Jump to content

Canadians abroad who "should" consider the MLS


JimmyJames

Recommended Posts

I have often thought that there are a number of Canadian players in or near there prime, or slighlty passed who should consider the MLS. This may be a good place to keep tabs on those players. One that comes to mind right away is Paul Stalteri...he may almost be finished in Europe as a professional but surly he still hold value in the MLS....others like Iain Hume, Rob Friend also come to mind....any thoughts.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Issey Nakajima and Patrice Bernier.

both play in a league of similar quality, so why not have them play at home instead of in Europe? I would be really suprised if Bernier doesn't sign for montreal come 2012.

Issey on the other hand? I feel he should come to MLS but he probably feels he still has alot to offer in Europe, he is only 25 I believe.

Aside from that, what about that Jonathan kid who is player fourth division in Germany, but was a squad player for St. Pauli a few seasons ago? He's only 22 and I thought he had a decent showing in Ukraine.

Aside from that, I like the situation most of our guys are in. If you are playing regularly in the Championship like Hume, Jackson, or Peters, stay there. But if your not playing (edgar) get a loan to TFC or whitecaps.

Also, I think Stalteri would be a fail for MLS. He would be on at least 350,000 because of his history playing for clubs like Spurs and Bremen, but more importantly, I think he would often get beat for pace, as that is one side of his game that really seems to be lacking with age (and MLS is a quick league). I think he would be a decent signing for 200,000 but not a penny more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At the Honduras friendly in Montreal, several fans, myself included repeatedly yelled to Bernier that we wanted him in Montreal in 2012. He smiled a few times. We'll see.

He was quoted in a Radio Canada article a few months ago as saying something along the lines of '' My contract is finishing in 2011, the Impact FO know how to reach me..''

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd like to see players who don't get enough PT in their respective clubs, and assuming of course they can play at MLS level. My list would include:

- Eddy Sidra (without club)

- Gianluca Zavarise (Iraklis Thessaloniki F.C.)

- Massih Wassey (FC Schalke 04 II)

- Gavin McCallum (Lincoln City)

I have serious doubts that many of these guys could be regular starters in MLS.

Of these four, I think only Sidra would have a shot. It sounds as if he is leaning towards MLS.

How about Nik Ledgerwood?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have serious doubts that many of these guys could be regular starters in MLS.

Of these four, I think only Sidra would have a shot. It sounds as if he is leaning towards MLS.

How about Nik Ledgerwood?

Ledgerwood, since he has B2 experience, why not? On second thought, I agree with your concerns. After seeing some highlights of Ornoch in the Dutch Eerste Divisie, I agree the level of Netherlands Second Division is below MLS level. And it would be logical to think that English League Two (McCallum's level) is below Eerste Divisie. I guess my list was meant to the benefice of a larger pool of Canadian players for the NMT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't knock league one and League Two in England, here are some big teams there...Leeds was League two three seasons ago...(or maybe just League One)...It seems when Canadians excel at this level and the team does well they are often not part of the clubs advancement (I cant think of a recent example but Pesh certainly fit this category). However I think if you are approuching your Mid-twenties and are toiling in one of the lower divisions in a big league and most certainly a smaller league then the MLS "should" be on your radar....Maybe TFC, Vancouver and soon Montreal should be doing more to approuch these guys...or even the CSA if they were to act as an international agent for the Canadien teams....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a good number of them, that could consider the MLS. Whether they are at that spot in there career is up in the air I guess.

Whether they could succeed who knows, I think Occean, Stalteri, Issey, Bernier, Mcallum, Zavarise, JBB, Straith, Ledgerwood, Pacheo, Imhof, Mckenna, Sidra, and Hume.

Long list, but really any of those players in the right situation could probably do good enough to stick on a MLS team.

Guys I'd love to see land with the Caps, would be Mckenna and Hume, I think Mckenna would be a great replacement for Nash, and Hume is just a warrior up front.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hemming and Poz could probably stick with a club in the MLS if they weren't Canadian and were American.

They are servicable players but as Canadian's, unless its a Canadian team calling, they aren't worth the INT spot in most clubs minds or on the fringe and can be bupped off the squad quite easily and maybe opposed to a player with lesser ability. Hence the need to make North American's Domestic player across the board in the MLS, whether they be from Canada or the US or what where the team might lay south or north of the 49th.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't knock league one and League Two in England, here are some big teams there...Leeds was League two three seasons ago...(or maybe just League One)...It seems when Canadians excel at this level and the team does well they are often not part of the clubs advancement (I cant think of a recent example but Pesh certainly fit this category). However I think if you are approuching your Mid-twenties and are toiling in one of the lower divisions in a big league and most certainly a smaller league then the MLS "should" be on your radar....Maybe TFC, Vancouver and soon Montreal should be doing more to approuch these guys...or even the CSA if they were to act as an international agent for the Canadien teams....

Actually, I was referring to the League Two only, I don't know why you came with the League One argument. And since you prefer to rate the whole league by its best clubs only, I don't think that Lincoln City is one of the best clubs League Two has to offer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hemming and Poz could probably stick with a club in the MLS if they weren't Canadian and were American.

They are servicable players but as Canadian's, unless its a Canadian team calling, they aren't worth the INT spot in most clubs minds or on the fringe and can be bupped off the squad quite easily and maybe opposed to a player with lesser ability. Hence the need to make North American's Domestic player across the board in the MLS, whether they be from Canada or the US or what where the team might lay south or north of the 49th.

Though I think it's a factor in some cases, I also believe that much depends on the manager and what he's looking for in that player. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Hainault takes up an international spot for Houston but strikes me more as a serviceable support guy in his current playing position, one who you'd think could be more easily replaced by a domestic/American candidate.

I have never been a Pozniak fan, but one "poz"itive of his current run of form in Europe is that he has been playing the same spot on the field (RB) for his club week in and week out as opposed to the "jack of all trades/master of none" job title he had in MLS or perhaps elsewhere (though I acknowledge that he was a CB with the Caps during his stay). With that, it gives his versatility dimension a little more cachet and may put him back in the MNT picture as well in the 2011, who knows.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...