Not sure how trustworthy a report is in which the player's name is misspelled (especially an easy name like Clark), but Sky Sports claims that multiple EPL teams are looking to sign Rico Clark. Chase on for US star
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? This isn't an example of the Brits trying to psych us out before the big game in June is it? I mean they're F'ing with us right?
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? His play in the confed cup, plus his availability on a free, I think this isnt that hard to believe. At worst its a low risk gamble for quite a few clubs that dont have transfer money to actually help themselves during the window.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? U.S. Star? He's a decent player but that's a little bit of an exaggeration.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? And they also tied the Stuart Holden transfer rumors into the story quite nicely as well.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? How does one qualify for a work permit? Is it based on national team appearances/ranking?
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? No, its just easy scouting. Get all the yanks in the EPL, so they can know our players to the finest detail. Last i checked, Onyewu and Cherundolo were attracting interest from Chelsea. Michael Bradley and Jones from Arsenal Edu and Beasley from Manchester United and Fulham Bocanegra from Liverpool and Tottenham Edgar Castillo and Fransico Torres from Aston Villa and Bornstein from Torquay United
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? I wonder who is looking for him. The EPL is the best league for him for sure. Wonder if one of them is Fulham....
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? Not the only place they exaggerated for the sake of making copy -- and although this is off-topic for this forum, they said he was odds-on to start against England in June. But hey, whatever gives credibility to his transfer value, that's OK by us, isn't it?
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? Well they cannot exactly admit that the US is progressing to the point where marginal national team players are good enough to be courted by multiple EPL clubs. Got to keep the colonists in their place.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? Yes, but there is also an appeals process. Donovan didnt quite meet the requirements because of the gold cup and sitting out matches after we had qualified for the hex last year, but got through easily on appeal. Holden has a British passport (im assuming UK sub-states dont issue individual passports, but I really dont know). Clark is probably short, and will have to go through on appeal, but given his role in the US Confed cup run, I would expect him to not have any problems.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has one passport. Holden and Clark are both on Free Transfers right?? What a great pickup they are for EPL teams.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? Can't wait for all the people who use to claim he sucked too clamor for him to start for the nats once he starts for an EPL team.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? He only has 9 appearances in the 26 A matches since 2008. I'll have to double check my math but that's a bit below the required 75%.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? Clark's father was born in Guyana and raised in Trinidad. http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2009/10/Humble-Hero.aspx Both are, obviously, former colonies of the UK. Guyana became independet from England (ie dropped "British" from its name) in 1966. According to variouy searches, the elder Clark played college soccer in the US in the late 70s meaning he would have been born before 1966 and thus born a British subject. I have no idea if this gives Rico a claim to an EU passport or not, but I suspect others here might but if it does, obviously all the other work permit issue becomes moot. EDITED to add that this Soccer America article says Clark's dad is FROM Trinidad and it's his mom that is Guyanan but either way, if Guyana (or T&T) makes one eligible for a UK passport, Clark should be able to get one. http://www.socceramerica.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=34101
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? I know these are mostly jokes but... Chelsea - Owned by a Russian. Managed by an Italian. Arsenal - Largest shareholder is an American. Managed by a Frenchman. ManU - Owned by an American. Managed by a Scot. Fulham - Owned by an Egyptian. Managed by an Englishman. Liverpool - Owned by Americans. Managed by a Spaniard. Tottenham - Owned and managed by Englishmen. Aston Villa - Owned by an American. Managed by an Irishman. Torquay United - Owned and Managed by Englishmen. So aside from Torquay and Spurs, the teams on that list would have little to no motivation to make scouting USMNT players easier on anyone. I know the idea of buying players just for scouting purposes is absurd, but I have seen it enough times on BS lately to feel the need to point out that many, if not most, of the primary decision makers in the front offices around the EPL have little allegiance to England.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? This is why the 2009 Houston Dynamo were only a striker awy from being one of the best clubs in NA.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? Nah, they're getting all of us in the EPL. Then during the last month of EPL matches, our players are injured one by one from "bad tackles."
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? im trying to think which EPL teams actually need him to walk right in and start. Hull, Portsmouth, Bolton, go without saying. Wolves have had Henry go through a great run of form theyre great in the middle with Henry and Mijilas right now. Everton perhaps....free transfer would be what theyre all about. man wouldnt that be fantastic.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? I'm scanning through some lineups for bottom half clubs right now. Here are the starting DM's from what I can tell (some clubs start two at the same time). Stoke: Diao Wolves: Henry (Captain) Blackburn: N'Zonzi Burnley: Alexander (Vice-Captain) + Bikey Wigan: Thomas + Diame Hull: Olofinjana + Boateng Bolton: Muamba West Ham: Neither Parker nor Noble are really true DM's Portsmouth: Mokoena (Captain) + M. Brown Haven't wathed enough of these clubs to know which ones Clark would be best suited for or which ones he could start for. I didn't include Everton because they're not bottom half on talent.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? I don't believe it does. I'm pretty sure that players from Caribbean countries have to go through the WP process just the same as American players do. I mean, don't even Canadian players have to secure a WP, too? And Canada is part of the Commonwealth.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? i dont see a reason why we cant include everton given the free transfer incentive. Theyre not too deep at that position really either it could be argued. Especially with all of their injuries right now.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? Now, you are just looking at it from the "Americans are inferior in soccer perspective" that pervades these boards. Just imagine that England had a FIFA ranking of 14th (coincidentally, that is the current ranking of the US). Wouldn't every guy on the England team be considered a "star"? Admittedly, some would be BIG STARS, and the others, just stars. But, they'd be stars, nevertheless. Ricardo Clark is truly a star because he is a regular in the national team. But, it is also the national team of a country in which the game of the world is not given much consideration. The Eurosnobbery shows through all too much, even on BigSoccer.
Re: Ricardo Clark to the EPL? Landon Donovan is a national team star. Rico Clark, eh... Wayne Rooney is a national team star. Gareth Barry, eh...