I'm sure something similar to this has been done in the past but I thought it might be interested with a slight update of sorts and additions. Is it the trophies they have? Is it having played in the first division? Could it be having achieved a record of some sort? Or consistency for a decade at the same club or 2? Is it having played for years in the Champions League or Europa League? Is it having played for a big club regardless if they were starters? Is it their personal stats such as having scored 25 goals in 1 season or being picked Player of the Year? Does a title victory in a second division compare to that of the first? How would you compare the best American players in Europe to say the best players from Australia/Japan/South Korea/Mexico who played in Europe. Have any of our guys compare to Park Ji Sung or Tim Cahill or Keisuke Honda?
Excluding GK, Reyna, Bradley and Dempsey all played more than 200 games in Europe. But cherundolo wins longevity award with 370 games in Europe!
Gooch haa 2 Belgian titles and made the quarters with Liege I believe and EL semi-final with Sporting Lisbon and quarters in the CL with Malaga Dempsey made the EL final with Fulham. Shame Bradley left Roma before they got back into the CL
GK - Brad's Accent by a kilometer...er...mile...He was consistently one of the best player's at his position in one of the top three leagues in the world. As far as field players, it's a little harder. Probably vote for one of Cherundolo/McBride/Dempsey...
Bocanegra also deserves to be on the list...200 games in England and France is pretty good. If you go by titles, John O'Brien won two Eredivisie titles, and the Dutch league is stronger than the Belgian league (where Gooch won his titles) or Scotland (where a bunch of Americans won titles). I don't think any American has ever won a title in England, France, Germany, Italy or Spain. Beasley the only other american to accomplish a title in Holland (only won one). Of course O'Brien didn't play much for the second title.
Thomas Dooley was key part of Kaiserslautern when it won the German Cup in 1990 & the Bundesliga in 1991 He also won the Uefa Cup in 1997 with Schalke
Easier with American born players. Wasn't he seen as a German and had the passport (which hurts US players)
Beasley played a key role in his first title and also his first title in Scotland. Gooch also played a big role in his titles. Just saying
His father was an American, hence he is "American born". How is Tom Dooley not on this list? Has any other American won a title, cup, and european cup?
Friedel. But Reyna and Bradley established themselves as starters in three different European leagues, which has always impressed me.
Dempsey has 57 career goals in the EPL, 50 of which for Fulham. He's their highest PL goal-scorer and may be that way for years to come. Helped his team to the Europa League Final Gooch has 2 Belgian titles, 1 Supercup, 2 Team of the Year selections, 1 Best Foreign Player (not sure why any league gives this type of award). Played in the CL. Dozens of matches in the Europa League. Cherundolo. 15 years at the same club. Consistency For The Win. Over a decade in the Bundesliga. Just adding this in. You guys can add more. I really wanna go and dissect the regard we hold for trophies as opposed to personal stats as opposed to consistency and playing in a top league/competition/big club.
At their peaks how good were Friedel and Keller compared to say Tim Howard (today) or even Casillas/Buffon/Cech (at their peaks)? How come either never played for any truly big clubs? Was their ever interest or stigma of being US players?
Friedel played for Liverpool, Galatasaray, Aston Villa, and Tottenham, something over 200 league appearances in total for those clubs, and almost 300 for Blackburn in the Premier League. That is a great career with a bunch of legit clubs. Keller had a solid career with a bunch of clubs a rung below those.
Well yes. I just meant like were either ever on the wishlist of some regular CL clubs? In fact why was Friedel at Blackburn for as long as he was?
Where would you guys rank Bocanegra's career in Europe? And had Dempsey/Bradley stayed with their clubs or changed them and ultimately retired in Europe, what would be their lasting legacy? Like Dempsey is Fulham's PL top scorer for example. Had he stayed in Europe until he was like 35 or so could he have reached 100 goals in the PL?
Clint Dempsey 2011-2012 season at Craven Cottage is still the best season by any American in Europe for me. The form carried over to the NT too.
Fun fact. Sacha Klejstan won 3 Belgian Titles in 4 Seasons. I would say Dempsey had the best European career of any field players that grew up in the states. (Jermaine Jones probably had the best career. Started on a consistent CL squad in Shalke.) Ditto Friedal though.