Blog Archives
Happy Monday!
Ladies and gentleman, I’ve been saying for the past few years that Mix Diskerud is a burgeoning superstar and recently that he’s the USMNT’s genuine #10. He’s the central piece in the middle that will help guide the bright future of the young national team. It’s also been mentioned on this blog that it was a mistake for the Columbus Crew not to pursue Mix a second time late last year. Trading Josh Williams also wasn’t the wisest decision. The Crew lost 1-nil at Houston in their season opener Saturday night and yesterday the expansion club NYCFC (with Mix) tied fellow expansion club Orlando City 1-1.
Guess who opened up the scoring in the 76th minute?
And this is just the first game of the MLS season for the skillfully perceptive 24-year old American. He’s also an equally impressive distributor of the ball.
Mix It Up This Week!
P.S. Who is the majority owner of NYCFC? The same group that owns Manchester City. Mix will likely be wearing sky blue jerseys for many seasons, except the city where he resides may change down the road…
Going Dutch in Kansas City?
While the world’s shining city on a hill has emitted a dull glow in recent years, there still appears to be an allure for footballers in South America and Europe. A recent report revealed Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has been offered a major contract to sport a light shade of blue in Kansas City. The deal is estimated at $4.8 million/year for the 32-year old.
I repeat: Rafael van der Vaart is only 32-years old.
He’s a game-changer. He can define a midfield with purpose, incorporate dynamic calculation in its movement and offer spontaneous displays of applause-worthy flair. Rafael van der Vaart still has a few years left and, if this deal is signed, would be a tremendous pick-up for Sporting Kansas City and MLS in general.
Here’s some evidence:
New International Players arriving in MLS this season:
- Kaká
- Frank Lampard
- Steven Gerrard
- Sebastian Giovinco
- David Villa
- Rafael van der Vaart?
Will Rafael van der Vaart be living in the Midwest in 2015? Who knows. It could just be a bargaining chip in Europe or merely an initial interest in hopping across the pond to America. Regardless, it’s exciting speculation. And just on the surface, there are several reasons to check out MLS this season beyond our favorite squads. There’s the amazing redesign and re-branding of the Columbus Crew SC, big international signings, new club introductions and modernized club identities. 2015 may seem a little bit like the mid-late 1990s with a refreshed, adrenaline-fueled enthusiasm for soccer in America.
Of course, if Rafael van der Vaart does sign with an MLS team, remember his wife and kids will join him as well.
Rafael and Sylvie van der Vaart encapsulate why soccer is called the beautiful game.
Winter’s Sun
Reports are circulating that the controversial governing body FIFA will solidify its controversial decision to reward the Middle Eastern country of Qatar with the 2022 World Cup. The grandest prize in soccer/world football will all but certainly be played during November and December due to extreme heat in the nation’s summer months.
So, what’s the problem everybody? (and yes Sheldon Cooper, that’s sarcasm)
With the exception of Major League Soccer (MLS), virtually every major soccer league in the world competes during the winter months listed above. This includes a heavy majority (nearly all) of World Cup participants and its biggest global stars. It unnaturally interrupts their seasons and the critical evolutionary stage for team chemistry and individual development in training camps and league competitions, as well as the UEFA Champions League. Listing just a few big negatives with Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup in its winter months starts with why?
That’s easy: money. Literally. Next.
The nation has no rich soccer history or traditions (ironic, right?), the summer heat is unbearably hot and the process for obtaining hosting rights was reported to be blatantly corrupt. Soccer-centric countries like Belgium & the Netherlands were passed on, including the undeniably enthusiastic up-and-comer United States of America. Remember, the USA hosted the 1994 World Cup and did a great job. Consequentially, the nation and its people have been inspired by the beautiful game ever since. It’s domestic league MLS was launched in 1996 and is about to enter its 20th season.
When you think of world-class soccer, Russia and Qatar instantly comes to mind, right? FIFA certainly hopes so because those are where the next two World Cups will be played. There are some countries where the World Cup should not be awarded. Whether it’s unsatisfactory infrastructure and venues, safety, entertainment for ticket buyers, lack of soccer culture and identity, corruption, safety, weather and overall atmosphere. There’s also the small fact that some nations haven’t earned this exclusive right to host a World Cup. Bear this in mind: the Netherlands finished 3rd and 2nd in the past two World Cups, yet they were been denied hosting rights for 2018 and the foreseeable future. South Korea and Germany (speaking from experience for Germany) did an excellent job hosting in 2002 and 2006. Going to games and being in that atmosphere in Germany was unforgettably amazing! It was world-class. In South Africa and Brazil in 2010 and 2014, there were a range of complaints and concerns. Even though Brazil is the most famous soccer country in the world, there were still serious questions that needed answering beforehand.
