Djorkaeff in MLS? Different world
The MetroStars have not had a lot of success signing former World Cup champions. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, Brazilian midfielder Branco, and German star Lothar Matthaus found that their previous experiences were more detrimental than beneficial when they joined Major League Soccer. All three were accustomed to a different set of financial circumstances, which was reflected in their performances.
Parreira was used to buying and selling players at high prices. Branco and Matthaus had accomplished so much that it became difficult for them to find motivation. Moments before the 2001 season opener, Matthaus threatened to stay in the Giants Stadium tunnel unless the MetroStars agreed to a cash bonus -- not that he needed the money; more likely it was a type of poker-player bluff.
Youri Djorkaeff, who won the 1998 World Cup with France, could face similar difficulties with the MetroStars. But Djorkaeff, who turns 37 next week, seems to have different motivations than either Branco or Matthaus.
"This club, this city, was my last dream," Djorkaeff said yesterday, in his first appearance as a MetroStar. "I was a lucky guy during all of my career. I have many things -- many victories, many successes. It's a long story. I wanted this story. I wanted this deal."
No doubt, MetroStars coach Bob Bradley and general manager Nick Sakiewicz warned Djorkaeff about the fiscal limitations in MLS (salary cap, etc.), and Djorkaeff likely signed for far less than the maximum $275,000 salary. But the message that MLS is still a developing league does not easily get through to players who have worked their way up from the bottom and have become used to first-class treatment.
There is always a major question about contracting players late in their careers, especially in a league that places more of a premium on athleticism than skill. The overall mentality of MLS -- from administrators to coaches to players to referees -- is to favor running over precision, making it even more difficult for older performers. Djorkaeff will be expected to cover a lot of territory, and as the temperatures rise during the summer, his body clock is likely to switch off.
Bradley was able to find a balance with Chicago starting in 1998, blending Eastern Europeans with US players, but he has struggled with the MetroStars. The formula in Chicago worked partly because the Bulgarian, Czech, and Polish players complemented each other well, and because the limit was five foreign players per team. But Djorkaeff is not in a similar situation with the MetroStars. If Djorkaeff were to be surrounded by several complementary players, this move would be less risky.
Bradley's Europeans in Chicago were willing to fight and run for each other, and they were also able to view the game the same way, anticipate and react in a way that made things easier for everyone on the team. Djorkaeff will find that MLS teams do not always seek the most elegant method of playing soccer.
The MetroStars are taking a chance with Djorkaeff, who started his career in 1984 with Grenoble, and has performed for Strasbourg, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter, Kaiserslautern, Bolton Wanderers, and Blackburn Rovers. If his teammates are able to support Djorkaeff, he certainly can offer them much in terms of experience, inspiration, and skill. Roberto Donadoni and even Matthaus provided exceptional guidance for the MetroStars with their ability to play the ball, leadership, and positioning. But they were almost alone in doing so.
The MetroStars' greatest problem is that they remain in the shadow of the New York Cosmos, who contracted foreign superstars every season until the North American Soccer League folded in 1985. Almost every Cosmos player had World Cup experience; they performed to high standards and blended as a team, with players fitting into low-profile roles when necessary.
The Cosmos were not invincible -- they won five NASL titles in 18 years -- but they were considered the team to beat, the standard-setter for the league. And that may be the most important quality a New York team can have.
Training time
Bermuda coach Kyle Lightbourne is hoping to have the national team's top players, Shaun Goater of Reading FC and John Barry Nusum of the Philadelphia Kixx, for an exhibition game against the Revolution March 3 in Hamilton. The Revolution begin training camp in Bermuda Sunday and will meet a league all-star team at the National Stadium March 1.
Clyde Best, formerly of the Portland Timbers and West Ham United, is promoting the Revolution tour, and recently brought in Santos FC from Brazil, which defeated both the all-stars (1-0) and the national team (3-0). Bermuda had a 5-7-3 record in full internationals last year and was eliminated by El Salvador (4-3 aggregate score) in World Cup qualifying. Lightbourne is a former Coventry City striker who played against Revolution coach Steve Nicol in England.
Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey and forward Taylor Twellman, who were with the US for its 2-1 win over Trinidad and Tobago in the opener of the hexagonal round of World Cup qualifying, could miss the Bermuda trip. The US will begin a training camp in Colorado Springs March 2, then play against Colombia in Fullerton, Calif., March 9, and return to Colorado Springs. US coach Bruce Arena is preparing the team at high elevation in anticipation of a visit to Mexico City March 27.
