This morning, I wrote about the forgotten (at least it seems that way to me) USMNT camp taking place in LA; this afternoon, the focus goes to one American player who has seemingly slipped off the radar of many fans. Ricardo Clark.


Clark is still looking for a new team after turning down the possibility of returning to the Houston Dynamo (he, like Stuart Holden, is out of contract), and while the trial of Holden at Burnley, now Bolton, has been dominating the attention of Americans who care about that sort of thing, Clark's saga is actually more interesting.


For info on Clark and his possible landing spot, there's only one resource: Greg Seltzer at No Short Corners. Greg's been tracking the list of Clark suitors since the beginning, and has an update as of yesterday (Clue #3).


That's right; according to Greg, clubs from seven different countries are interested in Clark's services. Now, there are certainly varying degrees of "interest" and not all of the clubs in question may pony up what Clark wants. But it's simply fascinating to see an American player, who's by no means "young" (Clark turns 27 in early February) and who has spent every year of his professional career in MLS, with that kind of attention. It helps that Clark is a free agent, of course.


Seltzer mentions that Clark's suitors definitely include (or did include) clubs from Ligue 1 (France), Bundesliga (Germany), La Liga (Spain), the Danish SuperLiga, and the UK (who Greg thinks might be Celtic), with two more unknown. Clark's performance this summer at the Confederations Cup obviously earned him some kudos in Europe, and not just in one or two places.


I like Clark as a player, even if I think there are better midfield options for Bob Bradley, and even if I think Clark is sometimes a bit too reckless for the international game; but his finding a soft spot to land (meaning he plays) is still important to the US World Cup fortunes because I have no doubt that Clark will play a role in the team this summer.


Though Donovan's loan to Everton is higher-profile, and Holden's trial at Bolton has potential, both of those situations could end with the player in question returning to his MLS club. Not so for Clark; we know he'll end up abroad, and while he's not the country's most visible player or a young star on the rise, he is an American soccer export with a chance to make a mark in Europe.


So the question now is, where would you like to see Clark end up? The specific clubs involved could change the answer, of course, but based simply on his talents and the leagues we know, what would be the best fit?