Good afternoon folks. I'm sure you weren't expecting it so soon but I'm back with the second batch of answers to the most recent Q&A session. Some pretty interesting questions in this group, not sure I can call my answers equally interesting.
Now, without any futher Christian Miles, here are more of your questions answered:
MILO- whats the deal with metro, still no left mid or cb, did osorio 86 that idea?
IVES- Left wing is definitely still a priority for the Red Bulls on the transfer market. Center back I don't this is as much a priority, with Jeff Parke looking strong and rookie Eric Brunner showing promise as a back-up. If I had to guess the positions Juan Carlos Osorio fills I see him getting an attacking midfielder, a left winger and a left back/center back.
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ADAM- What are John O'Brien's thoughts on MLS promotion/relgation?
IVES- He's in favor of anything that gets people to stop asking about him.
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CO'D- Ives, What are your thoughts of Trappotoni coaching the Irish National team? At this point, it can't get any worse right?
IVES- Trappatoni is a legend and while he may be old he still knows the game and still has wisdom to pass on. I can see him instilling some good qualities in the Irish team. Will that help them qualify for the 2010 World Cup? It wouldn't shock me.
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MEXICAN BLUE FISH- do we think our future national team prospects are better than they are?
IVES- Who is we and who is they?
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IVES- Having Angel and Altidore does give the Red Bulls a chance of doing something special, assuming the club can add the pieces around them they need to take the next step. I think the defense will be much improved. The question is the midfield, where new signings are expected.
Is 2008 do-or-die for the Red Bulls? I doubt it. While it is probably Altidore's last year in MLS I don't see why Angel necessarily leaves. He isn't going back to Europe and if his family is settled here why would he go back to Colombia? Throw in Juan Osorio's presence here and I can definitely see Angel staying beyond 2008. So you have Angel back, the designated player slot that will be vacated by Claudio Reyna (who will NOT be re-signed as a DP) and the potential transfer revenue from Jozy Altidore. With these things and a looming stadium opening I would imagine the Red Bulls would find a way to get two or three stars added to the team, and at least one superstar.
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SEA OTTER- Curious to get your thoughts on Chivas USA.
Do you think that they made a mistake by aligning themselves with sucha polarizing club within the Mexican community?
I know who the owner/operator is and all that. But, I thought that they were trying to appeal to the Mexican community at large. I've just always thought that the name likely drove away more soccer fans than it would ever have drawn in.
IVES- As good as the team is on the field I really don't get the feeling that the business model is working. Chivas USA struggles to draw fans even when winning so I'm not sure what else it would take. I know there's some beliefe that the team needs a talismanic Mexican player like Adolfo Bautista to get fans interested, but I'm starting to wonder if the Goats will ever draw enough fans to be successful.
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TREX- Ives, a few months ago Steve Davis wrote an interesting article on MLS needing to target an urban crowd more:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=487388&root=mls&&cc=5901
What are the top three things you think clubs should do to go down this path and make it succeed?
IVES- Steve Davis is my boy but I disagree with his premise on that story. You see, Toronto FC does draw from Toronto's urban community but that happens to be an urban community that loves soccer. After reading the piece I'm not sure if Davis' point was that you need to target the urban crowd so much as you need to have stadiums in the heart of the city and not on the outskirts of a town like Frisco is in relation to Dallas. I definitely agree with that because it's just common sense that a central location is easier to attract fans from more areas and because transportation is usually an easier deal.
Finding land in the heart of big cities isn't exactly easy, that's the main problem, but I think Red Bull Park and the propsed Houston stadium cite are examples of locations that should succeed because of their locations and accessibility.
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FREDDY- 1. What are the odds of a Milwaukee franchise in MLS?
2. Have you been to anymore NJ Ironmen games besides home opener?
IVES- 1. I have to say I don't like the odds at all. I'd go 50/1. 2. I went to one game after the opener and the place was empty. At least part of the struggle with the Ironmen, in my opinion, is some of the terrible scheduling. If you're a small sports team trying to get a foothold you need to be careful about what you schedule games up against.
