From the front page of Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

FYI: €8 million = $10.5 million.


Meanwhile, reports claim Milan has accepted a Palmeiras bid for Ronaldinho. This will undoubtedly be followed up by claims by Milan that he will stay with them despite the interest. It's also worth noting that the Brazilian, dealing with a muscle strain, will not accompany Milan on their US trip to play in Detroit.

Sure, the Galaxy crashed out of the CONCACAF Champions League. It would be disingenuous to portray their exit otherwise, especially considering the egg they laid last week in LA. Losing 4-1 at home is a disaster, and the effort the Galaxy put in a disgrace. Last night's win, 2-1 over the Islanders in Puerto Rico, is only a small measure of pride-saving. The hill was steep, and between the Galaxy's form (not good), the Islanders' defending, and Bill Gaudette (both his play and his slow-mo routine), LA was in no position to make the climb.


Give the Islanders credit. They got up for the LA leg and built an insurmountable lead; MLS teams would be smart to take a few cues from Colin Clarke and Co. The Islanders success, 2010 being the third consecutive year they've advanced from the preliminary round, is no fluke. Puerto Rico isn't tearing it up in USSF D2, but they clearly know how to handle themselves in cup competitions.


Barring a shock bid from out of nowhere from a club he's is comfortable moving to, it doesn't look like Donovan is going anywhere this summer. If LA is keeping the band together, with the possible return of David Beckham looming, it would have been nice to see them in the CCL's group phase taking on the likes of Toluca. The Galaxy were one of the better MLS hopes considering their dominant (up until the last few weeks) league form and the quality of players like Donovan and Buddle. It's a shame then that they lost their focus at the wrong time, hit a rough patch that was bound to come eventually, and ran into a side that takes care of business in the CONCACAF Champions League.


So the league has four teams in the group stages as opposed to five. I don't suspect anyone believed all three of the clubs with preliminary match-ups would make it through, and while who did and who didn't is a mild surprise, the league is still well-represented.


Now to see a few of them can get out of the groups.


Meanwhile, I'll be rooting for the Islanders to make another deep run into the tournament. If MLS teams continue to struggle to break the Mexican monopoly, it makes sense to pull for a club playing in the Canadian/American second division.

B-Mac 127
Ben Aranda 124
Julius 116
Ross Hopper 115
Jason Kuenle 111
Jason Davis 101
John Carlton 97
Matt (NES) 96
mrburito2 82
thedoe 80
Alex Will 72
Martek 51
CVO 47
Travis 39
Wes Mills 39
WV Hooligan 32

by Brian Mechanick

The USA roster has been released for the August 11 friendly vs. Brazil, and here it is:


GOALKEEPERS- Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton)

DEFENDERS- Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Étienne), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)

MIDFIELDERS- Alejandro Bedoya (Örebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)

FORWARDS- Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Pachuca)


Thoughts on the Roster:

Bob Bradley and US Soccer have sent a clear message with this roster: win. A friendly against Brazil in front of 55,000+ fans in New York is not the time to play an experimental roster. The USMNT has some momentum right now, and win over Brazil could be good step in keeping it going into next summer’s Gold Cup, hosted in the USA.


Bradley was wise to leave out the players with the most unsteady club situations. Jozy Altidore is reportedly in the process of moving to Turkey’s Beşiktaş. Jay DeMerit and DeMarcus Beasley are without teams. Stuart Holden needs to lock down a starting job after missing much of Bolton’s season with injury, Clint Dempsey needs to impress new manager Mark Hughes, and Oguchi Onyewu needs to do anything he can to get a shot to play at AC Milan.


Some fans really wanted to see some young players play against Brazil (the likes of Omar Gonzalez, Ike Opara, and Edgar Castillo), but this isn’t the game for that. With more friendlies to come in the fall against lesser-known teams, expect the youth to begin got be mixed in then.


The striker pool is thin, but choosing Charlie Davies would not be the right decision. Reports are Davies is still on the way back from his injuries, and he would be much better served getting better and trying to get back into the mix at Sochaux then getting a 10 minute run around vs. Brazil.


Jermiane Jones is the name that stands out as a member of the roster. After being hyped for a year before the World Cup, Jones’ injuries proved too much for him to join the USMNT. At 28 some debate if he’s too old to factor for 2014, but as the most talented defensive midfielder to play for the US since John O’Brien’s heyday, Bradley is wise to see what the German can do.


