Tag Archives: red bull new york

in review: MLS jersey week

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Ahhhhh. Take a second and breathe in that cool refreshing spring air. Mmmm… it smells like First Kick, doesn’t it?

MLS Jersey Week 2013

hopefully this is the start of a new yearly tradition in major league soccer.

Well if it doesn’t, it certainly should. In fact, I’d be a little surprised if you weren’t subliminally thinking about MLS right now, as the league’s marketing has been awfully hard to ignore this winter/spring. With an advertising campaign that’s been plastered all over the place — TV, print and all the various electronic outlets — the league is doing its best to not let you forget that the 2013 season is about to kick off.

My favorite promotional gimmick though has to be Jersey Week. Though the name sounds worryingly like ill-advised partnership with some Guidos from the shore, it’s actually a week-long unveiling of all the 12 new kits that will be adorned by MLS clubs this season. Though as regular readers know, I’m a sucker for gear, so it probably shouldn’t be that surprising that this would pique my interests.

Adidas and the clubs worked closely on what they wanted out of their kits this year, meaning that many fan’s calls for something different to spice up the MLS jersey scene might just be met. Said Maribeth Towers, MLS senior VP of consumer products in a league statement, “Jersey Week will celebrate the soccer jersey. Every stitch, every minor detail, every shade is designed in collaboration between the club and our partner at adidas.”

But as you might expect, some were smart-looking, “take my money already” designs, while others were… umm, questionable. Let’s take a look at each, and let me pass judgement over them like I could do better.

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let’s not overextend ourselves

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In fifty years time, when looking back at this period of American professional soccer history, we’ll remember one of two ways. The first, more optimistic way we’ll view it will be as an era that set the shape and scenery of a successful professional soccer pyramid in this country. The other, more foreboding way we’ll view it is as a period of over-expansion and errors in judgement that destabilized the pyramid. I apologize if that seems a little grim — and it might easily be a bit of an exaggerated reaction — but that’s the type of precipice that professional soccer sits on in this country.

Proposed New York Cosmos Stadium

the much debated NYC2 project just got a kick in the pants from a competing plan from the new york cosmos.

Seriously though, stop for a second and take a look around: expansion is rampant.

MLS has added five new clubs in the last five years, and plans to add another by 2016. The revived NASL, entering only its third year season, has seen four of its nine sides founded in the last two years and expects to add three new teams next season. Even the third tier USL Pro has welcomed six new clubs in the last three seasons, and will also add another in one next year. In all, that’s a mind-boggling 20 new professional soccer teams in our country in a seven-year span.

Don’t get me wrong, I love it as much as the next fan. It’s exciting to witness this burst in interest and attention the sport first hand. Three growing, vibrant leagues. Nearly two dozen soccer specific stadiums scattered across the country. Several television networks exclusively dedicated to airing matches. Bars that open in the wee hours of the morning so fans can gather to watch and cheer in unison. Massive interest in the men’s in women’s national teams. All of this, achieved just in the last few years.

But I worry, perhaps irrationally, that it’s too much too soon. Despite the exceptional growth in demand for professional soccer, can our country sustain a near exponential growth in supply? I think it can, and clearly many investors do too. But there’s enough evidence there to make me at least a little concerned.

Take, for instance, the NASL’s New York Cosmos recently announced plans for a $400 million stadium on Long Island. The exciting project presented by CEO Seamus O’Brien showed off a gorgeous 25,000-seater accompanied by a retail and hotel development. All of which sounds great, until you remember that the announcement comes on the heels of MLS’ own $300 million stadium announcement just up the road in Flushing, Queens.

New York Soccer Specific Stadium Map

can new york city, despite it’s size, really support three teams with their own stadiums?

MLS has long been hellbent on adding their 20th franchise in New York, and for quite a while, the Cosmos looked the front runners. But thanks to poor front office organization prior to O’Brien’s arrival, Garber and MLS steamed ahead with developing plans of their own, and several other bids appeared to leapfrog the Cosmos to fund and occupy the new site. And though the Cosmos have maintained that while they would love to one day play in MLS, they also claim they aren’t planning their entire future on it. So with plans to build their own stadium despite the already-approved, MLS-sanctioned stadium and competitor popping up around the corner, the Cosmos look like they’re steaming ahead and plotting their own future outside the top flight.

