Bobby Convey, he of the gimpy knee and big time promise, is returning home to play for the San Jose Earthquakes. While certainly a coup for San Jose and MLS, Convey's return to the States indicates how far American soccer has to go before becoming a force on the international stage.

Convey's path back to the United States is one too often trod by American players. Young and talented, Convey spent four and a half years in MLS with DC United before making a transfer to English side Reading in 2004. After a brief stint of strong play, Convey suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for an extended period. He has yet to fully regain his pre-injury form, and with his career stalled, it makes sense for him to return to MLS to resuscitate it.

Rumors are circulating that DaMarcus Beasley could also be headed back to MLS, returning to the league after spending time with three different European clubs. Beasley is another victim of injury, a player who seemed to be on the rise at Rangers before a knee ligament tear sidelined him in November of 2007. In the time since, Beasley has struggled to get first team football with Rangers. After the Glasgow club denied FC Schalke the oppotunity to sign him on a free transfer, LA Galaxy has stepped into the breach. With San Jose signing Convey, the Galaxy moves to the top of the allocation order, giving them the opportunity obtain Beasley.

Although the value of American players is infinitely higher in MLS than in any other league in the world, it's a bit disheartening to see two players with the promise that Convey and Beasley possess come back to the States in less than ideal conditions. MLS often seems the last resort for American players of any caliber, much less those with international caps, and it appears this may be the case for Convey and Beasley. With their value abroad dipping precipitously and their respective places in the national team setup at stake, it appears that regular football in America will trump riding the bench in Europe for the time being. You certainly can't blame either for choosing to come home, and there are those that will say that an MLS starting eleven is the perfect place for a slightly tarnished American player to refurbish themselves. While that may be true, and American "stars" are necessary to make the league go, the relative failure of those stars in Europe at such a young age is a frustrating situation.

As the United States continues to export young soccer talent, the number of players returning home after short or disappointing stints in Europe it bound to increase. For the time being, however, the return to our admittedly second rate league by our higher profile players is a black eye for American soccer. Although mitigated by the injuries that both Convey and Beasley suffered, the implication will continue to be that our players can't hack it when they leave American shores. If Beasley and Convey play well and become the class of the league immediately, while good for them, their teams, and their careers, it will again shine a light on the on Major League Soccer's lesser quality. The fact that both players are still prominent (Beasley more than Convey) in our national team setup only serves to reinforce the notion that the quality of our footballers is still not . While MLS players will always have a role to play in the national team, it seemed possible that the reliance on those players was lessening as more Americans moved abroad.

In the future, when MLS is no longer a feeder league and is instead a choice desination for world class footballers, two American players returning home after a few years in Europe will be a reason to celebrate. Unfortunately for Convey and Beasley (and fans of the USMNT), that time has yet to come. Here's to hoping that the next round of up and coming American talent sticks, fulfills their potential in Europe, and raises the profile of American soccer and MLS in the process.

Obviously this post was based on speculation in the case of Beasley; he scored for Rangers against AC Milan in a friendly today, so maybe there's still hope for him in Glasgow. I also referenced a couple of things I wanted to link to, so here you go:

Soccer by Ives: Quakes close in on Convey (also contains a Beasley mention)
San Jose Mercury News: Quakes close to signing Convey

And an added bonus, video of DMB scoring today: