Rumor: The return of Eddie Lewis

This helped settle questions about transfer windows in a separate thread.

 

Ha ha. Funny.

I would love to see Eddie Lewis back but not as a DP.

As for DC - it seems they are building a team to really challenge for the CONCACAF champions league and get to the World Club Cup. Good luck to them on that front.

 

For the sport to survive in the US, and for the US to become a true world power, there comes a time when US clubs, especially at the pro level, need to start thinking in terms of more than just domestic league championships. This is not to diminish the accomplishments of winning a MLS cup, but following that up with wins at the international level is a must.

 

Dude, we're an EXPANSION team. We are going to suck. There is no way that we can stop this. We can only hope that Yallop and Doyle can minimize the suck. But make no mistake - we are going to suck. I mean George W. Bush suck. That bad. The sooner we realize and accept this, the better. I myself am looking forward to just seeing the Quakes back, alive, and playing ball again. That'll be enough* for me for a couple of years.

* We have to beat LA, though. I don't care if we don't win a single game besides the LA games.

 

RE: Concacaf Champions League, Libertadores, SuperLiga and those other competitions we need to show well in sooner rather than later...

I would guess our club harbors no such ambition for the next few years - and all our "Hey, we're just happy to have a team!" fans will expect no such efforts.

 

Do you really think they're not trying to get good players and build a winning team? Seriously?

 

I thought I heard or saw somewhere that the Quakes weren't going to go after a big name player for the first few years. Atleast not til we got a stadium?

 

Come on, ccr. Not that bad. That's head-up-our-ass incompetence suck. The absolute lowest. We may well suck, but it will be more of a higher degree, an at-least-we-have-an-idea-of-what-we're-doing suck.

If Yves comes to SJ, things will be saved.

 

You don't have to ascend to greatness to make the playoffs in MLS.

 

which is a major flaw in this league.

 

I think they're trying to build a team which can compete in MLS and with some luck, make the playoffs. Everybody has a chance in the playoffs.

(I think they'll try to do this with a plucky, counterattacking side which relies on tough defense, esprit de corps and hopeful long balls up to a big target man or two of questionable technical ability. Despite the need to build a whole squad from scratch which is competitive and attractive enough to win back the jaded fans we used to have as well as all the new fans we need to have a sustainable MLS club, come the end of the season we'll still have money in the bank [allocations, DP's cap space, whatever] for a rainy day that never comes, or a veteran marquee player who impressed some British people at some point five years ago.

The obvious response to this complaint is to say that money does not guarantee on-field success, that Houston and New England seem to follow the above model and win more than spendy Red Bull or LA. The obvious reply to this response, of course, is that in the long run money does buy you success. How often do PDL teams win the US Open Cup? Which clubs top the world soccer pyramid year after year?

There is no reason for us not to expect our new, major league ownership to field the best, most expensive team on paper that we can possibly afford given MLS' meager player budgets. But I certainly do not see us bending the rules, plying the league for exceptions, flaunting the cap, getting creative, sourcing any behind-the-scenes network, or setting a new MLS standard for youth development academies to get us that match-winning player no one saw coming.)

We will handicap ourselves for the US Open Cup, international friendlies and tournaments - as we neglect the opportunity to win new fans and credibility while filling our trophy cabinet in favor of resting a squad which lacks quality depth. (We'll mail it in for these games, treating them like scrimmages to shake the rust off our understudies and take a look at youngsters. We'll play the tournaments with a wink, since it's just as well we don't advance and have to play more games. Mind you the fans will still pay good money to attend, hoping we put in a competitive effort. Aaand we'll walk away feeling like the suckers we are - because we should have known our real team would be resting up for that midseason showdown with the Crew in five days - and throwing up footnotes to excuse our established inferiority to Saprissa or DC United or Tigres or whomever.)

 

If we can take advantage, I'll let it slide.

 

Honore, it must be quite a chore for you to support such an unambitious group of penny-pinching layabouts. Kudos for sticking in there.

 

They are clearly going to field the best club they can. There are limits of course because we are an expansion side. Still, JD and Frankie are assembling the best group of players they can lay hands on.

That's speculation, rumor, and surmise my friend. ESLLC has never said anything of the sort.

I expect our club to sign some bigger name guys in the next few weeks. Maybe we'll get this Freddy Thompson guy. That one move would improve our squad quite a bit. Add another couple of decent players and suddenly we have what looks to be a credible team with some youth for depth.

I sure hope that we do better than TFC did last season. I'm not expecting Fire '98, but better than TFC or the first seasons for RSLDS and the GoatShaggers.

GOOOOOO QUAAAAAKES!!!!!!

- Mark

 

I couldn't rep you again apparently - but I might use the above as my sig.

 

how many FY teams have played route one soccer? What realistically makes you think this team is going to play that way?

With the speed Doyle/Yallop/Russell have acquired, and a wider home field than before, I think wing play is the order of the day.

Tony

 

Is the speed you're referring to a college draft pick?

Yallop played a bunch of route 1 with San Jose. The frustrating part is we could knock it around as well or better than anyone (thanks to Frank) which was usually how we beat teams.

-S

 

To get back to Eddie Lewis, it looks like he'll be having surgery that will keep him out for a month. Derby may be more willing to deal since their future could be sealed (officially) within that time.

Derby's Lewis needs knee operation

 

Unofficially sealed many weeks before.

 

Weeks? Months.

 

I'm honestly not remembering the Ekelund/Mulrooney/Lagos/Russell/Cerritos/Graziani/Donovan teams playing much Route 1 ball. I remember a lot of that under Lothar, but under Frank I'm remembering the ball on the ground, the calm of Ekelund, etc.

Tony

 

I'm sure there's a handy Psychology term for that.

 

Possession Oriented Attack?

 

Amorphous blob line-up?