OPINION: MLS Must Retain Young Talent

League Can't Keep Losing Players Like Andy Dorman

August 19, 2008

By Mark Goodman

I opened my email Monday morning to be greeted with the news that Maurice Edu is reportedly heading to Glasgow Rangers on a $5 million transfer.

And so it continues.

And by “it” I mean the exodus of young talent that is eventually going to undermine Major League Soccer if it continues at its current pace.

Andy Dorman

Players like Andy Dorman are the ones MLS needs to hang on to. (Photo credit: Joyce Furia)

The standard of play in the league has reached a plateau of sorts over the last couple years, and there is little reason to believe it’s going to start going back up anytime soon. In fact, it may go down a bit if the league doesn’t start to do a better job of keeping its better players.

To be fair, it’s unreasonable to expect MLS to keep everyone. Players like Freddy Adu and Jozy Altidore are simply too good and too sought-after in Europe to stay in the league for an extended period of time. And then there are guys like former Revolution star Clint Dempsey, whose stated goal from the beginning was to eventually play in Europe.

But what about the Andy Dormans of the world? Guys who are taken in the MLS SuperDraft, work their way into a key role and over the course of those few seasons develop a significant fan base.

Actually, let’s take a look specifically at Dorman for a minute. The former Boston University and Rev starter left Foxboro in January for Scottish powerhouse (that’s a little sarcasm, there) St. Mirren.

And why? The prestige? Doubtful. The competition? Also unlikely – is there really much difference between MLS and the Scottish Premier League (particularly once you get past Celtic and Rangers)? To be closer to home? Well, maybe.

Ultimately, though, it probably came down to one thing – money. Surprise, surprise.

And herein lies MLS’s problem. St. Mirren and the Revolution are in leagues of relatively equal quality. The former was one spot above relegation last season; the latter has made three straight MLS Cup finals. And yet, the former can offer a vastly higher salary.

Whether or not there is a reasonable solution remains to be seen. But if there is one, MLS needs to find it, and fast. The hemorrhaging of young talent that seems to be getting worse flies right in the face of the league’s message of progress.

The David Beckham Effect isn’t going to last forever. The hype is beginning to die down, and how many years of soccer does he have left in him? If the supposed rise of interest in the league is going to be maintained, some of these talented players that are forming the new foundation of American soccer need to be retained.

If the league really is seeing a financial boon, it’s time to start using it.

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