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Easy way for MLS to make some money during the offseason.

Seriously goal? Landon Donovan is, in American terms, an unrestricted free agent come the end of the month. He can go wherever he chooses, so it isn't a question of how long a "loan" will last... it's a question of how long he signs his contract for.

QUOTE(#1):

Originally posted 08:18 AM ET  11.05 by D-Wreck

Easy way for MLS to make some money during the offseason.

maybe the timing of the MLS schedule is good for something after all

QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 08:22 AM ET  11.05 by BuffaloTF

Seriously goal? Landon Donovan is, in American terms, an unrestricted free agent come the end of the month. He can go wherever he chooses, so it isn't a question of how long a "loan" will last... it's a question of how long he signs his contract for.

i still wouldn't be surprised if he follows GB's precedent...he does "love LA...we love it!"

Is PSG still interested in Donovan? Would be pretty cool to have him play with Makelele... and maybe they'd even be interested in one or both of the others.... Stuart Holden and Rico Clark...

I guess I can dream we'd have a small group of players all playing for the same squad, right?

I thought this was an interesting couple paragraphs from the article:

The third and last red flag harks back to something I heard again and again at the 2009 Confederations Cup: the fatigue factor.

Last summer in South Africa, exhaustion from a long domestic season was the excuse du jour for any poor performance. Italy used it after their collapse against Brazil (conveniently ignoring the fact that the vast majority of the Brazilians had just finished the exact same seasons). Both the Egyptians and Spaniards used it after falling to the United States.

Here???s the problem: Things will be no different in 2010. In fact, next year???s World Cup kicks off three days earlier than the Confederations Cup did. So isn???t post-season fatigue going to be an important aspect (read: excuse) this time around too?

I actually been thinking the exact same thing. Won't Donovan want some rest before the World Cup?

QUOTE(#4):

Originally posted 08:33 AM ET  11.05 by kennybabs

i still wouldn't be surprised if he follows GB's precedent...he does "love LA...we love it!"

Please don't say that...I finally have gotten over my dislike for Landy Cakes. I actually appreciate the player he is and what he is to the USMNT. I'd hate to have to go back to bashing him and being justified with it...

"I wouldn't be surprised if Honduras captain Amado Guevara asks for a loan. If Costa Rica qualify, Gonzalo Segares and Carlos Johnson might demand off-season loans, too."

i suspect the only location these players could be loaned to would be their home country's league.... i dont suspect Guevara nor Johnson to be getting much interest outside of those...

Segares might be gone come January anyhow, what with his contract being up he'd be a free agent to move where ever he wished. Perhaps with his recent stint of being injured he'd resign with MLS and with Fire thus solidifying our LB position....

just b/c their respected national team is going to the WC does not mean they'd be wanting a loan... Becknuts is going on loan b/c thats what English manager claimed he'd have to do to make the squad... LD is going to build his stock in foreign lands as well as up his game prior to the WC... the others mentioned would most like not go to a better league, and they'd be game fit simply by sticking with their clubs and preparing for the 2010 season...

overall i think this article was poorly poorly conceived

QUOTE(#8):

Originally posted 09:35 AM ET  11.05 by Otergod

overall i think this article was poorly poorly conceived

Agreed. Analysis with data is called intelligence; analysis with unrelated facts is called fairy tale.

QUOTE(#5):

Originally posted 08:45 AM ET  11.05 by BuffaloTF

Is PSG still interested in Donovan? Would be pretty cool to have him play with Makelele... and maybe they'd even be interested in one or both of the others.... Stuart Holden and Rico Clark...I guess I can dream we'd have a small group of players all playing for the same squad, right?

Send them all to Ligue 1 or Serie A. There are teams that would play these guys because they are committed to their conditioning, are regarded as extremely coachable and just need a manager who will teach them the tactical aspects of the game. The coaches in France and Italy are the best top to bottom right now.

QUOTE(#7):

Originally posted 09:14 AM ET  11.05 by Zizou10

Please don't say that...I finally have gotten over my dislike for Landy Cakes. I actually appreciate the player he is and what he is to the USMNT. I'd hate to have to go back to bashing him and being justified with it...

