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It’s Q&A Time

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Good afternoon folks. With the MLS regular season about to get underway I think it is a good time to have another Q&A session.

You know the routine. Ask your soccer-related questions and I will answer them next week. The following topics are off-limits: John O’Brien, promotion/relegation in MLS and Red Bulls stadium or practice facility updates (the stadium is being built, the practice site has hit a snag but nothing major).

Limit yourself to two questions and try to keep them a reasonable length and I will look to have them done for Monday.

Fire away!!

Comments

  1. Ives,

    how do you compare the MLS to the Mexican first division? I do watch Mexican soccer regularly on Univision and Telefutura and I can honestly say from my point of view there is no evidence to say the Mexican League is any better then MLS. Which one do you think is better and why? Thanks

  3. Thanks for the Q&A again, I’m looking forward to it being answered in May.

    (Just kidding.)

    Here ya go, homes…

    1. Who are your best buys (small salary, big impact) in the SBI Fantasy League?

    2. Your top 3 or 5 players in MLS you expect to have breakout seasons?

    Thanks man, as always.

  4. Ives,

    What do you think will happen to MLS once the Collective bargaining agreement is over ? what will happen to smaller teams like KC,RSL, or Chivas? what will happen to the salary cap?

  5. Gerson Mayen is listed on the Chivas-USA roster on MLSnet.com, he has spent quite a bit of time previously on Chivas USA’s U17/18 academy squad. Is he the first signee by a MLS team from their academy?

    Thanks!

  7. Hey Ives,

    What do you think of the new away kit for the US? I didn’t think they could come up with something more boring than our home kit…but they did! When I first saw it online, I thought it was just a training jersey! Nike should be embarassed.

  8. Eric, you must be a Spurs fan since you act like Everton doesn’t exist (and a few others).

    And Sp*rs fans wonder why they are mocked…

  9. 1. Hear anything about Thierry Henry having contact/discussions with MLS ? I think Henry to NYRB in 2009 would be a good — almost obvious — fit for both parties.

    2. How was Jozy allegedly going to go to Reading this past January? I assume he would have significant problems getting a work permit. Is there a mitigating factor that would push through a move?

  11. Can you please put together a list of ALL competitions/tournaments a MLS team can enter/win/qualify for ?

    MLS Regular Season + MLS Cup

    US Open Cup

    SuperLiga

    PanPacific Championship

    Concacaf Champions Cup

    Concacaf Champions League

    Club World Cup

  12. 1. Who will be mls fantasy leading scorer?

    2. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jozy Altidore. And I think he is a player with great potential. But I feel like he is still pretty average technically and that he would struggle in the Premiership. He is probably a better finisher than EJ, but probably on the same level technically. Would he do that much better than EJ?

  13. Ives, Sorry, but I still find the whole allocation process confusing. A player like Juan Toja, how come he is not subject to the process (last year when he first signed) since player are signed by the league and not teams? And I suppose teams tell the league whom they want? Its just so odd, and I’ve followed the MLS for years and find it confusing. Why does Robbie Rodgers go through the allocation process while Oscar Etcheverry is directly signed by the Red Bulls? The confusion for me stems from the fact that the league does all contracts, do teams use discovery claims everytime they sign someone not drafted?

    Sorry for the rudimentary nature of my question…

    Thanks,

    Dan

  15. With the John O’Brien mystery answered, I have a Metro-related question from the ‘Where are they now and what are they doing?’ file.

    Where is Tim Regan at and what is he up to?

    He was never a star of course, but his goofy look bore an uncanny resemeblance to one our brothers so we’d always root for him.

  16. Ives,

    How much demand do you think there will be for USSF tickets at the 2010 World Cup. Do you think it will be easier to score seats for US group games than in Germany?

    Also, it’s always bothered me that MLS teams only count regular season league play towards club records. Any chance of someone compiling all-time lists based on all competitions (Open Cup, Champs Cup, Superliga)?

  17. Looking at the TFC Roster page, they have a mess of “MLS Status” references – I (International) SD (Senior Development), DI (Developmental International) that don’t make a lot of sense to me, such as:

    1. several US players on the roster are listed as “I”, which makes sense as Toronto is in Canada, but others are listed as “S”. I recall that the distinction between Canadian and US players was removed after last season, am I wrong or is the webpage out of date?

    2. What the hell is Senior Development?

    3. Similarly, what is a Developmental International player?

  18. How long until the MLS & USL merge so there can be Promotion/Relegation and the playoffs can be eliminated or do you think that will ever happen?

  19. Theoretically, what would be a worse outcome for Beckham and/or the league: 1)Beckham gets injured early on for the season and the Galaxy go on to win MLS cup or 2) Beckham plays entire season and Galaxy miss the playoffs?

  21. 1. As the number of teams in the league keeps increasing, do you think there would be changes to the playoff system? Could they increase or decrease the amount of teams selected or change which rounds are single legs or two legs?

    2. Are any teams in the league seriously in jeopardy of being contracted or relocated or is that an issue that won’t be relevant for another several years?

  22. Ives

    What would happen if Toronto FC won the MLS cup or supporters shield, would they qualify for CONCACAF Champions League and take one of the USA slots?

