Thoughts and Queries

Well, Cobi Jones is heading to England. He's obviously the best of some outstanding MLS talent to play overseas. The irrepressible Tony Sanneh is at Hertha Berlin while Joey DiGiamarino is off in the reserves at Leverkusen in Germany. Our beloved Joe-Max is at Everton, the former haunt of Preki and Mojo. Hell, even Paul Rideout and Giovanni Savarese toil in lower English divisions. What does that say about the quality of play in MLS? Our ex-stars like Savarese play in Swansea, Wales. Swansea. Yup, we're great exporters of talent.

Manchester United and New York Yankees have teamed up in a combined plot to make them more money. It's nice to see that the scum of the universe can team up so quaintly. I'm looking for "Behind the Deal" video to go on sale within a few weeks.

Imad who?

When you contemplate the fact that the Metrostars pick up two unknowns with two high-quality opportunities within a week, you have to wonder if Charlie S. is still running the show in Gotham.

Best steal of the draft was by Dallas in round 6 in Miguel Saavedra. This kid has a nose for the goal. He's a pure finisher. With the depth at striker in Dallas, the Burn can afford to bring him along slowly. He'll be a good one in 2-3 years.

Speaking of Dallas, how good do you think Mike Jefferies feels about his squad right now?

What did Dave Dir eat before he graded the MLS draft?

Waldo? Who is that again?

Does anyone doubt the fact that Rochester Rhinos will still win the A-League without Onandi Lowe or Yari Allnut?

I've got a good feeling about the Revs this year. It seems like all the parts are in place for a deep playoff run. It helps when you have guys like Thomas Rongen shooting their squads in the foot. It also helps when the "top rated" defender in the draft slips to #26 and you can pick up a probable starter in the 4th round.

Tampa Bay will be the team to beat this year. The reason is simple: They don't have any gaping holes. Craig Demmin will surprise a lot of people with his steady work at the back. Bankov will be resigned after he receives his green card. With Joe Addo as well, the defense is shored up. The midfield has always been the heart of this team with Ralston and Valderrama leading the way. Diallo should have his perfect foil in Ali Curtis. The only real question mark is coaching, but I'm sure that even Alfonso Mondelo can get something out of this bunch.

Excuse me, we need an expansion team in San Jose, pronto. Is there sane management out there? Why select a player who is a carbon copy of his future striking partner? This is basic level footballing knowledge. A striking line needs some sort of contrast.

Nagging question of the week: Is Jeff Agoos really worth two first round picks?

Would you trade Fernando Clavijo for any coach in America besides Bruce Arena? Me neither.

You know that Dan Calichman, the statesman that he is, is nearing the end when he gets waived by San Jose.

Pedro Alvarez is the Metros' new hope in the number 10 slot. He's pretty much everything that the Metros don't have: A player who plays the game without speaking his mind. Alvarez may not be the big name allocation we've come to expect from the Metros, but he may be the best.

Did I just say something positive about the Metros? Shame on me.

Speaking of number tens, the Revolution are in the final stages of talks with a younger #10 from Latin America. How can you go wrong when you know so many details about him? The key to this move is that the Revs will not use their final senior international slot on this allocation. This move could clear the way for the arrival of a winger like Darren Lewis.

One player I wouldn't want on my team: Chris Albright. I like strikers who can handle the ball and actually score. I know it's a weird concept, but D.C. doesn't seem to follow it.

This is the first time in many years that an A-League team has not been located in Massachusetts. The sad part is that no one really cares.

Can anyone tell me what the marketing plan is for the WUSA?

I think it's time for MLS to assault the airwaves with advertising. Our profile among Americans is not high enough. I'm not sure that mainstream is the right word for it, but we need to move into a more public spot. Now that we are fighting the WUSA for soccer dollars, why not branch out and touch regular Americans? Alas, it will not happen. It just makes too much sense.

Sundays would not be the same without the 1pm game on Telemundo.

It'll be interesting to see how the new tight uniforms will be received in Tampa and Denver. Kappa is a European company who may not realize that most Americans have a little bit more girth around the middle than our European counterparts. On that note, we'll leave you for this month.