Wednesday West Coast Roundup

                                                             Photo by ISIphotos.com

With the number of West Coast readers growing by the month, SBI will make it a point to start providing more coverage of all things on the West side of the USA map. With that in mind, here is the first installment of the West Coast Roundup, with SBI correspondent Odeen Domingo filling us in on the happenings over on the left coast, providing his own spin on the stories people in the Pacific and Mountain time zone want to read about. Enjoy

SBI’s East Coast bias is officially over.

Ives will still continue to break news on Western Conference MLS teams for us left siders. But I, your humble SBI lieutenant, will try to keep you up with news and notes on teams west of any current MLS club holding a winning record.

Every other day or so, the West Coast Roundup will try, as much as it can, to fill the soccer void for the SBI Mafia faction established in the West.

SBI’s West Coast bias has begun.

WednMastroeni ready for Europe move

MLS veteran and Phoenix native Pablo Mastroeni says enough is enough. He is tired of the buffoonery of the MLS. Tired of not scoring against American scrubs. Tired of letting MLS scrubs score on him.

So the walking yellow card is taking his game to Europe.

This is Mastroeni's last season in the MLS before he leaves to earn a contract in Europe and come back in 2010.

No really, the U.S. international hopes to trial his way into the Serie A in Italy or La Liga in Spain. In recent U.S. matches, he has shown that he can still be effective at defensive midfielder. Fear is not an option when he challenges balls. And he can move the rock around effective enough to keep possession.

But at 31, is his decision to try his hand in Europe just a tad too late? Is he skilled enough to defend properly in two of the most skilled leagues in the world?

Most likely and probably not.

Why he chose to divulge this information with Colorado just two points out from first place in the West and the season yet to be half over is questionable. But if he is able to play in the MLS All-Star Game, which is just two weeks away, he may be posturing to have Serie A and La Liga scouts take a look at him. 

Club America in MLS?

Club America may be looking to have a sister team in MLS just like its biggest rival Chivas de Guadalajara did with Chivas USA.

This isn’t an actual MLS West story, but it could have an effect on teams in the Western Conference. Notably one – Chivas USA.

It’s only a matter of time until the American Goats move to another city. But if Club America decides to build an MLS team in say, 2010 to get into the league with Philadelphia, or 2011, will this effect Chivas USA’s eventual move?

Club America can put a team in San Diego, which is where many prefer Chivas USA to move, or other cities with the potential of a Chivas USA move like Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Central California. 

Will a Club America de St. Louis work?

One thing is clear, a Club America team in the MLS has few reasons to fail. After three years of learning (and laughing) at what hasn’t worked for Chivas USA, Club America officials should be able to have a sound plan to run a successful MLS club.

It will also create an instant superclasico. Though Chivas USA already has its own with the Galaxy, it should already be in another city (let along another stadium) by the time a Club America MLS team is in business. Thus, giving way to the Chivas USA-Club America superclasico.

This will also allow the Galaxy-Earthquakes rivalry to recapture its fire.

Galaxy ready to bolster defense

The LA Galaxy has just handed rookie of the year candidate Sean Franklin some sorely-needed help in the LA back-line.

The Galaxy has signed Eduardo Dominguez, a 29-year-old Argentine who plays central defender for Huracan.

The Galaxy needed to do something to shore up its defense. And Abel “can’t match the drapes with the carpet” Xavier isn’t cutting it any longer.

I was never high on Xavier even when others were on his jock his first season in the league. The guy doesn’t play on turf, which means he only plays about half the season. And when he plays on grass, he doesn’t play defense.

L.A. might still add another defender, with Carlos Ruiz as trade bait. With the re-awakening of Edson Buddle’s massive potential, the club can trade Ruiz to an offensively-challenged team for a defender. 

What do you think of Mastroeni's decision? What about Club America’s MLS aspirations? And what the Galaxy needs to do to improve its defense? Do you like West Side Stories?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[Mikemike]

Good reading.

