So it's no surprise that NBA players don't like Salt Lake City. It's probably why there's no football team in SLC. Or baseball team. The Jazz also happen to be one of the most boring teams in the NBA (However, Deron Williams is single-handidly changing that). Jerry Sloan has been the Jazz coach for a bazillion years and he's never won a championship. If you ask someone to describe Jerry Sloan in two words, the answer would be "Jerry Sloan." Yup, he's that dynamic.
So when Aleko Eskandarian had the chance to leave the MLS team Real Salt Lake to come to Chivas USA in sunny Los Angeles, I don't think it took him very long to accept the offer.
My first question for Alecko Eskandarian?
"How much do you miss Salt Lake City?"
Ya, I think he's having a good time in Los Angeles. This wasn't just a good trade for Eskandarian, but it was a great pickup for Chivas USA. He was one of the top forwards in the MLS only a few years back, and a move to Chivas may be the key to resurrecting his career. Chivas USA fans should look forward to having him as their go-to forward, where he'll team up with Ante Razov, one of the greatest forwards in the history of the MLS.
Speaking of Chivas USA fans...they really are a wild bunch. Since Chivas USA is a branch of the original Chivas Guadalajara team that plays in Mexico, many of their fans are Hispanic.
That's why it's funny that the guys I interviewed are just about as white as you can get. But don't let the color of their skin fool you - not only do these guys love Chivas USA, but they HATE the Los Angeles Galaxy. Even David Beckham.
Another key player for Chivas USA is Jesse Marsch. This guy is an MLS legend. He's been in the league forever and has been one of the best players for over 10 years now. He came to Chivas USA last year from the Chicago Fire, where he made himself one of the greatest players in the history of the club. He was in Chicago a long time, but how does he like Los Angeles?
Chivas USA's most important player is their goalkeeper, Brad Guzan. He's only 23 years old, and he is arguably the best goalkeeper in the MLS. He was so successful last year that he drew interest from teams in Europe. Only a month ago, Aston VIlla, a team in the England Premier League (the greatest league in the world) paid $2 million for Guzan.
Just when he was about to transfer, England denied him a work permit (This is not unusual. England had very strict guidelines for foreign players. In Guzan's case, he has not played in enough games for the US National Team. Here is Guzan's interview in full.
From the way Guzan spoke, it sounds like a midseason transfer may be in the future. Every soccer player's ultimate goal is to play in Europe, and with Guzan being only 23 years old, his future is bright. I don't think we're too far off from seeing him suit up in an Premiership uniform.
Hopefully Guzan will never have to put on a Real Salt Lake jersey. Because let's be honest - the only thing good ever to come out of Salt Lake City was "SLC Punk".
What a gem.
1 comment:
You're absolutely right. Salt Lake sucks. The entire city shuts down after 10...AM! It is, however, a pretty nice place to have brunch. I have only one problem with your analysis: you said SLC Punk was the only good thing to come out of Salt Lake. What about me? I barely managed to escape that soul-crushing void that also happens to be the birthplace of styrofoam.
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