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It’s SBI Q&A Time

It has been a long time since we at SBI had a reader Q&A, and that’s a drought we are going to put to an end this week.

SBI Editor-in-Chief Ives Galarcep will be taking your questions today on any soccer (or pop culture) topics you want to discuss. Want to talk USMNT? Have an MLS question? Want to talk music or movies or TV shows? Send us your questions our way and Ives will answer selection questions in a post that will drop on Wednesday.

Submit your questions in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. As MLS eventually expands to 30-40 teams, do you see any chance of promotion/relegation being in the cards between a kind of MLS1 and MLS2? Along with promotion, the leaders of MLS2 could make the playoffs and challenge for the MLS Cup every year, so each team would theoretically have a chance to “win it all” before the season begins.

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  2. What’s the deal with all the disrespect for Michael Bradley and all he’s done in his career for club and country?

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  3. Will the U.S. make it to nations league final? Will berhalters tactics improve in desisive matches? Will some players from the olympic squad start to transition to the the senior U.S. side in time for world cup qualifying? Who is the future forward and who can be called in in as a forward that has a future with the U.S. who hasn’t been called?

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  4. Do you have any sources, be it newspapers or insiders or whatever, that have to do with the money-in-football issues, such as Amazon now streaming EPL games, FIFA corruption, and a breakaway Super League? If you do (or if you don’t), do you feel hopeful or depressed about the chances of fans maintaining any semblance of control over the game?

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  5. What are the top three things holding our Men’s NT back in your opinion from making a WC semifinal one day and what changes would you make to address those 3 things holding us back?

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  6. Any chance that part of the long term vision for MLS, as it continues to expand to 30+ teams, is splitting up the group between an MLS 1 and MLS 2, with promotion and relegation between the two? (ie. If expansion continues to 36, 24 teams in MLS 1 and 12 teams in MLS 2) Perhaps the leaders of MLS 2, along with promotion, would also have the chance to play for the MLS Cup so that even MLS 2 teams would theoretically have a chance every year to win it all.

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  7. Vote for album of the year? Well, you can only pick out of these three albums: :)))
    -Benny “Plugs I Met”
    -Freddie Gibbs and Madlib “Bandana”
    -Griselda “WWCD”

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  8. In your Opinion the USMNT has A) Performed above expectations, B) Performed to expectations, C) Performed below expectations?
    How much leash is Berhaulter going to be given before the USSF Brass and Media hold him accountable for the performances on the field?
    Ernie backed Berhaulter before the game against Canada in Florida, saying he’s seen enough progress in the way the team is playing.” What signs of progress is he seeing that most of the fan base isn’t?

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  9. How/ when does MLS take the steps of becoming more transparent and away from the single entity structure?

    How do we divorce SUM and US Soccer?

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  10. There’s so much interest that it might be Thursday before you can answer at length. Good problem to have.
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    So one more thought: what do you expect to happen at the US Soccer Federation meeting on Friday, and what needs to happen in the short and medium term? And what about the 200 disgruntled employees in Chicago, as mentioned in the linked NYT story? Do they really need that many office workers, or could the budget be rebalanced more toward players, including the women’s team?
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    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/dec/04/us-soccer-has-162m-in-the-bank-so-where-does-all-the-money-go

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  11. In your opinion what lead to the “lost generation” of USMNT players? Very few players born between 1989 – 1995 have turned out to be international quality. Why do you think that is?

    Why does Cristian Roldan keep getting opportunities at the international level? He underwhelms on a consistent basis.

    Why has Eric Lichaj been so underutilized in the USMNT throughout his career? Plenty of championship and MLS level players have gotten regular runs (Ream, Robinson, Brad Evans.. etc..) but Lichaj has not. He has gotten call ups here and there but he is a versatile competent defender who can play anywhere across the back line and who has played at high level for a long time.

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  12. LAFC seems set to lose only Miller, Harvey and Beitashour from last season’s routine starters. I think Bradley believes some presently listed as forwards (Vela and Rossi) are really attacking midfielders, so the roster is not as light in the midfield as just looking at the numbers might indicate (Kaye, Blessing and Atuesta are very good, but some injury insurance is needed).
    What do you think Bradley needs to do to ensure the defense is solid and the roster is robust against injury and international call-ups?

    Separately, what does John Nelson at Dallas have to do to get some playing time (short of crippling Hollingshead)?

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  13. Where does MLS stand after the contract negotiations?
    Does this mean higher salaries over all? Lower for the top end, but higher bottom?
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    Just seems like the MLS growth is unstoppable, but is it a mirage of teams over spending?
    Will the a team like the Sounders lose talent and not be able to replace.
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    The reason I ask is it just seems like not a lot happening at the top end in terms of signings…maybe they are just waiting.

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  14. Why hasn’t Berhalter, Kreis and Stewart talked to the dynamic Uly Llanez yet? He’s back healthy and scoring at will w/ Wolfsburg U19s and no one in the USSF has talked to him especially with the Olympics coming up. Mexico has been contacting him and his family. It seems like since Tab Ramos has left the USSF, Mexican-American prospects are being neglected.

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  15. What do you think of DC United’s midfield going into next season? Do you think the presumed starting lineup of Asad,Arriola,Rodriguez in front of Moreno and Martins or Canouse can compete in the East, or do they need to splash cash on a #10 to replace Acosta? If they do, who of that group goes to the bench?

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  16. How do you rate Berhalter’s performance so far? Do you think the talent-level of our player pool can support the possession style he is trying to implement?

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  17. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the conversation.
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    Do you ever watch soccer in Spanish? If so, any comments or observations?
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    Is it a step forward or back for soccer exposure in the US that certain games are no longer broadcast over widely available free-to-air channels such as Univisión/UniMás and Telemundo, but instead are relegated to expensive premium cable channels such as FS2, Fox Deportes, NBC Universo, BeIN, etc.?
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    What can viewers do to encourage broadcasters to keep showing more soccer games on channels that are more accessible to more viewers, especially young people and families who may lack access to premium cable and/or privacy-invasive streaming?
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