Another Post About Thierry Henry, the NY Red Bulls and the Question of Designated Players

New York Red Bulls and MLS newboy, Thierry Henry was in attendance Saturday evening in Columbus, Ohio to watch a Columbus Crew shy on confidence rediscover its stride against his new team. The two-time defending Supporters Shield holders picked apart an uninspired Red Bulls in front a less than enthralled Henry. All while questions of just how far the Red Bulls will go with the former Arsenal, Barcelona and French national team striker were thrown around with unrestrained anticipation and glee by NY sports pundits and followers of MLS alike.

Nothing can match the unmitigated frenzy of David Beckham's move to MLS in 2007, but Henry's move - while long-rumored - is drumming up some starstruck reactions and questions about the whole idea of designated players. Is Henry's move a signal of increased respect for MLS? If so, will it mean more high profile signings?

These may be the wrong questions.

Are designated players even a good idea for the league as a whole? Beckham hasn't been able to win an MLS cup with LA and the Galaxy hit the ground running this season without him. On the other hand, Guillermo Barros Schelotto has elevated the Crew to two and a half successful seasons. And while each team is allowed 3 designated players, the league has signed just 11.

But let's face it, Henry came to MLS because he loves New York City. Beckham came over for, among other reasons, the celebrity saturated landscape of L.A. So what happens to the league when the coasts are filled with DP's and the center gets overlooked? Would Ronaldhino really want to go play in Kansas City, or Ryan Giggs in Colorado?

In Defense of Robbie Rogers

Alright, I'm a Columbus Crew fan. I was born and raised in the city. I had box seats for the opening of the Major League Soccer's first soccer specific stadium. So I would like to offer some defense of a player who did not make the final 23 man roster for the U.S.'s World Cup squad: Robbie Rogers.

Back in March, I named Rogers as one of the 10 Things to Watch this MLS Season and you know what? I'd do it again.

For all his faults, Rogers has an incredible amount of potential, potential he has been starting to realize this season. He's been criticized both in Columbus and in the national team camp for his poor decision making and over reliance on his speed. However, his handling, crossing and even long range shooting have noticeably improved since the beginning of the season.

Not to mention, players like Rogers are the future of American soccer: hard working, homegrown players plying their trade with successful teams in the MLS instead of sitting on the back bench in Europe. Rogers plays nearly every week for the Crew under the on-field tuteledge of one of Argentina's legends: Guillermo Barros Schelotto. With all of this going for him, it's hard to deny that if he continues on this path, I mean, really continues improving his game, he will inevitably have a place in the 2014 World Cup campaign, but it's just a shame he wasn't given a chance to rack up some more serious international experience this time around.

In the end, while I understand Bob Bradley's choice of DaMarcus Beasley as the left wing sub for the tournament, I have to question this 4-4-1-1 position in which Benny Feilhaber occupies the left wing with Carlos Bocanegra overlapping for service more often than not. I feel that Rogers' dynamic combination of speed and two-footed prowess would be a better option for a Beasley in the starting lineup.

But then again, I admitted I'm pretty biased.

What do you think? Should players like Rogers be given the benefit of the doubt? Be given the chance to be mentored at the international level? Or is it just tough shit?

USMNT 30 Man Initial World Cup Roster Announced

Bob Bradley announced the US Men's National Team 30 man initial World Cup roster Tuesday at 2:00pm. These players will take part in a training camp beginning May 15, but only 23 will make the trip to South Africa in June.

U.S. TRAINING CAMP ROSTER BY POSITION (source):

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton)

DEFENDERS (9): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS (12): DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), José Torres (Pachuca)

FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla), Eddie Johnson (Aris Thessaloniki)

Let the speculation of who will make it and who will be sent home agonizingly shy of their dream begin.

10 Things to Watch this MLS Season

The 2010 Major League Soccer season kicks off this weekend and here are the top 10 things to watch for as the teams return to the field:

10. Robbie Rogers



With all eyes on the "bubble players" vying for seats on the plane to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa in just a few months, it's now of never for Rogers. If there was a season for Rogers to start living up to his two-footed potential, it's now. If he does, it will be impossible for anyone to keep their eyes off this dynamic midfielder.


9. The Sons of Ben



For some reason, I'm fascinated with this year's new kids on the block, the Philadelphia Union. However, they did not make the best showing during the opening game of the season at Seattle's Qwest Field last Thursday. While the fan base and support is fantastic now, this season will be rocky and in the end, it will be a fascinating litmus test for future expansion franchises who may not see as much first season success as the Sounders.


8. Houston's recovery



With the loss of Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark, there are a lot of people wondering where the goals will come from. On the other hand, some feel it will be a "groundbreaking season" for the Dynamo. It'll just be hard to tell if that ground will be positive or negative.


