| | A great coach, great talent and lots of depth are what make Manchester United the best club in England, and maybe the best team in the world, says ESPN International soccer commentator J.P. Dellacamera.
During his recent chat with users, Dellacamera talked about Man U and the success it has seen, and said he has no problem with the team backing out of the F.A. Cup. He also talked about the new MLS season and said he is pleased with the first two weeks of action.
If you missed Dellacamera's March 30 chat, an edited transcript follows:
| |  | | Dellacamera says Man U's Alex Ferguson has proven he is at the top of his class. |
Supa: What are your views regarding the MLS player's lawsuit?
J.P. Dellacamera: I think the players right now are in a sort of no-win situation. In that if they win this lawsuit and
millions of dollars in damages, how will MLS feel about this? Likewise, should the players lose
here, how bitter are they? Only the lawyers win in this.
Hopefully they will end this soon; it has gone on long enough.
Beckham Fan: If Man U had entered the FA Cup, do you feel they would still be in the running for the Treble?
And, do you feel Man U was right for backing out?
J.P. Dellacamera:
Had they entered, I feel they would still be a contender. They are the best team in England and
they have so much depth.
It was a tough decision for Man U, but in the end, there are just so many games and
competitions you can play in, and I think their explanation for backing out was justifiable.
Brett: There have been a lot of rumors flying around about Milan making moves to improve their lot
for next year. These include buying Serhii Rebrov from Kiev and rematching the awesome strike force
of Andriy Shevchenko-Rebrov. Can you confirm or deny any of these rumors. Also, who do
you pick to win Euro 2000 and why?
J.P. Dellacamera:
There are all kinds of rumors about Rebrov. While it would be great to see him reunited with
Shevchenko, that might be too costly for Milan. Whoever signs Rebrov will pay a fortune.
Euro 2000 -- I am on record picking Holland. I like their talent more than anyone in the contest.
Being a co-host will be a huge advantage.
Greg Cooper: Do you think the poor quality of play in the MLS is responsible for the backward steps U.S.
Soccer took from the 1994 to the 1998 World Cups?
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The versatile Dellacamera, recognized as one of the leading authorities on international soccer in the United States, joined ESPN in 1986 as a play-by-play commentator for the 1986 World Cup. Since that time, he has been one of the most prominent soccer play-by-play commentators for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN International. Dellacamera called his fourth consecutive World Cup as a television and radio play-by-play commentator in France '98 for ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. He has handled play-by-play for ESPN International's coverage of first division soccer from Brazil, Mexico, Chile, England and the Netherlands. Since 1992, Dellacamera has also served as host of Latin Futbol Weekly, a highlight show, and World Cup USA, a preview for the 1994 World Cup (since 1993), for ESPN International, ESPN and ESPN2.
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J.P. Dellacamera:
I think it is harsh to refer to MLS play as poor. I think the U.S. had a miserable '98 World
Cup for reasons other than the MLS. There seemed to be a lot of player turmoil going into the
event and their lack of early success caused even more problems. There was too much finger-pointing at the World Cup.
John Carinci: Do you think that GianFranco Zola has any chance of Zoff calling him up to play for the Italian
National Team?
J.P. Dellacamera:
While stranger things have happened, I think everyone would be stunned if he got a recall to the
national team. I think Italy could use some offensive punch, but Zola has had trouble scoring in
the Premiership. If he goes on a tear and scores goals, he might have a chance.
Teddy: Who do you feel is the best coach still in the Champions League?
J.P. Dellacamera: Right now, I feel the best coach has to be Alex Ferguson. Over the last several years he has proven that.
Nciron: What did you think of Newcastle flop Jon Dahl Tomasson
and his resurgence in Rotterdam with Feyenoord?
J.P. Dellacamera: If you follow soccer long enough, you'll see that good players fail with many teams, only to
rebound and play better with others. A prime example is Edgar Davids, who struggled with AC Milan but is now starting with Juventus.
Often with players it is the system, the coach or the country they have trouble adapting to. I
don't know which it is for Tomasson, but he is definitely doing better with Feyenoord.
MBrand: Argentina apparently has one of the world's strongest leagues (judging by the ESPN Top 25),
but the teams get no air time on the ESPN family (ABC, ESPN, ESPN II). Why is that?
J.P. Dellacamera:
Bottom line: ESPN doesn't own the rights to soccer from Argentina.
Joe Stange: In your opinion, what's the best way to get more Americans interested in soccer and attending
MLS games?
J.P. Dellacamera:
I think it is all about marketing and atmosphere. We need to find ways to get Americans into our
stadiums. But the stadiums need to be smaller, like in Columbus and Rochester.
Atmosphere at a sold-out stadium, no matter the size, is better then empty seats at a bigger
stadium, even if there are more people. It will take time. If all the MLS teams get their own
stadiums, you will see a greater interest in attending the games.
Steve: It is often forgotten that English clubs were dominant in European competition before Heysel.
Do you see the current success as an indication of a return to that dominance?
J.P. Dellacamera: Over the last several years, the Premiership has spent a lot of money in trying to obtain the best
international players. It should be no surprise to see these English clubs having the success they
are. It is quite possible in the UEFA Cup and in the Champions League, you could have an
all-English final -- although I am not predicting that.
Sunny Rock: How good is Manchester United? Can they win the Champions League again? Do you think
it is worthwhile them opening merchandising stores in the USA?
J.P. Dellacamera:
Man. U is a great side. Yes, they can win the Champions League again, but only if they get
quality goalkeeping. Man U's biggest problem has been their overall defense. Last year, they
were very happy with Peter Schmeichel, but this year they have used three goalkeepers. So that
remains a question mark.
I would love to see them open up a store here, probably in New York City.
Jason: What do you think of the quality of MLS play in the first two weeks of the season?
J.P. Dellacamera: I am enjoying the quality of play so far in MLS in the first couple of weeks. I think it can only get
better when Lothar Matthaeus and Hristo Stoichkov get to know their teammates and play a few games with
their new teams.
I like that it is now three divisions, and some of the other new things they have done -- dropping
the shootout and using the international clock.
Izzy: Have you got a sleeper team for this summer's Euro? I think Portugal could surprise some people
if it gets out of the group of death?!?
J.P. Dellacamera:
Let's go with the Czech Republic as this year's sleeper. They made it to the finals in Euro '96
(lost to Germany) and were dominant in qualifying.
At the youth level, Portugal has enjoyed great success only to disappoint at the full national level.
Maybe this could be their year if they get good play from Costa.
Goucho: Is the signing of several "aging" international stars a sign of strength or desperation on the part of
MLS?
J.P. Dellacamera:
Only time will tell. Let's hope for MLS' sake that it is a sign of strength. I take it you are
referring to Matthaeus and Stoichkov. If those guys remain healthy, you will enjoy watching them
play this year.
Chris: What is your take on the way the U.S. National team (men) are at times poorly treated and
often booed in their own country?
J.P. Dellacamera: I always feel bad when the U.S. National Team is treated like second-class citizens in their own
country. I realize that will happen from time to time, depending on the team we play and the
venue. To truly counter that, we need to schedule more games in places like Columbus, Ohio
and Birmingham (Alabama) where we are guaranteed to get a more pro-USA crowd.
The problem is that if the U.S. plays Mexico in Birmingham, we will have a home crowd, but we
won't get the revenue we need to improve the game. U.S.-Mexico makes us a villain, but you
are guaranteed 100-000-plus if you play the game in L.A. That kind of money is needed to
improve our product.
QPR: Do you think that the new women's league will be popular?
J.P. Dellacamera: It depends on what you mean by popular. I think it can be successful if you are talking about
averaging between 5,000 and 10,000 fans. At this point, I think even that is an optimistic view. There are
two groups now trying to form a women's league, and one of them is MLS. Hopefully the two
groups can work together for the good of the game.
The good thing, unlike the MLS, is that this league will have the best players in the world. Every player
that played in World Cup '99 would want to play in this league.
Eric: What do you think of the new MLS divisions and playoff system?
J.P. Dellacamera:
I like this divisional setup, and the fact that we could have three decent races for playoff berths.
Also, eight out of 12 teams make the playoffs; besides the top three division winners, it is the five
next best teams, regardless of division. That should guarantee the best eight teams.
Brad Cox: Will Jerzy Dudek remain with Feyenoord for much longer?
J.P. Dellacamera:
My guess is no. Man U is reportedly one of many teams interested in acquiring him.
Arsenal Fan: Do you think that the MLS will ever get a young player such as a Michael Owen, which will
bring excitement and attention to the game?
J.P. Dellacamera:
I hope so, and so does the MLS. Quite possibly MLS may already have this player in DaMarcus
Beasley. Only time will tell.
Lights, dellacamera, action: You have been fortunate to have seen some of the greatest teams in the world. Who is your
favorite team and favorite player to watch?
J.P. Dellacamera:
Juventus is my favorite team, and I don't really have a favorite player. But I do have
some favorites to watch -- Gabriel Batistuta, Ronaldo, Alessandro Del Piero, and Luis Hernandez.
Tom: I know this is off the subject, but I found an old Long Island Cougars hockey program. Are you the same John Dellacamera who did the broadcasts back then?
J.P. Dellacamera: I thought I was the only one that had that old hockey program. Yes, I am the same one.
Jofi: What happened to D.C. United last weekend? Is this a sign that the good times may finally come
to a halt for Marco and Company this year?
J.P. Dellacamera:
D.C. got hammered last weekend, but it is way too early in the MLS season to say that the
good times will come to a halt for this team. On paper, they have to be considered the favorites
to repeat.
Sorry I couldn't get to answer all of your questions. But I do appreciate all of the interest. We've
got a lot of great soccer fans out there and I hope you will continue to watch the games on TV,
especially if they are on ESPN.
Take care, everyone, and we'll do this again soon. | |
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