Your Questions Answered

Here they are folks, your questions answered (please feel free to comment on the answers below):

EMILIO- With the potential Karcz signing as a developmental player, who would be released.

Also, is Arena comfortable with Graham as a backup or is he seriously interested in another center back, like the argentine who tried out.

Thanks

IVES-  If I had to guess I would say Randi Patterson is in danger of being axed. I also wonder about Blake Camp's status. As for the center back situation, the team currently has Parke, Mendes, Stammler, Graham and Regan. I'm pretty sure he wants someone good enough to step in and push Parke and Mendes. How he would get that done under the current cap situation is beyond me.

GO METRO- How is the relationship between Clint Mathis and Bob Bradley? Is it possible that he could ever find his way back on the US team if he keeps his current form?

IVES-  I'm not sure where they stand these days but anyone trying to cook up bad blood theories is off base. Mathis is certainly playing well but he will need a full season of form like this before he is once again considered for the national team.

A problem is position. He's not quite a national team forward at this point. He's more an attacking midfield type on the international level now. It is fair to say that there isn't anyone like him in the current pool, well except for Landon Donovan. I used to wonder about his fitness but he's playing 90 and showing a good work rate. If he keeps up the current pace for a full season then I could see him getting a call-up this fall. Someone wisely pointed out that Mathis retired from the national team before the last World Cup. While this is true I can't imagine he would turn down another chance to play for the USA.

JOSH- Was that Altidore yellow deserved? Looked unintentional to me on TV.

IVES- I replayed it about 10 times, hoping to see contact. Whether contact was made was inconclusive but what made me feel like there wasn't contact was CJ Brown's reaction. He throw his hands to his face in a very unnatural way. Let's just say he's not a great actor. I remember thinking at the game that the play is either a red card or nothing.

LALIQUE- How do you see RBNY complying with the salary cap next year? Based on performances so far, it's safe to say Mathis will be kept, as will DVB, Waterreus, Dema.... pretty much everybody except Schopp unless he goes on a tear. That being said, Reyna, Angel, and MAthis will all be making more than the max salary so something will have to give - and add to that, a stellar season could have every player receiving a nice raise in salary. My fear is that MLS will force RBNY to jettison player much like it did many times to DC United. Is there any way around this such as grandfathering in their salaries when they signed with the team and disregarding performance based wage increases?

IVES-  Talking about next year already huh? We can't possibly start looking ahead to next year because too much can happen in the next five months. This is a better subject to raise in September at the earliest.

ANDREW MURRAY- 2008 - Expansion

Knowing that MLS want 16 teams by 2012, do you think we will have a 14th team by the start of 2008 season? and when do you think the 15th and 16th teams will be launched?

IVES- I think the odds are good of team 14 coming on board next season. I then see two teams coming on board in 2010 or 2010 and 2011.

EMILIO- Mathis contract is up agter this year so I seriously doubt he will be comanding the 400,000 plus salary he currently is making,plus with Schopp most likely gone(he looked pretty bad out there, he doesnt like to pass) it shouldnt be a problem. Do you agree Ives?

IVES- I don't think Mathis will ask for the world if the rest of his year goes well. At this point in his career he treasurers happiness more than money, at least that's the impression I get.

ZACK- Jimmy Floyd to MLS...any rumblings at all? Seems like hed be a good snag for the league, even if he is over the hill.

Sarachan is done right? Fire look to be a team in shambles, and Blancos ego certainly wont help things. Your thoughts?

IVES- Haven't heard a peep about the Dutch striker coming to MLS. I agree that he has enough left in the tank to help an MLS team but I'm not sure he's the combination of quality and star power that you want from a DP. Now, if some team can get him to come to MLS for something like 200K to 300K then I would be all for that.

As for Sarachan, he's been close to getting the boot before but always finds a way to survive. The Fire are playing some awful soccer right now and yes, I know, Rolfe and Gutierrez have been hurt, but Chicago wasn't playing great even before those injuries.

Who would replace Sarachan if he gets the boot? How about Peter Nowak? Yes, Nowak is on board now as Bob Bradley's lead assistant on the US national team but it would make for a nice story to have him return to the Fire to coach the team in the stadium he played a key role in helping get built.

EMILIO- Any word on the status of Dunivant and Parke for the next game?

IVES- I'll find out later on today.

