Weekend Mailbag - 25 September 2006

Well, it might not be the weekend anymore, but these questions all came in before today, so we're sticking to the title. Complaints can be sent to our legal department.

Ricardo in Miami, FL: Things aren't looking good for David Beckham. First he was dropped from the England squad, and now he's lost his place in the Real Madrid starting XI. Do you think his days as someone we should care about are done?

Bryce: Well, that depends on whether we are talking about football or fashion and tabloids. Could Becks return to the Three Lions? Probably not without a fantastic season in Spain, or more likely, catastrophic injuries ending the seasons for several players ahead of him in the pecking order under new England boss Steve McClaren. The Euro 2008 qualifying campaign is a total success thus far, so it looks like Mr. Posh will be on the outside looking in for some time.

Will that change the circus that surrounds him? It's possible. If his exlcusion from the national side and drop in minutes for Real begin to hurt shirt sales for the Spanish giants, that new contract he is supposedly about to sign could be delayed, reduced, or withdrawn altogether. They are never hurting for talented players, and if they would rather sign the next big thing than hold onto the outdated model from several seasons ago, it could spell the end for Becks. That trip to the New York Red Bulls could come sooner than he had hoped....

Unfortunately, his fame will mean his personal life will still be disected at every turn by the media, even during his decline from footballing relevance.

Ronnie in Uniondale, NY: I'm liking Lyon. I think they can make a real deep run in the Champions League. They might be the best team in the world outside of Italy, Spain, and England. What do you think?

Bryce: I think they have a very strong case and belong in that conversation for sure. Clearly the class of France despite losing big-time talent like the Essians and Diarras of the world, Lyon already have staked a claim to the top spot in Ligue 1 and are looking for their sixth straight title. Their league dominance should allow them to concentrate on the Champions League and they are definitely poised to make a deep run.

There are simply not many weaknesses with Coupet in net, Cris, Abidal, and Squillaci in defense, Juninho, Kallstrom, and Malouda in midfield, and Fred, Govou, and Wiltord all as options up top. They bring a lot of experience and success from both club and national side matches, and have proven that they are unfazed by big name competition (ask Real Madrid).

As for the best team outside of Italy, Spain, and England, I imagine some folks in Bavaria might care to throw Bayern Munich's name into the conversation. Aside from the reigning German champs, there isn't much company in that debate right now.

Larkin in Lake Oswego, OR: Is Portsmouth for real? Or can we expect them to come back down to earth?

Bryce: Harry Redknap has definitely gotten the best out of his squad in the early goings in the EPL season. As I mentioned in our Preseason Awards Spectacular, I thought Pompey would surprise a few folks and find themselves in the top half of the table come May. No one thought they would be battling for top spot with Chelsea at the end of September.

I think they will eventually come down to Earth, but enjoy a fantastic ride for their supporters and perhaps mirror the season of Wigan last year. Early top of the table success, followed by a slow drift back down and ending just outside the spots for European competition. A ticket to next year's UEFA Cup would be a terrific campaign for Portsmouth.

I think the same can be said for Aston Villa, who is surprising me even more than Pompey.

Jordan in Cupertino, CA: I've noticed a lack of MLS coverage on your site lately. I know you guys were bummed when the Earthquakes left San Jose. I was too. Are there any reasons why we should still care about MLS?

Bryce: Yes.

As Earthquake fans, we should be excited about the eventual return of the team under the ownership of Lew Wolff. The current A's owner purchased the right to field the Earthquakes franchise in the future and is presently seeking suitable grounds for a new stadium. As reported nationally by Jeff Carlisle, now that he has given up on ever bringing the A's to San Jose, prospects are brighter for the 'Quakes. That land just south of HP Pavilion that the city just purchased sure would work nicely for a new soccer stadium, and that what the folks at Soccer Silicon Valley are working on.

As soccer fans, we should be excited about the young talent in the league, the coming expansion to Toronto and elsewhere, the stadiums being completed and constructed across the league, the return of Bruce Arena to the coaching ranks, the sight of Landon Donovan not making the playoffs in LA, and even the rumors about making the switch to a single-table league.

Are there still issues and things that need to be changed? Absolutely. But the league is stronger and healthier than any other American sports league just over a decade old, and that has to be encouraging.

Jacques in Torrance, CA: Arsenal rules! Bryce sucks!

Bryce: Congratulations, your linguistic display would already make you the best English-speaker on the team.

Luke in Greenwich, CT: Any upset specials I should take to my bookie for this week's Champions League games? I'm thinking Benfica can beat Manchester United. Your thoughts?

Bryce: Benfica proved strong enough to beat ManU last year in the Champions League, so it would not be unprecidented. After two disappointing results in their last two outings in domestic play and a Matchday 1 win at home with Celtic, Sir Alex's squad certainly looks vulnerable.

I could also see Copenhagen getting a good result from their trip to Glasgow in the other match in this group. They were good enough to dump Ajax out of the competition in the last qualifying round and earned a point against Benfica, so the Hoops must guard against a post Old Firm derby letdown.


Pics courtesy yahoo.com. Do you have your own questions you like to ask? Email us here at Bookable Offense.