Game in Spain might be a pain for some MLS teams

[AreliusII]

Posted on Tue, Aug. 16, 2005



Game in Spain might be a pain for some MLS teams

By PETE GRATHOFF
The Kansas City Star

Example 509 of why MLS needs to revamp its schedule comes next Tuesday when a MLS select team travels to Real Madrid to face the Spanish power in its final exhibition game of the year.

The game will pull players away from their teams just as they are gearing up for the stretch run and during the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. For their part, MLS officials realize the difficult timing of the game.

“Clearly our goal is to put forth the most competitive team,” said Dan Courtemanche, director of communications for MLS. “For Real Madrid, this is a competitive match, and their goal is to beat the team, whether it’s 1-0 or 7-0 or 10-0. If they can score 10 goals they will. …

“We have to work closely with the coaches and GMs and respect the teams to make sure there isn’t a competitive imbalance by taking too many players from one team. We’ll probably end up taking one or two players from each team.”

In addition to the awkward timing, some MLS players will be adding one more game to an already busy schedule. Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad played Saturday in Utah against Real Salt Lake, Kansas City’s third road game in eight days. He’s currently in Connecticut preparing for this week’s World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago. He also crisscrossed the country last month playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Still, Conrad isn’t against playing Real Madrid.

“It think it’d be quite an honor to play in Spain against Madrid...,” Conrad said. “I’d have to see how it would affect my body, how it’s going to affect the Wizards, then I’d have to weigh the options.”

The MLS roster will be announced today or Wednesday.

[SoccerPrime]

Please post the roster if anyone finds it.
Thanks.

BTW This game will be carried live on GolTV on Tuesday at 3pm EST.

[mckid]

I'm not the biggest fan of this idea of going off to play in Europe right before the playoffs. But, my attitude changed slightly when reading Jimmy's thoughts, as a player. If the palyers are willing than I'm not as opposed.

I'm interested to see how it affects teams in the playoffs.

[SoccerPrime]

Game now on ESPN2 on Tuesday afternoon.
YAHOO!

[HibaIssa]

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

Game now on ESPN2 on Tuesday afternoon.
YAHOO!

Anyone up for Iggy's again? I never get to see my Madrid boys play.

[SoccerPrime]

Team announced:
GK - Reis, Cannon

Def- Jimmy Conrad, Greg Vanney, Danny Califf, Tyrone Marshall, Ivan
Guerrero, Chris Albright

Mid- Shalrie Joseph, Ronnie O'Brien, Clint Dempsey, Brad Davis, Steve
Ralston, Amado Guevara, Valakari

ST - Jeff Cunningham, Taylor Twellman, Francisco Palencia & Carlos Ruiz

[SoccerPrime]

Hey RSL, SLAP, SLAP, SLAP....

Thats a :fish: in the face

[AreliusII]

Kozel: Showing What We’re Made Of!
8/18/2005 7:42:00 PM
You may have missed it, but an MLS Select Team is going to challenge Real Madrid next Tuesday for the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu. Goal.com's Kevin Kozel says this match is much more than just another All-Star game and breaks down who belongs in Spain.
After ten years of MLS action, I don’t think I have ever been as excited for an MLS match as I am for the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu this Tuesday. For those of you that haven’t heard, which could be many of you since the publicity has been pretty poor, the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu is hosted by Real Madrid in Spain to kick off their Spanish Primera Liga season each year. To put it more simply, it’s basically another All-Star game, only this time it is against the most famous footballers in the world and in Spain. No more of this Fulham crap.

Before anyone starts telling me how this game won’t be a true indicator of how good Real Madrid is, and how it doesn’t really mean anything to them, and that they aren’t in shape yet, you can save it. This is for a trophy, this is in their home stadium, and even if they do try and get minutes for lots of their players, you must remember that there won’t be one player on the Madrid roster that isn’t better than every opposing MLS player at the same position. This being the case, we better send a team that is built to win, to impress, and to get some attention on the big stage.

First, we should get out of the way the rules that should apply to selecting the Select Team. I guess we will be calling these the “Greg Lalas Rules”. The Greg Lalas Rules detail that each team should be represented by at least one player, and no team should lose more than three players. If you want reasoning, read his article on MLSNet, I have a word count to worry about.

This being said, let’s get some players out of the way quickly. Going with 18 players, I think we are all in agreement that Landon Donovan will be there. Jimmy Conrad and Eddie Pope should start at center back. Pope also takes care of a Salt Lake team that could only contribute Jason Kreis otherwise, and there are still much better forwards to be chosen. Looking at the other teams that would most likely only send one player, the Crew would send Frankie Hejduk, Colorado would send Jeff Cunningham, and Chivas USA would send Brad Guzan as the backup ‘keeper since the new transfers haven’t played yet.

Next, there are a few players that should not be allowed to participate. Carlos Ruiz didn’t go to the All-Star game and therefore shouldn’t be invited to this one, so Eddie Johnson gets the nod instead. Amado Guevara doesn’t want to play here anymore, so he shouldn’t represent our league. Youri Djorkaeff should be the lone representative for the MetroStars, though he doesn’t help out retirement league stigma any.

Unfortunately there are some very good teams which don’t really have multiple players that I would send. D.C. United has a great roster, and I’m sure the league would love to send Freddy Adu, but he won’t be healthy enough. Jaime Moreno should be their player for his distribution up top. The Fire are also in this category, and Chris Armas’s experience will be much needed at holding midfield.

When looking at Dallas and New England, the two teams that were most represented at the all-star game, the maximum has to exclude some players. With Dallas we have already excluded Ruiz but selected Johnson, and Ronnie O’Brien certainly must play in the midfield. Greg Vanney is a player that has European experience and is versatile in the back. Then there’s New England, who is the hardest team to pick only three players from. It’s hard to pick a goalkeeper outside of Matt Reis for the starting nod, and the 8 goals and 8 assists out of Clint Dempsey are hard to exclude. Plus, Dempsey can drop back as a defensive midfielder if he must. Despite outstanding years from Pat Noonan and Shalrie Joseph, I had to go with Taylor Twellman as the third Revs player. His 10 goals and 6 assists, along with his willingness to sacrifice his body to win a ball, would give the MLS Select team something that the other forwards don’t possess.

This leaves us with three slots out of 18 remaining, and we are in need of a couple more strong left-sided players, and an outside right defender. For my money, San Jose has the best left side in the league with defender Wade Barrett and midfielder Brad Davis, who is deadly with the cross and isn’t afraid to shoot. Chris Albright would be my final selection for the right back position, as he has been good with both the Los Angeles Galaxy and the National Team this season, and his previous experience as a striker and winger has made him one of the better passers we have out of the back.

Final Roster:
GK: Matt Reis (NER), Brad Guzan (CHV)
DEF: Eddie Pope (RSL), Jimmy Conrad (KCW), Frankie Hejduk (CLB), Greg Vanney (FCD), Wade Barrett (SJE), Chris Albright (LAG)
MID: Landon Donovan (LAG), Ronnie O’Brien (FCD), Clint Dempsey (NER), Brad Davis (SJE), Chris Armas (CHI), Youri Djorkaeff (MET)
FW: Taylor Twellman (NER), Eddie Johnson (FCD), Jeff Cunningham (COL), Jaime Moreno (DCU)

Just missed the cut: Shalrie Joseph (NER), Josh Wolff (KCW), Christian Gomez (DCU), Ivan Guerrero (CHI)

[AreliusII]

MLS timing is offIves Galarcep
Archive

Major League Soccer has developed a nasty addiction. The league got a taste of what having its teams face European competition could mean with friendlies against the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan and Chelsea and now it cannot kick the habit.

MLS is preparing to send an all-star team to Spain next week to face Real Madrid in Real's final preseason match on Tuesday. The opportunity is a great one for MLS players and for the league to show its stuff on a world stage, but that does not change the fact that the timing is absolutely terrible.

Never mind that six of the league's 12 teams are set to compete in the U.S. Open Cup, the oldest competition in American team sports. Never mind that MLS is heading into the heart of its schedule and players such as Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are already worn down from double duty with MLS and the U.S. national team. The main reason this game is a bad idea is because the league's decision to play it, and to force its teams to provide players, basically sends the message that an international friendly against a high-profile opponent is more important than the U.S. Open Cup or MLS Cup.

League officials probably realized the error in their ways when they began making inquiries about what players could be available. MLS asked teams eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup to provide two players and teams alive in the Open Cup to provide one. Most of the league's teams became locked in fierce protests over having to include their best players at such a crucial time, especially the six teams who would presumably have to surrender one of their best players and therefore be shorthanded for Wednesday's U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal round.

MLS cannot be serious. Would the English Premier League do this to the FA Cup? Would any other league that claims to be legitimate on the world stage even consider this? Would Real Madrid consider playing a friendly in the United States during the heart of their club campaign. No. Never. Period.

So why does MLS? It seems as if that inferiority complex is on full tilt as MLS falls victim to the "these games prove how good we are" hysteria that followed the AC Milan-Chicago Fire and Chelsea-DC United friendlies. You might ask why those matches were a good idea, but this one is not. The club friendlies served their purpose, providing some international exposure for the league and letting MLS fans see just how its teams could measure up against the world's best.

The earlier friendlies served that purpose, which should have made this invitation to Madrid a little less difficult to turn down. MLS was not about to say no though, even after Real Madrid stood the league up on two occasions last year. It is almost as if MLS is the little brother who jumps at any chance to play with his older brother, even if it means taking a beating.

Imagine being one of the six teams alive in the Open Cup. You are three wins away from a championship and now you are told that you have to let one of your best players miss the quarterfinal round for a friendly. Why should FC Dallas have to face D.C. without Ronnie O'Brien? Why should D.C. have to play without Jaime Moreno. The situation is even more unfair for Chicago and Kansas City, which both face non-MLS teams in their quarterfinals. You might think those squads can afford to surrender a player since their facing lower level competition, but that is ignoring the fact that in cup competitions anything can happen.

Imagine being Landon Donovan. You've just played in the grueling grind of the Gold Cup, you are in the midst of national team qualifiers AND the Galaxy is playing in the Open Cup. Now MLS wants you to fly to Spain for a friendly? It is the type of game he should play in, but not under those circumstances (MLS apparently listened when Donovan made it clear he did not want to play against Real Madrid and will not select him). Luckily for MLS, it should still field a strong squad, with Amado Guevara, Youri Djorkaeff, Moreno, O'Brien, Shalrie Joseph and Matt Reis among the players expected to take part.

MLS officials continue to talk this game up, saying that a good showing could do wonders for the league and winning the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu would bring respectability. If so, then why hasn't the league even announced a roster yet? Why hasn't there been a drop of marketing to promote this appearance? If you're going to the trouble of strong-arming teams into giving up players the least you could do is make an attempt to justify your actions.

Again, the game itself is a nice idea. Facing a Real Madrid squad that is about to start its season is a far better gauge of where MLS stands than when the Galaxy faced them on July 18th. It is a nice idea but one only worth doing if you are going to bring a top squad of players and that just shouldn't be an option considering what is at stake for MLS teams at this time of year.