This signing wasnt done this summer, it was well decided from last summer to bring an american player to the team ( read this thread on another board a year ago - http://www.xtratime.org/forum/showthread.php?t=259638 ) . Its like Nagatomo at inter, we know he is there for marketting.
Yeah, he will obviously pull in a few more American spectators that might not have known too much about Roma before hand but I still think he can be a pretty good contributer to the club.
He wants the champions league and we don't really need him. Not sure where he would play. I want to see him go somewhere like Valencia.
If an American ownership can pay the bills and/or save the club from oblivion , they should be indebted to America for life. In the same was the entire country of Italy was when General's Bradley & Patton rolled into the streets of Rome in an armored car 67 years ago. All that notwithstanding and all kidding aside though, if the Serie A has benefited from and/or helped every other national team on earth at least since the iron gates opened in the 1980 & 90's, I don't see any reason on why more American players can't be signed...
I'm sure he is good enough to play otherwise they wouldn't have gone after him. It seems up until now though, an American (almost everywhere in Europe) was never signed just because of his nationality. Therefore, there has to be a discrimination or a bias towards the American player somewhere. If a player is not signed because he is not good or whatever, then I can see the point of not going after them but I don't see how all these other nationalities are any better or players coming from lesser national teams are any better than the Americans are.
A lot of Americans have been signed by European teams. Most of them (and I'm just guessing here as I don't watch the epl or bundesliga or eredivisie much) have not really impressed enough to rise to the top of those leagues. Teams are not going to not sign people just because they are American. There is probably just a Missourian show-me attitude with them. Hell, AC Milan signed Onyewu and anyone who's ever watched him for ten minutes knew he would never make it. He's like Cesare Natali but without all of the raw, natural athleticism.
Not really. Only three in Italy, Onyewu, Lalas and Bradley. I can't think of any in Spain or France other than counting Bocanegra (Rennes & Saint-Étienne). Onyewu (now in Portugal) left Milan because he was hurt, was not that great of a player and also because Ibra almost killed him in training. Still many or most American national team players have only played in England, a select few in Germany (although many of them were born there), John O'Brien at Ajax in Holland and that's about it. Its not like most leagues are jumping up and down waiting or even wanting to sign Americans and a bias still exists. Again, I'm not saying sign them just because they are Americans but I can't see how all these other players with different nationalities are much better.
LOL, I forgot about him. Tab Ramos played with Figueres and Real Betis in the 2nd division 20 years ago he never played a game in La Liga.
Which overlooked Americans should be playing at the highest levels of European ball? Heck, how many Italians are playing at Europe's highest levels?
I'm sure there are many playing in MLS who could easily play in the Serie A but they won't. From my team alone in San Jose for example, Chris Wondolowski who scored last week against Chelsea and Steven Lenhart who scored in the last seconds on Saturday can play and well at that if not at a top club maybe even for a mid table or bottom of the league level club if given a chance. I mean where Bradley came from , there are plenty of others. Its not like Bradley is the only one alive. He was even released from the New York Red Bulls when his father was fired. The whole point is, they won't go after them and sign any of them.
There are a lot of English players that could probably play in Serie A but English players tend to prefer to play in England. Just as Americans do...
Yeah maybe but I don't see many English players flocking anywhere else other than Beckham. Actually, not sure if its a bias, because they can't play , if its the language or what it is but the English on the other hand, haven't really been in Italy since the days of Trevor Francis , Mark Hateley, Des Walker , Paul Ince and David Platt.
Could be to a point. I don't think many people can name who the last English player was in Italy. I want to say Paul Ince at Inter but can't remember that far back.
