The following are quotes from the June 22 MLS media teleconference, which featured MLS commissioner Doug Logan, Colorado coach Glenn Myernick, Chicago coach Bob Bradley and New England forward Joe-Max Moore Doug Logan Opening Remarks “MLS Executive Vice President Ivan Gazidis is currently representing MLS at the Mexican draft in Ixtapa, so he will not be here for today’s call.” “Sincere congratulations to the Women’s World Cup Organizing Committee for a tremendous opening weekend … An awful lot of hard work has been put into this, three years of hard work by a staff that contains many MLS alumni … We are proud of the work that’s been done and grateful and proud to participate in our way … These three weeks will be tremendous for the sport … Our hats go off to the Womens national team that opened on such a positive note at Giants Stadium on Saturday.” “Among the things that we were asked questions were whether or not we would be adversely affected by Women’s World Cup’99 … Our attendances were a bit on the mediocre side, but most of that had to do with the venues … I still think that coming out of the July 4 weekend, we will have an average of about 15,000 fans per game … We’re also keeping a watchful eye on the volume of press for our game as well as for Women’s World Cup … The Women’s World Cup event has gotten a lot of well-deserved press, and there has been a significant amount of print and other attention paid to our game … There have been some circumstances and controversial refereeing, as well as the resurgence of the Los Angeles team and six goals in Kansas City, that has contributed to our press.” “We continue to hear questions regarding a professional league for women … We give all the encouragement in the world to those putting together plans/business objectives … We will not be taking part in it, we see ourselves in a complementary role … We have more than enough on our plate at this time establishing men’s first division soccer in this country … We will not lose sight of that goal … If there is a way for us to play a role in the future and a plan, an effective plan that has rationality to it, we will weigh that and participate in due course.” “We have rounded out player assignments as far as San Jose is concerned with the addition of midfielder Mauricio Solis … This central midfielder is the missing piece that they are looking for and they’re pleased with the player … He is a week or so away from playing for the Clash.” “The league would like to announce a trade today … New England has sent Edwin Gorter to Miami in exchange for Mario Gori, a one-to-one trade that takes effect immediately.” Glenn Myernick Opening Remarks “We’re happy to be in first place … When you wake up in the morning and look at the standings, that brings a little extra bounce to our step … We had another very good training session this morning … Everything right now is flowing along … Defender Jason Bent is questionable, but other than that all our players are healthy and ready to play.” Bob Bradley Opening Remarks “We had a good effort against San Jose … When you lose your goalkeeper in the 23rd minute, players quickly realize that extra effort by everyone on the field is needed to still get a good result … We have had a rough stretch and we have not been satisfied with our play, but this is something to try to build on … We are not going to get carried away after one game … We did get [rookie goalkeeper] Greg Sutton in for a half against Legia Warsaw, before he had to come in for Thornton … He is a rookie from St. Lawrence University, and showed good presence against San Jose … He made saves early on which gave him and the team confidence … Peter Nowak remains questionable with a severe injured calf, suffered against Legia Warsaw last week.” Joe-Max Moore Opening Remarks “The Revolution are performing well right now … We’re in third place right behind Columbus … We’re enjoying ourselves more than ever and training is fun … We’re looking to go into Dallas and maybe steal three points … Guys have shown they can step in and perform when needed.” Logan on the MetroStars’ current woes and their effect on the national perspective of MLS “There are a series of circumstances that have occurred, not all this season, that have brought the team to its current state … In every league there are teams that do well and those that do poorly, regardless of the structure of this league, and the MetroStars have not been a great success in any of the four seasons … It’s been difficult … The direction they are heading in right now will pay long-term dividends … However, it does nothing to satisfy the needs of this week, this month or the next six weeks … What they have done is gone with a nucleus of young players and have specifically asked us to look at a group of four or five international players who will complement that nucleus not only right now but also for multiple seasons to come … They are in a tough phase … They went into Rochester on Wednesday, coming out of that match fatigued and a little beat up … I have faith that we will get to the point where that team will get