MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER certainly likes to keep its fans in the loop.
Mirroring the All-Star antics of its baseball, basketball and ice hockey cousins, the MLS encourages fans to vote for the players they would most like to see in the league’s showpiece game.
In three weeks’ time, Chelsea, newly minted European champions, will play the cream of the MLS in an All-Star game in Philadelphia.
Robbie Keane may have scored two goals for the LA Galaxy at the weekend but the Irish striker has missed out on the fan-voted dream team to face the English side.
Keane lost out in the popularity stakes to Thierry Henry, now with the New York Red Bulls, and Chris Wondolowski of the San Jose Earthquakes, who are now likely to take up roles up front.
The ‘Wheat State’ of Kansas is the best represented in the supporter voting, with Aurelien Collin, Graham Zusi and goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen of Sporting Kansas City all on the fan’s wish-list.
Becks and Landon
The players that make the top 11, as voted for by MLS supporters, will automatically be included in the All-Star roster but coach Ben Olsen, of D.C United, and MLS Commissioner Don Garber will round out the squad with seven more selections.
Olsen will be given free rein to chose the starting line-up of his choosing from the 18 players so Keane still have a chance to face Chelsea.
His colleagues at LA Galaxy, David Beckham and Landon Donovan, have once again been chosen by fans to represent the league against a Chelsea side that may well include new signing Eden Hazard.
The official 18-man roster will be announced next Sunday during the broadcast of the New York Red Bulls’ game against the Seattle Sounders.
Jimmy Nielsen (Sporting Kansas City); Steven Beitashour (San Jose Earthquakes), Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), Jay DeMerit (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Heath Pearce (New York Red Bulls); David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City); Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).
Why does John Delaney get paid €430,000 a year?
Because he’s the head of a football association that works tirelessly to maintain top quality and entertaining domestic leagues…..oh sh!t hold on a sec…
Its combination all the same ingredients..a lad with a chip on his shoulder…and a lad with a steady logic…a potential master stroke….lets see what happens…well done to all involoved…
Idiots are the best paid people in Ireland….Simple.
Because he wont make many phone calls
Id love to be an idiot.
Tubirdy would never have the guts to ask him that or else he would have to try in vain to justify his own ridiculously bloated salary.
Funny how people are disliking your comment. What has he actually done that’s worth that amount of money. He doesnt even discuss the LOI problems
its the curse of the irish,we wont put you in power or elect you unless your a complete corrupt incompetent leech with gombeen tendencies !!!
Look at that…two grossly overpaid, underperforming tw@ts having a chat..and it’s apparently called entertainment…
DANGER DANGER*****Moan alert****DANGER DANGER
Absolute muppet. The man doesn’t give a shit about the league of Ireland. Stood by as clubs like Kilkenny and Kildare went under. Not to mention the joke that was sporting fingal
Appetite for League of Ireland football simply isn’t there beyond Rovers, Sligo and at a push Derry and Cork. Club football will never compete with rugby and gaelic games on this island, for an island of only 6million people something has to lag behind.
And as long as we have that English league to gawk at across the water where Irish people descend on in their thousands each week, LOI will go nowhere..
Still isn’t an excuse for the head of football in this country to let the league fall to pieces.
And dublin city
Fair enough. Sadly the majority on this island don’t care about the league, its always been the same (since I was growing up) and if something doesn’t drastically change then it will be always be the same.
Monaghan, Various cork and Galway teams… The list goes on
Ye I’m aware of that. My point is that thick Delaney should do more for the league. If he doesn’t care then let it be independently run again because since the FAI took over it hasn’t done much at all
Cork and Galway? The clubs with the debts? They brought their demise about themselves. Situation in Galway is a joke though.
Winners of the LOI receive €100,000. What chance do clubs have in developing and keeping talented young players when they don’t have 2 pennies to rub together. Sad state of affairs when players leave for League 2 or non league football in England instead of premier league football here. Serious investment is needed in each county.
The appetite not being there surely should highlight his pay packet being slashed
Winners of the league only get 100k? And he gets 430k. What an absolute joke. The new management team are getting what 2 million a year. How much is o brien contributing?