Look for this game to be the start of Clarence Goodson’s fight to be a starting CB through this next cycle. He impressed in his brief appearances so far with the team, and a strong performance against Brazil could help push Goodson out of Norway to a bigger league.


Don’t be surprised with this striker pool if we see Bradley go to the 4-3-3/4-5-1 that was so much more effective for the USA in the second halves of its games. In Donovan, Bedoya, and Kljestan, the USA has the attacking players who can play in support of a strong striker like Edson Buddle.


A lineup prediction: (4-5-1):

---------------Howard-----------------
Cherundolo—Goodson—Bocanegra—Bornstein
------Bradley---Edu---Feilhaber-------
Bedoya-------------------------Donovan
---------------Buddle-----------------

I'm big on perspective. There are occasions where I write long posts in anguished attempts to provide a bit of it to not only you, the reader, but to myself. Writing is often an exercise in fleshing out my own feelings on a subject as I type, before I have any concrete notions in mind and as my brain considers a topic logically. Soccer fans tend to be a touch myopic, and I can be as guilty as anyone. The desire to present a reasoned blog post that makes a solid argument while acknowledging the potential counterpoints means I tend to be careful about making sweeping proclamations without considering practical concerns.


Criticism is easy. Insight is not.


Perspective too easily takes the tenor of excuse. We avoid mentioning little details like the short existence of MLS, the relative youth of the US program as a serious exercise, and the natural growing pains that should be expected as a result. Criticism is important as a spur to progress, but it's no less valid if it acknowledges mitigating factors. We all want MLS and American soccer to leap forward in Moon gravity-like bounds; that doesn't mean we have to throw perspective out of the window.


Miriti Murungi sums it all up so I don't have to. If you ever find yourself in need of a bit of perspective, I suggest reading and rereading his wonderfully unsubtle and appropriately framed post. We live in a country with a professional top-flight league that is not yet old enough to have a player in it who was born when the league existed. As time passes, Miriti's points will become less and less important. But for now, they carry significant weight.


It doesn't mean we should stop pushing, prodding, asking, and analyzing. It just means we should do all those things while remembering just how new all of this truly is.

As we close in the Brazil match, I think it's a fitting time to take a look forward to Brazil 2014. Many throughout the soccer media and blogosphere have put together lists of who could be on the plane, more interesting to me is what will the team look like. Who develops, who avoids injuries, who is on top form come 2014 is impossible to guess. However, by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the pools instead of individuals, we can form a general idea of what the overall team’s strengths and weakness will be. Building a formation that plays to the strengths of the pool rather than the individuals creates the team style that we've all been looking for the US to develop. Accentuating the strengths and hiding the weaknesses of the pool should be the goal.

The 4-4-2 that Bob Bradley used sporadically in early 2009 and throughout the last 12 months succeeded to a certain extent in hiding the US’ weaknesses. When possible better defending side backs (Bocanegra and Cherundolo) and central midfielders capable of defending well (Bradley, Clark, and Edu) attempted to reinforce a back pairing vulnerable to ground passes. Goal scoring was handled by a talented midfield while opportunities were created for them by using a bull (Altidore) and space created by a cheetah (Davies, then Findley).

But the next four years will see departures, development, and new arrivals. Below is my analysis of each positions’ strengths and weaknesses (with links to Keith's analysis of the pool) followed by an analysis of how those strengths and weaknesses fit together.

Positional Analysis

Goalkeeper – Doesn’t matter, it’s not going to effect the formation. But they’ll still be good.

Center Backs – The strengths of the center back pool are their size and strength. Many are projecting a Gooch/Gonzalez CB pair that would be 12 feet, 9 inches and 420 pounds in the central defense. This group is not the fastest, while most of them aren’t slow compared to you or me, in the upper echelons of soccer, they have average speed at best.

Side backs (Left and Right) – That the two side backs on the 2010 World Cup roster who are under 30 were both converted forwards should be a sign about this player pool; defense is not their forte. With the exception of Spector, this player pool does not have Bocanegra type players who can play CB or a SB equally well. But compared to their CB brethren, this group is fast. In fact, compared to elite soccer players, some members of this group are fast. They also have a decent bit of attacking prowess.

