The Write-In

As you may have found out by now, the ballot to name the Seattle MLS team was given a write-in option. "For fans who are passionate about a different name." Gee, I wonder what they mean by that? I dunno, gotta keep looking toward the future I guess.

OK, no more whining. In the end, "Sounders" supporters got what they wanted- a chance to vote on the name that really means "soccer." Now, I haven't been a Sounder supporter as long as some. I've only been following them since half-way 2006. But I've been a sports fan all my life. What does this have to do with the "Sounders?" Easy, sports- all sports- are about tradition. You think the guys in Pittsburgh are concerned with how their team will fare in 20 years? Not at all. They're remembering the glory days of the Steel Curtain and the Bus' Superbowl victory over the Seahawks.

When they asked for team name suggestions and the overwhelming response was "Sounders" of some form, I figured they would follow their pocketbooks at least and give the fans what they wanted- the name that kept Seattle's soccer tradition alive: Sounders. And after the three names were leaked, I was a "tad" upset that Sounders wasn't even considered. It was the one name that most of us could agree on. It was an easy marketing task and no effort was even made towards the fans and supporters. After only two-and-a-half years, I really was "Sounders 'til I die!"

Now, we do get to at least vote it up or down. And I can only keep my fingers crossed until April 7 when the name announcement is made. Please, go to MLS in Seattle and write in "Seattle Sounders." Thanks, everybody.

A Statement from the Emerald City Supporters

We, the Emerald City Supporters, lament the fact that the new Seattle MLS team will not carry the "Sounders" name. We feel that the name is entwined with the soccer "soul" of the region. It is a representation of the Puget Sound area and an expression of Seattle's imprint on the world's game. Furthermore, we feel that it is by recognizing the past that helps move us toward the future. When Seattle MLS asked for team name suggestions after the expansion announcement, 60% and more of the respondents wanted some form of the "Sounders" name. If the team name vote is to be the decision of the fans, why is "Sounders" not on the list?

While we will support the new team regardless of name, we will also still lobby the front office to officially change the name to "Seattle Sounders." Please join us and let the front office know your position as well. If the Fans and Supporters are loud enough, the hope is the front office will come to share in our dream- Seattle Sounders, MLSCup Champions!!!

Thank you.

Playing Catch-up with Some Random Thoughts

So, it has been a while since I last posted anything- and I had planned on making this a weekly thing! Oops. Oh, well. So, I figured it is about time I got on my duff and did something about that.

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I've had some comments on the coming Champion's League (CCL)- mostly about how MLS teams would get into it. Emmett and "Anonymous" both agree that the US Open Cup winner should get into the CCL, but Emmett hears- and I would agree with him on this- that the four MLS teams will be the winner of the Supporter's Shield and the runner-up along with the two teams that vied for MLSCup. My only two questions here are: would Toronto FC be considered "American" just because it is in MLS? Would the Canadian entry into the CCL come from a domestic league up there? "Anonymous" would put the winner of the Supporter's Shield and runner-up ahead of the MLSCup teams as far as seeding would go. I should have put this in my Champion's League post as I believe the regular season is all you need and the post-season is just a small unnecessary tournament. Thanks for the comments, guys! Keep 'em coming, everybody!

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Rumor report: Word on the grapevine has it that the owners of Seattle MLS are having a time trying to decide on a name. It sounds like one owner wants one name, while another owner prefers something else and neither choice is "Sounders." If they can't decide, the rumor goes on to say, then the name will default to "Sounders."

Also, there is another rumor about a man who works with a local (Seattle) Spanish-language radio station. This man has connections within the team's front office and he is POSITIVE that the name will be "Sounders." For fans like me, this is looking very good indeed.

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And finally, I'm going to put out my idea for a promotion/relegation system for American soccer. (I know, everybody has their own particular idea, but nobody else has this blog!) My plan calls for the scrapping of the playoff system, but can work with one in place. With the playoffs, my idea would take the top two teams from the regular season in the USL-1 and that league's playoff champion and play them against the bottom three teams from MLS in a two-legged series. The winner moves up and the loser moves down. Without the playoffs, the teams would be the top three from the regular season. Heck, this sounds a little like how MLS should choose its teams for the CCL (plus the Open Cup Champ, of course!)

I know that American soccer is probably- no, most likely- about ten to fifteen years away from anything like this. However, the MLS Commissioner of then is- hopefully- a reader of this blog and would use this idea to honor me- because we all know that I will be a famous soccer sportswriter by then and will have huge influence with the fans!

