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While we all wait for MLS to either reach a labor deal or begin an ugly labor war, it's probably a good time for our latest installment of Your Questions Answered. There just so happen to be a few MLS labor-related questions in this first installment of the January Answers.
Also in the mix are questions about the Red Bulls pursuit of Thierry Henry, who the next Landon Donovan is, and just what happened with the Lee Nguyen-MLS mess.
Here they are, Some of your January Questions Answered:
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LESTER– If both are in form, would you rather have Holden or Beasley on the outside playing for the Yanks?
IVES– Holden’s got a great future and has shown flashes of brilliance, but Beasley at his best has been a standout in the Champions League and in a past World Cup. The only problem there is the very fair question of whether Beasley can ever regain that form. At this point, I’d be inclined to start both and move Donovan up top if both were at top form, but if I absolutely had to choose between them, I'd go with an in-form Beasley to start (with Holden off the bench).
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TED DECKER– Do you think marijuana should be legalized?
IVES– Yes. Just think of the tax revenue it could help generate.
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RORY– If you were commish of MLS, what would you give in on in the CBA and what would you never give in on?
IVES– I would allow players waived by clubs and not offered new deals by clubs to be free agents. I would also allow teams to make their own offers to players, at least on some occasions, rather than killing deals that teams and players have agreed to because they think the price is too high.
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OBXFLY– If you could not make it to South Africa where in the US would you want to take in a US World Cup game?
IVES– Nevada Smith’s in NYC and Globe Pub in Chicago are two places that come to mind.
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DANNYC58-On baseball caps do you bend the brim or leave it straight?
In your opinion/guess, does Hans Backe break the trend for foreign coaches in MLS, or just become another statistic?
IVES– I leave my brims straight. As for Backe, he’s certainly an intelligent soccer mind, but some great soccer minds have failed in MLS. I like his chances of bucking the trend, but am not about to put money on him succeeding. I could easily see Richie Williams as head coach by June.
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CVS-What happened with Nguyen? Should we be concerned if MLS can not match the money a Vietnamese league offers? And what proportion of his salary in Viet Nam comes from the World Bank?
IVES– It wasn’t a case of MLS matching an offer from Vietnam, it was a case of MLS HQ deciding it didn’t want to pay much for a player who spurned MLS in the first place. From what I understand FC Dallas wanted to offer Nguyen much more money, the kind of money that would have gotten the deal done, but MLS balked.
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TOROSROJOSFAN– Red Bulls question: I think JP Angel's acquisition via DP was great for MLS. Having said that it seems to me that his production was down last year. Not sure if it was due to lack of form or injuries. Do you think he's still worth DP contract for the upcoming season?
IVES– Angel is absolutely worth a DP slot. His production was down last year because he played the first half of the season with back issues. Even with that, he still finished with 12 goals. This year, playing on grass at Red Bull Arena, I’d pencil him in for 16 goals.
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JOE– Who is the next Landon Donovan of US soccer??
IVES– Emerson Hyndman. He's the grandson of FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hydnman and a flat-out prodigy.
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TREX– Any news on RBNY signing Academy product John Agudelo? I heard there was an offer made.
IVES– He’s training in Colombia with Millonarios and is weighing offers from them as well as the New York Red Bulls. It’s no guarantee he comes to MLS at this point.
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DBEX– Has Brad Guzan done enough to cement himself as Villa's starter if Friedel retires this summer? If not, does he need to start looking for a loan deal to get regular time?
IVES– I think he’s done more than enough to be Friedel’s replacement. The real question is does Friedel leave after this season, or next?
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MARC– How can the Red Bulls contemplate signing Henry, if their starting midfield is likely to be Hall, Stammler, Tchani and Richards? That would be the worst midfield in MLS. No matter how great Angel and Henry are, they can't score without service.
IVES– Here’s a question. Who was feeding Juan Pablo Angel service the past few years? If Angel can score goals in MLS with a mediocre midfield, who on earth can’t Henry? It should also be noted that Henry is a very creative player who can create his own chances and also provide service, so I actually think an Angel-Henry pairing would be tough to stop, weak midfield or not.
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DMAGOJ– If Friedel and McBride had not retired from the national team, could you see them starting in South Africa?
IVES– It’s tough to say. I can’t see Tim Howard not being the starter on the current team, and I’m not convinced McBride could still be a force on the international level (his flat showing at the Olympics still lingers in my mind). That said, if Howard, Clint Dempsey and Charlie Davies were unavailable, I have a feeling Bob Bradley would at least consider calling up Friedel and McBride.
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JACOBI– 1. Will Giuseppe Rossi be on the next season of "Jersey Shore"?