JJ- Ives, do you know of any central place that lists the dimensions of all of the MLS fields? I haven't been able to find it and I think some teams don't want anyone to know how narrow they've made their field.

IVES-  I'm pretty sure the league has that info but it may not be easily acccessible to the public.

BEN- Whit Andriy Shevchenko proclaiming his plans to come to MLS, I have two questions:

1. When is the earliest Sheva will come over the Atlantic? He is 30 and his form hasn't been that great.

2. Are there any other players in the top leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France) you can see making the move to the US this year?

IVES- I say Sheva has two years in Europe before coming to MLS, one year at least. As for players in top leagues who will come to MLS, come back to me in two weeks and I'm sure we'll have a list of names floating around as potential MLS signees.

DANIEL- Which teams in MLS are eligible to play in CONCACAF tournament? I know it was given to MLS Cup winner, and also to SS winner, but would that be altered now that Toronto is playing in MLS?

IVES-  I don't think Toronto's arrival in MLS affects the league's CONCACAF Champions Cup slots.

ESSEFF- Where will Keller land?

IVES-  Real Salt Lake needs to suck it up and sign this guy ASAP. There is money to pay him. Yes, I get that the team has a plethora of needs but

METRO1026- Ives, Is Red Bull practice open to fans? When they announced they were training at Montclair, the college announced it to students and made it sound like the practices would be open. Last time I went I had to watch from behind a fence, but I didn't walk all the way around, is there a section of the stands open to onlookers?

IVES- The Red Bulls have been training at Sprague Field and Pittser Field at Montclair State but I've been told the grass field they have been waiting to have finished is finally completed. The grass field is next to the softball field at the school. Practice is open to the public. It isn't as if the team has security keeping people away. If you want to come by and watch you're more than welcome to. The practice sessions usually begin at about 10:30am. There were places to sit at the team's previous practice sites but I'm not sure about there being stands near the new grass field.

MATT- Sorry to ask this question again, I swear I am not trying to be a pest. Did you ever ask Claudio about that documentary about him called "The Goal"? Have always been a Reyna fan and would love to see it be released. Thanks again for the blog and for opening it up for questions. It is always appreciated.

IVES- Hey Matt, sorry I forgot completely about it. I haven't talked to Claudio in a while so I'll ask him about the documentary this week.

DAN- Ives, could anyone have epected Juan Pablo Angel to come right in and start playing at the level he is right now? The two goals were well taken against the Fire, but my favorite play from Angel might have been sticking up for Altidore in that minor incident with Chris Armas. It seems that Juan Pablo has already become part of the team, which is great to see a superstar player do.

Also, taking his current age and skill into account, where does Juan Pablo rank as far as players in MLS history?

IVES- I think most experts believed that he would step in and be a star, I know I said he could be a 15-20 goal scorer. Yes, Angel has done well to adjust to his new team and teammates and I think the players appreciate that he didn't come in with an attitude.

As far as all-time MLS players, it is WAY too early to be having that discussion. He's played THREE GAMES.

BEN- Just out of curiousity, who would you name as the best and worst teams of all time in MLS? I know my good old RSL '07 is certainly making a case for worst...

IVES- The 1999 MetroStars have to be considered as the worst team of all time. I know that the Chivas USA-Real Salt Lake teams are in the mix, as is the Tampa Bay Mutiny that posted the worst record ever, but I can't imagine that any team played soccer as poorly as the MetroStars did during a four-month span during the summer of 1999. How bad were they? The Kansas City Wizards thrashed them 6-0 and they had one of the worst records in MLS history as well.

DEREK- With the All-Star Game coming up in July, what is your Best Eleven for the season at this point? The MLS approved format is: 1 GK, 3 defenders, 5 midfielders, 2 forwards.

IVES- Wow, people just can't wait for all-star teams huh? Here's my MLS Best 11 right now:

Ronald Waterreus, Michael Parkhurst, Carlos Mendes, Claudio Suarez, Steve Ralston, Juan Toja, Herculez Gomez, Clint Mathis, Kyle Beckerman, Taylor Twellman, Eddie Johnson

I know I'm going to hear about the East Coast bias, what with seven of the 11 players coming from the East Coast, but let's face it, you can argue that the league's three best teams so far are all in the East. I didn't spent a ton of time making that list so I'll concede that you can probably argue against Waterreus (I won't because the guy is top notch, not only as a shot-stopper but distributor), Mendes (a defense with six shutouts deserves a player on Best XI and Mendes has been steady all season), Suarez (there were other defenders I considered but Suarez controls things on a team that actually tries to play attacking soccer on a regular basis). The rest I think are tough to debate. Honorable mention players include Maykel Galindo, Chris Rolfe, Ned Grabavoy, Mastroeni, Burciaga, Shalrie Joseph, etc.   

