1.14.15
ASN Morning Read: Major League Soccer Grows Up
Jozy Altidore gets swapped for an Englishman; Mix Diskerud might be paid in New York Yankees hats; the United States men's national team coach talks about the return of his players to MLS.
BY
Noah Davis
Posted
January 14, 2015
9:03 AM
Guess who is talking? "You give them your two cents. With Jozy, I just say it would be nice if I would see him one day in the European Champions League. Because I think he’s a Champions League player. He has that potential, the talent to do so. Now if there is no solution in Europe for him, if the next solution for him is MLS, that’s totally cool with me. I have no problem with that,” he continued. “But from a competitive standpoint, it’s normal that a coach wishes that his players go to the highest level possible. Which would be in his case the Bundesliga or Serie A or La Liga or even the French league, if it’s not the Premier League right now."
Guess who is talking? "Mix had different options in Europe, but not bigger options than Rosenborg. Then come New York City Football Club, which is a start-up with a very exciting ownership and people involved like Jason Kreis and Claudio Reyna. So a lot of positives there. Mix asked me, and I said, ‘Yeah, I think it makes sense.’ Every player has his own individual situation.” (PS: Nailed it.)
Guess who is talking? "I think it was a no-brainer for both sides. [Jermaine Jones] was probably our best player from the World Cup with Fabian Johnson and Tim Howard. He’s 33 years old, but his market in Europe gets more and more difficult as a box-to-box midfielder. He loves the U.S. and has a home in L.A., so we discussed that over a long stretch of time.”
Question:
There are trades in soccer? That's so American.
Real talk: "Diskerud's move to NYC cements another reality that the ambitious national team coach and the U.S. Soccer Federation must confront. The tide has turned toward MLS, and U.S. players are coming home. For some, it may be a step down. Rather than lament it, Klinsmann may find that his best course of long-term action is to wield his influence as USSF technical director and focus further on strengthening the home front — ask additional tough questions of MLS, offer ideas that might bolster the league and continue his deep dive into youth development. As MLS improves, any negative impact it might have on a given player will be reduced and eventually eliminated."
Bob Bradley, Kristine Lilly, and Brian McBride will enter the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame.
Hope Solo is free: "Domestic violence charges against United States women's national team goalkeeper Hope Solo have been dropped. Solo faced two counts of fourth-degree assault, which stemmed from an incident on June 21 when she allegedly attacked her half-sister and nephew at a party."
Trivia you can use:
Answer:
