EP Sox Fan said:
What do you think is going to happen to Michael Bradley over the next six months? How bad is the decline going to be?
Yanks Abroad 2013-14: On The Road Again
- Thread starter Titans Bastard
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What do you think is going to happen to Michael Bradley over the next six months? How bad is the decline going to be?
dirtynine said:
Probably not. If Toronto has invested anything close to what's being reported in Bradley, why would they risk injury like that?
In any case, Bradley isn't going to be twiddling his thumbs entirely. MLS preseason training camps open very soon.
Zero chance he gets loaned out, but I don't think him taking a break right now is really a bad thing.
David Beckham and Clint Dempsey both stumbled out of the gate in their MLS careers in part because they joined in the middle of the MLS season (their normal offseason) and were hampered a bit by injuries while trying to get adjusted. Bradley has the advantage of having a bit of rest, and then a full preseason with Toronto, who can base their tactics around him, Jermain Defoe, and their other signing Gilberto.
In a World Cup year that rest will be beneficial. European players playing at the end of a long season at the World Cup are at a disadvantage due to simple fatigue; it's why they call the World Cup a "young man's tournament." He'll be three months into his season and thus in mid-season form for the start of the World Cup playing in MLS.
David Beckham and Clint Dempsey both stumbled out of the gate in their MLS careers in part because they joined in the middle of the MLS season (their normal offseason) and were hampered a bit by injuries while trying to get adjusted. Bradley has the advantage of having a bit of rest, and then a full preseason with Toronto, who can base their tactics around him, Jermain Defoe, and their other signing Gilberto.
In a World Cup year that rest will be beneficial. European players playing at the end of a long season at the World Cup are at a disadvantage due to simple fatigue; it's why they call the World Cup a "young man's tournament." He'll be three months into his season and thus in mid-season form for the start of the World Cup playing in MLS.
I don't know that the decline is going to be severe. MLS is not close to Serie A. Even if Bradley is not playing regular minutes, he's still training with Roma. There sitting behind Juve. That's a solid team and I am 100% positive that the training is more intensive than whatever he's going to see in Toronto FC. I think Bradley is the most important player on the USMNT. The difference I perceive in the level of training means that Bradley won't be as sharp as he could be in the World Cup. Given the US draw, they really don't have much margin for error.Titans Bastard said:
I really hope that Bradley and Dempsey prove me wrong and that their game is as sharp as it would be of they had stayed in Eurpoe.
Bailey10 said:
In the specific cases of Bradley and Dempsey, I agree that on the margin they'd be better off on the field in a top Euro league. But I think whatever negative effects the move to MLS may have are slight and are being overstated by most. Especially because we are talking about two of the hardest-working, motivated American players out there.
More broadly, the USMNT has benefited massively from MLS and that continues to be the case.
I disagree because the level of competition is so different. There's a "major leagues" in soccer and MLS ain't it; forgoing the opportunity to compete against the very best players in the world to be a "hard working, motivated" player in a minor league is disheartening. It is a step backward for the player and for the USMNT, who no longer have a player competing in the top tier of Serie A, against world-class competition. At best, this move allows Michael Bradley to play 90 minutes against other US team members and foreign players not good enough to play in Europe (anymore), making him (or Dempsey) the "best player in the league" and the biggest fish in a small pond. Instead of constantly testing himself against top competition and working alongside "hard working and motivated" international quality players - improve or die. Now, there's no pressure to be better - heck, he IS better than 99.9% of the MLS players he'll be "competing" against.
This sucks and it stinks and it sucks. And it is unquestionably the fault of the people at USA Soccer who are putting their desire to grow the domestic league above the best interests of its current best player and its national team program. The goal for MLS is to SEND players to Europe, where they will compete against the best, not bring them FROM Europe to sell a few more tickets, prop up a shitty expansion franchise and harm the career of the best player on the national team. MLS will probably never provide the quality of competition present in Serie A (let alone England or Germany or the top tier of France/Spain) - it certainly won't in my lifetime.
This is dumb and I hate it and I respect Michael Bradley a little less for taking the money and the "big fish" over the opportunity to grow as a player and test himself against the best possible competition and fight for a spot on a better team in a better league.
EDIT: And if MLS tries to get Altidore to leave Sunderland for Salt Lake or whatever, I'm gonna burn the building down.
This sucks and it stinks and it sucks. And it is unquestionably the fault of the people at USA Soccer who are putting their desire to grow the domestic league above the best interests of its current best player and its national team program. The goal for MLS is to SEND players to Europe, where they will compete against the best, not bring them FROM Europe to sell a few more tickets, prop up a shitty expansion franchise and harm the career of the best player on the national team. MLS will probably never provide the quality of competition present in Serie A (let alone England or Germany or the top tier of France/Spain) - it certainly won't in my lifetime.
This is dumb and I hate it and I respect Michael Bradley a little less for taking the money and the "big fish" over the opportunity to grow as a player and test himself against the best possible competition and fight for a spot on a better team in a better league.
EDIT: And if MLS tries to get Altidore to leave Sunderland for Salt Lake or whatever, I'm gonna burn the building down.
soxfan121 said:
I agree with this in general. The only extent to which I disagree is a matter of degree. MLS is unquestionably weaker than the big Euro leagues. But if Dempsey's performances in 2013 are anything to go by, the league will require Bradley to do more than just go on autopilot.
soxfan121 said:
What do the people at US Soccer have to do with this? Why is it always assumed that MLS is strictly an arm of the USMNT and that the interests of MLS and the USMNT are exactly aligned?
