Dude!
Frankie Hejduk is a surfer through and through. Surfing and soccer are his two passions outside his family life of course. Now, Hejduk's reputation as a soccer-playing surfer carries over into the surfing world. Hejduk's accomplishment of winning MLS Cup has landed a mention on the front page of this surfing site.
That's Hejduk, spreading the good word of soccer into the world of surfing.
Showing posts with label MLS Cup 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLS Cup 2008. Show all posts
Monday, November 24, 2008
El Guille
It's hard to put things in perspective sometimes right after championships. After teams win trophies, everything seems to have gone perfectly and judging them against past teams, players, coaches, whatever, is hard to do.
But there's one thing that is not up for debate. Guillermo Barros Schelotto is easily one of the best players in MLS and one of the most talented players ever to compete in this league. He won the regular season MVP award and the MLS Cup MVP award, just the third time that's happened and first since Carlos Ruiz did it in 2002.
Each of his assists got better in quality on Sunday. First, he did well to steal a ball on the left flank and slipped a pass perfectly to Alejandro Moreno, who took advantage of poor defending to score the first goal. Then, after helping his team make adjustments at halftime, he went near post on a corner kick and Chad Marshall buried the shot in the back of the net.
But he saved his best for last, when he somehow found Frankie Hejduk inside the box.
There were dozens of Boca Juniors shirts at HDC on Sunday, and also one other former Boca Junior legend. Former xeneize coach Carlos Bianchi was around and Guille told reporters afterward that he felt with his former boss in attendance, he could not allow his team to lose.
Guille is a superstar, a breath of fresh air. He's as classy a player as we've seen come through MLS and the league is better with him in it than not. Here's hoping we get to see more of his talents in 2009.
But there's one thing that is not up for debate. Guillermo Barros Schelotto is easily one of the best players in MLS and one of the most talented players ever to compete in this league. He won the regular season MVP award and the MLS Cup MVP award, just the third time that's happened and first since Carlos Ruiz did it in 2002.
Each of his assists got better in quality on Sunday. First, he did well to steal a ball on the left flank and slipped a pass perfectly to Alejandro Moreno, who took advantage of poor defending to score the first goal. Then, after helping his team make adjustments at halftime, he went near post on a corner kick and Chad Marshall buried the shot in the back of the net.
But he saved his best for last, when he somehow found Frankie Hejduk inside the box.
There were dozens of Boca Juniors shirts at HDC on Sunday, and also one other former Boca Junior legend. Former xeneize coach Carlos Bianchi was around and Guille told reporters afterward that he felt with his former boss in attendance, he could not allow his team to lose.
Guille is a superstar, a breath of fresh air. He's as classy a player as we've seen come through MLS and the league is better with him in it than not. Here's hoping we get to see more of his talents in 2009.
Bang for your bucks
Here's a different look at the starting lineups and goals from Sunday's MLS Cup match.
Columbus Crew: $70,000; $175,000, $148,000, $69,147.71, $145,000; $126,250, $375,000, $57,500, $165,000; $33,000, $131,000.
New York: $12,900; $60,000, $12,900, $70,986.50, $77,750; $33,000, $17,700, $33,000, $274,583.33; $68,906.25, $1,593,750.
Goals
1 Crew - $131,000 ($375,000), 31st
2 NY - $68,906.25 ($33,000), 51st
3 Crew - $ 148,000 ($375,000), 53rd
4 Crew - $175,000 ($375,000, $165,000), 82nd
Columbus Crew: $70,000; $175,000, $148,000, $69,147.71, $145,000; $126,250, $375,000, $57,500, $165,000; $33,000, $131,000.
New York: $12,900; $60,000, $12,900, $70,986.50, $77,750; $33,000, $17,700, $33,000, $274,583.33; $68,906.25, $1,593,750.
Goals
1 Crew - $131,000 ($375,000), 31st
2 NY - $68,906.25 ($33,000), 51st
3 Crew - $ 148,000 ($375,000), 53rd
4 Crew - $175,000 ($375,000, $165,000), 82nd
Numbers game
Sunday was the fourth MLS Cup I've covered. I was at the 2005 one in Dallas, the 2004 one here and MLS Cup 98 at the Rose Bowl. It's hard to believe that 10 years have passed since I first attended MLS Cup. I was just starting out that year as the LA Galaxy's 1998 team (one of the best teams in MLS history) was my first pro beat.
Anyway, there were 51,350 people in attendance at the Rose Bowl that day. It was an astonishing number then and it's even more astonishing now. I wonder if Sunday's game had been played at the Rose Bowl if there would have been anywhere near that amount of people show up.
Maybe it was the fresh new smell the league had back in 1998. Many people were excited about the league back then, about the prospects of the future, just excited to have a professional league in the United States. Maybe it was the Galaxy's success as they appeared all but certain to host MLS Cup that year before the Fire knocked them out. I remember how the PA announcer called out the Galaxy's name for some reason and how the stadium immediately grew quite loud. Deafening even.
Perhaps it was a combination of both the excitement over the third-year league and the Galaxy.
Whatever the case, the excitement from 1998 I don't think was matched on Sunday, 10 years later. Maybe it's complacency. Maybe we've come to expect more of the same from MLS. The league does not have dynamic players now as it did back then, although it's getting back to how it was.
Anyway, there were 51,350 people in attendance at the Rose Bowl that day. It was an astonishing number then and it's even more astonishing now. I wonder if Sunday's game had been played at the Rose Bowl if there would have been anywhere near that amount of people show up.
Maybe it was the fresh new smell the league had back in 1998. Many people were excited about the league back then, about the prospects of the future, just excited to have a professional league in the United States. Maybe it was the Galaxy's success as they appeared all but certain to host MLS Cup that year before the Fire knocked them out. I remember how the PA announcer called out the Galaxy's name for some reason and how the stadium immediately grew quite loud. Deafening even.
Perhaps it was a combination of both the excitement over the third-year league and the Galaxy.
Whatever the case, the excitement from 1998 I don't think was matched on Sunday, 10 years later. Maybe it's complacency. Maybe we've come to expect more of the same from MLS. The league does not have dynamic players now as it did back then, although it's getting back to how it was.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Deserving winners
It's not often we see dominance from start to finish in Major League Soccer. In the league's early days, we saw some Supporters' Shield winners walk away with the league title - four of the first seven MLS Cup champions won MLS Cup - but not since the 2002 LA Galaxy have we seen the best team in the regular season win the league title.
Columbus was the best team this season. Sure, at times New England held that moniker. Chicago was also dominant at times. Houston was no slouch either. But in terms of consistency, effectiveness on defense, mastery on offense, there was no better team.
The postseason awards spoke to that. Sigi Schmid won Coach of the Year, Guillermo Barros Schelotto won Most Valuable Player, Chad Marshall won Defender of the Year and three Crew players (Barros Schelotto, Marshall and Robbie Rogers) were on the MLS Best XI.
The Crew carried that success over to the postseason and dispatched Kansas City, Chicago and New York with precision and effectiveness.
Where does this team rank among the all-time greats? Well, it's too early to have that discussion. But if and when it's time, the Crew will have plenty of ammo on their side as they'll try and stake their claim as a superior side that will be remembered for some time to come.
Columbus was the best team this season. Sure, at times New England held that moniker. Chicago was also dominant at times. Houston was no slouch either. But in terms of consistency, effectiveness on defense, mastery on offense, there was no better team.
The postseason awards spoke to that. Sigi Schmid won Coach of the Year, Guillermo Barros Schelotto won Most Valuable Player, Chad Marshall won Defender of the Year and three Crew players (Barros Schelotto, Marshall and Robbie Rogers) were on the MLS Best XI.
The Crew carried that success over to the postseason and dispatched Kansas City, Chicago and New York with precision and effectiveness.
Where does this team rank among the all-time greats? Well, it's too early to have that discussion. But if and when it's time, the Crew will have plenty of ammo on their side as they'll try and stake their claim as a superior side that will be remembered for some time to come.
MLS Cup running blog
Welcome to Home Depot Center. It's time for MLS Cup. I tried to get on here earlier but it's been pretty much a madhouse here today, way more crazy than the usual regular-season zaniness that's found here.
Anyway, the stadium is very colorful today. We've got one corner full of yellow-and-black clad Columbus supporters and on the opposite side we have the MetroStars supporters. Yeah, I said MetroStars. Many of them have MetroStars jerseys although there are also quite a few Red Bulls shirts too.
All in all, there is a fairly large crowd both on the concourse and up here in the press box.
I'll be on here throughout the match. I just have the one story to write and since I have an early deadline I won't be hard-pressed to have a 500-word story set to go by the end of the match. Which means more time to blog about the onging action.
Here are the starting lineups:
Columbus: William Hesmer; Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Danny O'Rourke, Gino Padula; Eddie Gaven, Brian Carroll, Robbie Rogers, Guillermo Barros Schelotto; Brad Evans, Alejandro Moreno.
New York: Danny Cepero; Chris Leitch, Diego Jimenez, Carlos Mendes, Kevin Goldthwaite; Dane Richards, Luke Sassano, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Dave van den Bergh; John Wolyniec, Juan Pablo Angel.
1 - Okay, the game is finally underway. It's 12:50 and I figured it would have started at 1:00 so we're a little early I suppose. I got here at 10:20 and the morning flew by.
2 - Columbus trying to break through New York's defense early on, NY gets a counter but Angel is offside. Not sure if NY will play defensively and try and counter. We'll see if that's how the game shapes up.
4 - Chris Leitch gets a yellow for flattening Robbie Rogers near the left side. Barros Schelotto sends a cross in but Crew are offside. I believe it was Rogers who put the ball in the net but it didn't count.
5 - Van den Bergh wins a corner as Gino Padula knocks his cross out of bounds. Van Den Bergh's cross goes right to Hesmer.
10 - New York wins another corner This time it's Ubiparipovic with the cross and again Hesmer plucks it out of the air.
12 - John Wolyniec flattens Hejduk but does not get a card. I still can't believe that John Wolyniec is starting in the MLS Cup.
13 - New York nearly gets a clean look at goal. Van Den Bergh whips in a cross and Wolyniec nearly gets to the ball but it bounces away from him and Hesmer smothers it. Now, Wolyniec gets a shot off but skies it over the crossbar.
15 - Moreno goes down outside the box but doesn't get a call.
16 - Van Den Bergh is getting room on the left side and whips another cross into the box but neither Wolyniec nor Angel can get to it.
18 - Another corner kick for the Red Bulls. Van Den Bergh again takes it from the right corner and Goldthwaite flicks a header on goal but it goes just wide of the far post.
21 - New York knocking the ball around as Columbus can't get possession.
23 - Dane Richards gets loose inside the box but can't find anyone as his cross goes horribly wide. New York definitely has the better of possession and momentum in the early going.
24 - Padula goes down. Looks like he's in real pain, not feigning anything. Knee might be the issue.
27 - Eddie Gaven lines up a shot from 20 yards but it goes right to Cepero. The Crew get the ball back and Rogers tests out his fortune from the other side of the box but his shot goes right to the goalie again.
28 - And finally a Crew corner kick. The ball goes towards Marshall but doesnt get to him as Angel jumps and clears it. Then, Angel nearly has a breakaway but O'Rourke gets back and claers the ball out of danger.
29 - Richards gets past three defenders and swings a ball over to Angel who tries a left-footed volley but sends it well over the crossbar.
31 - GOAL!!! Cash in your ticket if you had Alejandro Moreno as scoring the first goal in the game. Guille sets him up as he takes a ball away from van den Bergh, lays it softly to Moreno who races down the right side of the field. Moreno turns "Tepa" Jimenez around and fires a slow-rolling ball on goal that gets past Cepero and trickles over the goal line.
34 - Moreno had 5/1 odds of scoring the first goal, not a bad payoff I suppose.
35 - Another Crew corner. Guille sends it in and nearly puts one past Cepero but the rookie punches it away.
40 - Angel can't get loose inside the box but wins another corner, I think their fifth of the game. Maybe 4. Hesmer punches it away though. No harm done.
41 - Van den Bergh lines one up from 25 yards but it goes over the crossbar.
43 - Hejduk goes down, his second flop of the match on the right side of the field.
44 - Guille steals one from Jimenez and draws a foul. It's a dangerous spot as he's well down the right side of the field. He knocks it in but right to Cepero.
45 - Two minutes of stoppage time.
HALFTIME, Columbus 1, New York 0.
So far, it's been pretty even and, in fact, the Red Bulls may have even had the better of play. Still, it's Columbus who has the lead. Not the prettiest goal but they don't care. They are 45 minutes away from their first MLS Cup title.
50 - Okay, second half is underway. Yay. Sorry, I was busy typing something. Not much has happened and there werent' any subs.
51 - GOAL!!! It's Wolyniec who gets the equalizer! Dane Richards went past Padula inside the box and slipped a ball to Wolyniec who somehow got a ball to it in the middle of traffic and poked it into the back of the net.
52 - I can't believe Wolyniec started an MLS Cup, and I really can't believe he scored a goal in an MLS Cup.
53 - GOAL!!!! Chad Marshall!!!! Score one for the hometown hero!! Off a corner kick, Marshall races in there and buries a shot in the back of the net. Golazo!
54 - Much of the Marshall clan is out here in support of their son brother, nephew, friend. I ran into an aunt and uncle of his before the game and had wanted to meet up with his parents but I never did. I can imagine how happy they are right now, along with the entire southwest corner of the stadium.
57 - New York on a counter. Dane Richards races down the right side but his ball into the box goes to Hesmer, who collects it as Wolyniec whizzes past.
59 - If you took Marshall to score the game winning goal, you're sitting on a 30-to-1 winner! Plus, he's at 25-to-1 to win MVP so that double stands to pay off quite a bit if the score holds and Marshall wins MVP. A bit of nothing of course as those were my odds, just for kicks.
65 - Not much has gone on the past few minutes. Though the Red Bulls just won a free kick from about 35 yards out. Juan Pablo Angel's on it.
66 - Angel sends his shot very high, almost to the stadium club.
68 - Moreno nearly gets past Jimenez again but can't. Now ball over to Hejduk and he crosses but Cepero gets to it. Richards breaks down on a counter and gets past Padula, who takes out Richards from behind and earns a yellow. Lucky he didn't get a red.
71 - Columbus is 19 minutes away from winning MLS Cup!
75 - Columbus is doing well to keep possession. They're not sitting back quite yet and have had the better of the possession for most of the second half.
77 - Guille!! He nearly scores a grand goal as he rattles a shot off the crossbar from 25 yards out.
82 - GOAL!!! Frankie Hejduk!! Guille sets him up with a wonderful chip over the defense and Frankie runs under it, heads it over Cepero's head and across the goal line. What a play.
90 - It's all but over. The Crew will win their first MLS Cup title and Barros Schelotto will surely win the MVP. Columbus absolutely deserved this championship. From start to finish, they were a strong team this season. Their win was a product of itely finishing, strong defending and set piece mastery. New York put up a good fight and can walk away with their heads held high. They just lost to a superb team.
FULL TIME: Columbus Crew 3, New York Red Bulls 1!!! Congratulations to the Crew!
Anyway, the stadium is very colorful today. We've got one corner full of yellow-and-black clad Columbus supporters and on the opposite side we have the MetroStars supporters. Yeah, I said MetroStars. Many of them have MetroStars jerseys although there are also quite a few Red Bulls shirts too.
