Possibly because I don't see how it will work otherwise. Regardless of what everyone thinks, MLS is not an "easy" league to play in by any means.
Thierry Henry has had trouble in the league and he just turned 37 . Rumor has it that he is also on his way out in NY. I'm not sure why everyone thinks MLS is this easy cakewalk of a league because it most certainly is not. Its a young man's game even in America. LARGO AI GIOVANI ALREADY!
I'm not saying it's a cake walk. I'm saying that you don't start breaking your legs every game just because you're approaching 40.
People don't think it's an easy league, players go there for the money and to benefit football in america and make it more of a household name, not because they think it's easy
That is good for them but I certainly hope the league rethinks its position in signing these over 40's. To me and from a league standpoint and level , its a waste of time and it also doesn't look good in the eyes of the world. What will everyone call MLS if we start signing a bunch of over 40's? A "retirement league" something which I hope the league at this point should not strive for.
Well, thats never gonna happen because the amount of money and exposure the MLS gets from these older stars is immense and they ain't giving up that cash cow anytime soon
There really haven't been that many signings lately since Henry. DiVaio and Nesta were at the end of their ropes with their clubs otherwise they most likely would have stayed in Bologna & Milan respectively. Other than in Italy , they were not household names. I mean they are/were great names and players but nothing near a name like Beckham Blanco or Henry. I can't really name any other big signings after them. Kaka is coming next year but he will only be 32 but that is a long way from 40+. Then you have Lampard at 37 and Villa at 33. The jury is still out on how well they will do and I have my doubts especially since they will all be on expansion clubs.
Henry does play like a retired player. He has his mates doing all of the work and then he puts in his 5 minutes. He gets away with it because of his talent. He is also a lot bigger in person than he appears in TV. Nesta was on borrowed time when he left Milan. Kaka may be 32 but that is like 40 in Brasilian football age.
Kaka is not known for his physicality either. In the early years of MLS, there were some skillful players that portrayed their art. Less of that today, a lot of running in this league with little purpose. Maybe Del Piero got use to it playing in Australia. We may find out.
I'm sure ADP will or could still show you flashes of brilliance in MLS. I'm not doubting his class or his skill set. The trouble is at 40, its pretty incredible that he will be able to withstand the rigors of an 8 month long season in the heat and with the US travel from NY to LA to Toronto to Seattle and then back to Florida and Dallas. Its not like he is traveling from Turin to Milan to Bergamo and maybe once to Naples and Rome twice a year. Also, its not easy for a forward to run around at that age in MLS and I haven't seen any play beyond 40 since Preki and maybe El Pibe. Lothar seemed lost at 39 and so did Cudicini who was 40 in LA last year. At least he was only a GK but playing forward is a different story. You can argue what about Toni , Di Natale and Totti? Well yeah ok they are over 37 but they are still doing it and ADP isn't really, at least not at the top level like the Serie A.
I agree that it will be difficult for Del Piero. I don't think MLS suits his style. But I figured the same would happen in Australia and he did well there. A lot depends where he lands and whether the coach will design around him. That is if there is any truth to these rumors.
MLS is a terrible fit for ADP. There are only a few specific markets where he would move the marketing needle, and the chances that those same teams would be willing/able to build the squad to accommodate the strengths/weaknesses of a 40-yr old finesse player... dubious, very dubious. He is definitely not going to be able to draw all those fouls like he did in Oz and Italy... 99% of the tumbles he takes will never get a call from MLS's bloodsport-certified/legally-blind refs. The horrible officiating, that's what will do him in, even more than the grueling travel, heat, and plastic pitches. The imports who have been most successful are mainly ones with a snarling, combative side themselves, like Becks and Keane at my Galaxy. ADP is too elegant for the league, and he has nothing to prove... hard to see where his motivation would come from to put up with the crap.
Nice goal by ADP. I think he scored 4 more that year in only 14 total appearances and Sacchi even thought about bringing him to USA 94. Funny looking at Fabrizio Ravanelli and his white hair. If he looked old then, he must be ancient looking now.
God i miss that Serie A. Thats when the game was fun, not the bullshit Messi/Ronaldo idol worshiping mixed with off the field, transfer rumor crap we see now days.
The days of hardly any Internet. I got all my information from reading that pink GDS paper & the Corriere Dello Sport. How I miss the ink on my fingertips.
I read Alex was benched for his 3rd consecutive game. I think its either time to return to Italy and/or find another club or call it a career.
DISEGNA IL TUO CAMPIONE Juventus una leggenda della nostra Serie A TIM, Matteo C. ci regala uno spettacolare Alessandro Del Piero in una delle sue classiche esultanze. #IlCalcioèDiChiLoAma