Could a player ever get capped while playing in the USL-1?

[Sandon Mibut]

With the emergence of Clyde Simms to the national team pool, I found myself pondering if an A-League player – I know, USL-1, but A-Leaguer sounds better than USL-1er – could ever play for the US national team while still playing in the US second tier. (And no, I’m not counting during a labor stoppage!)

While Simms was on an MLS team at the time he got his first cap, he was only a few months removed from the Richmond Kickers. And when Brian Ching got his first cap in 2003, he was just a few months removed from having been the A-League MVP with Seattle.

While no current second division player has been capped by the senior team since MLS started, it’s not like second division players don’t ever get capped abroad. David James played for England when he was in the old First Division and Pierre van Hooijdonk was capped by the Netherlands when he played in the English second flight and Oliver Bierhoff was with a Serie B team when he was the hero of Euro 96.

Now, obviously those leagues are of a higher caliber than our second division. (Hell, some argue they’re of higher caliber than MLS, but that’s an argument for another place.)

The point is that in other countries – countries with prestigious and high paying top flights and with very good and successful national teams - players from second-tier teams still occasionally play for the national team and if it can happen there, could it happen here?

And, if so, what A-Leaguers might fit the bill?

[superdave]

If we have another match like that Wales match a year or two ago, where Arena only picked suspended MLSers and players from the two teams not playing that weekend, that would increase the chances dramatically.

The other scenario would be if some 16 year old signed with one of the top-class A-league clubs, like the Rhinos or the Battery, and played extremely well for 2 or more years at a need position. Imagine if the Rhinos had a fantastic local kid at right wing, who was a dominant A-League player. Such a player would surely merit a camp, and if he played great at camp, he might get a chance with the Nats.

But the gap between USL-1 and MLS is so great that it would have to either be an unusual circumstance at a need position, or a Wales-type situation.

I would add...as MLS expands, the type of player who stays in USL-1 because he can make more $$$ as a start in USL-1 than as an MLS bench warmer will disappear. As there are more MLS starter jobs, that USLer won't be an MLS bench warmer, he'll be at least a marginal starter.

[Ray Luca]

With the emergence of Clyde Simms to the national team pool, I found myself pondering if an A-League player – I know, USL-1, but A-Leaguer sounds better than USL-1er – could ever play for the US national team while still playing in the US second tier. (And no, I’m not counting during a labor stoppage!)

While Simms was on an MLS team at the time he got his first cap, he was only a few months removed from the Richmond Kickers. And when Brian Ching got his first cap in 2003, he was just a few months removed from having been the A-League MVP with Seattle.

While no current second division player has been capped by the senior team since MLS started, it’s not like second division players don’t ever get capped abroad. David James played for England when he was in the old First Division and Pierre van Hooijdonk was capped by the Netherlands when he played in the English second flight and Oliver Bierhoff was with a Serie B team when he was the hero of Euro 96.

Now, obviously those leagues are of a higher caliber than our second division. (Hell, some argue they’re of higher caliber than MLS, but that’s an argument for another place.)

The point is that in other countries – countries with prestigious and high paying top flights and with very good and successful national teams - players from second-tier teams still occasionally play for the national team and if it can happen there, could it happen here?

And, if so, what A-Leaguers might fit the bill?

Yes why not? I know players who were capped for their foreign countries national team while playing still playing for a local club team here in Brooklyn.

[sidefootsitter]

ISO Tommy Lawton?

IMO, the situation may be ~ Bobby Convey gets cut from Reading with 6 months to go on his deal. With his contract still guaranteed, he decides to train with Virginia just to stay in shape and gets called up by Arena or his replacement.

An alternative scenario has a Robbie/Robby Rogers type who goes to train with some decent Euro squads for a while but gets Landies, runs home and seeks a deal with MLS. When low-balled on the offer, he goes to an A-side on a month-to-month basis while his agent works feverishly to get him together with another Euro.

Another scenario has Real Madrid and Manchester United buying up the A-league altogether ...