We live in a capitalist country; if teams can’t survive and if the game can’t attract sponsors John is not totally to blame. If he can turn two failed managers living on past glory into a dream team that’ll rake in €€€s while getting someone else to pay for it; job done.
Why did my comment get deleted?
Agreed. Blaming the FAI for clubs who get into debt is misguided!!
David. Yet another gem from you. How can clubs not be in debt when the league winners get 100k in prize money. You are some peach.
Cork City was run into the ground by false ownership. A bunch of nameless gangsters and subsequently another gangster called Tom Coughlan. Which is precisely where the FAI should have been stepping in to stop these kind of lads from ruining clubs. I’ll give you Galway United. Run by local business men who were raking it in during the boom times and left when it went sour.
GAA ruined it for us! Imaging where we could have been if we had no armature shite like that
Did you ever notice how plonkers like that are usually also illiterate?
Anyone remember Thurles town
Delaneys salary is 4 times higher than the prize money for League of Ireland.
So John Delaneys basic salary is 4 times what the league winners receive God knows what he puts on his FAI credit card.This guy is so overpaid it makes my blood boil.
Seriously how is the league meant to develop when that cretin gets paid over four times what the winner gets. You should see the prize money on offer to each club, it is absolute pittance, so of course there are going to money issues. Delaneys legacy of the Irish football league in the last decade has seen Kildare County, Kilkenny, Dublin City, Sporting Fingal, Monaghan, Galway and Cobh all go under and Cork City, Shelbourne and Derry City relegated because they nearly went under. Add in Shamrock Rovers, Drogheda, Bohemians and Dundalk amongst others that have had serious financial difficulties and you realise how precarious life is as a senior football club in Ireland.
Obviously some of these problems have being the fault of the clubs only but the FAI just do not seem to care, and have let clubs go under without saying a word. Compare this to when there were problems with Portsmouth, and the reactions of the FA to the crisis and you really understand how pathetic the FAI are in their dealings with their national league. This is Delaney’s legacy of senior football in our country. It was sickening to watch that interview last night, we are at our lowest world rankings ever and our last campaign was our most abysmal I can ever remember yet the way Tubridy and Delaney were acting you would swear Irish football is in a great place. Here’s hoping Roy and Martin can turn it around but with Delaney in charge the Irish league is never going to develop.
Couldn’t of put it better myself.
MarkMurph1 – That a lazy attitude.
They’re lots of countries with a similar population to Ireland that have allot more professional sports to contend with be-it netball, basketball, winter sports, etc & still manage to have clubs participating in the europa & chapions league.
In essence their are only 3 professional clubs in Irl Leinster, Munster, connacth & to a certain extant ulster!
Snug-clown who hasn’t the balls to sign in his own name!! What about the teams that have gone in to receivership? The league is not their mammy and daddy!! They have a responsibility to run themselves properly and with proper financial planning behind whatever they do!! Blame the FAI on clubs going bankrupt?? That’s rich!! Even if the prize money was more than 100k do remember only one team can win it!! So then the bottom clubs get nothing and still go into receivership? You are an absolute clown!! So why not do everyone a favour and let the adults speak little boy!!
In fairness, he comes across as a genuinely nice fella and people who have met and interacted with him have said the same.. But there is no justification for the mans salary and some of the decisions he has made as chief of the FAI.. What I will say though, he and the association (with the helping hand of a certain fella) have delivered this time round with what I hope turns out to be a quality management setup for our senior side!
Keane was dead right about Saipan, not sure if he did the right thing though
prepared to be corrected on this , but I think he wanted to retract and Mick wouldn’t let him back …
I have the height of respect for both men by the way ; true warriors ; they were bound to fall out ; shame it was just before we had the best chance of ever winning a world cup …. and if you don’t believe me look at Roy Keane in the semi-final of the champions league .
He would have killed Spain in the last sixteen and then the rest would have just went home !
