By Richard Murray |

Photo: UEFA Women's Champions League

When the North Carolina Courage defeated Olympique Lyonnais in the 2018 Women’s International
Champions Cup final, some opined the soccer in the NWSL is better than in UEFA, specifically the Women’s Champions League. Here are five reasons I disagreed.

1. Quality is getting better and better.
I remember when the Women’s Champions League was dominated by Frauen-Bundesliga side FFC Turbine Potsdam. At the time, French, English, Spanish, and Italian women’s football was underdeveloped. The Women’s Champions League grew to where all the top teams in UEFA are not only competing against each other, but also showcasing the growth in top clubs.

I recall when Chelsea Ladies did not have the quality from a Ji So-Yun. I remember when
Atlético Madrid Femenino was not captained by Amanda Sampedro, and when being the champions in Italy, like Brescia Calcio Femminile (acquired by AC Milan earlier this year) were, did not warrant a place in the tournament. 

The Champions League participants grow in competitive power every year. That means each successive champion has to overcome more. Any team can lose – OL lost to North Carolina Courage. But the glory of winning the title constantly pushes OL to grow, or it will become like FFC Frankfurt – a team whose past glories have begun to fade.

2. Competitive entry is harder.
The post-season playoffs in the NWSL determine the champion. But the challenge to enter the Women’s Champions League is harder. I am not speaking to the players, but rather the structure in the competitive environment. Imagine if the NWSL playoffs were played while the regular season commenced, using the prior season's standings to determine entry. Now imagine if this season’s final standings were used for next season’s playoffs. Is that not harder than the current setup in the NWSL?

3. Players’ choices don’t lie.
Former NBA star Rasheed Wallace once said, “Ball don't lie.” Neither do players’ choices. Most female players, coaches, and fans adore the environment in the U.S. They speak well to the country as a destination on or off the pitch. By contrast, the global player pool in the NWSL is not dominant while having every advantage to be. First, the NWSL is one league. Unlike the Women’s Champions League, which accepts champions from Frauen-Bundesliga, Division 1 Féminine, or other leagues in UEFA, the NWSL does not have a team pool as large. The NWSL clubs, all safe from relegation, offer any player a chance to play in one of the top three domestic media markets, absent from relegation fear.

But have most top players in UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, or the Confederation of African Football clamored to play in the NWSL?  

I recall an interview where Carli Lloyd stated how she loved being in the training facilities at Manchester City. Similarly, English forward Lianne Sanderson marveled at the Juventus facilities. Both players, who featured in the top flight in the U.S., spoke to a sense that UEFA, specifically Champions League teams, is where a player needs to be. I can use Nadia Nadim, who left the very popular Portland Thorns to Manchester City WFC, as another example of players’ preferences. 

Women the world over like the community or money in the U.S., but the NWSL is not attracting enough high-quality players. Players’ choices don't lie.

4. MLS shows the future.
According to Sporting Intelligence, Major League Soccer “will imminently become one of the world’s top 10 soccer leagues by average revenue per team.” MLS is 24 years old. I expect the NWSL to grow financially the same way MLS did. I also expect the NWSL to stagnate the same way. MLS has not competitively grown because it was designed to mimic the NFL, the biggest sports league by revenue while the least competitive in internal athletics. The proof is MLS teams’ results in the CONCACAF Champions League. MLS never shook the dominance Liga MX has on the tournament, despite having significantly more revenue. 

The NWSL has no similar tournament to the CCL, nor can women's leagues elsewhere in
CONCACAF relate to the MLS scenario. But they share the same model (a closed league) and show signs of similar results.

5. Hype never convinced the informed.
Many fans, players, and coaches, both in and outside of England, suggest the English Premier League is the best league in the world. But revenue aside, the athletic results don’t always match the praise. The EPL may be farther ahead than any other soccer league in media outreach or manipulation to maintain a certain view. But the EPL is not the best league in UEFA based on results in the men's Champions League. Hype can be stronger than the truth, especially in modern media. But the truth is not undone when hype is present.

If you like women's soccer, tune in to the NWSL, especially the playoffs. And not because women are playing the beautiful game, but because the drama one may find lacking in the modern male game is definitely present. Case and point: The NWSL playoff between Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign on September 15 which the Thorns won 2-1. It was a fiery display from beginning to end, worth a
watch and replays. But I enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the Women’s Champions League more. 


Richard Murray’s work has appeared in The Botafogo Star. Read his blog at AALBC and follow him on Twitter at @thetenner10.

By Richard Murray |


Over 10 years ago, I became enthralled by professional women’s football. I saw the French women’s team and thought, “They’re good.” Many of the players were recent transfers to the Ligue 1 side I follow closely, Olympique Lyonnais. While I support OL, it is originally a men’s team that developed a women’s side through sharing resources with the former. Chelsea; Atlético Madrid; Borussia Mönchengladbach; Olympique Lyonnais; Santos; at one time, Botafogo; AC Milan (which recently absorbed Brescia Calcio Femminile): All are men’s teams that share or shared infrastructure with a women’s team.

Two clubs I support, Turbine Potsdam in the Frauen-Bundesliga and INAC Kobe in Japan’s Nadeshiko league, are standalone women’s clubs. They have no straight or dis-connectable affiliation with a men’s club, though behind-the-scenes relationships exist.

