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Podcast: Red Cards in Helltown - Episode XX

Rick Gethin and Larry Johnson return from their travels all around this blue globe with the latest in US soccer as we see it. US Soccer, MLS, CBA... all here and there - and all before noon on a Sunday (whew).

00:40 HEADLINES!
• We're back! Same with LA Galaxy, winning the Cup.
• Garber / Klinsmann, let's hash it out at Lindey's.
• Klinsmann tweet about Champs league players by country link
• MLS stuck in "start-up" mode
• US "Golden Generation" ending?
• Jordan Hamilton (TFC) comments link

16:50 COLUMBUS CREW
• Proper use of MLS Columbus team in Ohio (it's complicated)
• #Crew96 vs #CrewSC
• Roster moves, getting "value"
• Moving Anor (credit Andrew King)
• Josh Williams will be playing with Frank Lampard
• New Icelandic signing will be at every CBJ game
• Arrieta pick was strange
• Orlando decision makers are "new"
• Crew roster at 24-ish, 75% carryover minutes
• 29:35.. A couple important minutes on Williams, Anor and Gehrig

34:45 COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
• Brian Straus' SI.com article on CBA
• Controlling costs, 20 years in
• Player movement, how owners spend
• New owners changing league?
• The money is there, just that MLS wants all of it.
• Addressing structural issues with MLS a good place to start
• FIAT 500 is a nice car:)

52:45 FINAL SEGMENT, QUICK HIT
• Alexi Lalas Mission Statment...
• ... Rick is Jacked!

Thanks for listening.

(quick note on league structure)

@sszy I always go back to the % of wages as revenue argument. I want players (the laborers) getting the lion share of the revenue.
— Zach Slaton (@the_number_game) May 5, 2014

@sszy it's clear to me the US leagues seek to minimize that share more so that European leagues via caps/revenue sharing/no pro/rel
— Zach Slaton (@the_number_game) May 5, 2014

MLS Enters US Open Cup Today

16 Major League Soccer teams are join the 100th US Open Cup today. Officially it is the third round of the tournament.

Over at Massive Report I break down the Columbus Crew and their upcoming match with Dayton Dutch Lions. Go give it a read if you get a chance.

Somewhat buried in all that fun are my thoughts on all of the MLS matches starting today and tomorrow. Today is a really, really big day for clubs lower down the US Soccer pyramid. I can't emphasis that enough. Really big day. So, here is that pulled out.

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May 28, 2013
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Most games kick off around 7 PM EST. USL Live on UNATION will have the Kickers v. DC United, Charleston Battery v. San Jose and Orlando v. Colorado Rapids.

Rochester Rhinos v New England Revolution - Rochester, New York

Philadelphia Union v Ocean City Nor'easters - Chester, Pennsylvania

Somewhat mysteriously, the US Soccer took this game away from Ocean City, where it was originally scheduled, and put it in Philly. There should be a large contingent of Nor’easters’ fans in Chester to pull them on.

Richmond Kickers v D.C. United - Richmond, Virginia

Look for the Kickers to put up a good fight but because of the new MLS relationship with USL Pro this is more of a big brother little brother matchup now. Year’s past it these two were pretty fierce enemies.

Sporting Kansas City v Des Moines Menace - Kansas City, Kansas

Los Angeles Blues v Chivas USA - Fullerton, California

Fort Lauderdale Strikers v FC Dallas - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Orlando City v Colorado Rapids - Orlando, Florida

If there is one team the casual MLS fan might recognize, it is Orlando City SC. Their grassroots bid to become the 20th MLS franchise failed so they will be looking to take down one or two this year during this tournament. They are a team loaded with MLS level players. This one will be good if City can keep their composure.

Real Salt Lake v Atlanta Silverbacks - Sandy, Utah

Fox Soccer studio host and legendary US Men’s National Team player, Eric Wynalda is also the part-time coach of the Silverbacks. For those that remember back to last year, Wynalda took a ammateur side called Cal FC past the Portland Timbers in US Open play.

Charleston Battery v San Jose Earthquakes - Charleston, South Carolina

This game will be streamed on USL Pro’s UNATION service. Watch this game for the beauty of Blackbaud Stadium. In my opinion? Charleston is the team I would have liked most to be the 20th club in MLS. Was able to watch the Battery take on Dayton a few weeks ago... I fully expect Irishman, Colin Falvey and company to give the ‘Quakes fits.

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May 29, 2013
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Columbus Crew v Dayton Dutch Lions - Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is going to come out with everything they’ve got this year. Should be a great one. Go watch this game already.

