Monday 5 April 2021

Atlas F.C.

 

Fernando Fiore on USMNT and Inter Miami

https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/fernando-fiore-interview-20210405-0003.html

 

From that article:
"Things did not go as planned for David Beckham and Inter Miami in year one."

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-...uts-player-health-and-safety-at-the-forefront

MLS to allow up to two concussion substitutes per game. This and other sub changes in the article.

 

Sounds good in theory, I just hope teams don't try and abuse the rule. I'm assuming they think the sign off of this impartial 'Venue Medical Director' on any possible concussion calls along with the opposing team also getting a substitution will curtail that...we'll have to wait and see how it does in actual practice.

 

Right, I'm thinking especially the other team getting a sub too will really disincentivize shenanigans.

 

This is a good point.

 

I can’t say I’m a fan of the new concussion subs rule.

Before you jump on me for being a horrible backwards concussion denier or something, please hear me out.

First of all, we need to acknowledge that the decision to or to not substitute a potentially-concussed players still rests with the teams under this rule. This is problematic because the teams are worrying about more than just the player’s health; they also are concerned with the tactical impact the move will have in the match. Yes, giving them a substitute and allowing the other team to match them helps alleviate these concerns, but there are still situations where it may be tactically beneficial to leave a player on. If your team’s star player gets concussed, but you have no one decent to replace him with, we’re still left with the old problem of teams being hesitant to take that player out. This is especially true if you know the opponents have a deeper bench, which they can take advantage of with the additional substitution.

So, I come to the conclusion that these decisions must not be made by the teams, but by independent medical professionals with the sole power to remove a player from a game (temporarily or permanently). The teams should have no say in this decision.

And given that system, what is the need to add all these extra substitutions? If the teams can’t control whether or not a concussed player returns to the game, there’s no need to incentivize their removal with additional substitutions: the team will be mandated to take them off anyways (and either expend a real substitution or play with fewer player).

As others brought up, with the system MLS has adopted, it’s possible to see 9 substitutions made per team in a game. There’s no need for this. The adopted system doesn’t even address the problem (teams making their own decisions about concussion safety) while adding the potential for a ludicrous number of subs to be used.

So, don’t just blindly support this system because it makes it look like the league is trying to do something for head injury safety. Their intent may be noble, but this implementation is horrible.

 

As I mention in my comment above (but would like to highlight again here): if there’s an independent doctor who has the power to pull players off, without needing the team’s permission, why do we need extra subs in the first place? There’s no need to provide an incentive to the teams to bring the player off if the teams don’t get to make the decision.

 

https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2021-04-05-The-San-Jose-Earthquakes-Introduce-PayPal-Park

1) PayPal stadium naming right for 10 years (PayPal Park)
2) Sleeve sponsor
3) Purchase in stadium with PayPal (eventually, I have to assume some link with the SJQ and PayPal apps in the future, like order with your PayPal and/or SJQ app, pay with PayPal, food delivered to your seat)

 

How is that different than a guy who breaks his leg after the 3 subs have been made? I think having the independent doc is probably a good idea, but I'm not a fan of additional subs. I think we should go back to 3 anyway. How have the two extra subs helped the game? If your team isn't fit enough to go 90, rotate your lineup. If your bench isn't deep enough to support the rotation, then build a better roster. MLS salary rules hamstring us, but they hamstring everyone equally.

Or do line changes like hockey, where 10 dudes just run onto the field during the middle of a play and the other 10 run off simultaneously.

 

The difference is that nothing visible is broken, and guys have been playing with a concussion, which poses long-term damage to their career and their life. Concussion happens to have accumulative effects-after you've had a couple, it's substantially easier to get more of them, and if you've had a lot of them, there can be long-term or permanent consequences.

Basically, there's not much similar to a broken leg.

 

Repped because we should go back to fewer subs anyway. I don't think facilitating the berzerker pressing game makes the sport necessarily better. And we know how college ball can look with unlimited subs to just run through a brick wall. "Ok now it's your turn, Caden."

 

... hence the independent doctor to make the call whether the player continues or not. That guy has no incentive to allow a player to keep playing with a concussion. If the doc says he has a concussion, he comes off, sub or no sub.

 

After watching Atlanta vs. Alajuelense last night, I strongly reconsidered my 4th sub opinions. Guzan got red carded, then shortly thereafter Rios Novo (the backup keeper) got kicked in the head. He was fine and made some massive saves late in the game. But if he'd had to come off for injury in the 58th minute it would have been a field player in goal for 37 minutes and Atlanta would surely have lost the game (not because we were out of subs, but because we only brought two keepers). What if there'd been a 3rd keeper on the bench, but we were out of subs?

After thinking hard about it, I still like 3 subs with no exceptions for injury. Fate is a cruel mistress sometimes. Life is hard; suck it up.

 

This would get Bob Bradley's support

 

The player, of course, has every incentive to lie, since if he tells the truth his team will have 10 men. And one can imagine the pressure on the medic who has to make these decisions to err on the side of permissiveness.

 

How are you going to lie about pupil dilation and reflex tests? The NFL has this same type of protocol, and it seems to work OK for them.

 

The NFL has. . . unlimited substitutions tho?

 

Correct. Which I don't want. I do want the independent doctor to tell the team this player's done for the day, though.