by J Hutcherson | May 12th, 2006
I can’t really get into the Toronto expansion without continuing to beat to death the opinion turned belief that there aren’t enough players under the current system to fill 12 squads, much less 13. Sure, they might try a modified Chivas LA in an attempt to re-create a version of Team Canada, but that didn’t exactly do it for that other team in Carson.
What they’ll end up with is a fairly traditional looking Major League Soccer roster, and at this point that includes three or four starters that would have been looking for work in older versions of MLS.
The League’s decision to play fast and loss with salaries when they want too, counting them against the cap like they want too, and basically deciding transparency isn’t much of an idea is fine. That’s absorbed within single-entity, but it can’t mask the quality of play.
At this point, watching games isn’t as enjoyable as it was earlier in the history of the League. A lot of players point to ‘96 as the first and best year. I would argue the contraction year and the impact of the allocation and dispersal drafts.
Within two seasons, that impact had begun to erode. The response was expansion, and no matter how it is justified, by nature that lowers the quality of play. This time there was service paid to the so-called “Beckham Rule,” but like a lot of things with MLS that involve changes to the identify/allocate system under single-entity, that’s rapidly becoming something to talk about rather than do.
That identity/allocate system that needs revamping, something that can be done without any harm to the single-entity system as a whole. The methods of contract negotiation needs to change. There’s no reason why that should be a couple of people at League level, and the basic mechanism should have been altered after the original upper level management fell seven years ago.
Instead, MLS continues to operate with an interpretation of a system that isn’t going to create anything other than the standard already established. In other words, business as usual with service paid - but nothing done - to any fundamental changes.
Obviously, the Beckham Rule is the big hit, but things like increasing low side salaries, giving strength to the reserve system so player development matters to the individual clubs as much to the league, and at least experimenting with a weighted system of pseudo-free agency should continue to be on the table.
By that I mean all of those things should be in place eleven years in. You can make your own analogy: like adding onto a house before you’ve finished building the foundation, but the point is simple. MLS is using a growth model without the underpinnings to improve quality of play. They’re doing that at a time when players are entering the League directly from high school and relatively marginal players have shown you can leave MLS and make a better career elsewhere.
The answer here is not expansion and it’s certainly not multi-purpose stadium real estate. It’s continuing to build on a system that never should have been allowed to call it a day and close itself off.
What I’m Watching
Sorry for missing yesterday’s exciting episode. I’m sure I cost all of us some worthwhile Libertadores action. There’s the Mexico - Congo friendly live on Telemundo tonight at 10pm saving us from the dreaded Friday shutout. Enjoy. All Times Eastern
Quote Of The Day
“No definite conclusion as to the cause of the outbreak can be drawn from this one result. Only after we have received the results from tests being undertaken on further samples will we be able to make any definite conclusions.” Consultant in Communicable Disease Control Dr Alex Mellanby.
Hopefully, Spurs doesn’t end up getting treated the same way I did when a major fast-food chain sent me to the hospital after a night of projectile vomiting in high school. They claimed they weren’t complicent because “I might have eaten something else.” This was after multiple harassing phone calls. I would have felt better just letting it go.
Then again, I didn’t have millions of dollars and a spot in the Champions League riding on what I had to do the next day. Which, for the record, was hugging the toilet.
The Wonderful World of Soccer Media: Europe
Entire Juventus board resigns over phone-tap revelations — from The Guardian’s Paolo Menicucci.
Italian football under the microscope: Culture clash — from The Independent’s excerpt of Gianluca Vialli’s ‘The Italian Job.’
Chelsea: coming to a screen near you — from The Telegraph’s Henry Winter. Registration Required
The Wonderful World of Soccer Media: USA
Garber predicts success for T.O. — from The Toronto Star’s Cathal Kelly.
Toronto team unveils name, logo — from The Toronto Globe and Mail’s Peter Mallett.
Execs put on hot seat — from The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby.
Croatian hurdles visa delay, looks sharp in practice — from The Columbus Dispatch’s Shawn Mitchell.
Forward-looking Fire finds scorer in Barrett — from The Chicago Tribune’s Luis Arroyave.
Big Picture
Duva: Patterson a real good champ — from The Herald News’ Keith Idec.
The battle within a legendary boxer — from The Newark Star-Tribune’s Jerry Izenberg.
NBA needs lesson in sportsmanship — from The New York Post’s Peter Vecsey.
James should think twice before rejecting Cavs’ offer — from The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Roger Brown.
By rule, streak is sayonara — from The New York Daily News’ Filip Bondy.
Still Seeing Things In Black or White — from The Washington Post’s Michael Wilbon. Registration Required
Hialeah mayor upbeat — from The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson and Mark Spencer.
An Arena, and Hope, Takes Shape in Newark — from The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir. Registration Required
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.