the Hunt family and its Hunt Sports Group are based in Dallas -- to properly steer a club. It's a decent theory.
On the other hand, look at how many MLS clubs aren't exactly in the hands of "local" owners.
Heck, one team doesn't even have an owner in the same continent. That's Red Bull New York, owned of course by the Austrian drink makers. Or how about Chivas USA, which is controlled by Mexican money?
The D.C. United ownership group is led by a man who lives in San Francisco.
Sometimes it can get a tad confusing. There might soon be an owner from New York, but he won't control the New York club. Instead, he'll watch over the organization in Philly, if that comes to fruition.
The team in Chicago is owned by a guy from Los Angeles. The paychecks in Los Angeles are signed by a guy from Colorado. The Colorado Rapids' bills are paid by a guy who calls Missouri home. Incidentally, he'll have no role in the St. Louis club, if it comes to fruition. Got it?
Remind me again why that local ownership thing is so important?
The turnstile at RFK: No one can accuse D.C. United of complacency. Despite robust regular season success -- regardless of the playoff dismissals -- the rate of turnover at RFK continues to look a little like rush-hour traffic.
Greg Vanney is now headed to Los Angeles, his stay in the nation's capital having lasted about eight months. Vanney arrived Thursday at The Home Depot Center and was scheduled to take part in a Galaxy closed-door scrimmage on Friday. He had joined Tom Soehn's D.C. United side from Colorado only last July.
Just 16 months ago, then-manager Peter Nowak marched a highly regarded side into the MLS Cup Playoffs. That version of D.C. United had completed the regular season with a league-high 55 points.
Seven starters from Nowak's postseason starting 11 are no longer with the team or not expected to play this year: Bobby Boswell, Facundo Erpen, Freddy Adu, Brian Carroll, Christian Gomez, Joshua Gros and Alecko Eskandarian.
Feilhaber loan deal still possible: U.S. international Benny Feilhaber, still languishing on Derby County's bench in England, did nothing in the recent U.S.-Mexico clash to reduce any potential interest from MLS clubs. Feilhaber was a second-half substitute and immediately provided the United States a calming presence and better possession.
With that, Feilhaber returned to the tough sledding he faces at Derby, where he's straining for opportunities to help the Premiership strugglers. Debry is all but mathematically assured of relegation into England's second tier. But he's also keeping options open, and that could include a loan deal to MLS.
"The European transfer window has closed," he said. "But I'm looking at possibilities in MLS or Scandinavia, places that are still open for possible loan deals."
Feilhaber reiterated that his primary focus is on claiming a spot in Derby's lineup. But the odds are against him -- even if that's difficult to explain. Derby management has provided few opportunities since his transfer last summer from Germany's Hamburg. Why? Good question, considering the U.S. midfielder couldn't possibly do any worse than the current lineup selections.
Derby has one lone victory in 26 matches with a staggering minus-42 goal difference.
"I'm keeping my eyes open, and my ears open, seeing what's going on, letting my agent take care of that work and then come to me with those options so I can choose what is best for me," Feilhaber said. "For now, I'm focused on Derby County."
The young midfielder said he doesn't have a preferred team in MLS, should the league come calling.
MLS in unlikely places: Want to find MLS sides in February or early March? You're gonna need the internet, a GPS system and maybe some super-spy help from Jason Bourne. This is the time of year when MLS figures fall into the publicity abyss.
Teams gather in unlikely spots in an attempt to maximize their preseason work. So, there are spots around the country that become unlikely, yet very important, outposts for the budding MLS season. Teams arrive at these spots in clumps. The top five gathering points for 2008:
- Bradenton, Fla. -- Familiar to U.S. Soccer fans for its training at the IMG Academies, this is or has been the early preseason home for D.C. United, Columbus, Chicago, Kansas City and Toronto.
- The Home Depot Center -- Obviously, the Herbalifers and the Goats will hold some of their preseason on the plush fields of Victoria Street. But wander over to the HDC and you could also see the New York Red Bulls or, shortly, San Jose.
- Hawaii -- Houston and Los Angeles will soon report for matches against a club from Japan and another from Australia on Feb. 20-23. Unlike most MLS preseason work, which tends to be just a rumor for fans back home, these encounters will be available on TV.
- San Antonio -- The one-time expansion candidate will import Houston, Chivas USA, Toronto and D.C. United for the fledgling Texas Pro Soccer Festival in early March.
- Daniel Island, S.C. -- Toronto FC, San Jose Earthquakes and the New York Red Bulls gather for the annual Carolina Challenge Cup, March 10-22. The USL's Charleston Battery is host.
Steve Davis is a freelance writer who has covered Major League Soccer since its inception. Steve can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
