MLS Five-a-side:The skinny on five things that matter this week in Major League Soccer:
1. So, you want to be a manager?: Sure, we all sit around and play the part from our comfy chairs. From that safe spot, it's easy to know which players are ripe for deployment, which tactics are sure to flummox the hapless foe, what words will inspire the side to perform at peak efficiency.
It's all as easy as making toast, right?
Except there's a harsh reality for the men who really get paid to perform from the hot seat: They don't last long.
I wondered about it this week as two highly respected NBA coaches lost their jobs. I wondered how much sand was in the glass, generally, once an MLS manager was put on the clock.
Eliminating the interim managers, about 37 coaches have been dismissed from MLS head coaching positions through the years. Some have been asked to leave from more than one team. (The "about" is there because it's hard to say in some cases whether a manager quit or was released from his duties; it's often a matter of whom you believe.)
So, if you count the MLS managers who have left in less than favorable circumstances, the average shelf life of a Major League Soccer manager averages out to about 2.25 years.
It's interesting that the average duration around the league is just a little longer if you eliminate the MetroStars-Red Bulls from the equation. The New York team skews the math somewhat; six different managers have spent just one full season or less in charge (counting 30 games as a "full season.")
2. McCarty says 'get it over with': The news isn't good for FC Dallas man Dax McCarty, the latest victim of the sports hernia injury that cracks so many soccer players these days.
Even more discouraging for the Hoops midfielder, who has been playing so well, at a new position no less, is that he went to Germany two years ago to repair a sports hernia. Now, the ailment is on the other side, just above the groin muscle in his left leg.
McCarty and FC Dallas officials have already scheduled a surgery for May 14 but hope to have the procedure done earlier, if possible. Already committed to the surgery, McCarty says better to get on with it. He's not just thinking "MLS," he's also thinking about the Olympics later this summer.
"I don't think I lose a lot of fitness anyway when I'm away, so I think I'll be OK," he said of the expected three-week recovery time. He thinks he can regain full fitness and form in time to make an impact for Peter Nowak's U.S. Olympic team. He was one of the best at Olympic qualifying in February.
McCarty wants to play this weekend against San Jose; he said the injury won't worsen by being on the field between now and the surgery, although there will be some discomfort. Once he discovered the procedure was needed, he didn't hesitate to schedule it. McCarty said he remembers watching Olympic teammate Nathan Sturgis struggle with something similar for almost two years -- and McCarty didn't want to repeat the prolonged timetable.
3. Anyone for seconds?: Three prominent players are making the very best of their latest MLS opportunity after things at their previous MLS addresses didn't work out. Brian Carroll, Bobby Boswell and Joe Franchino are all prospering anew after witnessing their stock take a precipitous tumble in 2007.
Carroll's story bears special mention. He was once the holding midfield rock at D.C. United. But Clyde Simms lapped Carroll on the depth chart and United opted not to keep the starter-level salary on the bench. Sigi Schmid was only to happy to have the former Wake Forest man in Columbus, where the Crew manager had rotated several players last year, never truly settling on a holding midfielder.
Danny O'Rourke, Duncan Oughton, Stefani Miglioranzi, Ned Grabavoy and Danny Szetela all took their turns at the spot in 2007 as the Crew missed the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
But it has been Carroll's show this year, with lots of help from Robbie Rogers and Eddie Gaven, who pinch in regularly from the outside, and from industrious young find Adam Moffat, who plays at the top of the diamond. Now, while United struggle to pull things together, Carroll is a big reason why Columbus leads the East, off to its best start ever.
Boswell was also unwanted at United. Houston was happy to have the U.S. central defender, having lost Ryan Cochrane in the expansion draft. And Boswell's value jumped dramatically as Eddie Robinson was handed a three-game suspension. With a three-year starter to partner with young Patrick Ianni, things have remained settled in the back during Robinson's absence.
The Franchino story continues to develop in Los Angeles, where he appears to have brought bite and balance to Ruud Gullit's midfield. Franchino certainly didn't seem to be in the plans at New England, having dropped from favor after eight years of service at Gillette.
4. Toyota Park's crowded central station: The Chicago Fire is collecting central defenders like Britney Spears collects paparazzi.
Figures already seen clogging up the middle on the back line at Toyota Park included Diego Gutierrez, Wilman Conde and Bakary Soumare. Of course, that was once the address of C.J. Brown, who is due to return soon from injury.
And is there any doubt that Gonzalo Segares, having such an outstanding campaign at left back, could play there in a pinch?
Now, well-regarded young Paraguayan Lider Marmol has joined the Fire's stockpile. Marmol, who drew preseason tryout invitations with England's Coventry City and Reading and last played with Hercules CF in Spain's second division, is a natural center back.
Who will be stuck on the bench? Doubtful that it will be Gutierrez, who has hardly put a foot out of place in his final MLS campaign. (The longtime Fire man has already announced his retirement.)
Marmol might perform as a holding midfielder, which would help ease congestion. Still, that leaves Conde, Brown and Soumare, who may have the most raw talent but who still requires seasoning.
Or, perhaps manager Denis Hamlett use put the wealth to use on the trade market, choosing to strengthen his strike force. That appears to be the area that requires the most attention.
5. MLS All-April:
Goalkeeper: Matt Reis
Defenders: New England's Michael Parkhurst, Chicago's Gonzalo Segares, Real Salt Lake's Nat Borchers, Chicago's Diego Gutierrez.
Midfielders: Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan, New England's Shalrie Joseph, Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham.
Forwards: Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan, Columbus' Alejandro Moreno.
Stoic Moreno providing Crew big lift
Revs hand FCD first loss of season
Hoops look to regroup after first loss
Five-a-side: What’s hot around the league
