http://www.ovaciondigital.com.uy/11...cional/crespo-siente-los-anos-y-se-quiere-ir/ ``Este para mí es el último año con el Parma, pero no dejaré de jugar; si no, deseo continuar en un campeonato de otro nivel, en Asia o Estados Unidos´´, afirmó el jugador de 36 años, en un encuentro con los hinchas de su equipo, en declaración recogida por el Corriere dello Sport en su página de internet. This is my last year in Parma. I will continue to play, then I want to play in a competition of another level. In Asia or the US." Other level = Pay day. Good luck getting a MLS team Hernan... start learning Arabic.
Yup. Or just play half ass, get paid, and the fans will cheer for me. Phuq you, Crespo, and another other superstar who thinks that MLS is a retirement league.
What do you guys think about Del Piero coming to MLS? I want him nowhere near my team or the league. After being rumored to come for many years, he clearly stayed at Juve until he became way too old and is getting kicked out and now he wants to come?! I would only agree to see him if he takes $200k salary which will indicate that he at least somewhat wants to play here.
Del Piero announced he will retire this season... As for Crespo as a River fan I will always love him for his 2 goals gave us a Copa Libertadores, in my facebook I have a picture with Crespo when he played at Milan.. a great goalscorer who continues to do well in Italy... And also the second highest goal scorer of the Argentine national team. But on another level I cannot believe retiring in River never crossed his mind.... His wife HATES Argentine, why she married an Argentine beyond me let alone have kids with him, and that is one of the reasons.... But to make $$$ IN MLS or Arabia... over 1 year at River... Pesetero!
TBH I think MLS GM's/owners are smart enough now after all these years to not give a guy like him the time of day. They used to chase guys like this, but the learning curve has greatly improved. Good luck in Qatar.
I LOVE both these guys, especially Del Piero. That being said: time takes its toll and football is an unforgiving sport. Even guys that take good care of themselves cannot keep up with the pace and level of kids that can run for days and know nothing of injury. Both guys are 36 ........ they're about 4 years over due ....and thats being kind.
Hernan is in a group with Del Piero, Riquelme, Ze Roberto, Pires and Seedorf, just to name a few, who could have been really special players in MLS several years ago, but decided to try to hold on to past glory in Europe. Seedorf especially continued to basically say MLS wasn't good enough for him while he wastes away on the bench or on the trainer's table at Milan. MLS never has been and never will be a retirement league, but the signings of very few older players that make headlines gave some ignorant observers that opinion. However, when you look at the contributions of players like Blanco and Schelotto, teams can't be entirely dismissive of signing older playmakers either. MLS has a different standard now. The ever-evolving Designated Player rule allows teams to sign players that they couldn't have under the old payroll structure. I think this year has shown that quality scouting goes a long way in making good DP signings. How good have Hassli, Bravo, Chara, Rost, Frings, Koevermans and Keane been? When teams try to go above that standard and make a big signing with a high profile international superstar, then they have to be smarter now. When Beckham leaves LA and Marquez leaves NY, those teams aren't going to be looking to replace them with the likes of Hernan and Del Piero. They'll be looking to replace them with the likes of Robin Van Persie, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Zabi Alonso, Antonio Cassano, Dimitar Berbatov, Franck Ribery, Michael Essien, Nicolas Anelka, Robinho, Kaka and I'll bet LA will go hard after Ronaldinho again. At some point in the near future, MLS is going to start getting more and more of those types of players closer to the age of 30 than 35.
At some point? I think it has already happened to a large degree. People forget, Beckham was only 31 when he came over, and still realistically at the tail end of his prime. He's old now, but it's his fifth season. Keane is also 31, and so was Angel when he showed up. Angel and Beckham are going to be eligible for the US Soccer Hall of Fame (provided such a building existed) when it's all said and done. The true trick, I believe, will be to get these guys when they're on the right side of 30. It would probably be a former prodigy who's 28, but been a professional for a decade plus and is ready for something new.
I honestly don't think it's that far off (we're speaking in relative terms of course, and I'm basing this off the evolution of things in the past 5 years). Just quickly combing rosters of "Big League" clubs (like 2 minutes) that would lead to these types of players if we were at that point today (also considering their club's situation which would help the MLS' case): Tuncay (Bolton) Morten Gamst Pederson, Yakubu (Blackburn) Patrick Helmes, Patrick Ochs (Wolfsburg) David Bellion (Bordeaux) Anthony Le Tallec (Auxerre) Miku (Getafe) Xabi Prieto (Sporting Gijon) -------- Hell, I'd even start taking stabs at guys like Carlos Vela. He keeps getting loaned out and isn't figuring into the big club's plan despite the big club's lack of players up front. Issues with his national team and looks to be getting passed by in that regard as well with a number of young ATT players for Mexico getting who are also getting regular minutes at clubs .... .... not necessarily him, but I don't think we're that far away from being able to pop a guy like him with a 'perfect storm' kind of situation lending a hand (I mean hell, we got Beckham here before the pop in growth).
Arguing semantics at this point. Beckham and Henry are far and away two of the biggest stars the league has ever had. Beckham was 31 and Henry was 33 (right?). The league also nabbed Ljungberg, Keane, Gallardo, Bravo, Angel and Marquez at decent ages. I think Angel turned out to be the best signing, but Keane is the best coup on paper. Bravo was a solid signing too. And that is the situation I'm talking about: superstar players who are getting playing time, aren't returning from a string of injuries and aren't an outcast at their club. Beckham - only became an outcast after he decided to sign for LA. Henry - getting less time, but he was competing with Pedro. Ljungberg - injuries. Gallardo - injuries. Marquez - injuries and out of Barca's plans. Both Keane and Bravo were healthy and playing well. LAG and SKC just paid them well and made a good pitch to come to MLS. That is what I want to see more of.
Bravo was even loaned back to Chivas so he could help them in the Copa Libertadores. I have to say i was expecting Bravo to be a bust, but he been a decent signing.
Idk, 36 isn't a death sentence, look at Koevermans. It's a case by case basis, however these guys don't seem to have much left.
Yeah he was great at Milan, when then lost to Liverpool in the UEFA Champ final in 2005!!! Not 2011. He's worse than Blaise Nkufo was with Seattle. For Del Piero I honestly commend his decision to avoid the MLS. He decided to stick with Juve, a team he's been with since 93 and didn't want to come lay and egg and just get a big pay day in the states.
Damn. Why did I think he was older? Anyways, my point is still the same. I'll just cite arkjayback's point; if you find an older player who's efficacy didn't hinge on pace, like Blanco, Schelloto, or Nkufo, then you might be able to have players who can be useful upwards of 35 years old. I refuse to believe that an athlete cannot be useful after 35, or even 40.
^ Bingo. What I really find odd about the "American soccer fan" is that they are the ones that think age is a death knell for an athlete. Baseball ? Football ? Yeah, 33-38 is prime time for many QB's in football and big time FA's in baseball. Also, why should our league be looked down on for the age of players we sign ? Anyone bother to do a reality check on the FMF and Serie A rosters ? Or those in South America ?
Meh, I've had to make this argument so many times. It's just an unfair double standard. Ryan Giggs is, what, 57 now? In England he is an ageless wonder because he is still playing well for ManU. If he signed tomorrow for MLS, he'd be a washout. Logic doesn't come into play there, and its not going to for several decades probably.