donovan is a fantastic player... all greats will not dominate at all times... that being said, donovan isn't a crowd draw however, donovan has said he doesn't want to go yet, and wants to work a deal to stay here... so we are more looking at those who have said they want a chance... pablo, wolff, clint, mchead, etc... these are great players, but they are not crowd draws... no one is
Well, I live over 2 hours away from Chicago but every year I go to see Landon Donovan and John Spencer. Yes, it's only been the last 2 years but I still go. I also go to see players like Convey and now Twellman. I go see the players that are doing well consistently.
you are also on BS and therefore not really a person that mls needs to be concerned about attending mls matches of course we (BS) are going to have people attending certain matches because of people... that ain't the norm and not going to draw numbers that will matter promotions are pulling people in far more than any one player (aside from the El Salvadorans, whatever level that be at) good soccer will keep them there, a handfull of good players on two teams and mostly crappy players isn't going to keep them coming back
As John Facenda (of NFL Films) said, "Great players aren't great all the time. They're only great when the have to be." I think Donovan is a lot like some of the stars in Europe who will dissapear for long periods of time. The fans will only remember the few minutes of brilliance and want to see him play again. Of course, I'd perfer he play hard every minute (like Ben Olsen or various other US players), but his current work rate does not prevent him from being considered a star. I do not label him as a dissapointment.
There are NO outstanding players in MLS 1) Donovan does not have a place in Bayer. That is why he is in MLS 2) Nobody wants Mathis 3) and players like Mastroeini are a dime a dozen throughout Europe. Does this mean that they are bad ? No they are good soccer players above the average MLS player. Are they outstanding? no.My opinin about those players? I would pick Donovanfor Numero Uno followed by Pablo. Mathis was excellent .... a couple of seasons ago before the world cup. Remember> this a league where one of tis top players is a guy pushing 45 or 50 called Valderrama
That was idiotic of Tommy Smyth to say there are no particular players that stand out. Of fricking course we don't have a Michael Jordan. NO LEAGUE has a Michael Jordan and it's getting real old hearing people making comparisons like that. The fact is that the MLS is more well known now than 5 years ago. People who don't know much about soccer, know who Landon Donovan is, who Brian McBride is, who Bruce Arena is. The list is not long but...Those guys are legitimate stars, and there are others in the making. The MLS AllStar game was on ESPN, and the rain delay produced a lot of positive coverage because of the way the game was played and the way the fans reacted. There is a lot of positive stuff going on about the MLS but I am dissappointed that not one single player was sold after some of the successes of MLS players. It could have used that money and the exposure.
I know it's not about MLS (and don't take this as an attempt to divert the course of this thread but it is in regard to the initial link at least) but loved the massive over-reaction combined with minimal knowledge of Manchester United that was this question... Los Angeles: If Manchester United are knoched out of the Champions League at the first hurdle, do you think Sir Alex should be sacked? Missing out on 20m pounds + the purchase of Ferdinand would put the Reds under serious financial pressure & result in a massive blunder by Fergie. 1) Sir Alex sacked? Well let's just forget what he has achieved for the club, and still hasn't finished. 2) It would have to be a distincty larger sum of money lost, for Utd. to feel poor. £20m is pocket change. Sorry, back to topic...
The World Cup performance of the three above had more to do with the name recognition than MLS. Sure the soccer community has known Donovan, McBride and Arena for a while, but I don't think CosmoGirl would be running polls with Donovan until this past year. Last year he was the best player on the MLS championship team. This year he was one of the best players on a World Cup quarterfinalist team...there's the extra attention.
Hello? Patrick Vieira? Keano (nut)? Steven Gerrard? Notice how the top three sides in England last year each had one of the above dominating in midfield week-in, week-out, considered by many to be stars no less? Sorry that statement just seemed to bug me a bit, but for me these types are football, and quite a few others appreciate them and go out looking forward to seeing them play (and of course all the other things like good passing and movement, individual brilliance, cracking goals, the art of defending, etc..).
I think it has a lot to do with the single-entity-the way the league manages player movement. I think you need great teams first-let dynasties happen. DC United's run was good for the league, and I really miss the Fusion this year. If you allow for the teams to develop and reward good GM work, "stars" will flower. The MetroStars w/Mathis is just the opposite situation. The advantage of being in New York has been hurt by the team's poor play and changing lineup. So I would lobby for MLS to ease some of the roster restrictions, which may in turn allow for the creation of a couple of really standout teams with swagger, personality. That's usually the environment where stars are born-a greater chnace for that "transcendent moment." If you look at the standings now, there is parity. I don't think that is good for a league looking for identity or a face.
hear,hear, hear, hear!!!!! I fully agree. The MLS system while usefulinitially is now a serious obstacle to the development of soccer stars. Good players are shipped to bad teams where they cannot continue to develop. it also kills initiative and any sense of fighting for improvement because if your team gets too good and the players improve their salaries go up and... shipped off to a bad team.
I have always liked watching Davids and would pay money to see him if he was brought to MLS and try to watch him on TV even if he was on a team I didn't like. A flamboyant Dmid is a different species than the usual suspect. Pablo fits this mold as he can do more than just destroy but does that real well.
I can't get over people like you. The quality keeps improving, we have numerous stars despite your absurd comments, we made the WC QFs. What the hell more could ANYONE want?
How do you know that? By all accounts, MLS made it clear that he wasn't for sale except at a very high price. Mathis has made it clear that he's going to Europe when his contract runs out.
On this topic, we're talking about how the league manages compensation and rosters. I think you can make a strong case that good players have a better chance of connecting with a larger fan base and building an identity for MLS if they are a part of great, winning sides. I can't tell you how many people during the WC this summer in conversation made comments like, "yeah, I don't really follow MLS-is DC still winning everything?" Remove DC and NE and look at the log jam of points in the standings this year? The parity there IMO is not good for the league-throw in the fact that only two teams miss the playoffs. It's too vanilla, and the stars that soccer fans like you and me know about, aren't provided the platform to really breakout. If the US had gone 3 and out, it would not have changed how you and I view Landon Donovan. But the WC and being on that team pushed him to a different level in the larger public eye. The current parity in MLS doesn't provide for that. That's why I brought up the Fusion: ask any Metro fan. Those game last year had juice; really chippy affairs that had some of the most entertaining soccer of the season. It's out of this environment that great teams, rivalries, and stars are created.
When you start looking for profundity in the words of Tommy Smyth...you are in some serious, serious trouble.
With the league screaming red at the tune of 250 million...why in the world would they sit back and let a possible 3-4 million pass them by. A great footballing league or buisness should understand that making money is all about importing and exporting quality. MLS has done neither.
Because despite its problems, the league still can offer many positves to young American players. The obvious one is playing time-which is crucial in terms of their place on the USMNT. All the quotes from Hitzfeld and Hoeness hinted that he was off to the reserve squad. I'm sure Clint has a lot of pride; feels he can fight his way to a spot on the 1st team. But he may not be at that level and it would be a shame if he wound up sitting on the bench, and IMO he is past the age where he gains a lot by playing on a top flight reserve team. And in terms of money, the way the league handles its contracts...I think they can "find" the money to make him good offer. Doesn't mean he will stay in MLS of course, but it would be wrong to think that the league has no leverage with US players wanting to go play in Europe.