|
Post by Ronald Ohlander on Jan 15, 2007 0:24:13 GMT -5
Soccer is gaining rapidly in popularity and there's part of the difference. I don't know what the stats are today, but in Canada youth Soccer registrations surpassed youth hockey registrations (yearly totals) many years ago. Your fanbase starts with youth. a lot of that has to do with the fact that soccer's cheaper to play as far as equipment goes. but yea, when you grow up playing a sport as a kid, you're gonna grow up liking the sport obv, which is part of the reason it has such a growing fan base. it'll eventually take off in the US i think, once the US starts doing well in the world cup and what not. I think Beckham might help a bit, but I think World Cup wins are what really is gonna make the sport big in the states.
|
|
|
Post by The Coppernian One on Jan 15, 2007 17:44:36 GMT -5
It is because of cost yes.
World Cup wins will definately do that. ----------------------------------
Toronto FC a hot ticket January 15, 2007 No. 1 draft pick Maurice Edu is introduced to the Toronto media on Monday. (AP) RelatedBeckham coming sooner? Toronto has Beckham fever
TORONTO (CP) -- David Beckham has the Los Angeles Galaxy turnstiles turning, and the former England captain is also scoring at Toronto FC's box office.
The expansion MLS franchise had already sold more than 10,000 season tickets as of Monday morning, ringing up 2,600-plus since news broke Thursday that Beckham is headed to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Toronto coach Mo Johnston said Monday that his team is No. 1 in MLS season ticket sales. An MLS spokesman, however, said that Toronto and L.A. lead the league but which is No. 1 won't be clear until new figures are provided later this week.
The run on Toronto ticket sales means that half of BMO Field is already committed for the season, and that's before the 2007 schedule is out.
"It's wonderful and it can only get better," Johnston said.
Johnston now has 16 players and plans to take 28 to 32 to camp. Toronto begins play in April, with the opening home game against the Kansas City Wizards on April 28.
"We have plenty of work (to do)," the Scottish coach told a news conference to introduce draft picks Mo Edu and Rich Assante, both midfielders, and Jeff Gonsalves, a forward, to the local media.
Johnston says his team is "comfortable all through the field" but hopes to sign a pair of internationals within the next 10 days: a "seasoned pro" who is captain of both his club and national side and a younger player.
The team is still looking for a playmaker in central midfield, a left-sided midfielder, a backup goalie and some forward help.
Edu, a defensive midfielder from the University of Maryland, has signed a five-year deal -- three years plus a two-year option -- with Generation Adidas.
Edu and seven other players opted to forgo their remaining college eligibility and enter last week's draft as members of Generation Adidas, a joint program of MLS and Adidas that includes grants to further their education.
Generation Adidas players sign deals with the league prior to the draft and are not counted against a team's US$2.1-million salary cap.
Toronto has not detailed Edu's salary. But defender Marvell Wynne, taken No. 1 overall last year by New York, earned US$150,000 in 2006, according to a Washington Post salary survey.
Toronto FC has money to spare, with US$625,000 left under the cap and US$900,000 in so-called "allocation" money outside the cap, according to Johnston. "We're sitting pretty." .
Edu, 20, grew up in California to parents of Nigerian descent.
"Soccer's big with them," he said. "My dad got me playing when I was young and I fell in love with it immediately."
He describes himself as a defensive midfielder "with an attacking nature." But Johnston seemed to indicate that he will be looking to Edu to add teeth to the defence.
"I don't know about Maurice's attacking ability but we're going to hold the reins on him," he said.
Defence will be key for Toronto. In 2005, expansion sides Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA gave up a combined 132 goals while notching just nine wins between them in 64 games.
Chivas was minus-36 on the season while Salt Lake was minus-35.
Assante is another defensive midfielder, dubbed a "pit bull" by Johnston.
Edu pointed to French star Patrick Vieira as one of the players he looks up to. And both he and Assante cited Chelsea's Michael Essien.
New Zealand international defender Andy Boyens, Toronto FC's other draft pick, has already agreed to contract terms.
Johnston said the six-foot-four University of New Mexico product had fallen through the cracks and was headed to an Australian team until Toronto drafted him 10th overall.
Boyens, who has one cap with the Kiwi senior side, did not attend the MLS player combine. Plus there were some visa problems, with his New Zealand girlfriend unable to work in the U.S. That may not be the case in Canada, Johnston said.
"He is and was the best defender in that draft," the coach said.
The coach says Edu and Boyens could both play immediately in the MLS. Assante and Gonsalves will have to prove themselves.
Boyens may fit in with the blue-collar MLS. On the Football New Zealand federation website, he says he doesn't own a car but would like a Subaru Legacy station wagon.
Notes : Toronto forward Edson Buddle has agreed to contract terms ... Johnston was due to head to Florida later Monday to visit the Canadian national team training camp. Five Toronto FC players -- Greg Sutton, Adam Braz, Chris Pozniak, Jim Brennan and Marco Reda -- are at the camp, which runs through Jan. 25. ... Johnston says Toronto has no plans to follow the Galaxy by signing a "designated" player like Beckham. "We'll crawl before we walk ... We're building a franchise, building it slowly."
|
|
|
Post by thedarkangel1975 on Feb 4, 2007 9:04:54 GMT -5
I dunno. Beckham is not even the best player in the world. Renaldo is better then he is, but Beckham is more known and can draw people.
|
|