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| Starrting: Juan Aguedelo, Brek Shea, Jeff Larentowicz, and Kyle Beckerman |
And this list keeps on growing. Over a dozen young Americans are aboard during the MLS downtime. Some to stay sharp, others for a quick look my European clubs and their scouts. No matter the motives, given the shorter domestic season, a little TnT (training and touches) is better for the quality of the league and the Nats than R&R.
No matter how you feel about the pace and results of the Klinsmann revolution at U.S. Soccer, the Germany-American coach has used his continental contacts to get young players some great European experience, including FC Dallas' Brek Shea with Jurgen's former coaching colleague Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
The list of Americans aboard (from Goal.com):
Columbus Crew winger Robbie Rogers - FC Kaiserslautern
Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman - FC Kaiserslautern
New York Red Bulls striker Juan Agudelo - VfB Stuttgart
D.C. United defender Perry Kitchen - SC Freiburg
Philadelphia Union midfielder Zach Pfeffer - Hoffenheim
D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid - West Bromwich Albion
FC Dallas winger Brek Shea - Arsenal
Vancouver Whitecaps forward Omar Salgado - Fulham
Colorado Rapids midfielder Jeff Larentowicz - Bolton
Sporting Kansas City forward Teal Bunbury - Bolton
Chicago Fire goalkeper Sean Johnson - Everton
Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath - Everton
Philadelphia Union Amobi Okugo - Freiburg
DC United defender Andy Najar - Tottenham
And just last week New York Red Bulls starlet Juan Agudelo announced he was off to Mersyside for some time with Liverpool FC.
The explosive growth of young players recruitment aboard during MLS' off-season, even if a few players are lost to European contracts, is going to increase exposure for American soccer and further the leagues' international reputation as a laboratory for young talent.
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Don't forget Andy Najar at Tottenham.
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