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DEL.ICIO.USWolff’s English sojourn
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MLS-based players working out in Europe during their off-season is nothing new. Stone Mountain lad Josh Wolff is getting a look this week in Everton’s camp, and this report (see fourth item) has the former Parkview star bound for a goal-starving team near the bottom of the English Premier League.
Given the source, it could be nothing more than that, following Wolff’s first stint since for the U.S. since the summer when the Yanks and Scots drew 1-1 Saturday in Glasgow.
Wolff has talked earlier in his career of leaving open the option for Europe, and at 28 he’s still got a good future. He’s also been relatively healthy for the last two seasons. But the Wizards may not be much longer for Kansas City, and his rather high salary may make him expendable. U.S. teammate Brian McBride has found a home in England, with London’s Fulham, after the age of 30, so he’s got a good model to follow.
If this move does take place, when the transfer window opens in January, Wolff will have roughly five months to adapt and improve his game for consideration for Bruce Arena’s World Cup team. That final roster may be a tougher proposition than in 2002, with the glut of attacking players in the American camp. His speed and experience could be invaluable, but they’re no guarantee.
Update: the Wizards insist Wolff isn’t going anywhere.
The World Cup field is complete with decisions in five playoff series on Tuesday and Wednesday. Add to the list of newbies Trinidad and Tobago and the Czech Republic, who are among the last group to get in that includes Australia, Switzerland and Spain.
The U.S. probably won’t get one of the eight top seeds when the draw is held in Leipzig on Dec. 9. Here’s one blogger’s projection for the seeds: Brazil, Argentina, Germany, England, France, Italy, Holland and Spain.
The MLS Cup didn’t scintillate, until unlikely hero Pando Ramirez won it for the L.A. Galaxy over the New England Revolution in overtime Sunday. I agree with nearly every word of this analysis of what’s wrong with the current playoff format. I’m more inclined to stick to four teams total, but the suggestion of six keeps something of a wildcard dynamic in play while not trivializing the regular season.
Finally, a report from the front lines in Spain, via Off the Ball’s former colleague Chris Martz, who’s motto is la vida es poker. We should all be so lucky:
Here all the talk is about the Real Madrid-Barca match this weekend, but I wish they’d talk about the red and black a little more. No, not those damn Dawgs. OSASUNA!!!
I don’t know why I buy Marca everyday, it gets tiring reading “Today at practice Ronaldo sneezed on Zidane. Both could be out of this weekend’s game.” Seemingly you’d think that the Spain/Slovakia series would be top news, but after the 5-1 win it’s back to Saturday’s game. I guess I’ll have to trudge to a bar to see the game, as it’s not on public television here. We get one game a week, and this weekend it’s Betis-Sevilla (Andalucian derby). I get to see plenty of highlights, but it’s another thing to watch an entire game. At least we get two Champions League games every fortnight. Still haven’t seen the beloved Gunners since I’ve been here, though.
Trudge away, Chris, and down a Rioja or two for me.
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Comments
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By Chris in Spain
November 17, 2005 4:27 AM | Link to this
Well, today’s Marca is a little better, at least they have a two-page spread dedicated to the World Cup.
They foresee the top seeds as Brazil, Germany, Argentina, England, Spain, Italy, France and Mexico.
I still don’t see why Spain is being talked about as a top seed, considering that Holland breezed through qualifying and occupies a higher ranking by FIFA.
By their seedings, a possible group could look like this: Mexico, Holland, United States and any African team or Paraguay/Ecuador. Yikes! We’ll see on December 9.
By Beebs
November 17, 2005 9:37 AM | Link to this
Does anyone know anywhere in Atlanta that will be showing the Real/Barca game? The EPL is all over the place, but when mention La Liga, you’re looked at like an idiot. What gives?
By The Rick
November 17, 2005 2:45 PM | Link to this
We are bombarded with English soccer in this country to the point where we are supposed to believe that Man U are still relevant and that the English National Team is one of the top 8 teams in the world.
