Interesting to see DCU Staff just blows off practice to go take part in some pregame fun leading up to the China game. If Dc misses the po's they will have plenty of time to do non-DCu stuff.

Would Mr. Jordan have preferred "languished," perhaps?

DCU is holding a light practice today under its two assistant coaches. Soehn will rejoin the club tomorrow. I doubt the club will fall into disarray.

I think the coolest thing about the club Crystal Palace is that it is named for a building from the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. And this wasn't just any building, but a magnificent structure of iron and glass. For the time, this was 1851, there was nothing like it anywhere else in the world. Some historians point to the construction of the Crystal Palace as the symbolic beginning of the modern global industrial era. Sadly, the building burnt to the ground in 1936.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Palace

"Was I unfair to Palace?"

Nope. You got a call from the "No. 2 man at an English club" from the No. 2 LEAGUE in England.

"Wallowed" may have been too strong, but I don't think anyone could argue that they aren't glamorous. Really, most clubs aren't. England has 4 clubs that could undisputedly be called glamorous (Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool), and everyone else can be argued against. Plus, on our side of the pond, anything not seen as the absolute best is generally treated as if it were terrible (hence the treatment MLS often gets).

Will Donovan, Harmse, and Jazic be allowed to leave Gold Cup prep to play, or will LA be without them?

LA also has a small roster (24 players, I believe). If they're missing 8, that's 16 available (including 3 keepers). If the aforementioned national team players are included in that group of 8, they would field something like this:

Cannon; Russell, Harden, Marshall, Randolph (?); Jones, Sturgis, Vagenas, Quaranta; Findley, Jaqua

That doesn't look like much, but I also think LA would be trying to turn this into a scrappy game no matter who they had available. We should win, but I feel like we're in for a repeat of our last 3 games.

Goff, who have you been to count as not being available for LA Saturday?

LA doesn't have any players on the U.S. roster for the China game... who is out for international duty?

Jazic, Harmse, Martino, Albright, Glinton, Gordon, Roberts, Kirk

I'll be talking with Yallop soon for more details...

I have to confess that I only follow the MLS casually, and pay almost no attention to lower soccer leagues here in the US (hockey consumes much of my sports attention, though I do love soccer).

How come Crystal Palace did not put their team in the MLS like the Chivas team did?

"How come Crystal Palace did not put their team in the MLS like the Chivas team did?"

MLS has specific requirements, such as being willing to invest in the league as a whole (I believe MLS has a 51 percent ownership stake in each team), and committing to building a soccer-specific stadium. Chivas agreed to these terms (the Galaxy had already provided the stadium); who knows whether CP would have agreed? And of course, CP would have had to find a much bigger market than Annapolis. They also would have had to budget for a much higher payroll (USL salaries are quite low by MLS standards).

Graham:

your answer lies in two places. First, cpusa is a purely developmental team, all young players looking for playing time and a break, cpusa wants to control the rights to anything they develop here, not have mls do it. Second, of course, is cash, the buyin for mls is 30-50 million, that is a lot of money for something you don't own. Chivas wanted to further their brand in the us, cpusa wants to further player development.

I say "stand your ground!" Maybe a strategically retreat on "wallowed" is in order but defend "unglamorous" to the last man!

Any London club that isn't in the highest league can not be glamorous. Even Arsenal was pedestrian until Arsene and his wonderful passing game arrived and they have been in the top league since the Stone Age.

Anyway, a team that drew 300 fans to a professional sport got a large amount of ink in America's best paper. What's to complain about?

See you at John Hiatt.

Wallow? eh . . . I can see why they didn't take to that particular word describing their plight. What word would they have preferred to describe their valiant, indefatigible struggle to return to top flight football? A David v Goliath drama that plays itself out not only on the pitch but in the billionaire boardrooms of Abramaovich.

Main Entry: 1wal·low
Pronunciation: 'wä-(")lO
Function: intransitive verb

1 : to roll oneself about in a lazy, relaxed, or ungainly manner

5 : to become or remain helpless

That has to be the most press Crystal Palace has *ever* gotten in the USA, and inside they have to be very happy with that.

Steve - the exposure and not referring to them as 'Palarse' (their proper name) did them a massive favor.

"England has 4 clubs that could undisputedly be called glamorous (Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool)"

I would dispute calling Chelsea "glamorous." I mean, have you seen them play?

