You have to look at the rule as something that will benefit US soccer in the long term, not just today.
MLS must drum up more interest in the sport, higher attendance and TV ratings, which went up slightly this year, but not enough to make mainstream media notice. If the players are picked correctly -and granted, there is no guarantee of that- It should help spark increases in both those areas.
Moreover, there isn't enough US talent to fill 336 roster spots in MLS at this moment, especially when you consider that we are exporting our best talent to Europe (Donovan, Beasley, Bocanegra, etc...). People have proven that they are not just showing up because you put a team on the field.
Level of play has improved, but it must get even better, and fast. The US should push themselves into Copa Libertadores in the near future and their immediate goal is to field strong enough teams to win the Concacaf Champions Cup. Then this league will get more respect.
To do all this you need foreign players, once we start developing more talent (which is improving in leaps and bounds, but not enough, yet) then they can reduce the number of foreigners.
In the meantime they are needed, and very welcome.
Just please... pick them right!
Cheers!
Roberto.
In a message dated 11/25/04 2:37:54 AM, rhhaines@yahoo.com writes:
By increasing the number of foreign allocations, both senior internationals and youth internationals, it takes away roster spots for American players. The rule was fine the way it was.
By the way, I do pay a great deal of attention to other leagues around the world. Other leagues around have allocation limits as well and it hurts the national team programs when they have too many foreign born players in the league. Some leagues have no allocation limits i.e. Belgium and Holland. And it is hurting the national teams. In the 70's and 80's Holland was one of the worlds best teams and now they can't even qualify for the World Cup.
Any way the MLS can't afford to bring any world class talent so most of the time they bring in class "B" talent or over the hill internationals that don't even make an impression in the league. (there have been exceptions like Valderama and Etcheverry and Nowak)
Did you read the article?
"The transaction increases Chivas USA’s number of Youth
International slots from five to six, thus allowing up
to ten non-U.S. resident players (six Youth and four
Senior Internationals) to form part of Head Coach
Thomas Rongen’s roster for the 2005 season."
Ten foreign roster spots per team is going to help the US players? Don't think so.
squarepass@optonline.net wrote:
How many foreign allocations are allowed in the MLS 3 or 4 right? So that is all the non americans they can have on this team. The rest should be American born.
----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel Veshia
Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2004 6:11 pm
Subject: Re: [nas] Chivas news
> It is an American soccer league. Doesn't mean that all of the
> players have to be an American citizen does it ? Other leagues
> around the world are set up the same way. Or do you not pay
> attention to the nationalities of the players around the globe ?
>
> this league is for the American soccer fan and to develop soccer
> in this country. If we only had American players on the teams we
> would not be progressing very well.
>
> so, in essence, you are wrong.
>
> Roger Haines wrote:
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this supposed to be an American
> league???I knew this was going to happen. I disagree with the
> increasing the number of int'l spots all together. This league is
> for the development of American players. I'm already starting to
> hate the new Chivas club!!!
>
> have a safe t-giving everyone,
>
> Roger
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses.
>
---
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