Soccer Newsday column on Canadian World Cup qualification

Another column on Soccer Newsday:´
I've reflected over the Canadian games against Panama, the results, what they meant, and what a qualification to the hex and to Brazil could do for Canadian soccer.

Loss must not dash Canadian World Cup hopesbit.ly/QFSMgj #CanMNT #CMNT #CanWNT
— Soccer Newsday (@SoccerNewsday) September 12, 2012

"Where is our Jogi?"

Full disclosure: I watched the Canada game last night (what an awesome result) and then caught the last part of the US game afterwards. Though I still feel the following holds merit:

So. The first US loss to a Caribbean country since 1969. What to make of it?

After a while with Klinsmann as coach, I think it has become clear what his strengths and weaknesses are. He is a great motivational speaker that can bring something out in players on special occasions, but he has also shown clear faults in his tactical understanding of the game. Based on the last part of the Jamaica game and many other games, the US has shown a lacking ability to impose their will on teams and really dominate the game.

If you have such a situation either pick different players or pick a different tactic. There is not even any development in the game of the US. And I think this is down to the skills of Herr Klinsmann. As Germany coach, he was the one to inspire the players to believe they could do it and Joachim Löw, was the one that told them how to do it.

I saw this challenge from the beginning and the exact day that Klinsmann was announced I pointed out the need for a tactically savvy assistant:



And it seems clear that neither Andreas Herzog or Martin Vasquez are the assistant that Klinsmann needs. The US national IS better than Jamaica. They should have won, and with the right player choices and tactical approach it could have been won.

This falls back on both Sunil Gulati and Klinsmann, but in the end it was probably Klinsmann's decision and he needs to realize his own shortcomings.

Fans of the US team should rightfully ask "Where is our Jogi?", because the team needs him.

Christian Wilhelmsson signs for LA Galaxy. Not a DP.

So Christian Wilhelmsson, former Nantes, Roma, Anderlecht and Bolton player, whom LA confirmed is on trial with the club, has confirmed personally to Swedish media that he has signed with the LA side. He had offers from Russia, Qatar and Dubai, but preferred MLS and the Galaxy. He compliments the rising quality of the league and hopes to stay on the Swedish national team. He also says he had offers that paid more, but the chance to play in MLS and live in LA was worth more. Fotballskanalen.se also reports that he won't be a designated player, but will earn $300.000 a year on a 6 month contract with an option for 3 more years. How the hell can LA afford that?

Post script:
I just noticed, that the interview where Wilhelmsson confirms the contract is from SUNDAY the 2nd and the salary article is from last Thursday. Why hasn't LA confirmed anything yet, when Wilhelmsson is speaking openly about it in Swedish media?

Post script 2:
Just to underline: The interview was made the day after the Arena confirmation of the trial, where Wilhelmsson confirms to have signed contract. If it is signed, why isn't LA announcing it?

The Cleetus case and why MLS must sometimes sell big names

Whenever a talented MLS player is transfered to a European league, there is always someone who starts complaining, that MLS will never become a top tier league, if they sell their biggest players.

This idea is partially true, but mostly wrong.

MLS of today is a developmental league. Some people might oppose to that, but the way soccer has developed it is really only La Liga, the Premier League and perhaps the Bundesliga, that cannot be described that way. Most of the best players in Ligue 1, Serie A, the Eredivisie leave for bigger and better leagues and I'm sure thats company MLS and its fans wouldn't mind being a part of.

The thing about players is that most of them are ambitious people. They want to be the best and play with the best, and when you as a club want to sign a player you need to convince them that along of an acceptable salary you can help them achieve that goal. MLS is a good league yes, but there are plenty of leagues, where the quality is higher and the salary is better. Consequently, what MLS must do to attract talent, is tell the players that what it can offer them, is a good league to develop in and when the right offer comes from a foreign club, they won't stand in the way (Unlike the Clint Mathis to Bayern München situation). If MLS and its clubs has a reputation of standing in the way of the players getting to bigger clubs, it will become harder for them to attract the talented players, both foreign and domestic, and this will have a negative impact on the league.

Obviously MLS shouldn't sell any asset at a discount rate, and big efforts should be made at convincing players to stay, but as we saw with Clint Mathis, there are also big downsides to forcing a player to stay, that saw a chance to move on.

Post script:
A more contemporary example: If Fredy Montero decides that he wants to go to a top European league and a club fields a good offer, MLS should accept it. Yes, MLS would lose a top player, but they would earn a good buck and it would send the signal to young South Americans like Montero that MLS is a good, stable league to develop in, in order to get recruited by a top European team and being that stepping stone will help MLS increase its quality as more talented players go there to be spotted.

New Soccer Newsday column: Women's soccer and MLS

My weekly column on Soccer Newsday got moved to Wednesday, but go give it a read.

CanWNT Success Creates Chance For MLS To Unite Gendersbit.ly/Rhhvdu#canwnt #cwnt #whitecapsfc #whitecaps #mls #wwc #wpsl #wleague
— Soccer Newsday (@SoccerNewsday) August 15, 2012

Sporting KC and why soccer is more than an immigrant sport

So I have these friends from Edmonton, Alberta, and when I told them about my interest in North American soccer, they rejected any interest any interest in soccer in North America outside of groups of recent immigrants and their kids.

I've heard this many times and in different versions and I've never been able to fit it to my impression of North American soccer fandom.

That is why the outburst of passion that we have witnessed around Sporting Kansas City. This isn't New York or Chicago. This isn't a multicultural metropolis that attracts people from all the world every day. This is heartland America. And they love soccer.

Surveys show that soccer, not MLS, but soccer in general has surpassed hockey in popularity in the US, and what we see in KC is that it is not just because of recent immigration, but a general embrace of soccer by Americans.

It is however also clear, that it is not enough, just offering soccer. You new to have a strategy that shows the local community that the organization is a passionate part of it and that it is committed to creating a winning team.

Americans are soccer fans, but what it takes for American soccer to capitalize on that is a commitment to the community and the fan experience.

Something about Hoilett, myself and this site

Guess what? People actually read this blog. Some guy (Mike Firpo) even thought that what I write here has quality enough for me to write for his site: www.soccernewsday.com.

Today I had my first piece about David Hoilett, which I think all of you guys should read.

I'm really honoured to have the opportunity to write for what will hopefully be a bigger audience and that Mike has faith in my writing abilities. I hope to repay that faith.

It does however also have an impact on this site. Everything Canada will now be on my Soccer Newsday column and as such this site will get a more American flavour. Though everytime I write a column I'll post a link for it here.

Again. Thank you Mike. Really.