In my view, this is less about the powers that be in US Soccer and more about Toronto. Toronto has an enormous latent fan base that they've messed up because they've sucked for their first seven years of existence. Now they've hired Tim Leiweke in the front office, the guy who brought Beckham to LA, and they're making some moves to rejuvenate their franchise. Toronto is a huge metro area and we've gotten a glimpse of the kind of support they are capable of garnering. They need to make some drastic moves and they are stepping up to the plate.
Titans Bastard said:
People tend to drastically overrate the benefits of training with good teams (vs. playing with anyone) and somewhat overrate the benefits of playing in a better league.
To soxfan's comment, you'd be crazy to be upset about MLS trying to get Altidore out of Sunderland. That situation is terrible for him. He needs to fire whoever has been picking his EPL teams for him.
I think the negative effect of a few months in MLS is being oversated, and is probably preferable to the situation of other countries' internationals who will be playing twice a week in top leagues and uefa all spring. Barring injury, he'll at least be relatively fresh.
But it certainly is less than ideal. Regular playing time on a mid to bottom table team in one of the top leagues is probably ideal for guys like him. Facing good competition and less uncertainty about playing time.
But it certainly is less than ideal. Regular playing time on a mid to bottom table team in one of the top leagues is probably ideal for guys like him. Facing good competition and less uncertainty about playing time.
As I read more articles about the way American players are required to prove themselves over and over in Europe(Bradley,Dempsey)I can see why American players choose security and a big increase in pay over the perceived value of playing in Europe.
Bradley was making $1.1 million and paying Italian taxes. He goes to Toronto and makes around $6+ million, has opportunities for endorsements, and he has better job security. I don't blame the players at all.
It looks like Bradley had interest from other teams in Europe but Roma put such a high price on the transfer that the only team willing to pay was Toronto. If European teams won't bid on American players unless they are paid minimal salaries is that really a benefit for American soccer? If they only pay you 10% of what other players are making it is easy to bury you on the bench.
Some ideas that I am throwing against the wall
Maybe the way to get American players noticed is to get rid of parity in the MLS. 2 or 3 superteams that win international tournaments with the best players playing together year around.
Approach friendlies in a serious and take no prisoners manner and be willing to play anyone, anywhere.
We should support our players abroad with a national program of legal and physical support. Any player who is appoached by a foreign team can call the best agent and lawyer available to leverage the best contract. We should have scouts in every country identifying opportunities for American players as well as promising foreign players that we can convince to "try America".
Make a super League with the best 12 teams from Canada/USA/Mexico/Central America. Apply the promotion/relegation system to this league.
The best way, of course, is to win significant games in the World Cup.
Bradley was making $1.1 million and paying Italian taxes. He goes to Toronto and makes around $6+ million, has opportunities for endorsements, and he has better job security. I don't blame the players at all.
It looks like Bradley had interest from other teams in Europe but Roma put such a high price on the transfer that the only team willing to pay was Toronto. If European teams won't bid on American players unless they are paid minimal salaries is that really a benefit for American soccer? If they only pay you 10% of what other players are making it is easy to bury you on the bench.
Some ideas that I am throwing against the wall
Maybe the way to get American players noticed is to get rid of parity in the MLS. 2 or 3 superteams that win international tournaments with the best players playing together year around.
Approach friendlies in a serious and take no prisoners manner and be willing to play anyone, anywhere.
We should support our players abroad with a national program of legal and physical support. Any player who is appoached by a foreign team can call the best agent and lawyer available to leverage the best contract. We should have scouts in every country identifying opportunities for American players as well as promising foreign players that we can convince to "try America".
Make a super League with the best 12 teams from Canada/USA/Mexico/Central America. Apply the promotion/relegation system to this league.
The best way, of course, is to win significant games in the World Cup.
Titans Bastard said:
Why do people think that USSF and MLS should simply aspire to be defacto feeder systems for UEFA?
Section30 said:
One of the major problems with exporting American players to Europe en masse is that Americans face structural disadvantages that the vast majority of their competition for places can ignore. I'm not even talking about biases against American soccer or that sort of thing -- I'm sure it still exists in milder forms in pockets around the continent, but whereas it was a legitimate issue 15-20 years ago, it's not a major factor now.
What I'm talking about are foreign player quotas in the major leagues. Here's what we're up against. For the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to talk about "EU players". By this, I mean players from common European labor market countries which includes non-EU members like Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Iceland and may exclude some players from recent EU entries.
England: Non-EU players need a work permit. You can only get a work permit if you are a regular NT player or if you pass the poorly-defined "special talent" clause.
Netherlands: Non-EU players are subject to a salary floor of (I believe) €500k. Smaller Eredivisie clubs can't even afford this.
Spain, Italy, France: Limit on number of non-EU players that you can register. Italy's rules are a little more complex, but the upshot is that there just aren't many non-EU players allowed.
Germany has few restrictions, but they also have productive academies flooding the market with solid and affordable players. They also tend to be run with more financial responsibility and won't spend much on the transfer market if they can find equivalent talents domestically on frees or for cheap.
Belgium & Scandinavia have very few restrictions, but the league quality isn't a step up and neither is the pay, for the most part. There are exceptions like Anderlecht and Copenhagen, but the quality in the Belgian league, for example, peters out quickly as you descend the table.
Portugal is basically three rich clubs and a bunch of broke-ass teams with no fans. Not much money or great competition outside the big three.
African players have an advantage in France and Spain, where they are counted as domestic players thanks to various agreements like Cotonou. Latin American players often have an easy road to citizenship in Spain, which makes it easy for Spanish clubs to establish a pipeline. Same for Brazilians in Portugal, I believe. (Vinho will correct me if I'm wrong!)
