Global Futbol just reported LA Galaxy in talks with Zizu

[musiclawyer]

Alexi Lalas confirmed. Until I see this from some other source. I'll hld off comment other than to say that under the Beckham rule, someone would have go--either the rights to Zizu traded to some other team or Landon Donovan would have to go. That's the only way it could work.

[northzax]

1. World Football is reporting that Lalas said 'an offer was made'

of course, I can't figure out how they made this offer, since they haven't acquired a second Beckham Rule spot that I know of. not to mention, the Galaxy have what, $1.3 million+ of a $2million cap tied up in Donovan and Beckham already? ($400k for the Beckham Ruled Beckham and an estimated $900k for Donovan) even if they got someone else's spot, that would still count for $325k under Beckham...even given MLS bending over backward for LA as usual, this math is getting to be a joke.

[insane_cratic_gal]

2. I don't think Zizu will pimp

himself out to MLS


I Think Beckham did it because he seems to be on the down slide of his career. He couldn't demand that kind of money in the European leagues.

Being American, I only hope he puts more interest in the sport here in the states! I'd love to get more games, but right now if I get one every two weeks I'm doing good.

What are you going to do other then stick a hole in your ceiling for a satellite.

[SKKY]

3. Obviously you haven't seen Beckham's last 10 games with Real Madrid...

...He is anything but on the "down slide" of his career. My question is this- Why aren't more teams trying to get a "name" player?

[musiclawyer]

4. MLS rules pretty much dictate

one foreign star per team, and frankly I don't think the various MLS GM's have the authority to spend the type of money required to sign stars from abroad who are in their prime. (Beck's aside. Given what he does, he will have a longer prime than most). Whetehr the GM's are going a good enouhg job finding the outside talent is for another thread.

But that's Ok. Building of stadiums etc suggests MLS is in for the long haul. I think they are happy to remain a B league for another decade or so as long as the money bleed is not to profuse. That seems to be the case.

[northzax]

5. plus, it's not worth it financially

to pursue only one player like this per team. Becks is, frankly, unique in his marketability, if not in his playing. And since February he's been one of the top 10 players at his position in Europe, no question, even if he wasn't before then. But in name recognition, he is worth the money. If you were building a team, from the ground up, starting today, you wouldn't put Becks there, if money and PR was no object. as a coach or a GM, you would maybe have him as your role model, elder statesman who can still play and inspire the rest of the team, but honestly, would you start him, on a dream team, as a winger? Yes, he can play, but I would rather have a Ronaldinho, or Kaka, or Cristiano Ronaldo, or Gerrard, or Nani, or (the list continues) but would any of them, would a Ronaldinho, three time player of the year, make a ripple in the US? how many people, not already fans, would buy tickets to see Kaka in, say, Kansas City (and why the heck would he ever go to KC?

Galaxy have their DP, Red Bulls have two, Fire have theirs, that leaves, really, Boston, DC and Toronto, as the only two other cities that perhaps have the cachet to recruit internationally, no matter what money they might want to spend. Do you see a young, flamboyant German midfielder leaving Bayern Munich for Kansas City, no matter what the paycheck? how about an Italian defender trading Milan for Columbus? Manchester for Salt Lake? Barca for Dallas? take a lot of money.

MLS is going about it the right way, a slow, consistent build. prove that teams, and the league, will be around permanently (in sports terms, at least) and improving every year. Capture a decent amount of US talent, and compete for Latin talent, while building a growing fan base and getting international respect. it will continue to take time, but it will come. now it is past time for real youth development programs by MLS, that is the next place for investment.,

[musiclawyer]

6. Soccer America reported US Soccer is thinking......

along these lines by creating basically a super-league of hand selected OD teams. It's about time. That way the best and the brightest get trained with their peers basically full time in their respective geographic regions. It puts professionals in charge and gets parents out of the way to some extent. I would hope that these supderteams are allowed to recruit and subsidize inner city kids--the underprivileged kind one who tend to get missed in the current development process.

And your other points are spot on. But I really think Kansas City doee snot deserve a team. There are better. more soccer hungry markets and MLS should move that team. It was speculated that they might go to San Jose, but it looks like Lew Wolff of the Oakland A's will get his expansion "Earthquakes" there, perhaps as soon as next year. A beter place to move the wizards would be the Pacific Northwest or San Diego--whoever puts up a stadium first IMHO.

[northzax]

7. The developmental superleague is interesting

I would much prefer to have it in the hands of mls and usl clubs than ussf, myself, i don't trust the federation farther than i can throw sunil, but i suppose with all the issues about college eligibility it makes some sense. I have been disappointed with mls youth development...generation addidas is nice, but it needs to be younger and larger. The us should be producing 50 pro caliber players a year- even if it is just USL2 quality,

[musiclawyer]

8. MLS teams are not ready for that responsibility

.....yet..... Hopefully one day MLS temas will run the youth superleague