But assuming they do win approval to build a new stadium on Long Island, and MLS get’s their proposed NYC2 franchise and stadium, that means New York will then sport three separate soccer specific stadiums of roughly the same size. On the Westside of town, there’s the already extant Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. And when both of NYC2 and Cosmos have their homes built, there will be another two on the East side of town. Considering the well-publicized struggles experienced by the Red Bulls in trying to fill their arena, it’s easy to see why this might be problematic. Even with better public transport links and friendlier locations, it’s not a stretch to imagine even a city of New York’s size not being able to put 75,000 butts into those seats week in and week out. I’d like to be proven wrong on this, by the way.

Sparce Fan Attendance at Red Bull Arena

red bull arena hasn’t been the easiest place to fill, and it’s the only joint in town at the moment.

There might, however, be a solution to this potential problem of soccer over saturation. While the Cosmos might seem content to play out their future in NASL, it would be pretty delusional to think that they don’t still aspire to play in MLS. Regaining their former glory, a definite goal in their revival, would legitimately be mission impossible from the depths of Division 2. Even if they have their own shiny new stadium, nobody’s going to give them the respect they want when there’s not even one of the most influential clubs in their own country.

Perhaps their presser unveiling fancy architectual drawings was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt at recapturing the momentum in the race for NYC2. Though the Cosmos group might have lost the considerable advantage given to them through brand recognition and a sizable head start in planning, like Stuart telling everyone “look what I can do”, this stadium play could cause MLS to stand up and take notice that Cosmos bid is still alive and kicking. Given that the group is confident that they could privately fund a project of this scope on their own, it might be enough to convince Garber to give the their coveted 20th spot to the group that’s been there from the start.

The theory might be a long shot, but to me at least, it sure as hell makes a lot more sense than trying to pack three competing entities into a market that’s not mature enough to support it yet. If I’m wrong, however, the clubs stand the chance of cannibalizing the support base and ensuring nobody achieves the success they could have with less competition.

It’s for these reasons that decisions such as these carry so much weight. The fate of entire franchises, and even the leagues they play within, is dependent upon their long-term success.

And if the leagues and those planning them don’t think these things through carefully, and overextend themselves in the process, we just might be looking back in 50 years time with great regrets instead of great joy.

ten words or less #50

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real madrid's cristiano ronaldo showing off his leg

there's been no word yet on whether cristiano will have to cover up his oily thighs when visiting madrid's new island resort in the UAE.

We’ve finally made it to the half century mark for my TWOL series. And to be honest, I’m not entirely sure if I should be celebrating that milestone, seeing as how the series exists simply because I’m a blogger who is too lazy to write his own original content all the time.

Admittedly, I’ve been a bit stretched lately due to an increased workload in my real world job, and moonlighting as a guest blogger on some other sites. But that’s no reason to ignore this space, so my deepest apologies if you’re feeling neglected. I do have some pretty interesting original content in the pipeline for you… though the ten links below will have to suffice as I continue to fine tune the new posts for the limelight.

See WSOTP (#11) on The Football Attic’s “League of Blogs”. – thefootballattic.com

Liverpool has Pinterest: not shocking considering how soft they’ve played. – pinterest.com

We need this in the U.S. far more than the UK. - soccerlens.com

Have you ever wanted to control Arsene’s Swedish dance moves? - fuldans.se

Why MLS should avoid foreigners with a long wrap sheet. – soccerbyives.com

Real builds $1b resort, removes logo’s cross to appease locals. – dirtytackle.net

Your side can’t score? Remind them where the goal is. – 101greatgoals.com

For nerds only: Kit Supplier statistics from around Europe. –  sportundmarkt.com
(warning: PDF download link)

Ronaldo vs Nadal: part of me wishes this was real. - youtube.com/NikeFootball

Pardew likens Ben Arfa to Messi… a.k.a “a stretch”. – bbc.co.uk

ten words or less #48

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london 2012's "the albert"

for a ball with such an awesome name, couldn't have adidas gone with a slightly less faded 80's design for the official ball of london 2012?

With less than 30 minutes until kickoff between Spurs and United, I’m a literal train wreck. I’m stressing over Tottenham’s extremely weakened line-up squaring off against a solid looking starting XI for the Red Devils, and the potential repercussions of fielding such a weak squad in such an important match.

