In light of our recent tour announcement and, more specifically, our planned friendly against Chicago Fire on July 21st 2012, I was kindly contacted by Jeff Harbert of the Chicago Fire Blog (www.chicagofireblog.com) to ask my thoughts on our US tour, and to answer a few pertinent questions regarding our tour, the MLS, and to share some knowledge about Aston Villa. My answers to Jeff’s questions are here.
In return, I’ve asked Jeff some questions regarding both Chicago Fire, the MLS, and a view of both Villa and our league from an outside perspective. Jeff’s answers to my questions are listed below:
As a supporter of a relative minority sport compared to other leagues such as the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL, how do you see soccer in terms of its development since the establishment of the current national league, the MLS?
The development of Major League Soccer since its foundation in 1996 has been steady but remarkable. American soccer fans have gone from being told that “No one in America likes soccer” or that “Soccer will never make it in America” to finally having a league we can be proud of. Thanks to the MLS and the success of the US Men and Women’s National Teams, the sport has succeeded in proving those critics wrong. The MLS may not be as big as the leagues you mentioned, and it may never be, but if it can continue to develop at the same pace as it has during the past five years then it will certainly be worthy of being held in high regard amongst all sports fans in America – and hopefully the rest of the world someday.
Admittedly, the league’s growth was rather slow during the first few years of its existence and it took some time for it to catch on in the US. Stadium attendances were poor, media coverage was pitiful, and even the quality of the league was nothing like it is now. But in my mind, all of that is just a testament to how far the league has come since its establishment.
In terms of soccer, does it excite you that a club like Aston Villa is coming over to play against your local team? If so, it is our club specifically that intrigues you or the general English game and its associated reputation?
As an dedicated English Premier League follower since 1998, it’s safe to say I’ve actually followed English football longer than Major League Soccer! I still remember the days when players like Darius Vassell, Stan Collymore, and Paul Merson played for Aston Villa. So as such a devout follower of the world’s best football league, I am always eager for the opportunity to watch EPL clubs play. Therefore, being able to have a club like Aston Villa play against the Chicago Fire will be a great opportunity for our fans to watch a great club in person and a good chance for our players to test themselves against a team full of quality players.
The EPL has certainly earned a reputation as being the world’s most popular league in the world and that’s certainly no different in America. The pubs are filled every Saturday and Sunday morning in Chicago, so for Americans to have the opportunity to see Aston Villa play in the city’s own backyard is absolutely fantastic. Some would say we were spoiled last year by being able to host Manchester United at Soldier Field, but I can guarantee you Aston Villa will also attract a sell-out stadium at Toyota Park and stir up a great deal of excitement around these parts.
The English Premier League has a reputation for being one of the top three leagues for soccer in the world alongside La Liga in Spain and Serie A in Italy. Do you get much chance to see many English games and, if you do, are there any lessons you think American clubs could learn from both the way English teams play the game, as well as how the Premier League is marketed?
Despite the often inconvenient difference in timezones between Chicago and the UK, I’ve always made an effort to watch at least one or two Premier League matches every weekend, usually successfully, as well as during the week. I spent a lot of time in Kenya – where the passion for the EPL is absolutely phenomenal – and also studied for a few months in Cambridge two years ago so I’ve had quite a bit of exposure to the Premeirship. Here in the US, the passion isn’t quite as impressive as England or even Kenya, but it’s no less a huge attraction for soccer fans across the country.
Aside from having the advantage of being able to attract many of the world’s best players, the Premier League has done a remarkable job in exposing itself to the rest of the world. There’s not many parts of the world EPL clubs haven’t traveled to, even places such as Nigeria and India, and that is something that earns the league greater popularity. The MLS isn’t popular enough to do that, but a big step for the league to take will be the ability to garner attention from other countries. The media coverage for the EPL in England and the rest of the world is absolutely second to none, which is an aspect the MLS has seen improvements in, but still has a lot of work to do if it wants to see a further increase in popularity.
In terms of European players, the MLS understandably has fairly few. With the likes of David Beckham and Thierry Henry being seen perhaps as more to do with “brand improvement” than purely about playing potential, would you welcome more European players, perhaps lesser known ones, to the league?
