(Even more of) Your Questions Answered

Good afternoon folks. I was able to get through another portion of the record-setting Q&A from two weeks ago. Needless to say I will be capping all future Q&A sessions a lot quicker so we get somewhere in the 50 question range rather than the 120 question range.

Now, here is the third part of the most recent Q&A session (I will finish the final portion of the most recent Q&A tonight).

As always, feel free to share your thoughts below:

CHESTERTON CHRIS- i've been watching mls for a few years now. the quality has been going up. do you think the games are playing at a higher level this year compared to last year?

la galaxy have defensive problems. abel xavier is a little rough to watch. cory gibbs is available.....not really knowing mls rules, would it be possible rules wise to drop xavier mid season and pick up gibbs if he was willing to come to mls?

IVES- I think the quality overall has improved, although there are occasionally still matches that wind up being very ugly, whether it's because of weather conditions or field or turf issues.

The Galaxy can cut Xavier as long as his contract isn't guaranteed.

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JEFF- Why have we not heard from Red Bull in such a long long time? Any idea? Have they lost interest in their NY franchise? To date, if I'm being honest, the ownership has not lived up to the hype and leaves me unimpressed in a big way. I wish Steinbrenner was interested in the team.

IVES- Very good question Jeff. The fact that the club has yet to hire a managing director really does give the impression that Salzburg has forgotten about their team in America. I know Red Bull has made a big financial commitment, but the effort to build a bond with the community has been non-existent.

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BRENT- Ives if you could pick any 11 pro athletes to make up a soccer team who would it be. If they had grown up with soccer would the USA dominate? MY team

Chad Johnson(keeper)
Larry Johnson(Left Back)
Ray Lewis(center Back)
Shawn Merriman(center back)
Ladanian Tomlinson(Right Back)
Lebron James(holding mid)
Reggie Bush(Right Mid)
Tracey Mcgrady(Left mid)
Chris Paul(attacking mid)
Randy Moss (Forward)
Kobe Bryant(Forward)

any thoughts or just too far out there of a question.

IVES- Funny that you ask this question because I wrote a column about this very subject probably seven or eight years ago. It is really just a crazy premise, but something you can have fun with.

Here's my starting XI:

-----------Adrian Peterson--------Randy Moss----------

---------------------------Chris Paul---------------------

Devin Hester--------------------------------Reggie Bush

-------------------------LeBron James-------------------

Asante Samuel----------------------------Champ Bailey

-------------------Ed Reed--------Torii Hunter-------

------------------------Kevin Garnett------------------

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STEVE- How adventageous is the Adidas-only kit deal in MLS? When does it expire?

IVES- I believe it runs through 2015.

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KLB- We've heard the ESPN Euro games are going to be in HD? What about FSC matches (Murdoch owns Sky, so he can do it), Gol TV, Setanta, or the Champions League on ESPN?

I know you probably don't know the answer to all of these, but surely you have a little inside information about the WWL.

IVES- I'm pretty sure Wednesday's Champions League final will be in HD. I haven't heard anything about the other soccer networks going to HD full-time.

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MICHELLE- What's the deal with Landon Donovan? Is the MLS front office at all aware of the joke going on? He's been an absolute a** on the field taunting people and commiting blatant handballs. I think it makes the league look even more Mickey Mouse not to be coming down hard on him. Yet I don't even hear the media going after him let alone the league. Pathetic!

IVES- You sound like you have a bit of a grudge against the guy. Has he gone a little overboard with his taunting of opponents this year? Sure. Did he try a handball in a game once? Yes, but I'm really not sure what you are hoping for, a suspension? If anything, the extra emotion tells me he's serious about the Galaxy making the playoffs this season.

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BRANT- When/how might the salary cap start to go up in MLS? And coupled with that, are we going to see a rise in minimum salaries so we don't have guys playing for $14k? Also, when do you think the roster sizes might start to expand, so that teams involved in multiple competitions (Champions Cup, SuperLiga, US Open Cup, etc) don't wear out the same 15 guys with too many games (a la DC and Houston)?

IVES- The Collective Bargaining Agreement ends after the end of the 2009 season and I think we'll see salaries and roster sizes go up then (if ever). I also think the developmental salaries will be a serious negotiation point in the talks for the next CBA. It's clear the salary cap needs to go up and roster sizes need to go up. We'll soon see if the new player's union has any teeth.

