How long will RSL last?

AreliusII · 03-29-2005, 04:03 PM

BOSTON, MA (March 29, 2005) - Whenever a league expands, it’s always interesting to see how the new teams approach their first seasons. When MLS last expanded in 1998, Chicago and Miami came into the League with different strategies, and only one is still here with us. Chicago put together a front office that was committed to the long haul, hired an American coach with an excellent reputation and built a core of players that has only now been broken up. From the beginning, you got the idea that the Fire would be a franchise that would be around for a long time.

The Fusion had a different approach. It was a Miami team in name but set itself up closer to Fort Lauderdale, had a revolving door at the coaching position and never truly built a stable group of players. Now its glorified high-school football stadium is mostly devoid of soccer at all, while the Fire will open its own soccer-specific stadium next season. It’s not a stretch to say that the way each team began their lives had a bearing on whether they are around today.

With the addition of two new teams to MLS this season, we have an opportunity to watch this drama play out again. Given what we have seen in the past, it is more likely that Real Salt Lake will be playing in its own stadium in ten years and Chivas gear will be on the discount rack at Marshall’s. Here’s why.

From the beginning, I’ve had an uneasy feeling about Chivas USA. The underlying idea is outstanding. Whatever the merits of the Galaxy’s efforts in Los Angeles, it has always seemed that there was an underserved Hispanic soccer market in the city that was uninterested in the Galaxy. To bring in the most popular team in Mexico and serve that market is a great plan. The execution has just left something to be desired and gives one the idea that Chivas USA is more temporary than anyone would like to admit.

Chivas is playing at the Home Depot Center without any plans for its own stadium and without any long-term ties to the League. Not only that, but the decision to play in Los Angeles was hardly a slam dunk and the team toyed with the idea of playing in Chicago for a quite a long time. The team has staked its claim as the Hispanic team in MLS, which is a novel plan as long as the team wins. It’s been shown that Hispanic fans in MLS will come out to support a winner, but will avoid a loser whether they employ Hispanic players or not. A slow start could be disastrous.

Despite this plan to be a “Mexican” team, Chivas has appointed Thomas Rongen, who does not speak Spanish, as head coach. If part of succeeding in MLS is connecting with your fan base, hiring a coach that doesn’t speak the language of your fans is a horrible idea. Who knows what effect Rongen’s inability to speak Spanish had on the recent roster turmoil, but it will continue to be an issue as the season wears on.

Overall, owner Jorge Vergara seems as though his only interests in Chivas USA are to make money and to develop players for the Mexican Chivas. The fact that he believes he can make money in MLS is encouraging, but one gets the sense that if he doesn’t make money soon, his organization will be on the next plane back to Guadalajara.

Conversely, Real Salt Lake has started its MLS life as a team with its eye on long-term stability. Its first game isn’t until this weekend, but RSL is already involved in talks for its own stadium. The team’s coach, John Ellinger, is one of this country’s best coaches of young talent and is in a low-pressure situation for his first professional coaching job. The team’s roster boasts names like Eddie Pope, Clint Mathis and Jason Kreis, and is rounded out with a number of solid MLS veterans. Salt Lake’s management has significant experience in American sports and is headed by Dave Checketts, whose time with the New York Knicks should prove invaluable. To top it off, RSL has made it pretty clear that the team is committed to the city and the region and was not the second choice destination for the management.

It is in the interest of both MLS and American soccer that both of these teams succeed. In some respects, it’s even more important that Chivas USA succeeds, as it will draw in that ever-elusive Hispanic soccer fan and improve the image of MLS in Mexico. But the signs so far are not in favor of Chivas succeeding in LA. I hope that I’m wrong, but the parallels between Chivas and the Fusion are disturbing.

Rover · 03-29-2005, 04:26 PM

Who's on the byline for this article? I agree with just about everything here.

jasoncox · 03-29-2005, 04:27 PM

I had some of the same thoughts. While we can all only hope that 2005 RSL takes a similar route to 1998 Fire, I think long-term RSL is on the right track.

I've also been doubting the long-term viability of Chivas. It's seems too gimicky to me. I'm not sure if Mexican football fans in America will embrace this team. If they don't, it don't think Chivas will survive. If Vergara bails on the idea and retreat to Mexico, the team will most likely move and become a more traditional team in one of the areas currently targeting an expansion franchise like Seattle, Rochester, Toronto, etc.

AreliusII · 03-29-2005, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rover

Who's on the byline for this article? I agree with just about everything here.

The Kevin McGeehan Column: Will Chivas USA make it?

http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/exclusives/469504.html

AreliusII · 03-29-2005, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jasoncox

I had some of the same thoughts. While we can all only hope that 2005 RSL takes a similar route to 1998 Fire, I think long-term RSL is on the right track.

I've also been doubting the long-term viability of Chivas. It's seems too gimicky to me. I'm not sure if Mexican football fans in America will embrace this team. If they don't, it don't think Chivas will survive. If Vergara bails on the idea and retreat to Mexico, the team will most likely move and become a more traditional team in one of the areas currently targeting an expansion franchise like Seattle, Rochester, Toronto, etc.

I can assure you that Garber wants Chivas to succeed because he has Club America waiting in the wings to enter MLS next season.

jasoncox · 03-29-2005, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AreliusII

I can assure you that Garber wants Chivas to succeed because he has Club America waiting in the wings to enter MLS next season.

I'm sure he does, but will that be enough?

Jim Umber · 03-30-2005, 07:16 AM

Personally, I agree with most of the sentiments in this article. I am so glad that we got the Checkets and not the Vergara!:p

Hooligan · 03-30-2005, 09:42 AM

Great article with a lot of excellent and logical points. I hope RSL lasts a lifetime here in Salt Lake - there is no reason to think that we can't.

Aero · 03-30-2005, 10:56 AM

I definitely agree that the FO is doing a great job of looking long term. I think that they also did a credible job of putting together a team that can compete for the short term too. Overall, I think that they have probably gone above and beyond expectations. We are certainly lucky to have the people running our team that we have. They will keep this ship afloat for sure.

WorldBall · 03-30-2005, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aero

I definitely agree that the FO is doing a great job of looking long term. I think that they also did a credible job of putting together a team that can compete for the short term too. Overall, I think that they have probably gone above and beyond expectations. We are certainly lucky to have the people running our team that we have.

Agreed!

ReAL still has to play and compete and win on the field, but the Front Office has exceeded my expectations on every level so far. Well, we still don't have a funding plan for the soccer specific stadium--but this is the only thing that the Front Office hasn't scored on.