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Your January Questions Answered (Part 4)

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USAstars

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Welcome to the latest installment of Your Questions Answered. This is the fourth part of our January set of questions, with topics ranging from the U.S. national team lineups to Major League Soccer.

Wondering how an MLS All-Star team would do in the EPL? Trying to figure out what the USA lineup would look like without several key players? Wondering why MLS doesn't bring in players from Europe on loan? We cover each of these subjects and more.

Now, onto some more of Your January Questions Answered.

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MIKE CARAMBA– As unlikely as it may be, let's pretend Dempsey, Onyewu, Davies, and Jones all miss the World Cup. Which loss hurts the most? What does our starting 11 look like without them? Do you still like our chances to get out of group?

IVES– Tough one. I think the fact that Dempsey and Davies both miss in your scenario makes each other that much tougher a loss. Individually speaking, with relation to the pool, I’d say Onyewu is the toughest loss. The other center backs just can’t do what he does. You could argue the same thing for Davies, but I think Landon Donovan could be slotted in at forward if needed.

Here’s the lineup I could see being used if all four players were missing from the World Cup:

—————-Altidore————Donovan——————

Beasley———Bradley——-Clark—————Holden

Spector———Bocanegra—DeMerit——–Cherundolo

—————————-Howard——————————

If Beasley can’t go, I’d go for this lineup and formation

—————————–Altidore—————————-

——————–Donovan—–Holden————————-

————-Torres———Clark———–Bradley————

Spector———Bocanegra—DeMerit———–Cherundolo

—————————-Howard——————————

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MNMIKE– What is one aspect of MLS that the rest of the world's leagues could benefit from?

IVES– A salary cap wouldn’t hurt some leagues, though that’s probably not practical for mega-leagues like EPL and La Liga.

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JC– In recent interview with Fulham FC, Brian McBride revealed that if USMNT has "crazy number of injuries", he wouldn't turn down an offer to return to the national team.

Although Dempsey's injuries aren't as bad as feared, if USMNT suffers more injuries in the future before the WC, do you see Brian McBride returning to the national team?

Let's say he does return, is he a starter or a bench/substitute? What kind of impact can he make? (Brian's performance in 2006 WC wasn't as good as 2002 WC performance)

IVES– When I’m asked about McBride and the national team I can’t help but think about his turn with the Olympic team and how bad that worked out. It’s not that McBride can’t still play, but at his age the physical rigors of the international game might just be too much. In a one-game situation, could he help? Of course, but I’m not sure if he’s necessarily a better option than Brian Ching or Conor Casey at this point in their careers.

———————————-

MIKE– With all the injuries, I've seen people penciling in Torres and nearly every position except goalie. What is his natural and most effective position?

Have you seen a more fixed decision than Avatar winning best picture at the Golden Globes? It's like Cameron greased their palms, only with about 10,000 hundred dollar bills.

IVES– Torres works well in a deep-lying holding role, but can also contribute in a more attacking central role. I don’t see him as a winger. One position I can see him working well at is as the left midfielder in the 3 of a Christmas tree.

I’m very interested to see Torres partnered with Michael Bradley. Both players can get forward, but both can also pass well from deep. Torres isn’t a hard-tackling central midfielder, but he reads the game well and does well to put himself into position to disrupt opposing possession.

As or the Avatar/Golden Globes thing, I’d say Avatar was a great movie.

———————————-

WISPY– Ives — super important question: In-n-Out or Five Guys?

IVES– I hadn’t had either before up until a few weeks ago. A Five Guys opened up like a minute from my house. Wasn’t bad. I’ve only heard great things about In-n-Out and will make sure to have some when I go to LA next month.

———————————-

DJB– With Bocanegra's recent pt problems, any chance Bradley looks to put him on the bench and start Demerit with Onyewu? Also, how do you see the RB and LB shaping out for the world cup. Granted its a while away, but the right matchups could be crucial for England with someone like Lennon on the wing.

IVES– I still rate Bocanegra ahead of DeMerit at center back and think Bornstein has made enough strides at left back to merit starting there.

What I can see happening for the World Cup is Jonathan Spector starting at left back and Steve Cherundolo starting at right back against England to take advantage of Spector’s familiarity with England’s right wing options. Against Algeria and Slovenia I think Spector would get the nod on the right because of his superior service on that flank, while Jonathan Bornstein would start on the left.