Central midfield – Depth, depth, and more depth. It’s time like this where I wish we could trade national team players. I’m sure we could find some country who would take some beefy 6’3” CB and Sacha Kljestan for an above average striker. But really this group can that has players that can do just about anything that you would want them to do. Defend, yes. Score, yes. Pass, yes. As a group they maybe a little light on dribble technique, that’s about all I’ve got for weaknesses.

Wings – This is again a position where the US has a lot of cover and individuals that can do most anything that a coach could wish for. This group has tons of pace, decent dribbling skills for breaking down defenses, can be the creative forces of the team, can score, and can even get back and defend. Surprisingly though there is a general lack of great crossers from the flanks. This is more a group that likes to cut in towards goal.

Forwards – This is probably the toughest group to break down. We can safely assume that the US will have some speedy striker options and some power striker options. What we don’t know is whether anyone in this pool will be a great finisher come 2014.

Formation Analysis

Starting from the back begins to limit what formations make sense for the US to play. With a relatively non-diverse center back pool and no standout defensive options in the side back pool, playing three across the back is a non-starter. That leaves us with two center backs anchoring the formation.

With two slowish CBs in the middle, defensive support will be required from other positions to fill gaps. Because the side back positions will necessarily have their own defensive responsibilities with attacking wingers, a defensive midfielder is probably a necessity.

Because of the size and strength of the CB pairing, the US should not be highly vulnerable to crosses. This means the side backs need only prevent wingers from cutting into the box. This does not require highly skilled tacklers, phenomenal positional awareness, or other great defensive capabilities, it requires decent tactical awareness and great speed. It also should allow for the side backs to get forward on a regular basis. All of these characteristics play into the pool’s strengths and result in players playing more like wingbacks than fullbacks.

With the attacking capacity of having wingbacks over fullbacks, employing traditional side midfielders is redundant. Moreover, the lack of crossing skill in the winger pool makes this not a huge loss. Not having side midfielders eliminates the possibility of a 4-4-2, a 4-4-1-1, or a 4-2-3-1. By stationing the defensive midfielder in the hole in front of the center backs, space is created to use two center midfielders, the position the US is currently deepest in. The center midfielder pool is filled with players who have played both central midfielder and side midfield in the current 4-4-2, having a skill set that allows them to play a little wider than a traditional center mid. Players like Feilhaber, Kljestan, and Torres have this combination of skills.

With eight players positioned the formation looks like this:

              GK

         CB        CB
WB        DM         WB
         CM       CM

Here’s where things get interesting. There are a number of ways to configure the final three positions. The primary three being 1) three on top to form the classic WW, 2) an attacking midfielder and two center forwards for a diamond midfield and 3) a variation of the 4-3-2-1, Christmas tree could be used.

A non-traditional (read non-symmetrical) option would be to have one attacking midfielder and one center forward and a single winger. This winger could either be constrained to one side or have the freedom to float back and forth as the game progressed.

More than the rest of the formation, the placement of the three primary attackers will depend on who develops and who is on form throughout the cycle. Because of the current state of the striker pool, the US is probably better off in a formation using one true striker supported by several surrounding players. Removing most of the defensive responsibility from a support player like Donovan would alter his positioning on the field allowing him to give a lone striker support that he cannot give in his current role. The combinations that give this support are comprised of attacking midfielders and hybrid midfielders/forwards. The number of right foot options cutting in from the left side makes that side the more likely to house a single wing forward.

Since before the Confederations Cup, Brazil used an unbalanced formation. Unbalanced formations will likely become more common over the next four years as a way to create mismatches and open space for attackers. The US could benefit from this trend. In a formation with a single winger on the left, space is opened on the right for the right sided central midfielder (likely Michael Bradley) to move forward into the box. It also allows a centrally stationed attacking midfielder (perhaps Holden, Donovan, or Dempsey) to cheat slightly right to find space when necessary. As of now, Bradley still owns the record for most goals by a US international in a European club season. Until two strikers can prove to be better goal scorers than Bradley, Donovan, and Dempsey, it makes sense to create a formation that puts these players in positions to score.

Overall, this type of formation creates the passing triangles that stimulate possession. At the same time, the aging of our best defensive sidebacks means the US will lose some of its ability to withstand pressure. However, the talent pool is beginning to generate the players needed to play a more possession based game as way to alleviate pressure on the US defense. The pieces are all there to make a change to a radically different system.

A couple of side notes:

Thanks to Must Read Soccer, after I wrote the vast majority of this piece, I saw this article, about the WW formation, which only intensifies the rationale for migrating to this formation.

If Bob Bradley stays on as coach, I think we will see him tinker with these types of formations, because he has already tried a similar formation in a very important game for the US. As I was writing this post, I realized that this was a very similar formation that he used in the ill-fated Costa Rica game at Saprissa. Bradley went for speed and attacking from the side back positions with Beasley and Wynne. And while it was listed as a 4-3-3, it was more of a 4-3-1-2 with Donovan playing the role of support striker/attacking midfielder sitting centrally behind Altidore and Dempsey.

In that Costa Rica match, the US looked like it had no clue what it was doing in the new formation. Missed tackles by Torres and Mastroeni and Wynne’s decision to force a winger inside instead of outside resulted in goals against the US, resulting in a formation change at halftime and destroying any hope that Bradley may have had in moving to this formation for the 2010 World Cup. However, conceptually this type of formation makes sense for the US talent pool and they make sense from a tactical standpoint to counteract the 4-2-3-1. With a cycle to implement it, and the maturation of the necessary pieces, I think Bob would give it another go. However, with the importance of the Gold Cup, I can see him waiting until after then to make the change.

The biggest MLS news of the day is the dismissal of Curt Onalfo, on the job for just eight months, as head coach of DC United. Taking his place on an interim basis will be United legend Ben Olsen, an assistant with the team since ending his playing career last year.


The winds of change are blowing in DC, though some United fans will tell you they're either not blowing hard enough or are blowing in the wrong direction.


Olsen's appointment smacks of temporary fan-sating. The team has been poor all season, one of their most important players is out injured, the club will be forced to eat Onalfo's salary for two more years, and the new man in charge is a fan-favorite from his playing days with zero head coaching experience. Onalfo was sacrificed to gain some goodwill with an understandably frustrated fan base. Whether Olsen's appointment has any actual on-field effect is almost inconsequential. For all intents and purposes, United is playing out the string on a lost season.


This "new" MLS, one in which stadiums are in-place, going up or getting funded, pricey name players are signing up, and organizational consistency and excellent scouting are crucial for budget-conscious owners, has somehow left the league's original preeminent franchise behind. United's situation is troubling on nearly every front, from their last place standing this season and club-crippling stadium situation to missteps in the front office and lack of accountability on almost every issue. As an admittedly partial observer yet far from die-hard fan, I'm left to simply shake my head at what United has become and might yet face. Make no mistake: Eveything is interconnected.


MLS is not yet, and may not be for many years, a league in which the biggest markets are set up to dominate. But a path to that possibility is emerging, and with United unable to pull off Columbus or Real Salt Lake-like success (meaning smart player acquisition coupled with solid coaching on a middling budget), the future won't be any easier. RFK-as-albatross should not be an excuse for losing, but it is undoubtedly a factor. The more fans that stop showing up because the club is not winning, the more the financial burden of RFK weighs on owner Will Chang; United has amazing fans that set standards for support in the league's early history, but even they can't be expected to spend money on a terrible product presented in a terrible venue forever. With no stadium news other than worrying whispers of Baltimore interest, the club's biggest rival in a glimmering new venue with talent to match, and future prospects of the four-time MLS champions less-than-encouraging, it's a credit to United's fans that attendance has remained respectable.


The lack of stadium movement must make the failures on the field that much more difficult to bear for fans of a proud franchise. Stadium uncertainty and the possibility of relocation (to Baltimore or elsewhere) is a black cloud hanging over everything United does; excitement from a return to the playoffs and a deep run back to respectability would help, but would still be muted by the reality that DC United might not be DC United for very long. Even if a move isn't on the horizon quite yet, every year spent in RFK will simply reinforce United's place as a second-class MLS franchise. Almost every other club is moving forward, already has a comfortable situation, or benefits from relationships that keep costs down. Intransigent local government, an easy scapegoat but certainly a major player in where United sits today, has effectively crippled the organization.


All is not lost, of course. This is MLS, where season-to-season turnarounds are possible, where half the league makes the playoffs with a shot at the title, and where a few key acquisitions can make a massive difference. Olsen might turn the club around in the second half, and 2011 could be much better. Attendance could rise again, helping to offset losses the club continues to take from the rent on RFK. The depths of despair in this league are less-deep than they might be in a competition with no salary cap, and parity is a saving grace. But even a bit of on-field success doesn't change the reality that DC United is being left behind by a rapidly changing league. It's almost impossible to see a return to prominence for DC United from where we stand today.


United's last major success, the Supporters Shield in 2007, is not that far in the past. The club's last MLS Cup title was only six years ago. But with MLS changing dramatically from year to year in the post-DP Rule and SSS world, those glories might as well be ancient history.


Ben Olsen is a link to that history, and perhaps he can squeeze some positives out of 2010. At this point, that possibility is just about all United fans have to hold on to.

Motagua 2 Toronto 2 (Toronto advances 3-2 on aggregate)

Metapán 1 Seattle 1 (Seattle advances 2-1 on aggregate)


With a bar set low enough that even a stumbling step might clear it, it wouldn't have taken much for MLS to have its best collective night ever in the CONCACAF Champions League. By simply taking care of business, earning draws in the difficult environs of Central America, and proceeding to the groups stages as a result, Seattle and Toronto leaped over the bar. In that four hour span, the two sides gave MLS fans a reason to hope that noise will be made in the tournament this time around.


Win at home, draw on the road; that formula guarantees success in a two-legged series, and both club followed it perfectly. Neither dominated. Goals were at a premium, with both taking slim margins into the return legs in Honduras and El Salvador respectively. Both fell behind early, had the aggregate leveled, and needed a response to ensure advancement. Both found ways to put the ball in the net, through a perfect Maicon Santos pass and cool DeRo finish followed by a lucky bounce for Chad Barrett and a well-taken breakaway in Toronto's case, and a moment of brilliance on a long-range header from new signing Alvaro Fernandez in Seattle's.


Considering the travails faced by each team, a draining travel ordeal for Toronto and a torrential downpour for Seattle, their accomplishments shouldn't be discounted. We can dismiss their wins as what MLS teams should do, but recent history suggests it's okay to be pleased. MLS teams fail too often in Central America for these two draws to be swept aside as simply meeting expectations. Past results didn't match with a perceived advantage in quality. A bit of perspective too easily sounds like easy excuses for anyone to be comfortable; nevertheless, last night was a feather in the league's cap and a step forward in its Champions League efforts.


And then we have the Galaxy, set to face the Islanders tonight in Bayamon. LA's hole is too deeply dug for me to think they have a shot of climbing out, but they do have a chance to earn a bit of respect with a win. Hopes naturally fell to what seemed to be the best team in the league, and while I'm still disappointed with how they opened last week, Seattle and Toronto winning is a salve. As long at the Galaxy don't embarrass themselves tonight (then again, I'm not sure it matters), MLS-backers can move forward feeling good about two out of three getting through and four total clubs representing the league in the group stages.


I know not every MLS fan is happy today (rival fans and haters of the two teams would probably have preferred failure), but those of us that can't help but root for any of our teams in international play have reason to smile. Until the next step is made or a team (or teams) fail in group play, that's enough.


It's just too bad about the Galaxy.


Toronto goes into Group A with Cruz Azu (MEX), Real Salt Lake (USA), and Árabe Unido (PAN).

Seattle goes into Group C with Monterrey(MEX), Saprissa (CRC), and the winner of Tauro (PAN) v. Marathón (HON)


Group matches start August 17th.

If you're fairly new to soccer, or are just young enough that anything pre-2006 is a blur, you might not realize how big a deal Clint Mathis really was. Full of talent, full of attitude, and the sport's first true "character" in the US, Mathis' promise was only exceeded by his confidence.


Mathis announced his retirement today, effective following the Galaxy's friendly against Real Madrid, bringing to a close a career that spanned twelve years and included stints with LA on multiple occasions, New York on multiple occasions, as well as stops in Germany, Greece, Colorado, and Salt Lake City. Mathis was always in demand because when he played to his potential, he was truly dynamic.


In the aftermath of the US quarterfinal run in 2002, a tournament in which Mathis scored his only World Cup goal against South Korea, Clint was a pretty big deal. Here he is on the Daily Show talking about the World Cup, MLS, and a potential move to Europe (which didn't come for two more years, an interim during which Mathis was not a happy camper). The soft-spoken public Mathis stands in contrast to his brash on-field image:



The Original Clint's goal against South Korea in the 2002 World Cup:




Mathis was a character, something our league and our sport wants for far too often. Characters create stories, stories create interest, interest creates fans. I have no doubt that there are more than a few Americans who fell in love with the game because they were drawn to Clint Mathis. He was just that fascinating.