North Americans and Asians don't have advantages anywhere. Why is Bedoya the only American in Ligue 1? Well, you don't just have to be good enough for Ligue 1 if you are an American. The club must have confidence that the opportunity cost of signing an American to fill a precious non-EU slot is a worthwhile decision.
It's a tough world out there. There are always going to be Americans who chase the dream in Europe. But the structural advantages are such that this is always going to be a limited number. Guys like Kyle Beckerman and Graham Zusi are good enough to contribute in a good league, but they aren't good enough that clubs are going to fall over themselves or pay a big transfer fee to sign them. Whether they go abroad or not really just depends on being in the right place at the right time. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.
As such, there are always going to be some pretty solid American players in MLS. Rather than trying to turn MLS into an export factory (which is swimming against a legal/quota tide), why not make MLS a worthy destination for American players? Right now Bradley and Dempsey are overqualified, no doubt, but a message has been sent.
Titans Bastard said:
I think the best way to make MLS a worthy destination is for the league to keep expanding, and split into two division with promotion/relegation. The top division will be a very solid league, one that would help USMNTers to stay sharp, and the second division would be a great place for development. They could easily have the playoffs include teams from each division, so everyone is still eligible for the MLS Cup.
Vinho Tinto said:
Because Japan's baseball teams and Europe's basketball teams and Russia/Europe's hockey leagues have had that system crammed down their throat? There's a "best league" in every sport. Top cricket players can get games in lots of places but they have to go to India or Pakistan to get "the best" games. To play among the best in baseball, a player has to play in MLB - Yu Darvish, Ichiro, etc.. Tony Parker & Pau Gasol had to come to America to play with the best in hoops. Why shouldn't Americans who aspire to be the best have to go somewhere else to play - "somewhere else" probably has a better culture for soccer, with more knowledgable fans and more challenges for playing time and improvement.
MLS has money - what it doesn't have is enough of a talent base to be a top league. So, instead, you've got big (aging) fish like Henry or Beckham and now you've got in-their-prime US stars being PAID by a league that wants to buy its way to respectability. MLS's (revenue) growth targets require them to expand rapidly (two more teams coming!) when it's not entirely clear that such investment is wise or prudent. Overpaying Dempsey and Bradley is good for MLS ticket sales...and not much else. It's not best for the players - I don't even see that as being debatable (and based on the responses by TB and others, no one is even going to try). And MLS is ranked somewhere below the professional league in Holland, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and England, with arguably a few more I've missed. So by definition, it's a feeder league. Hell, there are BPL teams who can only aspire to being feeder teams for UEFA clubs. It's how the sport works. You don't get to jump the line because you can pay more (or Qatar's league would be better, right?)
The point about roster limits/requirements in Europe is a really good one. And maybe Bradley's options were stay on the bench at Roma OR go to Toronto. Of those two, playing time is important. But if there were other options? I'm disappointed. It shows a lack of ambition by the player and a dysfunctional, misguided marketing plan by MLS that hurts USA Soccer, the best players and the hopes that someday the USMNT can compete for a World Cup win.
soxfan121 said:
I really don't think that's how the people at MLS see their goals, to be honest. Like TB said, Don Garber and co. don't necessarily see themselves as a mechanism to develop players for either the USMNT or bigger European clubs. It certainly boosts MLS when the USMNT does well at the World Cup, but it boosts them a lot more when MLS players specifically perform well for the US at the World Cup. This is why Landon Donovan has become the poster child for American soccer over the last 15 years, by being a star in MLS as well as a star for the national team. It may seem like a pipe dream, but I do think the long-term goal of MLS is to compete with Premier LEague, Bundesliga, etc. as one of the top leagues in the world.
Two things I haven't seen mentioned yet: MLS's TV deal with NBC expires after this season, and there are already reports that NBC is out for 2015, and Fox Soccer is back in. This will presumably bring a lot of new revenue into the league. In turn, the CBA between the players and the league also expires after the 2014 season- a better TV deal will allow MLS to increase player salaries, which will attract better talent to the league, whether that talent comes domestically or abroad. Bradley and Dempsey provide the "splash" that brings attention the league right as it is ready to take another step forward in its overall growth.
soxfan121 said:
The difference is that MLS represents the US and Canada which is a huge population with a ton of money. There's incredible growth potential. The EuroBasket leagues, the NPB, the KHL are all in permanent feeder status because they are competing against....the US and Canada.
It makes sense to gear yourself towards being a great feeder league when you have pushed up against the boundaries set by demographics. In the US, I think we're capable of more.
soxfan121 said:
I think for a player of Bradley's stature and quality, there were definitely other options. I'm sure none of them were as lucrative as the Toronto offer. Greg Seltzer, who is basically an agent mouthpiece so you have to take what he writes with a grain of salt, was reporting that Sunderland, PSV, Bologna, Hellas Verona, Schalke, Werder Bremen, and Wolfsburg were in the hunt to some extent. I've heard Fulham and Bayer Leverkusen elsewhere. It's highly likely that some of that "interest" from clubs was trumped up or entirely fabricated -- we all know the tabloids -- but there are definitely a lot of takers for Michael Bradley out there.
Anecdotally, it seems to me that clubs are more willing to sign or take risks with American players once they are already in Europe. It's getting in the door that's the real administrative PITA.
soxfan121 said:
Well soccer is much different than most other sports in that there's no far and away superior league where the majority of the best players play. There are three, with a few more not THAT far behind. It's not completely out of the question that MLS could turn into a top 6 league in the world in the next 10-15 years which would make it a legitimate place for USMNT guys to play competitively against some of the better players in the world. But it does have a long way to go.