Think how much Italians hate Icelanders, Mexicans and Canadians. Boggles the mind. What's with all the Canadian bias in Italy? I can't figure it out. A couple of things. How many Italian clubs have huge, worldwide scouting networks? Not many, I would bet. They have limited funds and so they dedicate those funds on parts of the world that are known to produce the types of players that are a) attainable and b) known to excel in Italy. Secondly, maybe it's hard to watch an MLS match and ascertain whether, or not, a guy in that league would crossover well into Italy. *EVERY TIME* someone mentions an Italian going over to wind down his career one of you MLS fans starts saying that he will fail in the MLS because the league is so tough and physical and the only guys who will succeed there will be tough, physical guys. And not just regular, run-of-the-mill tough physical guys but almost superhuman tough, physical guys. Landon Donovan tough and physical... Freddy Montero tough and physical...
First and foremost, I feel that Italian clubs should point to Italian born players and look to develop them as opposed to signing a foreign players. Seeing Roma or any other team for example with a foreign GK, when Italians have traditionally excelled at the position is actually IMHO a mind boggler. Having a team like Inter field a team of no or 2 Italians winning the CL representing Italy, to me is crazy. I can not comment on Icelanders because I've never seen their league but I seriously doubt their league is better than MLS but even they are presented in Italy. As for Canadians, they haven't ever had a pro league and still don't and their 3 teams all play in the American MLS league and they've only become pros within the last 3 years. I doubt they have many serious players to choose from that would be adequate enough to play in the Serie A. Speaking of Mexicans, its a wonder why Italy doesn't go after their players because their league is the best IMHO of the Americas. I'd think on a par with Argentina and Brazil. I mean maybe Argentina and Brazil has better players but their teams are in complete disarray and top players are always sold for cash to European sides. Mexico definitely pays more than those countries. If you catch the MFL games week in and week out as I do, you will see the level is just as good as many upper to mid table Serie A clubs.....Of course its not going to reach the top 7 but I'm sure its just as good as the mid and bottom table clubs. As for LAndy Donovan, as much as I hate him and think he is a crooked jerk, I have to admit, he can easily play in the Serie A with no problem. If the Serie A can scout and field players from the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Hungary , Poland, Venezuela, Guinea, Sierra Leon, Algeria and Nigeria to name a few, or rather nations that haven't accomplished much recently, I can't see any reason why scouts could not be placed in MLS. Its incredible IMHO to think that there aren't players in MLS who aren't just as good or even just as capable to play in the Serie A in the same way players from those countries can.
I don't think MFL is the best league in the Americas. I'd say currently Brazil, Argentina and possibly Chile have better leagues, but I agree it's underrated. Mexican football has some good players, but to me across the board Brazil has better players. While there is plenty of turnover with young players the veterans in that league are often over looked, lost in the talk of Neymar, Oscar, Ganso, etc. are players like Fred, Borges or Alecsandro who are effective in that league. I know Mexico pay their players relatively well but I'm not sure they earn more than Brazilian based players. According to data shared with me by someone who researches revenue of top clubs and is pretty spot on, Brazil's top club Corinthians has over twice the revenue of Mexico's top club Chivas. Of the Top 25 clubs in revenue in North America and South America, Chile (1), USA (2), Argentina (2), Mexico (5), Brazil (15). So I find it hard to believe MFL clubs better Brazil in wages because the amount of money kicking around is increasing quickly. Brazil is a massive emerging economy so the gap will only improve revenues of Brazil's top clubs will equal top European clubs, Corinthians already better clubs in Italy. Brazil will become similar to Germany where commercial partnerships domestically will be able to sustain clubs. The money from sponsorships is already in the market but unlike Germany it's pretty unorganized, which is why Brazilian players have such complicated contract situations. Neymar for example gets paid over £110k by Santos and when you consider his sponsorships, some of which are tied into his contract he earns in excess of £600k per month at Santos. People wonder why he's not in a hurry to go to Europe unless he's going to Madrid or Barca, well that's why. Also a trend which is worrying for leagues like Italy who for years have depended on South American talent is that players are starting to go home, and with the money coming into the league players will see staying in Brazil as a good option. Not only that but adjacent countries like Argentina young players might consider Brazil a better option then a mid to bottom level Italian club. What would a club like Catania be without any South American talent. If clubs like that start to weaken no matter how good the top dogs are the league overall will become weaker.