On previous episodes of the Major League Soccer Talk podcast, we have approached the potential players strike from the media’s perspective (Grant Wahl, Steve Davis), the (former) player’s perspective (Claudio Reyna), as well as the legal perspective (our February series). Today, we get more of a fan’s perspective, though a fan’s perspective that’s informed by covering the league day-to-day. Bruce McGuire (du Nord) and Drew Epperley (WV Hooligan) are two of the internet’s most prominent bloggers, and on Thursday they joined me to provide another perspective on the league’s labor problems.
New video ad for Red Bull Arena that includes RBNY Midfielder/Defender Jeremy Hall practicing at Montclair State University and a supporter taking the PATH Train (Port Authority of NY & NJ Train) to Red Bull Arena. It looks awesome.
While the current labor negotiations are currently on everyone’s mind and rightfully so, the Columbus Crew had to take care of their own business and that was traveling down to Mexico to face Toluca in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals.
After a two all draw at Crew Stadium last week in the first leg Columbus were ready to go down and try for history as well as a possible upset, but the match started in Toluca’s favor. So many chances for the home side in the first half and a couple of times it would be Will Hesmer making some brilliant saves or the crossbar would help him out as well. On one replay you saw the ball hit the near corner bar and land directly on the goal line, but never crossing it entirely.
But Columbus would get their chance to dent the scoreboard as a penalty was called just inside the first minute of stoppage time. A hand ball was whistled down by Referee Edgar Duenas and it would be Guillermo Barros Schelotto who took the spot kick and converts in the 2nd minute of first half stoppage time. Columbus leads one goal to nil & three goals to two lead on the Aggregate at the half.
Toluca of course came out to start the second half and attacked to get level. They were on a run in the 46th minute and converted a goal, but it was called back because Duenas called for a penalty to Toluca. On the replays there seemed to be no foul inside the area and Toluca would get a second chance to score the equalizer & Hector Mancilla did so in the 47th Minute. It was one all on the scoreboard, three all on aggregate with Toluca ahead on away goals two to one.
This match was getting very exciting and you never know what was going to happen next. The Crew were called for a foul just five feet outside their area and in the 57th minute, a fabulous free kick by Sinha nails the bottom of the crossbar and crossed over the entire line for the two one lead. But the Crew was determined to equalize and did so in the 70th minute. Danny O’Rourke attacked down the near side and crossed the ball into the area; Steven Lenhart who was the hero in the first leg would try to score. He hit the far post and the rebound went towards Schelotto who converted his second goal of the match and the aggregate leveled at four as well as the away goals leveled at two a piece.
What a great second goal Schelotto converted, but sadly it all went for not two minutes later. A foul just outside the Columbus area again and Sinha with another free kick situation. Just one solid smack into the near upper 90 and Sinha takes the aggregate back for Toluca. A foolish challenge by Eddie Gaven just a couple of feet outside the area allowed Toluca to take advantage.
Any hopes for a fantastic finish and a possible third equalizer of the match for the Crew would be for not as Steven Lenhart in the 80th minute would be shown a red card for an off the ball foul and the Crew were down to ten men for the rest of the match. Even though Columbus was eliminated from Champions League play, I have to say that they looked fantastic on the field.
If Frankie Hejduk & Guillermo Barros Schelotto weren’t suspended for the first leg, this series could’ve been a little bit better. But honestly credit goes to the players and the coaching staff of Robert Warzycha for getting them ready to play and battle to the end. But now we have to wait for this coming August & September to see if the Crew gets a second chance along with defending MLS Cup Champions Real Salt Lake, Runner up Los Angeles Galaxy & defending US Open Cup Champions Seattle Sounders FC will get a crack to win on Mexican soil. But hopefully this strike from the MLS Players Union is avoided.
If you thought that MLS and its players union had until March 25 to avert a work stoppage and get a new collective bargaining agreement done, the timetable has moved up a bit.
Multiple reports, quoting sources close to the investigation, have stated that the players will strike on Monday, March 22, if a new deal isn’t done.
AEG CEO and President Tim Leiweke claims only a couple of MLS clubs will make money. (Photo: Getty Images)
Thanks to Dave Clark at SounderAtHeart, we have a better idea if MLS owners are actually losing money, a key part of a recent public relations effort (see Leiweke and Wolf) to take the labor debate to the fans.
The idea that MLS is losing money is one of the key (if not the only) ideas that have some MLS fans on the owners’ side (though as we found out here, there aren’t as many as the most vocal commenters might have you believe).
As Tim Leiweke told the Los Angeles Times yesterday, “There are only a couple of [MLS] teams that will make money this year.”
Such claims, as well as claims about free agency inherently increasing labor costs, deserve discussion, criticism.
According to Clark, who took information from a Portland Timbers’ public disclosure to update the 2007 Forbes study, we can be confident two teams made money (Seattle, Toronto). There are five other clubs who are within his margin for error (Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, San Jose, Los Angeles, Houston).
There are a couple of caveats to Dave’s work. First, as he readily admits, it’s based off of incomplete information. The Portland disclosure was detailed but not the bottom line, and his work is dependent on it.
Soccer United Marketing is expected to pay $1.6 million to Portland in each of the next five years, according to public documents.
Second, the numbers don’t count the money clubs get from Soccer United Marketing. Dave points out that they are technically separate entities. In the interest of not confounding the data, he keeps the SUM disbursement out. If the $1.6 million was included, Chivas USA and New England may have also made money last year.
Finally, the numbers do not include disbursements from expansion fees. Seattle paid $30 million to come into the league. Each team in the league should have received $2 million from it. Merritt Paulson has said that the Portland fee was $40 million. Perhaps that fee and not Seattle’s should be counted on last year’s books.
Regardless, things look much better for MLS clubs if you consider these fees. With them and the SUM number, the potentially profitable clubs expands to include Colorado and Kansas City – 11 of the 15 clubs that played last season.
This is also within the context of an economic downturn, the premise of Dave’s column. If you buy into that premise, the 2009 numbers could be considered near the bottom of the range of outcomes for an otherwise growing league.
Dave’s work is not exhaustive, and the viability of including SUM and expansion fee revenues may not be strong. However, thanks to the Portland release, Dave’s legwork, and the foundation provided by the 2007 Forbes research, blind trust of the owner’s claims may be more naive than we had previously thought.
There are a few other concepts that need to be further explored.
The first show will be this Wednesday March 17th at 2:00PM Please click the link so you can get to the page & listen to the show.
Guests: Blake Compton of the Hudson Street Hooligans discusses the Columbus Crew’s 1st leg match against Toluca in the Quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.
NY Daily News writer and New York Red Bulls beat writter Michael Lewis also of Big Apple Soccer. Audio from Red Bulls Media Day as well. Discussing Landon Donovan & his Everton loan spell.
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