NEDS FC- Do you know which international MLS players have been called up to their national teams for the Gold Cup? Do you know when players called up for the Gold Cup, Copa America, and U-20 World Cup have to report to their national teams? Which international MLS players do you expect to be called up for the Copa America? JPA has to be on the list, right?

Also, when is the SBI podcast coming out?

IVES- Didn't I say one or two questions? If you want Gold Cup rosters go to CONCACAF.com, players need to report for those tournaments at least a week prior (though US Copa America participants will report three days before the tourney). International MLS players in Copa America? I'm not sure that any will be. As I wrote last night, JPA isn't on COlombia's initial list and appears to be a long shot.

As for a podcast, when I hear a good podcast then I'll consider doing one myself. Do people really want a podcast?

FRED- If Angel stays healthy and continues to tear up MLS what do you think MLS could sell him for in the January Euro transfer window? I think that could be very tempting to MLS.

IVES- Why in the world would Red Bull sell him?

PETE FRESH- Ives: Do you know where Shep Messing hangs out before the game?

IVES- Nope.

PETE FRESH- Ives: I think you should have trivia questions and winners recieve tickets.

IVES- That sounds like a bad game show. No thanks.

SG- With RB park delayed to open fall 2008, do you think the team is going to play any games there next year or are they going to wait till '09? is it possible that they'll get ahead of schedule and open the stadium when they originally intended?

IVES- The chances of the Red Bulls playing in their home stadium in 2008 are still good. Reports about the delays are overstating them. The construction has hit a two-month snag that can be made up if the winter weather cooperates. That said, there can still be more delays if Red Bull starts tinkering with the stadium design.

BRAD- Ives: 2 questions. 1) With an unbalanced schedule, why doesn't the MLS allow USL teams to play in the league and have relegation? They can still have expansion into USL and promote the best teams to MLS. 2) During the telecast last night they mentioned that NY would be getting a second team to replicate the LA-Chivas rivalry. What are the chances of the new team being the Cosmos?

IVES- the schedule doesn't really have anything to do with including USL teams into a promotion situation. Expansion teams are on the way and promotion/relegation is a pipe dream for American soccer fans.

CT- Can you give us a stadium update? You alluded to delays in a recent article... what's the word?

IVES- See above.

JERSEY SOCCER- How is Hugh Macdonald doing? Any chance that he will break in with the first team since th Red Bulls are so thin at center back?

IVES- From what I've seen of him in practice I would have to say he's a long way away from first-team action. That's just the impression I get. His lack of speed is an issue but he'll be given the chance to develop.

JHJG89- Ives,
I don't mean to bombard you with questions, but here are a few quick ones:

What do you think are the chances of JPA getting called up to the Columbian Nats for Copa this summer?

How on earth was LA able to fit Abel Xavier into their salary cap?

With Charlton getting relegated, what do you think is in store for Cory Gibbs?

Lastly, which team(s) in MLS defend corner kicks by zonal marking?

Thanks, Ives.

IVES- 1. Not good, 2. there's a joke involving white powder that I won't say, otherwise I have no idea, 3. Gibbs needs to worry about getting healthy first. That said, what options does a player really have when they've been out of action as long as he has been? 4. You're kidding, right? 

BRITTON- Ives, given the potential stadium delays, any possibility the red bulls play somewhere like Rutgers next season? The more games I see in Giants Stadium the more desperate I feel - it looks horrible seeing all those empty seats. thanks.

IVES- I can't imagine Rutgers being an option. The football program isn't about to allow their stadium to be used for anything but football and Yurcak Field is way too small.

JIM- What did you think of Taylor Graham?

IVES- I thought he did well in his one half of action on the weekend. He had a terrible 2006 but is healthy now and looks like he could see more minutes this year, unless the club succeeds in its search for another center back.   

GEORGE- Ives, do you have any idea about what the MLS Thursday Primetime ratings have been this season? Or do you know where I could find out?

Thanks

IVES- Good question. I would say that if the ratings were good we would have heard about it by now.