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TOM- Just how narrow is the Giants Stadium pitch? Feels like the Bulls are playing on a bowling lane. Any idea how close the new stadium pitch will be to the FIFA 80-yard (international) max?

IVES- The field is narrow, probably somewhere between 68 and 70 yards. I'm pretty sure Red Bull Park's field will be wider, or at least be built to accomodate a wider field. I'm not sure about an 80-yard field though.

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DANNY- Any rumors about potential jersey sponsors for teams like D.C. United? Plenty of space on their new jersey, but nothing yet. Any insight?

IVES- Yes, it took me a while to do this Q&A. D.C. is sponsored by Volkswagen and is now 0-2 since adding the VW symbol to the uniforms.

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TED HILL- 1. How does it feel to have picked against Chelsea in all three knockout rounds and all three times they have progressed? What do you have against the Blues?

2. What are your thoughts on the Republic of Ireland national team? They didn't get a tremendously difficult World Cup qualifying group (ITA, BUL, CYP, GEO, MNE), do you think they can make it to South Africa?

IVES- 1. I wasn't really paying that much attention to be honest. I know I picked Fenerbahce because I didn't want to go with the chalk picks. I picked Liverpool because, well because Liverpool had owned Chelsea in Champions League before then. Not sure what other time I picked against Chelsea. And no, I have nothing against Chelsea.

2. It's clear Ireland is set up to finish second in that group, which means a potential play-off series. Since you never know who you might get in the play-offs it's tough to say what Ireland's chances are of qualifying for 2010. I think hiring Trapattoni will help.

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BRANT- One last (short) one - are we likely to see you on TV regularly any time soon? Or are you just living in the written world?

IVES- I'm still working on taking the next step to radio. Let me do that, and lose some weight, and then I'll give TV a run down the road.

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JEFF- When does MLS plan on raising the salary cap? I get a sense from fans around the league they are getting frustrated with watching a product with a 2 million dollar salary cap. MLS is clearly doing much better financially and is on far better footing then 7 years ago. If anything the league should allow a soft cap like the NBA or MLB have so it will allow teams that want to spend money to be allowed to and then pay a luxury tax for when they go over the cap that can be distributed to the smaller market teams. I fail to see why LA or NY should be held back because of the New Englands and Colorado's.

IVES- As I have stated repeatedly. This won't change until after 2009 and how much it changes will be determined by negotiations for the next CBA. You would hope that the infusion of new ownership might lead to the types of changes we need MLS to undertake.

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MIKE- Love the site, Ives. With MLS dipping into Canada with TFC, and the amount of support they have, do you see MLS including more Canadien cities in potential expansion?

IVES- I know Don Garber spoke well of Vancouver as a potential candidate, and I have heard plenty about Montreal, but I just can't see a second Canadian franchise coming on board any time soon. Just can't. I think there is NO way Vancouver gets a team. There are too many potential U.S. cities in the mix. I wouldn't count out Montreal, but if MLS really is intent on capping the teams at 18, I can't see a second Canadian team.

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J- Ives, real question, you did say no RB Park questions, but what is the status of the RB's training facility?

IVES- It has hit some snags and I can't imagine where that stands right now with no managing director in place to handle any problems that may be taking place. I will inquire once again.

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STEIGS- With Concacaf WC qualifying around the corner, your thoughts on the most likely to qualify and any potential dark horse/sleeper candidates? The US and Mexico seem pretty automatic at this point but after that...?

IVES- I see the Hex being USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Haiti. Here's the real tough one. Can Canada knock Honduras out in the third round? Right now I'm picking Honduras but if Canada's federation ever got its act together, Canada has the talent to advance to the Hex and if it makes the Hex I think Canada makes the World Cup. It's just sad that Mexico, Honduras and Canada wound up in the same group while another group includes Costa Rica, Haiti and Panama.

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RYAN- If Jozy does make his transfer this summer, does that man he'll be out of the Olympics? It'd be tough to work your way into your new club if you miss the beginning of the season.

IVES- I think it's safe to say he'll be at the Olympics one way or another. Whichever team buys him will have to wait. That being said, I'm still not convinced he will leave in the summer.

