3 comments

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  Kartik

  2 年 ago

  Excellent piece!
  
  
  The number of American players playing England will certainly help the National Team much like the exodus of young MLS players from MLS to the Bundesligia in the late 1990s helped set up the strong World Cup run of 2002 for us.
  
  
  
  The MLS has been good for the national side in the sense that it has deepened the player pool and given several youngsters a chance to play when they would have been toiling in the reserves or youth squads in Europe. However, MLS players who want to be strong internationals need to follow the example of DeMarcus Beasley, Carlos Bocanegra and Bobby Convey all of whom ditched MLS at a young age and went to Europe. Bocanegra has now become a much more savvy and accomplished player thanks to Chris Coleman's work with him at Fulham and Convey has an agressiveness and confidence he never had when playing for DC United.
  
  
  
  I am glad that England and particularly the EPL has become the league of choice for American players who seek to go abroad. For years as I mentioned above the Bundesligia was the choice destination for Americans, and while that league was certainly an improvement on MLS (and helped US Soccer move forward) getting players in England, Spain and Italy is a prerequisite to any long term sustained success.
  
  
  
  Again, a great piece.
  
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  Oscar M.

  2 年 ago

  Good points all aroun - its inaccurate to say Convey is still fighting for a starting spot. He was a starter for Reading all last season and at the start of this season. It's been a persistent knee injury that's kept him from playing more this season.
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• 

  Anonymous

  2 年 ago

  TIM HOWARD
  
  
  oh and Rossi wants to play for Italy
  
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