better … Hopefully in the short term, we can start making announcements of additional players for that team.” “They got a very late start this year in terms of re-organizing that team … I am hopeful that they get things turned around … This is a league where miraculous things happen with three or four three-point wins … Sports is a business where there are ups and there are downs … There is no doubt about the fact that we’re pleased about the reversal of fortunes for a Los Angeles team that struggled to win games and struggled to score goals and it looks like that’s turned around.” “Interestingly, in the last four-to-five weeks, from active interest in the expansion process, whether it takes place this year, which is doubtful, or next year, which is probable, or in the act of selling the two existing league-owned teams, there has been an increase in activity which I think has been higher than at any point in the last 12 months.” Bradley on facing the two teams ahead of them in the standings (Colorado and Dallas) “We’ve looked ahead on the schedule and realize that these two teams are vastly improved from last season … We had difficult games with these teams last year … This year, we lost at home to Dallas in a shootout and 1-0 at home to Colorado … These are important matches … We have an exhibition in Milwaukee tonight, and I hope the carryover from last week’s games appears in the next three matches … As far as the standings are concerned, these are very important matches for us.” Myernick on the availability of healthy players “Always a good situation to be able to choose from all the players you believe in … To be able to select from an entirely healthy roster at this stage of the season, I’ll be real happy to do that … Chicago is the champion until someone proves them different … Our team is very excited to play them … They dominated us last year, and we lost on two penalty kicks in the playoffs to them last year.” Bradley on Western Conference evaluation “The Western Conference is improving every week … Dallas and Colorado have gotten off to great starts, we’ve seen improvement in San Jose, while coaching changes in Kansas City and Los Angeles have helped turn things around … It makes for a competitive situation, and it will be interesting to see how things materialize … We haven’t played good enough soccer and we’ve had stretches where we haven’t passed well and we haven’t converted good chances … Our performance hasn’t been up to the standard we set for ourselves.” Logan on Gazidis’ role at the Mexican Draft in Ixtapa “We’ve been invited every year to the Mexican draft … It is an actiivty that we take part in, and it provides the window of opportunity for Mexican players to become available within their rules … He is spending a couple of days down there in regard not only to our present relationships but also to our future ones.” Logan on finding a player for the MetroStars “It is priority #1, #2 and #3 for Ivan at the present time.” Logan on why the MetroStars are going through a second rebuilding “Those are questions that should be addressed to the MetroStars … The late start is explained by me contrasting two teams on roster cutdown day: San Jose went down to nine active players, while the Metros cut noone and wanted to assess the players they had in hand … We’ve been waiting for direction from the team as far as who we should talk to.” Logan on the league’s ability to sign a player and assign him to the MetroStars “The way our bylaws read and with regard to what we have the power of doing, in a strict way I probably have the power to sign players and assign them to a particular team … As a practical manner, I cannot think of a specific instance beyond the first season where we signed a player without the tacit acquiesence and encouragement of the coach and general manager … We have generally put rosters together that within our budget, follow the desires of coaches and general managers … That way we don’t wind up with situations such as we had in Miami earlier this season where a player under contract is benched and asked not to even come to practice.” “It’s a smart policy for us to take … We offer suggestions of players that we think we can get, but at the end of the day the MetroStars are going to have players they want on the team.” Logan on whether or not mistakes were made at the end of the DC game on 6/20 “Probably … Everyone involved with the conduct of the game, from the four officials and the fifth official probably made mistakes, although they meant well … The clock could have been stopped earlier when there was some time wasting on both sides … The final stoppage was a bit precipitous by the fifth official … Everyone meant well, I think it’s one of the consequences of something we get a great deal of positive value out of … It certainly made for an exciting finish … Both teams and this league will go forward from there, saying that probably some mistakes were made.” “Having the fifth official in there takes the usual routine that we have and creates the opportunity for some confusion … It is still not clear to us why