CONCACAF Champions League

I don't want to take too long with this post, but I think it is important to point out the absurdity that is going on in the CONCACAF Champions League. At this point, 3 (of a total of 8) teams have already qualified for the knockout stages:


Atlante (Mexico)
UNAM Pumas (Mexico) and
Montreal Impact (of USL-1).


You tell me which team doesn't fit.

Consider this: Montreal plays in the division of US Soccer directly below MLS. As in, MLS teams are supposed to be a lot better than they are. But then we get to a tournament like this, and... well, Montreal has already gotten further than 3 MLS teams (DC United, Chivas USA and New England Revolution have all been eliminated already), and with Houston still battling for survival in Group B, Montreal could have bragging rights over the entire top flight in America.

It is also worth mentioning that Puerto Rico Islanders, another USL-1 team, are in very good shape to qualify through to the knockout stages.

Now, for me these facts bring up a lot of questions. The first is obvious: "Are USL teams actually better than MLS teams?" No, I don't think so. When you look at the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, a competition in which MLS and USL-1 both compete, MLS has dominated that tournament since the inception of MLS in 1996 (MLS teams have won 12 of the 13 Cups, with 11 runners up; only three non-MLS teams have even competed in the final).

OK, so now that I spent way too much time making that point, this brings me back to the original conundrum- why are USL teams doing better in the CC League than MLS teams? I can tell you that it is not because USL teams are getting better luck in terms of drawing easier opposition; Montreal are 2-0 against the same T and T Joe Public side that knocked out New England, while Puerto Rico are 1-0 so far vs Tauro, the club from Panama that saw off Chivas USA.

OK, so USL teams are not better than MLS teams, but at the same time they are progressing further than MLS teams against similar or identicle opposition. So why, oh why?

I brought this point up with Steven Cohen and Kenny Hassan about a month ago when I called in to World Soccer Daily. They suggested that the reason for this phenomenon is that the USL teams "are more up for it" than MLS sides, in other words it matters more to the USL teams.

Well, now that we've got the only plausible reason pinned down, I think that another question is raised- why aren't MLS teams "up for it"? Why don't MLS teams care about the Champions League of our corner of the world? This is a competition that will annually decide the greatest team in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and this competition will also grant the winner entry into the FIFA Club World Cup. This competition is the "biggest deal" that MLS teams can get themselves into, and they aren't up for it?

Well obviously that's got to change if MLS is going to continue to progress. Solutions to the problem? How do we get MLS teams "up for it"? I am not really sure. Here's a few ideas off the top of my head- feel free to suggest some more:

1. Pay MLS players for succeeding in the CC League
2. Don't employ players who think that MLS Cup is their main goal (I don't want to discredit MLS Cup's importance at all, I think it says a lot about a team if they can win it, but CC League should be seen as MUCH more important)
3. Try to start some rivalries with teams from Mexico, Costa Rica, or anywhere really. Talk some trash about them or something; slander their crappy leagues! Get the players' egos involved, then they'll have something to fight for.


If MLS teams can start competing for the CC League, I think that MLS will gain a lot more respect worldwide; the Mexican league is well respected, so consitently competing with them would be a big piece of evidence to suggest that MLS is legit.

Relegation Runaround

I know this site has spent an inordinate amount of time talking about the bottom, and not the top, 4, but SurfDad mentioned something to me as we were talking about Tottenham's relegation chances. When we crunched the math, he naturally lost hope, but when he looked it at from the "If we go down, then some two of Bolton, Newcastle, Stoke and Fulham must stay up" that is all that gave me reassurance. What's most interesting about that is that only one of those teams is newly promoted, and between snatching a point at Anfield (I really hope I don't remember that happened come May) and beating Spurs, they've definitely shown enough grit to squeak in. So then I got to thinking, when is the last time, if ever, all three relegated teams had been in the premiership and by effect all three promoted stayed up? Only once, in 2002, when Blackburn, Fulham and Bolton all stayed up. In fact, only once have all three promoted teams gone down (I felt that this was surprising, but I think Reading is as a good a case study of ever of overachievement followed by a sophomore slump) and that was in 98 where Crystal Palace, Barnsley and Bolton all went down.

