MLS Thursday Night: 9/27/2007

I tried to watch the MLS Thursday Night match on ESPN last night. I really did. Unfortunately after watching the first twenty minutes of seeing neither side honestly try to do anything that resembled offensive soccer, Spies Like Us & Beerfest on HBO seemed so much of a better idea. I found myself switching back and forth between these three shows, but the soccer game never really got me to put the remote down.

Of what I saw, here are the interesting points:
- LA is pretty bad. They could barely get 1 goal when they had a 2 man advantage.

- Arnaud's and Conrad's Red cards should actually cost the Wizards 6 points. The two man advantage finally gave the Galaxy enough space to find their goal. On top of that, neither player will be available for the 10/5 match against DC United. It is hard to believe that the Wizards will be able to contain Emillio, Fred & Gomez without Conrad holding the back line.

- When did Cobi get his first name on the back of his jersey? The three "wise men" mentioned something that Cobi isn't retiring after this season? WTF?

- The scariest thought of all...that the Galaxy might actually be able to make the playoffs. They have to most likely win 4 out of their final five matches, which as they are playing Columbus and Toronto as two of those final five, if there is such a thing as a gimme for the Galaxy, those two matches would be them. They also face the Red Bulls, so in that match, anything is possible. They do have to travel to Houston, which isn't the easiest place to play in. I expect a Houston win in that one. The final match is against the Fire. As the Fire are fighting for the final playoff spot as well, this last match could be the clincher for either club. I honestly think that the Galaxy will go 2-2-1 in their final five matches and miss the playoffs.

Get a Move On EJ

So here is the problem. Eddie Johnson appears to be the #1 USMNT striker. This is something that I really, really don't understand and cannot quite come to accept. My thoughts on this guys International form are pretty apparent: I think he sucks.

That said, he does seem to have two things on his side; his age (he's 23) and that a lot more people disagree with me and think that he is a good forward. Those two things should allow him to either continue to be a USMNT forward for a while. So with EJ's spot on the USMNT roster almost as established as Landon Donovan's, I really wish he would do something that Lando failed to do; move to Europe.

According to reports, Derby County has a large amount of interest in signing Eddie from MLS. As Derby County has just been promoted to the EPL, they are looking to increase their presence up front and EJ seems to be in their plans. However, regardless of this interest, the Kansas City Wizards don't appear to be interested in listening to any offers. I think the biggest problem here is that EJ is not going anywhere, period.

What was it, three years ago when EJ burst onto the scene, dropping 3 goals on Panama at RFK Stadium? I was there, I saw it. My brother asked me who he was and I didn't have an answer. Shortly after that introduction, word came through the wires that Benfica had offered $6 million or so for Eddie's contract. MLS turned them down. That was strike 1. Eddie should have gone over to Portugal at the first offer. Had he done that, it would have been sink or swim.

So fast forward to the summer of 2007. We are hearing reports that EJ is being courted by another European club, but this time in England, the EPL no less. What should EJ do?

EJ should go, and he himself should have the sense enough to know that moving across the pond to play in England is the next logical step towards becoming a better forward. I would hope that he would relish that chance to go over to England and play against Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the other great clubs over there. If he learned anything at the Copa America is that the international defenders are much faster and skillful than the MLS defenders and if he wants to be on top, he needs to start playing against the better defenders.

Now I understand the desire of MLS and Kansas City to want to keep him, they think that he is a good player and having good American players in the league it a vital part of keeping the league going. Based on that, EJ and the USSF should step in and make requests for the transfer. Bob Bradley should be on the phone with Don Garber explaining how sending EJ across to England would actually help MLS. It would show that MLS has players that are good enough to take the international club stage.

The future of the USMNT is directly linked to the players getting better. With all respect for MLS, there is only a certain amount of growth that can happen for US players who stay in MLS. Clint Dempsey realized this, and he basically forced a transfer to Fulham. DeMarcus Beasley realized this as well and jumped at the chance that PSV offered him and fought tooth and nail to remain over in Europe rather than return to RSL. Eddie Johnson needs to recognize this and get the wheels moving on a transfer overseas.

Ric Flair once said -"If you want to be the Best, you've got to beat the Best."

If Eddie Johnson wants to be the best, hell, he has to at least play the best. Playing in MLS ain't the best.