Titans Bastard said:
1. I agree with your summation of the situation - I just completely disagree about whether the US is actually capable of more. I don't believe - unlike baseball, basketball and hockey - that the US has the potential to add soccer as a major sporting interest for fans. It is, depending on your metric of choice, 6th or below in the current pecking order and it might stand a small chance of topping the NHL, given how poorly managed that league is and the geographical constraints placed on it for future growth.
Soccer will never (in our lifetime) become the most popular or the second most popular or even the third most popular spectator sport. There is a finite amount of revenue available and MLS can barely crack into that already thickly-settled market. There may be a time where MLS is the best place for in-their-prime US soccer players to ply their trade. That is not now. So, while the idea that the US is "capable of more" is worth pursuing, it also must be acknowledged that it is not up-to-snuff today and it will not be in the next several years. There will be better, richer, more challenging competition to be found elsewhere. To be trite, if you want to be the best, you have to play the best.
2. This trend of USMNT "stars" leaving Europe for MLS will not help future players get in the PITA door. It will serve to discourage that door from opening, knowing that investing in a young player from the US's development will mean that MLS will swoop in with mega-bucks when the player is ready to play at the high level of Europe. With those roster slots so rigidly ascribed, the US player's road just got harder. European teams now have even less incentive to take on an American. In this way, MLS has become a sort-of KHL, poaching "stars" from the big league and overpaying them to come home. I suppose if Ilya Kovalchuk is the star of the Olympics, it lessens this argument, but if he sucks at the tournament, it's a data point about great players leaving "the best" league to play against lesser competition and it hurting the national team.
soxfan121 said:
While I share your view of the Bradley situation and don't really disagree with much here, its worth noting that the American sports market is so insanely large compared to Europe that, even were MLS to just achieve parity with the NHL, it would have total revenues roughly approximating Ligue 1 or Serie A and not too far off the Bundesliga or La Liga. Combined annual revenues for NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL top $20 billion by most estimates. In comparison, the Premier League is a little less than $4 billion and the other big European leagues are in the $1.5-$3B range.
Can MLS become as big as the NHL? That I don't really know. But it doesn't have to rise higher than 4th in the pecking order of American professional sports for it to have the financial heft to be one of the upper echelon leagues in the world.
MLS would surely face some other constraints - ie, not being in Europe - as a player destination but its not totally farfetched that it could eventually have the financial resources to attract a pretty good player pool.
soxfan121 said:
From a euro club perspective, that's a good thing, especially clubs in non-elite leagues like Belgium or Holland. Sign and develop a young American player, then receive a profit via transfer fee when you transfer him to MLS. If MLS becomes a buying league, that should help Americans get more play in Europe
I'm not up on international hockey transfers: do KHL teams pay transfer fees? If not, it's all about the big contract to attract stars with no benefit to the NHL clubs.
I think MLS can come close to catching up to NHL in the US but probably not in North America. NHL just signed a TV deal with Rogers for $433m/yr, that's more than double what they get from NBC ($200m), from a country that is 10% the size of the US.
NBC's expiring deal with MLS is only like $27m, but MLS national ratings are about 50-60% NHL ratings. How much could they ask for, $100m? That would be a pretty big bump. FOX is paying UFC $100m for coverage on 4 networks.
NBC's expiring deal with MLS is only like $27m, but MLS national ratings are about 50-60% NHL ratings. How much could they ask for, $100m? That would be a pretty big bump. FOX is paying UFC $100m for coverage on 4 networks.
Titans Bastard said:
I can't recall any foreign player being denied citizenship in Portugal. I also cannot name one foreign player that has had to go through the bureaucratic hoops that Kasey Keller and Brad Friedel had to in order to play in the UK.
The thing I dislike about this is Bradley's age. He's at his absolute peak age as a footballer, and should be playing against the best in the world for the next few years if possible. Dempsey was past peak when he came back. Donovan, even when he went to Everton and didn't stay, was probably just past peak. If Bradley comes back to MLS in even two years, I can get behind it. But not now.
Also, I've always hoped that because of its melting pot makeup, the US would actually start to send national-team caliber players everywhere around the world. Many in MLS, sure; a bunch of the best in Europe. But also US nationals playing in Mexico & Latin America, Brazil and other South American leagues, Australia, Japan.... aside from Brazilians, who can probably be found in every league in the solar system, I don't know of another country that routinely does this. But I think that rather than concentrating talent in one domestic league, the converse - having the team be dispersed throughout the globe, absorbing all kinds of varied styles - would actually be amazing for the USMNT's development.
Also, I've always hoped that because of its melting pot makeup, the US would actually start to send national-team caliber players everywhere around the world. Many in MLS, sure; a bunch of the best in Europe. But also US nationals playing in Mexico & Latin America, Brazil and other South American leagues, Australia, Japan.... aside from Brazilians, who can probably be found in every league in the solar system, I don't know of another country that routinely does this. But I think that rather than concentrating talent in one domestic league, the converse - having the team be dispersed throughout the globe, absorbing all kinds of varied styles - would actually be amazing for the USMNT's development.
It looks like another (increasingly fringe) NTer is coming home: Columbus are rumored to be acquiring the rights to Michael Parkhurst from the Revs. His move to Augsburg has been a complete bust and we already knew he was leaving the club because he didn't travel to the team's winter training camp. The only question is whether he'd go back to Denmark or back to MLS or something else along those lines. If true, he'll likely switch back from RB to CB, partnering with Josh Williams.
