I thought MLS was a crap amateur league until i saw what its players could do on the International stage in WC 2002.
Whatever happened to "MLS is an infant league, give it some time"? Funny how the tune changes when the purists want something.
Sorry but it's pretty obvious that you don't understand work permits in England. ManU is not able to buy him. This isn't a trial. 1st off, ManU and EJ have no grounds for winning an appeal. Howard got his appeal for a number of reasons. The 2 keepers ahead of him on the US Nats were already EPL starters, SAF convinced the review board he would start, and Howard was going to be EU with his Hungarian passport. EJ doesn't have any of this going for him and there's no way anyone is going to convince the review board he could start there. 2nd, ManU can not buy him and then sell or loan him out without the work permit. They aren't allowed to buy the rights for a player without a work permit even if they are going to loan him out. It doesn't work that way. At least PSV are legally able to sign him but I doubt they will. It can't hurt to take a look at another American.
Sorry, my mistake...I wasn't aware of the fact that ManU can't buy a player, without having that player actually have a work permit. Does Spector have a work permit? Cooper? Karbassiyoon? Simek? Is it different because they started there as youth/reserve players?
Spector, Cooper, Simek and Karb( I think him too) all get in on Euro passports. That's the thing with this whole discussion(not just your post) that doesn't make sense. Adu could not sign a professional contract (his rights) in Europe under the international transfer of children rules. I believe that U18s can still be in club's acadamies but they can't sign their rights to anyone and can't play any games for money.
I don't think this argument holds water because most youth players in America wouldn't qualify to sign to a club's youth team because of the international transfer of children rules and work permit rules before. The players you mentioned aren't America's best they are just the best of the few that can get in. Players can't sign at 15 or 16 without an EU connection, just like Adu couldn't.
Yeah I saw your post, good job, people forget. I just remember reading all this stuff over and over when people said Adu was going to sign in Europe. What's Karb's connection for his EU passport? I've read about the other 3.
Simek has lived in England since he was about 12ish(his dad had a job transfer over there). Karb got EU status through him mom due to Italian decent. Spector got it through Germany I believe. Cooper is actually 1/2 English or thats what they were saying when he left SMU and went to man u.
Milan Baros only had 8 senior caps when his appeal was (finally after a rejection) approved by the FA. EJ could have as many caps in 4 - 6 months. And he would have won them while playing for a Top-10 ranked national team. I don't think Czech Republic was ranked that high when Baros was awarded his work permit, as they had just fallen out of World Cup Qualifying. Both EJ and Baros were exceptional at youth national team levels. Baros was somewhat more accomplished as a professional player for Banik Ostrava, although neither the Czech league nor MLS are rated that highly by the FA. EJ and Baros would be about the same age, should Man Utd successfully get an appeal. I am not sure how much Houllier's promises regarding Baros' status on the team (i.e. first team/starter/etc.) made a difference in the appeal - although Baros was by no means a starter in his first two seasons with Liverpool. The work permit issue (esp. regarding appeals) is still a bit wet and wooly, though I think that the FA is tightening up some of the loopholes, because over the last several years it has been evident that big teams like Man Utd were getting much better treatment in the appeals process than other teams (Spurs for instance). Holland and Germany (among others) have no work permit requirement. Holland has a minimum salary requirement for non-EU players - which makes US players fairly expensive at any squad that does not have a high payroll. For instance, Earnie Stewart was one of the most expensive players on NAC Breda's books when he played there. Spain and Italy have only 3 (IIRC) first team spots for non-EU players (or at least non-EU players without EU passports), which makes it very difficult for teams to commit to players who are not (Argentinian or Brazilian or a few African players without passports) guaranteed stars. This is the reason why teams like Real Madrid loan out very good (foreign) players to other teams.
Balance is the best thing ! There really is no right or wrong on MLS transfering its players, as long as there is some kind of balance. There some young kids going right to Europe bypassing MLS and we have some that MLS are signing at a very young age. We have had offers for our players where MLS said NO and in other cases the players want/need/money determined the outcome. Having americans playing in Europe has many advantages , we all agree on that. MLS is starting slowly to get a name for itself and that is also a good thing. It may be some day MLS will be able to sell some games outside USA would be one such benefit among others. If our yanks perform well the foreign clubs will be willing to pay more to have them, i expect sometimes soon to have our first 10mil+ player transfered out of MLS. I am against MLS players going to Europe to sit on the bench. It would be murder to see EJ go to a big club just to play reserve games and sit. He doesn't have to be with Man U or PSV there are many clubs in Europe he could start for . I am in favor of youth players going to Europe to develop, that is ok. We laso have players returning , some go some will return and as long as there is a balance it will be ok i can assure you that.
Does anyone really believe EJ would sit the bench at PSV? It seems Venegoor of Hesselink is the top dawg at striker, but he is quite injured now. One could guess that EJ could have a resonable chance of displacing Sibon as the #2 Centre Forward there. That would be a very good place indeed at a club like PSV.
Czech Republic was also a pending EU member at the time (it is a full member now). Germany however has a limit on a number of non-EU players. Holland does not. Belgium is the only other country without a limit. Earnie is not a "foreigner" in Holland. Whatever he was paid by Breda had nothing to do with his citizenship status. Also, €401K is not all that high of a salary in Holland where the pay scale is from ~ €300K - €1,000K for most of the clubs and even more with the BIG 3. Another reason is that they can't get off the bench at Real.
PSV actually has a webcam of their practices, IIRC. So if EJ is training with the first team, one might be able to see him live.
Well said. The Czech Republic was very close to becoming a full EU member, the appeals board wisely took this into consideration.
1. You're right. 2. So So wrong, United signed Dong Fanzhou a chinese 18 yr old star then loaned him out because he would not qualify for a work permit because he did not have enough caps.
I'm pretty sure you are wrong about this. There were reports that ManU were going to sign him but I never read anything that they did. Legally it doesn't work that way, he can't sign unless he qualifies for a work permit. I've heard United has some wink wink agreements with clubs in Europe, maybe Antwerp is one, not sure how it's all worked out. I guess it's like a gentlemen's agreement to offer him to United when he qualifies for a work permit. That's a way for them to get a player to train and play with a club that they have ties with but United didn't sign him and they don't own his rights. They probably get first offer at a predetermind price.
As a Dallas fan, I don't want to see him go. For 2 years Dallas has not made the playoffs. Dallas fans have waited patiently for EJ's breakout. It has happened and now a bunch of posters on here want him gone. How can Dallas fans view the league in a positive light when EJ is sold so quickly? He is the first homegrown Dallas talent. I doubt FC Dallas will be compensated adequately for losing such a player. Frisco and HSG is paying for a new stadium and I think they should be able to keep EJ for at least 1 year.