Photo: turbine-potsdam.de

In the National Women's Soccer League in the U.S., a regional problem exists. The Northeast, home to New York City, Boston, and most of the highly rated colleges in the U.S., such as Colombia University, Harvard, Yale, and NYU, is unable to maintain a women’s soccer team.

The annually poor-performing Boston Breakers finally folded. The Western New York Flash, who achieved great success at times, were sold to North Carolina FC and rebranded as the North Carolina Courage. A new version of the Flash plays in the second-division United Women’s Soccer league and is still owned by the Sahlen family which sponsors the stadium the Courage play at.

Meanwhile, Sky Blue FC replaced the Boston Breakers as the Northeast’s bottom club that has no sign of getting better.

A Deadspin article by Erica L. Ayala and RJ Allen goes into a little detail about Sky Blue FC’s troubles, citing former players and staff, as well as former US. international goalkeeper Hope Solo.

But the article missed a key point – in its early stages, men’s football was no different. One of the problems people have concerning sport is they forget or ignore the time to grow the infrastructure some revered sports clubs use today. Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Juventus, and even PSG, which was founded in 1970, did not have the infrastructure they do now.

I saw photos of early men’s football and read some biographical info; their pitches were like the many women complain about all throughout women’s soccer. The players’ relationship to owners or salary was less positive compared to many at Sky Blue FC.

Earlier this year, OL Féminin won its third straight Women’s Champions League title. But it does not fill up the stadium like the men’s team, which has never won the men's CL, not even after becoming Ligue 1 champion and having held the spot consecutively for seven seasons (from 2001-02 to 2007-08). It still does not get sponsors or fan attention superior to the men’s team.

RENVERSANT. FANTASTIQUE. HISTORIQUE. ⚡⚡⚡
Notre équipe remporte pour la 3ème fois consécutive la Women’s Champions League ! La #TeamOL s’est imposée 4 à 1 face grâce aux buts d’ @amandinehenry6, d'@ELS_9_FRANCE, d'@AdaStolsmo et de @cam10abily23 !
Bravo ! 😍😍😍 #UWCLFinal pic.twitter.com/ed5L0Aa9pk

— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) May 24, 2018

Women’s-only football clubs have to survive. Those that do will have a great story. They will be able to say they survived not only the early years where fiscal absence or organizational neglect were more common, but will also be able to state the competition in their environment to fellow clubs who are benefiting from already existing infrastructures was a large mountain, one men’s clubs did not have.

When I first watched the Frauen-Bundesliga, Turbine Potsdam and FFC Frankfurt were the top clubs. Then Wolfsburg came in, as well as Bayern, Bayer Leverkusen, Essen, Gladbach, and others. However, Frankfurt and Turbine are the sole standalone women's clubs in the top flight, part of a small number of similar clubs in the top flights throughout UEFA.

Is that a bad thing? No. I have nothing against affiliation with men’s clubs, but I do not think women’s football must have them, and that is where the surviving has value. Not every men’s football club has an affiliated women’s club. Many men’s clubs thrive well in finance or fandom without them. Why can’t women’s clubs do likewise?

Richard Murray’s work has appeared in The Botafogo Star. Follow him on Twitter at @thetenner10.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

Illustration: Aleks V | Photos: Listas en 20minutos.es, MUFC, Atlético Madrid

by Aleks V | @aleksvee


While the NASL and USSF put up their dukes in court and more potential candidates line up for the latter's presidential race, I can't help wondering there's a simpler solution to the age-old problems faced by U.S. soccer. Poorly run leagues. The absence of promotion and relegation. Corruption. Remove the soccer element, and you get a typical government.

Although incumbent USSF president Sunil Gulati may run for reelection, there's a chance the federation may opt for a new face next year. He may even be an “outsider”, and have fewer ties to the elite. But as with politics, no matter who wins, little will change. Even your average Joe, when given access to money and power, will eagerly trade in his name for profit.

The principles of fair competition, however, should not depend on the selfish motives of the few.

Luckily, an alternate model of running things is already in place at the club level.

I'm talking about clubs such as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Over 100,000 fans own and operate Barca, with around 91,000 at Real.

Real's fans elect the club president. Yes, Florentino Pérez is a wealthy businessman, but his power is checked by the club's Member Assembly, which can discipline him. He is also barred from investing his own money into the club.

In Germany, supporters own around 82% of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund's stock. Another storied club, Argentina's Boca Juniors, is 100% fan owned.

Fan ownership gives a voice to those who truly care about the game. It's like having the customers run the business. Which makes sense, as they're always right.

Then there's the money aspect. A study among eight supporter community owned clubs in the U.K. showed they have “an added onus to be financially responsible and live within their means." Such clubs can also “raise finance in more innovative ways.” There's greater transparency with those finances, as well, which is always a good thing.

Even the issue of low attendances, especially in U.S. soccer's lower tier leagues, can be solved with fan ownership – in the aforementioned study, “most clubs felt that their attendances were sustained even when performances were poor.”

Having fans, rather than a single, wealthy figure run a club is not a novel concept in Europe's biggest leagues, with roots in the early 20th century. Of course, those leagues also boast a storied soccer past.