Taylor Twellman is now saying Maurice Edu is negotiating a return to MLS as well. Edu's career has stalled badly with Stoke, but he was a quality player with Rangers and a move back to MLS could be the jump start he needs. It probably won't be enough to get him on the plane to Brazil, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's what he's thinking. He's still only 27.
On a different note, Twellman is suddenly killing it this transfer window in breaking news. He broke the Bradley and Parkhurst stories above, and now potentially Edu's move.
On a different note, Twellman is suddenly killing it this transfer window in breaking news. He broke the Bradley and Parkhurst stories above, and now potentially Edu's move.
On the (suddenly unusual) subject of Yanks Abroad actually staying abroad, a few moves lately:
* Juan Agudelo's contract with Stoke City wasn't voided when he was denied a UK work permit. Stoke is looking to loan him to a club in Belgium or the Netherlands.
* Oguchi Onyewu's short-term contract with QPR has expired. He has signed a new six-month deal with Sheffield Wednesday in short order.
* Andrew Wooten has gone on loan to FSV Frankfurt after not playing much at Kaiserslautern
* Juan Agudelo's contract with Stoke City wasn't voided when he was denied a UK work permit. Stoke is looking to loan him to a club in Belgium or the Netherlands.
* Oguchi Onyewu's short-term contract with QPR has expired. He has signed a new six-month deal with Sheffield Wednesday in short order.
* Andrew Wooten has gone on loan to FSV Frankfurt after not playing much at Kaiserslautern
Wednesday was unable to sign Roger Johnson to a loan extension and he ended up at West Ham, so I think Gooch has a decent chance at getting some burn.
Wednesday fans are excited about having another American- they loved Harkes and Simek, and even enjoyed Stu Holden's brief run last year too.
Wednesday fans are excited about having another American- they loved Harkes and Simek, and even enjoyed Stu Holden's brief run last year too.
Dummy Hoy said:
It's a shame what happened to Simek. For a while, he looked like one of the best RBs in the Championship. The injuries transformed him into a mediocre League One player at Carlisle and now he's been out of contract since June. He trialed for a desperate D.C. United and it didn't work out. He's 29 now, and might be done.
Agudelo will be going on loan to FC Utrecht for the rest of the season and then re-applying for a work permit in the summer. He'll need to produce if he's going to change the minds of those on the WP appeal board. Utrecht are 9th in the Eredivisie, but 13th in goals scored. No idea really what his competition is like at center forward, but at least it looks like the team could use an offensive boost in the general sense.
According to Carlton Palmer on Sheffield Radio, Gooch had a pretty rough first half, looking out of position and out of synch. He did assist on the equalizer just before half with a header off a corner that was finished by Chris Macguire. He had a much better 2nd half (as did the entire squad), but looked pretty beat by the end. Once he's more match fit, he should be a quality defender in the second division.
* Jermaine Jones has signed for Beşiktaş. Jones fell out (again) at Schalke and since he's already on high wages, it was always going to be a challenge to find a taker in Germany. Turkey makes sense as a landing spot.
* Former Duke / US U-20 defender Sebastien Ibeagha signed for Horsens in Denmark. He's a Houston academy product and the Dynamo have been trying to get him to go pro for years, but he was insistent on going to Europe. Horsens are in the Danish second tier, a clear step down from MLS, so we'll see. At least he should get tons of playing time right off the bat.
* Former LA Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens is going on trial with Stabæk. He probably won't be the only American that Bob Bradley will try to sign on the cheap.
* Former Duke / US U-20 defender Sebastien Ibeagha signed for Horsens in Denmark. He's a Houston academy product and the Dynamo have been trying to get him to go pro for years, but he was insistent on going to Europe. Horsens are in the Danish second tier, a clear step down from MLS, so we'll see. At least he should get tons of playing time right off the bat.
* Former LA Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens is going on trial with Stabæk. He probably won't be the only American that Bob Bradley will try to sign on the cheap.
Fabian Johnson is going to leave Hoffenheim after the season.
http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1706606/us-international-fabian-johnson-leave-hoffenheim-borussia-moenchengladbach-linked?cc=5901
It looks like he could move to Monchengladbach, which would be a step up and potentially allow him to play in champions league next season.
http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1706606/us-international-fabian-johnson-leave-hoffenheim-borussia-moenchengladbach-linked?cc=5901
It looks like he could move to Monchengladbach, which would be a step up and potentially allow him to play in champions league next season.
Timmy Chandler injured.
http://www.ksta.de/sport/ginczek-und-chandler-fallen-mit-knieverletzungen-aus,15189364,26131666.html
Injured his knee vs. Bayern, report says he is out 8-10 weeks.
http://www.ksta.de/sport/ginczek-und-chandler-fallen-mit-knieverletzungen-aus,15189364,26131666.html
Injured his knee vs. Bayern, report says he is out 8-10 weeks.
* Young winger Duane Holmes has gone on loan to Yeovil Town from Huddersfield Town. Holmes has looked like a skilled, speedy little sparkplug in small doses at Huddersfield, but the return to health of several others has reduced his playing time. Yeovil are the worst team in the Championship right now, so hopefully he'll get some full 90s against some quality competition. Holmes is progressing nicely. Huddersfield's manager seems to love him.
* Elsewhere in the Championship, Will Packwood has moved into Birmingham City's starting lineup after being recalled from his loan to Bristol Rovers. Packwood has bounced back well from a freak broken leg last year.
