Caught in Possession

Apologies for the shameful lack of posts recently...last week brought a trip out of town on short notice, then a busy holiday weekend polished me off. But there's plenty to talk about this week, starting with another note to add to the growing chorus of doubt and fear -- can we officially call it a backlash yet? -- regarding the second generation of artificial turf which has been taking the U.S. by storm in recent years.

Personally, I am constantly playing on the fake stuff these days, between indoor games at Dulles Sportsplex and the lion's share of my Washington International Soccer League (WISL) men's league matches taking place at FieldTurf pitches around DC and northern Virginia. Maybe it's not the ideal surface for soccer, but anyone who's played in a DC-area league lately -- not only soccer, but also other sports like lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, et al -- can tell you how scarce (and expensive) field space has gotten and how easily grass fields can get torn, worn and pounded into dust and stubble under heavy traffic.

FieldTurf can be used around the clock and gives you the same bounce, however different that bounce may be from real grass, every time...and there are ecological considerations too, with the water and fertilizer levels required to maintain a good grass pitch.

But professionals don't have to experience the frustration of playing on patchy, dusty, rutted fields at local high schools and rec parks. In my conversations with various members of DC United's squad there's been little question of the evils of FieldTurf, among those who have spent their careers on natural grass as well as those who've spent time with clubs that play on plastic pitches...like Zach Wells, for example. We discussed the topic a while back, after United's 4-0 debacle on Real Salt Lake's rock-hard surface at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and I was reminded of it again this week:

"I think if you ask most players around the league, they will say that FieldTurf should not be allowed anywhere," said Wells. "Personally, I dealt with plantar fasciitis for two seasons, and I’m just overcoming it – I had a procedure in the offseason to help it, and I’ve been taking care of it – and just getting on that turf [in Salt Lake City] and training for two days, it flared it up right away. I could feel it in my joints and everything, and that’s after a day or two.

"Granted, I was up in New York on it for two years as well, at the beginning of my career. I don’t know if there’s any scientific evidence but just talking to guys on how they feel, I don’t think it’s ever an ideal situation...The wear and tear on your joints, in a game where you’ve got to run 90 minutes – goalkeepers are one thing, but guys have to run 90 minutes and do a lot of cutting, do 360-degree movements. And just the way the ball plays on it, too – it’s never going to be a pretty game.

"It’s a weird surface – the ball’s bounce, how do you train for that? Fortunately [RSL is] moving into a natural-grass stadium three-quarters of the way through the season, and I’m glad to see that New York is going to do the same. So from all the players’ perspectives in the league, everyone would love to do away with FieldTurf. You can quote that one for sure."

What do you think?

A bit of housekeeping...here's the link to my PSW piece on Wells:

Benny Olsen and Zach Wells were dishing out some really entertaining stuff this week on the topics of environmentalism, home ownership, and life in certain MLS cities...I couldn't fit all of it into today's PSW piece so here's some of the more memorable extra quotes:

"Actually before I got traded I was going to vow to live in Manhattan, maybe share an apartment with some friends from high school and try to make it happen, but then I got traded. In Houston you definitely need a car, and some air conditioning."
-Zach Wells, who first lived in Hoboken and then Jersey City as a MetroStar/Red Bull before moving to the sprawl+traffic mecca of Houston, Texas to join Dynamo.

"That’s when you know you’re in trouble, when [the media are] talking about your environmental skills...He won’t let me turn the A/C on, it’s hot as can be in our house, he’s like, ‘no bro.’ Seriously, it’s news to me. I know he takes the metro, that’s just because he doesn’t have a g*ddamned car."
-a droll Ben Olsen, on the topic of Wells' blossoming environmental awareness.

"Well, I mean my parents were hippies, and my brother is pretty conscious – that’s definitely part of it. I think having a car in a big city is just a burden. I did have one in New Jersey and parking, getting dinged up and all the extra surcharges and everything else, I just figured I’d get rid of that burden, grab a bike, use the metro. You can basically get to everywhere and plus, Ben’s been pretty selfless about us using his car whenever."
-Wells, explaining his outlook as well as his transportation ace in the hole.

"Zach’s place is flooded right now, it’s been flooded three times with all these rains – I’m down there with a f*cking Shop-Vac and the big fans. We’ll see, it might have to all come up. I’ll have to take him to dinner or something."
-Olsen, discussing the less-glamorous side of being a landlord

"They replaced every pipe down there, we can’t find the leak. We keep patching sh*t up and then it rains, and you step on the floorboards and water just comes right up through, it’s a nightmare…And we’re actually saving that water out of the shop-vac and we’re putting it into the tub."
-Olsen again, giving us all the dirty details. And yes, that last part is a joke.