By contrast, U.S. soccer has been characterized by a lack of intermittent movement. In film, that's the stop and start motion that advances each frame. The key word is "advance." Stay too long on one frame, and your audience sees right through the illusion.

Under the current structure, soccer leagues and clubs in the U.S. will continue to come and go.

Democratizing the USSF by having fans run it may be the key to creating a lasting foundation for the sport in America.

by Aleks V |



In April 2017, the U.S. Women's National Football Team will play two friendly games against Russia in Texas. They last met in 2014, also playing two games on U.S. soil. Those came after a 12-year hiatus.

The last time the U.S. Men's National Football Team played Russia was in 2012, a friendly that ended in a 2:2 draw at Kuban Stadium in Krasnodar. They've only met 10 times in both the Soviet and post-Soviet eras. Their first and only meeting in official competition was the 1988 Olympic Games in South Korea, where the USSR walked away with a 4:2 victory, finishing top of Group C and knocking the US out of the tournament. The Soviet team went on to beat Brazil in an extra-time final.



At club level, the two probably last met in 1990, when the likes of CSKA and Dynamo Moscow played friendlies against the Atlanta Chiefs and Washington Diplomats. One such game was fittingly played in Washington D.C., where Dynamo won against the Diplomats 6:1.

A lot has changed on both the sporting and political arenas since then. The fall of the Soviet Union led to the establishment of a Top Division, and in 2001, the Russian Premier League. The 90's gave rise to Major League Soccer and a World Cup held in the US. Both leagues continue to have their share of struggles. Unfortunately, the same can be said about relations between the two countries.

In an ever-increasingly competitive world, no one nation or league can claim to be "the best". Being one of the best, however, is certainly not out of reach, and can be achieved much quicker by working together.

The countries' top soccer leagues can do just that.


MLS
- Est. 1993
- Teams: 22
- Reserve league: integrated into USL Pro League
- Coverage in US: available on cable; limited access on local channels (Spanish-language TV)
- Pro Rel: no

RPL
- Est. 2001
- Teams: 16
- Reserve league: yes
- Coverage in Russia: Match TV (public), NTV+ (satellite)
- Pro Rel: yes

Right off the bat, two of MLS's biggest problems come into view: lack of accessibility for viewers and absence of promotion/relegation between leagues.

Despite having pro/rel, the RPL faces a different kind of dilemma: Clubs that are promoted often lack funds to compete in the top league. Many of the clubs in the second tier, known as the Football National League, are struggling financially, as are some top tier "regulars". However, this does not stop teams like FC Rostov from competing in Europe (they've played in the Europa League Round of 16).


Various factors have affected attendance figures in both leagues. Other leagues vie for fans' attention. In MLS, Designated Players like David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Steven Gerrard play a big role in attracting fans, who are used to that kind of marketing elsewhere (it's the equivalent of going to see a Johnny Depp movie). That said, it would be interesting to see the RPL and MLS do a domestic DP or star player swap. Although 18 players from the former Soviet Union (four from Russia) have played for MLS, only one player, Yura Movsisyan (Armenia), has been a Designated Player in Major League Soccer. By contrast, just a handful of players with US citizenship have played in Russia's top tier. Forward Eugene Starikov, originally from Ukraine, played on loan at FC Rostov and Tom Tomsk in 2010-2013. Zurab Tsiskaridze, who was born in Georgia but also holds US citizenship, is a rare case - he played in MLS and the NASL early in his career, and later made three appearances for Amkar Perm in Russia.

Much of the Russian Premier League's attendance woes can be attributed to post-Soviet era hardships, the economy being one of them. Another factor is stadium safety. Some of the older stadiums need a little TLC. Hooliganism has sometimes marred the experience for law-abiding fans and families.

The fall of the Soviet Union undoubtedly left its mark on attendance figures. The lowest all-time attendance for the Soviet Top League from 1970 onward, a little over 18,000, is still higher than last season's RPL average attendance. In 1971, the Soviet Top League had an average attendance of over 30,000 fans per game. By contrast, the highest average attendance of the Russian Premier League in the past 14 years was 13,115 (2007 season).

A lesser-known reason for the RPL's empty seats: Russian football clubs weren't as popular as other teams in the last decades of the Soviet Top League. Georgia's Dinamo Tbilisi had the highest average attendance of any team in 10 out of 21 seasons. Russian clubs recorded the highest average attendance only four times in 40 years. The difference was substantial - in the 1977 season, for instance, Dinamo Tbilisi had an average attendance of 68,200, while Zenit St. Petersburg came second with 27,667.



Most viewed games in 2015/16 (TV/internet):
RPL 2015/16: Spartak-CSKA - 8.1 million
MLS 2016: LA Galaxy vs San Jose Earthquakes - 1,000,000




On to the business side of things.

After NTV+ morphed into Match TV, the league signed a contract for three seasons and will earn around 1.6 billion rubles (about $22 million) per season from the TV rights. As for international TV rights, the RPL struck a deal with IMG in 2016 for around $7 million.

Though the TV rights for MLS are more than triple that of the RPL, the former was behind in total revenue and revenue per club in 2015.