Want to see how educated a soccer fan you are dealing with? Ask them a question not dealing with Chelsea, Arsenal Man U or Liverpool and watch them struggle.
These are the same people who belittle American soccer and anything to do with the game that does not have a English accent-yet we are literally forced to watch them for any soccer viewing.
GolTv is the only respite for those wishing to watch soccer outside the British Isle. It can be ordered on ComCast and Direct TV and will show the Real-Barca match.
Looking forward to ‘el classico’ this Saturday-should be another battle.
By Nicholas Irwin
November 17, 2005 5:37 PM | Link to this
I agree that Spain doesn’t make much sense, but another team that makes absolutely no sense as a top seed is Mexico. I mean what freaking gives? We finish higher than them in the group, we finish higher than them in the Gold Cup (not that that matters a great deal, I suppose), they lose to Trinidad & Tobago, for God’s sake! Why is Mexico still ranked ahead of us? Why is Mexico up for a seed but we aren’t? No matter what we do and no matter what they do, we never get recognized as the best team in this damn region and I for one am sick and tired of it. I can see the argument that we don’t deserve a seed, and I can live with that, but if FIFA were to then give Mexico a seed…I’m sorry, but that would be ridiculous and would smack of bias in my book. If it’s between us and Mexico for a seed, we damn sure deserve it.
By Nicholas Irwin
November 17, 2005 5:47 PM | Link to this
Now having said all that, maybe both us and Mexico should get a seed? Mexico may not deserve a seed over us, but if you look at the other teams, maybe they should still be seeded.
And also, does the host team automatically get a seed or something? If not, what the hell is Germany doing up there?
I fully recognize that this isn’t who the seeds are going to be, because these aren’t the teams that FIFA wants as seeds, but here’s who the seeds SHOULD be:
Brazil, Netherlands, Argentina, Czech Republic (why they aren’t thought of as one of the five best teams in the world, I haven’t any clue), France, United States, Mexico, either England or Spain - probably England
Anyway, the point being, maybe they should stop giving these things to the teams who are “traditional powerhouses” at the drop of a hat and start giving them to the teams who are (GASP!!!) playing better right now.
By Chris in Spain
November 18, 2005 5:27 AM | Link to this
First off, I don’t think that any team who had to go through the reclassification should be ranked in the top 8. Just my opinion.
The argument between Mexico and the US is a good one, but what will count more: The 2-1 loss by Mexico at Trinidad & Tobago or the 3-0 loss by the US at Costa Rica? Both Mexico and the US were qualified at that point and facing teams on their home soil looking for a spot in the finals. Tough call, but you can’t leave it up to a group of old men sitting in a room to decide who’s #1 in CONCACAF.
By Nicholas Irwin
November 18, 2005 10:47 AM | Link to this
I see your points, Chris. But just to provide a bit of a couterargument, I would say losing to Trinidad & Tobago in Port-of-Spain is a little bit worse than losing to Costa Rica in San Jose. Costa Rica is universally known as the better team of those two and the tougher place to play of those two. I would argue that how much we lost by doesn’t mean much in this particular situation, and especially given the strengths of the two teams.
As far as the Czech Republic goes, I do realize they had to go through the playoff, but the only reason they did was because of the bizarre format of European qualification. Here we have a team who was by far the best second-place team in Europe if you go by straight points. Hell, they had more points than six of the eight group winners. But because they were in the same group as the Netherlands and Europe has this bizarre system where it’s not the number of points but how close you finished to your group winner that determines the two automatic second-place qualifiers, the Czech Republic had to go into the playoffs while Poland and Sweden (looking at it, it’s Poland who actually took their spot, Sweden would have gone through in either case) slid through. So while Czech Republic is still behind the team that finished in front of them in qualifying - the Netherlands, who I put in my list of seeded teams - automatically discrediting them for having to go through the playoff would be a mistake, I think.
Spain is a slightly different matter, of course, as they would have been relegated to the playoff regardless and really didn’t distinguish themselves as they probably should have throughout the qualifying process.