His career is over, but Clint's legacy will last.

Editor's Note: MFUSA writer Vlad Bouchouev attended the Red Bulls unveiling of new signing Rafa Marquez today at Red Bull Arena.

by Vlad Bouchouev

What a fantastic few weeks it has been for MLS. It hasn’t been the most active transfer market around the world but it certainly has been frantic by MLS standards. Kudos to MLS and its teams for being smart and proactive during this window.


The signing of Rafael Marquez is significant on many different levels. First, it is the first time a MLS team will have three Designated Players on their roster; with that in mind the Red Bulls have now surpassed the Galaxy as the league’s highest profile club. And although it may seem that the Red Bulls are now setting the bar with the big-name signings, MLS commissioner Don Garber explained that this is in no way a message to other clubs to begin signing Designated Players. The Red Bulls are simply trying to help the league by elevating themselves to a new frontier.

Secondly, Marquez’s signing is a direct marketing ploy to attract more Hispanics and Latinos to MLS games. Garber also confirmed this at Marquez’s press conference, explaining that it was in New York’s best interest to sign a player that would be able to reach out to the area’s large Mexican-American community.


Thirdly, it was now the confirmation that MLS is being taken seriously in Europe. Players like Marquez and Alvaro Fernandez could have more or less easily found a European team for which to play. Specifically in Marquez’s case, the Red Bulls had to fend off European giants Juventus to get the signature of the Mexican captain. On a basic level, players are beginning to treat MLS clubs with respect approaching clubs like Juventus. Not only is there an influx of talent in the league, but these players are by no means “washed-up”; as Marquez indicated earlier today, “I have not come here to finish my career. I am only 31 years old.”

Whether or not the recent signings will be an ultimate success is not yet clear. But let’s face it: anytime big clubs around the world make multi-million dollar signings there is some heavy risk involved (Wow, I’m already starting to call the Red Bulls a “big club”). However the league is trying very hard to make “tactical” signings and not just waste money. Like Red Bulls sporting director Eric Soler explained, “When you build a soccer team, the most important things are the things on the pitch, but you need the right personalities as well. That has been a huge consideration for the NY Red Bulls.” As a fan of the MLS, you couldn’t be happier to hear that -- we’re blessed that club are not just signing egos (like some notorious clubs do overseas) but top-class professionals that will gradually build up this league. David Beckham was signed mainly as a marketing tool to promote the game. Cuahutemoc Blanco, Nery Castillo, and now Rafael Marquez were signed to attract the Hispanic and Latino populations. Blaise Nkufo and Mista were signed as quality under-the-radar players. Yes, there have been a few unsuccessful big-name signings like Denilson and Luis Angel Landin in recent years, but every team is going to have a few bad signings every now and then. What is positive is that it seems that the league is learning from their mistakes, as well as mistakes from its predecessor, the NASL.


It’s great time to be a fan of American soccer. So if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, I urge you to do so. As for the Red Bulls, they've likely reached the level of most hated team on MLS for all the right reasons. Finally, a little bit more zest in this league! It should be one fantastic finish to this already historic season.

The dawning of a new era in Major League Soccer, one in which New York can outspend everyone and acquire a trio of high-priced talents, has inevitably created a bit of worry. "Parity" has for so long been the overriding principle of the league that one must wonder how the relaxing of the DP rule might affect the competitive balance. NFL-bred Don Garber is now in charge of a league that is creeping out of its fifteen-year old box; where the league is headed, and if that direction might create a top-heavy competition or an NASL-style downfall, is suddenly the question du jour.


Steve Davis is concerned, Clemente Lisi floated a question, and Tom Dunmore outlined the disparity between the new MLS reality and Don Garber's all-for-one background. Dunmore's piece provides framing and prompts natural questions while Lisi and Davis are more direct in their insinuations that MLS is playing with fire by letting loose the purse strings. For the latter two, perhaps years of observing MLS and watching the league go through pains to get where it is today, combined with the shadow of NASL (which Lisi evokes throughout), makes skepticism natural.


And I'll admit, even as I'm exhilarated that MLS is lurching forward dramatically, I wonder if it might be too much, too fast. Luckily, there are a few facts that make this MLS version (what are we on now, 2.5? 3.0?) a far cry from the NASL. In fact, I laid out some reasons for that belief in a post for Four Four Two just last week. Even the question of competitive imbalance is up in the air, with the second half of the 2010 season giving us our first glimpse at a flashier MLS and what it might mean on the field.