I remember several years ago when I first came to this site and everyone hated LD. Its good to see that he's won all of us back over...

Now he just needs to do a few things:
1. play for a quality team in Europe
2. play well
3. Get us out of the group stage in the WC

QUOTE(#11):

Originally posted 09:45 AM ET  11.05 by D-Wreck

I remember several years ago when I first came to this site and everyone hated LD. Its good to see that he's won all of us back over... Now he just needs to do a few things:1. play for a quality team in Europe2. play well3. Get us out of the group stage in the WC

everyone hated him b/c his performance was too spotty not to mention him being uninterested in pushing the limits...

he'd be god one game, then invisible the next, then dreadful, then great..... it was like being on a rollercoaster with all the ups and downs in his career....

now people are starting to appriciate him b/c he's challenging himself and bringing his game up to the point we all expected so many years ago.... he's playing with fire and heart, something Americans have been known for...

QUOTE(#12):

Originally posted 10:20 AM ET  11.05 by Otergod

everyone hated him b/c his performance was too spotty not to mention him being uninterested in pushing the limits...he'd be god one game, then invisible the next, then dreadful, then great..... it was like being on a rollercoaster with all the ups and downs in his career....now people are starting to appriciate him b/c he's challenging himself and bringing his game up to the point we all expected so many years ago.... he's playing with fire and heart, something Americans have been known for...

I blame Beckham for his new found drive... honestly. I think he saw in Becks the player he could become, and more, given his striking ability, coupled with his crossing and passing ability... I think you've seen a different Donovan because he's put less on him, and trusted his teammates more with having someone like Becks who is able to feed the ball... and in international duty, playing off the wing and roaming from that position has been a blessing for him and the team.

With an expansion team and a new couple stadiums I don't think your average MLS fan is going to care if talent is incrementally diluted by a few loans. People raise this every time Gold Cup or something rolls around. We've put a World Cup break in the schedule. Short of aligning with everyone else, there's not a whole heck of a lot we can do except say no to player loans, as the people holding the contracts.

I think the Becks loan is bad PR for the league. We seem to be in a damage control mode where we play up his recent success while acquiescing in the repeated loan requests. In theory, maybe he salvages something in the playoffs or when he returns post South Africa. But the notion that we are not good enough for World Cup prep is really not an advertising slogan anyone on Madison Avenue would pitch. He's undercut his value to us. I'd just as soon he left.

On lesser foreign figures like Blanco, Segares, et al, if they want a loan home, so what. It would seem to hurt the Fire in particular but not be much of a painful blow overall. And if they want to tire themselves out, have at it.

I'd worry more about the Americans. I believe in the fatigue factor. Landon in particular has been playing constantly since like the beginning of 2008. MLS, loan, MLS/Confed Cup.....then another loan? Sometimes what seems important at World Cups is if the team shows up fresh or tired. I felt like Arena ran the legs off his team in training camp last time, anyone who saw the leadup friendlies would know what I mean. I wouldn't want Landon or others running their legs off, too.

Besides, Landon's situation seems complicated. Is this all a ploy to get more from MLS? Will we drop our option? Does he really want out? Would a loan suffice? Not simple.

I've heard noises that Holden and Clark want to move but DeRo made similar noises before signing a bigger deal here. I'll believe it when it's announced; which is not to say it's not possible or probable...but Houston may have its own interests in keeping talent, and Holden in particular is a local.

Donovan should go some place that will play him, first. Anyone in need of a speedy Mid-fielder who can score and pass the ball? You'd think a mid table EPL team would pick him up.

QUOTE(#10):

Originally posted 09:44 AM ET  11.05 by dynamo818

Send them all to Ligue 1 or Serie A. There are teams that would play these guys because they are committed to their conditioning, are regarded as extremely coachable and just need a manager who will teach them the tactical aspects of the game. The coaches in France and Italy are the best top to bottom right now.