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BARRY JIVE- George W. Bush - Great President or Greatest President?

IVES- Worst President Ever.

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PAT NOONAN's MOM- How would you rank the top 10 forwards in MLS, in order?

IVES- Here goes, the Top 10 MLS forwards (when healthy):

1. Juan Pablo Angel
2. Landon Donovan
3. Jozy Altidore
4. Taylor Twellman
5. Luciano Emilio
6. Brian Ching
7. Kenny Cooper
8. Ante Razov
9. Carlos Ruiz
10. Maykel Galindo

I probably forgot somebody but I spent about five minutes on this list. I was tempted to drop Emilio further but I want to see his struggles continue before I completely write off his MVP season as a fluke.

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HOMEY G- After reading about the $4 million sponsorship deal between DC United and VW, it made me wonder why the league doesn't mandate that every team does this. It seems like very low-hanging fruit, and it's basically enough money to pay the entire team's salary for a year. Isn't this the easiest way to increase salaries and get better players?

IVES- I'm pretty sure every team in MLS is TRYING to get a sponsorship deal. It's just not as simple as finding a company and cashing a check. Teams need to make sure it's the right deal and need to make sure they're getting the best deal possible. Also, not every team is going to get a deal like D.C. got from VW.

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SMOREBS- Thanks for the Q&A. How bad is Renya's injury and will it keep him from distributing the ball against one of the worst defenses in the league (and disrupting one of the best offenses)? He has been doing so well controlling the game this year, I think LA will be a problem with out him steadying RBNY against such an effective offense. Do you have any predictions about the LA game, with and with out Renya?

IVES- Apologies for not getting to this one sooner but you should know that the quick turnaround of the Q&A is a tedious proposition. I think we can expect Reyna back for the Chicago match. I have a feeling Reyna was kept out a bit longer to make sure he was ready for the Fire match.

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FREDDY- Not exactly sure if you covered this before... Do you think MLS should go to a single table? I say no because Eastern/Western Conference, playoffs and a final are a staple of American sports and since MLS is an American league (w/ one Canadian ingredient) I say keep the format the way it is. Your thoughts...

IVES- I'm a fan of the current system. I know plenty of people who want the single table and promotion/relegation, but I think the curent system is just fine and is not one of the real problems facing the league.

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ADAM- I have heard (seen) a lot of talk about Charlie Renken and read a couple of profiles on him at various sites but what do you know about him and what is your take on him as a player and his development? Thanks and keep up the excellent work!

IVES- I know what most soccer fans know. Renken is a 14-year-old central midfield prospect and native of Zambia. The kid is calm on the ball, has a great touch and vision for his age, and very good size for his age. I can't say I have a take on him because I'm not sure how much of a take you can have on a player as young as he is. I'm still convinced he'll be the first player for the St. Louis expansion franchise whenever it comes on board. 2011 anybody?

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KEVIN J- Hey Ives. Hope all is well. My question is how is DaMarcus Beasley rehab going and does he look able to take a part in the UEFA Cup Final for Rangers or play in the USA's game against England? How has he done so far for the Rangers? Has he done well?

IVES- As you know by now, Beasley did not play in the UEFA Cup final. He was left off the team's roster for the second phase of the tournament because Rangers wasn't sure if he would be back from surgery. He is training, and did dress for a league game, but Beasley didn't dress for Rangers most recent league game and I'm not sure if he'll be ready for the U.S. team's match against England. As for how he has done. He was doing very well before the injury. I think he could have a good future at Rangers.

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JAMIE Z- Any truth in rumors regarding Brooklyn Beckham's desire to play for England instead of the U.S. National Team, despite the fact he was conceived here? Perhaps it would be worth our while to cap him during an upcoming Olympic Qualifier? We're a bit thin at left back. Is he even on Bradley's radar?

IVES- Everybody's a comedian.

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KEVIN J- What's your pick as of the next 5 US players to play abroad? And do they have the skill to cut in overseas?

IVES- Next five to go abroad are:

• Brad Guzan
• Jozy Altidore
• Michael Parkhurst
• Ricardo Clark
• Landon Donovan

And to answer your question, I think they all have the skill to cut it. Unfortunately, there are plenty of other factors that will wind up determining whether a player succeeds.

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IRENE H- Who's the biggest or famous or well respected US player abroad? Brian McBride, Kasey Keller, DaMarcus Beasley, Brad Friedel? Who has achieved the most in term of goals or assists or most clean sheets (in regard to goalkeepers) or trophies?

IVES- That's a tough one, not sure how you could measure the fame of these players. It's safe to say that McBride is a legend among Fulham fans while Keller and Friedel have been around so long that they do have their share of fame. I would argue that Tim Howard is probably as well known as any of them because of his time with Manchester United. McBride is the goals leader in the group while I think Beasley might have the edve in the trophies department from his time at PSV.

Comments

[Dominghosa]

I know, I know. It's all hypothetical and just a fun game to play, but would Ichiro really play for the US? I think he'd play for Japan, no?
Anyway, as for a team I would go with, I'd probably lean more to American athletes who actually have interest in soccer like Kobe, Chad Johnson, KG.

[Dominghosa]

Disregard probably.
But Kobe would definitely be an attacking midfielder and Chad Johnson would be a forward and wouldn't mind the 7-foot, ultra-athletic KG in goal.
This kind of stuff is just crazy to think about.
Also, you think Kobe would pull a G. Rossi and opt to play for Italy?
Hahahahahahaha.

[NJ Guy Stuck in DC]

Q for next time: Who is your MLS worst XI of regulars? I'm not talking this week or this season; I'm talking the guys who consistently play year-in and year-out yet are just plain liabilities no matter what team they suit up for.

[kpugs]

Dom...I'm pretty sure Ichiro wouldn't play for us. He has represented Japan internationally and loves his homeland. Time for us to find a new fantasy right back.

[golfstrom]

Iverson at RB for Ichiro. You think Frankie Hejduk has a motor...

[Dominghosa]

Jason Taylor can dance. If he can do that with a soccer ball....say hello to our right midfielder.
OK, that's it about that.

[Palermo Son]

-------Kobe - Ocho Cinco-----
----------Chris Paul-------
Iverson---------------Devin Hester
-----------Ed Reed------------
Champ Bailey-T.O.-Lebron--DWade
---------Dwight Howard--------

Sean Taylor (RIP) would have gotten the nod.

[CPTKevin]

Ives, the league is cracking down on behavior in the technical area, at least that is what they are telling the officials to do. Is the league communicating this to the teams?

For the "closet" referees out there, check out the US Soccer Referee Week in Review http://www.ussoccer.com/referees/index.jsp.html for weeks 5 and 6. Both have explanations as well as video clips for both good and bad calls!

[Homey Boehme]

"BARRY JIVE- George W. Bush - Great President or Greatest President?

IVES- Worst President Ever"

Good to see you really do try to answer every question, and I couldn't agree with you more! :-)

[chris]

I'm with you ives. Bush is the worst president ever.

Obama 08

[Jon E]

Modest suggestions for the Q&A.

Ives, these have probably occurred to you already, so I'll say them just so that you know at least one regular reader likes the ideas:

1) Maybe you should cap the Q&A "must answers" at the first 40 people to ask and then allow yourself to cherry-pick 10-20 of the remaining questions (the ones for which you have the most interesting answers)? That would reward the eager responders while also allowing you to focus more energy on the good stuff.

2) If you've got the t-shirts, maybe you could reward the best question from each cycle. The criteria could be something like originality and legitimacy. (By legitimacy, I mean mostly that a question doesn't just find a clever way to ask whether Reyna's latest injury will interfere with John O'Brien's chances for instituting relegation/promotion at Red Bull stadium.)

[Ives]

Guys, I misread the all-athletes soccer question. Didn't realize it was supposed to be a team of just Americans. I replaced Ichiro with Champ Bailey (and Palermo Son you made me tear up. I'm a Redskins fan and thought of Sean Taylor when I picked the team.)

As for Iverson, he's way too lazy and takes plays off so he's not who you would want as the left winger in a 4-4-2.

This conversation is insane, but still fun to think about.

[brent]

ives the second part of my question was do you thing we would dominate? any thoughts

Thanks

[Ives]

Brent, if the United States had the best athletes in the country playing soccer, the U.S. team would be a Top 10 team. The problem is you need more than physical tools to play good soccer. You also need the technical side and the culture in this country would have to be different in order to truly make the most of that athletic talent.