* Chivas USA has loaned Gabriel Farfan to Chiapas FC. It's weird to see Liga MX pick up all these unremarkable MLS players like the Farfan twins and Rafael Baca.
* Amando Moreno is the latest American to sign with Tijuana. He came through NYRB's academy and signed a pro deal in late 2012. But somehow, he was out of contract this winter and spurned NYRB to Tijuana. I don't blame him. The Red Bulls always sign tons of veterans and don't have a clear stepping stone or pathway between the academy and the first team. Moreno needs games and he's not going to get the quality or quantity of games he needs in the MLS reserve league. At 18, Moreno will probably join Tijuana's U-20 team for the time being.
NYRB has prospects coming out of their ears in their academy and really should pursue a USL Pro second team like LA has done. At least affiliate with an existing USL Pro, guys.
* Elsewhere in the Championship, Will Packwood has moved into Birmingham City's starting lineup after being recalled from his loan to Bristol Rovers. Packwood has bounced back well from a freak broken leg last year.
* Chivas USA has loaned Gabriel Farfan to Chiapas FC. It's weird to see Liga MX pick up all these unremarkable MLS players like the Farfan twins and Rafael Baca.
* Amando Moreno is the latest American to sign with Tijuana. He came through NYRB's academy and signed a pro deal in late 2012. But somehow, he was out of contract this winter and spurned NYRB to Tijuana. I don't blame him. The Red Bulls always sign tons of veterans and don't have a clear stepping stone or pathway between the academy and the first team. Moreno needs games and he's not going to get the quality or quantity of games he needs in the MLS reserve league. At 18, Moreno will probably join Tijuana's U-20 team for the time being.
NYRB has prospects coming out of their ears in their academy and really should pursue a USL Pro second team like LA has done. At least affiliate with an existing USL Pro, guys.
http://soccer.si.com/2014/02/22/usmnt-klinsmann-belief-michael-bradley-clint-dempsey/
Author mentions Klinsi saying not enough US boys in Europe leads to not enough US boys in CL (i mean, not any player in CL) and therefore you have a lack of quality...i think that sums it up, somehow..
Author mentions Klinsi saying not enough US boys in Europe leads to not enough US boys in CL (i mean, not any player in CL) and therefore you have a lack of quality...i think that sums it up, somehow..
Fabian Johnson to Borussia Mönchengladbach is official, through 2018.
Hopefully he doesn't get buried at Hoffenheim this spring, as often happens to those in Germany who are known to be leaving on a free transfer.
Hopefully he doesn't get buried at Hoffenheim this spring, as often happens to those in Germany who are known to be leaving on a free transfer.
Titans Bastard said:
I wouldn´t be scared about him being buried at Hoffenheim. They are fighting for relegation and need him.
I would be worried about him being buried on the bench when he joins Gladbach...It is a move that needs courage and i hope he makes the starting XI regularly.
https://twitter.com/OfficialBWFC/status/439417333338353665
In other news, Aron Johannsson & AZ Alkmaar advanced past Slovan Liberec in the Europa League, setting up a Round of 16 matchup against Anzhi Makhachkala. Johannsson is the last American left in Europe other than a handful of players who have a minimal chance of seeing the field -- Julian Green (Bayern), Brad Friedel (Tottenham), David Yelldell (Leverkusen)
In other news, Aron Johannsson & AZ Alkmaar advanced past Slovan Liberec in the Europa League, setting up a Round of 16 matchup against Anzhi Makhachkala. Johannsson is the last American left in Europe other than a handful of players who have a minimal chance of seeing the field -- Julian Green (Bayern), Brad Friedel (Tottenham), David Yelldell (Leverkusen)
DLew On Roids said:
Should have hoped harder:
https://twitter.com/elliot_turnbull/status/440569191159312385/photo/1
Apparently he did walk off the field under his own power. No update on what happened yet.
* Arón Johannsson and AZ Alkmaar are through to the Europa League quarterfinals after beating Anzhi Makhachkala 1-0 on aggregate. They'll face Benfica, so it's probably the end of the line for them. Nonetheless, they are the last Dutch club standing by a margin of two rounds. That's not bad for a midtable Eredivisie club.
* Will Packwood has won the Football League Young Player of the Month for February. He returned from injury this fall, went out on loan to Bristol Rovers, and is now starting at CB for Birmingham City. I think he's progressed very nicely for a guy whose career was in doubt last January. He turns 21 in May.
* Nice finish from Paco Torres in a Copa MX match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRtiie8eaHs
* Will Packwood has won the Football League Young Player of the Month for February. He returned from injury this fall, went out on loan to Bristol Rovers, and is now starting at CB for Birmingham City. I think he's progressed very nicely for a guy whose career was in doubt last January. He turns 21 in May.
* Nice finish from Paco Torres in a Copa MX match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRtiie8eaHs
A pair of teenage forwards going overseas:
Andrija Novakovich has signed with Reading and Dembakwi Yomba has signed with Atlético Madrid. In other news, Junior Flores has turned 18 and is now eligible to play in games for Borussia Dortmund. He's expected to start with the reserve team.
Andrija Novakovich has signed with Reading and Dembakwi Yomba has signed with Atlético Madrid. In other news, Junior Flores has turned 18 and is now eligible to play in games for Borussia Dortmund. He's expected to start with the reserve team.
Titans Bastard said:
Another forward has signed a pre-contract overseas:
Akale is another January birthday guy, but he's only 5'2" so he's not the typical man-child, faux-youth-star that the USSF loves so much. He's another ticket to the lottery...
