Well, now that it's April and teams are officially in camp and playing pre-season matches I'm guessing it's about time I start looking at some things we should be seeing in the new season. I'll discuss some of those things a little further down this column.
Then there's this little trip across the A-League that we've been on recently that will continue as we make our way around the league. This week Jim Taylor of the Portland Timbers is on the clock and afterwards I'll chat a little about some other interesting things that are going on.
A: What are some things people should know about the Timbers going into 2003?
JT: We need to replace one of the best strikers in the league (McKinley Tennyson) and the best goalkeeper (Matt Napoleon). We're either going to be better or worse at the back. I think better.
A: The Portland fans that occupy "the Woodshed" have gained quite a reputation around the league as a boisterous and loyal bunch. What does fan support like this mean to the club?
JT: Unfortunately some teams tend to rely on dancing girls, pyrotechnics, bombastic announcers or canned music during play to provide atmosphere. Not in Portland. The crowd dictates the energy in the stadium. The Shed a.k.a. the Timbers Army sets the tone for us.
A: Is there any kind of reaction by non-"Woodshed" fans towards that group?
JT: Let's just say parents and people with sensitive hearing are not amused. There's a reason their section (107) is as far away from the masses as possible. They know I love them though. I actually long for the day when I can paint my face green and join them down there in a Preston Burpo chant.
A: What's your take on the Portland-Seattle rivalry?
JT: Hatfields vs. McCoys. They hate us and we hate them. Nuff said.
A: How about the Portland-Vancouver rivalry?
JT: A classic dating back to the good old NASL days. The only thing better than beating Vancouver is beating Seattle. Both, unfortunately, are pretty rare occurrences.
A: Have you had any discussions with MLS about a possible "promotion" for the Timbers?
JT: No. MLS is not interested in Portland. Next subject.
A: Have there been any talks with the USSF about bringing the national teams back to Portland?
JT: Funny you should ask. I was at the recent US vs. Venezuela match at Seahawk's Stadium in Seattle. Nice place, don't get me wrong, but where was the atmosphere? Another 70,000 seat stadium with 17,000 in attendance? Wake me when it's over. We'd love to have either the men's or women's team back in Portland. Hear that Dan Flynn? WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU BACK!!!! Heck, we'll even promise to do "The Wave." Oh, and the stadium will look full -- because it will be!
A: Who do you think are the teams that will provide the strongest competition besides the Timbers this season?
JT: Seattle, Vancouver and Minnesota. The more things change the more they stay the same. May as well throw El Paso and Milwaukee in there. They're both always a nightmare.
A: If you had to make a guess where do you think the club would finish right now?
JT: Top of the table. Duh.
A: What would be your dream A-League Final?
JT: Portland vs. Seattle, but that ain't going to happen, so Portland vs. Rochester. I want to take Frank DuRoss to dinner at the Ringside and make him buy. That dude is super cool, sharp as a tack and loaded. This league needs more guys like Frank. I digress.
A: What is the likelihood that Mckinley may or may not be back for this season?
JT: Let's just say that I've been giving my McKinley Tennyson voodoo doll a good work out. Tomorrow I'm going to see a witch doctor. No, really I pray that we get Kei back, but he's following a dream and I applaud him for that. I hope it works out for whatever is best for McKinley.
A: If Tennyson does not come back who do you think might be ready to step into his role?
JT: Fadi Afash. We'll expect him to score 36 goals -- twice what he did last year.
A: Have you seen Spiteri up close yet and do you think he has a good chance at filling Matt Napoleon's shoes or gloves as it may be?
JT: You just had to bring Matt Napoleon up didn't you? Curtis is a first class kid and we think very highly of him. I think we need to be realistic about his ability to fill Matt Napoleon's shoes in his rookie season. If he even comes remotely close I'll be happy. Hey Bill, you're only a few states away, why don't you drive down and give Matt a swift kick in the trunk and tell him to get out here. The regular season starts in three weeks! Just kidding. I greatly appreciate all the things Matt Napoleon did to make this club successful during his two years here. He saved our bacon more times than I care to remember.
A: What do you think will be the club's biggest challenge this year?
JT: Trying once again to convince Timber Jim not to retire.
A: What should folks on the East Coast, who may not see the team much, be on the look out for this year?
JT: An equipment manager. We can't seem to find a good one.