All in all, there is a fairly large crowd both on the concourse and up here in the press box.
I'll be on here throughout the match. I just have the one story to write and since I have an early deadline I won't be hard-pressed to have a 500-word story set to go by the end of the match. Which means more time to blog about the onging action.
Here are the starting lineups:
Columbus: William Hesmer; Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Danny O'Rourke, Gino Padula; Eddie Gaven, Brian Carroll, Robbie Rogers, Guillermo Barros Schelotto; Brad Evans, Alejandro Moreno.
New York: Danny Cepero; Chris Leitch, Diego Jimenez, Carlos Mendes, Kevin Goldthwaite; Dane Richards, Luke Sassano, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Dave van den Bergh; John Wolyniec, Juan Pablo Angel.
1 - Okay, the game is finally underway. It's 12:50 and I figured it would have started at 1:00 so we're a little early I suppose. I got here at 10:20 and the morning flew by.
2 - Columbus trying to break through New York's defense early on, NY gets a counter but Angel is offside. Not sure if NY will play defensively and try and counter. We'll see if that's how the game shapes up.
4 - Chris Leitch gets a yellow for flattening Robbie Rogers near the left side. Barros Schelotto sends a cross in but Crew are offside. I believe it was Rogers who put the ball in the net but it didn't count.
5 - Van den Bergh wins a corner as Gino Padula knocks his cross out of bounds. Van Den Bergh's cross goes right to Hesmer.
10 - New York wins another corner This time it's Ubiparipovic with the cross and again Hesmer plucks it out of the air.
12 - John Wolyniec flattens Hejduk but does not get a card. I still can't believe that John Wolyniec is starting in the MLS Cup.
13 - New York nearly gets a clean look at goal. Van Den Bergh whips in a cross and Wolyniec nearly gets to the ball but it bounces away from him and Hesmer smothers it. Now, Wolyniec gets a shot off but skies it over the crossbar.
15 - Moreno goes down outside the box but doesn't get a call.
16 - Van Den Bergh is getting room on the left side and whips another cross into the box but neither Wolyniec nor Angel can get to it.
18 - Another corner kick for the Red Bulls. Van Den Bergh again takes it from the right corner and Goldthwaite flicks a header on goal but it goes just wide of the far post.
21 - New York knocking the ball around as Columbus can't get possession.
23 - Dane Richards gets loose inside the box but can't find anyone as his cross goes horribly wide. New York definitely has the better of possession and momentum in the early going.
24 - Padula goes down. Looks like he's in real pain, not feigning anything. Knee might be the issue.
27 - Eddie Gaven lines up a shot from 20 yards but it goes right to Cepero. The Crew get the ball back and Rogers tests out his fortune from the other side of the box but his shot goes right to the goalie again.
28 - And finally a Crew corner kick. The ball goes towards Marshall but doesnt get to him as Angel jumps and clears it. Then, Angel nearly has a breakaway but O'Rourke gets back and claers the ball out of danger.
29 - Richards gets past three defenders and swings a ball over to Angel who tries a left-footed volley but sends it well over the crossbar.
31 - GOAL!!! Cash in your ticket if you had Alejandro Moreno as scoring the first goal in the game. Guille sets him up as he takes a ball away from van den Bergh, lays it softly to Moreno who races down the right side of the field. Moreno turns "Tepa" Jimenez around and fires a slow-rolling ball on goal that gets past Cepero and trickles over the goal line.
34 - Moreno had 5/1 odds of scoring the first goal, not a bad payoff I suppose.
35 - Another Crew corner. Guille sends it in and nearly puts one past Cepero but the rookie punches it away.
40 - Angel can't get loose inside the box but wins another corner, I think their fifth of the game. Maybe 4. Hesmer punches it away though. No harm done.
41 - Van den Bergh lines one up from 25 yards but it goes over the crossbar.
43 - Hejduk goes down, his second flop of the match on the right side of the field.
44 - Guille steals one from Jimenez and draws a foul. It's a dangerous spot as he's well down the right side of the field. He knocks it in but right to Cepero.
45 - Two minutes of stoppage time.
HALFTIME, Columbus 1, New York 0.
So far, it's been pretty even and, in fact, the Red Bulls may have even had the better of play. Still, it's Columbus who has the lead. Not the prettiest goal but they don't care. They are 45 minutes away from their first MLS Cup title.
50 - Okay, second half is underway. Yay. Sorry, I was busy typing something. Not much has happened and there werent' any subs.
51 - GOAL!!! It's Wolyniec who gets the equalizer! Dane Richards went past Padula inside the box and slipped a ball to Wolyniec who somehow got a ball to it in the middle of traffic and poked it into the back of the net.
52 - I can't believe Wolyniec started an MLS Cup, and I really can't believe he scored a goal in an MLS Cup.
53 - GOAL!!!! Chad Marshall!!!! Score one for the hometown hero!! Off a corner kick, Marshall races in there and buries a shot in the back of the net. Golazo!
54 - Much of the Marshall clan is out here in support of their son brother, nephew, friend. I ran into an aunt and uncle of his before the game and had wanted to meet up with his parents but I never did. I can imagine how happy they are right now, along with the entire southwest corner of the stadium.
57 - New York on a counter. Dane Richards races down the right side but his ball into the box goes to Hesmer, who collects it as Wolyniec whizzes past.
59 - If you took Marshall to score the game winning goal, you're sitting on a 30-to-1 winner! Plus, he's at 25-to-1 to win MVP so that double stands to pay off quite a bit if the score holds and Marshall wins MVP. A bit of nothing of course as those were my odds, just for kicks.
65 - Not much has gone on the past few minutes. Though the Red Bulls just won a free kick from about 35 yards out. Juan Pablo Angel's on it.
66 - Angel sends his shot very high, almost to the stadium club.
68 - Moreno nearly gets past Jimenez again but can't. Now ball over to Hejduk and he crosses but Cepero gets to it. Richards breaks down on a counter and gets past Padula, who takes out Richards from behind and earns a yellow. Lucky he didn't get a red.
71 - Columbus is 19 minutes away from winning MLS Cup!
75 - Columbus is doing well to keep possession. They're not sitting back quite yet and have had the better of the possession for most of the second half.
77 - Guille!! He nearly scores a grand goal as he rattles a shot off the crossbar from 25 yards out.
82 - GOAL!!! Frankie Hejduk!! Guille sets him up with a wonderful chip over the defense and Frankie runs under it, heads it over Cepero's head and across the goal line. What a play.
90 - It's all but over. The Crew will win their first MLS Cup title and Barros Schelotto will surely win the MVP. Columbus absolutely deserved this championship. From start to finish, they were a strong team this season. Their win was a product of itely finishing, strong defending and set piece mastery. New York put up a good fight and can walk away with their heads held high. They just lost to a superb team.
FULL TIME: Columbus Crew 3, New York Red Bulls 1!!! Congratulations to the Crew!
Marshall goes for glory
It's not often we get a local presence in MLS Cup, and by local I mean Inland Southern California. Of course, there's Landon Donovan who is from Redlands and won three MLS Cup titles. Ante Razov (Fontana High grad) has played in a few. Orlando Perez (AB Miller) is another one, but I'm not sure of any others.
Chad Marshall will add his name to the list. A product of Rubidoux High, Marshall has been tremendous this season and deservedly won Defender of the Year. His presence on the backline, his ability in the air and his growing leadership skills are all areas in which he made great strides.
It's a wonder he's not part of the US national team picture. Now, had Columbus not reached the final I'm almost certain Bob Bradley would have called him up for the Guatemala match. But Marshall still has barely played for the US despite a solid 2004 rookie campaign and good seasons in '05 and '06. Concussions set him back a year ago but he's been a pillar of strength from the start of this season and hasn't gotten a whiff.