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JERRY- Thanks for the CONCACAF Abroad Report each week. With so many Canadian players on teams overseas, why isn't their national team more of a force in CONCACAF qualifying?
IVES- The CONCACAF report has had a few weeks off but I'll bring it back this week for sure. As for what Canada's problem is, I think the organization of the Canadian Federation is a mess, which isn't exactly a secret. The Canadians have far too much talent to continue being an afterthought in CONCACAF.
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JACK- If Clint Mathis has a good season in Greece, do you think Bob Bradley will give him a look?
IVES- Mathis' days as a national team player are over.
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GEOFF- What do you make of the FA Cup this season with Pompey being the only Premiership side left in the competition? Does it prove that the magic and romance has never left like some pundits suggested? Thanks
IVES- There will always be upsets in sports, regardless of how money distorts the game. If anything, as clubs get bigger and more money goes into building these mighty teams, I think it's inevitable that these star-studded teams take a tumble once in a while because big-time players can't help but fall victim to the false sense of security that success brings.
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ANDREW- My question is about allocation money:
LA Galaxy has recently traded a few players for allocation money to put towards new player's salaries, does this mean that some MLS teams have now have a cap of less than $2.2million i.e. what is San Jose's salary allowance this year (I'm thinking about the O'Brien trade)?
Linked to this, I would like to know from you which teams you think have received allocation money via trades etc and therefore now have the ability to pay more money than the $2.2m cap. You could make a list or something. Do we have a situation now where half the teams have a cap above 2.2 and half below?
Hope that made sense, thanks
IVES- Allocation money can be used to create cap space but it is not cap space, does that make sense? Allocations are cash AND a mechanism to sign a player, so when San Jose traded a major allocation to Toronto, it traded Toronto cash, not a part of its own salary cap. Teams can essentially trade a part of their cap space in the form of paying a portion of the salary of a player it has traded (like what Real Salt Lake did with Clint Mathis).
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MORITZ- 1. Who are your 2 finalists and winner in the Champions League? (I'm going with Schalke as a dark horse and Chelsea with Chelsea to win it.)
2. Why was it so easy for Matt Pickens to go to England and not Guzan?
IVES- I'll say Manchester United defeats Arsenal in the final, though a Roma-Arsenal final wouldn't shock me.
Matt Pickens married a French woman and was able to secure a work permit that way. In other news, Brad Guzan just got engaged (okay, I'm kidding.)
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NUVI- Just wondering if you have any insights on Toronto FC and what happened with Kiki Musampa? Why didn't he sign with Toronto?
IVES- Musampa wanted way too much money. This was a key reason why the Red Bulls didn't even bother bringing him in for a trial (Juan Carlos Osorio worked with Musampa at Manchester City).
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DURSK- What do you think about the Alexi Lalas rumor that he is going to be booted come summertime??? I am seeing too many problems for LA both on the pitch and in the office. Thanks!
IVES- To be honest I don't even see the Galaxy as a soccer team any more. It really is a traveling circus. With that in mind, I don't see what Lalas has done recently to merit being fired. He is running the playbook AEG laid out when it bought Beckham. I'm pretty sure there won't be many tears shed if Lalas does get the boot, though you might find a smile creeping on the faces of Frank Yallop and Bob Bradley if it does happen.
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JULIO- Any news on Miami expansion. MLS need a team in Florida. MLS as ignore the South I thing it time to put a team back in Florida. What are your thoughts?
IVES- MLS wants to be in the South and Miami, along with Atlanta, appear to be the front-runners. I'm all for putting a team in the site of the Orange Bowl. I really believe it could work. I'm not as convinced about Atlanta.
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JOHN IN ATL- Now that we are fortunate to have many viewing options for soccer on TV, how much soccer do you watch on a typical weekend, esp. when both MLS and the Euros are in season? And how does this mesh with your family life? :) Just curious as I watch probably 6-8 hrs a week myself but will often alternate between games.
