By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (June 14, 2012) US Soccer Players -- In Thursday's column, Tony joins a Guardian columnist in celebrating Jay DeMerit's play in the 2009 Confederations Cup and tries to draw conclusions from a sobering look at the real cost of an MLS stadium.
How long is US U-20 forward Omar Salgado out for after injuring his fifth metatarsal in his right foot?
He'll miss at least a couple of months, he told Marc Weber of The Province. Salgado, who has already started as many games this season as all last season, suffered the injury playing in Uruguay for the U-20 team.
Where will US National Team player Drew Moor be playing over the next several years?
In Denver, after signing a multi-year contract extension in Colorado earlier this week. Moor, 28, has already played more than 200 regular season games in his MLS career. If you look in the dictionary under reliable, you see Moor's picture. Ok, not really but you get the idea. He's one of those players that simply makes his team better.
Which US National Team Defender was the unsung hero of the 2009 Confederations Cup defeat of Spain?
Jay DeMerit, according to Jonathan Wilson in the Guardian. As Wilson points out, Bob Bradley's US team conceded the flanks to Spain in that game, giving DeMerit the task of containing Spain's Fernando Torres.
Is a 'soccer specific stadium' a solid economic bet for a small city?
Not in Bridgeview, apparently. While supporters and town leaders point to the annual revenue and name-recognition (“Toyota Park is the best thing ever to happen to Bridgeview,” said a spokesperson), while property taxes have nearly tripled since 2006 and the town's debt is more than $200 million. Lost in the giddiness for soccer-specificity is how these stadiums get paid for and if they're capable of recouping cost. Or, to put it another way, the next time someone wants to argue for purpose built soccer stadiums in small communities adjacent to major metropolitan areas, send them to this comprehensive Chicago Tribune article.
Which game drew better ratings last Sunday in the United States: Spain – Italy in the European Championships or Cincinnati – Detroit on Sunday Night Baseball?
The soccer game, 1.7 to 1.6, according to Soccer America's Soccer Business Insider. The US – Antigua and Barbuda game last Friday drew a 0.4, with almost 900,000 viewers. Ratings are up on ESPN over the 2008 tournament. In terms of perspective, Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals drew a 9.1, the highest rating ever for an NBA game on cable.
More Questions:
Every MLS stadium should be built downtown. New York and Chicago aren’t drawing all that well, Dallas and New England have been terrible, and Philadelphia is having an increasingly tough time. The only ones really working outside the core are KC and LA, and telecasts out of Carson California this year make me believe those attendance numbers are being kind.
Vancouver
Seattle
Portland
Toronto
Montreal
Houston
All near or in downtown.
You left out Colorado in Commerce. MLS took the short view in a brief period when betting on exurbs seemed safe. It’s not just pro soccer. There are a lot of places out in the suburbs wondering why they thought it was such a good idea. Meanwhile, the core is vibrant. It’s why they want that Manhattan stadium on the pier. They know how hard it is to draw in Harrison. They’re not going to do that again somewhere out in the middle of nowhere (and there is middle of nowhere and still in NYC, it’s not all highrises and crowded living).
Montreal stadium (which hasn’t even opened yet) isn’t in or near downtown.