Compared to the world's top ten soccer leagues, MLS are 9th in total revenue. The RPL is 7th.

Despite dwindling attendance, the RPL was ahead of MLS in revenue and average salary in the 2014-15 season. TV viewership for the 2015/16 season's most watched game was also significantly higher than that of MLS. When it comes to fans in the stands, however, MLS is far ahead.

There's room for improvement for both leagues that can be achieved through collaboration. Organization of international friendly matches across the US or Russia would boost the popularity of both leagues, especially if done in tandem with TV deals, with channels that normally air the leagues carrying select games from both. A recent precedent: The U.S. U-20 MNT played a friendly against Russia U-21s in Marbella, Spain in November 2014.

What more can be done, you ask? Collaboration between the nations' youth development programs can help improve the levels of training and produce more talented youth products. An exchange program can give young players from both nations the opportunity to gain valuable playing experience abroad.



Upon arriving in Washington, D.C. in 1990, Dynamo Moscow were greeted at the Sign of the Whale cafe. According to a fan, the cafe was named after Operation Breakthrough, an effort of both American and Soviet rescuers to save whales trapped in ice at the shores of Alaska. The peril of one of the whales and the slim chances of survival of the others made some question the resources that were spent.

It seems that almost no joint efforts between the two powers can take place without being met by controversy or criticism. To paraphrase Edward R. Murrow, many who indulge in this criticism didn't create the situation; they merely exploit it.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

If you renovate, they will congregate. A simple and obvious answer when it comes to soccer and MCU Park that, for whatever reason, continues to be overlooked.

The idea of a soccer team at the venue, which currently hosts the Brooklyn Cyclones, came up multiple times when the New York Cosmos explored options outside of Hofstra University's Shuart Stadium on Long Island. The club sometimes faced scheduling conflicts with Hofstra, who weren't always cooperative. The lack of convenient transportation to the grounds was an issue as well, and one of the main reasons for declining attendance figures.

MCU Park got a taste of soccer when the New York Cosmos made their Brooklyn debut, defeating the Ottawa Fury 1-0 on May 2, 2015. Attendance was 5,279, larger than the club's average attendance of 4,109 in fall of that year. The Cosmos also played a Championship Semifinal there against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. That game drew 5,061. Not bad for a team that doesn't usually play in Brooklyn.

Yet rumors of a potential move to MCU Park were quickly dispelled. The turf was no good, and neither were the viewing angles. Adjustments for soccer games would be inconvenient for the main tenants, the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team.

Every problem has a solution, and for every skeptical Brooklynite, fan, or businessman, there is a definitive answer. 

Here are five:



Building a new stadium means two, sometimes three things: buying the land on which to build it, possible demolition of anything occupying the land, and construction. 

The cost of building a soccer-specific stadium can range from anywhere between $40 million and $215 million. 

For reference:

Proposed 25,000-seater for the New York Cosmos at Elmont, NY: $400 million
Cost of building Red Bull arena: about $200 million
Providence Park renovation for MLS standards: $40 million
Cost of transforming a baseball field to a soccer field: up to $200,000
The smiling faces of fans from all five boroughs: Priceless.

2. Infrastructure 



A common complaint among Cosmos fans was accessibility - getting to Hofstra University's Shuart Stadium from South Brooklyn, for instance, would take over two hours and involve at least two modes of transport. Taking both the MTA and LIRR is both time-consuming and expensive. The Cosmos' partnership with Rally was a great idea that could have solved the issue for some, but not all fans.

MCU Park is a convenient location for all five boroughs. It's a 45 to 60 min. train ride from midtown Manhattan. The D, F, N, and Q lines connect Coney Island to four of the five boroughs.

Also available are four buses in Brooklyn and two express buses from Manhattan.

For many fans, MCU Park is a much closer option than Yankee Stadium, which currently hosts Major League Soccer club New York City FC.

Getting there would be no problem for Staten Island fans, as well - 84% of households own at least one car. 



Good service. Free tickets. Some of the biggest names in show biz. The Ford Amphitheater at Coney Island Boardwalk, a 5,000-seat covered open-air venue that opened in summer 2016, provides all of the above. Performers have included Sting, Kool and the Gang, the Beach Boys, and Rick Springfield. 

The Beach Boys actually played a concert after two NASL games in the 1980s. Both games drew attendances of over 50,000.

Somewhere in there is an option for cross-promotion.

4. An existing fan base

That's a lot of potential soccer fans. Photo: Charles Kyriazos

The large number of high-rise apartment buildings makes Coney Island as densely populated as a NYC train station during rush hour. There are 24,711 people living in Coney Island itself and nearly 3 million within a ten-mile radius, which would provide part of the regular attendance. The area's beach, boardwalk, rides, and aquarium remain popular destinations for both locals and tourists. About 10 million people visited Coney Island in both 2012 and 2013.

Fans need not fret about seating. The principal architect of MCU Park, Jack Gordon, says the venue, which currently seats 7,000, can be expanded to 16,500. 

That's almost twice the average attendance of Minnesota United, and more than one and a half times the capacity of their former venue, the National Sports Center. (For the uninitiated, Minnesota are MLS bound.) 