2. What would his nickname be?
IVES– He’s been known to come back to Jersey in the summers so it’s possible (okay, not really, but it would be funny). His nickname would be Baby Beppe.
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DONTURTUCCIO– Conan, Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, Ferguson, Fallon, or Lopez?
IVES– Conan was the funniest before going off NBC. I gave George Lopez a shot early, and he had some good guests, but has fallen flat and I've lost interest. At this point my late-night TV consists of Jon Stewart and CNN (when I'm not catching up on the 40 shows I TIVO).
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SEAN=30-yd free kick for your life. Who takes it? (You can choose a left footer and a right footer if you want)
IVES– From 30? Cristiano Ronaldo, Juninho Pernembucano and David Beckham come to mind. Probably Ronaldo.
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GT-Is there any reason to start getting worried about Jozy? Granted, Hull is a terrible team…but his form has looked off and I get the feeling the team isn't 100% pleased with him as they're bringing in another striker…
IVES– It’s not a great situation for him right now but his move to Hull was never without some risk. It really is up to him to play himself into more minutes. There’s no conspiracy afoot. If he starts to score goals he’ll play more. It’s that simple.
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BGINGE– Do you have one of those favorite comedy movies that is underwhelming to some, but you just find it hilarious?
IVES– Not sure which comedies would apply there. Here are some that perhaps some younger readers might not know about:
Midnight Run
Trading Places
Spies Like Us
Stripes
Fletch
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AL_OC– What's your take on video replay? If you're for it, then how would you implement it?
IVES– I am all for goal-line replay.
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BODEGUERO– Do you pronounce your name like "eves" (like Yves St. Lorent) or is the "i" pronounced like the "i" in "ivy".
IVES– I as in Ivy, I-ves. That’s in English. In Spanish it’s eee-ves.
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IKE SAID– Do you think the Union's stadium will be completed in time for the start of the MLS season? From the looks of it on the webcam its looking iffy.
IVES– The Philly stadium (in Chester) won’t be done until the summer, and certainly not for the start of the season.
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No way in my opinion Keller is the best national team gk ever he is amazing but Friedel is a close 2nd
couldn’t agree more! legalize. anyway…
i cannot believe MLS would do something like that. can they blame him for going to PSV?! the MLS should be the first one to allow players like Nguyen back in if Europe didn’t work out so well! especially if a team is willing to make an offer…this hurts the USMNT in my opinion!
“Will Giuseppe Rossi be on the next season of “Jersey Shore”? 2. What would his nickname be?” – haha
Ives, at present time who would you have making the World Cup roster?
If he is allowed to develop instead of being thrown into games he will be a beast….. Dallas needs to add him to their u-16 asap before he bolts to England
I’ve been saying this for the past month… it just makes sense to have forums….. if ives had forums who would go to big soccer…
Conan all the way!!!!!!!
I’ve seen the videos of Emerson, and I hope he’s more Landon than Fredua.
while i like John stewart, i never really got into the daily show (like certain parts every now and then), but Colbert is hilarious and i also like Ferguson.
awesome read ives. but what’s with this answering january questions in january crap?
I read your comment earlier in the day, and now I just saw that Donovan scored, so I had to come back and ask if you could please share with me the winning lottery numbers?
I support MLS and all, but nothing leaves a worse taste in my mouth regarding the league than when I hear about how childish MLS is when it comes to players who tried going abroad even though MLS had done them the huge favor of offering a contract. The fact that they won’t give a guy the same offer they’d give a similar player, when there’s a team that really wants that guy, because he’d turned down an offer a few years before is not only immature, it’s dumb way to run an organization. The fact that they could get a player who could help a team, and therefore make the league just a bit better, but because in the past the player thought another team’s offer was better, MLS won’t take him. It’s just so asinine.
My last siting of him was 6 months ago in the PDL
Friedel is clearly the best keeper the US has to offer. it was sick that Keller got the nod over him in 2006. and if the USSF hadn’t screwed him over in 2006 maybe he wouldn’t have retired from the international game.
It really doesn’t help to have such big control in a single entity when the single entity makes BAD decisions.
I got the feeling THE MLS didn’t want the Sounders to have the old Sounders name.
Luckily in Seattle the number of fans are so huge ( 31,000 season tickets sold so far this year ) they can force change.
When the Seattle Alliance drew 18,000 fans they would have patted themselves on the back.
When MLS makes money next year, same thing, a nice pat on the back, not realizing what could have been.
ives ever think about throwin forums up on your site?