A: What would you like to say to the fans as we get closer to the beginning of a new season?
JT: Grab every person you know, haul their butts down to PGE Park for a Timbers match, buy a few bevies, and start singing your head off.
More Between the USL and MLS
Another topic that should be mentioned is the fact that there are people talking about the USL this week. One of those people happened to be Ivan Gazidis, Deputy Commissioner of MLS, who spoke briefly about some of the issues between the USL and MLS during a press conference earlier this week.
When asked about the relationship between both sides for the new season he said, "In the past we have had a formal relationship for call-ups and call-downs so that our players can go down on short-terms loans and USL players can be called up on short-terms loans. This year we have expanded our roster out to 24 players. Last year actually there was very, very few call-ups outside of a couple of goalkeeper call-ups. With the expanded roster we don't think there will be a team that falls as easily as they have in the past into roster difficulties. There is a set of emergency rules to deal with that. But we basically don't expect that to happen. So the bigger issue this year is more the loan-downs that we would like to do for those players who are on our rosters to give them playing time in the USL. And we are approaching that on a case-by-case basis. The USL has placed certain minor restrictions on that, but certainly have made it feasible for that to happen and so I think you will expect to see during the course of this year, again, very few call-ups, although that could happen on an individual basis with teams negotiating with individual USL teams. But there will be more call-downs, more of our players playing down in the USL, and again those relationships will be done one-to-one rather than globally."
When asked about MLS acquiring players from the USL Gazidis said, "Onandi Lowe, for example, was a deal we had to work out. Many of the USL players were protected under terms of our agreement. So really for a lot of the most important USL players like Pat Onstad there really is no change in the circumstance; that we have to negotiate those deals one-to-one."
I had the chance to run these comments by the folks at the USL office and got some interesting replies. When asked about the numbers of players sent up from the USL to MLS I was told, "We have tracked this thoroughly over the course of the former agreement (from) 1999-2002." The specific numbers I was given for 2002 were 47 call-ups with 4 players being sold on during the season. In 2001 there were 93 call-ups with 4 players being sold on. In 1999 and 2000 there were more than 70 call ups each year with 6 players sold on in 1999 compared to 4 in 2000.
The folks at the USL offices did not care to speculate on any contingency plans MLS may have for any potential roster situations coming into this season. Gazidis had intimated, though, that there was some sort of backup plan for MLS teams should they have roster problems.
When asked about the 'minor restrictions' that have been placed on player movement between the leagues the word from the USL office was, "I would not categorize them as "restrictions", but rather, provisions regulating player movement and team-to-team relationships between the two leagues. These have been constructed by the USL and the A-League executive committee and are being implemented in the absence of a formal affiliation agreement between the leagues for two main reasons: 1) to protect A-League teams and their investment in their contracted players, and 2) to ensure that a disproportionate competitive advantage is not gained by those teams better geographically able to utilize MLS players on loan."
So there you have it from the proverbial horse's mouth. It'll be interesting to watch the possibilities unfold should there be a need for more cooperation between the leagues than is currently expected.
Short Passes
With the season almost upon us I want to use this space over the next few weeks to give a quick look at some of the players in each position whom I think will have a major impact on their teams' campaigns. They may or may not be the best at their position but they could very well be the players who have the most bearing on how their club fares. This week we'll start in the back with the goalkeepers.
1. Dusty Hudock - a perennial favorite amongst the fans and one of the league's most consistent performers. With this man in goal and a sturdy defense in front of him the Battery should prove tough to score on once again.
2. Mike Ueltschey - If he sneaks into the starting lineup in Montreal Bob Lilley and Impact fans alike should find themselves pleasantly surprised by this youngster's skills. If he brings his game to the next level Montreal could find themselves another step closer to an A-League title challenge.
3. Curtis Spiteri - mission number one for Spiteri is to make it into the season as the starter. His play last year in the PDL was impressive but now he'll need to make that translate to the A-League level. Either way the Timbers could sink or swim with this kid.
4. Billy Andracki - once again Andracki will be the man in Rochester. He'll have solid defending in front of him and the confidence of many of the Rhinos' faithful. Still, a lot will rely on his performing up to the standard that Pat Onstad set.
5. Joe Warren - if Minnesota wants back into the championship mix then they'll need a big year out of Warren. He's capable but he will need some consistency out of his back four. Still, if he's on his game the Thunder will be back on theirs.
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