But on the flip side it gives the US clubs a better chance of winning. Which cooked up thought it may be will help with recognition.
Given the US National's performance in Azteca, I'd hate to see what the Colorado Rapids would look like down there.
But on the flip side it gives the US clubs a better chance of winning. Which cooked up thought it may be will help with recognition.
Given the US National's performance in Azteca, I'd hate to see what the Colorado Rapids would look like down there.
Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27
Oh, I well remember the Crew getting horsewhipped at Morelia in the CONCACAF Champions League one year, but it still makes the competition a little Mickey Mouse in my view.
Agreed. Should be home and home with the top two from each grouping going on to the knockout round.
Though it's sort of an aimless competiition to me until it involves the top four clubs from each league. I'd care instantly if it were designed that way (and there's no reason it couldn't have been from the outset). As it is, I probably won't pay it any attention.
It's almost like CONCACAF can only have half a good idea.
On a different subject, I've fallen in love with the notion of having a team suffer a -1 point penalty for being shut out in all league games and cup competitions. It would create constant pressure on teams to make sure they score at least one goal, forcing them to open up. It would also make a 0-0 tie a no-points affair for the participants (+1 for the tie, -1 for the shutout).
Last edited by M2; 01-16-2007 at 05:29 PM.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
I had to post on this....I am not a soccer fan...but the magnitude of this deal is big enough to comment on...this deal will KILL the MLS...as I see it, the MLS fills a niche in the sports landscape in America...sure it doesnt get huge ratings...but most teams draw decent crowds and fills the soccer crave for most fans...I liken this to the Pele deal in the late 70s when the NASL brought him in...it did nothing to keep the league afloat long term. The only way the MLS can survive is to create American born and bred talent. Yikes, I cant believe I typed so much about a sport I really dont give a rats a-s about....
You frankly have no idea what you're talking about.
MLS (the league) is paying David Beckham $400,000 a year.
The LA Galaxy (owned by multibillionaire P. Anschutz) is paying roughly $8,000,000 a year plus various incentives based upon jersey sales and attendance.
MLS since the beginning has employed a prudent, conservative expansion model. The league averages well over 15,000 fans a match, far outstripping the NASL even given the Cosmos' notoriety.
This deal will neither kill MLS or turn it into the NFL. It's a reasonable, well-thought-out gamble that, even if it flops, is still likely to create long-term benefits for the league and the development of professional soccer in America.
Thank you DSmith for correcting that incorrect, shoot-from-the-hip, post.
Not quite what was originally announced, but not bad.
Beckham's playing contract worth about $27.5 million over 5 seasons
By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
February 24, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) -- David Beckham's playing contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy is worth about $27.5 million in base salary over five seasons, according to a person familiar with Major League Soccer agreements.
It's a fraction of the $250 million income figure floated for the English star when he agreed to the deal last month.
Beckham's average base salary of about $5.5 million was disclosed Friday by a person who had been briefed on the deal and who spoke on condition of anonymity because those details had not been announced.
Simon Oliveira, Beckham's spokesman, would not confirm the figure but didn't dispute it.
"That is only one element to his salary and package, which had to be disclosed in accordance with MLS guidelines," Oliveira said.
AEG, the company that runs the Galaxy, trumpeted a far higher figure when Beckham's agreement was announced last month.
"The deal to bring Beckham to America is thought to be the biggest in sporting history, with industry experts estimating the worth to the player in excess of $250 million," AEG's news release said.
Beckham's contract, according to several people familiar with the details, is a complex and probably unique arrangement that gives the 31-year-old midfielder a percentage of club sponsorship, merchandizing and uniform sales contracts. Promotional arrangements also are included.
Several weeks after the announcement, Los Angeles said it had sold more than 5,000 additional season tickets. The team plans to redesign its uniform and is examining sponsorship offers for advertising on the jerseys.
"I think it's important to look at this business arrangement in terms of how it benefits the Galaxy and David Beckham in the long-term," Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas said. "David Beckham has a vested interest in this relationship working and in this team being successful. His salary is but a small component."
Beckham easily will be MLS' highest-paid player. According to figures published by The Washington Post last April, Chivas USA's Juan Francisco Palencia was tops last season at $1.36 million -- a $692,308 salary and about $668,000 in bonuses. The Galaxy's Landon Donovan was second at $900,000, followed by Kansas City's Eddie Johnson at $875,000, the Post reported.