The only thing that could keep my mind from going into complete meltdown mode was to finish up this week’s TWOL post… though admittedly, it’s just a temporary reprieve for my fingers from the endless nail-biting that awaits over the next two hours.

This is how you know footballers make too much money. – theoriginalwinger.com

Every Euro 2012 Kit… who’s your favorite? – football-shirts.co.uk

Sadly, this might be the best pitch in Cuba. – kckrs.com

Chelsea are sunk because of… Napoli’s three in the back? – guardian.co.uk

MLS eyeing Florida for expansion; apparently doesn’t learn lessons. – soccerbyives.com

French kiss… quite literally. – kickette.com

I will actually watch more Crew games because of this. - thecrew.com

Suprisingly relevant Will Ferrell link: he apparently loves Chicharito. – dirtytackle.net

If this happened to me, I’d literally shit my pants. – youtube.com

How can one properly celebrate while sitting? Answer: you can’t. – soccernet.com

a winter abroad

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Two months. Eight weeks. Sixty days. It’s not a whole lot of time no matter how you look at it. But it seems to be the magic time span these days, at least for MLS players it seems.

aston villa's robbie keane and everton's landon donovan

by allowing its most prized possessions to go on loan each winter, is MLS playing with fire?

Whether urged on by Klinsmann’s pleas for American players to get more time in competitive playing environments, or spurred on by the past successes of the short-term moves of MLS-bigwigs, the growing fad in American soccer is to get yourself a two-month, winter loan to Europe.

There have been no shortage of temporary moves to Europe this MLS off-season. Of course there have been the hyped moves involving the loans of high-profile players like L.A. Galaxy duo Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane — who have moved to Everton and Aston Villa respectively — and Red Bull’s Thierry Henry return to Arsenal. But there have been lesser heralded moves too, such as West Ham’s move for F.C. Dallas defender George John and L.A.’s Omar Gonzalez heading to Nürnberg.

A number of other players are trialing or training with European sides to gain some experience, and hopefully attract a foreign bid or two. I’ve written a good deal about Brek Shea’s two months with Arsenal, but there have also been shorter training stints for at least fifteen MLS players. That’s included youngster Juan Agudelo at Stuttgart and Liverpool, Robbie Rogers and Kyle Beckermann at Kaiserslautern, and Tim Ream at Bolton and West Brom, just to name a few.

With the temporary moves coming for players all over the MLS spectrum — from established stars to up-and-comers — it’s promising that there appears to be a growing demand for the league’s improving talent pool. It’s a sign Europe’s elite sides are starting to at least consider that we’re a country capable of producing a decent amount of quality players worth having a look over.

However, I do have to wonder if all of these moves are the greatest thing for MLS.

For most of the young players, the moves will end up being nothing more than glamorous learning opportunities. Their goal will be to make the most of the time training with a different class of players, therefore raising their game or at least picking up the habits of higher level professionals. They’ll get the extra competitive football experience that the Jürgs says our country’s set up is lacking, and hopefully they’re return to their MLS clubs with a sharper knowledge of the game, and everyone will be happy.

But while MLS seems content to allow it’s shining gems to go out and grow themselves, it feels like they’re turning a blind eye to the fact that it’s also a great opportunity for the finest young talent in the league to showcase themselves to other, wealthier employers. I mean I can’t imagine a single one of those players not going into those trials/loans/trainings thinking: This is the chance I’ve been waiting for… I better not blow it!

This open door policy has already seen Robbie Rogers turn his brief spell in Germany into a transfer to Leeds United. Tim Ream’s time with Bolton also looks to have paid dividends, as the Wanderers look set to spend their Gary Cahill money on a transfer for the ginger-tinged Red Bulls defender. George John’s loan terms with West Ham have an option to buy if he manages to impress during his two months at Upton Park, so he could be off too.

They’ve got a name for this type of issue: talent drain. And with MLS seemingly giving its blessing for foreign sides to take a free look at their best players, it comes off as them accepting their place as a stepping stone league. This flies in the face of the Commish has stated on several occasions, which is to turn Major League Soccer into one of the preeminent tournaments in the world.

robbie rogers at leeds united

it seems that robbie roger's short term move to europe this winter has paid off... for now at least.

