Friday, September 01, 2006
Transfer Madness
Yesterday was the transfer deadline day for European soccer leagues and one (1) American made a significant move. Otherwise, it was heartbreak and often confounding disappointment for the rest of those looking for a change of scenery.
Here are the players that were expected or rumored to be going places before the deadline ended (and their ultimate fate):
DaMarcus Beasley - loaned to Manchester City
Clint Dempsey - Charlton Athletic 1.5 million dollar bid rejected by MLS
Eddie Johnson - Real Sociedad loan bid rejected by new Kansas City Wizards owners
Oguchi Onyewu - turns down Middlesbrough move and 4.77 million dollar bid by Fullham reportedly turned down by Standard Liege
Josh Wolff - transfer to Derby trashed after UK Home Office denies grant of a work permit.
A world where Onyewu and Dempsey would have been added to the already increasingly American-friendly EPL would have been a brighter one and would be even brighter with Eddie Johnson being the first American to play in Spain.
One glimmer of hope for the U.S. in 2010 is the first-team minutes that Beasley will be getting at Man. City. Man. City has already beaten Arsenal this year but needs reinforcement on the left flank, apparently. They have already become tied for my favorite EPL team with Reading and the prospect of two Americans in their midfield (Reyna is their holding midfielder) is extremely appealing for U.S. fans.
MLS is getting hammered because it didn't move anyone to Europe but MLS certainly has a right to keep players if the league doesn't feel it's getting market value for them. It even has a right to overvalue players for marketing and development reasons. However, I think the league is underestimating the marketing value of having strong U.S. participation in Europe and is sending a message to younger soccer players that if they want to play in Europe, they should follow the DeMerit route rather than the MLS one.
Sources:
Grant Wahl covers the scuppered Wolff and Johnson moves
The always excellent Yanks Abroad.
Here are the players that were expected or rumored to be going places before the deadline ended (and their ultimate fate):
DaMarcus Beasley - loaned to Manchester City
Clint Dempsey - Charlton Athletic 1.5 million dollar bid rejected by MLS
Eddie Johnson - Real Sociedad loan bid rejected by new Kansas City Wizards owners
Oguchi Onyewu - turns down Middlesbrough move and 4.77 million dollar bid by Fullham reportedly turned down by Standard Liege
Josh Wolff - transfer to Derby trashed after UK Home Office denies grant of a work permit.
A world where Onyewu and Dempsey would have been added to the already increasingly American-friendly EPL would have been a brighter one and would be even brighter with Eddie Johnson being the first American to play in Spain.
One glimmer of hope for the U.S. in 2010 is the first-team minutes that Beasley will be getting at Man. City. Man. City has already beaten Arsenal this year but needs reinforcement on the left flank, apparently. They have already become tied for my favorite EPL team with Reading and the prospect of two Americans in their midfield (Reyna is their holding midfielder) is extremely appealing for U.S. fans.
MLS is getting hammered because it didn't move anyone to Europe but MLS certainly has a right to keep players if the league doesn't feel it's getting market value for them. It even has a right to overvalue players for marketing and development reasons. However, I think the league is underestimating the marketing value of having strong U.S. participation in Europe and is sending a message to younger soccer players that if they want to play in Europe, they should follow the DeMerit route rather than the MLS one.
Sources:
Grant Wahl covers the scuppered Wolff and Johnson moves
The always excellent Yanks Abroad.