Ola jovenes. Before I get into a whole mess of DC United stuff, here's a couple things that are on my mind this week.

Hearing about this surprising development got me thinking about good ol' Henk Larsson -- surely one of the classiest, most successful footballers of his generation -- and how many amazing memories he created for some of the most passionately followed clubs in the world.

Banging in an awe-inspiring 242 goals in 315 matches for Glasgow Celtic, leading the Swedish national team in several World Cups, winning over the Catalan nation during his glittering stint with FC Barcelona -- including a game-changing substitute's performance in the 2006 Champions League final -- Larsson was uniquely gifted. Not just for scoring in buckets, but also adding the quiet leadership that builds chemistry and wins championships.

And that's to say nothing of the time he saved Manchester United's bacon by parachuting in for a fruitful loan spell in early 2007 (the Swedish techno tune in his honor is an added bonus in that last clip). Sweden's Euro 2008 group includes Greece, Russia and Spain...dark horse, anyone?

Moving closer to home...Like many MLS observers, I have been flabbergasted, in a very positive way mind you, by Toronto FC's success in marketing and sales in their short history and even more so by the passion, no, fanaticism, of the TFC faithful. I was initially skeptical of claims that BMO Field's frenzied atmosphere was superior to the vibe created by United fans at RFK, or even that of the Dynamo down at Robertson Stadium in Houston...but at this point it's pretty hard to argue with the sound and fury created by TFC supporters -- and they're clever gits as well...

Now we get word that the soccer-loving Canucks of that fair city are steamed about some tentative remarks from local politicians that would seem to support the Canadian Football League's Argonauts sharing BMO with TFC...raising the specter of an awkward co-existence that other MLS teams know all too well, with larger capacity, convoluted scheduling and -- worst of all -- ugly gridiron markings tainting what was supposed to be a soccer-specific facility.

It seemed as though Toronto FC, or more accurately their parent company, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, had long ago made specific maneuvers to forestall this possibility. But TFC fans are still concerned enough to be contemplating a protest when the All-Star Game (vs. London's West Ham FC) comes to town this summer. And bully to them. But even if a groundshare becomes a real plan of action, are the Argonauts really going to shell out many millions to expand and rejigger the whole stadium? Stay tuned...

Sometimes the metaphors are so forehead-slappingly obvious that you simply have no choice but to pay them heed and use them...almost as if you'd be tempting the g*ds by doing otherwise. Such was my situation as I wrote up the match wrap for DC United's sad, soggy 2-0 loss to Chicago tonight. (No link to it here as it's not up yet, but by the time you read this it'll be posted on dcunited.com and you'll see what I mean.)

I tend to be the last one out of the RFK press box on game nights, but it's a particularly late night on this occasion -- beyond doing a bit of extra transcribing work to help out certain unnamed DCU employees (who need not say thank you, since I myself owe them in kind), I have been waiting around to see if this torrential downpour lets up even a little bit...Seeing as how I rode a bike to tonight's match and these are not ideal riding conditions, to put it mildly.

The crashing, booming thunder and lightning that loomed right over top of the stadium earlier was impressive enough, but now the field down below me is well and truly waterlogged and submerged, and it's hard not to look for some kind of angry biblical warning behind this flood. Has United attempted to fly too high? Are the waxy wings melting like they done did to that poor SOB Icarus? Or is everyone just a bit too panicky given that it's still early May?

Beyond that, I've got to get to my girlfriend's house before this place floats away and if this new, high-tech RFK pitch is inundated by now, I can only imagine what is waiting for me on the gritty streets of this swampy city. The future is bleak in DCU-land and divine intervention may be the only hope...

Du Nord readers may have already laid eyes on this, but for those who missed it, American Soccer Daily caught up with former DC United netminder and 2006 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Troy Perkins for a candid interview. Perkins is now plying his trade for Norwegian club Valerenga

Many will always remember Perkins for his rags-to-riches -- or in the MLS context, reserves-to-regulars -- story. The plain-spoken Ohioan was an unheralded 'keeper who worked on the side at Modell's sporting goods store to help survive while on a developmental salary, before wrestling the starting job away from Nick Rimando, becoming one of the league's top goalies and eventually moving across the pond to Europe for more money in a more soccer-centric culture.

At first Troy was a pretty unspectacular interview, but as he matured into a starter his confidence and expressiveness grew, and by his final season he could be counted on to tell you just how it was. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind or call out teammates if he felt it was appropriate, and in this ASD piece there's plenty of that bluntness for readers to enjoy.

As the DC United world turns its collective focus to tonight's game against the Chitown Fire at RFK, I thought I'd share a couple of quotes I got from Tuesday's Volkswagen sponsorship announcement that are just too good to leave in the can, to use a bit of journo-speak.

Right after the press conference Victor MacFarlane, United's principal investor, was asked if he owned a Volkswagen. MacFarlane is probably the richest person I've ever spoken with and in the real estate world he carries about as much weight as anyone in the U.S., but he still manages to exude a benevolent, engaging sort of alpha-dogness -- something akin to a blend of Daddy Warbucks and Richard Roundtree -- and his (relatively) honest answer to the question was entertaining:

"Actually, I don’t own a Volkswagen but I do own Volkswagen corporation products. My car, unfortunately, is a Bentley, not a Volkswagen. But they do own Bentley!"

I can only hope that I someday have the good fortune to utter the words, "my car, unfortunately, is a Bentley."

Personal automobile choices also came up when I talked to Clyde Simms after practice. I haven't seen him driving away from RFK lately but if I recall, Clyde drives a late-model Nissan Maxima...though VW's offer of employee pricing for DCU folks is clearly on his mind.

"Yeah, it’s exciting," he said of the VW-DCU alliance. "Hopefully we get a discount on the cars – my lease is about up, so it’d be perfect timing."

I don't know his latest address, but at one point Rod Dyachenko lived (along with PR guy Kyle Sheldon) at Josh Gros' place way, way out in Virginia, an hour+ from RFK, so you'd think he'd be fired up about the potential V-Dub hookup, but...not so much...

"Ehh, I don’t really think of anything like that. I mean, I could care less if there was a sponsor or no sponsor – I guess maybe a sponsor is going to be better, obviously more money and more opportunity. So, I know there’s this whole thing about having no sponsors on the jersey and everything, but I think sometimes a club needs a sponsor."

But it's not like he's a raging anti-corporatist, either, eh?

And finally, you gotta love VW America's Stefan Jacoby. Go listen to Dave Lipton's podcast or the Access United audio posted on behindthebadge.com to hear him talk -- it's worth it if only for his classic, jovial German accent -- then imagine him answering a question about his anticipation of the debut of his company's jersey logo at tonight's match:

"I think I will have goosebumps!"

(Actually it was more like "I zink I vill haf GOOSEbumpz!" but come on, who am I to make fun of peoples' accents? I remember about 15 words of German despite four intensive years of it in high school and I sound like the village idiot when speaking Spanish.)

Well. If the media coverage on the VERY FIRST DAY of Volkswagen's sponsorship with DC United is any indication of the kind of exposure zee Germans will get from their many millions over the next five years, I think it -- like David Beckham -- will pay for itself in short order.

Since ol' Kyle S at behindthebadge.com has done such a thorough job of rounding up the long list of relevant stories, I'll save us all a bit of time and simply direct you to his list here. Could it be that the Black-and-Red/Fahrvergnugen alliance is already...OVEREXPOSED?!?!

I mean, seriously people. I am impressed with the dedication and spirit of the United fans already lining up to buy whatever limited-edition, buy-this-car-and-support-your-favorite-team DCU Jetta that will surely be p*mped throughout the DC-area in the coming months. And it's nice to see someone do something interesting with the black hole/gravel pit behind the north goal at RFK. But I think VW is making out like gangbusters here.

Did you know that Volkswagen has been taking a bath lately? Sales have plunged 32 percent in the last half-decade and even VW America boss Stefan Jacoby -- who, as you can see above, is a dead ringer for well-traveled German coach Felix Magath -- admits that VW claims a US market share of just 1.5 percent. And there's this:

"The company...has seen a stream of departures in key ranks, losing nine upper level employees in the past 20 months. Many in the marketing department are not being asked to make the move to Virginia."

And, most noteworthy of all...VW spent $183 million on advertising last year, and $295 million the year before that. Makes $2.8 mil a year -- or even the $3.7 mil a year figure that got batted around last week -- look pretty modest, eh?