I would love to know a couple things here...
1) How many games have you seen Cherundolo play for Hannover?
2) What MLS right backs would you take over him?

Personally I think Steve gets a raw deal in the USA because almost nobody sees him play club ball regularly.
You mentioned Bocanegra - well sure - he was the best defender in the league - but even he's had his ups and downs with Fulham.

Steve's problem seems to have been largely due to the previous system, where it was attack first, defend second. Hard to do that and look good as a defender.

http://www.soccer365.com/EUROPEAN_NEWS/ ... 6934.shtml

_________________
Strider

So you're saying you would take a defender from MLS that Mainz is NOT going to sign because he doesn't offer the ability to get forward well enough over Cherundolo - who's shown well defending AND moving into the attack?

The logic behind this is......

Exactly, I have been trying to work that one out as well...

_________________
I'm underneath the sun
And I'm underneath the gun

Its an info piece thats all - a piece on a player who happens to be a fullback and has been in Germany recently.

_________________
Strider

Recent rumors suggest that Steve might be signing a new three-year-contract with Hannover soon. That would certainly be a good thing for both sides, I think.

_________________
Konjugation eines unregelmäßigen Verbs

Ich bin fest.
Du bist eigensinnig.
Er ist ein dickköpfiger, unbelehrbarer Hornochse.
(Bertrand Russell)

der rote wrote

very good news- let us know if you hear any more. i'll still root for hanover if stevie goes somewhere else-- but being a us national team fan it's a bonus having him @ hanover.

Steve's manager apparently visited Hannover 96 in Jerez, Spain yesterday to talk to our management. He is being quoted as saying that there never were any talks with other clubs and that Steve is happy with both personal situation in Hannover as well as the club's prospects. Which makes him a smart person in my book. He is a leader here and earning good money. An once this new contract expires he would still be able to transfer to a "big" club. No need to rush things.

So my money is on the contract extension being a done deal before long.

_________________
Konjugation eines unregelmäßigen Verbs

Ich bin fest.
Du bist eigensinnig.
Er ist ein dickköpfiger, unbelehrbarer Hornochse.
(Bertrand Russell)

Do you mean Steve's agent perhaps?

_________________
Strider

Yes, we call those guys managers over here, sorry for the confusion.

_________________
Konjugation eines unregelmäßigen Verbs

Ich bin fest.
Du bist eigensinnig.
Er ist ein dickköpfiger, unbelehrbarer Hornochse.
(Bertrand Russell)

The most-respected of our three daily papers has just reported that Steve will indeed sign a three-year-contract extension any day now. Steve's agent confirms that it will be a performance-orientated contract so that when "the club is doing well, Steve is doing well". In that case he will be earning "above-average money". Which, I assume, should make him one of the highest paid players on our team.

Also the contract will deliberately be extended for three years so that Hannover will profit in case Steve plays a good World Cup and transfers to a big club.

All in all, everyone's happy. I like it a lot when players agree to contracts with little guaranteed money and high, performance-based bonuses. This shows both confidence in their abilities and an understanding of how the business works. Hats off to Steve!

_________________
Konjugation eines unregelmäßigen Verbs

Ich bin fest.
Du bist eigensinnig.
Er ist ein dickköpfiger, unbelehrbarer Hornochse.
(Bertrand Russell)

But an injury can wipe them out - low wages during recovery.

_________________
Strider

False! You cannot compare our social security system with the one you have in the States.
In case of injury a special assurance will take over a not negligible part of the lost wages, i.e. the club is doing well without an injured Steve, Steve is doing well too.

Of course this should be part of the contract, but I cannot imagine, that Steve and his agent don’t know about this facility.

_________________
Sportliche Grüsse

Wettberger

We arent talking about Social Security. The point is that Steve instead of getting say Eu 500,000 a year has a contract that is a low base plus incentive (usually appearanceces) - if he is injured he wont get the appearances and will end up with a low income. Thats the point - I am sure you have a loverly Social Security system - which is why Germany is going down the economic tubes.

_________________
Strider

keith wrote

i wouldn't say that!!- from what i read- germany has much higher unemployment than we do here in the states but ecomony seems to be doing ok..?.. (i'm not a economic expert- just what i read...) germany does have a much stronger social safety net & that is often blamed for higher unemployment.

Indeed, at least the scism between poor and rich isn`t as large as in the us. On the other hand the unemployment rate is risig here too. Its more a matter of lacking "Facharbeiter" eg Highly Skilled Workers than bad conditions. Of course you mustn`t forget the still existing scism between the former GDR states an the old ones. In some of the "newer" states unemployment is up to 20% as a mater of structural problems with the former heavy industry being located there. Well wich was located there but not competative... But back to topic....

Will we be able to see Steve at WC2006? Will the US team qualify? And what are the chances that a US-Team, presuming they will qualify, will consist of College-Players (or A-Somthing players, whatever that means)

toldi wrote

good questions!!! i have to believe that the usa players & us soccer will settle their dispute & we will have our top players back for qualifying. i have to believe this because for me to believe otherwise i'd be too angry to concentrate at work...

assuming the labor dispute gets settled & we get our top players back on the field- i think our chances of qualifying are pretty good. 3 teams from our group qualify & i'd think Mexico, costa rica & the usa have the best chance. but if we have to play "A" league players i doubt we'd qualify- Jamacia is too good for us to beat with "A" league players... (by the way "A" league is just a lower level league- 2 steps below mls play- definately not world class players from this pool)

As far as stevie playing- i'd say he has a very good chance(assuming we qualify) of playing. he hasn't gotten a lot of call up's for the national team lately- but i'm sure he's solidly on Bruce Arena's radar screen & i'd be very surprised if he wasn't in the starting 11 for germany 06...

defense used to be one of the weakest parts of the usa national team- but with solid younger players like stevie- it's one of our brighter spots-

There wont be a US team at the 2006 World Cup. The USSF is bringing in replacement players for the next round of qualifying so they dont have to pay the "real USA" players the market rate. The USSF apparently likes their FIFA-like bank balances and nice perks. Its hard to believe - al Quaeda couldnt do a better job than the USSF the ******ing morons.

_________________
Strider

Maybe you should send in the troops!

_________________
Konjugation eines unregelmäßigen Verbs

Ich bin fest.
Du bist eigensinnig.
Er ist ein dickköpfiger, unbelehrbarer Hornochse.
(Bertrand Russell)

**** stevie coming .... er.. stevie staying in germany!-

us soccer has reach a agreement with the usa players getting the top us national team players back on the field...
der rote wrote

thankfully that was avoided -- bush is a baseball fan so luckily it flew under his & rumsfields radar...


with all thats going on in the world sport isn't the most important thing in life- but to give up the dream of heading to germany for the world cup would have been depressing... who knows- maybe they get smacked in qualifying & don't make it... but to throw it away with a labor dispute would have been sickening...