If soccer had been the top sport in the United States since 1980, the current national team would be one of the top two or three in the world. That's just my opinion.

[Nick]

I can't even imagine having all those huge NBA/NFL stars playing for the US. It would be like watching a team made up entirely of coordinated and quick Peter Crouchs, how freaky would that be?!

[brent]

So finally, great question or greatest question?

only kidding of course
thanks ives

[Kris]

How do you guys not have Steve Nash in as AM or F? He's pretty much the only pro athlete who would have made it as a pro soccer athlete.

[Palermo Son]

Steve Nash ain't American! An All-Canada athletes team would be DeGuzman, Nash, and nine hockey players no one's heard of. Or maybe Donovan Bailey ca. 1996.

[ManicMessiah]

Steve Nash is Canadian.

[Reid]

Until a good candidate comes along (and its been years) i'm going with the best advice i've ever gotten "Vote for none of the above" - Monty Brewster

[Red State Jim]

Worst President - Folks, you must have forgotten your history or are too young. Jimmy Carter was the worst president in history. His policies lead to the birth of Islamic Fascism and Iran's current status as terrorism supporter, his economy was far worse with 16% interest rates and raging inflation. The domestic problems this country has is directly responsible to the horrible job of Congress (both Rep & Dem controlled congresses). There is alot of blame to go around.

More importantly, what results are the USMNT going to get from ENG, ESP and ARG matches?

[brent]

Jimmy Carter? Really? I may be too young to remember his foreign policies but last time I checked he didn't get us into a senseless war, leave thousands of poor peoples stranded during a natural disaster, refuse a bill allowing free healtcare to children all while his pockets are filled with oil money. Red State Jim is you posted that comment to show your intelligence. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

[Hincha Tim]

Before you guys wax to poetic about the prospects of how a U.S. Soccer team would dominate if only the "best athletes" played the sport, I remind you:
Would you have picked Zidanie Zidane based on his physical attributes?
Garincha?
Would you have picked Maradona?
Would you have picked Deco? Messi?
Just being big and fast and "athletic" are not necessarily the most important attributes for becoming a great player.

[seven]

It's an American myth/dream that their best athletes would automatically dominate world soccer. Americans don't even dominate basketball & baseball in world competitions & very few countries care about these sports.
Instead imagine how good other countries would be if they had the climate, money, resources & other advantages that Americans have access to.

[Jeff]

Just because someone is good at one sport doesnt mean they will be in another. When I was in college I used to play pickup soccer with a guy who was 6 foot 7 and all-conference in basketball at a very good NCAA program and currently plays pro bball in Israel. He loved soccer but he was extremely awkward because his legs were too long. If you look at the history of the worlds best soccer players almost none of them fit the NBA/NFL mold of athlete. Each sport requires different attributes in order to be good.

[Palermo Son]

In other news Michael Essien is now the starting running back for the Carolina Panthers

[Stuart]

Future Q&A:

Did not find this on your archive, have you heard anything in regards to a CONCACAF open player option, where International spots are only tallied against non-CONCACAF players?

[awood]

I wrote something about U.S. athletes on the national team on my blog a little while back - http://woodsonian.blogspot.com/2007/10/best-american-xi_5746.html

Here's my squad:

--------------Bryant----C.Johnson---------------
--------------------Wade------------------------
----AI--------------------------------LDT-------
--------------------Kidd------------------------
-----Sanders--------------------Westbrook-------
-----------R.Williams-------Bell----------------
--------------------Howard----------------------

[hdtv]

Chad Johnson

D. Wade Chris Paul
Vick Kobe
LeBron

Champ Bailey-Roy Williams-Troy Polamalu-Adrian Peterson

Ladanian Tomlinson

got some dirty guys in the back (get ready for some horse collars), got chad johnson playin up top as the new drogba. i was tempted to put essien on this lineup still cause hes an incredible athlete, and while thoughts of gilbert brown tearing up the flank were wonderful, i decided to opt for speed and agility over size..

[Ben]

Who ever asked about Brooklyn is a real gomer pile. The kid is only like 12 years old.