The United States' loss is Columbus' gain. Here's my profile of Chad Marshall for The Press-Enterprise.
Chad Marshall will add his name to the list. A product of Rubidoux High, Marshall has been tremendous this season and deservedly won Defender of the Year. His presence on the backline, his ability in the air and his growing leadership skills are all areas in which he made great strides.
It's a wonder he's not part of the US national team picture. Now, had Columbus not reached the final I'm almost certain Bob Bradley would have called him up for the Guatemala match. But Marshall still has barely played for the US despite a solid 2004 rookie campaign and good seasons in '05 and '06. Concussions set him back a year ago but he's been a pillar of strength from the start of this season and hasn't gotten a whiff.
The United States' loss is Columbus' gain. Here's my profile of Chad Marshall for The Press-Enterprise.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Hesmer speaks on Guille, Cup
I made it out to the very end of the Columbus Crew's training session on Thursday. I needed to talk to Chad Marshall and was able to chat with him (I'll post that audio later). Afterward I had the chance to jump in on an interview with William Hesmer. The other reporter started and asked him several questions and I got to ask Hesmer about the 2008 Defender of the Year.
The first part of the interview, though, Hesmer talks about Guilermo Barros Schelotto. Hesmer was glowing in his praise for the league's Most Valuable Player. Here's audio of the interview.
I've transcribed the first portion of it.
"For a guy who has accomplished as much as he had in his career, the status he has as an individual, you see a lot of guys who would come into this league who have maybe a little bit of an attitude or maybe a little bit of "Oh... I might take it a little bit easier today." But that's the exact opposite from Guillermo. He is hungry. He wants championship after championship. Every day at practice he's demanding. He wants to see the best of the team. He is demanding of others and himself. I think that's really taken us to the next level."
Then, the reporter asked him how important winning MVP was to Guille.
"I don't think being MVP means anything to him, honestly."
The first part of the interview, though, Hesmer talks about Guilermo Barros Schelotto. Hesmer was glowing in his praise for the league's Most Valuable Player. Here's audio of the interview.
I've transcribed the first portion of it.
"For a guy who has accomplished as much as he had in his career, the status he has as an individual, you see a lot of guys who would come into this league who have maybe a little bit of an attitude or maybe a little bit of "Oh... I might take it a little bit easier today." But that's the exact opposite from Guillermo. He is hungry. He wants championship after championship. Every day at practice he's demanding. He wants to see the best of the team. He is demanding of others and himself. I think that's really taken us to the next level."
Then, the reporter asked him how important winning MVP was to Guille.
"I don't think being MVP means anything to him, honestly."
MLS Cup - the odds
Although I don't make it out to Las Vegas nearly enough, nor do I have an account with an online gambling site, I like to follow the betting odds. I've always been intrigued by the line and even if I don't have anything riding on them I keep tabs on the favorites and underdogs in any given sport during the year, though most of my attention is with American football.
Soccer and in particular MLS, of course, doesn't get the publicity many of us want it to get here in the United States, and that is also true in the gambling world. I've been to Vegas sports books and have been able to bet on the weekend's English Premiership matches or lay money on World Cup futures but haven't seen MLS games there.
I scoured the web and was able to find a couple of places to bet on the game, with Tijuana-based Caliente. Columbus is a slight favorite and the over-under is at 2.5 (I'd have to take the over). Another sites that has the match is BetUS.com, which also has lines on the Mexican league playoffs as well as all the top European leagues. Then there is the site I contribute to, where all season long I've written match previews with predictions.
Now, typically American sports leagues' playoff games and especially the championship final(s) carry with them all sorts of different crazy bets: who is going to score the first goal/run/points? what will the combined number of hits/points/touchdowns/fumbles/etc. be in the first half? which player(s) will have more combined hits/runs/yardage/three-pointers/etc. in the game?
I couldn't find any such bets for the MLS Cup. So I figured I'd make some here, just for kicks. If you want, you can send me money for bets but the house wins all bets regardless so you probably won't get anything in return.
Who will score the game-winning goal in MLS Cup 2008?
Robbie Rogers, Crew - 5/1
Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Crew - 8/1
Alejandro Moreno, Crew - 12/1
Eddie Gaven - 15/1
Brad Evans, Crew - 18/1
Chad Marshall, Crew - 30/1
Steven Lenhart - 40/1
Pat Noonan - 50/1
Jason Garey - 60/1
Field - 100/1
Juan Pablo Angel, NY - 6/1
Dave van den Bergh, NY - 10/1
Dane Richards, NY - 15/1
John Wolyniec, NY - 25/1
Mike Magee, NY - 50/1
Macoumba Kandji, NY - 75/1
Field - 100/1
Who will score the first goal in MLS Cup 2008?
Robbie Rogers, Crew - 3/1
Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Crew - 5/1
Alejandro Moreno, Crew - 5/1
Eddie Gaven - 8/1
Chad Marshall, Crew - 20/1
Brad Evans, Crew - 40/1
Steven Lenhart, Crew - 60/1
Pat Noonan, Crew - 60/1
Jason Garey, Crew - 70/1
Field - 100/1
Juan Pablo Angel, NY - 2/1
Dave van den Bergh, NY - 5/1
Dane Richards, NY - 7/1
John Wolyniec, NY - 18/1
Kevin Goldthwaite, NY 40-1
Field - 100/1
Over-under goals for the first half
1.5
Over-under cards for game
4.5
Over-under set-piece goals
1.5
Who will be named MLS Cup Most Valuable Player?
Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Crew 5/1
William Hesmer, Crew 8/1
Robbie Rogers, Crew 10/1
Eddie Gaven, Crew 12/1
Alejandro Moreno, Crew 15/1
Frankie Hejduk, Crew 20/1
Chad Marshall, Crew 25/1
Field, Crew 75/1
Juan Pablo Angel, NY 6/1
Dane Richards, NY 10/1
Danny Cepero, NY 15/1
Dave van den Bergh, NY 18/1
Juan Piatravallo, NY 40/1
John Wolyniec, NY 40/1
Kevin Goldthwaite, NY 50/1
Mike Magee, NY 75/1
Field, NY 100/1
Will there be extra-time?
Yes + 140
No -130
Will there be penalties?
Yes + 160
No - 110
Soccer and in particular MLS, of course, doesn't get the publicity many of us want it to get here in the United States, and that is also true in the gambling world. I've been to Vegas sports books and have been able to bet on the weekend's English Premiership matches or lay money on World Cup futures but haven't seen MLS games there.
I scoured the web and was able to find a couple of places to bet on the game, with Tijuana-based Caliente. Columbus is a slight favorite and the over-under is at 2.5 (I'd have to take the over). Another sites that has the match is BetUS.com, which also has lines on the Mexican league playoffs as well as all the top European leagues. Then there is the site I contribute to, where all season long I've written match previews with predictions.
Now, typically American sports leagues' playoff games and especially the championship final(s) carry with them all sorts of different crazy bets: who is going to score the first goal/run/points? what will the combined number of hits/points/touchdowns/fumbles/etc. be in the first half? which player(s) will have more combined hits/runs/yardage/three-pointers/etc. in the game?
I couldn't find any such bets for the MLS Cup. So I figured I'd make some here, just for kicks. If you want, you can send me money for bets but the house wins all bets regardless so you probably won't get anything in return.
Who will score the game-winning goal in MLS Cup 2008?