I think Keane regrets Saipan deep down. He knows he blew a once in a lifetime chance there by going home. Plus he could easily have apologised to the squad and gone back out but he was too stubborn. I reckon if he has his time all over again he would have done it differently.
but I thought he did look to get back and they said no that the paperwork was done the replacement was called in ……
It was more confusing than the seanad abolition at the time….
Come of it, we were never going to win that World Cup
Keano,keano, keano! Can’t stand Delaney, my skin crawls when I see or hear him uggh!
Roy Keane is now a parody, he has become what he hated so much in football a has been who rolls around the media circus and is always ready to drop a quote to the same media he despised when he was younger. I wonder also is this managerial selection a plot by Dermot Desmond to give his today fm gift grub team enough ideas for the next 30 years ?
wow ; well done Mr. Delaney , you have gone up in my estimation …
not that my estimation counts for a hill of beans but fair play !
To be honest dermot. Even the wife said earlier, “you hate john delaney” but this quote made me view him in a different light. But his wages are massively still too high.
I am exactly with you on that Leslie …… in every sense !
Shall we question Sepp Blatter and go into bungs? ……….. Nah , to hell with it John Delaney is Irish and most of us would jump at 400,000 ; wouldn’t myself personally but there you have it !
Of course we’d love that money. But don’t be putting him too far from blatter
Minions ; still tonight he is good, so …………….vive la diifference !
Keano is gonna get ya John lol
John Delaney – who?
ROY KEANE = LEGEND!
….end of discussion….
Legend is his own lunch time.
anyone that questions Roy keane as a sportsman or a man is braver than that misguided idiot who thought he could insult Zinedine Zidanes mother just because the world was watching ; we know how that happened ; Zidane walked off the pitch as the greatest man to ever play football in a world cup final !
Respect your right to type it though !
Hi Dermot!
Well, I’ll always question Keane as a man because he turned his back on his team. Whatever about the timing of when he did it, or if you think he was pushed out – fact is Roy Keane decided that Roy Keane would not play for Ireland in the 2002 World Cup. Nobody else made that decision. For that reason I’ll never respect him as a man.
To compare Keane to Zidane is gas. Zidane is known worldwide to have been one of the best ever players, while Keane is well known (and not exactly universally loved) just in Ireland and the UK – the rest of the world doesn’t care about Roy Keane.
Still hope the new Irish management brings the best out of this team though.
@Roy
1999 juventus vs United – a very young Roy Keane played zidane and Davids off the pitch, the golf in class between them isnt as big as you suggest.
I was only 5 years old do I didn’t watch it live but I watched lots of documentaries about it on YouTube. Im an arsenal fan and Keane isnt exactly loved by us but even we can see he was a world class player, probably best ever to play for Ireland
Get real Dermot!! Keane v Zidane? You on drugs? Zidane I do love but in no way is he better than Maradona!! Really…. You were having a laugh right?? Right??
That’s the worst bullsh*t comment I’ve seen in a long long time, what happened at Saipan was simple, McCarthy and a click of the senior players were delighted that they got to one more major tournament, keane got them there and that was enough they felt they didn’t need him anymore, his performances against Portugal and holland were the best Ireland will ever see, so they were happy wit ther lot and jealousy of keanes success was a lot to do wit accusing him of faking injury and signalling him out as an individual? Keane being the warrior he is wouldn’t lie down and they got there way, he had a change of heart and he was told too late?? Ppl come on giving out about Roy then, ppl who don’t really understand football and have an ignorance about there attitude, keano was the best in the world at his job, a general on the field, minding his back four as well as driving the team forward, chipping in wit plenty of importand goals hard tackling, had the boldness to go in to the backyard of European giants like juve inter barca bayern and hurt them, scholes giggs beckham Neville’s and more relied on keanes unbelievable drive and belief and he is known worldwide and many top European managers and players have pointed him out as the player they wud like to have in there team, juve in 1999 was probably his finest hour or holland in 2001, Irish ppl are so bitter about keane, most of them anti-united, well keanes is Ireland’s most successful player and will never be surpassed
PAF – I’m not denying Keane was a fantastic player, he was brilliant at what he did, the best in the world in his day. I just don’t think he was in the same league as Zidane.