I am sorry…is the MLS so stupid that it decided not to sign Lee Ngyuen? Do they have any clue about the Vietnamese population in the Dallas area and the growing attendance concern…MORONS
No way man, Spies Like Us is frickin great.
He was with Newcastles youth set up a couple years ago for like 6 months. Also, his grandad let him practice with FCD which really, really pisses off FCD fans.
Wouldn’t you keep a decent coach on a little longer if it meant you could one day cash in on 15 million dollars of tallent to sell?
Daily show is incredible, no love for Colbert Report though, Ives?
What About Bob? is such an underrated movie.
Wow. I could not do those moves until I was 17. And I could never juggle 1000x. Punk kid.
i’m right with you! i sent the same question to Ives this week. great minds…
Ives, What about this Red Bulls GK Signing Nikolov from Germany?
wow
No Mention of Bill Murry’s The Man Who Knew to Little
Ives, where is Jose Angulo?
Your movies are on the verge of making me look young and you were a straight brim ?
This is like when that 40 year old woman won the sprint swimming race in the last Olympics, it just isn’t adding up.
Come clean, you on the HGH ?
Conan is cut from the same paper as Leno and Letterman? Have you ever watched his show? Conan is by far the best late night host. He’s hysterical, and doesn’t hide the fact his skits are pointless and corny. Viva Conan.
Whatever happened to the Angulo kid that there was so much drama between Red Bulls and Revs? So much drama over a guy who amounted to jack.
Fox Soccer Report threw Ives a shout out for his interview with Charlie. Congrats
Seriously – Spies Like Us??? Are you trying to get people to stop asking for your opinion on cultural matters?
Straight rims — the best you can hope for is they make you look like “Turtle” on Entourage. That’s the best you can hope for. Of course, the curved rim risks a redneck look, but it’s easy to avoid.
If Emerson Hyndman is so great, why haven’t I seen anything about him the last 6 months? Seriously, sometimes I wonder if FC Dallas is bound to keep Schellas on as coach just to keep his grandson in their Academy program. A long-term investment that could reap huge dividends.
Brad Friedel — would love to see him back with the national team. I don’t think there’s a better goalie in the world, including Tim Howard. As for his club status — if Villa qualifies for Europe, I’d bet Friedel stays on — and it’s 100% certain if Villa grabs a Champions’ League slot. As for McBride — he’s still better around the goal than any potential USA player, except possibly Clint Dempsey. He may not have the legs, but if other players do the running, McBride could still get the goals the USA needs.
Holden has more potential than Beasley, but he needs to be more consistent. If Beasley has got his speed back, he can be special — but Holden’s the better all-around player. I would agree that it depends on Beasley’s form or, more accurately his health and speed.
I’m a fan of anything mel brooks. Old school chevy chase is classic. Chris Farley also always get the chuckles out of me.
I actually like Lopez. He is fresh and pushes the envelope whereas the other guys are all cut from the same paper. He is meant to cater to the huge and growing Latino and other ethnic minority populations in this age of Obama. He will never surpass the big guys but he is a pioneer and this will allow someone to come up behind him and carry the torch further.
Landy’s first Everton goal today.
Not a question, I know.
Re: Emerson Hyndman–Wow that kid is young. “Dallasnews.com” has a video of his “tricks.” Not sure if the video proves that he is a prodigy, but I will defer to Ives’s knowledge on that one.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/soccer/stories/070508dnspohyndman.363292b.html
Is anyone else angry that Donovan is listed as a forward in Fantasy Premiere League?
What’s up with that?
Also… is a sea change taking place in the world soccer waters?
Did anyone else notice that Rico Clark actually got a lot of hype from the German media (not just Bild) upon his signing? There are actually positive expectations!
Que paso con Felix Garcia?
Cuando vienes a Los Angeles, Ives?
Ives – what are the chances of RBNY making the playoffs?
Dude, I used to have an acrylic “travel” bong that I named Fletch… Took him with me everywhere!
Ives, great set of questions (and answers) covering a lot of topics. thanks!
Always knew Ives was a Fletch man.
Please say the George Lopez choice is an early April Fool’s joke…
Here’s hoping Arteta is still a few weeks away from full fitness… Go LD!
I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m betting you are a fan of Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase. I’m glad you at least didn’t include “My Stepmother is an Alien” on that list. Or even worse, “Cops and Robersons”. 😉
whatever happened to felix garcia?
Awsome read!
Agreed. Coco 4 life brah.
conan all the way…..
thanks ives!
George Lopez sucks
(SBI-Yeah, he’s been flat after a promising start and I’ve already lost interest. Conan was pretty funny before going off the air. Now, it’s all about The Daily Show for me.)