The only drag about his situation and the situation of most 17 year olds who sign abroad is the awkward waiting period before the player's 18th birthday. Akale won't be able to play for Villarreal until January, so in the mean time he'll be beating up on the US Development Academy competition and playing with the US U-18s instead of being challenged against older and more developed players, like all elite players should be.
Time for a status update:
YANKS ABROAD
Austria
Bundesliga
FW - Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna)
Belgium
Jupiler
MF - Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)
Bosnia/Herzegovina
Premier League
FW - Danijal Brković (Željezničar)
Cyprus
First Division
FW - Tony Taylor (Omonia)
Czech Republic
1. Liga
DF - Christian Ibeagha (Bohemians)
MF - Nermin Crnkić (Znojmo - on loan from Jablonec)
Denmark
Superliga
DF - Babajide Ogunbiyi (Viborg FF)
MF - Conor O'Brien (OB Odense)
1st Division
DF - Sebastien Ibeagha (AC Horsens)
England
Premier League
GK - Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
GK - Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
GK - Tim Howard (Everton)
DF - Geoff Cameron (Stoke City)
MF - Brek Shea (Stoke City)
FW - Jozy Altidore (Sunderland)
Championship
DF - Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest)
DF - Oguchi Onyewu (Sheffield Wednesday)
DF - Will Packwood (Birmingham City)
DF - Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers)
DF - Zak Whitbread (Derby County, on loan from Leicester City)
MF - Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers)
MF - Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MF - Daniel Williams (Reading)
FW - Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town)
League One
MF - Gregory Ariyibi (Tranmere Rovers, on loan from Leeds United)
League Two
FW - Jon-Paul Pittman (Wycombe Wanderers)
Finland
Veikkausliiga
DF - Alex DeJohn (TPS)
MF - Justin Moose (SJK)
FW - Jordan Seabrook (VPS)
France
Ligue 1
MF - Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes)
National (3rd)
GK - Quentin Westberg (Luzenac)
Germany
Bundesliga
GK - David Yelldell (Bayer Leverkusen)
DF - John Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin)
DF - Timothy Chandler (Nürnberg)
DF - Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim)
2.Bundesliga
MF - Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt)
FW - Bobby Wood (1860 Munich)
FW - Andrew Wooten (FSV Frankfurt, on loan from Kaiserslautern)
3rd Liga
DF - Royal-Dominique Fennell (Stuttgarter Kickers)
FW - Marc Heider (Holstein Kiel)
FW - Matt Taylor (Preußen Münster)
Guatemala
Primera
DF - Jeffrey Payeras (Municipal)
Honduras
Primera
GK - Chris Sheridan (Platense)
Iceland
Úrvalsdeild
DF - Sean Reynolds (FH)
MF - Pablo Punyed (Stjarnan)
MF - Matthew Ratajczak (Fjölnir)
MF - Andrew Sousa (Fylkir)
FW - Chukwudi Chijindu (Thór)
FW - Chris Tsonis (Fjölnir)
Israel
Premier League
MF - Bryan Gerzicich (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
Liga Leumit
DF - Ryan Adeleye (Hapoel Ashkelon)
DF - Leonard Krupnik (Maccabi Umm al-Fahm)
Japan
J.3
DF - Mobi Fehr (SC Sagamihara)
Mexico
Liga MX
GK - William Yarbrough (León)
DF - DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla)
DF - Jonathan Bornstein (Atlante, on loan from Tigres)
DF - Edgar Castillo (Tijuana)
DF - Greg Garza (Tijuana)
DF - Michael Orozco (Puebla)
DF - Miguel Palafox (León)
MF - Joe Corona (Tijuana)
MF - Gabriel Farfan (Chiapas, on loan from Chivas USA)
MF - Michael Farfan (Cruz Azul)
MF - Dennis Flores (León)
MF - José Francisco Torres (Tigres)
FW - Paul Arriola (Tijuana)
FW - Herculez Gomez (Tijuana)
FW - Alonso Hernández (Monterrey)
FW - Jose Villarreal (Cruz Azul, on loan from LA Galaxy)
Ascenso MX
GK - Austin Guerrero (Altamira)
DF - Ventura Alvarado (Necaxa)
MF - Marco Vidal (Lobos BUAP)
FW - Daniel Cuevas (Lobos BUAP)
FW - Éder Guerrero (San Luis)
Netherlands
Eredivisie
FW - Juan Agudelo (Utrecht, on loan from Stoke City)
FW - Aron Jóhannsson (AZ Alkmaar)
Eerste Divisie
DF - Charles Kazlauskas (Helmond Sport)
Norway
Tippeligaen
DF - Zarek Valentin (Bodø/Glimt)
MF - Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg)
MF - Josh Gatt (Molde)
MF - Michael Stephens (Stabæk)
First Division
DF - Rhett Bernstein (Mjøndalen)
DF - Sebastian Troupe (Bærum)
Portugal
Primeira
GK - Caleb Patterson-Sewell (Gil Vicente)
Segunda
DF - Steven Silva Rodrigues (Leixões)
Segunda Divisão
MF - Sergio Duarte (Mirandela, on loan from Nacional)
Sweden
Allsvenskan
-
