http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041110/ap_on_sp_so_ne/soc_mls_development_league_1 Some good news today.
they'll likely play the Mondays after the games at a smaller field. will likely need the bench players who did not play to field a full squad
wow thats all i have to say sometimes i feel Adidas is overly generous! but i guess i agree with them when they believe that MLS will soon be THE soccer league of the world. When that happens these boards will be useless because player's and manager's pockets will be lined with so much green they wont listen anymore lol
I get the feeling it's not going to be a reserve league, but more of a supplemental league to the MLS itself, not each individual team. Think NBDL-NBA.
no matter how much this is setup it can only be a positive. I think there are alot of players who don't benefit from playing in college but are not good enough to get much playing time in MLS.
Considering Peter Wilt's comments to the contrary, could you please explain where you got 'the feeling' that it's going to be a supplemental league, and not a true reserve league?
I would much rather see the money spent raising the salary cap instead. Our 'A' team players are very under paid.
I wouldn't think so. Why would the players want to spend the time and the club the money when they're on the road to stay through monday? After the players finish a road game they want to get back home and the clubs don't want to pay for any more night in hotel rooms, transit, food, etc. than they have to. If anything they may play after the 1st team matches so players that were on the 1st team bench or players that came on as subs late in the game can get in and play a full reserve match. This is also the place where we might see something like "The Adidas Reserve League" or something similar.
it all depends what they want with this reserve league, is it just practice or would they make it into a championship, i would love to have them play before the MLS game, this way they do not need to rent another stadium, this way the fans will have a chance to watch them. I can assure you no more then 50 people would drive out on a Monday night to watch them. I would love to see them train and travel with the senior team and play each time they do right before the main game. Again it all depends what MLS wants to do with this, they can do it prefessionaly or just be something no one will be aware of.
I think so cause if IIRC this is how Fire GM Wilt suggested it might go. The plan is to up the developmental slots by 4-6 players and maybe add 2 senior roster spots. At most MLS teams will have 28 players. 2-3 likely out at any given time. So you play 14 players in the first team match. 1-2 of these might only play 5 minutes or so, at most 30 minutes. You'll need 14 players probably for the reserve match. There isn't much room for error. They'll likely need the subs from the first team match to play. They wouldn't want to do that right before the first team match cause they need to be ready to go 90 minutes in case of early injuries in the first team match. These matches need to be for those subs cause they're the best players out there not getting 90 minutes each week.
The funny part of all this is you think they actually listen now. I am glad they dont quite frankly, what the hell do people on these boards know about running a multi million dollar operation???
They aren't doing a reserve league to draw fans or garner attention. They are doing it to develop players. I don't think they have any illusions or pretentsions about selling tickets or this being a initially moneymaking sub-operation. Reserve team games in all but the biggest clubs don't draw squat, and the biggest clubs somewhere very near squat.
While the lower leagues might be hurt for a year or two, the development system should start producing a surplus of talent fairly soon. Smaller euro teams are filled with guys who came through the system of big clubs but couldn't make it there. Given the numbers of development players versus senior team spots the same thing should happen here.
i also see little or no additional conflict between the MLS reserve league and the USL. The reserve league isn't going to skim the cream off the USL. It's going to be local developmental players under 25 who are 4th-6th round draft picks every year. These mostly are going to be guys who if not for additional MLS roster spots would not eb playing professional soccer at all and would instead be going to grad school or making money as a doctor or something.
Also, although I am not sure what the foreigner limit in the USL is (I think I remember 5 being the number) the USL can take a number of International players that MLS wouldn't touch since you have to choose your SI's pretty carefully. So hello, Craig Demmin and Johnny Menyongar.
And....reserver squads are an investment on potential players that can be "loaned" or transferred to other international leagues w/o having to go through a "middle man" organizations, be it USL or what not. El Chapulin Colorado
Having a reserve league , play games, travel, developing players, etc costs money. There is no illusions about selling tickets but MLS clubs are no the Premiership and MLS will have to work with what they have at a minimum cost. I can see people arriving early or staying late to watch resrve games, i can see some people attending the Main event because they interested in the reserve game. As i said before its not about making money but its about xutting costs, and using the same time slot in the allready rented stadium, lights, parking,security etc only makes sense to have it before or after the MLS game. I would also see the reserve squad as being mostly an under 21 side with a few ( limit) senior players on the field .
It'll be travel within conference only, likely. It'll likely be games 2 days later in a smaller venue with little to no fans present. After the games might be feasable though 10 pm is a late kickoff. Before the games is unlikely cause the rosters will probably not be big enough (28 players total). MLS will likely want the 1st team bench players that don't see more than 30 minutes to get into the reserve games. Can't do that before the 1st team games.
The cost is an issue if the rental fee only includes a set time of occupancy. And the way CSC guards sweep you out of RFK after a game and keep you out before the match, I don't think the lease lets DCU have the ameneties all day. But they do have control, I believe of the nearby practice fields. Playing a game there on Monday wouldn't cost a dime. I bet that's the course of action.
well if it happens this way and the way swedcrip34 suggested then it will be again something that no one will be aware and care for, or able to follow. It would be ashame to be that way. Giants stadium opens 3-4 hours before game time , i don't see why they can't play the game then. There been youth games before there this way, i don't see why not now.
Why not is cause the whole point of it is to give the current bench players playing time. They can't play 90 minutes in the afternoon then be available for the 1st team game that night. This is for player development, not fan interest.
The whole purpose for the reserve league is to give the bottom half of the roster a game every week and encourage development. How is that purpose fulfilled by playing the game as the opening act for a league match? Why does anyone need to 'follow' the reserve league. Just go when they play if you want to. Most likely they'll be playing at club traning sites that are already reserved. This isn't a revenue genrating enterprise. It's a philanthropic gesture by MLS investors and adidas to deepen and broaden the US professional player pool. A gift. You complain about gifts a lot, though, I imagine.