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Well, that's it for now. My brain tends to run dry a little quicker on the weekends. Also, I hope to have something else to post before the end of the month and maybe the posts will come a little quicker once soccer starts up again here in the States. Until next time, please keep the comments coming!

The CONCACAF Champions' League

Ok, so this has gotten me really excited and waiting for this August. If you'll remember from my first post, I made a call for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup to be turned into a true Champions' League (mostly as a call to increase the profile of the US Open Cup). It looks like my dream has come true- mostly. CONCACAF today announced that a CONCACAF Champions League will begin in August, 2008- replacing the Champions' Cup. (The winner of the last Champions' Cup will go to the 2008 Club World Cup and the Champions' League will start sending its winner to the 2009 edition.)

Right now, I don't know exactly how they will choose the 24 teams that will participate. I do know that the US and Mexico will each receive four slots each. To my mind that is enough for the top three out of MLS and the US Open Cup champion. (Mexico can choose its teams however it wants, I'm just concerned with American soccer.) After all, isn't this new creation supposed to be a CHAMPIONS' League?

Here's how I see the final American breakdown for its four slots:
First Slot: US Open Cup Champion
Second Slot: MLSCup Champion
Third Slot: MLS Supporters' Shield winner
Fourth Slot: MLS regular season runner-up
(With the MLS teams, it should be the closest American team if Toronto FC actually takes any of the slots.)

I don't know how US Soccer will make the final determination, but I would hope they take outside opinion into consideration. In final regards to the Open Cup, it is US Soccer's tournament to promote- or hide. But that tournament could mean so much to American soccer fans if it is tied into the new Champions' League.

I hesitate to point out- but will anyway- that today, the day the Champions' League was announced, ussoccer.com had the new uniforms as the top headline and as of this article going to "press" the Champions' League was still not announced there. MLSNet.com and CONCACAF.com both covered, but not one of the two biggest participating federations. Hmmm, on top of things, are we? Let's hope that the reason for that is because they are going to announce how US teams will get in.

So, keeping my fingeres crossed, I will wait anxiously to find out how American teams will get in- and will keep a countdown going for August. Man, I'm excited!

A Slight Correction

So it seems that the history of lower division US soccer is a bit more twisted than I initially believed. GS-1 from www.goalseattle.com has sent me the following:

"FC Seattle drew bigger or similar crowds to those the USL Sounders have, in general, over the years. The only bump the 'Sounders' got was when they came back in 1994, after Seattle had been without pro soccer for over 4 years. The Sounders of 1996-2002 drew fewer fans than FC Seattle for the most part.

Also, they never played 'in the USL.' FC Seattle Storm played in a couple of leagues, and won the Western Soccer Alliance in 1988. The USL later 'adopted' that league's history, but they are different animals."

Shows that maybe I shouldn't play slave to attendance data also (heh-heh). With that being said, I do still stand by my article "A Team by Any Other Name..." and the general tone of the piece.

GO SOUNDERS!!! And don't forget to visit both www.weareecs.com and www.goalseattle.com for more on the Seattle soccer scene!

A Team by Any Other Name....

Yes!!! Seattle is finally getting a MLS franchise- only about, what, eleven years late? It would have been awesome if we had been in at the beginning, but we're here now and that's all that matters. At least it's coming. Now, one of the things that fans around here most want to know is "what will the new team be called?" There seem to be- no, there are two different camps on fans on this particular issue. The first group is of fans who don't care what the name will be and will show up regardless. The second group- of which I am a part- wants Seattle's soccer history to be recognized by naming the team "Sounders." (Also, the second group will show up to matches regardless of name- you can take my word on that!)

So, why name the team "Sounders?" Isn't that a minor league soccer team? Not originally. In 1974, the North American Soccer League saw the first action for the new Seattle team- the Sounders. Note: This is the same league Pele played in when he came to America (NY Cosmos)! Back then, the NASL was the First Division of American soccer (ok, and Canada, too). Plus, that original incarnation of the Sounders won conference championships twice- in 1977 and 1982, only to lose the Soccer Bowl each time to those NY Cosmos! I really believe that particular fact dispels any "minor league" status that might be attached to the name. (When MLSinSeattle.com had a link to send in suggestions for team names, it is rumored that 60-70% of the suggestions had something to do with "Sounders." People still remember thirty plus years later.)

