MLS All-Star Game/Summer Friendlies

This week MLS and several MLS teams announced summer friendlies and the MLS All-Star fixture. The All-Stars will once again take on Manchester United who will also play friendlies against Chicago and Seattle as well. Even my team Sporting KC will get in on the act with a friendly against Newcastle United. Which I think is going to be a hard sell to the casual soccer fan. First, Newcastle isn't safe from relegation yet and could drop to the Championship with a few bad results. Second, they don't have a big name draw like last season's friendly opponent Manchester United, who is also the biggest club draw in the world. Finally, this game will be played on a Wednesday night and I find it hard to believe the casual fan will come out for the match as MLS midweek matches are traditionally a hard sell. I always say 90% of US soccer fans and MLS fans in America are casual fans. The US is the home of the casual fan and the "what have you done for me lately" fan.

On the subject of friendlies, I am against MLS teams playing these matches. It is in the middle of the MLS season for one thing and each team should be concentrating on the task at hand, i.e. the MLS season, Open Cup, playoffs, etc. However, this is a huge pay day for both teams and a way for the foreign team to promote themselves abroad. But that is what I'm truly against. So many teams come to America on a summer tour looking to cash in on the casual soccer fan. Typically, this is the fan who hates MLS or has a slight interest in MLS, but would rather pay to see a game when the "big boys" come to town. Yes, the MLS team's supporter section is there and bragging rights are at stake. But in the case of Sporting KC versus Manchester United last season the game means nothing to the non-MLS team and their supporters. I lived in England last season and this result wasn't even widely regarded as unusual. Look at the seasons both teams have had as a result. United is on top of the Premier League while SKC couldn't even make the playoffs last season. I know Sporting had an increase in ticket sales, merch, etc after the match against Manchester United last summer. But my argument is these fans aren't the fans that will come out week after week, month after month or year after year. Rather, these are the fans that see something that has peaked their interest or they've heard about and they want to check it out. Again the casual fan. The upside to this is at least a MLS team is participating in the friendly. Too often two teams from Europe or other parts of the world play friendlies in the States cashing in on the soccer fan. I find this to be both an exploitation of the American soccer fan and ignorance by the American fan.
Too many people, and many have said this to me, say MLS is a terrible league, it's boring and there's no talent. These people aren't true fans, they don't want to find out why the league has quality. They want to be told what to like and they want to like what people tell them to like. I hope in the future these friendlies will continue to decrease as MLS is too good a league to allow teams from around the world to make a name at the expense of MLS.

Thursday Rounds

-Former Chelsea striker and much rumored to be coming to MLS, Mateja Kezman, will not be signing with MLS; at least for now. He has signed with Hong Kong's South China club.

- USMNT player Jermaine Jones has signed with Blackburn on loan from Schalke 04. Jones had been demoted by Felix Magath to Schalke's reserve team who play in the German fourth division.

- American and former Duke University player, Mike Grella who signed with Leeds United rather than MLS, has signed on loan with Motherwell in Scotland. Grella played well last season in Leeds promotion season from League One. Though, he never could break the strangle-hold Luciano Becchio and Jermain Beckford had on the starting striker spots. Grella has spent much of this season on loan already.

- Colorado's Kosuke Kimura's 15 minutes of fame in Japan could be about over. Fellow countrymen Shinji Kagawa's Borussia Dortmund is leading the pack in Germany's Bundesliga, with Kagawa as their top scorer. A shrewd buy in the summer, Kagawa has proved to be one of the buys of the year. It is now reported he may join Manchester United in the summer for over $30 million. Dormund signed him on a free from Japan's Cerezo Osaka.

- Finally, the Philadelphia Union has signed Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon and Colombian defender Carlos Valdes. Mondragon, 39, joins the Union from Germany's FC Cologne. Meanwhile Valdes, 25, comes to MLS from Colombian club Independiente Santa Fe. With the way the club finished last season they should be good enough to make the new 10 team play-offs.

The Red Bulls get a Rooney

In last night's MLS draft John Rooney was selected by New York Red Bulls in the second round. As must know John is the younger brother of Manchester United's Wayne. To begin, I like many found it strange that MLS allowed foreign, non-college US or Canadian players to enter the Superdraft. I also found it strange that Rooney has played professionally in England with Maccelesfield Town. Nonetheless, he was entered into the draft. Last summer Rooney spent time on trial with Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, but wasn't signed. However, there was enough hype that MLS invited young Rooney to the combine and draft.

Rooney has had great soccer teaching as a player in Everton's academy for six years. After being released by the club he played for Maccelesfield Town in League 2, the fourth tier of English football. He has played at a lower level than MLS, and it will be interesting if he can contribute anything to the Red Bulls and MLS.

It would be a great story if he can conjure up some of the form his older brother has for Manchest United. But I don't see that happening. If you've followed American football or the NFL or even criminal cases you know a man by the name Michael Vick. Michael has a younger brother named Marcus. Because of Michael becoming a millionaire over night with the Atlanta Falcons Marcus was never in the need for money. He was slightly famous due to his brother's ability. Marcus didn't have to worry about anything. Marcus Vick even had some talent, and was signed to play quarterback at Virgina Tech, the same school Michael attended. That's were the wheels began to come off. Marcus, though talented, was never as talented as his brother. He couldn't feel his shoes and Marcus began to get into trouble with the college and the police. Marcus would go on to a short NFL career with the Miami Dolphins while always living in his brother's shadow. Marcus has gone on to have numerous criminal convictions since.

My point is John Rooney can't live up to his brother Wayne, and according to some reports in the British media has gotten himself into trouble from time to time. No where near the level of a Marcus Vick, but I'm invisioning a similar career in MLS that Marcus had in the NFL. I'd love to be wrong, and we'll find out soon.

In the end, this signing by New York is a win-win situation. They bring in the little brother of a well know footballer in Europe and hope he can become something special. Once the draft reached the second round the teams were looking for either players who could surprise them in pre-season and win a contract or players that can fill reserve rosters and hopefully develop. The Red Bulls' pick of Rooney isn't any worse than any other pick in the second round. But it would have been more surprising if it wasn't New York, as they look for anyway to market the team in a major city that doesn't show that much interest in its team.