Jay Needham is playing in Norway for Alta IF. Big deal, right? Anyway, I'd seen a few PR Islanders matches, and hadn't seen him, so I was curious what happened to him... I bet he wishes he had at least stuck with the Islanders for another year so he could be a part of this CCL run. I honestly don't understand what this kid's problem is. He isn't even starting in Norway, and I seriously doubt that the Norwegian 1st division is better soccer than MLS.
Just to correct a couple of things. Jay Needham is starting in Norway. He has played in 19 league matches and 2 cup ties. He made the Norwegian First Divison team of the week back in July. From reading the press, he was injured in early May and missed three or four games and then had to sit out a suspension for yellow cards (three and you sit in Norway). Otherwise, he has been on the field. Some 21 Americans started the season with Norwegian teams. Because of injury, being released, or being out of favor, only about seven see regular playing time. Troy Perkins, Clarence Goodson (now out with mono), Kyle Veris, Cam Weaver, Chris Rudd, and Needham are regular starters. If you count the Irish international, Joe Lapira, as an American (He is from Louisiana.), then you have seven. I think that is a testament to the difficulty in making the change to a new environment and playing styles. All of these players have shown their adaptability. I also think that playing in the First division in Norway, or the Elite Series for some, gives them a chance to show their talents to teams in bigger European Leagues. If sports is about acheiving your highest possible level of play, then these players are trying to do that by showing the Europeans what they can do in their environment. I'm sure the money doesn't hurt either. For Needham, Puerto Rico was an opprotunity to play everyday and get noticed by other teams. If he plays well, Alta should be a stepping stone to a better team. That team may be an MLS club or a higher placed European club. We can talk forever about how great or how bad the MLS is. The important thing is that the majority of MLS players would love to see what it is like to play in Europe. Some will get a chance. Others will not. For the guys that go over there, the league and cup matches give them a chance to match their American talent against the rest of the world. Whether succeed or fail is not as important as the chance. It sounds like a great opportunity to me.