MATT- Ives, thanks for taking questions. Who do you rate as the top 3 new foreign players in MLS so far this season (excluding players still to come)?

My own rankings: 1. Angel 2. Toja 3. Waterreus

Honorable Mention: Emilio, Galindo, Schelotto, Richetti

IVES- I would go Angel, Galindo, Toja. Waterreus would be second if he hadn't missed the past few games. He's right there though. Still waiting for Emilio to show his Champions Cup form.

TIM- Can you elaborate on one of your recent blog statements that what the USSF "... can do to help strengthen the foundation of the national team long-term is to improve the current player development structure. That is something I believe Bob Bradley can help do." I'm interested in this topic and would like your perspective. Thanks.

IVES- I can't elaborate without turning this into a lengthy opus. What I will say is that the current player development structure, from ODP to clubs to youth national teams, is in dire need of fixing. The current structure is inadequate for the size of this country and the amount of talent   

NIC- Any opinions concerning reports of an impending deal to bring San Jose back into the MLS fold for next year?

IVES- The story seems to change every week in San Jose. I wouldn't go pulling the Quakes jersey out of the closet just yet.   

ooo- What kind of US roster will we see for Copa America?

IVES- A young one that may include some appealing European-based prospects.

JOE B.- What's up with Heath Pearce? Did he rub Bob the wrong way or what?

(My apologies if this question was asked already.)

And what's with the close ups on J.P. Angel–whenever a team ate flubs a shot or a through-ball?

IVES- Bob doesn't rate him right now, at least not ahead of Bornstein, Bocanegra and Spector, all guys who can play left back. Is there something to the idea that Heath Pearce's penchant for being outspoken in the media hasn't helped his cause? I would say so. Bob Bradley has a rep

Sidenetting- Can you shed any light on Rob Stone's allegation that $ dispute is slowing Red Bull Park more than industrial cleanup?

IVES- I have been told flat out by a good source that the comment made by Stone was completely false. Maybe Stone has some downlow info I haven't heard about yet but I trust my source on that one. 

DOMINGHOSA- Fun hypothetical question. If you were to start a team from scratch but could only pick U-20 U.S. players (or potential players who live in U.S. with green cards, i.e. Angulo), who would be your top 6 picks?
Thanks for your work on the blog and the Q and A.

IVES- Wow, great question. I'll go with Altidore, Bradley, Ferrari, Seitz, Adu and Johann Smith. Tough call for the sixth spot. I was torn between Smith, Angulo and Nathan Sturgis. Angulo wasn't in great shape when he went to Red Bulls training recently and has fallen well behind some other players in his age range. If you had asked me this six months ago I would have said Angulo in a heartbeat. Once he gets in shape and finds a team he could be back in the mix ASAP.

JEREMY- is Guy-Roland Kpene a real solution up top for DCU, or is Soehn grasping at straws?

IVES- Kpene has made the most of his chances and should keep getting minutes, particularly given Jaime Moreno's age.

TSINGLETONVT- Ives,
After the 2002 World Cup the biggest holes for the USMNT were left back, right midfield, and second striker. As things turned out when the 2006 World Cup rolled around these were still holes.

What are the biggest holes in the USMNT right now and do you think they will still be holes when the 2010 Cup rolls around? What are the biggest challenges in filling these holes?

IVES- The holes remain the same at present though I think there are more forward and left back prospects than ever before. Right wing is still lagging quite a bit.

LARRY- With all the talk of David Beckham, no one has really put out their ideas of how this thing will snowball. Sure we have heard it will have this economic effect or this specific attendance effect. I want you to try and paint the picture of what David Beckham will do to soccer in this country.

IVES- I happen to be one of the people who don't think it will have THAT big an impact. Will stadiums sell out? Yes, will it help boost the league's visibility? I think so, but it isn't the Beatles arriving. Maybe I'm wrong. Hopefully I am and hopefully his arrival makes MLS front-page news. I doubt it though.

YO- Who are the next three DP's to come to the league? I would assume one, somehow would be chivas given all of their talk. I don't need you to give teams though.

IVES- I'd go New England, DC and Real Salt Lake. Well, I believe that one of the first two will step up. RSL is more wishful thinking because we all know they need help.

PHIL- When is Hunter Freeman expected to return?

IVES- I'll find out today but I doubt he'll be ready for the KC match.