Robbie Rogers, Crew - 5/1
Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Crew - 8/1
Alejandro Moreno, Crew - 12/1
Eddie Gaven - 15/1
Brad Evans, Crew - 18/1
Chad Marshall, Crew - 30/1
Steven Lenhart - 40/1
Pat Noonan - 50/1
Jason Garey - 60/1
Field - 100/1
Juan Pablo Angel, NY - 6/1
Dave van den Bergh, NY - 10/1
Dane Richards, NY - 15/1
John Wolyniec, NY - 25/1
Mike Magee, NY - 50/1
Macoumba Kandji, NY - 75/1
Field - 100/1
Who will score the first goal in MLS Cup 2008?
Robbie Rogers, Crew - 3/1
Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Crew - 5/1
Alejandro Moreno, Crew - 5/1
Eddie Gaven - 8/1
Chad Marshall, Crew - 20/1
Brad Evans, Crew - 40/1
Steven Lenhart, Crew - 60/1
Pat Noonan, Crew - 60/1
Jason Garey, Crew - 70/1
Field - 100/1
Juan Pablo Angel, NY - 2/1
Dave van den Bergh, NY - 5/1
Dane Richards, NY - 7/1
John Wolyniec, NY - 18/1
Kevin Goldthwaite, NY 40-1
Field - 100/1
Over-under goals for the first half
1.5
Over-under cards for game
4.5
Over-under set-piece goals
1.5
Who will be named MLS Cup Most Valuable Player?
Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Crew 5/1
William Hesmer, Crew 8/1
Robbie Rogers, Crew 10/1
Eddie Gaven, Crew 12/1
Alejandro Moreno, Crew 15/1
Frankie Hejduk, Crew 20/1
Chad Marshall, Crew 25/1
Field, Crew 75/1
Juan Pablo Angel, NY 6/1
Dane Richards, NY 10/1
Danny Cepero, NY 15/1
Dave van den Bergh, NY 18/1
Juan Piatravallo, NY 40/1
John Wolyniec, NY 40/1
Kevin Goldthwaite, NY 50/1
Mike Magee, NY 75/1
Field, NY 100/1
Will there be extra-time?
Yes + 140
No -130
Will there be penalties?
Yes + 160
No - 110
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
More Sigi
Sigi Schmid is a popular topic for Southern California scribes. Here's another story on Herr Schmid, this one from the San Diego Union-Tribune's Mark Zeigler.
Even though he's been gone for four years now, Schmid is still a favorite here in SoCal. I know whenever the Crew comes one of the things I look forward to is talking to Sigi Schmid. He's a very friendly fellow, not shy, loves to talk and quite helpful.
And although I can't speak for all the local hacks, those who thought Schmid deserved to be fired are well in the minority.
Even though he's been gone for four years now, Schmid is still a favorite here in SoCal. I know whenever the Crew comes one of the things I look forward to is talking to Sigi Schmid. He's a very friendly fellow, not shy, loves to talk and quite helpful.
And although I can't speak for all the local hacks, those who thought Schmid deserved to be fired are well in the minority.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sigi's Tale
Nick Green of the Daily Breeze wrote a bit of a fairy tale story on Columbus coach Sigi Schmid.
No really, it is a fairy tale.
No really, it is a fairy tale.
Back to where it all began
The Sigi Schmid era in LA may as well be ancient history. There is hardly anyone on the team around that was here when Schmid was coach. Peter Vagenas is one. Cobi Jones as well, though he's in a different role.
But Schmid's legacy only grows stronger with time as coach upon coach has come and gone with the Galaxy.
Since the two parted ways, Schmid has bounced back in a big way as he's taking his team to MLS Cup at Home Depot Center on Sunday. The Galaxy, meanwhile, won an MLS Cup title after Schmid departed but went into a downward spiral shortly thereafter.
I explored a little the resliency of Sigi Schmid in my Tuesday PE column.
During Tuesday's conference call, I asked him about his firing and whether he felt vindication now, four years after the fact. Here's the full exchange from the quote sheet the league sent out on Monday.
Q. Sigi, I was covering the Galaxy back in '04 when you were fired, and I think it was a horrible decision then and I think it's a horrible decision now that you were ever fired from the Galaxy. Couple of questions. First, do you feel any sort of vindication now that you're coming back here to the Home Depot Center back to the MLS Cup final, and also do you think that your firing was the first in the demise of the Galaxy as it were, even though they went on to win the MLS Cup in 2005?
Schmid: I mean, you know the results. The Galaxy have had over the years. Also makes me sad because I grew up in Southern California when the Galaxy was the first professional team that I coached. And I thought I would have a tenure at Galaxy like Ferguson has had and Wenger has had at Arsenal. You would hope it would go along that way. But along the way that didn't happen. You can't look back. One of the big mottos of our team is the next play and don't worry about just what happened, let's worry about what's going to happen.
And so that's where I've been focused on is to do that and go forward. The only thing from the Galaxy, the only thing that bothers me, to be very honest with you, being fired and all that, okay, it happens and as a coach you know you're going to get fired, I guess. But the only thing that bothers me was the insinuation at the time that we didn't play attractive enough soccer, that we weren't offensive enough. And that moniker was sort of hung on me and that bothers me because at the time we were the highest scoring team in the league.
And that was disappointing to me, because I felt my teams have always been reflective of, yes, we play good defense but we play good defense. And Frankie knows this, we play good defense so we can play good offense. You've got to have the ball in order to attack. If you don't play good defense you're not going to get the ball.
So we want the ball so we can attack. When you look at my teams they're maybe not the highest scoring team in the league but they're always in the top three or so in the league of scoring goals and that's what I've always wanted when I've had good teams.
That's the only thing that bothers me from those days and the rest of it is the Galaxy is on their path. That's Bruce Arena's baby now he's working at that and my baby is Columbus Crew and we're playing on Sunday and we're very excited about that.
But Schmid's legacy only grows stronger with time as coach upon coach has come and gone with the Galaxy.
Since the two parted ways, Schmid has bounced back in a big way as he's taking his team to MLS Cup at Home Depot Center on Sunday. The Galaxy, meanwhile, won an MLS Cup title after Schmid departed but went into a downward spiral shortly thereafter.
I explored a little the resliency of Sigi Schmid in my Tuesday PE column.
During Tuesday's conference call, I asked him about his firing and whether he felt vindication now, four years after the fact. Here's the full exchange from the quote sheet the league sent out on Monday.
Q. Sigi, I was covering the Galaxy back in '04 when you were fired, and I think it was a horrible decision then and I think it's a horrible decision now that you were ever fired from the Galaxy. Couple of questions. First, do you feel any sort of vindication now that you're coming back here to the Home Depot Center back to the MLS Cup final, and also do you think that your firing was the first in the demise of the Galaxy as it were, even though they went on to win the MLS Cup in 2005?
Schmid: I mean, you know the results. The Galaxy have had over the years. Also makes me sad because I grew up in Southern California when the Galaxy was the first professional team that I coached. And I thought I would have a tenure at Galaxy like Ferguson has had and Wenger has had at Arsenal. You would hope it would go along that way. But along the way that didn't happen. You can't look back. One of the big mottos of our team is the next play and don't worry about just what happened, let's worry about what's going to happen.
And so that's where I've been focused on is to do that and go forward. The only thing from the Galaxy, the only thing that bothers me, to be very honest with you, being fired and all that, okay, it happens and as a coach you know you're going to get fired, I guess. But the only thing that bothers me was the insinuation at the time that we didn't play attractive enough soccer, that we weren't offensive enough. And that moniker was sort of hung on me and that bothers me because at the time we were the highest scoring team in the league.
And that was disappointing to me, because I felt my teams have always been reflective of, yes, we play good defense but we play good defense. And Frankie knows this, we play good defense so we can play good offense. You've got to have the ball in order to attack. If you don't play good defense you're not going to get the ball.
So we want the ball so we can attack. When you look at my teams they're maybe not the highest scoring team in the league but they're always in the top three or so in the league of scoring goals and that's what I've always wanted when I've had good teams.
