Aug 04
Houston and New England Turn Superliga Final into an Exhibition Match
The title isn’t exactly correct, but the Houston and New England Players are pooling their prize money and making a statement. The winning team’s players get $150,000 to split amongst themselves, and the runners up get $100,000. Both Houston and New England have decided that they will pool their money and split it equally, so each team will now receive $125,000. This makes the match just about irrelevant. The tournament is played for prize money, and since both teams will receive the same amount, the match essentially is an exhibition. This all started due to the fact that the players only receive a meagerly $150,000 of the advertised $1 million prize.
There is no berth in any other competition on the line, the players already think this a pointless competition, and since the Mexican-American rivalry is no longer in play, the Superliga final has become useless. Who’s going to buy a ticket for a game that no one really wants to win. With MLS and Champions League coming up, the team’s have other things to focus on.
Here’s what the MLS Union had to say:
“The players on the Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution have agreed in advance of tomorrow night’s SuperLiga final that they will split evenly the bonus money at stake in the game. The players have made this decision to show their solidarity and in protest of the league’s violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with respect to the negotiation of bonuses for this tournament.”
“Our guys are professionals and they go out there to win, but clearly [the decision today] labels it what it is: an exhibition. That is what it has become,” MLS union executive director Bob Foose said.
On MLS’s prize money for the players, Foose said:
“At the core of this, the collective bargaining agreement allows for the individual teams to negotiate with their own players and pay bonuses as they see fit. The league has stepped in and determined their own figures and they’ve told the teams not to negotiate with their own players.”
MLS hasn’t commented yet on the situation.
What do you think? Is this fair? Would you go to the game knowing this? Your thoughts below.
August 4th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I don’t think this is fair, but I just can’t see a superliga final as an exhibition match. I mean, sure the money isn’t there anymore, but it is still a tournament and a matchup between the Dynamo and the Revs who have lost in finals to the Dynamo way too much. Surely they will treat this game as something more than an exhibition. what are the teams coming to when it takes prize money and a reason for you to want to win besides winning. Do the players have no heart, no motivation other than money? I think they do, as most are playing for meager salaries anyways. I’m probably wrong, but what ever happened to good spirited competition between rivals (I guess they are rivals…they should be rivals, as the Revolution should hate Houston right now for beating them in the Cup so much).
August 4th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
those are all fair points and I knew someone would say that. I would agree with you whole-heartedly if not for the fact that the players have said this is sort of meaningless. They don’t want to be playing 5 extra games in the middle of a long season and I can understand that. I have no problem with them griping about money, especially when the $1million prize is talked about all so often. No one talks about the World Cup or MLS Cup in regards to money, and that’s because they don’t advertise it. When they attach money as part of the draw, I’d say the players are entitled to more of it. I don’t condone their actions, and I’m actually saddened to see this happen, but I understand where they’re coming from. They’ve been forced to play a tournament for prize money and they don’t even get to negotiate how much of it they get. I’m still looking forward to the game, I expect New England to win, and hopefully in the future, the teams will negotiate directly with the players.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Yeah, I guess I see where you are coming from. It is sad though. And I do agree that they should get to negotiate the prize money. I see New England winning too. They just look to strong and it is there time to beat Houston.
August 4th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Although you can never discount Houston, they are getting hot and now that they have two viable strikers, they can again pose a real threat. It just amazes me that these two teams always meet. They both are just so consistent and knowing MLS, being consistent will get you a long way.
August 5th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
well, that was pretty exciting. i’m glad the Revs finally won.
August 5th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
me too. Certainly wasn’t an exhibition match. The teams really went at it. I’m also happy New England won because I was getting sick of Houston winning. Also, Matt Reis was also amazing.
August 5th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
yeah excellent play by him…except for that pk. Why does he kick them anyways, especially in the first 5. It doesn’t really make much sense. Also, the New England fans represented pretty well, especially in the PK’s. Good to see all around. Except the announcer drove me insane. I had to mute it.
August 5th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
i always mute telefutura. especially on the PK’s they say goal a million times after each kick. It’s ridiculous. He is always a top 5 kick taker which is unusual, but he’s generally pretty consistent. However, his miss was really bad, it wasn’t even close.