IVES- During the times of year when MLS and Europe overlap I would say I watch anywhere from eight to 12 matches a week, as well as all the highlight shows (EPL, Serie A, La Liga and Fox Soccer Report). If there are a bunch of great games I may watch even more (I can recall a day that went from 8am to 6pm, which was five straight matches) The only way you can truly learn about the game and keep up on what's going on is by watching. Obviously for me it's part of the job but I'm sure there are people who watch even more. I can tell you right now that it wouldn't shock me if Bob Bradley watches 15-20 matches a week.
It might sound crazy, I know, but with TIVO, you can always put the game on a slightly faster speed and you can also forward through injuries and other stuff.
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ZUNGAZAN- 1. How do you think the Earthquakes will do this year?
2. If you were Bruce Arena, what would you do next?
IVES- I think the Earthquakes are going to struggle badly. I know there are plenty of good vibes because of the success San Jose had the last time around, especially since Frank Yallop is back, but I'm having serious doubts about how the Earthquakes are building their team and I think they are in for a terrible first season.
2. Well, obviously I would be looking to take the rest of this year off and look toward 2009. That Philadelphia job might be something to consider.
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MIKE- EPL teams are buying American players because they are cheap, but aside from Germany, the continental leagues (Spain, Italy, France, Holland) shy away. There are often fewer work permit restrictions than the UK. Is it a lack of technical skill or perception? A lack of connections in these countries? Thanks.
IVES- I just think there are more connections to England and Germany, which makes it easier for American players to make the move. Spain has foreign player restrictions, which serve as a major obstacle for American players since Spanish clubs are going to use those foreign player slots on truly high-profile players and there just aren't many of those coming out of the US just yet.
As for France and Holland I think the EPL just has more money to bid on players than France and Holland does. Italy is the one league where I wonder when inroads will really be made for Americans. The language barrier is an issue there, and I think the lack of success of English players in Italy adds to that being considered a reason not to sign Americans.
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MIGHTY- It seems like we have this great potential of young soccer players, for years since the late 90's,they show great skills and great heart for the game. But we still don't see anyone taking the next step. What do you think the US soccer is not doing to make sure this kids grow to their potential? Also is playing Altidore as a lone striker hurting his abilities to be a great scorer? Does Novak or Bradley need to pair him up with another striker so he can be able to become that strong striker that US needs?
IVES- "What do you think US soccer is not doing." That statement right there is at the heart of one of the bigger misconceptions among American soccer fans. In other parts of the world, the onus on player development falls to professional teams and leagues. Yes, federations play their part with some player development initiatives, but it is the pro teams that establish scouting and development systems that produce quality players. That is missing in the United States. US Soccer and MLS are taking steps to fill that gap with the new Player Development Academy as well as MLS teams establishing youth academies. Those are the things that were missing, and are now being implemented. It will take some time, but I think American soccer is finally moving in the right direction in this area.
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JMH- I am excited to watch Superliga live in New England. How many fans do you think will show up to watch Superliga two games at Gillette stadium? Will you be attending?
IVES- That is a tough call. Gillette just doesn't fill up for Revs games and I'm not sure how much Mexican fans are going to travel up to Foxborough. As for whether I'll be there, if ESPN.com needs me to cover it I'll definitely be there and I might go anyway (any excuse to make a detour at Foxwoods.)
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J- just checking for updates on Red Bull's training facility and its construction status?
IVES- I am hoping to have an update on that today.
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STEVE- Who do you think will fetch a higher transfer fee?
Altidore or Michael Bradley.
Thanks!
IVES- TOUGH CALL. I could see both fetching between the $6 and $8 million range. If the European window opened tomorrow I would say Bradley but Altidore has plenty of time, and showcases, to increase his price. I give Bradley the edge right now.
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RYAN- Is there going to be another SBI Fanstasy MLS League this year? I look foward to improving by top 30 finish from last year.
IVES- Yes there is and it's already up for you to join. SBI Fantasy League is open for business.
ROEHL SYBING- I've been saying for a while that this is probably New York's best chance over the next few seasons to win MLS Cup, what with Angel likely to leave after his contract is up and Altidore looking to go to Europe. I say it's high time Red Bull make a strong effort to keep these guys, but that's another issue. Say both of them are gone after this year, though; how do our prospects look after 2008 without a key goal scorer up top not on the bench today and ready to take the reins?