That's the only thing that bothers me from those days and the rest of it is the Galaxy is on their path. That's Bruce Arena's baby now he's working at that and my baby is Columbus Crew and we're playing on Sunday and we're very excited about that.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Eastern finalists Columbus' conference call
Trying to make lunch and eat it while trying to prepare for the Eastern Conference champions' conference call has been a bit tricky but I'm here, right in time for Sigi Schmid and Frankie Hejduk. The sandwich was good, the yogurt not so good.
The Crew will arrive on Wednesday and will train out here on Thursday.
Herr Schmid will kick things off.
"We were very pleased to win the game and be the Eastern Conference champions. Chicago was for sure a quality opponent and played a very tough game. I think our team showed its resilient nature in being able to make up a deficit again and that's been something that has been very important this year for sure. For me personally there is a special feeling with the game being played at the Home Depot (Center); I can't deny that. Being able to come back to Los Angeles is always special. In that regard it just means that I have to come up with a lot of tickets for a lot of people. That part of it is not the easiest but it's also fun to be able to do that. Our team has played very well all season. We've been very consistent which is the thing that I'm most happy with. We've got a great mix of young players that have done very well like (Robbie) Rogers, (Eddie) Gaven, Brad Evans, Danny O'Rourke and (Chad) Marshall and then the veteran players obviously represented by Frankie (Hejduk) and (Guillermo Barros) Schelotto, (Gino) Padula, (Alejandro) Moreno, (Brian) Carroll and those guys. It's been a tremendous mix and that's been our success."
Now Frankie Hejduk on the match.
"For me it's been a long time coming. I think being here in Columbus for six years has been a lot of ups, a lot of downs, a lot of hard work. But with Sigi coming in and taking the reigns and pointing this organization in the right direction, a lot has changed. It's going to be a very exciting game with the roots that I have in California, with all my family and friends there. Like Sigi said, we're going to need a lot of tickets. This year I did it a little differently. I just did it for my family. Normally my friends, it depends on how the waves are that day if they are going to come to the game or not. I did it a little different this year but I am going to have a strong contingent out there. Overall, just excited to be here. As you get older you get less and less of a chance to win championships and this team has something special this year. Each year a team sits down and has goals for themselves and obviously every year the MLS Cup is one of them. I have the chance to play in it and that doesn't happen every often."
First question for Frankie, what does it mean to play in MLS Cup.
"Getting to an MLS Cup doesn't happen very often. Every year you set a goal for your team and yourself, to try and win the cup and to get that opportunity, winning the Eastern Conference finals, is one of the most emotional times I've had on a soccer field. I'm being totally honest, even with all the national team games and everything I've played in, that rates up there as one of those great moments with me. To get a chance to win a cup, I can't even explain in words how that would make me feel. It still needs to be done. To be there and to get a chance to have that opportunity, I've just been very blessed... The reason that I've had the year I've had and that our team had is that it's been a team atmosphere all year. There have been no superstars or egos on the team. We've all had a great understanding for each other. We've all had that attitude of 'there is no I in team' for each of us. You don't really have it that often... We just had an all around attitude where at different points of this season or at different times at this season, someone has stepped up and has been a leader. It's been the whole team at one point or another. Not only was it that way on the field but we are very team oriented off the field, having barbecues and enjoying each other's companies off the field also, with the wives and the families and friends that we've had. We really have a close bond with the team and I think that carries over into the players, into the wives, into everyone and I think that's a reason we've had success."
Sigi on Hejduk:
"Frankie as well are is always evolving. With more and more years, he's played on the field, the experiences he's had continues to grow. He's been able to pass on that knowledge to the players... The amount of talking that he's done and organizing in terms of Eddie and that side of the field is maybe something I didn't notice enough in the past or appreciate much in the past."
Frankie on how the team has changed since Sigi has taken over:
"Being the team, being organized as a team, not only defenisvely but offensively also. The best offense is a good defense. We've really been a lot more solid defensively this year than in the past and in turn it's helped out or offense. We're second in the league in scoring and (second) in the league in defense... That's been something we've taken pride in and not a lot of teams can do that. Normally if you are scoring a lot of goals you are taking a lot of goals also or vice versa - if you aren't taking a lot of goals, you aren't scoring a lot of goals. This team has been incredibly balanced team both offensively and defensively and Sigi has really instilled that especially this year... He had a plan and a vision in his head when he took over the team three years ago, and that was to have the team where it is right now. First year was obviously a big rebuilding year. The second year it got much better and the third year, here we are in MLS championship. I think he truly believed that we could be here inside that plan. He made us believers and when you have a coaching staff that believes in their players and you have players that believe in the coaching staff you are going to have some good chemistry there and hopefully we can take that into the final."
Sigi Schmid on the process of building this team.
"The fist year ended up being a lost year with all the injuries... there were so many tings that went awry. We weren't left with a decent foundation. Year Two is where we really build the base of our foundation. We might have done last year what New York did this year and we might have surprised some people along the way. This year it has been able to come together. We were able to go into the offseason looking for pieces of the puzzle... finding a left back in Gino Padula and a holding midfielder in Brian Carroll... The guys have responded when I've challenged them. We have a very good locker room and a very good atmosphere when we've been around the team."
Now some questions about the Crew, how they are a model franchise and what drew Sigi to take the job. First Sigi:
"i was sort of unemployed. That probably helped. I was coaching the under-20s at the time.. to be very honest, i'm a bit of a workaholic and i missed the day to day. Coaching matioanl teams is fun and i enjoy the experience... at the udner-20 job, it's a little bit of a kick back job if you make it a kick-back job... The day-to-day was always fun and that's what I wanted to be back and the Crew had an opportunity at the time."
Frankie on the Crew:
"Them being the first soccer-specific stadium in America was huge. I've seen it just grow and grow and grow into an incredible organization... it could be a powerhouse and winning MLS Cup you could be close to powerhouse status."
Sigi on the Crew being the offensive team versus New York being the defensive team.
"I don't know if you can say that. i know Juan Carlos takes a lot more notes during the game as I do. They have in my opinion one of the premier strikers in this league, if not the best striker in this league in Juan Pablo Angel... They are a team that for sure maybe has defended more than we have in the last couple of games but they are a team that breaks forward well at times. The team that usually puts together more passes in the opponents' end of the field usually loses the game... They are very organized defensively. We are organized defensively... They have some very good offensive weapons and are not a defensive minded team."
Okay, that's all I've got time for right now. I may go back and add some more since so much has been said.
The Crew will arrive on Wednesday and will train out here on Thursday.
Herr Schmid will kick things off.
"We were very pleased to win the game and be the Eastern Conference champions. Chicago was for sure a quality opponent and played a very tough game. I think our team showed its resilient nature in being able to make up a deficit again and that's been something that has been very important this year for sure. For me personally there is a special feeling with the game being played at the Home Depot (Center); I can't deny that. Being able to come back to Los Angeles is always special. In that regard it just means that I have to come up with a lot of tickets for a lot of people. That part of it is not the easiest but it's also fun to be able to do that. Our team has played very well all season. We've been very consistent which is the thing that I'm most happy with. We've got a great mix of young players that have done very well like (Robbie) Rogers, (Eddie) Gaven, Brad Evans, Danny O'Rourke and (Chad) Marshall and then the veteran players obviously represented by Frankie (Hejduk) and (Guillermo Barros) Schelotto, (Gino) Padula, (Alejandro) Moreno, (Brian) Carroll and those guys. It's been a tremendous mix and that's been our success."
Now Frankie Hejduk on the match.
