USA Soccer

What Gooch did in the Premiership, stalling at Newcastle, so might Freddy Adu do in the MLS. He moved from DC United, a stellar franchise with an excellent coaching staff, to Real Salt Lake before the beginning of this season.

Here's a depressing exchange from Steven Goff's blog (Washington Post soccer writer):

Q. Do you think Adu has the potential to develop into a starter on an elite club?
A: By elite, do you mean Premiership, La Liga, etc.? No.

Pressed further, Goff finishes a little more optimistically: "At the moment, Freddy is a good, but not great, MLS player. Good MLS players don't become starters in Europe's top leagues. Maybe he'll show something this year, but right now, he is not a top-flight Euro player."

But still. This feels like a dangerous moment for the future of USA soccer. A month ago, Marvell Wynne, the USA's 20-year-old answer to Ashley Cole, was sold by the NY/NJ Metrostars (or Red Bull, or something). Normally, that wouldn't mean much. The Metrostars have been an awful franchise. But, they just brought on Bruce Arena. And if Arena cannot make Wynne work, I fear no MLS coach can.

All that said, I think the crashing constellations of American football are buffered by some good news. Josi Altidore, also of the Metrostars/Red Bull (or whatever), has looked good in the two games I have seen him. If anything, he reminds me of Schevy -- a goal scorer who seems slow, and never particularly dangerous, and who seems to succeed almost in spite of himself.

Also, the quality of the MLS in general is surprising. I've been taping Thursday night games on ESPN2, and while there are undoubtedly stretches of brutal soccer, there are also moments of absolute class. So, you know, keep your head up, America.

Gooch Gone

Wow. Here's a blistering critique from YanksAbroad.com of everyone involved in the Oguchi Onyewu move to Newcastle which, as Chris predicted, was a failure for Gooch.

Meanwhile Jay Demerit was relegated with Watford. Bobby Convey missed the last portion of the year at Reading due to injury.

The three Americans at Fulham are still sraping to avoid relegation (I think they will). Incredibly, the defender Carlos Bocanegra is their second leading scorer after Brian McBride. Clint Dempsey is getting a run every once in a while. Everyone says he needed to get fit for the English schedule, which is reverse to the American season. Hopefully next year he'll play a bit more. He's only 24. He could really help them out if he gets rolling.

Gooch deal complete: onto Newcastle

Remember what I said about Aubrey Huff and the Orioles? That the quality of team that ultimately signs him sometimes says more about that player's future than the quality of the player himself?

Yeah.

It happened with Huff and now it has happened with Gooch. Ugh. The USA's centerback of the present and the future, 24-year-old Oguchi Onyewu signed a loan deal yesterday with the Magpies, who retained a club option that could make the move permanent this summer.

That's awful news. Newcastle is the MLS on 'roids. Newcastle is where promising youngsters stall their careers and established stars go to die. I'm exceedingly disappointed. North England bodes very badly for Gooch's professional development.

I'm not sure I would prefer Belgium, but then we could have at least dreamed of What-Could-Be. What-Might-Have-Been is so much more depressing.

Gooch's final game?

A peculiar confidence shown over at yanks-abroad.com, the Internet's best site for soccer fans interested in following the progress of Americans playing outside the MLS.

"Standard Liège face off in a Friday night special against fellow Walloonians Charleroi, a game that may at last mark the final appearance of Oguchi Onyewu.

With less than a week before the winter transfer window slams shut for the rest of the season, Onyewu is expected to take up his central defensive role one last time in this fierce derby to be held in the Belgian city known as 'Little Chicago'." (see link)

I wonder what they know?

For the record, I love Gooch's nasty streak, and would love to see that at Chelsea.

Beckham's contract, Gooch at Chelsea?

First, and importantly, this SI article by Grant Wahl essentially confirms that Beckham has become a co-owner with the LA Galaxy. He will earn 40- to 50-percent of all Galaxy jersey sales for the life of his contract, and will share an undisclosed percentage of ticket revenues.

Wow. (Pause). Wow.

The owner of the LA Galaxy is responsible for $48M of Beckham's contract, and the MLS is responsible for $2M. I suppose that is good news. The MLS always feels shaky to me, but the Galaxy owner has $7.6B. He can afford a $48M gamble. Or even a $250M gamble, if that figure represents lost revenue.

Interesting second-hand quote from the Galaxy owner on Beckham's signing: "This is a good idea. We need to do this for the league, because if we're ever going to expand our rating and our audience and get credibility in our country we're going to need a star to break through." So, a gamble. An interesting one, too.

Finally, Gooch: From the Gaurdian: "Indeed, although (Chelsea) have tried to placate their manager with the promise of at least one signing - likely to be either of the defenders Tal Ben Haim or Oguchi Onyewu - the board's decision to defer serious discussion of the issue to the summer suggests Mourinho's power is waning."

The British press are ridiculously unreliable — a damn laughingstock they are — but I'm somehow willing to pass this nugget along. As if I needed another reason to root Blue!

So, Dempsey and Gooch to Fulham?

Dempsey ($4M) and Gooch ($2M) to Fulham? Are we serious? Where Bocanegra and McBride already are? Holy schnikees. What are American soccer fans supposed to do? Root like crazy for the Cottagers?

I guess I now have a second favorite team. (Reading, because of Bobby Convey). A third favorite team, then.