By Tony Edwards - San Jose, CA (Dec 6, 2011) US Soccer Players -- In today’s edition, Tony asks about goals in Columbus, looks at an already productive MLS youth development academy, and follows up on the suite business in Major League Soccer.
What former US National Team and DC United midfielder retired last week?
Santino Quaranta. Twenty-seven and at one time the youngest player in MLS, he’s made it through some rough times and is going to work with the Baltimore youth soccer club he helped start. He also said he would work with Dan Cronin, MLS and NHL’s substance abuse advisor, to help others.
Who is going to score goals for Columbus next season?
Not Andres Mendoza, that’s for certain. Jeff Cunningham also did not have his option picked up by the Crew.
Does Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop see the glass as half-full or half-empty going forward?
Half-full. Clearly, it’s his job to say that, but let’s also remember when coaches talk about the tactical limitations forced on them by the salary cap and small rosters that they all had a say in putting together said roster. Let’s take the positive road and highlight the solutions Sigi Schmidt and his staff found last season in the face of injuries and schedule complications.
Which MLS team’s Academy received the highest rating available from the US Soccer Federation?
FC Dallas' academy. Academy Direction Oscar Pareja and FC Dallas received Four Stars in the end-of-the-year evaluation. Six players already have gone on to play for the senior team, a laudable accomplishment.
With the Earthquakes announcing sales for suites at their not even fully approved stadium last week, what's the capacity for the elite seats in other MLS stadiums?
For a league built on real estate, there’s more variability than you might expect. A somewhat random sampling with the focus on soccer-specific stadiums: Toyota Park and the Home Depot Center each have about 500 seats available with 6 “party” suites that hold 20 and 42 regular suites that hold 8 to 10 ticketed spectators. There’s 360 suite seats at Red Bull Arena and FC Dallas’s stadium in Frisco has 18 suites.
