TalkSoccer - Soccer / Football Forum - View Single Post - Brad Friedel tell's Baseball coach's to shove it

Ricochet · 09-09-2003, 02:20 AM

http://www.soccer365.com/US_NEWS/Ame...93_56457.shtml

Friedel: MLS Should Be like Europe 19/08/03
By Arkady Gelman

Having played on both sides of the Atlantic, U.S. National team and Blackburn Rovers star Brad Friedel has countless opinions on the state of the MLS and it’s development. However, all his opinions merge on one idea: the MLS should be like the European leagues already established.

It’s been six years since Ohio-native Friedel last played for his hometown Columbus Crew in the MLS, and the league has taken strides forward since then. Columbus Crew Stadium and the Home Depot Center have been built, youth teams are forming, and the dreaded 35-yard shootout has been taken away. Friedel sees the development of the MLS over its eight-year existence as going both ways: “In some ways it’s progressed and in some way it’s gotten worse” he says. “ I think the development of the younger players is better. However some of the older pros, some of the foreigners, aren’t as good. There aren’t as many household names that the world can relate to.”

The biggest thing for the MLS, Friedel believes, is to try to conform to standards that have been set by, and have worked in, leagues in Europe and all around the world. I think a couple of things have really made it worse than football in other places. “Let’s put it this way: if the world of football is doing it, than the MLS and the U.S. should do it. But the U.S. shouldn’t be doing something that the world of football isn’t doing.” A couple of items in particular have found their way onto Friedel’s bad side: “Having the overtime, that is something very American; the artificial surfaces - something they started. Soccer shouldn’t be played on artificial surfaces – in England one team tried to come in and do that and it was complete rubbish.”

Why the MLS included a 35-yard shootout common in its early years still confuses Brad. “Having the shootout, that was ludicrous. I was playing one game, we were in San Jose, and we tied. I walked off the field thinking, that’s a good away point. But then we had to come back into the locker room and they tell me we’re having a shootout and I thought it was a complete waste of time. I still don’t understand why they did it.”

The buzz surrounding MLS expansion has created talk on whether the current East-West division structure will be scrapped in favor of a more traditional, one-division, format, another idea that Brad heavily favors. “In MLS there are divisions, because other American sports have divisions. They should just have one league like everyone else. I may be more of a traditionalist when it comes to soccer,” continues Friedel, “but us Americans always think that we have to do something that’s different and more spectacular than what the world does. But we don’t have to. The game of football has succeeded for as many years as it has in so many different countries for a reason.”

Even with the marked improvements MLS has been making, Brad still offers some harsh overall advice and feelings on the league he left in 1997: “If you put a good product on the field, people will come watch it. If you skim, and pay low salaries, and get average players, then you’re going to have average crowds and average publicity.”

09-09-2003, 02:20 AM	#1 (permalink)
Ricochet TS Member Favourite Team: USMNT, Manchester United Ricochet is Offline Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: New York Posts: 4,405 vCash: 500 Rep: Rep Points: 698 Country:	Brad Friedel tell's Baseball coach's to shove it http://www.soccer365.com/US_NEWS/Ame...93_56457.shtml Friedel: MLS Should Be like Europe 19/08/03 By Arkady Gelman Having played on both sides of the Atlantic, U.S. National team and Blackburn Rovers star Brad Friedel has countless opinions on the state of the MLS and it’s development. However, all his opinions merge on one idea: the MLS should be like the European leagues already established. It’s been six years since Ohio-native Friedel last played for his hometown Columbus Crew in the MLS, and the league has taken strides forward since then. Columbus Crew Stadium and the Home Depot Center have been built, youth teams are forming, and the dreaded 35-yard shootout has been taken away. Friedel sees the development of the MLS over its eight-year existence as going both ways: “In some ways it’s progressed and in some way it’s gotten worse” he says. “ I think the development of the younger players is better. However some of the older pros, some of the foreigners, aren’t as good. There aren’t as many household names that the world can relate to.” The biggest thing for the MLS, Friedel believes, is to try to conform to standards that have been set by, and have worked in, leagues in Europe and all around the world. I think a couple of things have really made it worse than football in other places. “Let’s put it this way: if the world of football is doing it, than the MLS and the U.S. should do it. But the U.S. shouldn’t be doing something that the world of football isn’t doing.” A couple of items in particular have found their way onto Friedel’s bad side: “Having the overtime, that is something very American; the artificial surfaces - something they started. Soccer shouldn’t be played on artificial surfaces – in England one team tried to come in and do that and it was complete rubbish.” Why the MLS included a 35-yard shootout common in its early years still confuses Brad. “Having the shootout, that was ludicrous. I was playing one game, we were in San Jose, and we tied. I walked off the field thinking, that’s a good away point. But then we had to come back into the locker room and they tell me we’re having a shootout and I thought it was a complete waste of time. I still don’t understand why they did it.” The buzz surrounding MLS expansion has created talk on whether the current East-West division structure will be scrapped in favor of a more traditional, one-division, format, another idea that Brad heavily favors. “In MLS there are divisions, because other American sports have divisions. They should just have one league like everyone else. I may be more of a traditionalist when it comes to soccer,” continues Friedel, “but us Americans always think that we have to do something that’s different and more spectacular than what the world does. But we don’t have to. The game of football has succeeded for as many years as it has in so many different countries for a reason.” Even with the marked improvements MLS has been making, Brad still offers some harsh overall advice and feelings on the league he left in 1997: “If you put a good product on the field, people will come watch it. If you skim, and pay low salaries, and get average players, then you’re going to have average crowds and average publicity.” __________________ "Everyone on this forum is dumber for having read this post."