JIG- I'm fairly confident the US U-20s would make the MLS playoffs, at least. The only concern I would have might be in the midfield. Even then, I still think a Freddy, Bradley, Dax and Robbie Rogers MF could hack it against pretty much anyone. Is this a bad thing? how do you think a full-strength spanish u-20 side would fair in la liga, or the italian u-20s in Serie A? Just curious.

IVES- What are the five teams an all U-20 team would beat out for playoff spots? RSL, Columbus, Toronto and who else? It's tough to give you the Crew when three U-20 starters can't crack the starting lineup for them. There is great talent on the U-20

KEVIN- Have you heard anything on any friendlies that the Red Bulls may host and play in?

IVES- Not a peep.

STEVE- My only question (not really requiring and answer) has to do with the big announcements about friendlies with european national teams for the US... who is Catalonia? Switzerland is ok... I knew this would happen though, get so excited about playing euro teams then we play teams that blow

IVES- I posted a few days ago about Catalonia and while they may not be Italy, they will bring a talented team and great environment for the US to play in and against. Switzerland is also a solid team. You act as if they're playing Andorra or Moldova.

JOSH- Catalonia is the region of northeast Spain that Barcelona is in. Carlos Puyol is Catalonian, but I don't know how their selection process works or who else is.

IVES- Basically whatever players of Catalonian descent who aren't with Spain that weekend will be available for selection. Liverpool's Jose Reina stands a very good chance of being on the field for that game.

BRENTMCD- how soon do you think altidore gets called up to the full mnt? for copa america perhaps?

IVES- I think he gets called into January's camp. Can't see him getting called any earlier. He's still just 17 people.

STEVE- Now that you've seen them coach some league games, what do you think of the rookie coaches in MLS?

IVES- Again, WAY too early to tell. I will say that I have been impressed with Steve Morrow. Yes, FC Dallas has four losses but he's done a better job of building that team than I thought he would.

STEVE- Will John O'Brien ever play again? It'd be such a shame if he didn't.

IVES- Nobody seems to have an answer to this one. Last I heard he was still in LA but I haven't seen a thing written recently about him. If he is truly finished then it will be a sad day for American soccer.

STEVE- In your opinion, should FCD trade Ruiz? What is his trade value?

IVES- Steve, I may have to ban you from the next Q&A (kidding people, jeez). If Ruiz has gone from Mr. Perfect Captain to clubhouse headache then FCD should deal him ASAP. Finding a team with something comparable in value is the trick. How about Ruiz to the Crew for Andy Herron and Robbie Rogers? 

PAUL Lorinczi- Any rumors about Kasey Keller moving to MLS? Is the RSL rosters moves an indication that a deal is trying to be made?

IVES- RSL needs to add Keller ASAP. Yes, they have Seitz but Keller would bring some leadership as well as experience and shot-stopping ability.

ONE- who else will man utd sign in the summer besides hargreaves? im sure they are in the market for a striker - torres,etoo?

IVES- My preference would be Eto'o but now that he has expressed his admiration for Liverpool's fans I'm not so sure. Fernando Torres and Nani would be nice additions to the squad. I haven't heard any good rumors regarding defenders, other than Gabriel Heinze leaving, which is sad. The guy is so good but just never regained his place after the injuries. I'm also still surprised about ManU losing out on Gareth Bale.

TIM- Please put the 2007 Red Bulls season to date in historical perspective. How does this year compare to this New York soccer franchise's 11 other seasons? Is it equal to or better than 2001 or 2003 in terms of performance or potential? Shouldn't soccer fans that know about this team be making their way out to Giants' stadium based on the product alone?

IVES- I would put this year's start on par with 2001. That team was very talented and there was all the promise following the 2000 season. It all ended with Clint Mathis' torn ACL of course but those first two months were impressive. The 2003 hot start was more about a team playing a bit over its head and Clint Mathis, Amado Guevara and Tim Howard playing some great soccer. I think the current team is better than both those teams.

LAWRENCETERP- If MLS were set up like European leagues such that all of our best players were funneled towards a few elite teams, wouldn't our best teams be the best in our region? Wouldn't our best teams be capable of winning Libertadores and Sudamericana? Wouldn't our league already be considered on par with Portugal and Holland? And wouldn't MLS clearly be ranked higher then the top tiers in Scotland, Russia, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil? Our talent is spread out so there are no stand out clubs capable of competing on an international level like a Celtic in the SPL or an Ajax in Holland. I maintain that we are in fact already at (or above) those levels, but we just do not have the respect because of our system of parity.