For me it’ll always come back to this: Who decided Roy Keane wasn’t gonna play that World Cup? If your answer isn’t Roy Keane, I think you’re wrong.
What makes you think I’m ignorant about football? Because my opinion opposes yours? Nah I’m not that ignorant to be honest and im sure you’re not either.
Materazzi didn’t seem misguided? He intended to get Zidane sent off which he achieved.
Well said PAF, well said..
Whatever you think of Keane, the fact is he was SENT home from Saipan: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/team_pages/rep_of_ireland/newsid_2003000/2003681.stm
Wasn’t Delaney just the treasurer of the FAI during Saipan? What business would he had ringing Keane during the whole thing?
Who was the CEO in 2002? My understanding is that Delaney was acting as ‘front of house’… There’s a gap between Bernard O’Byrne stepping down (2001) and Fran Rooney stepping up (2003) that I cannot figure out.
I want an Irish team to go to a European championships and do a Denmark ; have a really good time , play a few games of football and then see what happens !
I also want 10 Roy Keanes on the team so my ultimate combination of soccer dreams can never happen……. woe is me for me dreaming !
Roy Keane against Portugal in Landsdowne Road ; had the pleasure of treating my eyes to that one live ! Never any greater commitment; unquestionable and talent sublime.
Anyone but into the theory that Alex Ferguson destroyed POTENTIALLY one of Ireland’s greatest ever attacking midfielders by giving Roy the defensive mid-field role ; He was awesome at Forest when given the run of the pitch by Clough !
there are 2 options witht he theory above yes one can but into it or they can if they wish buy into it ….for a free fee !
Eh dermot. Keane only scored 22 in 114 for Forest. And the reason he played deeper at united from 95? Paul scholes. Only one of the most ingenious attacking midfielders in the history of world football. Could scholes have played deep? No. So it had to be keane.
He does seem like a likeable person. Whatever happens, it would appear that the overly generous salaries of the Celtic tiger period have yet to be dealt with. The fans have taken a big hit. It’s time the executives did too.
Did you see that the Bondholders have upped their interest in Iris sport they told Enda and co. to up the rates on Landsdowne Road ! extra million or something ….
Try as I might, I can’t decipher your response.
Oh yeah blame enda and the bondholders. It’s all their fault.
Alot more than an extra million, over 500% rates increase according to the sindo… Jeez if we thought they were broke before they are screwed now… Wonder if DOB will pick up the tab for that too?
…what?
*probably
In fairness to John Delaney you could be quite sure that Keane would’ve told Delaney to &%#^ himself & hung up if he had rang him.
That sap is on 400’000 a year…..
So what? It’s a business and profitable!! Not his fault we have a lack of talent!! Football is cyclical!!
David what are you on about? The FAI are haemorrhaging money year after year and need Denis o Brien to help pay the wages. Cop on to yourself.
It’s profitable you fool!! Look at its p&l for FY11/12!! Don’t speak before you know what the hell you are on about you twit!!
I know you….don,t I
That’s right David profitable if you count the contribution that Denis O’Brien has made and that they are only paying interest on debt owing to their main bankers Danske.
In other words, profitable but not profitable enough and relying on the support of their banker.
In case you think I’m supporting your view David.. I’m not…
Have a look at the accounts again – https://www.fai.ie/images/FAI_AR_2012.pdf
Correct the FAI recorded a small surplus of 25k after handing out grant monies etc. The balance sheet tells a different story. The FAI actually has no cash on the Balance Sheet, if wound up in the morning would not be able to meet its short term liabilities and INCREASED its long term indebtedness during the year! The financial statements of the FAI are in rag order.
The Irish Times also provides a nice synopsis – http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2020-vision-makes-fai-figures-look-all-the-more-daunting-1.1454757
I read elsewhere that the FAI have been paying interest only on debt since 2010 – http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/ireland/article1329962.ece
All the while, John Delaney is on massive bucks whilst presiding over the scariest looking balance sheet I’ve seen in a long time. It’s a national embarrassment.