The player development particularly coming out of France is really impressive to me. The teams there seem to rely a lot on individual talent and skill, and that league is consistently bringing out great new "finds" in the game. There are a lot of storied youth programs that lead to players being sold off at a young age, but still- I think this is a good place for a lot of young Americans to go and try to make their trade in the game. Guys like Holden, Clark, even Montero would do well for themselves to spend a few years there developing their skill and learning a faster pace of football.

Donovan is at a tricky point in his career. In my eyes, it doesn't make sense at his age, especially going into a WC year for a team looking to make a run at least into the 2nd round, if not beyond (and yes, I do believe WE as fans should come to expect this), to go to a club only to try to prove his worth and fight for starting/playing time- especially during a mid-season loan in which he will have to learn a new system, get the timing down with a new set of players, and not to mention any sort of cultural changes he will need to be acclimated to.

And then there is the whole "ego" thing. To be considered the best American player and not go to a big-name team might be another issue. I am not saying that his sponsors are looking out for his "interests" like Golden Balls' people are doing, but there is a possibility that he is holding out for a big name club team and not looking to play for the mid-table Spanish club or for the Rennes, Sunderlands, Torinos, etc. (non of those teams I believe are actively seeking LD, but just used as examples).

The best move for LD might not be all about the playing time and the lead up to next summer. I think it could be said that we as fans are of course selfishly looking for him to develop his game in a safe environment so that he could lead us to WC victory after smashing Brazil 5-Nil next summer, but more realistically if he is to move to Europe money will be talking and he might not get the best playing experience in that type of move, and will be doing it to get paid!

I still think he should have selfishly moved in August, which would have given him ample amount of time to get used to the club and the new country.

Maybe he will only go on a short term loan to "prove" himself for around 10 weeks and plan on signing a big contract with MLS. Selfishly, I wouldn't mind that at all. It gives the league that much more credibility having him as one of the players here.

QUOTE(#12):

Originally posted 10:20 AM ET  11.05 by Otergod

everyone hated him b/c his performance was too spotty not to mention him being uninterested in pushing the limits...he'd be god one game, then invisible the next, then dreadful, then great..... it was like being on a rollercoaster with all the ups and downs in his career....now people are starting to appriciate him b/c he's challenging himself and bringing his game up to the point we all expected so many years ago.... he's playing with fire and heart, something Americans have been known for...

Are you justifying your once hate-filled heart, Oter? ;)

On top of his heart and fire, he also managed to find his position (winger instead of striker). Though the Galaxy still play him as a striker now and again...

QUOTE(#16):

Originally posted 11:06 AM ET  11.05 by rhussmann

Guys like Holden, Clark, even Montero would do well for themselves to spend a few years there developing their skill and learning a faster pace of football.

Holden and Clark i am fine with finding good Euro clubs to play on--but selfishly, I don't want Montero to go anywhere. Why?
1. The league and the Sounders need him.
2. He's not an American, he's not goin to ever be on the USMNT, so I selfishly don't need him to go to Europe to learn more and develop his skills. He might never come back. If he were an American, I would be fine with him not coming back, but since he's not American, I don't want him to leave.

Does that make sense?

...Carlos Johnson wasnt even on the squad for Costa Rica's final two games... not sure if Guevara would go on loan, you get about 1.5-2 months of MLS game fitness before getting called up, I think you will be better shape for the world cup with some rest over the winter.

QUOTE(#18):

Originally posted 11:15 AM ET  11.05 by D-Wreck

Holden and Clark i am fine with finding good Euro clubs to play on--but selfishly, I don't want Montero to go anywhere. Why?1. The league and the Sounders need him. 2. He's not an American, he's not goin to ever be on the USMNT, so I selfishly don't need him to go to Europe to learn more and develop his skills. He might never come back. If he were an American, I would be fine with him not coming back, but since he's not American, I don't want him to leave.Does that make sense?

Unless the move is to Scandanavia... I am now openly booing all transfers and signing heading to Norway, Sweden and Denmark (apparently the Finns don't like us much)--except Rolfe, cos he deserves the check...