[jrnail23]

I think the Club America idea is a terrible one, for the same reason the Chivas idea was a terrible one. First, these teams' appeal is mostly limited to Mexican-Americans. Non mexican-americans are not going to line up to buy these shirts and support these teams.
Last I checked, there was a pretty intense hatred between Mexican soccer & US Soccer.
The other thing is that while each of these teams does appeal to mexican-americans, they only appeal to less than half of them! Chivas USA was a bad idea because not all mexican-americans love Chivas, and many of them (fans of other mexican teams) hate the Chivas mothership. Same thing goes for Club America. The appeal of Club America is simply too narrow to appeal to all soccer fans in whatever city it would end up in.

[Steve]

Sorry to burst your (and seemingly every other non-Chivas supporting MLS fans') bubble, but Chivas USA is going anywhere. Sure they'll leave the HDC at some point but the farthest they'll go is the O.C. When they came into the league it was L.A. or nowhere, I don't really think that's changed all that much.

[MIKE from linden]

mstroeni should of did this long time ago.
but now that hes doing it i think either he should go to either france or germany since hes 31.
Go on the same team as freddy adu(monaco)which could use help at the midfield.
he could also help freddy become more accustomed to france

[Tony in Quakeland]

Glad to see this new addition to SBI! Good stuff.

As for Xavier, Eastern Seaboarders who may not have watched late night Galaxy games probably have little idea how bad he has been. Truly, the tapes from his games should be preserved and studied in their awfulness. I think he has been directly responsible for 80% of the goals they have given up. I can't imagine there isn't some bargain priced USLer who could not do better.

As for Club America - don't hold your breath. They were allegedly interested in buying the Quakes four or five years ago, but i don't think they were ever serious. And i doubt the league will let them move to San Diego. It just makes too much sense as a home for Chivas.

[Will]

I like it. I don't get to read as much about the West coast teams, with the exception of the Galaxy which gets written about too much and often for non soccer related content.

[dallen in phx]

please, please, please move one of Chivas/Club America to San Diego and one to Phoenix. PLEASE.

[Lee]

I agree with Jrnail's comments. I'd rather any of those cities to get a brand new franchise and start from there. Then maybe get a working relationship with CA or other teams from around the world. Man U starting a team here would have the same sort of effect, the general fan will say "oh thats neat", the soccer fan will say yay or f them.

[John]

My guess would be that Pablo is posturing for his final MLS contract. If clubs in La Liga and Serie A wanted him, they wouldn't wait for a trial - they'd just come get him.

Pablo maybe has 3 years left, and is trying to get as much money as possible before he retires.

[John]

Frankly, I think Galaxy will trade Ruiz and one other reserve for allocation $. Then use the cap room and roster spots on Dominguez (already signed) and another International defender.

[Will]

There is a ridiculous number of cities with bids in for teams and only two spots left. Unless they will expand beyond the 18 teams they have been talking about. I'm not sure they will get a team above some of the other bids.

[Brant]

At some point, soccer in the US needs to come out of the "hispanic" shell. Right now, it is too easy for basketball, baseball, and football fans to dismiss soccer as "that hispanic sport" - and I've heard them do it many times. If you want to create more partnership teams, get Bayern Munich, Liverpool, or Inter Milan to create a partner US team.
Internazionale St Louis is going to bring a much wider audience than Club America de St Louis, which can be too easily dismissed as a "Mexican thing"

[gel65]

why hasnt the 3 way trade with fire,galaxy n toronto taken place yet? it helps all involved with galaxy getting conde,ruiz to toronto and mcbride to chicago!this should be a done deal.any news or info on that possible trade would be appreciated.....

[dc]

i like posts that end in 20 questions for the reader. the internet is all about giving unsolicited opinions. we don't need to be asked to comment, thank you!

[andy b.]

Brant,
Sorry, but I couldn't disagree more, even as a total gringo myself. There's plenty of room for all and I don't think the league's problem is going to be being labeled a "hispanic" thing. I think the league needs to capitalize on the hispanic market like McCain needs to win the Cuban vote in Florida: you can't suceed without it and no amount of attention, flattery, or even flat-out groveling for support is wasted effort. I also don't think that any of that effort will somehow detract/deter non-hispanics from the sport of soccer.

