The Soccer Thread (IV)

RT @sbnation: Davies Reportedly Has Broken Leg, Internal Injuries http://sbnation.com/e/847862

 

In addition to the internal injuries ...

RT @GrantWahl USSF: Titanium rods inserted in Charlie Davies' right femur/tibia.

 

Lacerated bladder. Fractured elbow. The tibia/femur fractures. Some facial fractures, also.
Grant also tweeted that Davies had broken curfew and was a passenger in the automobile. The deceased, he reported, also was a passenger.

 

I know the USSF backed off the "career-threatening" comment on his injuries. But those very well could be career-enders. I hope not.

 

Not good. Charlie had turned into one of my favorite players. I hope he recovers to lead a normal life at least.

 

It's absolutely career-threatening. Whether or not it's career-ending is another matter entirely. But I don't see how anybody could think it's not career-threatening.

 

I suspect the one major market where a summer schedule makes the MLS an impossibility is Phoenix, as long as a soccer-specific stadium is a requirement. I just don't know that you can build something that will work here without a roof and A/C, and there's no way that's financially viable.

I'd love to see a fall/winter winter schedule for purely selfish reasons but I'm not at all sure it would be a smart move for the league.

 

Some US fan groups are organizing a tribute during the Costa Rica match. They want fans to stand and cheer during the 9th minute.

 

If MLS can play in Dallas and Houston in the depths of summer, it can play in Florida.

The reason Florida isn't represented in MLS is because no one there knew how to run a franchise, and if Miami FC is any indication, they still dont't.

 

Is Snoop Seppy Sepp on drugs? Only a person high as a kite on the PCP -- or who hasn't spent a winter in Chicago -- would suggest such a screamingly awful idea.

Summer leagues off the top of my head: Japan, Korea, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, US, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Russia

And as has been mentioned, the world's top players are not going to flee to MLS just because it plays on a familiar calendar. They want to make money and/or play at a high level -- the latter being negotiable for players going to leagues in places like Qatar, UAE, etc. As long as MLS persists with its salary cap, the only superstars you'll see on American shores are the ones grown in MLS or European stars on their preseason tours.

 

But what if Costa Rica scores a goal in the ninth minute?

 

You have promotion playoffs at every level in England save the Premiership, the Dutch league has playoffs to determine its Champions League and Europa League berths, there are championship playoffs in MLS and Australia, and there are various leagues around the world (Japan, Indonesia, etc.) that have promotion/relegation playoffs.

As for the World Cup, it's FIFA's biggest money-maker, so hosting rights will continue to go to countries which can guarantee FIFA the biggest return. As USA '94 was one of the most profitable tournaments ever, there's a better than even chance the World Cup will come back to America at some point (read: 2022 -- having three consecutive World Cups away from Europe is a non-starter).

There's money to be made everywhere, yes, but places like the US, India and China have so much perceived and untapped potential as to be irresistable to FIFA and internationally known clubs which have maximized revenue at home (without resorting to, say, PSLs). The international soccer community doesn't "need" the US, true, but the people in charge of that community subscribe to the first law of quantitative economics -- If a lot is good, more is better. As long as they think they can get richer by tapping into the American market, they'll keep trying to force their way in.