I get it, it's scary. Money is going out the door at an alarming rate in some cities while others sit on the sidelines and might be marginalized because of it. But only time will tell if Red Bull's spree will bear fruit, if LA is destined to dominate the league, or if Chicago's gambles will pay off. Three pricey stars, the maximum any team can assemble, guarantees nothing; this is especially true with the uncertainty of the playoffs looming over everything.


I run hot and cold on the need for parity in MLS. As a practical matter, I believe that LA and New York need to be good for the league to gain more national prominence. That might mean smaller markets suffer competitively, but smart management and good coaching can turn even the league's "poorest" clubs into contenders. Never has success on the field guaranteed success at the box office. Winning matters, but marketing soccer in America is a tricky proposition even when a club is scoring goals and threatening for titles.


I hardly think parity will go out the window with a sudden burst of spending limited to a few players per team. Nevertheless, MLS has moved further away from "Parity Above All" in 2010 than ever before. Will the fears be realized?


Expect more backlash, both of the even-handed Steve Davis-type as well as the more indirectly inflammatory Clemente Lisi-type as the "new" MLS shakes out.

I've called in Matt Acconciamessa of US Soccer Daily for a little for-and-against on the possibility of Charlie Davies making the US roster for the Brazil match next week; there are solid reasons for US Soccer to both bring Charlie home for the match and pass on his return for another day. Matt and I do our best to lay out each argument.

***

Against - Jason Davis

The US roster for the upcoming Brazil friendly at the New Meadowlands is tentatively scheduled to be released tomorrow per Goff the Insider. 52,000 tickets have been sold for the August 10th match, an odd transitional game expected to include most of the same American names we're used to seeing. Bob Bradley will coach the team despite an unresolved future status. Perhaps his chances of staying US coach even hinge on the game in some ridiculous way.


But the biggest potential news tomorrow would be a return to National Team duty for Charlie Davies. Rumors are swirling that it's possible, and with Davies participating fully with Sochaux in their pre-season preparations, there appears to be no prohibitions against Charlie suiting up for the US. It would certainly be an amazing moment if Charlie was able to get into the game against Brazil, his first competitive action for the United States since the terrible car accident last October.


Excuse me. I'm fighting the urge to throw a bucket of cold water on the idea.


Of course I want Charlie to come back and play for the National Team, and I suppose a meaningless friendly against Brazil is as good a place as any for it to happen. But shouldn't Charlie be giving everything he has to integrate himself into back the team at Sochaux? If Charlie's club career doesn't get restarted correctly, he'll be setting himself back much more than the 9 months or so he lost to injury. The future of Davies in a USA jersey won't be helped by a feel good moment in a game that means nothing.


There's no reason to rush this. Davies, provided he becomes the player we hope he can be post-accident, will get back into the team soon enough. The French season opens this weekend; Davies involvement, or lack thereof, in Sochaux's opener will give us an idea of where Charlie truly stands. If he's left out, he's clearly not ready to be playing for the National Team. If he's on the bench or starts, then perhaps calling him up won't do too much harm.


I suppose I could be convinced.


In the end it's a just a few days in Jersey and an opportunity to complete his international comeback. The risk is relatively low, beyond the ever-present chance of injury, and who doesn't want to see CD9 get an ovation from a large crowd of USA fans. I have no doubts the Brazil fans would join in as well.


It just feels too early. Is it wrong I want to see Charlie scoring in France before he makes a return to the National Team? He shouldn't be called in just because it would be nice to have him back.


You certainly don't call him in if there's no intention to play him. Of course, if Davies is in New Jersey next week and makes the field, I'll be pulling as hard for him as I ever have for any player. Right call or not, it would be a great thing to see.

***

For - Matt Acconciamessa

Three months later and we're having the same conversation all over again: should Charlie Davies get called into camp or not? Of course, this time around there is far less on the line; instead of a roster spot for international football's biggest tournament, we're talking about a call-up for a post-Cup friendly against an experimental side. But as was the case back in May, there's still some worthy arguments being made on both sides of the debate.


Jason has taken the no-call-up route and makes some good points as to why calling Charlie into camp just isn't necessary at this point in time. I'm not completely sold one way or another, but for the sake of debate, I'll play devil's advocate and make a case for bringing Chuck into camp for the first friendly of the 2014 cycle.