———————————-

CAIRO– Where would an MLS All-Star Team finish if it practiced together and played a full season in the EPL? I personally think it would fall somewhere between 7th and 10th…

IVES– I remember asking Clint Dempsey this question two years ago and the impression I got was that he didn’t think an MLS All-Star team could survive in the Prem. As it stands right now, I think an MLS All-Star team would finish somewhere between 10th and 15th. That probably sounds low to some people, but I think that’s fair.

And for those asking, here’s the squad I’d bring:

——————Angel———-Montero—————–

Donovan—————Ljungberg————-Beckham

—————————-Joseph————————-

Bornstein———Conde—–Marshall————Alston

—————————-Keller————————–

BENCH– Frei, Ricketts, Conrad, Cameron, Gonzalez, Wynne, Davis, Rogers, Beckerman, Julian DeGuzman, Sacha Kljestan, Dwayne DeRosario, Schelotto, Ching, Cunningham.

(I reserve the right to add to this group if I forgot somebody. I've added Schelotto, DeRosario and Ricketts to give us a roster of 26.)

———————————-

CHRIS– Why don't we see more loans between MLS and the top leagues? It seems the unique MLS schedule would allow for this to happen all the time.

I'd think that somewhere in Europe is a 1st or 2nd division team who are dealing with a number of injured defenders or injured CM players.

I'm thinking:
1) these teams would would love the opportunity to get Chad Marshall or Kyle Beckerman for 10 weeks (even if only to provide cover)
2) they could pay below normal european wages for these players
3) MLS makes some money
4) MLS gets european exposure
5) The players make some extra money
6) The players get extra experience, exposure.

So what keeps the top 10% of MLS players (who are typically paid well below their value to a european team) from going on loan every single year before MLS like Beckham and Donovan are doing right now?

Likewise, if come March some kids on teams like Bolton or Sunderland haven't been making it into the reserve games (and the EPL season is about to end) why not loan them out to MLS where they will get games all summer?

IVES– I mis-read this question the first time. So why don't more MLS players go to Europe on loan? I'm not sure how crazy MLS teams are about the idea of having their players playing in other leagues. It's not as if teams would make much money in those arrangements anyway so it winds up being a case of weighing risk with reward. Does a team like New England really want to loan out a Shalrie Joseph and risk having their best player injured heading into a season? You can also create a situation where players are even more eager to leave MLS for Europe, which I don't think MLS needs to be helping happen even more than it does. It's a good idea in theory, but in the end I just don't think teams will find the value in making it worth their while. You might say, "Well, LA is assuming that risk with two of the league's best players". That is true but I also think Donovan and Beckham helped make those deals happen as two of the only players in the league to have the pull to make them happen.

Now, as for why more foreign players don't come to MLS on loan, It boils down to the simple fact that MLS only accepts players on loans where there is a purchase option. This essentially rules out most European prospects who would be worth bringing here. It might sound like a silly rule but the theory behind it is that you don’t want a league of one-year mercenaries coming and going.

———————————-

SLAMBALL– So I am watching Home Alone, and I can't stop to wonder, why don't Harry and Marv just observe their surroundings for a couple of seconds in order to protect themselves from ensuing shenanigans?

IVES– If Harry and Marv were smarter, they probably wouldn’t have been a pair of two-bit thieves. I’m also convinced the brain trauma that took place throughout that movie eventually led to diminishing brain function, so they were pretty helpless by the end of the movie.

———————————-

WONSAN UNITED– Why do Eurosnobs like to ignore good soccer leagues such as the Mexican Primera or the J-League? It seems nobody outside those respective countries and those neighboring really know how good those 2 leagues are.

IVES– I don’t think it’s snobbery as much as exposure to certain leagues. Let’s face it, it is much easier for American soccer fans to be exposed to the EPL than to the Mexican league and definitely the J-League. The language barrier can’t help either. I will say this, if more and more Americans wind up playing in Mexico you will see more and more American soccer fans beginning to follow that league. As it stands, I know there are a bunch of USMNT fans who watch Mexican league matches now because of players like Torres, Castillo and previously Orozco. I think that’s great because I think it’s healthy for soccer fans to experience a variety of leagues.

———————————-

ANDREW– Would Canadian teams (Toronto FC, Vancouver, Montreal, expansion?) ever consider breaking away from MLS to form a 10-or-so-team Canadian 'MLS'?

IVES– If Canada could sustain its own league there would already be a Canadian League. Given the geographic make-up of the country and the number of markets in Canada, a Canadian league just doesn’t make sense. Think about this, hockey is a religion in Canada yet you don’t see anything close to a Canadian hockey league, do you?

I don’t think the current system hurts Canada at all. Having two or three strong pro soccer teams in the country is MUCH better than having none.

