Over the years well known European and South American players have come to the MLS after their careers have gone south. The most notable of these players is David Beckham whose fame and fortune has both grown extensively. It's only a matter of time before more famous Europeans follow his lead. Here are some players that I think will move over to the MLS in the upcoming years:
Luis Figo (35 yrs.)
Figo was one of Italy's most talented and famous players. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and has played on the national team numerous times. Although Figo is still one of Italy's biggest names, all stars fade with time. Figo is currently playing with Inter Milan as of June 2008, however he only has a one year contract with them. I think that after this season is done there is a strong possibility he's going to the MLS. He isn't playing at as high a level as he once was and I think he'd still be a very strong contender in the US.
Alessandro Del Piero (33 yrs.)
Del Piero fought hard to make the 2008 Italian National team, but the hard work seems like it was all for nothing. The striker has been left off the Italian squad for the next two upcoming international games. With his growing age and faltering fatigue Del Piero is a prime candidate for the MLS. He has a lot of experience playing the game and I think that he would be a real leader on one of the the teams in the US. His career in Italy is on a downslope, so if he wants to keep playing he needs to look for different outlets for his famous talent.
Joe Cole (26 yrs.) Since Cole was a teen he has played for professional soccer teams in England. He knows the sport as good or better than many of his collegues, however he has not always been able to deliver the best results. Over the years he has bounced between being an outstanding and hardworking leader of his team and being a lazy benchwarmer. Although Cole has really picked up his game in recent months, I think his career would really benifit from going overseas. He is a known player, so the recognition would earn him a starting spot and some decent cash. If he keeps up the hard work we've seen recently he can really shine in the MLS.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
October 7th, 2008 - Moving to the MLS?
Posted by Ally Weber at 5:20 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
FYI, Figo is Portuguese, not Italian.
He plays on an Italian teams though. Italian fans love him, therefore he's famous in Italy.
Figo would be an interesting move. He'd basically be another Blanco and look how that has turned out. He's lost so much of his pace over the years, but I'm sure his mind is still as good if not better that it was during Portugal's "Golden Generation," which I must say was a complete flop cause there was too much pressure on a young, arrogant Ronaldo...wait...I guess he's still young and arrogant, but I digress.
Not to sure about Cole. He's still legit in Europe, but could definately be an instant start in MLS.
Others to think about would Henry who has hinted about his love for America and a desire to play/live here. Also, Shevchenko could be a possibly. His model wife is from Minnesota so he could look to finish out his career in the states if she wants to be closer to home.
Post a Comment