Recent news surrounding the 2022 World Cup occurring during Qatar’s winter months won’t quell speculation of FIFA’s scandalous decision-making DNA. In fact, it will only further intensify this corrupt reputation, maintaining the stigma that this group has a selling price for its services and, most devastatingly, its values.
Apologies. I meant “values.”
The Worst Call Wasn’t Made During a Game
There was a story today in the Columbus Dispatch that, for all intents and purposes, revealed the Columbus Crew SC effectively chose Kei Kamara (30 years old) over the future #10 on the USMNT for years to come in Mix Diskerud (24 years old). In no universe driven by good judgement, insight and a high soccer IQ does this make any sense…at all. Mix and Kei are not on the same level whatsoever, which is clearly evident for any soccer fan who has seen them both play. After a failed attempt to sign Diskerud’s services last year, which reportedly broke down at the very last stage of negotiation (ended by Mix’s father?), the Crew then signed Kamara. The allocation system for MLS knocked Columbus off the coveted number one spot after signing Kamara, which ended the Crew’s chances of adding Mix’s dynamism and relentless effort (offensively and defensively) to the black and gold.
And if you’re thinking this seems like déjà vu, you’d be absolutely correct. Kamara was an average forward (though admittedly young) for Columbus from 2006-2007. Now, he did score a good number of goals later on for the Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City. However, he fizzled out of his most recent clubs at Norwich City and Middlesbrough.
Will his stock rise again in 2015? Possibly, but that’s not the point.
It needs to be noted this is nothing personal against Kamara, but rather a reaction to Columbus impatiently and purposefully forfeiting the talent, vision and future stardom of Mix Diskerud to the already stacked NYCFC. What’s more is that Mix had said that he would be like to play in Columbus, citing the atmosphere and American soccer history related to “Dos-a-Cero” as a reason to come, among other reasons like the city itself. The best soccer managers strike while the iron’s hot and, after 2013 and 2014, Mix Diskerud’s stock was a broker’s dream. Buy low and watch as his valuation takes-off like Apple (AAPL) after a new product announcement. Despite the fact Mix get on the field in the World Cup because Klinsmann chose a defensive Fort Knox central midfield against superior opponents as opposed to splashing creativity in the middle (which was a coaching mistake), Mix is part of a fantastic generation of young players in their mid-early 20s who will lead the USMNT from this point forward.
This news is still just simply surreal. If there was ever a window for Columbus to get Mix, the past several months were it. Literally. Now, Berhalter and Co. (with venture capitalist and Crew owner Anthony Precourt) deserve credit for going after him. That’s certainly acknowledged. But to give up these efforts by signing a former player, who is six years older than Mix and who was forgettable in his final-third finishes for the Crew is mind-boggling. Imagine the partnership of Wil Trapp and Mix Diskerud for the Columbus Crew SC: young and talented workaholics with vision who, quite likely, could be the future central midfield for the USMNT. Mix’s style positively defines teams with a competitive identity and consistently leads to goals, assists and, yes, wins. His addition would’ve helped in last years playoff disaster against the New England Revolution (as well as a competent defensive line, a forward who scores goals and a comprehensively dynamic strategy).
I have said before and will say again that Mix Diskerud is the future #10 (jersey number and talent wise) for the United States and is a superstar in the making. He is a player worth an exhaustible effort and investment. While it’s possible that the Crew knew he would never sign after their initial effort, it’s also quite possible that they caved to the unknown for the known, which includes the record-breaking re-signing of play-maker Federico Higuaín (currently #10). When Sigi Schmid orchestrated his Crew team that won the 2008 MLS Cup, it was a squad that included players who were Columbus Crew staples (Chad Marshall), UCLA-friend Frankie Hejduk and players barely known to the everyday fan (Steven Lenhart), as well as Argentine superstar Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Schmid took chances and got the exact right players for the exact right positions for a remarkable championship season.
In other words, the Crew had the right mix…
Jimmy's Daily Planet 