As I was looking at the Galaxy's updated roster, I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw all the Latino names and remembered there was a time when there were accusations on these boards that Sigi didn't like Latino players and didn't want to have too many. Now, he has nine, which I would imagine is the most of any team in the league. Isaias Bardales, Jr. - USA Mauricio Cienfuegos - El Salvador (GC) Herculez Gomez - USA Memo Gonzalez - USA Alejandro Moreno - Venezuela (TI) Jesus Ochoa - USA (born in Mexico) Alex Pinda Chacon - Honduras Jose Retiz - Mexico (GC) Carlos Ruiz - Guatemala Oh, and his assistant coach is Ralph Perez! Toss in the African/Caribbean Americans (6) and the one Korean and Sigi has more Latino players on his roster than Anglo (8). So, in the off-chance that there were people who still believed this silly notion about Sigi, I think we can put this one to bed. To be clear, I'm not lauding Sigi for signing Latinos. I don't want there to be a soccer version of affirmative action. He should sign the best players he can afford, period. But, at the same time, it's good to see that Sigi is including a large part of the American soccer umbrella that is often overlooked and feels slighted and disenfranchised as a result of that. Anyone have any thoughts as to how having all these Latino players coupled with the Galaxy being the best team in the league and one of the best teams in the region, is playing with SoCal's large Latino population?
There's also Dallas with five or six Latino players, three African/Carribean ones, and two Irish ones. And a coaching staff composed of Irish, Venezuelan, Trinidad and eastern european coaches. These two teams are also the only two to make the playoffs every year in the history of MLS. Just a coincidence, I know. Not pointing anything out in particular, don't rail on me!
I don't think there's been a noticeable uptick in Latino/Hispanic attendance 'cause of the aforesaid acquisitions, but Ruiz certainly draws them in by his lonesome, and I'm sure a fw more Guatemalticos have turned out to catch Carlos. It still seems to me that Cobi and Lalas, along with Ruiz and Cien, are the most popular Galaxy players.
speaking of ethnicities... what the hell is cobi!?!?!? is he like part hispanic or jamacian or what?!?!?! i've been pondering that for a while and bearly decided to ask why