But, why does it have any "minor-ness" to it at all? Because there is a Seattle team by that name playing in the United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1), the Second Division of American soccer (yes! and Canada, too!) (I know, the Second Division is called the First Division, but that's something I won't be getting into here.)

I can understand the owner's concern. But, Mr. Adrian Hanauer, I would like to point out a little fact that many are not aware of: the Seattle USL-1 franchise was not always called the "Sounders." It was once called "FC Seattle" or something bland like that. Furthermore, they drew maybe 1,000 people on average. When the name was changed to "Sounders," attendance tripled. Tripled. People love and remember the NASL Sounders, a team that had a tradition of winning at the highest level.

Yeah, the USL-1 Sounders don't draw nearly as many people as the NASL Sounders did, but that's where the "minor-league" status affects things. Yeah, it is Mr. Hanauer's team to name, but it is our money to spend. Yeah, people will show up to Seattle MLS games regardless of the team name, but a vocal faction won't be too happy. But why ignore the history and tradition the "Sounders" name has already established? Why try to write new history when you can add on to the one already there? Different teams have been named "Seattle Sounders," but always the same name.

A team by any other name...is not quite as sweet. (Remember the San Jose Clash?) History. Tradition. Sounders.

True Champions

The US Open Cup. Even amongst us soccer fans, it doesn't draw the recognition that many- myself included- feel it deserves. The Open Cup is the National Championship of the United States. Any soccer team associated with US Soccer can enter- from amateurs all the way up to MLS. Yes, even you and I can dream of winning this cup. Not so true of the Superbowl now, eh? World Series? Yeah, right.

But, if MLS is in, amateurs would have no chance of winning. Right? Nope. In 2006, amateur side Dallas Roma FC took Chivas USA (MLS) to PK's- and won 4-2. And this isn't the only "David defeats Goliath" story. The Rochester Raging Rhinos (USL 1, then A-league) took it All in 1999. In 2007, the Seattle Sounders (USL 1) almost made it to the finals before losing 2-1 to FC Dallas (MLS) in extra time. Even games between two MLS sides can be good. Witness the 1997 DC United victory over the Dallas Burn on PK's 5-4. I've lived through PK victories myself and I find them absolutely thrilling- afterwards, of course!

So, why haven't more people heard of the Open Cup? Why are so many missing out on some of the best soccer to be had? (Granted, its in America, but still, many of these games are thrilling to watch.) The biggest reason the Open Cup flounders in anonymity is that US Soccer doesn't put a whole lot of money into promoting the tourney. You just can't find any of these matches on television- except for the occasional one on Fox Soccer.

Another obstacle to the Open Cup's success is that alot of MLS teams don't take it too seriously to begin with. It is frivolous at best. Many send in the reserve squad for a little tune-up. True, many MLS teams headed for the playoffs see an increase in their scheduled matches as both the Cup and the regular season continue. But, if a team can't handle both, how big of champions is that team really? (Maybe MLS could drop the idea of playoffs altogether? And crown the regular season winner the overall champion? One can hope.)

Well, attacks on team pride (and league structure) aside, every division of American soccer- with the obvious MLS exception- views the Open Cup as one of the biggest prizes to chase after. Considering that, I doubt the Open Cup will be going away anytime soon.

So, what to do?

How about a little change to the grand prize? Like say- a cool million to the winner instead of a paltry $100,000- and give the Cup champ a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (CCC). Many don't believe that CONCACAF would give the US a third spot in that particular tournament. [Currently, MLS's regular season champ (winner of the Supporter's Shield) and the MLSCup winner get the two American spots in the CCC.] The math for the CCC won't work out if a third US team (and I guess Mexican team as well, for "fairness") gets in. True, and my response to that is to turn the CCC into a true Champion's League. Round up the top teams from each league and national cup winners and mix them together. Sure, some leagues and countries would tend to dominate, but how is that different from the CCC today?

Yeah, CONCACAF would have to take a little initiative and change the CCC, but I believe that US Soccer should at least more heavily promote the Open Cup and provide for a larger prize. Maybe a sponsor could be found to put up the prize money? Or to at least help? It is past time that the US Open Cup should receive proper exalted status. It shouldn't be marginalized and allowed to languish in the shadows. I hope that the recent success of the national teams and MLS's growing popularity encourages US Soccer to take steps to grow the Open Cup. In fact, I look forward to watching the Open Cup final each year- on ESPN!