#360USA: Will marquee signings push MLS to new levels?

Steve Brenner 16:25 06/07/2015
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  • Premier League stars Frank Lampard and David Beckham raise MLS' profile.

    There have been some watershed moments in MLS over the years. David Beckham’s arrival in 2007 was the catalyst in driving soccer forward here like never before.

    Commissioner Don Garber would readily admit without the presence of the former England captain, his league would not be in the healthy financial position it revels in today. Yet will events in New York and Los Angeles this week help MLS take another huge step towards the goal of becoming a truly elite competition?

    Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard both arrived at their respective new clubs, spiking interest once again. Soccer’s popularity – the US women’s World Cup push to last night’s final has captivated millions – and participation levels have never been in doubt.

    The question is how can MLS remain exciting with teams being restricted thanks to the designated player policy and strict salary caps. Note that not one manager has been sacked this season. Furthermore, everyone remains in play-off contention too. That surely hints at a lack of competitiveness, with too many enjoying life in a comfort zone where promotion and relegation are dirty words.

    What is the best way for coaches to strike a balance between bringing in star names and producing a first eleven which can compete and excite in equal measure? 

    As Lampard and Andrea Pirlo took their seats with 48,000 others for last weekend’s New York derby, perhaps they inadvertently stared straight at the answer.

    While NYCFC have predictably flashed the cash to ensure fans flock to the stadium, it’s debatable if that will cure the ills which have seen Jason Kreis’ horribly inconsistent side slump towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

    In the Red corner were the New York Red Bulls – a franchise who lost stellar talents like Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry yet refused to replace them with similarly big money stars. Instead, coach Jesse Marsch built from within while strengthening intelligently elsewhere. Henry’s designated player spot was taken by Bradley Wright- Phillips. Their wage bill has been dramatically slashed. City’s will top $20 million – one of the highest in MLS history.

    As Wright-Phillips and co tore their rivals apart, you couldn’t help think even if Pirlo and Lampard had played would it have made much difference? It’s been suggested that Kreis, who earned a galaxy of plaudits after winning the title with Real Salt Lake in 2009, would have preferred to invest his money elsewhere rather than on a third DP spot, which will go to Pirlo, with confirmation likely this week. 

    Of course, it’s a great story. Lampard and Pirlo supplying the firepower for David Villa. But while the supremely fit, very rarely injured Lampard is far from finished, there have to be question marks about the 36 year-old Italian. His passing remains world class but what about his legs?

    How will the athletic, power game adopted by most here suit him?

    For Gerrard, there are no such headaches. The Liverpool legend walks into a team who are the current champions working under a vastly experienced manager in Bruce Arena. His transition should be smooth and his quality on the ball will enhance MLS no end.

    Undoubtedly, having Lampard and Gerrard in MLS is a positive, and from a marketing point of view, those who stride the corridors of power will relish every moment.

    But one player recently suggested although the experience of playing in America will benefit both former England internationals, they will realise it’s much harder work than anticipated because of the lack of quality around them.

    The younger squad members come through the university system and the unnamed player said: “There is a lack of real football education here.”

    And he’s right. The drop in quality levels will take some adjusting to. As the soccer system continues to grow, the gaps between the best and the rest will recede. 

    Interestingly, LA Galaxy are set to establish a high school for their academy players, a sign of the push to get them training younger and smarter. More need to follow their lead.

    MLB

    The case of the special baseball has been solved. When Alex Rodriguez reached 3,000 hits, the ball landed in the hands of fan Zach Hample who refused to throw it back and instead give it pride of place in his already mammoth collection.

    But following an agreement sealed on Friday which puts an end to the dispute over the Yankees refusal to honour a marketing agreement with the disgraced superstar, the Yankees and Rodriguez will give charities $3.5 million.

    And because one of them – Pitch in For Baseball – is close to Hample’s heart, the New Yorker decided to hand over the ball which has been valued at $150,000 and now resides with Rodriguez’s daughters.

    “It’s definitely difficult to give it up,” said Hample who owns over 8,000 baseballs collected over the years. “It’s the centerpiece of my collection but it’s going to a good cause. That was the main part of this so it all turned out well.”

    NASCAR

    With their roots firmly embedded in the deep south, NASCAR has been forced to ban fans from bringing the Confederate Flag to races following its connection to the brutal murders in Charleston last month.

    The flag, which conjures up images of America’s torrid past of inequality in the southern states, is often flown at NASCAR meetings but, this being the 21st century and a time when the US is experiencing freedom like never before following last week’s legalisation of gay marriage, times are changing.

    Seeing crazed Dylann Roof pose with it before committing the racist murders of nine churchgoers was the final straw for race bosses.

    “We are asking our fans and partners to join us in a renewed effort to create an all-inclusive, even more welcoming atmosphere for all who attend our events.

    This will include the request to refrain from displaying the Confederate Flag,” a statement said. “This is an opportunity for NASCAR Nation to demonstrate its sense of mutual respect and acceptance for all who attend our events while collectively sharing the tremendous experience of NASCAR racing.”

    The fact it took such a horrific incident to get to this point tells its own, sorry story.

    Not all NASCAR fans have welcomed the decision on the Confederate Flag.

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