MCU Park's current tenants, the Brooklyn Cyclones, also provide an existing fan base to draw from. Their average attendance of 6,234 was the highest in 2015 for the New York-Penn League. A partnership with a pro soccer team would benefit both parties.

5. Previous success of soccer at baseball venues

There's a reason the two sports keep coming up in the same sentence. 

Once upon a time, six baseball franchise owners established soccer teams to try and fill their ballparks during the off-season. The American League of Professional Football, the nation's first professional soccer league, included a New York Giants soccer team. While short-lived, the experiment laid the groundwork for a long-lasting relationship between soccer and baseball.

In 1926, a record crowd of 46,000 at New York's Polo Grounds saw an exhibition game in which an American Soccer League all-New York team won 3-0 against SC Hakoah Wien of Austria.

SC Hakoah Wien in New York, 1926.

Wrigley Field hosted NASL side Chicago Sting in the 1970s and 80's. 

The Kingdome in Seattle, once home to the Seattle Mariners, saw six games with attendance figures of over 40,000.

Fast-forward to 2011 - 70,780 turned up for Guadalajara vs Barcelona at Sun Life Stadium (now the Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami.

In 2013, 40,681 attended Dodger Stadium for a star-studded doubleheader: Juventus vs the Los Angeles Galaxy and Everton vs Real Madrid.

International friendlies in recent years, such as Spain vs Republic of Ireland and Real Madrid vs AC Milan, drew crowds of 40-50,000 at Yankee Stadium. 

In March 2016, 30,315 attended a NYCFC game at Yankee Stadium, a record for MLS teams that week.

If there's one thing Coney Island and US soccer have in common, it's their ability to persevere despite their challenges. Both have had their share of the latter, only to miraculously rise up from the ashes. For Coney Island, it was years of neglect and Hurricane Sandy. For US soccer, the constant flicker of an on and off switch with leagues such as the NASL and WPS. Soccer and Coney Island have both been "erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again".

MLS commissioner Don Garber dismissed the idea of a third team in New York City. But who says that team must play in MLS? 

Despite recent setbacks in the form of multiple club exits, the NASL is very much alive. FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller just signed a multi-year contract extension. The league has recently welcomed the San Francisco Deltas. As for the USL, it's become an attractive option for MLS clubs' secondary squads. DC United and Orlando City plan to field theirs in the next two years.

Of the many complaints voiced by Cosmos fans, location was prime. MCU Park is accessible, convenient, and affordable for both the club owners and fans. What better place for a new - or returning - professional soccer team in New York City?

“Brooklyn has a great history with soccer,” New York Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese told Latino Sports. “I played here in college, so I know firsthand the passion and the culture of soccer that exists here..." 

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams would also be in favor of a Brooklyn-based soccer team. He's noted the appeal of the sport to the area's diverse culture, summing up the thoughts of most fans in four words:

"We want them here."

We most certainly do.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

A 3:1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on December 7 marked CSKA Moscow's UEFA Champions League exit, as well as the exit of head coach Leonid Slutsky. The club's longest-serving manager after Boris Arkadyev (1944-52, '58-59), Slutsky's seven years at the helm painted a solid 160-57-70 WDL record, including three championships, two Russian Cup wins, and two Super Cups. He also led the team to the 2009-10 Champions League quarter-finals, their best result in the tournament.

CSKA with the 2013 Russian Super Cup. Credit: Карбинов Анатолий

As a coach, Slutsky maintains a conservative approach, relying on the same players and lineups. It is a choice partly motivated by necessity - CSKA has one of the shortest benches in the Russian Premier League. They had just five substitutes available against Tottenham (the Spurs had seven) and in their 4-0 win over FC Ural (who had eleven on their bench). Ural's total market value is 18.8 million Euros. At 95.5 million, CSKA's is more than five times bigger.

In late November, Slutsky voiced his concern for the future of the club. "Right now, the situation is the hardest it's been in all my seven years at CSKA," he said on Russia 24. "Many things may change, but CSKA always was, is and will be a great club."

There's one thing that doesn't change, however, and that's club owner Yevgeni Giner's reluctance to spend. So much so, he's become notorious for it. One look at the transfer windows during the last five seasons explains the club's annual rocky mid-season and UEFA competition woes. While CSKA have consistently finished in the top two in the Russian Premier League since Slutsky's first full season (except for 2011/12, when they finished 3rd), they've struggled in all other tournaments, especially in Europe. They haven't gotten past the group stage in European competition since 2011/12:


Last season, CSKA spent just 1 million Euros, a loan fee for Seydou Doumbia. They signed just three players from other clubs. One is now on loan and one has retired.

Alan Dzagoev would be the fifth high-profile player to leave CSKA in three years. Credit: Дмитрий Садовников

Giner's lack of spending is coupled with his history of selling the club's top foreign talent. Rumor has it the trend will be broken this season, as Russian international Alan Dzagoev looks to fulfill his dream of playing in England. He's being linked with a move to Everton. The 26-year-old midfielder has an impressive 62 goals and 78 assists in 284 appearances for the Army Men. His transfer would add to a growing list of star players that left the club over the years. Ahmed Musa, top scorer in the 2012-13 season, joined Leicester City this year. Seydou Doumbia, a two-time top scorer, moved to AS Roma last year. Attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda, who boasted a record of 28 goals and 29 assists in 127 games, moved to Milan after five years at the club. Vagner Love, the club's top scorer in 2010, joined Flamengo in 2012, returning a year later before being sold to Shandong Luneng.

