Thoughts on England, McBride, and Microsoft
By Jay Hipps · May 29, 2008
The answers to the questions:
- That was a pretty lackluster performance from both sides at yesterday’s Wembley wrangle. One thing is clear, though: England, despite the big-name lineup, is just not that good. It’s no coincidence that they’ll all be enjoying summer holidays while the rest of Europe will be battling it out in Austria and Switzerland to determine the kings of UEFA.
Their problem is a one-dimensional attack where pace is emphasized over everything else. There’s no stealth, no guile, and no creativity. They do everything quickly and, if that doesn’t work, they try to go even faster. It worked once yesterday, on Steven Gerrard’s goal, but the team’s frustration was visibly growing until they scored off David Beckham’s free kick. (Demonstrating yet again, I might add, that Beckham’s service is enough to propel a mediocre team to victory, just as is so often seen at Home Depot Center.)
We’re a full-service blog, though, so we’ll provide a solution to the problem instead of just identifying it: More English players need to start playing outside England. The cross-pollination of ideas and playing styles that is transforming the game is vital to a team’s success now, and while the Premiership is among the strongest leagues in the world, teams usually rely on foreign talent to provide the spark to a team’s play. (That last point could be applied to MLS as well, actually.)
Unfortunately for England fans, their players aren’t likely to start leaving for more exotic pastures anytime soon. The Prem is the richest league on Earth right now, and players have no financial incentive to move to a different country, where they would have to acclimate to a new culture, language, and style of play, when they can remain at home. Even Championship players are paid pretty well. Until they learn to leave their island behind, at least mentally if not physically, the world is going to continue to leave them behind. (Hey, at least they’re not relying exclusively on English coaches anymore.)
- There has been some moaning and gnashing of teeth over Jeff Carlisle’s story on how acquiring (and now dropping) Peguero Jean Philippe cost the Quakes their top spot on the MLS priority list for players returning to the league, and therefore any chance of acquiring Brian McBride now that he’s leaving Fulham.
Let’s be clear, though: McBride will play wherever he chooses, and all indications are that he will either be joining Chicago, near his boyhood home of Arlington Heights, Ill., or returning to Columbus. The Quakes didn’t lose McBride by acquiring Jean Philippe; they lost the draft pick or some cash that would have been offered by either of those teams for San Jose’s spot in the pecking order. Again, McBride will play wherever he chooses, and he was never going to choose San Jose. Let’s cut Quakes GM John Doyle a little slack here.
- The news out of Seattle is that Microsoft has signed a $20 million deal to promote XBox Live on Seattle Sounders shirts for the first five years of the team’s MLS existence, and that news has to be music to the ears of the San Jose front office. Surely one of the Bay Area’s tech giants will want want a similar deal with the Quakes so that MLS is not conceded to Bill Gates and company?
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It’s time for San Jose (and Dallas, Colorado, Kansas City, and New England) to up the ante on a jersey deal. Seattle SFC has inked Microsoft and already the teams without a deal need to start thinking of who wants that precious right to be in front of a shirt…
As for McBride–the smart money is on Chicago or Columbus. It would a massive longshot if he landed here. Besides, McHead is Mr. Crew so chances are he returns there.
Well I’m not sure I agree that because McBride will refuse to go anywhere but Chicago and Columbus that we lose nothing by Peguero. Certainly we could have extracted a trade from them for the rights to McBride. I don’t necessarily blame them for not being prescient - hard to know what McBride would do - but I think we need to acknowledge that Doyle and Yallop took a risk on Peguero, and now it’s caused us to lose value. We’re without a decent striker, and at the bottom of the list on returning MLS players.
Over at The Offside, we’ve declared this a potential nerd-off. The battle for the Silicon Cup. Now SJ just has to find a sponsor who is open source friendly and it’s on! My vote is for Google.
You know, after watching the game, the idea that English team isn’t that good really did not spring to mind. Rather, as a fan of the U.S. team, I thought that we need A LOT of work, particularly in the offensive half of the field. Only 2 or 3 of our players could hold the ball against the pressure of England. On the other hand, England looked pretty good - their skill on the ball is a class above U.S., their passing is crisp, and they made very intelligent and purposeful runs in the offensive end. With the players England has, they are punching below their weight internationally.
Gene, I agree that England is punching below their weight. I’d take Steven Gerrard on the Quakes any day of the week, and watching MLS defenders try to deal with Wayne Rooney would provide countless hours of entertainment. (How do you tackle a fire hydrant, anyway?) My point is that England’s problem lies in their mental approach to the game.
As for the U.S., I was leaving them out of the discussion since I thought it would be evident that their loss to a team I’m criticizing would indicate that I thought our guys were lacking as well. Clint Dempsey was about all that was happening in the attack, although the side did look more dangerous when Freddy Adu came on. The U.S. could use a little more imagination as well, but I’d mainly like to see our midfielders and forwards play with a little more fire.
Melissa, Google would be a great choice, and the historic battles between Microsoft and Apple are well known as well. Let the nerd-off commence!
Jay, I thought that the only guys who could hold a ball on our side of things were Dempsey, Eddie Lewis, and Adu. I would expect Altidore and Donovan to do well as well. As much as I dislike Donovan, I’d admit that we missed him in the middle of the field, as well as in making offensive runs.
For England, the guy that looked dangerous in the 1st half was Dafoe. He made a couple of very good runs, and, barring last-second heroics from the defense, he would have been one-on-one with Howard.
Yeah, Rooney in the MLS would be entertaining, in more ways than one.