Superettan
GK - Alex Horwath (Ljungskile)
GK - Matt Pyzdrowski (Ängelholm)
DF - Patrick Hopkins (Sirius)
DF - Aaron Nichols (Ljungskile)
DF - Eric Pothast (Ängelholm)
MF - Paul Torres (Landskrona)
FW - Andy Stadler (Landskrona)
FW - Bobby Warshaw (GAIS)
Turkey
MF - Jermaine Jones (Besiktas)
YANKS ABROAD
Austria
Bundesliga
FW - Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna)
Belgium
Jupiler
MF - Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht)
Bosnia/Herzegovina
Premier League
FW - Danijal Brković (Željezničar)
Cyprus
First Division
FW - Tony Taylor (Omonia)
Czech Republic
1. Liga
DF - Christian Ibeagha (Bohemians)
MF - Nermin Crnkić (Znojmo - on loan from Jablonec)
Denmark
Superliga
DF - Babajide Ogunbiyi (Viborg FF)
MF - Conor O'Brien (OB Odense)
1st Division
DF - Sebastien Ibeagha (AC Horsens)
England
Premier League
GK - Brad Friedel (Tottenham Hotspur)
GK - Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
GK - Tim Howard (Everton)
DF - Geoff Cameron (Stoke City)
MF - Brek Shea (Stoke City)
FW - Jozy Altidore (Sunderland)
Championship
DF - Eric Lichaj (Nottingham Forest)
DF - Oguchi Onyewu (Sheffield Wednesday)
DF - Will Packwood (Birmingham City)
DF - Tim Ream (Bolton Wanderers)
DF - Zak Whitbread (Derby County, on loan from Leicester City)
MF - Stuart Holden (Bolton Wanderers)
MF - Jonathan Spector (Birmingham City)
MF - Daniel Williams (Reading)
FW - Duane Holmes (Huddersfield Town)
League One
MF - Gregory Ariyibi (Tranmere Rovers, on loan from Leeds United)
League Two
FW - Jon-Paul Pittman (Wycombe Wanderers)
Finland
Veikkausliiga
DF - Alex DeJohn (TPS)
MF - Justin Moose (SJK)
FW - Jordan Seabrook (VPS)
France
Ligue 1
MF - Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes)
National (3rd)
GK - Quentin Westberg (Luzenac)
Germany
Bundesliga
GK - David Yelldell (Bayer Leverkusen)
DF - John Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin)
DF - Timothy Chandler (Nürnberg)
DF - Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim)
2.Bundesliga
MF - Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt)
FW - Bobby Wood (1860 Munich)
FW - Andrew Wooten (FSV Frankfurt, on loan from Kaiserslautern)
3rd Liga
DF - Royal-Dominique Fennell (Stuttgarter Kickers)
FW - Marc Heider (Holstein Kiel)
FW - Matt Taylor (Preußen Münster)
Guatemala
Primera
DF - Jeffrey Payeras (Municipal)
Honduras
Primera
GK - Chris Sheridan (Platense)
Iceland
Úrvalsdeild
DF - Sean Reynolds (FH)
MF - Pablo Punyed (Stjarnan)
MF - Matthew Ratajczak (Fjölnir)
MF - Andrew Sousa (Fylkir)
FW - Chukwudi Chijindu (Thór)
FW - Chris Tsonis (Fjölnir)
Israel
Premier League
MF - Bryan Gerzicich (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
Liga Leumit
DF - Ryan Adeleye (Hapoel Ashkelon)
DF - Leonard Krupnik (Maccabi Umm al-Fahm)
Japan
J.3
DF - Mobi Fehr (SC Sagamihara)
Mexico
Liga MX
GK - William Yarbrough (León)
DF - DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla)
DF - Jonathan Bornstein (Atlante, on loan from Tigres)
DF - Edgar Castillo (Tijuana)
DF - Greg Garza (Tijuana)
DF - Michael Orozco (Puebla)
DF - Miguel Palafox (León)
MF - Joe Corona (Tijuana)
MF - Gabriel Farfan (Chiapas, on loan from Chivas USA)
MF - Michael Farfan (Cruz Azul)
MF - Dennis Flores (León)
MF - José Francisco Torres (Tigres)
FW - Paul Arriola (Tijuana)
FW - Herculez Gomez (Tijuana)
FW - Alonso Hernández (Monterrey)
FW - Jose Villarreal (Cruz Azul, on loan from LA Galaxy)
Ascenso MX
GK - Austin Guerrero (Altamira)
DF - Ventura Alvarado (Necaxa)
MF - Marco Vidal (Lobos BUAP)
FW - Daniel Cuevas (Lobos BUAP)
FW - Éder Guerrero (San Luis)
Netherlands
Eredivisie
FW - Juan Agudelo (Utrecht, on loan from Stoke City)
FW - Aron Jóhannsson (AZ Alkmaar)
Eerste Divisie
DF - Charles Kazlauskas (Helmond Sport)
Norway
Tippeligaen
DF - Zarek Valentin (Bodø/Glimt)
MF - Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg)
MF - Josh Gatt (Molde)
MF - Michael Stephens (Stabæk)
First Division
DF - Rhett Bernstein (Mjøndalen)
DF - Sebastian Troupe (Bærum)
Portugal
Primeira
GK - Caleb Patterson-Sewell (Gil Vicente)
Segunda
DF - Steven Silva Rodrigues (Leixões)
Segunda Divisão
MF - Sergio Duarte (Mirandela, on loan from Nacional)
Sweden
Allsvenskan
-
Superettan
GK - Alex Horwath (Ljungskile)
GK - Matt Pyzdrowski (Ängelholm)
DF - Patrick Hopkins (Sirius)
DF - Aaron Nichols (Ljungskile)
DF - Eric Pothast (Ängelholm)
MF - Paul Torres (Landskrona)
FW - Andy Stadler (Landskrona)
FW - Bobby Warshaw (GAIS)
Turkey
MF - Jermaine Jones (Besiktas)
- Status