Without a doubt. For instance, the Chicago Fire signed Arne Freidrich earlier this month, and despite him coming off an injury layoff in the Bundesliga, his arrival has really heightened the excitement for the Fire’s chances this season. Players like Henry, Beckham or Freidrich still have a lot to offer the league, regardless of their age. However, I’m a keen follower of European football and I actually find myself getting more excited over the arrival of lesser known players who can possibly have a bigger impact on the pitch. I like to use Orr Barouch as an example – the Fire’s 20-year-old Israeli striker. He sort of arrived from obscurity, but he’s already proven himself to have bags of quality and even earned his first national team call-up last season. Younger European players with great potential excite me more than older players nearing retirement, although they certainly don’t help sell as many tickets unfortunately!
Former European stars in the latter stages of their career are great for the league’s publicity, but it’s often the younger players who can have the biggest influence in improving the overall product of the league on the pitch, which, in my mind, is more important.
We all admire world class players like Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Given the improving standards in the MLS, a) do you think such players, or rather players of their standard, would ever consider a move to the MLS apart from at the end of their careers and, if so, b) when in the future do you think that might happen?
I think a lot of people definitely harbor hopes that some of those types of players eventually make their way over to the US. In fact, I take it with a grain of salt but I know Cristiano Ronaldo said he would like to move to the MLS to finish his career. Whether similar players follow suit, one can only cross their fingers as it would be a tremendous honor for the likes of Xavi or Iniesta to grace the American game. After all, some people still talk about the days when Pele and George Best played in North America!
Do you think there are any lessons English teams could learn from American teams? For example, do you think that there are training methods used in the United States that could benefit our club or, away from the game itself, are there any creative or innovative ways that you have seen the MLS/soccer in general marketed as a fan?
One aspect of American soccer that I know every foreign club that visits the United States is incredibly impressed with is the facilities of the MLS. A lot of that has to do with many of the facilities here being recently constructed due to the novelty of our league,
but the training facilities here really are absolutely top notch – which is a big reason why clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea or Manchester United really enjoy having their preseason here. Obviously the facilities in England are in great condition too, but I think facilities are one of the aspects that the MLS isn’t actually inferior to the Premier League!
Aston Villa are, sadly, having a fairly poor season so far to date and many of our supporters are understandably frustrated and agitated, especially with the fear of relegation. With the MLS not having promotion and relegation like the English leagues do, do you think the American system is better or worse? Would you like to have promotion and relegation, or are there merely too few clubs for that to be viable?
Maybe it’s the English football fan inside of me, but I would love to do have a promotion and relegation system here. In fact, it’s been something I’ve been preaching for a long time now and with there now being 19 teams in the MLS, I’d like to see the league at least begin considering the idea within the next five years. The US actually has a lot of quality teams in the North American Soccer League (NASL) and United Soccer League (USL) and the MLS could do with “increasing the stakes”. Right now there’s nothing to play for in the league besides the MLS Playoffs and Supporters Shield, which means teams near the foot of the table often have nothing to lose. In England, I’m envious of how intriguing the relegation battle is every year in the EPL, Championship, etc.
And finally, many English fans may not know many, or even any, of the current Chicago Fire roster – is there anyone you think will dazzle English fans?
Apart from the more big name players like former Charlton defender Cory Gibbs and German international Arne Friedrich, we have a number of quality players who I believe are capable of impressing the English fans. The main one for me is Dominic Oduro. The Ghanaian forward scored a team high 12 league goals last season and is already off to a flying start this year. He’s considered by many to be the fastest player in the league and I’m sure Villa supporters will get a chance to see why this summer.
Sebastian Grazzini and Pavel Pardo – crucial midseason additions to our midfield last year – are two other players to keep an eye out for on July 21st. And lastly, I couldn’t possibly leave out our goalkeeper, Sean Johnson. He’s been touted as the future number one goalkeeper for the USMNT. There’s also a good chance he could follow in the steps of Brad Guzan and join the English league in the future too.
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