IVES- I'm gonna go with No on most of your questions. It can already be argued that the league's best players are on a handful of good teams (Revs, Red Bulls, DC, Dynamo) and since MLS is significantly smaller than most of the other top leagues in the region there isn't as much dilution as you think. I get that you think that MLS, as a whole, has as much talent as some of the leagues you mention. I would disagree. If Portugal or Holland or Mexico or Brazil had just 13 teams do you know how strong those teams would be? Yes there is talent in MLS but not nearly the depth of talent that it needs to rival the top leagues in the region. All that said, I still think that the top teams in MLS can play well against and get results against top teams from the league's you mentioned. That's in one-off situations. Having teams in a league is a different story. A league season is where depth plays a part and the edge in depth is significant.

AMIT- 1)Do you think that the 2007 MLS season has been the best to date?
2)Who will have greater transfer value, Freddy Adu or Jozy Altidore?

IVES- 1. It is the best season I can remember and 2. I say Jozy, partly because Adu will leave before he should while I think Altidore is allowed to develop as a player and give his value a boost.

JANUSZ- What do think is the main problem with the Galaxy right now? Is it Yallop, Lalas, or the overall lack of passion and drive on the field?

IVES- I would go with a lack of creativity in the attack. Other than Donovan who is really producing good attacking soccer? Martino is playing okay but there's just not that much talent in the attack. Jaqua is overrated, as I have said repeatedly, and the team has so much money tied up into its defense, with Cannon, Albright and Marshall, as well as Donovan and Beckham, that there's just not much to go around. You know what trade I would hope they are regretting right now? The deal that sent Ned Grabavoy to Columbus. Grabavoy is the type of player the Galaxy can use right now.

JANUSZ- Also, Ives, give your thoughts on Nate Jaqua. In my opinion he has been completely useless thus far for LA.

IVES- I have said it before, and I'll say it again, Jaqua is not that good. Yes, he's tall and decent in the air but his technical skill level is pretty low and he's not a great finisher.

JONATHAN- Ives, I've been reading your blog for less than a week but so far I really appreciate it! There are all kinds of rumors going around about European players and Americans playing in Europe coming to MLS. In my mind the biggest would have to be Zidan and Ronaldo. Didn't Ronaldo just sign a big contract with AC Milan? What are your thoughts on this and the rumors mentioned above?

IVES- Thanks for coming aboard. I have been stating forever that Zidane and Ronaldo wouldn't come. I stand by those statements.

JONATHAN- Another quick question. Brian McBride is my favorite American palyer. Do you think there is any chance of him coming back to the national team or the MLS? If yes, what team?

IVES- If there were important matches coming up for the national team (World Cup qualifiers) then I could see McBride unretiring from the national team but I doubt it happens. If he comes back to MLS then I see him joining the Chicago Fire. As well as he's playing in England though I think he's at least a year away from considering a return.

ROEHL- Do you think that Beckham may regret signing for LA and playing in MLS, now that, since his signing in January, his form has picked up and he is finally finding success playing for Real Madrid?

IVES- i'm sure there must be some sense of regret but I also think the truckloads of cash he's getting for coming here will help him cope. I think he'll start regretting the move once he actually has to talk regularly with Alexi Lalas.

DANNYc58- Any idea what some of the youth players, like Johnny X, think about being able to sign directly with the Red Bulls under the new program?

IVES-  I have no idea but I'll have a better idea after this week.

Comments

[Tim]

Thanks for your prompt response Ives!!!

[Steve]

"Steve, I may have to ban you from the next Q&A."
I will ban myself. I just thought that a second question would be alright given that it concerned only an opinion and required no research. Just to note, there were 2 other posts by a Steve that was not me. I only asked the coaching one and the Ruiz one.

[Steveinho]

on Mathis: didn't he retire from international play?

[Ives]

I was kidding Steve jeez, relax. Next time I'll put an LOL there or smiley face.

[Ives]

You're right Stevinho, he did retire, but what do international retirements mean really?

[JB]

Just a quick post regarding JJ's question on pitch size. There is info if you search the internet (if you trust what is posted) and is probably faster than going to the MLS. Here is wikipedia info on soccer-specific stadiums and if you scroll down there are links to MLS stadiums and many of the descriptions list the field dimensions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer-specific_stadium

JB

[JHJG89]

Ives,
I remember hearing JPD or Shep Messing say something along the lines of a team in MLS that marks zonal on corners. I myself never noticed, and that is why I asked.

