2009 Dynamo & USMNT Soccer Thread

[Keith]

Rico is leaving for Livorno, but not until January.

http://www.corrieredilivorno.com/ind.../articolo/1043

Clark al Livorno da gennaio

Ricardo Clark, giocatore americano che si è messo in luce nell'ultima Confederations Cup, è stato acquistato dal Livorno. "E' vero - spiega Aldo Spinelli, presidente del club toscano prima di entrare in Lega Calcio a Milano - ma arriverà solo a gennaio perché il club di Houston è primo in classifica in campionato e non può privarsi prima del giocatore".

According to Bernardo at the chron, the Dynamo are denying the report, but say talks are still occurring.

http://blogs.chron.com/soccer/archiv...n_daily_c.html

If the Italian report is true (or is eventually true...), it sounds like MLS and the Dynamo did well in putting their foot in the ground about keeping Rico through the end of the season. Good for the Dynamo, hopefully good for Rico.

Good for the USMNT, too, assuming Rico isn't just going to sit on the bench. Livorno has been promoted back to Serie A this season, so the competition should be among the best in the world.

[papabear]

Really happy for Rico, but hate to see him go. You know this was going to happen eventually....we've been too good for to long for some of our younger players not to start getting picked off. Holden could be next if his strong Gold Cup leads to more USMNT playing time and the exposure that comes with it.

I hope the Dynamo can reload as well as they have in the past.

[Keith]

I've probably said this before, but I'm surprised Rico has stuck around the MLS this long.

One thing a bit confusing to me here though... I thought Rico's contract ran out after this season. If so (I don't follow MLS financials at all like I do the NFL's), and if Livorno was willing to wait until January to add Rico, then why bother the Dynamo/MLS now about transfer fees? I must be missing something, either that or Livorno must be trying to get Rico sooner than the January transfer window?

As for Stu, yeah, he could maybe start for a mid-table EPL club and make way more money. At 23, he still has a long career ahead of him. I've heard arguments that he (and Rico) should wait to move overseas until after the 2010 World Cup given their chances at greater global exposure, but these guys aren't getting any younger, either.

The Dynamo offense is lacking without Holden in the middle. Cameron is not the answer. He can play all over, but it's not his best midfield position. Since Davis is better left, Ashe is better wide, ugh.... even if Holden is with the team next season, finding his backup should be priority #1 since it seems ever more likely he could be in South Africa next summer.

[papabear]

Originally Posted by Keith

I've probably said this before, but I'm surprised Rico has stuck around the MLS this long.

One thing a bit confusing to me here though... I thought Rico's contract ran out after this season. If so (I don't follow MLS financials at all like I do the NFL's), and if Livorno was willing to wait until January to add Rico, then why bother the Dynamo/MLS now about transfer fees? I must be missing something, either that or Livorno must be trying to get Rico sooner than the January transfer window?

As for Stu, yeah, he could maybe start for a mid-table EPL club and make way more money. At 23, he still has a long career ahead of him. I've heard arguments that he (and Rico) should wait to move overseas until after the 2010 World Cup given their chances at greater global exposure, but these guys aren't getting any younger, either.

The Dynamo offense is lacking without Holden in the middle. Cameron is not the answer. He can play all over, but it's not his best midfield position. Since Davis is better left, Ashe is better wide, ugh.... even if Holden is with the team next season, finding his backup should be priority #1 since it seems ever more likely he could be in South Africa next summer.

I'm with you...it sounds to me like Livorno isn't willing to meet the Dynamo's asking price for a transfer, but that means they get nothing when he leaves. Although at this point winning another MLS cup is probably more important than a few million from a transfer fee.

We've got depth at nearly every position other than Holden's. I don't think he'll go anywhere until after next summers world cup so there's plenty of time there.

[superbowlbound]

Sucks to see Rico go, but we've all known this was coming for a while now. Let's just enjoy him while we've got him. It's definitely the right move for him. I only wonder how long we'll get to keep Stewie. He was the best player on the pitch for much of the Gold Cup. Euro clubs should be beating down his door perhaps as early as this offseason. Though it wouldn't surprise me if he stuck around another year, as I'm sure there will be much more training availability with the national team if he's in the states than if he were overseas.

[Joel]

Originally Posted by superbowlbound

He was the best player on the pitch for much of the Gold Cup.

not at all to pick on SBB, but your use of the word "pitch" here is emblematic of my biggest pet peeves when americans write/talk about soccer.

why do we (americans) feel the need to adopt british lingo when talking about soccer? "pitch" isn't a "soccer" word (whatever that means) it's a british word. when we played the sport as kids, we called it a "field," so why the change in recent years?

other examples: "pace" (not "speed" or "quickness"), "kit" (not "uniform"), "extratime" (not "overtime"), "table" (not "standings"), "sent off" (not "thrown out"), and so on.

we use the other words to talk about the same things in other sports - why switch for soccer? the "soccer words" don't convey any special or soccer-specific meaning - they're just the ones that the english use. and i bet the english use these same words in other sports, yet we haven't adopted them there (for example, i bet they talk of a cricket "kit," but have you ever heard of a baseball "kit?"). this is especially evident during TV broadcasts and in internet coverage such as that at soccer.com, etc., but it has crept into casual usage as well.

sorry to vent, but i figured if anyone would be sympathetic, it would be this primarily (american) football crowd. thoughts?

[papabear]

Originally Posted by Joel

not at all to pick on SBB, but your use of the word "pitch" here is emblematic of my biggest pet peeves when americans write/talk about soccer.

why do we (americans) feel the need to adopt british lingo when talking about soccer? "pitch" isn't a "soccer" word (whatever that means) it's a british word. when we played the sport as kids, we called it a "field," so why the change in recent years?

other examples: "pace" (not "speed" or "quickness"), "kit" (not "uniform"), "extratime" (not "overtime"), "table" (not "standings"), "sent off" (not "thrown out"), and so on.

we use the other words to talk about the same things in other sports - why switch for soccer? the "soccer words" don't convey any special or soccer-specific meaning - they're just the ones that the english use. and i bet the english use these same words in other sports, yet we haven't adopted them there (for example, i bet they talk of a cricket "kit," but have you ever heard of a baseball "kit?"). this is especially evident during TV broadcasts and in internet coverage such as that at soccer.com, etc., but it has crept into casual usage as well.

sorry to vent, but i figured if anyone would be sympathetic, it would be this primarily (american) football crowd. thoughts?

I try not to do it too much, but I work with a lot of Europeans and I probably spend more time talking about soccer with them as anyone else...they get just as upset when someone uses "american" terms to talk about soccer as you do when an American uses "English" terms. I would correct them if they called a football field a "pitch" just like they correct me when I refer to the "pitch" as a field.

For years the only way for soccer fans in the US to enjoy the game was to piggy back on teams from around the world. Even now most of the announcers are either from the UK, or are x-players who spent their entire career in Europe using the English terms. It's just natural that you pick some of it up from listening to them.