"For me it's been a long time coming. I think being here in Columbus for six years has been a lot of ups, a lot of downs, a lot of hard work. But with Sigi coming in and taking the reigns and pointing this organization in the right direction, a lot has changed. It's going to be a very exciting game with the roots that I have in California, with all my family and friends there. Like Sigi said, we're going to need a lot of tickets. This year I did it a little differently. I just did it for my family. Normally my friends, it depends on how the waves are that day if they are going to come to the game or not. I did it a little different this year but I am going to have a strong contingent out there. Overall, just excited to be here. As you get older you get less and less of a chance to win championships and this team has something special this year. Each year a team sits down and has goals for themselves and obviously every year the MLS Cup is one of them. I have the chance to play in it and that doesn't happen every often."
First question for Frankie, what does it mean to play in MLS Cup.
"Getting to an MLS Cup doesn't happen very often. Every year you set a goal for your team and yourself, to try and win the cup and to get that opportunity, winning the Eastern Conference finals, is one of the most emotional times I've had on a soccer field. I'm being totally honest, even with all the national team games and everything I've played in, that rates up there as one of those great moments with me. To get a chance to win a cup, I can't even explain in words how that would make me feel. It still needs to be done. To be there and to get a chance to have that opportunity, I've just been very blessed... The reason that I've had the year I've had and that our team had is that it's been a team atmosphere all year. There have been no superstars or egos on the team. We've all had a great understanding for each other. We've all had that attitude of 'there is no I in team' for each of us. You don't really have it that often... We just had an all around attitude where at different points of this season or at different times at this season, someone has stepped up and has been a leader. It's been the whole team at one point or another. Not only was it that way on the field but we are very team oriented off the field, having barbecues and enjoying each other's companies off the field also, with the wives and the families and friends that we've had. We really have a close bond with the team and I think that carries over into the players, into the wives, into everyone and I think that's a reason we've had success."
Sigi on Hejduk:
"Frankie as well are is always evolving. With more and more years, he's played on the field, the experiences he's had continues to grow. He's been able to pass on that knowledge to the players... The amount of talking that he's done and organizing in terms of Eddie and that side of the field is maybe something I didn't notice enough in the past or appreciate much in the past."
Frankie on how the team has changed since Sigi has taken over:
"Being the team, being organized as a team, not only defenisvely but offensively also. The best offense is a good defense. We've really been a lot more solid defensively this year than in the past and in turn it's helped out or offense. We're second in the league in scoring and (second) in the league in defense... That's been something we've taken pride in and not a lot of teams can do that. Normally if you are scoring a lot of goals you are taking a lot of goals also or vice versa - if you aren't taking a lot of goals, you aren't scoring a lot of goals. This team has been incredibly balanced team both offensively and defensively and Sigi has really instilled that especially this year... He had a plan and a vision in his head when he took over the team three years ago, and that was to have the team where it is right now. First year was obviously a big rebuilding year. The second year it got much better and the third year, here we are in MLS championship. I think he truly believed that we could be here inside that plan. He made us believers and when you have a coaching staff that believes in their players and you have players that believe in the coaching staff you are going to have some good chemistry there and hopefully we can take that into the final."
Sigi Schmid on the process of building this team.
"The fist year ended up being a lost year with all the injuries... there were so many tings that went awry. We weren't left with a decent foundation. Year Two is where we really build the base of our foundation. We might have done last year what New York did this year and we might have surprised some people along the way. This year it has been able to come together. We were able to go into the offseason looking for pieces of the puzzle... finding a left back in Gino Padula and a holding midfielder in Brian Carroll... The guys have responded when I've challenged them. We have a very good locker room and a very good atmosphere when we've been around the team."
Now some questions about the Crew, how they are a model franchise and what drew Sigi to take the job. First Sigi:
"i was sort of unemployed. That probably helped. I was coaching the under-20s at the time.. to be very honest, i'm a bit of a workaholic and i missed the day to day. Coaching matioanl teams is fun and i enjoy the experience... at the udner-20 job, it's a little bit of a kick back job if you make it a kick-back job... The day-to-day was always fun and that's what I wanted to be back and the Crew had an opportunity at the time."
Frankie on the Crew:
"Them being the first soccer-specific stadium in America was huge. I've seen it just grow and grow and grow into an incredible organization... it could be a powerhouse and winning MLS Cup you could be close to powerhouse status."
Sigi on the Crew being the offensive team versus New York being the defensive team.
"I don't know if you can say that. i know Juan Carlos takes a lot more notes during the game as I do. They have in my opinion one of the premier strikers in this league, if not the best striker in this league in Juan Pablo Angel... They are a team that for sure maybe has defended more than we have in the last couple of games but they are a team that breaks forward well at times. The team that usually puts together more passes in the opponents' end of the field usually loses the game... They are very organized defensively. We are organized defensively... They have some very good offensive weapons and are not a defensive minded team."
Okay, that's all I've got time for right now. I may go back and add some more since so much has been said.
Western finalists' conference call
I'm sitting here on hold for the Western Conference champion New York Red Bulls. Yes, New York are the Western Conference champions. They did come out of the west after all, ran right through the regular season Western champs, then dispatched of the up-and-coming, 2009's chic pick to win it all Real Salt Lake, all the while giving up one goal over three games.
Maybe the East was superior after all...
Anyway, it's music hold right now. Classical music... Chopin maybe? Uh, yeah, what the hell do I know about Chopin? I'll be updating this thing as it goes on.
Alright the call starts. First up is Danny Cepero. Some background, 4th rounder from Penn, only goalkeeper to ever score a goal in MLS, native of Long Island. I've got a question for him and for Juan Carlos Osorio.
Crew will wear the gold strip, gold jerseys, gold shorts and socks while the Red Bulls will wear whit shirts, red shorts and white socks. Baldomero Toledo will be the ref.
Here's Danny:
"Overall it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride for me personally, just starting out playing the Crew here in Giants Stadium, my first game... Going into the playoffs, it's been exciting. there has been a general buzz around the club after we made the playoffs. The guys in the locker room are excited to have a clean slate... The results have spoken for themselves and i think we carried that into Salt Lake and a very hostile environment... We did the job with what we had to do. it may not have been the prettiest game but we did what we had to do."
First question - You spent most of the season playing for Harrsiburg, did you ever think you'd be in this position.
"No. you're playing in USL-2. It was a tremendous experience for me... in terms of thinking I'd be thrust into playoffs and playing in an MLS Cup final, no.... It's just been great to be out here and contributing to this team effort."
My question: I ask Danny about how the team reacted to him after the whole Jon Conway scandal.
"Unfortunate to lose two of our key contributors... we fully support them and are behind them, that put me at ease and put me at ease... Juan Carlos and the players were pretty adamant about letting me know that they had the utmost confidence in me as a goalkeeper and that i as here for a reason... they were very accommodating and very welcoming."
"Juan Carlos is a great coach, one of the best I've had. He has a lot of passion for soccer and that translates over to the team and to me personally. That passion to better yourself as a soccer player is something that speaks to me because I'm young and I have a lot to learn about soccer. to have a coach that is always thinking about soccer is very important... In terms of his skills and what he brings as a coach, he's very adamant and focused on keeping us mentally prepared."
Now a question about his Cuban heritage from a Miami reporter as well as his academics:
"My dad was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. He came over here when he was 14 or 15, late 60s, straight to New York. He had an uncle living in New York... I do have family in the (Miami) area... I definitely do (follow the Cuban politics)... We've been hoping to plan a trip over there. It's difficult to get over there... He still has family in Cuba, he still has cousins over there. We're still very much involved in Cuba with the politics there... I'm a history major, I guess I still am a history major... when I was on loan I took a class and drove once a week to the University of Pennsylvania... I've been doing all that... The class is called The End of European Empires."
Next question about being a local player, a New York born player leading his New York team to the MLS Cup final.
"it's incredible to be able to be in your home area where you were born and raised and be part of a great organization... It's been fun having my family going to Giants Stadium supporting me... it's been great having my parents and my sister come out and support me... I've been rooting for the MetroStars since I was younger and... it's pretty tremendous."
