New motivation ... and a Ruud awakening

New Motivation

Four days before their final home game of the season, TFC split their squad for Tuesday's practice.

While reserve team players like Gabe Gala and part-time senior teamers like Abdus Ibrahim hit the field for a full-fledged practice, other members of the main roster worked indoors with strength coach Paul Winsper.

Tuesday practices haven't always been this way, but TFC hasn't lost since they switched to this routine two weeks ago, so head coach John Carver is reluctant to change back.

"We're trying to follow the pattern that's gotten us four points out of six," Carver said as the reserves ran through drills under a grey skies Tuesday morning. "It should be six points out of six, if I'm being honest."

The last half of that quote, of course, refers to the two points TFC squandered when a Julius James' foul led to Kenny Cooper's injury time penalty kick, which he knocked past Greg Sutton to tie Saturday night's game in Dallas.

No penalty and TFC has 34 points, tying them with DC United.

Instead they're stuck at 32, the same total as the almighty L.A. Galaxy, though TFC outranks Beckham's boys in the overall standings thanks to a pair of springtime victories over L.A.

Still, with two ties bracketing their win in New York, TFC has now earned points in three straight games. It's their most successful stretch since their six-game unbeaten streak last spring, and cause for celebration when contrasted with the mediocrity that defined their summer.

TFC's recent success, modest as  it is, prompts one obvious question:

Where have these performances been all year?

Carver attributes the team's improved play to a few factors, like Danny Dichio's health and Chad Barrett's growing familiarity with his new teammates.

He also says the approaching off-season gives players a little more incentive to perform. With Seattle set to enter the league next season, MLS teams can only protect 11 players from the expansion draft, while making the rest of their squad available. Beyond that, Carver has spoken openly for months about upgrading at several positions before next season starts, and thinks the looming reality of job insecurity makes the team's incumbent players hustle a little harder.

"I've been delighted (with the team's recent play)," he said. "They're playing for their contracts and they know that."

A Ruud Awakening

Former L.A. Galaxy manager Ruud Gullit visited Los Angeles over the weekend. While there he conducted an interview with Reuters in which he accused the more established American sports of conspiring to limit soccer's popularity in the U.S. He thinks this conspiracy is powerful enough to nullify any boost in popularity David Beckham might bring to stateside soccer.

Here's the money quote.

"David is more than just a football player and I think he does extremely well to give football here a lift," Gullit told Reuters. "I think [American soccer organizers] are afraid of football because it's so popular everywhere around the world. I think they will just control it so it doesn't become more popular than their American sports.

"I have my doubts if they really want to make [soccer] popular. Some sports already have had a bit of a dive so they don't want American football to become less popular, or basketball or baseball."

   I didn't witness the interview but I assume Gullit said all that with a straight face.

The idea that American football outlets would need to engage in a conspiracy to contain soccer's popularity is laughable.

This summer CBS agreed to pay the Southeastern conference $55 million annually for the broadcast rights to SEC football and basketball games, then in August ESPN offered a further $150 million a year to show SEC games on cable.

If you live in the U.S. Midwest you can watch all the SEC action you can stomach, plus College Sports TV on digital cable and the Big Ten Network on basic cable.

Add it all up and I can only conclude that sports like football and college basketball are as popular as they've ever been in the U.S. and aren't exactly worried about Major League Soccer siphoning away fans.

The NHL, maybe, but football's doing just fine. Maybe Gullit would understand that if he had coached into autumn.

Before I continue, I'll acknowledge that Gullit is not the only guy who suspects there's a conspiracy to keep soccer out of the (North) American sports mainstream. Some Star readers have accused me of being part of that conspiracy myself, so to a certain extent I understand where Gullit's coming from.

But as a guy who has interviewed Ruud, I can't reconcile his words with his refusal to discuss Beckham when I visited an L.A. Galaxy practice in mid-April. I was there working on a story about The Beckham Effect, but Gullit deflected every question I asked about his star player, electing instead to talk about the team.

From a coaching standpoint I understand his reluctance to single out individuals. I would also understand if he felt that a true soccer fan -- and anyone trying to become one -- pays attention to the entire game, and not just one player.  But from a marketing standpoint everyone associated with the Galaxy understands by now that Beckham pays the bills, and when reporters arrive from out of town, it's usually because they want to talk about him.

Gullit knew the drill in April but he refused to do the dance, but now in October he's suddenly concerned about Beckham's ability to "give football here a lift."

Strange.

-- Morgan Campbell

Comments

[John]

Morgan,

This is not your fault at all but the Reuters piece has COMPLETELY misled the media everywhere with that little "American Soccer Organizers" in brackets. Now having watched the piece he never mentions American soccer organizers and in my mind is referring to the American public and media. Reuters just assumed that's what he meant but it clearly isn't. It's true that there is an inherent fear and insecurity in the United States and even in Canada about Soccer. The North American traditionalists see it as a threat and don't want soccer to alter their belowed status quo. There's a reason why American sports pundits like Jim Rome go out of their way to diss soccer and that's because they see the sport as a threat. It's a sign of insecurity. You don't see Jim Rome going out of his way to put down cricket, rugby or handball because there's no need to. There's no burgeoning interest or threat of those sports grabbing a foothold and no massive population of viewers tuning into ESPN each week in numbers to watch the sport as is the case with soccer. American sports pundits feel the need to try and put soccer back in its historical place in American sports culture by bashing it. It's akin to quelling an uprising. People like Jim Rome will never admit to this because they are totally unaware that what they are doing is a subconscious reaction that any human being would display.

John

P.S. I'm betting there's at least a few people working at your paper who fit this bill.

[Tim]

Another reason they are playing so well recently is Marvell Wynne. I really dont see TFC holding on to him, especially since MLS are in the drivers seat with his contract.

Ive heard rumours about Wynne going to Aston Villa, and they need a back like him with Wilfred Bouma out, and Wynne is MUCH better than Nicky Shorey/Luke Young.

It will leave a major hole, and i dont have faith in TFC management to keep him.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Dont see Wynne leaving quite yet as he doesnt have the necessary caps to play in the EPL. He has been on fire hte last 3 games and if he continues like that i do forsee a) more call ups to the US Mens Nats and b) him being sold overseas. Just not yet as he is still shakey at the back in defense, something which can be honed, and has only recently found his offensive way.

[Greedman]

Can TFC still make the playoffs?

[ochos]

Sorry to comment Morgan, but Gullit is right, and I question your ability to read between the lines. You have to be real keen to pick up on even the littlest of subtleties that exist in our society.

In the dog-eat-dog world of the modern economy, even the slightest margin in a given market means millions of dollars. In the least, if certain corporate elite have not tried to prevent football coming to America, they've definitely tried to slow it down. By controlling all the variables they control the market in it's entirety on this continent.

Not to say either that they aren't whole-heartedly embracing footy now, but they are keeping mum on it's popularity. Like all media, political agendas will have much to do with which personalities are chosen to project certain views.

I don't believe your heart's in the wrong place at all, yet I don't think you will have been exposed to the bias pre TFC to have been aware of it either.

Soccer consciousness has worked extremely hard, and taken much abuse over the years to get to the position it's in today in North America. To say that organized think tanks, quote "engage in a conspiracy to contain soccer's popularity is laughable," is like saying sexism has been eradicated, or that groups like the KKK aren't racist (not these examples have anything to do with, or come close to the same degree, except that the analogy works in the same way- comparing perspectives of social conscience.)