Now maybe MLS does a much better job reinvesting the millions in transfer money they rake in during these sales than I’m giving them credit for, and if that’s the case, I’ll happily eat my words. But in the mean time, I’m going to assume that it’s still a bit of a risky strategy.

And all of that only takes into account the youngsters. What about all of the veteran, star players tacking two months onto their seasons; how can their departures possibly hurt the league?

First, Klinsmann’s desire to see American players securing loans or training spells in Europe is centered on his belief that the MLS season is too short. That does hold true for many players who teams don’t make the playoffs, or exit them early. Problem is, all of the high-profile loans have involved players whose teams made deep playoff runs. Keane and Donovan were both directly involved in the MLS Cup game winning goal. Hell, Keane hasn’t really had a break from training since the beginning of the last European season when he was still with Spurs. So none of them are in a position where they’re lacking for matches or sharpness, especially when you consider that Donovan and Keane are also still logging serious minutes with their respective national teams.

Ultimately, star players being loaned out during the MLS close season does nothing but put extra miles on their valuable legs. And extra miles on (mostly) older legs usually end up leading to one of three outcomes: 1) increased susceptibility to injuries, 2) burnout or 3) both.

Don’t believe me? It’s already happened, twice.

The gigantic risk MLS exposes itself to is best embodied by David Beckham rupturing his Achilles tendon playing for Milan two winters ago. Beckham’s move was supposed to help him earn a place in the following summer’s England World Cup squad — something MLS considered of great benefit at the time — ended up costing the league dearly when he was forced out of the entire MLS season. Regardless of the size of potential media-exposure gains the league would have received from Beck’s participation in South Africa, it was likely dwarfed by the lack of match-day ticket revenue the league missed out on by not having him play.

For those saying “Well that was over two years ago,” this isn’t something that only occurs in the past. As it turns out, MLS has already suffered one winter-loan casualty so far this season. And ironically, it’s not even one of their big guns that’s gone down injured. Instead, it was L.A. Galaxy’s Omar Gonzalez, a younger player who should have become a regular feature in the USMNT’s back line in 2012. But thanks to a collision with “American” teammate Timmy Chandler during his first training session after signing a 2-month loan with Nuremberg, the MLS Defender of the Year will now be out for at least the next seven months… a.k.a. most of the upcoming MLS season.

an injured beckham on loan to milan

losing beckham for a season apparently hasn't phased MLS at all. but, will lightening strike twice?

And though the loss of Gonzalez won’t really hit MLS in the pocketbook the way Beckham’s absence did, it will undoubtedly be a big hurdle to overcome in the Galaxy’s defense of their crown. But if MLS end up losing Donovan, Henry and/or Keane to injury during their loan spells, it will hurt them both on the field and off.

Let’s assume the trend of taking MLS players on loan continues to grow next season (I’d be willing to wager that it probably will), the amount of risk they’ll expose themselves to each off-season will go up exponentially. I’m not sure how great of a scenario the league could be getting themselves into unless the think about these types of moves in a bigger picture.

Look, these loans and trials are ultimately a good thing if they lead to the development of better American players. I’m all for them leading to more American players playing in more competitive leagues in Europe, and the added benefit we could see from the increased levels of experience. But I want to make sure that such moves aren’t undercutting MLS’s mission and efforts to develop better American players. We need to protect the investments we’ve made so far, and that protection requires a wide variety of issues to consider. Here’s hoping MLS and US Soccer did their homework before allowing this policy to become more common place.

In the mean time, we can’t do anything other than sit back and see how this season’s off-season MLS moves shift out. Obviously, I’m hoping that nothing but great news. Trust me when I say that there is nothing I want less than for me to look back in two months and say “I told you so.”

an open letter to rafa márquez

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spoiled cry baby, rafa marquez.

Sr. Rafael Márquez Álvarez
Red Bull New York
600 Cape May Street
Harrison, NJ 07029

Señor Márquez:

I am writing with regards to your actions following your recent match against Real Salt Lake at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. As a fan of Major League Soccer — and the sport of football in general — I felt that your blatant disregard for proper professional etiquette has brought great shame upon your club, your league, and yourself.