There is strength in a consistent lineup. Awhile ago, I compared Slutsky's CSKA to Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. Interestingly, United and CSKA met in the Group Stage of the 2009-10 Champions League. Both teams had a bench of seven. United finished first in Group B, while CSKA were runners-up. Both were eliminated in the Quarter-finals.

Six players from CSKA's starting line-up against the Red Devils are still with the club. Now that's what I call consistent!

The 2011-12 Champions League saw the club in the Round of 16.

Things seemed to be going well for CSKA. At some point, though, fatigue takes over. Players get injured, get older, retire, leave for bigger salaries. A team can't run on will alone.

CSKA owner Yevgeni Giner. Credit: Aleksandr Melnikov

Giner, one of the wealthiest club owners in the Russian Premier League, has failed to understand that. The businessman wants to have his cake and eat it too. But that cake won't be shaped like "big ears", the Champions League trophy. Not until someone stops selling some of the main ingredients.

Like other industries in the 21st century, soccer is getting more competitive. It's a money race, one in which the wiser investments pay off. Selling without buying doesn't work - there needs to be a balance if a club is to have a future.

Before resigning, Slutsky spoke with optimism. "Whatever challenges will arise, the Army Men and their supporters will always overcome adversity," he said.

Well, the challenges have risen, and it's time for supporters to do the same. Ovid wrote that "Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence." Who else but the fans can unite their voices and persist until the message is heard?

That message must be loud and clear - Giner must change his approach, or sell the club.

by Aleks V

In my five years of sports journalism, I've never once mentioned doping. Professional soccer, thankfully, has rarely had problems with Performance Enhancing Drugs in recent years. Either that, or few such problems have been unearthed. The last high-profile case was Diego Maradona back in 1994.

After a year of monitoring meldonium, also known as mildronate, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added it to its list of banned substances on Jan 1, 2016.

Since meldonium was banned, a soccer connection has only come up once - when FC Rostov's entire starting eleven were subject to a surprise test by FIFA after a 3-1 win over Dynamo Moscow in May. All of the players tested negative.

Other sports, namely tennis, have been in the spotlight for athletes testing positive for the substance.

Tennis player Maria Sharapova, who initially received a two-year suspension for a positive test, recently had her ban reduced to 15 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"I think the one thing that I'd love to see...is evidence on the performance-enhancing effect that it has," she said.

Claims that meldonium qualifies as a Performance Enhancing Drug, or PED, originate from a study funded by the Partnership for Clean Competition Research Collaborative and the Federal Ministry of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany. The study "does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Research Collaborative". The widespread use of meldonium among athletes, including those who don't engage in high-risk sports, as well as its presence on the black market, apparently leads to the suspicion and conclusion that it is used as a PED. However, no data is provided to support the enhancement claim. According to a notice issued by WADA, "Limited data exists to date on the urinary excretion of meldonium. Several studies are currently being conducted involving WADA-accredited laboratories, and WADA will share these results with its stakeholders when available."

In that same notice, WADA lies about the manufacturer's claims of enhancement. In an open letter to WADA, Grindeks, the manufacturer of meldonium, stated, "We're convinced that Meldonium is not a preparation enhancing an athlete's sports achievements...The therapeutic use of Meldonium does not contradict the spirit of sport and, especially, health."

Meldonium "was created...to help patients with cardiovascular diseases survive difficult times when, for whatever reason, the supply of blood to their heart muscle worsens", said Professor Ivars Kalvins, its inventor.

Kalvins explains why it isn't doping, describing the substance as having the opposite effect. "Athletes can train without being afraid that if they inadvertently overstep their limit, they will end up in hospital with a heart attack or die on the field," he said. Meldonium is available in Eastern European countries, including former Soviet republics.

Many other professionals dispute the claims that meldonium can be a PED. They include Don Catlin, founder of the first sports anti-doping lab in the United States and "considered the most prominent anti-doping drug tester in the world".

Dr. Michael Joyner, a physiologist and anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic who has published hundreds of studies focusing on how humans respond to exercise, says the effects of meldonium are unclear.

Ford Vox, physician and medical analyst for NPR station WABE in Atlanta, said that "outside of the hype you see about the drug online, there's not much scientific support for its use as an athletic enhancer."

Many well-known athletes, whose Therapeutic Use Exemptions became publicly available through hacker group 'Fancy Bears', take doses of otherwise banned substances for medical reasons. After multiple requests, Bethanie Mattek-Sands received therapeutic exemption in April for use of hydrocortisone, a steroid medication used for treating inflammation. Serena and Venus Williams were both given Therapeutic Use Exemptions to take a series of substances on WADA's banned list for various health problems. These substances include opioid painkillers (banned due to being labelled as narcotics) and corticosteroid anti-inflammatories.

WADA's decisions to include or exclude known PEDs are controversial. Multiple studies have shown that caffeine, a widely used stimulant, can enhance an athlete's performance. It is monitored, but not currently banned by WADA. It used to be, but was removed from the list in 2004.

