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NB: The following article was written during the Gold Cup (July 7th), by Andrea Canales of Goal.com News.
At Major League Soccer’s inception in 1996, much was made of the idea that a domestic league was the key to a country’s improvement in the sport. The USA, went the theory, would grow by leaps and bounds if its best players had a chance to improve their game close to home.
Now, 15 years later, MLS has definitely had a positive impact on the fortunes of the USA squad, but perhaps not as much as some had hoped.
What’s more surprising is exactly where the league has had its most powerful impact, at least, if the most recent Gold Cup is any indicator.
For example, one might assume that the MLS presence on a national team roster would be highest from the USA, the host country of the CONCACAF championship tournament.
It’s not. Seven MLS players are on the USA’s Gold Cup roster. Canada and Mexico, the nearest neighbors of the United States, ring in at MLS representation of six and one, respectively.
The country with the top MLS participation on its roster is actually the island nation of Jamaica, with a grand total of nine players, nearly a third of the 32 total MLS player represented in the tournament.
It’s doubtful the founders of MLS ever thought about how much the league would be helpful to the Caribbean nations of the local region, but that’s exactly how things have worked out.
Jamaica, though it hasn’t reached a World Cup since 1998, certainly seems to benefit from having so many players in MLS, a level a definite jump above the local Digicel Premier League. It thrashed Grenada, 4-0, in its Gold Cup opener on Monday. The MLS connection hit strong on the second goal, when Dane Richards of the New York Red Bulls assisted Ryan Johnson of the San Jose Earthquakes to amplify Jamaica’s lead.
MLS coaches are accustomed to having their Jamaican players routinely chosen for national team duty, and they have learned to prepare for that outcome.
Houston Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear lost two Jamaicans from his squad to the Gold Cup, including his number 10, Je-Vaughn Watson.
"Hopefully Danny Cruz’s recovery sort of coincides with Je-Vaughn leaving for Jamaica," Kinnear told Goal.com about how the Dynamo would adjust.
The hit of missing players was about what Kinnear expected, and it could have been even worse.
"We were kind of thinking we’d lose three, possibly more, so it came where our expectations were, and we think we’ll manage pretty well," Kinnear explained. "Our roster is pretty good."
It’s possible that some Jamaican federation officials may have tried to keep more local players on the national team, as Kinnear was baffled as to why Jamaican Lovel Palmer, a steady starter for the Dynamo, did not make the Jamaican Gold Cup roster.
"I saw the Digicel Cup and I thought Lovel was going to be called in," Kinnear said. "That kind of surprised some people."
Palmer’s exclusion certainly didn’t have anything to do with any interference from the Dynamo, or anything similar to D.C. United’s Andy Najar getting left off the Honduras roster after his club asked him to return for certain dates.
"Our players are always available for their national team," Kinnear assured.
The stigma that MLS might still face in some quarters of the world could be the reason why, for example, the national teams of the likes of Columbia seem reluctant to call upon a player like Seattle Sounder striker Freddy Montero.
The Reggae Boyz of Jamaica, however, have seized their opportunities in MLS, perhaps aware of how playing well in the league could lead to more national team consideration.
"Everyone here wants to play for their national team," Kinnear said. "That for themselves is motivation enough. You try to tell them honestly if they can play for that team, that country, at that level. The inside motivation to play on the world stage, for their country, is always enough."
At Major League Soccer’s inception in 1996, much was made of the idea that a domestic league was the key to a country’s improvement in the sport. The USA, went the theory, would grow by leaps and bounds if its best players had a chance to improve their game close to home.
Now, 15 years later, MLS has definitely had a positive impact on the fortunes of the USA squad, but perhaps not as much as some had hoped.
What’s more surprising is exactly where the league has had its most powerful impact, at least, if the most recent Gold Cup is any indicator.
For example, one might assume that the MLS presence on a national team roster would be highest from the USA, the host country of the CONCACAF championship tournament.
It’s not. Seven MLS players are on the USA’s Gold Cup roster. Canada and Mexico, the nearest neighbors of the United States, ring in at MLS representation of six and one, respectively.
The country with the top MLS participation on its roster is actually the island nation of Jamaica, with a grand total of nine players, nearly a third of the 32 total MLS player represented in the tournament.
It’s doubtful the founders of MLS ever thought about how much the league would be helpful to the Caribbean nations of the local region, but that’s exactly how things have worked out.
Jamaica, though it hasn’t reached a World Cup since 1998, certainly seems to benefit from having so many players in MLS, a level a definite jump above the local Digicel Premier League. It thrashed Grenada, 4-0, in its Gold Cup opener on Monday. The MLS connection hit strong on the second goal, when Dane Richards of the New York Red Bulls assisted Ryan Johnson of the San Jose Earthquakes to amplify Jamaica’s lead.
MLS coaches are accustomed to having their Jamaican players routinely chosen for national team duty, and they have learned to prepare for that outcome.
Houston Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear lost two Jamaicans from his squad to the Gold Cup, including his number 10, Je-Vaughn Watson.
"Hopefully Danny Cruz’s recovery sort of coincides with Je-Vaughn leaving for Jamaica," Kinnear told Goal.com about how the Dynamo would adjust.
The hit of missing players was about what Kinnear expected, and it could have been even worse.
"We were kind of thinking we’d lose three, possibly more, so it came where our expectations were, and we think we’ll manage pretty well," Kinnear explained. "Our roster is pretty good."
It’s possible that some Jamaican federation officials may have tried to keep more local players on the national team, as Kinnear was baffled as to why Jamaican Lovel Palmer, a steady starter for the Dynamo, did not make the Jamaican Gold Cup roster.
"I saw the Digicel Cup and I thought Lovel was going to be called in," Kinnear said. "That kind of surprised some people."
Palmer’s exclusion certainly didn’t have anything to do with any interference from the Dynamo, or anything similar to D.C. United’s Andy Najar getting left off the Honduras roster after his club asked him to return for certain dates.
"Our players are always available for their national team," Kinnear assured.
The stigma that MLS might still face in some quarters of the world could be the reason why, for example, the national teams of the likes of Columbia seem reluctant to call upon a player like Seattle Sounder striker Freddy Montero.
The Reggae Boyz of Jamaica, however, have seized their opportunities in MLS, perhaps aware of how playing well in the league could lead to more national team consideration.
"Everyone here wants to play for their national team," Kinnear said. "That for themselves is motivation enough. You try to tell them honestly if they can play for that team, that country, at that level. The inside motivation to play on the world stage, for their country, is always enough."
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