Robbie Rogers at Stevenage [R]

The unknown is always more enticing if not more effective.

I was always crappy at UNO as a kid because the face down pile always had a wild card for me. I was sure of it. In reality it was always a yellow 2.

 

I think this is a sentiment he should be well aware of.

He can sign with a team but then be sent off to parts unknown and even cut.

 

What a failure Robbie's stint in England has been. WC shouldn't even be in his thought process as he couldn't hack it in England's 2nd or 3rd divisions. I do wonder if Robbie just has a soft mentality and can't push through when the going gets tough and he's out of comfort zone. He's 0-3 now at clubs in Europe and none were at that high a level.

If he's serious about attempting to make the WC roster and bettering himself as a player then he better try to find a club in Europe and break through. Coming back with your tail between your legs because you failed at two clubs isn't a good sign for someone intent on becoming an international level player.

This is also why stats and success from some in MLS is overrated. It's about the talent, the skill, what a player can do in a different system surrounded by players with higher soccer IQ's and who play at a pace a few levels above MLS. Just because you have success or achieve good stats in MLS does not make you an international level player or a player who can hack it in Europe, while at the same time just because you don't have great success in MLS or great stats it doesn't mean you couldn't have success at a higher level, internationally or in Europe.

I hope Robbie stays in Europe as he's an example of a guy who's had good success in MLS but his success/stats in MLS over-inflate his true skill level against those in Europe. If he wants to really become a better player he's got to man up and stick it out. I'd argue MLS hasn't been good for him personally as you see how well it's developed him for Championship/League One level soccer. His soccer IQ never matured, nor did it have to in order to have a comfortable career here.

 

Did anyone really expect him to succeed in England? I think most USA fans knew what he was. He really wasn't even that good in MLS, so it's not surprising to see him struggle elsewhere.

I don't see it as an indictment of MLS. It's an indictment of Robbie Rogers.

 

Didn't mean it as an indictment on MLS. It's about the player. The league is good for some players more than others. I said for Robbie, personally, I don't think MLS is good for him in terms of raising his soccer IQ and preparing him to play at a faster pace, let alone international pace. It's why I'd hope for his sake he finds a club in Europe, preferably Holland who'll take a risk on him and find a way to break through. I wouldn't bet on that though. I don't think he has the mental makeup between the ears.

He was never EPL level talent, but I'm a bit surprised he's fallen on his face the way he has.

 

Interesting question: who's been a more "surprising" failure in England? Rogers or Findley? Findley had a supposedly better "soccer IQ" (and played in a World Cup). But I think most USA fans, including myself, never expected either to achieve much in England. All things considered, EJ had a better England career than both of them, and that's not saying much.

 

Neither is a surprising failure because I saw something in them but because the way it happened. For a short time in the beginning of his Forest career, Findley was considered Forest's best forward option to some, a very short time mind you. He ended up falling from the face of the earth. Then Rogers looked promising in the beginning and Leeds fans were excited. Both were brought down by managerial changes and injuries. I dont think it has as much to do with their attitude, IQ, or skill as many say. I still maintain they're both lower championship quality players.

 

Steve Davis had this to say on PST.

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/...attractive-side-of-the-yanks-abroad-equation/

To me, it's a pretty effin' dumb article.

 

Thanks for taking the time to post this article. I think it offers some good perspective to the other/opposite argument. I believe this point is particularly appropriate.

But one thing has been constant, something the wise guys of our domestic game (Bruce Arena, for instance) have been saying for years, something I have written for years: playing regularly in MLS beats languishing on a bench in England, Scotland, Germany, Spain or wherever.

 

Well, it depends where one languishes.

Mo Edu's bank account is surely better off while he is at Stoke than it would have been in MLS.

And, obviously, practicing with stars of such clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Bayern and Real would make one a better performer than from merely appearing on the field for Chivas USA.

But that's the same Bruce who blamed Seattle's 4th generation Field Turf for his team's inability to complete forward passes.

 

His MLS rights were just traded to the Fire today, so if he is going anywhere, he must go through Chicago.

 

I can't imagine the Fire would have traded for him if they weren't sure they'd be securing his services sometime soon.

 

Apparently Robbie Rogers flies United Airlines.

 

Looks like he just came out and retired all in the same blog post.

http://robbierogers8.moonfruit.com/

 

Seems a bit drastic to step away at 25 considering the living/career he's been able to make playing soccer at decent levels, but obviously it seems like it's something that's been stewing inside of Robbie for a long, long time.

Congrats to him for having the courage to come out in a football world that doesn't take kindly to players who do so, and best of luck to him on his future endeavors. Hopefully he'll come back to soccer one day, on his own terms.

 

At first I thought he was comparing the struggle of coming out of the closet to always wanting to leave soccer behind but never being able to. Then I obviously read through it again and realized he was actually coming out.
On the surface some might ask why he is retiring but, to put it simply, I believe if he continued to play he would be facing a whole new side of adversity in football and it is probably for the best that he retire. I wouldnt want to see what happened to Jozy done to Rogers (and probably worse & more often). We obviously wouldnt want that for anyone.
I wished him the best of luck on Twitter. It was pretty mindblowing to read this and think that he has to retire at 25 because of something like this.
There is probably more of an understanding as to why Rogers' career took a decline now though. That kind of mental struggle is rather.. unimaginable.

 

Congrats to Robbie for having the courage to do this. I hope his step away from football is brief, it would be a shame if he felt he couldn't continue his career after he came out.

 

These kinds of things are exactly why I don't like to play amateur psychiatrist. There's just so many things that the general public doesn't know about an athlete, and shouldn't know without their consent.

 

I imagine there would be plenty of coaches that would love to have him play for them. He is a talented player.

 

You dont need to be an "amateur psychologist", you just need to have played the game to realize that your mentality is at least 50% of being successful.

 

I'm not disputing that, in fact that was sort of my point. Sports tend to rely on your mental strength as much as your physical talent, and athletes being people, there are tons of factors in their private lives affecting that which the general public shouldn't be privy to without their consent, but which we speculate on anyway since they're public figures at this level.

I also cannot spell or do correct grammar today. Doing tons of edits.

 

Well I think we all could agree that it would be very difficult to focus under conditions Robbie was experiencing. This could have had an effect in various ways. Ultimately, he might be on a important personal path now.

 

Massive respect to Robbie for being strong enough and brave enough to be honest about who he is, and what he wants from life.

 

I think it was pretty clear that Robbie had all the physical gifts you could ask for in a player, but never quite seemed "there" mentally. This probably explains why. Best of luck to him.