Just spoke with LA boss Yallop. Indeed, they will be without eight players for the DCU match. Well, plus Xavier and Beckham, for that matter :-)

Has Mr. Jordan explained work permit regulations to these young players he is allegedly offering a pipeline to a spot at the main club? How is God's name is Andrew Marshall going to qualify for a permit if they actually want him to join their main team?

I'm sorry. I can't help but see the letters "CPUSA" and think of a slightly different organization promoting the interests of another overseas power.

Man to think the Insider started as a blog for us DC area folks and has grown to include views from all over the United States and now its being read in the UK by the number two man at an English club!! I'm not sure who your bosses are but you have two words for them PAY RAISE

"CPUSA", maybe a name change to "Red Star Annapolis".

I guess that LA-DC reserve game on Sunday will be postponed.

JRay: The CPUSA article was in the paper-proper (If you don't get it, you don't get it) not on the blog...

Thanks for the answers guys!

You weren't too harsh on CP. Just a natural reaction from Mr. Jordan to protect his turf. No one likes to see their own warts. THE CP-USA story was a very interesting read!

"Has Mr. Jordan explained work permit regulations to these young players he is allegedly offering a pipeline to a spot at the main club? How is God's name is Andrew Marshall going to qualify for a permit if they actually want him to join their main team?"

Good catch!

LA will be without three starters then from last weekend's game against Colorado (Martino, Jazic, and Harmse), but Robbie Findley could very well start and he's pretty good. The weak Galaxy defense will miss Jazic, but any team with Landon Donovan is always dangerous. And how could I forget superstar Santino!

I don't think it was harsh at all. In fact, it didn't even dawn on me that someone would take offense to a statement like that. Though, I guess if I was a CP exec I'd be a little unhappy with it.... I thought it was pretty fair and interesting. What is the definition of "wallow" anyway?

"Has Mr. Jordan explained work permit regulations to these young players he is allegedly offering a pipeline to a spot at the main club? How is God's name is Andrew Marshall going to qualify for a permit if they actually want him to join their main team?"
-----
CP's purpose is not necessarily to build a pipeline DIRECTLY to the big club; it is to secure the rights to players who someday might be attractive to other Euro clubs (or to MLS, for that matter), where they would have an easier time gaining a work permit. And if down the road CP has a player who emerges on the USA scene, they could get him over the strict work permit hurdles in England.

What's wrong with Martino?

my guess is that Ian Russell, Cobi Jones, and Robbie Findley will get the starts in place of the missing three. But my oh my, this will have to be one of the shortest benches in MLS history, and I doubt that Cobi will be able to go the full 90

Leesburg: Good point!
but still, if I'm Goffer I'm changing the name plate on my desk to read "Pay Raise"

It was a very fair article which I thought reflected positively on CP.

Martino = red card last week

Howdy Gopher-

Any info on the seemingly very serious offer put forth by the group looking to start Las Vegas FC? Seems like a sure bet from the league's standpoint, especially being able to stake a claim as the first major sports franchise in an international destination.

Saw that Vegas story today. Interesting. Just another candidate for an expansion club. (I'd say LA, NY and DC are also international destinations, no?)
:-)

Yeah, but in DC, LA and NY you've gotta watch your back if you want to play craps in the middle of the city while swigging vodka and being escorted by a rented lady of the night.

LVFC would bring in the international hooligan crowd.

So is Yallop going to play this weekend?

"Yeah, but in DC, LA and NY you've gotta watch your back if you want to play craps in the middle of the city while swigging vodka and being escorted by a rented lady of the night."

If only I could rep you here EdTheRed.

"How come Crystal Palace did not put their team in the MLS like the Chivas team did?"

They expect to use the promotion/relegation system to work their way up to MLS.

No, not harsh at all. If you wanted to be harsh, you could have honestly pointed out that they play a season or three in the Championship, then one in the Premiership. Then they're relegated. Even a pogo stick has fewer ups and downs than Palace.

MLS in VEGAS!!!!!!!!!! Let's make it happen!!!!!!

Screw Cristal Palace and the horse they rode in on. It's tough to be on the other end of negative press isn't it? MLS gets bashed all the time in the British press. The fact is that CP is a 2nd rate club that HAS been wallowing in the lower divisions. All you did was state fact. Unlike the ignorant tripe we get from the British press relative to MLS. Don't lose a wink Amigo.

Yeah, not harsh at all. Take it as a compliment ;)

Steve,

I'm guessing that you were much kinder to CPFC than the English media are.