Now, Juan Carlos Osorio is on the call and a question for him about Dave van den Bergh.
"I can only reiterate that we appreciate Dave's contribution to what we have done so far. The most important thing as I said to my players this morning is that we managed to keep everyone active and everyone very much within the team. We all train every day with the view to be a part of the team... they all have been very much part of this club since Day one. That's part of the responsibility of this coaching staff is to have the players ready to go when we need them."
One more question for Danny about the 5-2 loss to Chicago.
"The coaching staff was very adamant about trying to restore my confidence. it wasn't like I was heartbroken at the end of the game... They were very great about trying to use the experience as a character-building experience... I think they just helped my mentality in a sense that tomorrow si a nother day. We were fortunate to acquire enough points and we played well enough to make the playoffs."
The question about the defense
"The back four have been tremendous all year i think, but particularly in our run in the playoffs. They have been the main component for our clean sheets... in reality we defend with 11 guys... It's a tribute to the whole team's mentality that we're not going to give up a goal. If you don't give up a goal, you are not going to lose."
A question about Diego Jimenez:
"It's just the approach is just a simple one. Sometimes less is more, you need to get the ball out of pressure and keep the ball out of dangerous spots.... It's just playing smart and just playing with the lead you don't ahve to be a hero, you don't have to be the most valuable player. just do your job and get the ball out of dangerous spots and keep the ball out of the back of the net."
More on Diego from Osorio:
"We work very hard on how to defend individually and collectively. Some people out there have said I'm a very defensive minded coach. i take that as a complement. If we keep a zero, if we keep a clean sheet we'll always have chances... In top level football, you only have to win 1-0. back in 2003, Chelsea won the Premiership with 18 1-0s."
Okay, there are more questions but I've got some things to get to before I jump on the Columbus Crew's call slated for the top of the hour.
Maybe the East was superior after all...
Anyway, it's music hold right now. Classical music... Chopin maybe? Uh, yeah, what the hell do I know about Chopin? I'll be updating this thing as it goes on.
Alright the call starts. First up is Danny Cepero. Some background, 4th rounder from Penn, only goalkeeper to ever score a goal in MLS, native of Long Island. I've got a question for him and for Juan Carlos Osorio.
Crew will wear the gold strip, gold jerseys, gold shorts and socks while the Red Bulls will wear whit shirts, red shorts and white socks. Baldomero Toledo will be the ref.
Here's Danny:
"Overall it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride for me personally, just starting out playing the Crew here in Giants Stadium, my first game... Going into the playoffs, it's been exciting. there has been a general buzz around the club after we made the playoffs. The guys in the locker room are excited to have a clean slate... The results have spoken for themselves and i think we carried that into Salt Lake and a very hostile environment... We did the job with what we had to do. it may not have been the prettiest game but we did what we had to do."
First question - You spent most of the season playing for Harrsiburg, did you ever think you'd be in this position.
"No. you're playing in USL-2. It was a tremendous experience for me... in terms of thinking I'd be thrust into playoffs and playing in an MLS Cup final, no.... It's just been great to be out here and contributing to this team effort."
My question: I ask Danny about how the team reacted to him after the whole Jon Conway scandal.
"Unfortunate to lose two of our key contributors... we fully support them and are behind them, that put me at ease and put me at ease... Juan Carlos and the players were pretty adamant about letting me know that they had the utmost confidence in me as a goalkeeper and that i as here for a reason... they were very accommodating and very welcoming."
"Juan Carlos is a great coach, one of the best I've had. He has a lot of passion for soccer and that translates over to the team and to me personally. That passion to better yourself as a soccer player is something that speaks to me because I'm young and I have a lot to learn about soccer. to have a coach that is always thinking about soccer is very important... In terms of his skills and what he brings as a coach, he's very adamant and focused on keeping us mentally prepared."
Now a question about his Cuban heritage from a Miami reporter as well as his academics:
"My dad was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. He came over here when he was 14 or 15, late 60s, straight to New York. He had an uncle living in New York... I do have family in the (Miami) area... I definitely do (follow the Cuban politics)... We've been hoping to plan a trip over there. It's difficult to get over there... He still has family in Cuba, he still has cousins over there. We're still very much involved in Cuba with the politics there... I'm a history major, I guess I still am a history major... when I was on loan I took a class and drove once a week to the University of Pennsylvania... I've been doing all that... The class is called The End of European Empires."
Next question about being a local player, a New York born player leading his New York team to the MLS Cup final.
"it's incredible to be able to be in your home area where you were born and raised and be part of a great organization... It's been fun having my family going to Giants Stadium supporting me... it's been great having my parents and my sister come out and support me... I've been rooting for the MetroStars since I was younger and... it's pretty tremendous."
Now, Juan Carlos Osorio is on the call and a question for him about Dave van den Bergh.
"I can only reiterate that we appreciate Dave's contribution to what we have done so far. The most important thing as I said to my players this morning is that we managed to keep everyone active and everyone very much within the team. We all train every day with the view to be a part of the team... they all have been very much part of this club since Day one. That's part of the responsibility of this coaching staff is to have the players ready to go when we need them."
One more question for Danny about the 5-2 loss to Chicago.
"The coaching staff was very adamant about trying to restore my confidence. it wasn't like I was heartbroken at the end of the game... They were very great about trying to use the experience as a character-building experience... I think they just helped my mentality in a sense that tomorrow si a nother day. We were fortunate to acquire enough points and we played well enough to make the playoffs."
The question about the defense
"The back four have been tremendous all year i think, but particularly in our run in the playoffs. They have been the main component for our clean sheets... in reality we defend with 11 guys... It's a tribute to the whole team's mentality that we're not going to give up a goal. If you don't give up a goal, you are not going to lose."
A question about Diego Jimenez:
"It's just the approach is just a simple one. Sometimes less is more, you need to get the ball out of pressure and keep the ball out of dangerous spots.... It's just playing smart and just playing with the lead you don't ahve to be a hero, you don't have to be the most valuable player. just do your job and get the ball out of dangerous spots and keep the ball out of the back of the net."
More on Diego from Osorio:
"We work very hard on how to defend individually and collectively. Some people out there have said I'm a very defensive minded coach. i take that as a complement. If we keep a zero, if we keep a clean sheet we'll always have chances... In top level football, you only have to win 1-0. back in 2003, Chelsea won the Premiership with 18 1-0s."
Okay, there are more questions but I've got some things to get to before I jump on the Columbus Crew's call slated for the top of the hour.
MLS Cup: first look
I can say that I haven't been as excited for an MLS Cup final since 2005, when the Galaxy made it to the final to face New England in Frisco, Texas. I was lucky enough to go to that one and was covering the Galaxy more closely than I have been this season, which made it all the more exciting.
In 06 and 07, Chivas USA failed to make a run, the Galaxy failed to make the playoffs and the games were played well out of my driving range.
But now, the Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls will do battle for the 13th edition of MLS Cup and it promises to be a good game and a good week of buildup. Make sure you check here for coverage of the game. I'll be out at the HDC at the end of the week for the festivities and such and will provide the usual coverage, and before then I'll try and flush out all the aspects of this game between two Eastern Conference teams, beginning with a pair of conference calls this morning.
In 06 and 07, Chivas USA failed to make a run, the Galaxy failed to make the playoffs and the games were played well out of my driving range.
But now, the Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls will do battle for the 13th edition of MLS Cup and it promises to be a good game and a good week of buildup. Make sure you check here for coverage of the game. I'll be out at the HDC at the end of the week for the festivities and such and will provide the usual coverage, and before then I'll try and flush out all the aspects of this game between two Eastern Conference teams, beginning with a pair of conference calls this morning.
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