[Ryan]

Yes I do want a podcast!

[Jasen]

1. Wikipedia, is the best thing ever.

2. just this season, i was watching a Revs game where they made it a point to talk about how they used zone marking on their CKs, and i believe it was also mentioned that they were the only team in the league to do so.

i believe they said it was because Liverpool historically has, and thus Stevie Nicol begun that practice once he became Head Coach.

i also think they pointed out that the Revs' CK stats have never been much better or worse than the other teams in the league.

anyways, i could be wrong on some of the details, but it was definitely the Revs.

[Allen]

When I saw Clint before the schrimage against Metro State, the day before the trade was announced, he looked like he had lost 10 if not 15 pounds since last year. It's hard to say how much weight he lost versus just being a lot more firm and getting rid of some fat. Amazing what actually being match fit can do for ones game. I'd love to know Ives what you think has changed for him this year. Why did he struggle at RSL and CO?

[Jasen]

and what's up with Dell'Apa? he's usually consistently strong, but first the Rossi article and now this Zidane piece...at best the 2 articles have been mindless, if not ignorant.

i understand it must be difficult to bang out a good piece every time, but these 2 struck me as being particularly weak...maybe it's just me though..

[George]

Hey JHJG89,

The New England Revolution mark zonal on corners because that is how Liverpool used to mark when Steve played for them.

I am almost 100% certain that Steve Nicol said this during a telecast or a broadcaster mentioned Steve's comment.

[kpugs]

Why is everyone crapping on Catalonia? Just because they aren't affiliated with FIFA or UEFA? They don't just have one or two good players, they have several GREAT players. Wikipedia has a handy list of dudes who played for them at one time or another (including some current players): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalonia_national_football_team#Selected_Players

[Pete]

Breaking News from Goal.com

Portugal claims that Luis Figo is pulling out of the multi-millionaire deal he had arranged with a Saudi Arabian club.

Here comes the rush of Figo to MLS rumors.

[Pete]

Breaking News from Goal.com

Portugal claims that Luis Figo is pulling out of the multi-millionaire deal he had arranged with a Saudi Arabian club.

Here comes the rush of Figo to MLS rumors.

[Pete]

Breaking News from Goal.com

Portugal claims that Luis Figo is pulling out of the multi-millionaire deal he had arranged with a Saudi Arabian club.

Here comes the rush of Figo to MLS rumors.

[Ben]

A bit off topic (although with all the q's about DPs perhaps not), but rumors have been swirling here in Salt Lake since Friday of an announcement of a big signing here. Ives, have you heard anything to back this up? Names perhaps?

[Pete]

sorry... that wasn't supposed to post 3 times.

[Ives has wings]

These field dimensions were from the beginning of last year:

Team
Team Stadium
Dimensions
Grass Type - Maximum Length

CD Chivas USA
Home Depot Center
120 x 75
Bermuda Hybrid - 3/4"

Chicago Fire
Bridgeview Stadium
120 x 75
Kentucky Bluegrass - 1 3/8"

Colorado Rapids
INVESCO Field at Mile High
110 x 69
Kentucky Blue Grass,
overseeded with Rye - 1 1/4"

Columbus Crew Columbus
Crew Stadium
115 x 75
Kentucky Bluegrass,
overseeded with Rye - 1 1/8"

D.C. United
RFK Stadium
110 x 75
Riviera Bermuda Base, Overseed Rye - 3/4"

FC Dallas
Pizza Hut Park
116 x 75
Tifway 419, over seeded with an annual ryegrass - 5/8"

Houston Dynamo
Robertson Stadium
115 x 69
Bermuda - 7/8"
K.C. Wizards
Arrowhead Stadium
110 x 69
Rye with Bermuda Base - 1"

L.A. Galaxy
Home Depot Center
120 x 75
Bermuda Hybrid - 3/4"

NY Red Bulls
Giants Stadium
116 x 66
Field Turf

N.E. Revolution
Gillette Stadium
113 x 75
Blue Grass, Overseeded with
Rye - 1 1/4"

Real Salt Lake
Rice-Eccles Stadium
116 x 70
Field Turf

[Andrew Murray]

Nice one Ives - thanks

[Tim]

Does any have the field dimensions and turf type for the new stadiums in Colorado and Toronto?