That guy gets paid more than both the head of the Spanish FA and the Italian FA combined, and you think that’s justifiable? There are kids all around the country getting changed on the side of a pitch in the pissing rain with no showers or toilets because of lack of funding from the FAI..Cop on to yourself!
David…anybody seen or heard from David?hes gone quiet for some reason
Oh and I forgot about this gem… http://www.independent.ie/sport/uefa-give-fai-advanced-payment-to-help-with-aviva-stadium-debt-29331829.html
The IRFU must be pulling their hair out however it’s not as if they don’t have their own problems (http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/irfus-ticket-sales-26m-below-target-29435047.html). They appear to be acting more prudent however.
Mind if the worst case scenario comes to pass (i.e Default), what’s half a stadium worth on ground owned by the IRFU? The hilarious thing is that it could actually play in the FAI’s favour.
What’s the difference between Denis O and a sponsorship? Nothing. So the books are profitable!! Yes ?? Yes!!
Easy knowing you haven’t a clue how to read a set of company accounts.
I struggle to put into words the hatred I have for this man, gets paid more than the head of the Italian FA & the head of the Spanish FA & Ireland has one of the poorest leagues in Europe. How he can he justify his wage is beyond me.
i would do that job for €419,000
The League of Ireland should be re-invented with just ten teams, Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Galway, Athlone, Dundalk, Sligo, Derry and two Dublin teams and the involvement in European competitions that would come with them..
Organise the amateur leagues around them as feeders rather being in competition with them.
Develop further the Under 19 competitions, to give decent players a showcase.
Make deeper links with continental clubs to improve their skills, dumping them into the lower levels of the premiership, never mind the rubbish level of championship and Scottish football destroys good players.
So two of Bohs, Shels, Pats, Rovers and Ucd would always be in a lower league. Genius. Unbelievable.
Roy Keane should tog out himself and leave that other Keane lad sitting on the sideline..Or throw in Bernard Brogan for the Latvia Game to give him a run..
If Roy was right about you Sapian ( which i believe he was) but if you u believe that all ur credibility is gone which questions why are you still in ur job?
He’s a very slimy creature altogether, one of Ireland’s biggest “yes men”, he’d sell his own mother down the river
It’s soccer a sport for brain dead idiots
Football*
Y U NO SPIK INGLES!
He never cheats he never lies
John delaney hes a lovely guy
The FAI are like the MaFFia ,when bertie was in comand.
Refreshing to see someone being paid a lot of money to do f##k all admitting he is a tool.
The FAI is a shambles. John Delaney earning €430, 000 , and for what exactly? ?? Better investing that money in the clubs around the country to benefit youngsters who play football. If we want an Irish team to advance in the future there needs to be more emphasis on club level soccer & not on the wages of management.
You can appoint whoever you want to manage Ireland, but at the end of the day it’s the players that win the matches and Ireland just doesn’t have the players
They have some good players, and if the new management builds a system around those players then who knows, maybe they’ll be a decent team.
Trapattoni had one system in mind and forced it, hoping the players would be good enough. Didn’t work, and that’s why we are where we are now.
I’m excited for the next few games. We have everybody riiiiiiiiiiight where we want them. We’ll come good yet. All goin to heaven lads waaaaaaayy
It’s all getting a bit too much for me.
The man is a parasite, he has more interest in lining his pockets than improving Irish football. The national team and domestic league will never get better as long as he’s in charge.
I’m delighted with the new Management team but I feel for Mick McCarthy – I reckon he feels very betrayed
Love him or hate him. It takes a lot to admit you are wrong , unlike that egotistical butch in the revenue.
It suits him to admit he was ‘wrong’… Delaney would have never given Roy the mgrs job. Even so, it must have been a fair kick in the teeth when he heard his main man wanted to bring in Roy as assistant…
I agree he is overpaid but the league of Ireland is a weak excuse. The support and interest just isn’t there and never will be with the level we need when you have the premiership across the pond and when it’s on all TV stations. Don’t believe the media all the time as it might surprise you John Delaney is the most successful CEO in their history.