Beckham's current contract with Real Madrid ends June 30, and the Galaxy expects he will join the team in August.
Beckham has regained his starting position with Real Madrid, and Lalas traveled to Spain and watched him play Feb. 17 in a 0-0 tie against Real Betis. Beckham's recent play has improved his chances of rejoining England's national team for next month's European Championship qualifiers against Israel and Andorra.
Beckham stepped down as the national team's captain after England was eliminated in last summer's World Cup quarterfinals, and coach Steve McClaren dropped him from the roster.
"When you sit with David, it becomes very apparent that the time that he spent representing his country is something he holds pretty dear," Lalas said. "From our perspective, if this were to happen, it would be wonderful as far as we're concerned. There's obviously some business and logistical challenges that we may face, but the fact is to have a player who's playing for England is a wonderful statement on who that player is. I hope it happens for him, and I hope it happens for England."
When Lalas saw Beckham play in Spain -- his 150th appearance for Real Madrid -- Beckham was ejected in second-half injury time.
"So I officially fined him," Lalas joked.
During a recent US national team game, one of the announcers asked, "Who's going to be taking free kicks for the Galaxy next year, Landon Donovan or David Beckham?"
What a homer. Nobody on the US team is close to Beckham's class as a set piece guy. It is a real weakness for the squad.
He has obviously never seen David Beckham take a free kick.
I am starting to like soccer more and more.
IMHO, the rest of the world is not going to take American soccer seriously until this country can prove they are on par with the rest of the world by winning a World Cup.
What I don't understand is it seems like a ton of kids play soccer growing up, and it's become a pretty popular sport for young kids hence the "soccer mom" label, etc. Maybe that isn't the case anymore, but I can remember more kids playing soccer than little league when I was that age. So where is the talent in the US? Why aren't these kids growing up and becoming great athletes in the sport of soccer? My thought was by now we would be seeing some pretty good athletes on the national team, and going much farther in the World Cup than we are now.
He was being facetious.
There's more young American talent in Europe than at any other point in history.
There's actually a BUNCH of young Americans playing abroad right NOW. You just haven't heard of them. But they're coming.
That's a pretty high standard to set. Outside of Germany, Italy, and Brazil. It's a pretty big upset if anyone wins a world cup.
I think my friend pointed out that if you've won a world war, you're probably not going to win the world cup.(France doesn't count in his mind.)
Don't forget England in 1966. It is a very high standard, but the US needs to measure its progress somehow. Other than the possibility of being invited in the future to compete in (and hopefully eventually win) the Copa Libertadores, US soccer is currently involved in no other world class competitions so winning the WC is the only measure.
I think you mean Copa America, Liberatadores is a club competition. Unfortunately the U.S. will be playing a B squad in Copa America. The national side's new coach, Bob Bradley, has made the CONCACAF Gold Cup his priority, which indicates to me the team is still afflicted with big-fish-small-pond syndrome and that Bradley lacks the vision to bring the national program forward.
It's also possible the U.S. took offense at the brackets for Copa America. The host nation, Venezuela, certainly landed in a weak sister draw. Yet it means the U.S. finds itself in a group with one of the world's superpowers, Argentina, and two World Cup quality squads, Paraguay and Colombia. As you noted, the U.S. might not get a chance to test itself like that until the next World Cup. It's a massive blown opportunity.
France may actually be the nominal team to beat these days, sort of like West Germany in the late '80s, early '90s. They've got a sick amount of talent these days, enough to make a serious World Cup contender from their B team in fact. They've got to be the nominal favorites for Euro 2008 (followed by Portugal and Spain). France is now feeling the surge from the 1998 World Cup win. All those kids who watched that victory and got the fever for the game are hitting adulthood.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
Does that mean in about 4-6 years you might really start seeing the US pipeline improve? After all the hype from the quarterfinals in 2002?
I'm not sure the Gold cup shouldn't be first priority. Yes its big fish small pond. But I think that's better than small fish no pond.
If you play your best time in the Copa Libradores, against a killer draw, and lose in group play. Then go out and lose in the Gold Cup with a B squad, you're screwed twice.
What will help is with more and more of the National team quality players in Europe, this won't necessarily affect their schedules to play in both tournaments. On the other hand, it's kinda hard to take Landon Donovan away from the Galaxy for basically 4 weeks.
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