Back in May, the key issue for those opposed to bringing Chuck to Princeton was his health. Despite positive vibes on Twitter and the utterly mind-boggling progress he was able to make in the months following that tragic October accident, Charlie still wasn't at 100%, making his selection a risk on both a team and individual level. This time around, however, Charlie is healthy; he's participating in Sochaux's preseason friendlies and training normally, seemingly on track to get back to his starting role with the Ligue 1 side at some point this year.


But full health shouldn't be the basis of a call-up, as we all know; if being able-bodied was the only criteria, I'd be capped by now (or, more likely, complaining about repeated snubs). There's the matter of whether or not Charlie would actually deserve the spot, or if there might be someone else who is more deserving.


It's hard to say that there isn't space up front up for grabs. With Jozy Altidore seemingly on the brink of moving to a new club in the coming weeks, it might be in his best interests to miss out on international duty and instead focus on integrating himself into whatever team ends up bringing him aboard. Herculez Gomez might be in the same boat, as he is still trying to establish himself with Pachuca in the opening weeks of the new season. Bob Bradley, love him or hate him, is very conscience of players' club situations and is myopic enough to understand when it might be in a player's best interest to stay with their employer rather than take part in international duty (see the value he put on Sochaux's assessment last spring as evidence of that). Add in Robbie Findley's middling performance in South Africa and Real Salt Lake's August 11th match, and there seems to be a decent chance that there will be some holes in the World Cup 23 that will need to be filled.


So why not Chuck? Brazil are using this friendly to experiment with a lot of young players who missed the cut for South Africa; why not do the same, to a much smaller extent? If healthy, Charlie will almost certainly be on next summer's Gold Cup roster, so why not begin the process of reintegrating him in the national team picture as soon as possible?


The easiest counter to that is that it may lead to a step back or stagnancy at the club level; playing in a meaningless post-World Cup friendly is hardly as important as reestablishing himself with Sochaux in the week leading up to their second league match. This is the big caveat to my whole argument: it should only be done if Sochaux deem it acceptable. If Charlie would be missing something material during the international break, it's in his best interests to just stick around and keep plugging along with Les Lionceaux. Once again, this is something that Bob will almost certainly have in mind when making his roster decisions.


But if Sochaux gives him their blessing, what risk is there to doing this? The benefits, meanwhile, can extend beyond the actual on-field stuff and into US Soccer's coffers.


Think about it: the triumphant return of the US World Cup squad, playing in front of their now-adoring public (okay, perhaps a stretch) for the first time since their memorable run in South Africa. That's definitely something that ESPN will pay attention to. But alas, it's just a friendly, and there's only so much attention a match without much meaning can get. But what if that homecoming was compounded by the remarkable and emotional return of Charlie Davies, the man who nearly died less than a year ago? That's a story begging to be written by every sports journalist across the country and something that the folks in Bristol would surely have a field day with.


That extra attention in the media might lead to increased ticket sales, increased viewership, or simply a higher, sustained level of interest in the USMNT from sports fans across the country. Increased attention eventually translates into added dollars at some point down the road, so it can only be a good thing if media outlets across the country are dedicating some more pieces to the Yanks.


Is that a stretch? Perhaps. It's hard to say how big of an impact that added attention would have in terms of dollars and cents. But the potential for such a benefit is there, whereas the risks of such a call-up would be slim to none (assuming Sochaux gives the go-ahead).


I'm still not completely sold on one argument or another and will probably just wait until the actual announcement to impart my 20/20 hindsight wisdom. As I was writing this, I even found myself questioning it over and over again, waffling so much that it'd make Brett Favre blush. But perhaps these are some of the things being thrown back and forth at US Soccer HQ as Bob Bradley tries to assemble what could very well be his last roster as USMNT head coach. After making the tough decisions back in May, I doubt this one will really keep him up at night.

I guess we'll know soon enough which side of the argument he is on.

***

There you have it, both sides of the question of whether CD9 should be in the squad for the Brazil match. I'm not sure either of us are entirely convinced of our own arguments (Matt admits as much), which only serves to illustrate how difficult the situation is even now. Healthy and playing, there's still a long way for Davies to go before he can be termed fully "back." We should find out tomorrow which of these viewpoints carries more weight in the minds of Bob Bradley and US Soccer.