Perhaps your home fans were a little harsh on you during that match, booing you every time you touched the ball. I can see how that would rattle some players. But then again, maybe they were somewhat justified in their booing seeing how you have been mailing it in all season despite collecting the third highest paycheck in the league. You’re also a veteran professional, used to playing in front of 90,000 fans at the highest level of the sport, so I would wager that you’re more than capable of handling some boos here and there without having to show them a childish, obscene gesture.

Maybe you were frustrated because your squad shipped 3 goals in the first 21 minutes to your Mormon-country visitors, which helped to drop your squad into the outside-looking-in position for this year’s playoffs. Though then again, you haven’t really been playing like you want to help your team make the playoffs, highlighted by this awful bit of defending by yourself in said game. So with your performances in mind, I don’t think it’s very fair for you to say “there isn’t an equal level” between you and your teammates, and that the loss was to blame on the rest of your back line not being able “perform at the same level.”

Not that I should have expected anything different from you, and that’s my fault for assuming that you had abandoned your previously wicked ways. After all, you’re the same guy that was red carded for a mid-air headbutt on Cobi Jones in 2002 World Cup knockout round, and again for charging Tim Howard and kicking him in the head during a 2009 World Cup Qualifier at Crew Stadium. You also publicly insulted Landon Donovan’s family during a 2004 interview, which is by most accounts, a pretty classy move. Let’s also not forget that you cheated on your first wife with your now second wife.

Long story short, Rafa, is that you need to quit being a gigantic prick and get over yourself already. When Jimmy Conrad claimed you were arrogant a few years back, he hit the nail on the head perfectly when he said, “we’re apparently a step below or a whole level below whatever he thinks in his own mind.”

Well, I hate to break it to you big boy, you’re not better than the U.S., MLS, Red Bull or anything else for that matter. Nobody cares that you used to play for Barcelona, all they care about is how you are playing now for your current side. And since you’re the one who put pen to paper on an MLS contract two years ago, you’re also the one that has to deal with whatever perceived unhappiness you’re experiencing. Despite rating yourself as a highly desirable commodity, I don’t exactly recall any clubs of importance clamoring for your signature over the summer transfer window.

Don’t like how your teammates are playing? Maybe you should try using all of that experience you’ve picked up over the years to help educate them .Don’t like being booed by your own fans or berated by the press? Maybe try playing a little bit harder. They boo because they expect more of you and your $4.6 million a year contract.

I’m sure in your 15 years of professional experience — from Atlas, to Monaco, to Barcelona and New York — that you’ve faced some pressure heavier than this. After all, this only MLS, right?

Time to grow up, big boy.

D.J. Switzer
wrong side of the pond

ten words or less #24

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alejandro faurlin and neil warnock celebrate QPR's possible promotion.

perhaps faurlin (left) and QPR won't be enjoying the spoils of the premier league next season

the steam is running out of my team’s, and it’s seriously impacting my interest in the rest of the their respective seasons. real madrid are (deservingly) eliminated from europe. tottenham are (predictably) pissing away their season of “living the dream.” it’s hard as a fan of both clubs to watch on with both having very little left to play for besides pride (although if tottenham lose out on the europa league to liverpool, i might suffer an aneurysm).

forgive me my tears, for i am only human.

so as we prepare for a weekend full of title and relegation-deciding matches, here’s a quick round-up of some interesting reads from around the world of football.

no, no, no, no, no. screw clattenburg. – dirty tackle @ yahoo.com

someone should not get paid for this. - designfootball.com

it pains me to post, but another artistic masterpiece. – youtube.com

this is a huge step forward for MLS. – soccerbyives.com

how the hell did the ball move like that?!?! - sportpost.com

have to admit, i’m a little envious of this guy. – soccerbible.com

busquets is a disgrace: more evidence. – youtube.com

QPR are all smiles now; maybe they shouldn’t be. – qprnet.com

round up #32

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enough with all of the controversy. this season is starting wear on me.

new york red bulls starlet juan agudelo

wise advise from young agudelo.

between spurs dragging me on a rollercoaster season full of sprinklings of pure joy but far too many facepalms, the madrid-barcelona soap opera, mario balotelli being an idiot, and god awful refereeing… i’ve already reached my drama quota for the season. my poor wrong side XI series of postings has suffered, as all of this drama has distracted my previously made obligations.

