| Some Americans Find it's Not Always a European | | | | team, want him badly enough, you'd see the same |
| Vacation | | | | kind of negotiations teams in Europe and South |
| As Major League Soccer has finally begun to come | | | | America are used to seeing for the transfer of star |
| into its own, American players have a tougher call to | | | | players. The loan deal for Donovan can be viewed as |
| make regarding their careers than in years past. Now, | | | | a way to stay in top-form for the upcoming MLS |
| an American player can have a viable career in the | | | | season and the World Cup. Regardless of how |
| U.S., or, they can use extended MLS play to mature | | | | Donovan does on the field at Everton, it is a win for |
| and gain notice and access to a higher level of | | | | him barring anything but a serious injury. |
| international competition. Europe is a huge draw for | | | | For Holden, however, the stakes are higher and the |
| U.S. players, but it is not always the right answer. | | | | decision is less obvious. If Holden decides to leave |
| It is a tough call, a call that can make or break a | | | | MLS for England as Dempsey, McBride and Adu |
| career, a call that can bring the success of Tim | | | | before him, the judgment of whether this was good |
| Howard or Clint Dempsey, and can just as easily | | | | for his career will be based on the resulting impact he |
| relegate the player to a questionable future as has | | | | has for Bolton. |
| been the case with Freddy Adu or Eddie Johnson. | | | | The coaches in the Premier League are under |
| When an MLS player gains the notice of the big clubs | | | | tremendous pressure to win, and if a player can |
| in Europe, as Adu did with Manchester United and | | | | make an impact and help the team get results the |
| Benfica, but then fails to get playing time and is | | | | player will get time on the field and will be successful. |
| loaned out to lesser clubs where success is equally | | | | If the coach deems that the player cannot help the |
| hard to find, the move to Europe may have hurt | | | | team to win right now, the player will not get the |
| them in the long-run. | | | | minutes. Being relegated to the sideline will not help a |
| In the case of Adu and Johnson, they have failed to | | | | player like Stuart Holden. He needs to be on the pitch |
| find a foothold with their respective European clubs. | | | | to develop. |
| Are they developing as soccer-players and as | | | | Holden has also reportedly been offered a new |
| people? Sure, but is that what they need at the start | | | | contract to stay at Houston that is roughly ten times |
| of their promising careers or would they have been | | | | what he was being paid previously. The new Houston |
| better served with actual minutes on the field in | | | | offer is around $350,000 but Bolton's offer might |
| MLS? | | | | easily trump that. Holden, at 24, has other issues than |
| This is not an easy question to answer and each | | | | money to consider, and he stated that he is taking a |
| individual's situation will be different. Recent history is | | | | "long view", with his overall career as the focus. |
| replete with examples of ML stars finding success in | | | | Currently, Holden looks like a prime candidate for the |
| Europe. Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, | | | | U.S. Men's National Team as it prepares for the World |
| Brad Friedel and Oguchi Onyewu have found | | | | Cup this summer. But if he makes the move to |
| unquestionable success in Europe. Yet quality players | | | | Europe and is riding the bench and not playing, it |
| like Freddy Adu, Landon Donovan and Eddie Johnson | | | | could hurt his chances of making the grade for Bob |
| have struggled to get playing time and find success | | | | Bradley as he selects the team for South Africa. The |
| at big European clubs. | | | | U.S. has a bevy of talented midfield players to select |
| With MLS in its winter hiatus, the LA Galaxy's Landon | | | | from. |
| Donovan and Houston Dynamo's Stuart Holden are | | | | Holden's contract with the Dynamo is up on the 31st |
| hearing the siren's call of European clubs. While their | | | | of December, and he has said that he would like to |
| situations are different, with Donovan going on a | | | | make a decision by the first of the new-year. When |
| fairly safe two and a half month loan to Everton, | | | | January rolls around both Donovan and possibly |
| Holden is weighing the merits of a long-term contract | | | | Holden will have the chance to prove themselves on |
| to play with the Bolton Wanderers of England's | | | | the wet and cold fields of England. How their |
| Premiere League. | | | | respective moves turn out for both of them is |
| Donovan, in a savvy move, signed a four-year | | | | something that will be judged by results on the pitch. |
| Galaxy deal prior to making a foray into England's top | | | | Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. Looking back, |
| league. If he has a lackluster loan period, he will still | | | | would Freddy Adu have been better served by |
| have his starring role with the Galaxy and the U.S. | | | | playing a few more years in MLS? The answer is a |
| Men's National Team. If, on the other hand, he makes | | | | definite... maybe. |
| an impact with Everton and they, or another EPL | | | | Find out more about US soccer. |