American soccer fans have been hit with a relatively new phenomenon during the lead up to the January silly season; Americans being on the tips of the tongues of some of Europe's biggest teams.
Rumors are currently circulating that Chivas USA's shaggy-haired midfielder Sacha Kljestan has piqued the interest of several big-name European clubs, among them Celtic and FC Schalke. Add this to the still unconfirmed loan of American soccer's golden boy Landon Donovan to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, as well as Kenny Cooper's varied rumored destinations, and Yanks suddenly seem to be hot properties. All of this, of course, is old hat for our brethren in fandom across the football-playing world, so they will have to forgive our newbie enthusiasm. It's not every day the phrases "US international" and "Champion's League side" appear in the same news piece.
Forgotten among the excitement of trials and transfer rumors is the belief of some that Americans leaving for the continent is a detriment to our domestic league. How can we continue to grow MLS and draw more Americans to the game if the players that those potential fans could most identify with are off to Europe by the time they are twenty-five? There is of course, a contrary argument: How can our young players get better if they are not challenged in a more competitive club environment? In my opinion, holding back the development of a player by refusing the approaches of foreign clubs is indefensible. A player's career is short, and for MLS to refuse a transfer move for a young player simply because they wish to hold on to their American stars is tantamount to sabotaging that player.
So I say, go east young man. The game in America can only be helped by players we've produced performing on a larger stage. The profile of MLS can only be helped by players who plied their trade in the burgeoning league going on to bigger and better things. Departing American players will force MLS to intensify efforts to uncover future stars in order to keep the supply and demand system working. The search for new young stars will benefit the league as a whole as well. Overall quality depends on a class standard that will come from deep investment in youth academies, not holding on to a few desirable players. We all, of course, look forward to the day that the MLS is no longer a feeder league, a day when it can stand on its own as a solid player on the world football stage, when the Sacha Kljestans and Kenny Coopers of the world can stay and prosper as American stars in a top tier American soccer league and be no worse for the experience, and top talent from overseas will consider MLS as a first or second option, rather than a possible final payday.
In the short term, MLS may in fact find itself scrambling to find players to market to its American audience. It appears, however, that the immediate future of the league may rest squarely on the talents of foreign players. Cuatoamac Blanco and Guillermo Baros Schellotto seem prototypes for the high profile players the MLS needs to boost quality and visibility. As it becomes obvious that MLS should focus less on the unconverted American sports fan and more on the non-MLS following soccer fan, the nationality of the stars of the league will be less of a factor. For football savvy fans and ardent club supporters who want trophies, the nationalities of the players matters little.
MLS has a stated goal of managing the financial aspects of the league to ensure solvency. While this is paramount to the survival of the game in America in the historical context of the NASL, it restricts the growth of the league more than any other single factor. If our young, talented players are going to go abroad, MLS has to increase the salary cap or modify its rules in order to fill the void. Soccer can succeed here, American stars or not; we’re more than happy to root for foreigners when they wear the colors of our favorite team (see MLB, NBA).
Simply put, the more go Yanks abroad, the better.