[CapeCodFutbol]

Great idea Brant! Soccer in the U.S. should be marketed to more soccer moms and six year olds. This cow-towing to the latin community has to stop.
/sarcasm

(and now I'm just laughing at your Inter St. Louis idea tapping into the critical mass of serie A / inter fans. hahahahahaha. hahahahahaha. ooh. That was good.)

[scott47a]

Did I just read something about Edson Buddle's "massive potential?"
Oh, please.

[3VIL L33T]

I don't think i've ever noticed an East Coast bias... a red bulls one yes, but come on thats your team.

Back in about '04-'05 there were rumors that Houston was gonna get the Club America team. But due to the fact that Club America didn't want to share any profits with MLS the deal fell apart.

with superliga being popular and champions league sure to be a hit is there really a reason to bring Club America to MLS?

why not just a sister club with different name that will get highly publicized support from club america?

Aguilas USA? that would fit well in vegas/phoenix/san diego

[Bob]

Walking yellow card! LOL its so true.

[andy b.]

Also, forgot to say I'm stoked about the new feature. Let the granola-munching hippies and beach bum surfers takeover bid begin! Eat it, you elitist preppie East Coast snobs!
[Kidding, obviously. Sort of.]

[Ted]

"At some point, soccer in the US needs to come out of the "hispanic" shell. Right now, it is too easy for basketball, baseball, and football fans to dismiss soccer as "that hispanic sport" - and I've heard them do it many times. If you want to create more partnership teams, get Bayern Munich, Liverpool, or Inter Milan to create a partner US team.
Internazionale St Louis is going to bring a much wider audience than Club America de St Louis, which can be too easily dismissed as a "Mexican thing""

I disagree. I think the US is in a unique position to forge our own identity in the international soccer scene. There is a large amount of influence from both Latin America and the British Isles on the American game. We are in a unique position to combine both, on the field and off.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Gel65,
The 3 way trade hasnt taken place yet because we dont want Ruiz. We do want a striker but not one thats past his prime at a DP cost. No thanks.

[Hincha Tim]

Looks to me to be a SW bias. No mention of USL Sounders getting to the semi's of the US Cup?

[Dominghosa]

Says here, amng several other interesting tidbits
http://www.soccertimes.com/americans/2008/jul06
that Cagliari is set to sign Mastro.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Dont see Club America getting a team before Portland, St Louis or Montreal. Especially as these have better support and big money with SSS supposedly behind them.

[Steve]

Ruiz to San Jose, anyone?

[josh]

Good approach, this West Coast thing, but...are these pulled directly from SI? That's where I read them all this morning.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Great idea btw.
Need more exposure to the west up here!

[andy b.]

Hincha Tim-- really, we already need to start a new "bias" category going? Because if we are, I'm claiming there's a bias against NorCal in favor of SoCal. And no, it can't rationally be explained by the fact that there are two decent MLS teams down there vs. one completely pathetic team up here to talk about. Don't even give me that. I hate SBI's SoCal bias!

[William the Terror]

umm, wouldn't that be "Club America de San Luis"? maybe not. much like Beavis from "Beavis and Butthead," all of the Spanish that I know I've learned from Telemundo.

[Ted]

I think SBI has a bias against Oklahoma. I see no Oklahoma related posts anywhere on this site.

[Einar]

Ruiz for hejduk anybody? and when does the trade window open?

[brett]

having a team that targets mexican populations?? fine

having a team with a brand of an already established team?? not a good idea

CUSA has branded themselves as Chivas, thus any mexican disliking Chivas will pretty much hate on CUSA... you can see it when Blanco comes to HDC and you see all the mexicans donning blanco jersey's rather then Chivas jerseys

and to clearify, just b/c there is a large hispanic population in a city does not mean a team will be successful there... look at chicago who has a LARGE hispanic population, yet it takes the likes of Blanco to even get a good portion of them interested.... alot of immigrants or even 1st generation immigrants still follow the leagues of their home, while disregarding the league in their own back yard... C.America should fund a team and have the works in the front office, but as far as claiming a Club America USA team (or any variations) would be sucide for the team

[Jim]

Will a Club America work for Miami? I think Pablo Mastroeni will do fine in Europe.

