Good afternoon everybody (and good morning to those of you on the West Coast). It is that time again. Time for you to send your soccer-related questions my way. Feel free to send your soccer questions to me and I will look to answer them later this week.
As always, please try to keep the questions from being too long and try to limit your questions to one or two. Also, the list of topics already covered way too many times now includes: John O’Brien, promotion/relegation, what’s wrong with Eddie Johnson, what will happen when the CBA expires after next season AND anything relating to Lider Marmol. If you are genuinely interested in any of these subjects please go back in the Q&A or SBI archives and I’m sure you can get what you are looking for there.
So let’s here some questions. Fire away!
THAT’S ALL FOR THIS Q&A FOLKS. THANKS FOR TAKING PART
Ives,
Where do you think Miachel Bradley will transfer to next year?
And also do you see any other U.S. players making big moves; Oguchi Onyewu? Brad Guzan? Any of the Fulham players if they get relegated?
Fans (and Eurosnob MLS bashers) need to get over the angst about players going to third-tier overseas leagues, i.e. Denmark. How many young people wouldn’t want that adventure, especially if you played in college and never got to study abroad. Please put in in perspective. True, if the money in MLS was huge you couldn’t afford to go, and we all wait anxiously for that day, but in the meantime get over it. Agree?
Ives,
This is a hypothetical question, but: A Landon Donovan for Jozy Altidore trade is cleary not something that would happen, but which team would object more to that deal?
1. What’s your World Under 23 Best 11?
2. What’s your World Under 20 Best 11? Would you include guys like Jozy, Freddy, and … Tim Ward?
3. Just wondering if you can share some person stuff, like:
-How did you get into journalism?
-Are you good at soccer/did you play? (if so, when and to what degree?)
-What’s your all-time favorite movie ever?
What’s the roster for the nigerian u-23’s?
When do you think we might see a MLS team in NYC?
Also do you think we’ll see Keller in net for the Sounders next season, seems like a good fit to me.
Ives, what’s the word on D.C. and KC’s stadium projects? Has Don Garber been putting any pressure on the mayors of these cities like he has in Houston?
With Aturo Alvarez ripping up MLS play, do you see any chance of him getting another chance to make the u-23 squad?
Hi Ives, who do you think will be on the Olympic roster? Who do you think will be the surprise additions or omissions to the Olympic roster, including the three overage players? Thanks.
Ives,
1) In the near future or ever, do you think we’ll see a Euro style academy sprout up owned by an MLS club (residency and all) and if so, which club is most likely to kick it off?
2) Is USSF expecting a sellout for the Argentina game? How many have been sold thus far?
Ives, given past comments from you, you seem to be on the Onyewu bandwagon. If he does not get a transfer out of Belgium this summer do you still think he should remain our number one centerback? Given he and Boca have been our goto centerbacks in the past, and with boca out of the team in Fulham, doesn’t Bob realize the gravity of the situation at our centerback spot? Gooch is not good enough to start in a major European League so how is he good enough to start for our National team?
With all the “partnerships” MLS clubs have with foreign teams, it seems to be that MLS alone is reaping the rewards in terms of loaned players. That said, do you think that any MLS players will be loaned to clubs like RB Salzburg, CA Paranaense, etc.?
Ives,
You said in an earlier Q&A that you knew the writer Tino Palace. Do you know why he is no longer contributing to MLSNEt.com? Can we read him somewhere else? I enjoy his Fire-hating comments.
Where’s Paul Gardner? He hasn’t had an article on the Sun for a while.
What’s going to happen to MLS when they hit 20 teams? FIFA has a standard that says a country’s top-flight should not exceed 20 teams, which translates into a 38-game season with everyone playing home-and-home. Would MLS exceed the 20 team limit? And if so, would they exceed a 38-game season, or ignore the home-and-home standard for teams? It seems pretty clear that within another 5 years, they’ll be up to 20 teams, but how many more are planned after that?
How would a top woman like Abby Wombach fare in MLS?
What do the Galaxy need to do to be competitive in this league, and can they do it this season with the tragedy that is their front office?
Hey Ives,
Love the site…
1. Do you know what kind of salary leagues such as the Championship/League 1/2/ Spanish League 2 (you get my drift) get paid per year? Is an average MLS salary (the one I see most is 33,000) competitive to that?
2. Who do you think is the worst/weakest manager in MLS?
When a team buys a player with a transfer fee, does the player have any say in the matter? Do they renegotiate a contract, or do they have to continue their old contract with the new team? Can the player refuse the transfer?
Also, besides the Euro 2008 final, are any other games going to be on ESPN/ESPN2/ABC or any other non pay-per-view channel?
Where do u see MLS in 5, 10 years? What will be the situation of soccer in the country? Will there be a flood of talent heading to the top leages in Europe or will they stay and go for MLS and make it a powerhouse of play? Do u see MLS stopping at 20 or expanding to 24, 26 teams?
What happened to Kyle Martino? In light of all the midfielder injuries, could he help the Red Bulls as an option in central midfield? What would the Red Bulls lose by giving him a shot?
Ives,
Do you think the priority of acquiring a center attacking midfielder should have died off for New York and if not who should the team go after? It was first listed as a priority but now is not listed as a position to fill. The Red Bulls need a “De Rosario, Gallardo, Gomez, Guevara, Schletto, Toja” type player.
Is there any chance Thierry Henry could come to Seattle in 09 or Philadelphia in 2010? Are there any big European stars that u see coming to MLS as DP’s over the next few years? Figo? Robbie Fowler`?
With Honduras in the Olympics, What are the chances that Guevara will be one of their three “over 23” players?