Testify LD! Testify

Here is today's money quote from none other than the current reigning Greatest American Hero (which I found on the always excellent du Nord:

"If you're in Denmark or Norway or Sweden, you're playing a little bit or you're on the bench, that's not helping you. If you're playing in MLS every week, that's a lot better than playing a minor role on some team in Europe. So if you have the opportunity to actually play games at some of the big leagues in Europe, great. But if not, you're hindering your development by not playing games." - Landon Donovan

I could not agree more. Now, to be certain, I am not a coach. I am not an athletic development expert. I also would never, ever begrudge anyone who's length of career is generally about 5-6 years from taking a massive short term payday.

However, the truth of what LD is saying is so obvious to me it frequently gets lost in the shuffle. Of course, players should test themselves against top competition. Of course players should always, always try to improve. But also of course, in the best of all possible worlds, there is someone who should be there to keep the player grounded to reality. And the reality of the situation is that for so many Americans, playing every or most games in MLS is far superior to riding the bench, and sometimes not even making the game sheet, on some team in Europe.

And the thing is that we all, all of us footy freaks, can come up with a long list of players right off the top of our heads that prove this statement to be true. Here's mine, and I guarantee both of these lists took me only about 20 seconds each.

PLAYERS WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR BETTER SERVED TO HAVE STAYED IN MLS
Freddy Adu
Eddie Johnson
Sal Zisso
Dominic Cervi
Jonathan Spector
Joseph Ngwenya
(The list of players riding pines in Denmark, Holland, Turkey, etc.)
Kenny Cooper

PLAYERS WHO CLEARLY BENEFITED FROM STAYING IN/COMING BACK TO MLS
Landon Donovan (arguable in the German experiments, perhaps not so much at Everton)
Brian Ching
Dwayne De Rosario
Joseph Ngwenya
Nate Jaqua
Bobby Convey

I am sure you have others who would qualify for this list. (Jozy Altidore perhaps?)

Now to be sure, there are many players for whom making the trip over there was very important to their development (Deuce Dempsey, Donovan in Everton, Brian mcBride, Tim Howard, Oguchi Onyewu, etc.), and others for whom the book is still out (Stuart Holden, Brad Guzan, etc.). But for so many players, MLS is a viable option. Playing is a viable option. Playing regularly is the way to develop. But more important perhaps, staying realistic is the most crucial thing.

So thanks LD for that little dose of reality. Read more!

KC probably not coming to Dyn

Checking out Steve Goff's wonderful Soccer Insider blog today and I found a nice, concise explanation on what Kenny Cooper is all worked up about. He has every reason to be worked up, but it's like the old saying goes, "An unwritten agreement is not worth the paper it's not printed on." Dude should have known better, especially with the Hunt family.

From Goff: *Here's the Kenny Cooper situation, as explained by someone familiar with his travails: Cooper had a gentleman's agreement with MLS when he returned from England that if he did well in his first season, he would have the opportunity to renegotiate a better deal. After getting 11 goals and 4 assists, his father approached MLS about the upgrade. The league indicated that the option on the contract had been exercised and nothing would change. The elder tried to work through the Hunt group, which responded by saying there was simply not enough money available under the salary cap. Both father and son were perturbed with MLS for not upholding their end of the unwritten agreement and with the Hunt group for not taking the initiative. Agent Lyle Yorks was hired to get a better deal or get him sold back overseas. They are still hoping to renegotiate for this coming season, but nothing yet. (He earned $83,000 last season.) That is why you have been hearing rumblings of Cooper's discontent in Dallas. So there you go.....


Glenn Davis reported that Cooper was interested in coming here, but I just don't see it. I mean, even though this IS after all the franchise that blew a ton of dough on Denilson, just signed an over-the-hill hacker from America and have easily one of the most charmless facilities in MLS, they're not stupid enough to send one of their best scorers to their intrastate rival.

Are they? Read more!

Dynamo thoughts and links

So I really am tickled pink that Dynamo has resigned Brian Mullan, their 2007 co-MVP. (Story here and Dynamo's press release here.) I expected no less for the guy that makes the right side go. My friend and fellow prawn-sandwicher Dimitri even goes so far as to say that as Mullan goes, so goes Dynamo. I'm not so sure I'd go as far as Dimitri on that one, especially since his finishing and often crossing can be atrocious at times (Brian's, not Dimitri's), but I will say this, insofar as the Orange thrive on wing play, Mully is one of the top 3-4 key guys on the field at any time.

One thing I've always noticed about Mully is his speed and the creativity he brings to even the simplest run. Opposing mids and backs are always on their heels. Even idiot Wynalda has noticed this about Mullan, mentioning in a broadcast last year that whenever Brian is in a tackle, either as the tackler or tacklee (is that a word?), he is always, ALWAYS, the first to get up. This has gone so far as to be a key component of seemingly about 50 percent of his runs up the side. Defenders go after him, they both go down and while the defender is still getting up, Mully-Mull is already about 10 yards away and resuming full speed with the ball and space in front of him.

He's also one of those Jekyll/Hyde guys who looks totally different with facial hair and without. I mean, check out the challenge with the candystriper above and now look at this one right here. With beard, dude is Brian Mullan, Into the Wild mountain hermit. Clean shaven, he's Brian Mullan, teen heartthrob. I mean, look at this guy, does he look like the kind of player who's among the toughest attacking forces in MLS? To me, he looks like he's about to break into a rendition of Jesse's Girl any moment now. I gotta move on because this photo is starting to freak me out.

OK, while we're on the subjects of mountain men and teen heartthrobs.

The Dynamo site is currently running two journals, one from Brad Davis about his experiences in Cali with the US MNT camp, and another from Stuart Holden and Patrick Ianni from the right coast with the U-23 camp in Bradenton, Fla. You can check out both at the Men in Orange's wonderful Web site at houstondynamo.com.

And here are their lovely pics for your viewing pleasure, first Brad Davis, Scruffmeister extraodinaire.

Next is Holden and Ianni, good buds and breakers of hearts (I'm glad I don't have a daughter) far and wide. I'll bet Awty alumnus and Sugar Lander Holden is still even sporting his oh-so-sexy scar from this little incident chronicled here three years ago. (Thanks to The Offside Rules' SF for digging this one up.) Geordies' wrath or no, Holden is just about the No. 1 Bachelor from Buffalo Bayou, or at least so say several friends of the female persuasion up at my office.

Read more!

STTormclouds, big brass Double-T sTTormclouds

Well, well, well, MLS has rejected Preston North End's $2.5 million transfer offer for Taylor Twellman (Here's Steve Goff's great interview with Double T here and Frank Dell'Appa's short and sweet piece right here.)

I think everyone should remember this Twellman situation when the next collective bargaining negotiations sessions start up. This is exactly the sort of high-handed, disloyal an selfish behaviour that leads to serious, serious labor unrest in sports leagues. Everyone loves to talk about athletes being disloyal, but loyalty is two-way street and here is a crystal clear case where you have an elite player who has been extremely loyal to MLS, even going so far as to sign a multiyear deal when he knows what has happened to players who have done so in the past, being treated like dirt. MLS is headed for a serious labor problem and unless they stop acting like this it's going to be bad for everyone. Read more!