or by whom that clock stoppage took place … If indeed there was an attempt by a D.C. player or his team to waste time, then it was appropriate … It’s just not clear with all the information we have exactly what happened … There was confusion and probably error when it came to stopping the clock.” MLS Director of Officials Joe Machnik on fifth official directives “When we had the international exchange referee from Bolivia do a game between the MetroStars and Chicago, that game ended with Mike Sorber receiving his second yellow card and Chicago having a free kick that never took place … It was decided at that time that the fifth official, who is there for the shootout, would also be responsible for MLS clock management procedures.” “In the last 10 minutes of each half we have mandatory stoppages of the clock on certain substitution occasions and when goals are scored … There are instructions to referee teams in MLS that when a tactical foul is made or if there is time wasting by the defensive team, that the clock would be stopped in that instance … The referee is in total control … In this instance, the fifth official acted in what he thought was the best interests of the game … The foul in question took place about 11 seconds from the end, with the kick taken with five seconds remaining … There is no video evidence that D.C. acted in any way to impede the quick taking of a free kick, but there’s no evidence either that the free kick would have been taken in the 11 seconds remaining.” “We’ll learn from this experience.” Logan on D.C. ownership situation “I’m satisfied with present investor group … These things take time and I know that active discussions are taking place with two principal groups.” Logan on highlights of the season “We still measure success by how we play and who witnesses it … I’ve been saying that for four years … One of the more exciting things is seeing how Chicago hasn’t gone into a sophomore slump … Dallas and Colorado have had remarkable seasons and New England is rapidly improving … Some teams in the middle of the pack are reaching for the higher echelon of D.C. United, Los Angeles, Chicago and Columbus … There are some very encouraging signs on the field of play … We’re going to see the balance of the summer with a preponderance of games on Saturday night serving us well … I see some meaningful but small growth in attendance numbers … The major portion of our TV schedule ahead of us … We have a significant increase of households on ESPN2 … I’m encouraged that MLS Chief Marketing Officer Randy Bernstein and I have talked daily on a significant number of sponsorship renewals that will take place in the next 12 months … There is also significant activity in the marketplace in terms of additional investors.” Moore on how the Revolution beat Chicago two weeks ago “We were fortunate to be honest … The team played well that game, but Chicago had some chances they wish they had back … That game helped us gain confidence since they are one of the best teams in the league … Everyone needs a little bit of luck … We won the game and built confidence and hopefully now we’ll go to Dallas and maybe steal three points.” Moore on his future in MLS/abroad “I’m totally focused on my team here and getting us to the championship game at Foxboro … There are other possibilities, but a player at my age has to look at all of them … When the end of the season comes, I’ll take a look … If I can re-sign with the league at comparable money, then I’ll probably be back here … We’re not discussing anything at this point for next year.” Myernick on Canadian national team defender Jason Bent and his contribution to the Rapids “Jason is in his first full season with Colorado, he came in last year about two-thirds of the way in … For Canada he plays in the middle of the field, in central defense or at defensive midfield, but for us plays right back in a 4-4-2 system … Defensively he continues to improve, but he knows that he needs to get better on the ball and have more disguise in his passing … He’s difficult to beat … He continues to get better, we’re just disappointed with his toe injury right now.” Myernick on Rapids’ overall improvement “We have better players this year and being able to put out as consistent a lineup as we can … Also, we have better overall team defense … Last year, when we played with Paz on one flank and Henderson on the other, they played like wingers, and we were too susceptible to easy attacks in the middle of midfield … We have better defense all over the field, and we’re playing more consistent soccer.” Myernick on fans’ response “Denver is a tough market, the Rockies are the most well-attended team in baseball and the Avalanche went deep into the playoffs, but we continue to scratch and claw and dig our own niche … I’m really proud to be part of this organization, the work ethic of Dan Counce and his front office in a very tough market just goes on day after day … With each passing month we carve a little more of a niche in the market and obviously our most powerful marketing tool is winning and we hope to keep that up.”