    Who do you see as the next big name DP being signed as?

    Thanks

  23. 1) When do you see Dempsey having a consistent chance at playing a more attacking role at midfield at club and national level, instead of being a foward?

    2) And why is Dempsey still usually selected as a foward for games and not given a chance to use his strength of ball movement?

  26. What’s your opinion on MLS players being loaned to the USL, and vice versa foreign players coming in on loan deals? Is this good for the league?

  27. Sorry, Ives, but i could not resist that last question. My REAL question is this: what is the scuttlebutt relating to Michael Bradley’s status after the Dutch season ends? Earlier this year, there were rumors of transfers to Serie A or the EPL, but things have suddenly gone quiet. Personally, I’d like to see him go to Ajax and follow in the footsteps of John O’Brien.

  28. Is there that any chance Fulham wont be relegated? I figure they need to win all the remaining games even though the likelihood of beating Liverpool is dismal. But can they do it?

  29. 2 questions for you….

    1) Why, in your opinion, is Donovan usually selected for taking the free kicks for the national team? He is too inconsistent.

    2) Who in your opinion, should be the main selection as the choice for free kicks at the national level? I saw Lewis has a good talent, but he will not be around for the 2010 World Cup. I can see Adu in the future for the senior team. I actually remember Dulo being decent at it also. Donovan is usually only good for corner, or lobbing kicks, not a free kick on goal.

  30. When are teams like Houston Dynamo, San Jose Earthquakes, New England Revolution and Kansas City Wizards set to have their own stadiums? How big would u guess they would be?

  31. Who is likely to be in the starting XI for the game against England? I figure itll all be European based players with the exception of LD and Altidore. Is there a chance EJ will start as striker?

  32. Off limits?? But, don’t you think that if John O’Brien came out of retirement and played for the Red Bulls at their new stadium the team might avoid the prospect of relegation to the USL? Assuming of course that MLS institutes promotion/relegation before the new stadium is completed (when is that supposed to be again?).

  33. Ive heard rumors about Michael Bradley moving over to the Premier League. What teams are interested and who do u figure is gonna get him? And could he set a record transer for an American?

  34. How good do you think the chances of the US hosting the 2018 World Cup are at the moment with England’s misbehavior both on and off the pitch and the PR disaster it looks like China’s olympics are going to be?

  35. What do you see happening with the Liverpool ownership situation? Will Hick’s be able to go 100%, how long can he block Gillette from selling his stake? What are the potential ramifications of a Hicks/DIC ownership and how would infighting among owners hurt the club?

  36. If you had to pick one of the lesser known/spoken about cities for an MLS franchise (Not Vancouver, Montreal, St Louis, Tampa, Miami), which “under the radar” city would be most successful?

  38. Has there been a qualification set for the MLS participants in the CONCACAF Champs league?

    Is there the possiblilty of the U.S. Open Cup winner gaining a slot?

    Thamks.

  39. How would you compare Osorio’s coaching, in particular, his preperation for the season, as opposed to Arenas style? (since you have a first hand look at both)

    Whats your favorite food / dish/ meal(Argentine Milanesa with Ensalada Rusa or the basic Argie BBQ does it for me)?

  40. Looking to the not-to-distant future, what do you think would be the best way to utilize Dempsey, LD, Adu, and Altidore on the field at the same time? In a related question, why is it that we never see LD or Demspey playing as CAMs?

    I haven’t complimented you yet, but I’ve been enjoying the new site since day 1. Thanks for all the info and analysis.

  41. On your recent visit to Austria, did you get a feel for how successful the Euro 2008 tournament will be? Are you going to covering the tournament in person?

  42. What kind of year do you see Mike Magee having if he can stay healthy? Is he really the answer playing behind the forwards?

  43. 1) A long time ago, you collected our names, where we lived, etc. Were you just collecting a hit list or has that project come to fruition?

    2) Do you have an opinion on if Seattle MLS discards the name “Sounders”?

  45. Ives,

    Seeing how well the United States team play against Poland, how do you rate Coach Bradley? What are his strongest points and his weakest?

    Also how do you feel with the United States team so Far? are they meeting your expectations?

  47. We RB supporters in recent days have seen JCO do nothing to drop a hint about signings and give us hope. In other major sports, this sort of thing would have leaked or been disclosed. Will the MLS or Red Bull ever think of the fans and tell us such things, or is “secrecy” really a key in signing people?

  49. Sorry this isn’t MLS-related since I know you’re trying to steer the questions in that direction, but:

    Of the USA’s three big-time friendlies coming up (England, Spain, Argentina), in which game do you think they have the best shot at winning?

  50. Ives,

    What are your thoughts on the Tottenham Hotspur organization, as a whole?

    To me, of all the non-Big 4 clubs, they seem like a sleeping giant. Not just because of money and resources, but they also seem to have bought smart in the transfer market.

    They’ve made a commitment to keeping guys like Berba, Keane, Lennon, etc. and have brought in a slew of young defenders and midfielders. Now, with Ramos, it seems like they are an offseason away from really being a force in the Premier League.

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