Charlotte Eagles v Chicago Fire - Rock Hill, South Carolina

Charlotte has a name that Crew fans will remember in Shaun Francis. Shaun has been playing well for the Eagles. Keep an eye on this result. Chicago will be pressing but might find a side that will not be easy to take down.

New York Red Bulls v Reading United - Harrison, New Jersey

Carolina Railhawks v Los Angeles Galaxy - Cary, North Carolina

LA lost this fixture last year to this same inspired Railhawks side at WakeMed. Look for former Crew starter Mr. Julius James playing in the back line. Also, Robbie Rogers will likely feature in this match. So, give it a watch if you are in the Raleigh-Durham area. No excuses. Know who might be there watching right beside you? Will Hesmer.

Houston Dynamo v FC Tucson - Houston, Texas

Tampa Bay Rowdies v Seattle Sounders FC - Saint Petersburg, Florida

This one should be interesting. I don’t expect a Rowdies win but wouldn’t be suprise if there is an upset here. Brutal travel for Seattle. Saw the Rowdies earlier this year. Not impressive but they do have a great player in Englishman, Luke Mulholland.

Portland Timbers v Wilmington Hammerheads - Portland, Oregon

USL, NASL, USSF & Creation Centre

Grab some coffee, it's going to be a long one here.

Good news! Lower division soccer in North America exists! Okay, that's good, but not news. Alternate good news! It is a mess that is trying to get organized! Right now, as I type. 2011 could be seen as one of two things for our lower divisions.

1. Just another transition year that will be followed by many more.

2. The start of a real lower league that will finally hold for years to come.

Others more mighty then I have perished trying to explain lower league soccer in North America. I'm trying to put all this together right now and looking at the top of my browser I see that I have about 10 tabs open. Anyway, the best I can find is the the United States Soccer Pyramid.

I believe that 2011 will be the year that lower division soccer will get a foothold even though it is still in flux. The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps are moving to the MLS this year leaving a void that will have to be filled behind them. They were not promoted based on performance or anything. More just about how much money they can make. Promotion/Relegation in the US is not in the cards anytime soon. The Timbers and Whitecaps were founded in 2009, this is frustrating. The USL has teams that have been around for over 10 years and a couple for 17 years. Portland and Vancouver were chosen based on two simple facts.

1. Location (the MLS wants a clear cut East / West)
2. Revenue Potential

I'm not a fan of "United States Soccer Federation" (USSF). It's an organization that despite sitting on a goldmine (of potential money and millions of American kids playing) fails to organize the sport here. But, it takes a national organization like it to create order out of chaos. Once this gets sorted the US will begin to get better. Or even better, depending on how you feel about our quality out here.

Looking at Lower Division Challenges:

The biggest challenge for the USSF is distance. Covering it requires money. In England it is not a problem. In the US? it is. It is very expensive to travel a team all around the country. Another challenge is obscurity. Only a small fraction of the country knows that there is more pro soccer out there other then the MLS.

The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup:

With the USSF taking the reins on Lower Division soccer I can see this cup becoming more interesting in the coming years. It has been around forever, but now that the MLS has finally proved that pro soccer can be sustainable in the US I believe that the key to future success of soccer in this country is the US Open Cup.

Only once since the MLS has been around has a team outside that league not won the CUP. The Rochester (Ragin') Rhinos. Charleston Battery made the final in 2008 but lost to DC United. I've read in the past that those two have a fierce rivalry. This is a little thing but means big things for the future.

It's a good thing that MLS teams are winning this Cup. It shows that our "top division" truly has the best teams even without relegation and promotion. That said, I hope that we see more teams not from the MLS doing well. It will bring them out into the national spotlight and raise awareness to the fact that soccer has already arrived in the US whether ESPN likes to admit it or not. I'd venture to say that the anchors over at that cable station all have kids playing soccer and choosing soccer over other sports and are slowly coming to terms that - In fact; it is the most played sport in this country.

CREATION CENTRE:

FIFA 11's incredible feature that allows people to create teams is incredibly popular. I once felt that I was in the minority in spending hours creating my own team filled with friends using reasonable, believable stats on skill and height. But I am not!

Just yesterday I discovered that there are many. Yeah, there are the unbeatable teams filled with 99 rated players, but I also found a wealth of teams just like the Helltown Brewmasters. There are also folks uploading lower division US teams like the Richmond Kickers and Charleston Battery. How great is this? EA might not include them but players are creating them.

There are varying levels of good though. Example; Richmond is lovingly done, but the stats are off the charts. Charleston is fairly done though. It's great. That team fits exactly where it should in terms of stats.

England football fans have also come out in force in creating teams even further down the league tables. I was able to find Kettering Town (my grandmothers home) that was realistically created.

I intend to find more. Long post here so in the future I can create a list of teams fairly done from the US lower divisions.