An American Statement

[cdill]

Curious what the response over there is to Brian McBride's goal and assit in his innagural Everton/Tottenham game. I don't get it. We sit over here watching Europe send it's best basketball players to bang in the NBA. US scouts scour every backwater from Serbia to Lithuania. Yet, we've got arguably the best youth soccer development program in the world. Our MLS reserves hammer Premiere reserves each summer, now becoming an annual harvest...yet, YET, there are what...five Americans in the Premiere? What I can't understand is that you can have are fabulously trained and condtioned players for a song and there are scads of them who will be waaaayyyy better than Brian. I just don't get it. I guess we have to win the WC to wake up the continent. See you in 2006.

[usagoal]

Originally posted by cdill
Curious what the response over there is to Brian McBride's goal and assit in his innagural Everton/Tottenham game. I don't get it. We sit over here watching Europe send it's best basketball players to bang in the NBA. US scouts scour every backwater from Serbia to Lithuania. Yet, we've got arguably the best youth soccer development program in the world. Our MLS reserves hammer Premiere reserves each summer, now becoming an annual harvest...yet, YET, there are what...five Americans in the Premiere? What I can't understand is that you can have are fabulously trained and condtioned players for a song and there are scads of them who will be waaaayyyy better than Brian. I just don't get it. I guess we have to win the WC to wake up the continent. See you in 2006.
This is embarrasing :D

[Wolves_67]

One thing you always have to remember when asking about Americans playing in England is the work permit issue. They have to have played 75% of the national team "A" matches in the previous 2 years to qualify in most cases.
They are, however, able to sign American youth players to their youth teams for development and have done that in several cases.
Our pros who go over and beat their reserve teams would not be able to play there as pros.
Other European countries and South American countries are much more open as far as work permits.

[goyoureddevils]

Look its like this, we have good players here, just good ones, not great ones yet. They have loads and loads of good players, and quite a few great ones as well.

If you were an english coach, trying to put together the best team, would you bring in good players to replace your own good players, or would you only bring in the great ones when and where you can?

[Captain Splarg]

Also in your starting 11+Bench you are only allowed to have 3 non-EU nationals. If you remember this is why Brad didn't even make the bench sometimes at Liverpool.

I guess its like the Senior International dealy in the MLS.

[Prenn]

Originally posted by Captain Splarg
Also in your starting 11+Bench you are only allowed to have 3 non-EU nationals. If you remember this is why Brad didn't even make the bench sometimes at Liverpool.

I guess its like the Senior International dealy in the MLS.

That rule ceased to be this season.

[Prenn]

Originally posted by usagoal
This is embarrasing :D

But it's funny :)

[RichardL]

Originally posted by cdill
Curious what the response over there is to Brian McBride's goal and assit in his innagural Everton/Tottenham game.

Maybe you'll just have to accept that there isn't the same obsession with how American players do in England as there is with fans in America. I think about half of the players in the premiership are from outside of England. One more will barely make a ripple on the surface.

[Matt Clark]

I didn't even know he'd scored.

[bungadiri]

Originally posted by Matt Clark
I didn't even know he'd scored.
Oooooh yeah, he scored man! Boy, did he score. I mean, like, he scored, man. Geez. You people. The man scored alright.

[Matt Clark]

Jolly good.

[bungadiri]

Originally posted by Matt Clark
Jolly good.

You said it dude. High five.

[superdave]

I find the careers of guys like Marcus Hahneman, Ian Feuer, and Jovan Kirovski rather interesting. It gives us a clue as to how many Americans would play in England if not for WPs.

[M]

Originally posted by superdave
I find the careers of guys like Marcus Hahneman, Ian Feuer, and Jovan Kirovski rather interesting. It gives us a clue as to how many Americans would play in England if not for WPs.

So presumably there are boatloads of Americans playing in countries that don't require work permits?

[QPR Kevin H]

There is no question about the fact that there would be more Americans playing in England if they could get the permit. Look at all the suntanned Canadians (read, Australians) playing in England. There is no more talent down under than in the US - but their Commonwealth status helps get them on rosters.

[Prenn]

Originally posted by QPR Kevin H
but their Commonwealth status helps get them on rosters.

No it doesn't, they're required to get work permits like everyone else.

[QPR Kevin H]

Originally posted by Prenn
No it doesn't, they're required to get work permits like everyone else.
Even if they are under a certain age? I thought that all Australians were allowed two years to work in the UK - then they would have to apply for an extension after that.

[M]

Originally posted by QPR Kevin H
Even if they are under a certain age? I thought that all Australians were allowed two years to work in the UK - then they would have to apply for an extension after that.

I don't think so - several Australian players have been denied work permits in the past.

[Toon³]

If American players are so great then why are they not domminating countries that do not require work permits like Holland and Portugal?

There are some good American players out there but if they really want to become as popular as English Italian Spanish Argtine Brazilians Dutch German and Portuguese players then they need to improve their domestic game and when they begin to challenge the Europen clubs sides they will become more accepted.

Even though Japan and Korea did well in the world cup you don't see them flooding into the domestic game in europe. There is a big differance between playing well in 7 or 8 games in the world cup and playing consitantly well for 40 to 45 games a season.

[superdave]

Originally posted by M
So presumably there are boatloads of Americans playing in countries that don't require work permits?
yes, the top flight leagues in nations where they speak English are crawling with Americans.