Concerning Sharapova, much of the mainstream media were quick to jump on the one-sided bandwagon of blame.

The New York Post slams her for her "poor-little-scapegoat act". Vanity Fair claims the "drug scandal may be darker than you think". The Telegraph claims she "has no shame". USA Today and Forbes offer an altogether different perspective. Meanwhile, The New York Times attempts to stay neutral, while The Guardian mistakes neutrality with trying to please both sides. There's one thing the last publication does right, though, and that's mention that Sharapova could have applied for a Therapeutic Use Exemption. Then again, this assumes prior knowledge of meldonium's new status as a banned substance. Sharapova has claimed WADA did not make an effort to better inform Eastern European athletes using meldonium that the substance was added to the banned list.

10sballs.com reminds us that two players, Greg Rusedski and Xavier Malisse, had their careers tainted despite being cleared to play. It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, and one instance to destroy it. Often, that instance comes in the form of a headline and a story with false charges. That story is printed and reprinted, shared among the masses who believe in the brand, or believe what they're told because it's been told so many times before. The more the same lie is repeated, the more it begins to look like the truth.

George Gerbner's cultivation theory states that the more people watch television, the more their views of reality begin to match what they see. I'd go one step further to say that all forms of mass media can form a vicious cycle, one in which the viewer's perspective on the world is shaped, then constantly reaffirmed by what they are shown and told. That theory goes hand-in-hand with Eli Pariser's "filter bubble" - a personalized, reflective echo chamber created by the web. Ironically, this echo chamber is not so "personalized" - millions are stuck in the exact same bubble.

When the right information is out of reach, few will spend time navigating the maze that is the worldwide web until they reach the facts. It's easier to be content with what you're given than to ask why it's given, and whether it makes sense.

Let's ask whether certain substances banned by WADA should be considered PEDs.

Let's bring back the question mark.

Let's see media coverage in not one, but in all 50 shades.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

It's another year, and another horde of fans and journalists pointing fingers at United States men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, or so I've heard upon reading a piece by a Mr. Leander Schaerlaeckens on Yahoo! Sports.

Mr. Schaerlaeckens makes a good point to praise LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who could once again take over the USMNT at some point in the future, but other than that, his article is but one of many unfair criticisms aimed at current NT coach Klinsmann, grounded in a few statistics, plenty of adjectives, and not much else.

When it comes to the quality of play shown by the USMNT, the problem isn't Jurgen Klinsmann - it's US soccer in general.

While the rest of the soccer world has noticeably grown and evolved in the last decade, Major League Soccer has not only stayed behind - it has gone backwards. "There's no doubt that our 20th season was the best season in our 20 years," Mr. Garber proudly told Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.

Whatever he was watching last year, it certainly wasn't MLS.

I recall tuning in to the 2015 MLS Cup Final between Columbus Crew and the Portland Timbers - supposedly a contest between the league's best two teams. Portland's Diego Valeri scored the fastest goal in the history of the MLS Cup. Rodney Wallace added to the Timbers' lead, and Crew got one back through Kei Kamara. Those were the first 18 minutes of the game, and the only worth watching. The rest looked like an amateur soccer game, a total embarrassment for the league and US soccer in general.

Things weren't always so bad. When I first began watching MLS seven or eight years ago, the picture was different. It was exciting and fast-paced. The New York Red Bulls were especially strong, with players like Thierry Henry, Juan Pablo Angel, Tim Ream, Rafael Marquez, and Dane Richards. When Angel and other good players left the Red Bulls, it was the start of a downward spiral. Years later, when the Red Bulls finally won the first silverware in their history, they sacked then coach Mike Petke and hired Jesse Marsch, whose only coaching stint was a 1 year, 3 month 12-16-6 spell with the Montreal Impact.

Jurgen Klinsmann.

Such decisions can only be explained by some sort of financial interests, rather than results.

The degradation of MLS can be attributed to its 'business first' approach, which turns a blind eye on quality. Like the music industry, MLS enjoys being average - great for their bottom line, but not for the goal line. Good for the short-term, but not the long-term. It's a system that feeds the wallets of the few, but doesn't work for the players or the fans.

The generational shift has also contributed to the stagnation in the development of US soccer. The new generation of players isn't growing, and there's no one to replace the few talents of the last. Many of the NT's youngest players are neither MLS youth products nor play in MLS. It's no wonder that MLS is still known as 'the retirement league' for successful European players like Steven Gerrard who are long past their prime.

US soccer is behind Europe in another big way - the absence of promotion and relegation. Without a pyramidal system in which the worst two clubs automatically leave the league at the end of the season, there's little incentive for players besides just getting through another year.

If not for the USMNT players who play abroad (captain Michael Bradley previously played for AS Roma and Borussia Monchengladbach, six out of seven defenders called up for recent qualifiers play abroad, a handful of NT forwards play in the Bundesliga, and the two main goalkeepers are in the English Premier League), the situation would be much more grim.

After the USMNT's 2-1 loss to Jamaica in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, I wrote of the superiority of players with experience at some of the best leagues abroad to MLS players, arguing that players who play every four days will be in better shape than those who play once a week. I also mentioned that "the U.S. can only hope to rely on homegrown talent with the improvement of its academy programs and league system."