i shouldn’t really complain though. with all of this “newsworthy” material pumping out, at least i’m not struggling to come up with things to write about for a change. whether or not that benefits you is another question entirely.

agudelo hype increases 10-fold with his latest goal - unprofessionalfoul.com
i worry about the hype every time i see agudelo’s name pop up on the news radar. remember when a teenage eddie johnson couldn’t put on an MLS or USMNT shirt without scoring a goal? well it didn’t happen, but for a while, the media and fans hyped it that way. sure, it’s this kind of overly ambitious hype that earns MLS starlets moves to prestigious european sides and puts bags of money into the MLS’s safe. but remember when freddy adu and jozy altidore went to europe and scored buckets of goals? oh yeah, that didn’t happen either.

let’s be honest though, agudelo’s goal was not only a magnificent strike, but also a magnificent thought. MLS and the national team are typically devoid of players that take these kind of half chances. if agudelo can continue to develop as he has (maybe learning a trick or two from mr. henry), perhaps we will finally have our first truly great striker. i’m not holding my breath just yet though.

football transfer trends 2010 - soccerlens.com
i love these kinds of links, in large part due to my love for data and statistical analysis. the magical thing about this type of study is that it can give us a sneak peak as to where the world of football is heading. the types of players being purchased can tell us how tactical changes in the game are evolving. where they are coming from can tell us who is doing a good job of developing quality. where players are being sold to can show whether the balance of power in recruiting players is being shifted towards england’s higher wages.

charlie adam losing his sheen? – soccernet.com
i have to admit that when i first learned that harry redknapp’s attempt to recreate his last-minute, vdV-miracle transfer in january was a move for blackpool’s charlie adam, i had to scratch my head. “do we really need him?,” i questioned. in fact, i questioned why so many teams were expressing such interest in the scot. and thanks to this article, i don’t feel like i’m the only one with such thoughts.

adam has no doubt been the pivotal player for ian hollaway’s scappy squad, as evidence by his deserved nomination for the PFA player of the year award.  his long balls and set piece deliveries are as precise as anyone else’s in the league. he has the working man’s look and mentality, which has helped him to grow a fanbase far from the seaside.

but honestly, who is he going to play over for the supposed “big” teams that are interested in him? he’d have to beat out huddlestone, sandro and palacios for the deep lying role at white hart lane (i did not include jenas, because he sucks). at liverpool, he would have to move ahead of meireles, lucas or the emerging jay spearing. and at manchester united, he would have to overcome… carr–… well, fletch–… ok, maybe he could start at manchester united. weird.

getafe team dubai and the initial rebranding

looking forward to the possibility of "stoke city team shanghai"

doubts grow over getafe investors – guillembalague.com
as if we needed to add fuel to the fire that is the ridiculousness of the takeover and “rebranding” of spanish side getafe, more and more seems to leak out. never mind the fact that a team in spain will now be marketed “getafe team dubai” (wouldn’t you think that if they have to rebrand, they should call it “getafe equipo dubai” with spanish instead of english?), or the fact that the middle east apparently is trying to take over the world of football.

no, the bigger problem seems to be that spain seem to lack a fit-and-proper provision for ownership of la liga sides. though admittedly, we’ve seen how well that rule has worked in england. balague is a well respected journalist in the spanish media, and if the claims from his site are true, it appears that a porsmouth-esque ending could be in the cards for the madrid-based club. troublesome times ahead?

the strange death of brazilian flair – soccerlens.com
as the world turns, so to do football playing styles and systems. and unfortunately, one of many casualties of the ever evolving world of tactics has been the much enjoyed and lauded brazilian flair. as professionalism has increased in the game over the last ten years, the injection of increased speed, power and endurance in the sport has somewhat nullified the trickery and rhythmic displays that were once so potent for the seleção.

what’s really interesting is that we’ve seen this happening at the last few world cups. they’ve brought increasingly defensive and counterattacking sides, showing they’ve had to adapt their play to counteract their more industrious counterparts. and while some teams still fall victim to the thought of playing brazil, other sides have learned that sticking to your guns and playing solidly can earn you upset points.

raising the dead

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Not that I’m telling you anything new, but your average American sports fan’s knowledge of association football is extremely limited. Many, if not most, have literally zero knowledge about soccer.

oooh ahhhh... i'm hoping cantona gives me something else to talk about.

