Valencia Really, or just a MLS/RSL smoke screen?
March 6, 2009 by f4denz.
So Steve Goff started mentioning Valencia as the team that would come to Real Salt Lake’s Rio Tinto Stadium as the international opponent for the 2009 All Star match, that rumor was furthered by MLS Rumors and reports from a Spanish website. It is interesting that if Valencia finish 6th in La Liga (their current position) then they would need to be in Europe that week for the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions league, it is also interesting that it is being reported that Valencia is in real financial trouble (welcome to the real world). I can see the finances being an foothold for MLS in the negotiations of fees for the team coming over, desperate people will sometimes make bad business decisions and perhaps Don and the MLS staff got a great deal, or are all these issues just a smoke screen being used by MLS to get their real wish?
It has been known for some time that MLS wanted to bring a Mexican team to the All Star Match this summer, the reasons are clear; it is cheaper (lower fees, less transportation, fewer club demands), and they could probably increase the price of the TV rights. It also boosts their efforts to win more Hispanic fans in the US, so I wonder if working a deal that has so many potential outs is part of their master plan. You know announce Valencia and then when they can’t come you claim it is too late to negotiate with European clubs who all are making their summer plans now, and you simply bring up Santos, or Club America and stick fans in Salt Lake with another year of international teams from Mexico or Central America.
It is a shame that Don and MLS boys just can’t get over themselves and despite economic issues all around the world, use just a small portion of the 80 million they are about to collect from the 2 new franchises to be announced on making the All Star match a bigger event vs. scaling down. The midweek event timing is horrible, honestly how hard would it be to have scheduled this for a Saturday, you know the day most matches are held and when more fans would be able to attend a match, as well as watch one on TV. How about moving the All Star match forward not just as a single match but create a larger event out of it, you know maybe a futures match with young stars of MLS playing against the host city the day before the match and offering 10,000 tickets to local schools and charities and selling the other 10,000, toss in selling the TV rights to Fox Soccer (which is a more friendly partner to MLS than ESPN). What about a skills competition, or something to allow the hosting city to use the match as an introduction to MLS for the local people who don’t know much about soccer, maybe host a fan fest where players involved are willing to sign autographs, take pictures and interact with fans (this is one of the coolest aspects to MLS and often the least used way of making events more memorable).
Nope the league will claim poverty, despite all the MLS numbers being better than last year, they already have shown that they are more likely to wimper and be like a turtle withdrawing into its shell. They reduce the number of roster spots (this will save most team 4 developmental players making 30K or less a year), they killed the reserve division (which will cripple development of younger players and force them to other leagues or out of the sport), and they made no move on the salary cap (hint it would have been good to add some money and let teams upgrade their rosters), but no all these moves are made on the final year of the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) and I have no doubt that the leadership of the player’s union will use these examples and so many more to force changes in rosters, pay levels, and other areas where the MLS leadership has simply failed to take advantage of opportunities. Don has no problem taking money from new franchises, but he sure seems intent on keeping the current teams neatly placed under his thumb and when allowed any freedom teams are kept on a very short leash.
All of this to say, no matter what you hear announced in coming days, do not be surprised if the team you see at the All Star Match in July speaks Spanish, but they aren’t from Spain but rather a “replacement” team from south of the border.
OFF MY SOAPBOX
Well it sounds like it is official Valencia to All Star Match
March 6, 2009 by f4denz.
Well it is isn’t the Spanish side that I wanted, but Real Salt Lake an MLS appear to have selected a Spanish side Valencia to be the opponent in the All Star Match, according to MLS Rumors found an interesting article today and here is the link in Spanish but I don’t read Spanish so I used the lovely google language translator to get this from the article:
VALENCIA / D. RODRÍGUEZ The Major League Soccer, which is how it is called, plans to formally announce within days that Valencia will be the guest of the event except for this year. The target date is next July 29. The venue, the newly opened Rio Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City.
The official appointment as chief Javier Gomez is going to precipitate events. One of the first tasks of the new strong man, once the beginning of ajetreadísimo week, is to close the agreement for holding the shock across the pond. He, along with Juan Pablo Molinero, responsible for maintaining contacts by blanquinegra, is one of the chief supporters of the adventure. And no lack of reasons: will be a good income, the club will announce in a large market and almost untouched, and also does not seem excessive headache for the preparation of the next campaign. Unai Emery just need to give the final OK.
The only problem that can be found Valencians, considering that it is normal that the concentration of preseason will be held just before, are themselves. If you end up sixth in the league, and will stipulate a clause in the contract, they would cancel the contract. Why? Because of the imminent reform of the UEFA Europe League, which is known as the second European competition since the summer cause they have to play after the third round on July 30 and August 6. Be fifth or achieve any of the four tickets for the Champions League, however, does not bring any setback.
Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla have already traveled the same long journey in recent years. None, however, has taken part in the popular “match the stars’. The blanquinegro will be the first Spanish team involved in that event, which is in its fourteenth edition. Interestingly, in 2003, the first time that all players in the Major Soccer League came together to deal with a foreign club, and contacts for the Mestalla was the rival of the moment. What happens is that these will not bear fruit, as has happened this year with Inter Milan, and its site was occupied by the Mexican Guadalajara. Then was the turn of Fulham, Chelsea, Celtic and West Ham.
The attraction of the sports contest is obvious. The MLS All Star, which is known as the combined, could have ‘Piojo’ Lopez, Fredrik Ljunberg and David Beckham himself, who, although now it is sold in Milan, return to ’soccer’ in early July. But also, beyond the interest of soccer duel, whose previous delivery took place in Toronto, Javier Gomez and company believe that the duel of Salt Lake City is an excellent opportunity to expand borders. Mestalla institution has taken his name throughout Europe, Mexico, China, Saudi Arabia and Japan, but never has done for America while the majority of English clubs and a great many of the Old Continent as Oporto, Milan, Juventus, Bayern or Galatasaray, as can be.
If we have to train in Central Park, is done. Touching a visit to the NASA center in Houston, as the same. Barça is one of the clearest is that we need to do whatever it takes to drive the tooth in a rich economic and demographic as well as growing in the field balompédico. Therefore, in 2006 and 2008, respectively, signed a trade agreement with Warner Bros and its own Major League Soccer and it’s time that Valencia will do.
Well I am waiting to hear any confirmation or denial from the Front Office but until then it looks like this might just be the real deal, if Valencia finishes either in the top 5 or outside of the UEFA tournaments then it is the real deal, but if they finish 6th they would need to be playing in the UEFA qualifiers and then MLS could be stuck looking for a last minute replacement. Only time will tell on this one.
OFF MY SOAPBOX