Clubs in Europe have strong academies. MLS clubs have academies, too - the difference is in quality.
How many homegrown USMNT players have MLS academies produced, and just how good are they?

Mr. Schaerlaeckens points out the difference in the national team's performance in friendlies and official games, but fails to provide analysis. Why does the USMNT perform better in friendlies? The players have something to prove - unofficial games are the battleground for spots in the starting line-up. Why does the team sometimes under-perform in official games? The unwillingness of some of its key players to put country over club. Official games are much more physical - why give your all and risk getting injured? For some players, getting benched for their club is a much bigger deal than sitting out for a NT game. At the end of the day, the ball is round, and that's a factor as well.

Given the same players, would someone else do as good - or even better - a job as Jurgen Klinsmann? I doubt it.

Klinsmann was an excellent player and is a good coach. He needs the support of the US Soccer Federation, his players, and the fans - that'll give the national team a real chance of not only making the World Cup finals, but doing well in the tournament itself.

Note: As this article was being written, the USMNT won 4-0 in their 2018 World Cup Qualifier vs Guatemala. They've won all 10 of their home World Cup Qualifiers under Klinsmann.

Opinion

by Aleks V 

The Theatre of Dreams currently plays host to a rather lackluster show. Dull movement, inaccurate passes, and a six game winless streak that featured a tumble from 3rd to 6th in the league table are just a few of the season's highlights. Promising, top-billed stars (Martial, Depay) have shone, but only briefly. To top it all off, players like Ander Herrera are no longer as visible as they usually are. Something must be amiss. Of course, all fans will agree that no matter how many games Manchester United fail to hit the target or get by winning 1-0 against a 10th placed team, the show must go on. But before it does, it needs a new guy in charge. Someone who has a record of rebuilding and getting the players, veteran and new, to look their best. United are, after all, "such stuff as dreams are made on", but as Shakespeare aptly noted, their "life is rounded with a sleep".

Luckily for them, there happens to be an Englishman called Nigel Pearson who's yet to be picked up by another side yearning for stardom.

Pearson may not have a resume the likes of current Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, with world-renowned clubs like Ajax, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich in the mix. However, he has something that may be more important - a background in rebuilding. Case in point: Leicester City. Upon his arrival, the club were playing in the third tier of English football. During his second spell, they had arrived at the Premier League.

Nigel Pearson. Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The fruits of his labor are still visible under the Foxes' current manager Claudio Ranieri. Although credit must be given to Ranieri, who brought the club further up the table and into the race for the title, Pearson's second spell at Leicester laid the foundation for their Premier League success.

12 of the players from his 2013/14 roster are still there. Some have been instrumental to the Foxes' consistent performance in the Premier League. Danny Drinkwater, who made five assists so far this season, has been praised for his midfield mastery. Jamie Vardy, a prominent goalscorer at Leicester, found the net in eleven consecutive matches last year, breaking a record held by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

There are plenty of parallels to be made between Nigel Pearson and United's manager of 26 years Sir Alex Ferguson. Both were appointed with the task of rebuilding struggling sides. United were on the verge of relegation, Leicester were relegated from the Championship. Both managed teams that pulled off impressive comebacks - the Red Devils are often called the "comeback kings", while the Foxes, under Pearson, learned to overcome 1 and 2-goal deficits, carrying the trend into the Ranieri era and earning the same name. Fittingly, both Ferguson and Pearson won managerial awards as well as titles. Pearson has yet to win said titles with a Premier League club, but that may yet change.

Sir Alex himself complimented Pearson on his work at Leicester, saying his team "were fantastic". Sadly, I can't recall the last time that word was used to describe Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson. Photo: Total Fusbol

Critics may point to a scandal involving Pearson's son which led to his sacking. However, a fair assessment of the manager's abilities should not be affected by his son's behavior. They'll also point to Pearson's fiery temper, most notably in some of his encounters with the press, but before the critics do any more pointing, the clear-headed among us will show them the door.

Lets not forget that Ferguson, who wasn't on bad terms with the press to begin with, had a tough time with the media as the years went on. In his autobiography, he writes that it was difficult to have any relationship at all with the "intense and volatile" press of today. And who could blame him? Pointless questions are asked, provocations are made, and facts are often spun out of proportion, or slanted in favor of where the money's from, and not just in sports journalism.

Sir Alex became synonymous with Manchester United, etching his name in the history of football as one of the game's greatest managers. Naturally, United struggled to transition into the post-Fergie era, first with David Moyes in charge, and now with Louis van Gaal. As it turns out, the job of Manchester United manager calls for something more than just Premier League experience - there's an "it factor" involved as well.

Sir Alex Ferguson was a managerial phenomenon, and neither Manchester United nor any other football club will likely find another leader of his intellect and tactical ability any time soon. What they can find, however, is someone with similar qualities who can take the team in a very similar direction.

All that's left to do is put pen to paper.

--

Highlights of Nigel Pearson's first season at Leicester:
League One champs, promotion to Championship
23 game unbeaten run (2008-09)
4 losses in 46 league games

Highlights of Sir Alex Ferguson's first full season at Manchester United:
2nd place top division finish
10 game unbeaten run (March - May 1988)
5 losses in 40 league games


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