But if they do have just a bit of room in their brain for it after squeezing in as much knowledge about American idol, the gridiron-flavor or whatever Fox News tells them to believe, you would generally be safe in betting your annual income on their knowledge base being limited to one the following six topics:

  • My little sister/brother/cousin/child plays (…and I don’t like it).
  • David Beckham (isn’t that the guy that is married to a spice girl?).
  • Pelé (if they’re over the age of 30).
  • Ronaldo or Ronaldinho. (Wait, there’s a difference between the two? Three!?)
  • Manchester United (“The best team in the world!!!!”)
  • The World Cup is the Super Bowl of soccer (sigh).

As soon as someone who doesn’t follow footie finds out that I’m into the sport, it is without a doubt that one of those topics will be the next thing that comes out of their mouth. This of course immediately gives away their naivety and plunges me into “speak stupidly about soccer” mode, a mode of conversation that I despise using despite the frequency with which I must use it.

But it didn’t used to be that way.there used to be one more item on that list, and it was uniquely American: the New York Cosmos.

Sure, the only reason why Americans even know that there is some dude named Pelé is because of the Cosmos, and vice versa. But it was an American team they knew about none the less, and it’s safe to say that their brand was more pervasive in the American consciousness than that of the L.A. Galaxy or Red Bull New York has ever been.

It always baffled me that when MLS was first started, the league ignored this amazing brand name when placing a franchise in the Big Apple (even more so when they chose to co-brand it as the New York/New Jersey Metro Stars… barf). “Why,” I wondered aloud to a crowd of people existing only in my head, “would MLS turn it’s back on the only globally recognizable soccer brand we’ve ever developed?”

Yes, I get that the league was rightly trying to distance itself from the NASL and the poor stigma still attached to it and its franchises’ names. This aversion to using legacy-franchise names has continued to hang around nearly 15 years after the league’s inception, as evident with the uproar that resulted when the Seattle ownership group tried to use a name other than the Sounders with their franchise.

Luckily, the league and it’s management haven’t remained that stupid.

MLS commisioner Don Garber has long fancied placing a second team in New York, even though the first one has trouble filling it’s magnificent soccer-specific stadium. Despite attendance problems (which are by no means a problem unique to New York in this league), it’s hard to ignore the fact that the city is also one of the most immigrant rich regions in the country. And last time I checked, immigrants tend to have a higher propensity to be football fans than the average American citizen, which ultimately means there is a huge untapped market of potential ticket and kit buyers.

Is there a better way to break into an untapped market than to take advantage of brand name that many immigrants are already likely to be familiar with? I don’t know, but it sure seems like a good place to start.

Though, raising a franchise from a death that occurred over a quarter century ago is no easy feat.

Finally pried away from the steely grip of former owner Peppe Pinton, a new ownership group have revived the Cosmos brand in a way that has at least turned some heads in the footballing world. They’ve brought in the requisite big names (legends Pelé and Eric Cantona to lend sporting legitimacy, former Tottenham Hotspur chairmen Paul Kemsley and former Liverpool chairmen Rick Parry to lend administrative legitimacy), as well as a brilliant marketing plan that is unlike any being used by current MLS clubs.

Described here in greater detail than I care to write about, the revived Cosmos are utilizing a viral marketing campaign that not only appeals to [self-prescribed] snooty soccer “experts” such as myself, but also one that appeals to another untapped market: the hipster crowd, which seems to be overrunning the area surrounding the club’s Soho offices. Since the Cosmos’ branding and name is a retro entity in itself, they’ve managed to tap into a rich vein of American culture that goes beyond sports… fashion. Queue their partnership with Umbro — the masters of bad-ass retro — and the end result is a club that is gaining in popularity despite the complete lack of players or a home ground. Placing your main offices in the city’s “coolest” neighborhood doesn’t hurt either.

The Cosmos are ardently striving to be different than the rest of the MLS clubs they hope to compete with in the near future. A current focus on producing an academy to feed the eventual senior team is a great way to drive interest in the club at a grassroots level. On top of that, utilizing Cantona’s swagger, Pelé’s celebrity, and the business acumen of proven footballing executives to lay a solid foundation for the club will make the Cosmos very difficult to ignore by prospective fans and MLS executives alike. They’ve certainly hooked me with this campaign, as is evidence by numerous posts drooling over their gorgeous Umbro shirt.

