De Rosario in Europe

[The Beaver]

Just wanted to point out one other side benefit--sort of--of DeRo staying in MLS: It does not hurt entirely to have a strong base of players playing in North America when it comes time to qualifying. We cannot always depend on our Euro-based players to come back for every game, not to mention injurie, and if the MLS can keep a chunk of TFC players and DeRo and Jazic and Serioux in good playing shape, I think we benefit.

But Grizz's point is a good one: If DeRo doesn't up his game a notch or two, he might get passed by one of our young guns. I suspect if we play a 4-5-1 or a 4-3-3, he'll still see a good deal of time for the next few years. If Lensky and JDG2 decide to get on board and continue their development--along with Will johnson and JDG1 and Hutch and Peters--it might be tough to find a role for DeRo to play. At least as a starter.

[pulsar]

Grizz, I totally agree the the NATS need some players with cajones. I think we are getting there but to say that DeRo is a border line starter for the team i disagree with. I am not going to bore you with facts you already know but he is in game shape and with the MLS player standards always rising i think he is a starter. I just think he needs a great player to set him up. Kinda like Pippo Inzaghi. Great goal scorer but he cannot change the pace of a game.

[Grizzly]

DeRo is a flashy goal scorer not a great goal scorer. He is actually quite a poor finisher and misses a lot of sitters but the slower pace of MLS play means he gets a lot of chances so he still has a decent scoring rate. What is important is how he plays for the national team not how he plays in the MLS and that is why he is a borderline starter. If he dominated national team games the way he dominates MLS games he would definitely be a starter and one of our top players. Yet he has played quite poorly for the national team in the last few years, the higher level of play exposes all the flaws in his game. Flaws he is not correcting by staying at the MLS level.

[Richard]

Maybe it's because he is aware of those flaws that he elects to stay with MLS.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

Maybe it's because he is aware of those flaws that he elects to stay with MLS.

That could be the case but that is exactly why I think the 6 month EPL offer was ideal for him. I think DeRo has the raw talent not only to be an EPL player but to be a top EPL player yet there are many aspects of his game he would need to improve dramatically and some of these may not be easy to fix at his age. I think if he gets/takes the chance to play at a higher level he is either going to excel or be terrible, no in between with him. If he continues to play like he has for the national team he will be replaced very quickly in an EPL calibre lineup. His mistakes will be much more severely punished by opposing players at this level than at MLS or even at the international level we are usually playing at. If he could learn to use his natural ability better, improve those skills where he is lacking and just overall become more effective I think he would have the potential to dominate EPL/MNT games like he does MLS games.

It is hard to predict whether he would succeed or fail but he was given the opportunity to show that he could play at the top level in the world and he turned it down. As important as family is I don't think a 6 month contract which would give him time to evaluate whether things were working out or not is a very big sacrifice to make for such an opportunity especially when you know a MLS job will still be waiting for you if it doesn't work out. I could understand it more if he turned down a 2 year EPL contract that paid him half of what he was making in MLS. People take 6 month contracts that take them away from their families all the time in mundane bureaucratic/administrative jobs. DeRo was given a shot at becoming a world soccer star and millionaire and he turned it down. It may be that there are some other contract or external issues that we don't know about but if there are not other unknown reasons I find this decision pretty hard to understand.

If you go on US soccer forums many fans are upset about Landon Donovan choosing life at home and easy MLS success rather than sticking it out in Germany where he was struggling to make the team but could have really improved his game. I think we have every right to be upset when our own players do the same thing. Both Donovan and DeRo are underachievers in soccer given the talent they possess. If family is more important to them than soccer fair enough but neither we nor the future national team coach will be judging them from the viewpoint of their wives or kids but from the viewpoint of them as a soccer player. Everyone needs to find a balance between their career and family and if their balance is tilted very heavily towards family than they have to accept that coaches and fans may not be pleased by their attitude. When I look at how many of our soccer players (often far less talented than DeRo) have struggled to establish themselves I find it hard to see the same dedication from DeRo. Look at Hirschfeld who has been through Germany, England and Scotland and had several years where he didn't get a game before finally finding success in Norway. Or how about Bernier playing in the most northern club in the world where there is hardly any sun during the winter. Or Dave Simpson going through Belgium, Hungary and the Czech Republic. I just don't see the same commitment from DeRo and as a Canadian soccer fan this disappoints me.

[youllneverwalkalone]

I have a very important news item which should probably have its own thread, but I'll place it here: England now has curry houses!

I don't know about Blackburn, but in Man Citeh you can bring your own beer -so DDR can take Yallop out without blowing all his wages for the week.