I like the idea of our region getting better and tougher. Only the best teams should make it out of CONCACAF, or any other federation for that matter. If the US can't hack it in qualifying, then the team / country certainly doesn't belong in the WC. A tougher federation will send tougher squads to the WC.
Feyenoord is reportedly very impressed with Clint Dempsey. Wigan is trying to get permission to use Ricardo Clark in a reserve match. He must have access to a previously unreported Europassport, and Wigan is interested in him. Kerry Zavagnin and Nick Garcia may well be gone, esp. Nick. DC is gonna lose Ryan Nelsen. Etc. etc. MLS is now among the very best "bargain basement" shopping leagues, so in order to keep the talent level up, MLS is going to have to welcome more foreign players.
In the short term maybe. But foreigners don't have to be the only answer. If we concentrate on producing higher quality american players in greater numbers this thread would be a non starter. MLS needs to realise that the development process starts around 9-10 not 20-22. There is tons of talent worldwide but with MLS salary caps the legaue can't afford most of it. The problem MLS is facing is becoming more and more similar to the probelm faced by most sports leagues in this country. Low availability of talent. Which is why all these sports leagues have draft as well as other mechanisms to distribute talent evenly. They are facing this problem for the same reason as other leagues. There is simply not enough talent being produced mainly because the sports leagues themselves don't do any real talent development. This is MLS's problem. Losing these players shouldn't be such a big deal if we had systems in place that were designed to groom replacements but we just don't have that. We are not producing enough talent to replace what leaves and we can't afford much of it that is out there. MLS needs to seriously look at developing youth setups. Not only will it create high quality future players but it will also create assets that can be sold to other teams around the world.
i hope you start finding this to be sick as i do, LOS ANGELES -- In the first trade for the team, Club Deportivo Chivas USA dealt defender Jeff Stewart to fellow Major League Soccer expansion team Real Salt Lake Wednesday in exchange for a youth international slot, allowing CD Chivas to add a 10th player from its Mexican parent club. Teams are able to trade their international player slots. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=317414&cc=5901
Yep we need to be grooming quality palyers from a much younger age. I mean the early teens. The people working with kids at the lower levels don't have MLS's best interests in mind. They just want to win. Development comes second. MLS needs to find ways to extend the devlopmental opportunities that only professionals can offer while doing so in an environment where kids don't have to lose eligibility for college. If MLS were serious about this they could fund it but let US Soccer run it so that nor "professionals teams" are involved but MLS would have a say about who the coaches are (behind the scenes). These would essentially be Bradenton type academies replicated locally around each team. Some of the money they get from this Addidas buisness should be funneled towards this. Its an investment that will definately play dividends
The only thing I don't understand (I'm not even saying I disagree) is how on the one hand we can be worried about Talent Dilution, and on the other hand, Chivas bringing in Talent to from outside MLS.... wouldn't that inherently mean that Chivas is NOT diluting MLS talent (unless the Mexican talent coming is inferior to current levels of MLS)? So, Chivas has an impact on overall league talent levels since players are coming from the Mexican league that could be positive OR negative - we don't know yet. Also, one thing I like about the Chivas experiment (stacking the club with SI's and TI's is that we get to have a club that will show - to some extent - how good the existing level of MLS talent is)... it's almost like having a NON-League team in MLS to see how other teams compare... Besides, it sure is promoting some good rivalries... the implied sentiment of Vergara, "We think Latino players are better than non-latino players..." Even if the team is not EXCLUSIVELY latino there is an explicitly stated bias towards latinos by Vergara. Now, he will have a chance to prove his sentiments.