[kpugs]

The first paragraph on Mastroeni might be the finest you've ever written Ives, I was cracking up. He is delusional.

Jim it's one thing to say he'll do fine in Europe, as long as when you say "in Europe" you mean "at an awful club in a top league or in a small European country." Pablo had his day but he's used up at this point, I almost spat water all over my desk when I read he wanted to go to Italy or Spain.

[Tim Crawford]

If Pablo wasn't an idiot he'd be good enough . . . too bad. "Walking yellow card" is pretty much my exact description too. Shalrie knows when to get yellows . . . Pablo does not.

[William the Terror]

@ Ted

Oklahoma?? Is Oklahoma a hotbed of soccer activity?? Does somebody drive one of those dumbass covered wagons onto the field during halftime at a Tulsa junior soccer game like they do at OU football games? And, as an aside, I've often wondered whether the Native Americans in that region, upon seeing the approach of a train of those covered wagons, remarked on how us white folks always have to have our RV's).

Oklahoma?? To quote the drill sergeant from "An Officer and a Gentlemen," "only two things come from Oklahoma, boy. Steers and queers. And I don't see any horns on you."

[William the Terror]

@ Ted

Oh, and I forgot to mention, this is the "West Coast Roundup." If you wnat to ask questions about Oklahoma, you need to wait until the "Dust Bowl Roundup," which is set to begin publications sometime in ... NEVER.

[Ted]

@ William the Terror

Don't get me started on how much I hate OU. Go OSU!

[josh]

@kpugs-um, I don't think Ives wrote this...

[O.D.]

Thanks kpugs, for thinking that was Ives' finest writing. Very flattering. That's good for my ego. haha.
And for the record, nope, haven't been on the MLSR site in many months so didn't take any of the news from there.

[tkebh979]

Club America in St. Louis? Great. The 15 CA fans in the whole STL metro area would be sure to support them every home game.

StL already has significant soccer history, a united youth program, SSS, and a well-crafted bid in place. Why derail it with such nonsense as CAdStL? It would certainly steal the title of "MLS's Most Inappropriate Name" from RSL.

What a great way to kill an expansion bid.

[Erik Abarca]

Leith and Boyens to LA for Ruiz... LOL... A more realistic one will be Parke and Mendes for Ruiz

[brett]

tkebh979- perhaps if it was a club america club, but not labeled as thus?? financial backing and an already established FO could do wonders for your expansion plans...

[silent e]

I find it interesting to note that while many people think CA could get it right in MLS by observing what CUSA did wrong, everyone assumes it will have the CA name. In no story I've read about this possibility does it mention a team name at all.

That said, I do agree that branding a team with the name of a parent team like Chivas or Club America has already been clearly shown to be a mistake. Slightly less certain is whether branding a team after a foul tasting beverage is a mistake :)

As far as the possible Ruiz-Conde-McBride trade, if it happens I suspect we will hear nothing until shortly before the 15th.

[Original Aaron]

Brant, your logic on this one is shockingly poor. If you believe that "Americans" would dismiss a Club America affiliated team as a Mexican thing, then why don't you believe the same people would dismiss an Inter affiliated team as an Italian thing? What you are really doing is, either showing your own prejudice against people of hispanic descent and preference for Europeans, or illustrating your belief opinion that most "Americans" are racially prejudiced against hispanics. In either case... be careful and tactful, you are treading on very thin ice sir.

[Amit]

Did anybody stick through the NY vs. Colorado game when Shep Messing called Mastroeni an idiot! That was hilarious.

[William the Terror]

@ Original Aaron

Hate to point out the obvious flaw in your own logic, but people of "Hispanic descent," as you put it, are, in fact, European.

There were no people of "Hispanic descent" in the new world until Columbus, an Italian (and therefore presumably a fan of boring football) came over on three ships financed by the King and Queen of Spain. He was followed shortly thereafter by two other men you may have heard of, Cortez and Pizzaro, both of "Hispanic descent," who proceeded to decimate the Native population.