———————————-

I may add some more answers to this so check back in later today. For now, feel free to share your thoughts on these answers in the comments section below.

Comments

  2. I think you got this wrong… the average person would rather watch Man U or Bayern Munich. I am sorry, but Mexican teams just play awful soccer/futbol. I can’t speak for J league because I have never seen it. When I was little, the only soccer on local TV was Mexican soccer and I hated watching it because the teams always just hit long balls and then dribbled a lot. It was just ugly soccer. Its a world of difference from watching Champions League matches.

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  3. Murphy,

    You are spot on when it comes to Bornstein. Others just haven’t looked closely enough to his defense. The last match they said he was the best US player on the pitch but if you watch the films..it was he who did not defend the Hondurus player who scored right in front of him. (tapped the ball in from a cross – basic defense) We are not going to score much in SA so we better not give up week goals.

    (SBI-Bob, I’ve read your misguided comments for some time now and I’ll ask that if you’re going to spout off weak rhetoric at least get your facts straight. Against Honduras, Bornstein was not at fault for any of Honduras’ goals. If you’re trying to pin the second goal on him you’re mistaken. It was Chad Marshall who was slow to react to Palacios racing in. Bornstein was between the crosser and Marshall. I get that you think Bornstein is terrible, but at least try to get your facts straight when you’re rattling off your steady stream of player bashing.)

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  4. Murph, Your so right when it comes to Bornstein. He is not a defender and not put Boca there who does play this position at the highest level just shows the lack of understanding and knowledge on BB part. Bradley tried this with Beasley and what a mess that was! If you look at only the defense play of Bornstein, it was terrible. If I recall that is what a defender does first…defend. The few good runs in midfield doesn’t make up for the gaffs he shows at defense. Move him to midfield if Bradley likes him on the pitch. Left midfield is not set!…Just play proven european based player in the back..

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  5. Ives,

    I don’t know what it’s like in New Jersey but as far as Texas is concerned it is much much much easier to get Mexican league exposure here than English Premier League. First off the games are played in the same time zone so we get them live. Secondly they are on basic cable that provides roughly four Spanish speaking channels, whereas EPL is only on more premium cable. Lastly, I never see cars driving around with Chelsea, Liverpool or Man U. stickers on them conversely I see America, Chivas and Monterrey stickers in the dozens on my way to work daily.

    As far as your language barrier suggestion goes if you want to it’s pretty easy to tune out the announcing.

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  7. i’ve had plenty of both. both are delicious. however, five guys is better. the fries and burger are a step up from in-n-out. but it does cost more.

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  8. in-n-out is the best!! the best burgers amd fries i ever had!

    and yea the mexican league only allows 5 foreign players per team

    chivas is the only team that doesnt have foreign players

    they all mexican

    Reply

  9. I would rather go with Spector on the left than Bornstein. Bornstein goes forward too much and ends up out of position. When he does go forward, his passes and crosses are usually poor … and when he turns it over while forward, uh oh! With that, I would rather have Spector stay at home and provide solid D and good passing out of the LB position and have Dolo do his thing on the right.

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  11. We beat Spain and played well vs. Brazil. Bornstein has not played consistently well vs. good opponents, and the other 6 guys I mentioned play in Europe, and I think they are better than Bornstein.

    I get what Ives is saying and I disagree with him. I think Spector can play on the left (he has done so in England) and I think having him or Bocanegra on the left is better than having Bornstein.

    I’m a natural left back but I that doesn’t make me more qualified to play that position than someone like Spector! And its not like Bornstein is an offensive threat on par with ashley cole… He’s a good reserve but shouldn’t be starting over the other backs I mentioned.

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  17. I agree that Spector’s service on the right is better since it’s coming off his natural foot, but I think saying he provides no service on the left is a huge overstatement. I’ll admit I haven’t seen him play a ton at LB, but this is contrary to the little bit I’ve seen and read.

    (SBI-None might be an overstatement but the fact is he simply can’t provide useful service with his left peg, and when he plays left back for West Ham he rarely gets forward. When he does, he’s looking to cut inside rather than serve balls with his left. Ultimately, it’s more about what the team loses by not having him on the right than what he doesn’t provide on the left since it’s not as if Bornstein is delivering lasers from the left. That said, Bornstein has gotten much better than he showed last summer, when he was at his worst.)