What I think makes this year more noteworthy is the two weakest teams (thusfar) are Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. Despite how I'm sure this creates tension in the Reale household, those are two titans of history both recent and ancient in English football. They aren't the likes of Ipswich, Leicester and Derby who were relegated in 2002, and none of them had been in the Prem for that long at all. (Leicester was the most at 8 years). Tottenham Hotspur hasn't been relegated since the 70s, and Newcastle (despite a colorful history of relegations and promotions) have been up since Kevin Keegan turned that ship around in the early 90s. Newcastle finished 4th in 02, 3rd in 03, 5th in 04 and 7th in 06. Tottenham came in 5th in 06 and 07; these aren't the Fulhams of the world who live life on the relegation line. If Newcastle and Tottenham (not to mention Everton who are just 16th, but I believe they're far too quality) go down, you could make the case that it would be the highest profile relegation in the history of the Premiership. West Ham going down was huge, but this the equivalent of TWO West Hams going down, and to be honest, it'd be surprising if neither went down at this point.

Also, SurfDad, I'm not purposefully writing one immediately after you do so you're never the first entry, I had wanted to write this since you wrote the inspiration on my wall.

http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1689126/

^^^^^^^

The video posted above is perfect. It captures my feelings almost exactly. Everything I want to scream and rage about... it's so glorious. Who would have thought that I could ever identify with Hitler?




***************************************

http://www.101greatgoals.com/2008/10/the-mls-can%e2%80%99t-pass-up-a-barcelona-miami-team/#more-8210

I realize that I have just linked two articles from the same website, and that website happens to be the one that I am kind of trying to emulate, but whatever. I feel like this is an article that every executive or official within MLS should read. Miami is the second most perfect venue for an expansion franchise (the first being Montreal). I really feel like, if marketed correctly, a team in a large hispanic area like Miami (backed by BARCA no less) could pull in great attendence figures for MLS, which obviously equals more fans and more money.

Plus, I live pretty near Miami, so I would finally have an MLS team to support...

(for a really good look at the expansion situation for 2011 in MLS, check out this article by my boy Ives Galarcep: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=582785&sec=mls&root=mls&cc=5901)


While we are on the topic of MLS, let me just say that I am currently DOMINATING my MLS fantasy league, thank you very much. Kyle Thomas (head coach of Twellmen's Tightest) has nothing on me and my squad, David Beckham Soccer USA.





Alright, I know I promised a Team USA profile... It's coming, just be patient!! I can't take all these hundreds of e-mails demanding it, I mean come on, i'm only human people, lay off!!!

I admit, I laughed at this quote from at Arthur Antunes Coimbra 101greatgoals.com

"Losing at the Britannia will not condemn Juande Ramos in-and-of itself, but it will evidence the gravity of their dogfight which even Michael Vick would have avoided."

Zlatan Wondergoal and Language Difficulties

Two things:
1) If you haven't already seen this ridiculous goal by Ibrahimovic against Bologna, it's ridiculous.
2) Not to rip on other cultures, but does anyone know what he's possibly saying in the middle of the video...it sounds like the exact same sound over and over...
Zlatan Wondergoal

UUUUUUSAAAAAAHHH!!!!1 (Pronounced OO-sah)

USA has officially progressed to the final stage of qualification for World Cup 2010, a six-team group of which the top 3 (and possibly the 4th) will progress to the finals in South Africa.

I must say that my allegiance in the world of football lies with my country first, club second. So you can imagine that the USA's progression is a bit of a high for me (especially given Tottenham's current form). Most important for me was the way we won these games; two grind-it-out road wins in hostile environments (Central America and Cuba), followed by two home thrashings. Granted, these are not the best teams in the world, but I am glad to see us taking care of business with these minnow nations (unlike, say, Mexico, who just lost 1-0 to Jamaica in Kingston... I'm sick about it).

I really don't have much else to say; we are well on our way to qualifying for 2010, which is exactly where we should be. Given our road to qualification (be one of the three best nations in CONCACAF), it would be a complete debacle if we ever were to miss out on a World Cup again.

It has been requested that we do a sort of "Team USA" profile for this blog; I think I will do so, once I find the time. But for now:

Goodnight, you princes of Sealab.

Pretty fucking intense

Welsh Player Rips off cast to score game-winning goal