MLS in Arizona: let freedom ring!
by Steve Davis on Feb 21, 2011 10:44 AM EST
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I’m back from Arizona after spending a few days there, with great access to MLS players and coaches on site. Ten teams have already or will spend time in and around Phoenix in February or March, so the opportunity for journalists to gather information (or for fans to closely inspect their favorite team) is immense.
There seems to be hope among coaches and officials that gatherings in Arizona will become an annual event. One coach even told me that league HQ could become more involved, even using the time in Arizona (and in Florida for Eastern teams) to hold marketing and sales meetings, in addition to team practices.
While that makes sense, I’m not sure it’s the best idea. What has happened over the last two years in Arizona occurred organically. If the league more or less mandates the dates teams would report to Arizona, and if the league begins cutting deals on where to stay and such, the whole thing could fall apart. Teams enjoy control over their preseason routine. The league has plenty of control over the regular season scheduling; teams should be allowed to do as they please in February and early March.
In the next blog entry, which I’ll post shortly, I’ll clean out the notebook with random odds and ends I gathered in Phoenix.
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MLS in Arizona: let freedom ring! ... to a point
Steve,
From a fan’s point of view, the teams’ freedom to do what they want during preseason is something of a problem. Yes, we do have MLS fans in AZ. But a 6 hour drive to LA for the nearest in season game, especially during these economic times, becomes a bit problematic.
That being said, having no central point of information about preseason led to this fiasco…
Today there was a scrimmage between the Galaxy and the Whitecaps. Like last year, the Galaxy had announce that their practices and scrimmages were closed to the public while they were training at ASU. But today’s match had been scheduled for the public facility Reach 11 and therefore was the only opportunity to see the Gals this spring. Then the match got moved to ASU and was posted as closed on the Whitecaps website. Additionally, a followup email to a Vancouver rep confirmed that information. My disappointment was only deepened when another fan went to ASU and had no problem getting in to watch the scrimmage.
Now I know that not many folks are able to get out on a weekday morning, so not many people were discomforted by the ‘now we’re public’, ‘now we’re open’ and back again routine, but it’s somewhat symptomatic of how the last two preseasons in AZ have gone.
It’s not so much the changing of venues, dates, or times, but the lack of information available to those of us without connections(as well as bad information).
I offered my services to MLS as a preseason coordinator, but alas …
Agreed about lack to AZ preseason info
I agree with Peter about lack to info about scrimmages.
If you’re lucky, you can find the info about a scrimmage on
one of the two scrimmaging teams websites or the scrimmage
location’s website, but when you find the info you’re never quite sure
it’s accurate.
Someone should keep up to date a central point of information about
AZ preseason activities. I nominate Peter. :)
I’m all for allowing the AZ preseason to grow organically, but fan interest will only
grow organically if they can find out when and where the scrimmages are.
AZ Preseason Info
Dave,
Next year, if all goes well, I’ll once again try to keep up with the preseason schedule in the Phoenix forum on Big Soccer. Have done it the last two years. A bit of a challenge, but I’m getting to know some folks with the teams, so I hope next year goes even better.