Please don't try to take the moral high ground by claiming that there is a "pro-European" prejudice against people and clubs that are Hispanic. Hispanic people ALL have European roots.

[Andrew]

Real Salt Lake are hosting the 2009 All star Game. They better get a better opponent than West Ham.

[danj]

I second Will, Xavier's epic suckitude has to be the most under-reported story of the year. Watching Galaxy highlights (I'm a DCU fan), I'm constantly amazed he's still playing. Am I missing some key skill that he's adding to the Galaxy, can Alexi enlighten us all to why he's still on the pitch? Experience? Veteran leadership? They're trying to run up the score to please the fans? If I were Franklin, I would seriously consider slipping him a Mickey, he's a major defensive liability. Skills would be nice, but at this point the Gals really just need someone who will hustle and clear the ball.

Ives, how about a list of the highest-priced benchwarmers in the league? Not injured, but who's making a lot of money and not seeing the field? DCU came close with Emilio, maybe Conde? Vanney? I ask this because I think MLS is such a shallow and self-conscious league it's hard to bench anyone with a name or a salary, regardless of how utterly terrible they play. That could be a good benchmark for the league, one that's present in the top leagues: the depth and cojones to sit players who are accustomed to playing no matter what.

[danj]

@ William the Terror - Don't be pedantic, this isn't an etymology or political science blog. Throw an -Americans after Hispanic and you get the gist. It's not Aaron's fault hispanic has become synonymous with Latin American. You do recognize that many people perceive Europe and Latin America, as well as their residents, differently, right?

[William the Terror]

@danj

Well, my office is right next door to a family-owned Mexican restaurant, where the family and I are actually pretty close friends. So, although I follow the European leagues primarily, I also see a lot of Mexicn soocer, with a predominantly Central American crowd. I do agree their are different perceptions, but it is on both sides of the coin. you don't know how many times I have been told "you're a Gringo, what do you know about the game?"

Pedantic?? Ouch! Also, guilty as charged.

[William the Terror]

p.s. sorry for the misspellings. i was typing fast because, after spending most of my workday on this site, i now must leave to perform actual "work." sigh.

[KingSnake]

Chivas to central California? Where, Lancaster? Bakersfield?

[Ossington Mental Youth]

A fun article would be an all east team vs an all west team. Or speculation as to what the line ups would be. I coulda written and tried to sell this myself but i guess ill leave it up to Ives.

[nico]

Glad to see West Coast is getting attention. Curious if you can provide us with your background with sports journalism or soccer. I am wondering if I am reading a fan's blog, or a journalist/insider. Thanks!

[O.D.]

Nico,
I don't have much of a soccer-playing background. But I have covered soccer on and off (currently on) for six years and have also been a professional sportswriter in that same span.
I have covered a few MLS matches and a couple of USMNT matches and practices.
Soccer is a love and a passion and I hope to bring more coverage and more insight (and my own twist) to SBI blog readers on western MLS teams.

[Joe]

Why is Chivas USA destined to move to another city?

[Lee]

I think that before leaving LA, Chivas USA would be better advised to re-brand, as something not so Mexican club specific (maybe Los Angeles United? something more along those lines).

I think there is plenty of room in LA (if not HDC) for two teams and it would be silly to just up & leave such a huge market without at least trying to make a go of it as a team that seems targeted at a larger portion of the populace.

[Rudy]

Ruiz for Mastroeni!

[brett]

william the terror: new evidence is showing that quite a large number of natives of the americas were in fact europeans who crossed a similar landbridge as the one on the pacific...

artifacts and tools being found of anceint native americans are VERY similar to the tools used in europe at that time...

so to say, your post about europeans go further back then columbus as well.. of course this is theory, not quite fact yet...

[William the Terror]

@ brett

Yes. I've read that too. Deeply disturbing because it means that we began to spoil this land even earlier than I previously thought.

Anyway. Sorry I pissed off a couple people with my post. My only point was that there is plenty of blame to go around and that everyone shares in it.

Nonetheless, it is still my contention that Columbus, as an Italian, would have been a promoter of defensive football. (He said with more than a hint of sarcasm).