7. New York's revival



The opening of the New York Red Bulls new arena has got the players, management and fans speculating on just how much the franchise will improve this year. Combined with the excitement surrounding the signing of Ibrahim Salou, New York may be the rising star to watch this season.


6. Roger Torres



If anyone stood out for the Philadelphia Union, it was 18 year old Colombian sensation, Roger Torres. While he is only on loan from the Colombian team America de Cali, if he can make a home for himself in MLS, he will certainly become one of the league's stars


5. Toronto FC



Toronto FC is overdue for a breakout season. And with the pending introduction of Vancouver's MLS franchise in 2011, now is as good of a time as any for Toronto to step up and bring some pride to Canadian soccer.

4. The Seattle Sounders' Playoff Run



After the Sounders met and exceeded expectations last year with a US Cup win in their inaugural MLS season, this season, the Green Army is demanding more of their team: an MLS cup. There is no doubt that if the Sounders can combine their tremendous fan support and talent, a spectacular cup run may just be in the works.


3. Fan Attendance



Ok, so it's kind of a "No Shit, Sherlock" bullet point, but it's easily overlooked and this list is long, so lay off. The long-term viability and legitimacy of the league depend on these numbers and also on the TV deals with FOX and ESPN.


2. The World Cup Break



There are two important things to watch while the MLS takes a break during the World Cup in June: 1.) The TV viewership for both the US games and the final itself and 2.) The performance of MLS players. Both are important to the success of MLS and the future of soccer in the United States.


1. Landon Donovan



Donovan's spectacular loan stint at Everton FC had fans of the blue half of Merseyside begging for him to stay. But now that Donovan is back with the Galaxy with only months to the World Cup kicks off, many people are wondering about his future and harboring a measured optimisim that he will produce a prolific performance in South Africa.

... And the Game Goes On

When it came to my footy teams, it was quite the weekend for controversial officiating.

One call was in my favor, the other was not. Just the ying and the yang of the universe, I suppose.


First up was the Manchester United Red Devils against Tottenham Hotspur FC.

Coming off a mid-week win and in the glowing haze of both draws for Chelsea and Liverpool, Manchester United was poised to take a firm 3 point lead with a game in hand, starting with a win against Spurs at home in Old Trafford.

Spurs had not won at Old Trafford since God knows when, so the stage was set for Manchester United to get firmly back in the drivers seat for a third-consecutive Premier League title.

But with a 2-0 score in favor of Spurs at half-time, a tangible sense of doubt and fear hung in the air around the ground.

Coming out of the dressing room for the second half, Man U looked inspired, but could still not produce any goals.

That was until Carrick drew a controversial penalty (the live text commentator at ESPN Soccernet through a royal shit fit over the call, chalking it up to a blind love of Man U) and Ronaldo capitalized on it in the 57th minute.

From there on out, Manchetser United was a team born anew. The next 20 minutes saw a brilliant attacking display from the Red Devils, with FOUR MORE GOALS. By the time Berbatov netted his goal in the 78th minute, I can only imagine the best way to describe everyone in Tottenham and the the rest of the league as "shell-shocked." The final score? Manchester United 5, Tottenham 2.

Where the season goes from here is anybody's guess, but along with Macheda's wonder goal against Aston Villa, the penalty that ignited Man U will be looked back as an important moment of the campaign.

On the other side of the pond, Saturday evening found me at Columbus's Crew Stadium, eagerly awaiting yet another clash of the Midwest rivalry cultivated between the Crew and the Chicago Fire.

The Crew came into the game as defending MLS champions but without a win in their first five games. But with a beautiful night at home and an pulsating crowd, this seemed to be the night.

The game was many things, but boring was not one of them.

The Crew hit the ground running and for the first time since last November, they looked like a championship-winning squad. By the end of the first half, the score was 2-0 to the Crew, with a trademark goal by Chad Marshall and a brilliant display of composure in front of goal by Alejandro Moreno.

But just as in the Manchester/Tottenham game, the officials would have something to say about the night's outcome. This time it was in the form of a less than convincing straight red card to the Crew's left-back Gino Padula just before the hour mark.

What made the card all the more controversial was the referee's apparent lack of interest in a majority of fouls committed in the rest of the game. As a Crew fan, it felt like the referee saw Padula's tackle and suddenly remembered he had a set of cards in his pocket.

From there on out, the Fire merely wore the Crew down and equalized with two goals in the last five mintues of regulation time.

The hunt for a Columbus win continues.

A Love-Hate Relationship, Really

I have a confession to make. I abandoned Major League Soccer.

Yeah, I was that guy. I was all excited about professional soccer in my backyard, but by the time I was old enough to know better, I became disinterested.

The problem seems to be that hardcore soccer fans in America spend their lives being told that the MLS is inferior and not worth their time. So they believe its inferior and don't waste their time on it.

Well, no more. It's time to rediscover my roots. Starting with the Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire game tomorrow.