PROFESSOR DUERR >>

Friday, July 6, 2007

Unfortunately, my ode to the Open Cup was not able to conjure up a win against Richmond in the Second Round of the tournament. The Kickers, therefore, will have the honor of playing the Los Angles Galaxy just days before David Beckham arrives.

The team arrived back in Cleveland on Wednesday and I returned to training - after my quick jaunt down to Myrtle Beach - as we prepared to face Crystal Palace Baltimore. I was named to the preliminary 20 man squad for the match, but Head Coach Martin Rennie thought it wise to give my hamstring a few more days of rest. The move was probably smart on the part of Coach Rennie and underscores why he is the Head Coach and why I write encyclopedia articles (for the 2008 election) and online blogs.

Friday’s game was another frustrating affair for us as we failed to take the full three points after being 1-0 up with 10 minutes left and our opponents down to ten men. Crystal Palace is certainly a much improved team from the one we played earlier in the season and I fully expect them and Western Mass to make concerted runs at a playoff berth in the final month of the season.

Our match-up this past week with Crystal Palace Baltimore, however, got me thinking about a few things of an academic nature. Specifically, the wider ramifications of player development in North America and European/South American owned teams entering the USL.

There have been at least two major media outlets commenting on Crystal Palace Baltimore this season including an article in the Washington Post and a seven minute audio segment on BBC News. Both media publications highlight the innovative and entrepreneurial nature of the Crystal Palace ownership group in finding a unique way to develop players in North America.

Certainly the top clubs in Europe and South America will be able to buy the best talent in the region, but there are niche areas where clubs like Crystal Palace and Alavés (owners of USL First Division team, the California Victory) can find and develop players. Furthermore, there are a number of USL clubs with links to teams in Mexico which involve player exchanges and exhibition matches. There are also rumors surrounding clubs like River Plate that persist, so we may be seeing a trend here.

Longevity, therefore, is the key to sustained development in USL and it is integral for foreign based clubs to recognize that they are investing in future players, rather than making a huge profit. It is only through persistence in a given market that real development will occur and the club involved will begin to benefit. There are enough talented players in North America that at least one or two will be able to break through for each European or South American club invested in USL.

I applaud the likes of Crystal Palace, Alavés and others for their vision in North America (assuming longevity in the market), but also for attempting to forge a larger international fan-base. The biggest clubs in the world have a following here, but there is the potential for smaller teams to create a following in localized areas of North America through these ventures.

Can you imagine a given club obtaining several thousand fans through these clubs? It is quite possible under the right circumstances, and presents a unique way to grow their brand in a young soccer market. More clubs will likely follow the lead of Crystal Palace and Alavés, but space is limited.

Indigenous, locally-owned clubs are developing all over the continent so there are limits to where foreign clubs can locate and become successful. This is why I sense a trend in foreign owned clubs entering the USL because there is a limited window of opportunity in North America that may allow a given brand name or club to flourish on this continent. This window will close as more and more clubs gain some history (and business viability) throughout the USL professional division, but not before a number of franchises find a lucrative position inside the league structure.

It will be interesting, therefore, to follow foreign owned clubs in the USL to see if they are able to develop players for their respective first teams overseas and whether they are able to develop a following in North America. Given the promotion/relegation system throughout the rest of the world, investment in North America may well be an area that gives a Crystal Palace or an Alavés an edge over their domestic competition and allows them to return to the top flight in the respective countries.

‘The Professor’ Glen Duerr