct disadvantage at RCL. There are a lot of pics of Joe in training with the first team on the Lens site. But he hasn't seen any match action at all. I even checked one article that translated as "Baptism of fire for Joe Cannon" and it was just a little blurb on his beginning training with the first team. 3) He hurt his knee recently, but it was somewhat minor and has since returned to training. 4) A bit OT, Joe is not supportive of the war in Iraq and felt there could have been some more diplomacy. He didn't like discussing it too much. (Hmmm... a diplomatic response because he's playing for a French team?)
Thanks DevilDave! Your feedback under item #1 got me to thinking (yes, very dangerous)... In the past, my position has been the move to Europe wouldn't help his chances for the USMNT. It would take too long for him to establish himself to make much of a difference, plus of the large risk that the opportunity would never appear. However, while playing in the MLS, he would always be behind Howard because of age (I.e. he's not that much better than Howard to offset the age factor). In Europe, if he does establish himself in a competitive league (I.e. more competitive than the MLS), then he could potentially leap frog Howard. The rational being that the higher competition would offset the age factor...
That's great...Joe has been taken over by the Frenchies. Next he will want to surrender something and then gripe about for the rest of his life. Too bad the league didn't push to keep him. Like I said before, I would rather have him in the nets at Spartan then on the bench In Fr#$ce. Tough luck, Joe!
Any of you who remotely understand French can view Joe's controversial remarks here: http://www.rclens.fr/2003_fevrier_27_michalowski_cannon.asp The Cliffs Notes version: A) Decisions here in the U.S. are made by elites B) Rough translation: "Everyone should be able to resolve their problems with dialogue, by talking, and not fighting." C) Again, rough translation: "If in the U.S., France passes as a country that never fights and always refuses war, that's an interesting attitude. You know, once you take a life, there's nothing you can do to bring it back." Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Joe Cannon, diplomat. (Please refrain from using stronger langauge, if possible.)