LA Galaxy & Cory Gibbs

Nug

Poor old Cory Gibbs, looked like Gullit was interested in taking hin to LA and then goes and quits (fired probably if you read this http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jonah_freedman/08/03/galaxy/).

Watched some video highlights of LA losing to San Jose, got to say Huckerby looked brilliant in that game scored 1 and was instrumental in the other 2 for a 3-2 win. Mind you he is playing against conference south standard players, still think he'd do an excellent job at Championship level, and Beckham what was he thinking? ($$$$$$$$$$$$.........)

Kap10

lalas sacked, Beckham next?

collegeparkaddick

I cringe whenever I read the chauvinism inherent in claims equating MLS players to those found in the "conference south" or some other dismissive comparison. U.S. soccer is certainly not on par with football in Europe and is struggling to catch up to Mexican professional soccer, but it is not that bad. The MLS side that I support regularly draws between 18 and 20,000; the team also features some very good players with pedigrees and talent sufficient to make the starting XI of a number of Championship sides. While I am not so delusional as to assert that the quality is comparable to what the Premier League offers, I doubt that you will find many Conference South sides that could convincingly beat Everton in a preseason friendly.

The other professional soccer club near me is Crystal Palace's U.S. subsidiary, which plays in the third division. The team features former Charlton reserve Paul Robson and has a very good young Cameroonian international named Mathew Mbuta. Even at these lower levels, the soccer talent on display exceeds that in the Conference South.

The soccer in my country continues to improve from the lowest professional leagues to the highest. Whatever trials Beckham is enduring in Los Angeles now, he has played a huge part in that continued improvement/interest. Cities across the United States are building stadiums dedicated to professional soccer and investment in the infrastructure of the sport, I would hazard to guess, is at an all-time high for the country.

Oakster

I watch quite a lot of MLS games on TV & I would say that most teams would comfortably hold their own at League 1 /Championship level, while the better teams - ie New England - would be up there with the best The Championship has to offer.

It's an interesting & diverse league & I make you right, interest across the US & Canada in the game continues to grow apace - despite a jock-like element that think sports have to end up with score like 87 - 76 to be interesting.

Scratch beneath the glossy, facile & shallow coverage that sports get in the US/Canada & there is a lot of interest in saw-kerr amongst the youth & recent waves of immigrants.

I'm guessing you are a DC United fan?

collegeparkaddick

Yes. Not the happiest of days for United, but I'll be at their Cup match with the Revolution in a few hours regardless. Should be brutal.

Can-addick

Maybe I'm naive, but what I saw at the MLS All-Star game in Toronto a few weeks ago only reinforced my belief that Beckham is here with the primary goal of leaving a legacy. He is constantly interacting with the fans, and never for a moment looked to be anything but pleased to be there, and giving his customary great effort, against a touring West Ham side. It could well be that this is motivated by arrogance, but I really don't believe that his decision to come to North America was primarily (well, certainly not solely) about the money. Obviously, there would have been a great deal of money on offer from Real Madrid or any number of European sides, and it's clear now that the vast majority of cash that he is earning in LA is incentive-based, rather than simply the enormous salary that was initially reported. As I understand it, as the league and football grow in North America, so will his earnings.

I solidly agree with Oakster on this. MLS doesn't pretend to be the Premier League, and while I've been lucky to see a decent number of matches in the UK whenever I've visited (at the Valley and other grounds), I can't say for sure where the calibre of play would fit in the Football League, but it certainly isn't anywhere near the Conference.

That said, going to matches in Toronto can only give one a distorted perception of the health of the league, as the matches are typically sold out, it is a "soccer-specific" stadium, and the atmosphere is wonderful. I can't say much for the fans being particularly knowledgable, but they are passionate...

It might not be the Premiership, or the even the CCC, but it lets us watch the game we love, and for that I am grateful.

College Park, my wife grew up in the area, and I'm planting the seeds for a TFC road trip to DC United...I'll have to try to remember to pick your brain for tips!

BlackForestReds

I've always liked Beckham as a footballer - a bit like Gazza he is one of those players who always seemed to put in a lot of effort whoever he was playing for, it's the stuff off the field that lets him down and gives him the money grabbing reputation.

collegeparkaddick

Can-Addick,

DC is always a worthwhile roadtrip, but you may want to hold off until United has a stadium built. Going to RFK at the moment is a bit of taking your life in your hands, not because of any of United's supporters (who are generally welcoming to anyone who does not support the Red Bulls), but because the stadium may actually fall on you. Tonight at the U.S. Open Cup semifinal, they basically shut down the bulk of concessions and are fully committed to letting the place go to pot, which is too bad because it used to be a great stadium to watch a match.

collegeparkaddick

Given how bad the Galaxy's defense is (they used to rely on former Middlesborough flameout Abel Xavier, who, perhaps because of the vast numbers of creative hair stylists in Los Angeles, was even worse in the US then he was across the pond), it is amazing that even they passed up on Gibbs. Or perhaps they are saving money in anticipation of Eddie Lewis returning home from Derby.

Cory will now be playing/setting on the bench with injuries for the Colorado Rapids in Denver: http://www.denverpost.com/rapids/ci_10182530

Nug

Maybe the standard has improved a bit. I used to live in Chicago and watched the Fire regularly although this was 5 years ago. But when I was back in April I watched a couple of the Galaxy games and I was quite shocked at how bad some of the players seemed. Mind you, I wasn't being that dismissive, as I think there are some really good players in the Conference, in fact most have players in that league have had considerable experience of the pro game.

I wasn't trying to be all superior about the CCC believe me I was there last night v Yeovil and we've got nothing to be superior about at the moment!

Nug

"lalas sacked, Beckham next?"


By all accounts Beckhams entourage is having more say than anyone within the Galaxy organization. Perhaps he'll be the first player/owner?

vancouveraddick

I'm a season ticket holder at the Vancouver Whitecaps who are joint top of the USL-1 (just below MLS). Top USL teams have proved themselves to be at least on a par with the majority of MLS teams thorough their exploits in Cascadia and US Open Cups and I'll be honest the standard of the USL is not conference but it's no where near the championship - Maybe League 1 or League 2 depending on which team you pick.

Beckham is on a jolly

Off_it

collegeparkaddick - a word in your shell like mate. It's called "football" not "soccer". It's played with a ball and the feet - quite simple really. Now, carry on!
;o)

F-Blocker

...but Off_it, you'll have a soc(k) on your foot and you kick a ..... actually, you're right - it's definitely football! ;o)

collegeparkaddick

Off_it:

I am an agreeable fellow. Futbol it is.