Will raising the Cosmos from the dead be enough to raise MLS’ profile on both the national and international sporting scenes? I don’t know the answer to that yet. But if we can just add a seventh topic to that list at the beginning of this post, at least I’ll have something else to talk about with people who know nothing about the sport I love so much.

i hate my name

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There’s probably a point in everyone’s life where they’ve wanted to change his or her name. For most of us, it’s an event that takes place at some point in our childhood when we can do nothing about it. Most of us grow out of it, though a few adventurous individuals hold on to this into adulthood. But they’re mostly people like this guy, this guy, or this “guy.”

well... here we go again.

And to be completely honest, even though I’m approaching the end of my 20′s, I still don’t like my real name. But I have been lucky enough to have always gone by a nickname, which I don’t mind so much. That’s why I’ve never felt the need to actually change it.

That said, it’s not just people that have these feelings. Sometimes it’s a company (unsuccessfully) trying to shed their shady past. Other times, it could be due to a franchise moving to a new town (having written that, I’m currently waiting for some Wimbledon fan to come punch me in the jeans).

And as you can probably assume from the links I’ve included above, this name-changing trend is one of which I’m not particularly fond. Unfortunately though, this tendency is becoming ever more present in the world of MLS franchises.

First it was Dallas, changing their name from the “Dallas Burn” to “FC Dallas.” Im okay with that, because honestly, who the hell names their sports team after a severe medical issue? Next was the club in New York Jersey, who not only ditched their ambiguous “New York-New Jersey” location name (a brilliant move), but also swapped “Metrostars” (god what an ugly logo) for the name of my favorite soft drink producer (a poor choice). While the team’s ownership mandated such a change — and admittedly it’s a better logo and look for the club — I’m not personally a big fan of turning clubs into giant brand billboard, and comes off a little too gimmicky. But investment was needed, so I guess I can justify that move as well.

Now if you’re a long time follower of soccer here in the states, you’re probably aggressively waving your hand while reading that to say, “Hey, Kansas City changed their name waaaaaay before New York and Dallas.” And you’re right: the club made the very, very, very smart choice to transform “the Wiz” into “Wizards”. (Edit: As [rudely] noted in the comments below by James, the main reason for Kansas’s initial change was forced due to “The Wiz” trademark being held by another company.) But the reason I left them out, is because they’ve done it again… this time to Sporting Kansas City. Honestly, enough is enough.

I get where an MLS franchise sees the value in choosing a (new) name that caters to Eurosnobs like myself. Sometimes this is pulled off well, but other times it’s yielded disastrous results… like accidentally giving yourself a royal coronation. Kansas City’s rebranding proves that we’ve gone ahead and and made fools of ourselves all over again. Not that I thought the name Wizards moniker would strike fear in the heart of visiting fans/opponents. But it’s fine for teams to have silly names like Sounders, The Crew and Revolution because this is America and we love cheesy names. It comes off feeling like certain MLS sides are shunning their American-ness.

By making such a needless change fifteen years into the club’s existence, it’s practically a slap in the face to the brand the fans have come to love and embrace. The club had major success not long ago under the old name they just ditched. They finally had a decent logo and a good color scheme for their kits. Their main supporter’s group had even devised a fantastic name that played off of Wizards — The Cauldron — that now makes absolutely no sense.

On top of that, how does their executive team make a choice to go with “Sporting KC”? The name is plainly ripped from teams like Portugal’s Sporting or Sporting de Gijón of Spain. But it’s not like there is a large immigrant population from Spain or Portugal in the area. The club also hasn’t announced any loose associations with either of the more famous European side, which would have at least given them some excuse to make that choice. And you can’t can’t honestly tell me that they’re trying to differentiate themselves from the NBA side that is located halfway across the country from them.

Maybe the club felt that they needed a fresh start prior to taking up residence in their new stadium. Or maybe the think the Wizards name was stale. Perhaps a new mystery investor demanded this name change in exchange for his funding… who knows. Regardless of their reasoning, I don’t like the change. And though the club have labeled this move as a “shift in mindset” for the club, it actually comes off as a misguided, poorly thought-out move made by an adolescent trying to rebel against their parents.