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  20. Enjoying that high horse you’re on? At least, Josh (previous poster) is keeping you company up there. Stay indoors if you hate Americans so much. Damn

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  21. one question i have: why is landon donovan not the captain for the US? he is clearly the focal point of our attack, and that can be seen by how dreadful our offensive showings have been when he isn’t present. he is the face of American soccer, and the most accomplished American soccer player ever. he is the leader of the team already without the captain’s band. i think coach bradley really needs to think about that before the World Cup. i could really see LD stepping up as captain and leading the US really far in the tournament

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  24. Look at Brazil’s first goal against the USA in the Confederations Cup final; Luis Fabiano cut away from him and shot the ball between his legs like it was nothing. Pirlo cut away from DeMerit and moved down the line so easily for the third goal against USA. Then look at the Honduras game; I’m not sure who the player was, but the ball get’s in to him and he cuts away from DeMerit the same way Luis Fabiano did. Geuss who DeMerit came on for in that game? Bocanegra. DeMerit is a bigger more physical guy, but tactically speaking, Bocanegra is much better great and is incredible at reading the game to mark out strikers instead of simply outmuscling them. If you question Bocanegra’s bravery to face balls and challenges think about this: remember that second goal against Honduras?

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  26. I would say it might have to do with the availability of European soccer on TV nowadays. Mexican league used to be almost the only thing consistently available, and CACuzcatlan has it right that in most markets it is still more available now.

    I will admit that I started enjoying the Mexican games a lot more after I learned Spanish.

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  27. Doesn’t Mexico have a limit of 5 foreign players per team, with naturalized players counting as foreigners until they’ve been citizens 2 years?

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  28. Hey, Ives loved your comments but I have to disagree with you on Boca over Demerit at center back. To me boca is always near enough to get beat and too far to stop a shot on goal. He gets posterized way too often in the middle. From the Concaf tourney Demerit has shown he is a better fit at centerback. Boca just not solid enough defensively. He ball watches and tries to shield his face and balls instead of making the challenge. Remember that first goal in Mexico?

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  29. I’ve got to disagree – the MLS All Star lineup is pretty good offensively, but it would ship goals like nobody’s business. Also, the best players trend toward the bad side of 30 and would have difficulty performing at that level for the long premiership season. 10-15 is about right.

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  30. So Brazil didn’t expose Bocanegra down the flank? Spain didn’t beat Bocanegra with pace? Bocanegra didn’t do any better stopping service from his flank than Bornstein did against Brazil. At least Bornstein has the pace to deal with teams that have pacy players like Walcott, Sergio Ramos, and Maicon.

    You’re not getting what Ives is saying; even if Spector and Cherundolo are the best, it’s almost negated if they aren’t played in their best or more natural position. The USA can’t afford, especially at the World Cup, to be giving up a defending player’s attributes when they contribute on the offensive end. We couldn’t afford to do it against Egypt, we could afford to do it against Brazil, and I guarentee you we can’t afford to do it against England, Algeria, or Slovenia.

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  35. Joseph is the only reason the Revs scored a goal last year… for the most part.. he played the entire central mid and forward and did quite well too.

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  38. 1) As a Chicagoan (i.e. neutral) Five Guys is far superior to In-and-Out. I’ve had plenty of both, having lived in D.C. for 2 years and having my sister go to Cal Berkley. I know I won’t convince anyone, but telling the truth is never a bad thing.

    2) Much credit to Ives for intelligently fielding the Home Alone question. I couldn’t agree more.

    3) I think the MLS All-Star lineup listed above would, if it remained healthy, do better than 10-15. For my money (as a figure of speech. I don’t have any money. I hate literalists) that lineup is as good as any south of Aston Villa

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  40. definitely not. might be the exotic quality of in n out being a midwesterner and all but goddamn they are good. five guys isnt far behind though.

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  42. Ives, I don’t think you need to add Schelotto to the team. He’s great, he truly is, but let’s think about the kind of players you need to survive in the EPL. I don’t think Schelotto is the kind of player who would prosper there. I also don’t think that takes anything away from him, but if we’re building a team to play in England, I don’t think Guillermo is on the team. Neither is DeRo.

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  43. you call yourselves “ColoRADans”? For some reason I think that’s absolutely tremendous. Off topic, but I had to give my props.

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  45. Thank goodness for your all-inclusive world view. Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia? Most of the world’s historically great footballing nations? Hmmm… Take off your hair shirt and use your brain.

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  49. Possibly. I would think South Africa would wear their yellow shirts, so Mexico could possibly wear their green. The all-black kit would definitely contrast, though.

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  50. Ives, no Schelotto on the MLS all-star squad?

    Really?

    Might need to rethink that one.

    (SBI-It wasn’t something to be “rethought”. I simply forgot him when I threw the team together. He has since been added.)

    Reply

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