MLS
MARCO D’ONOFRIO TAKES A LOOK AT THE WORLD OF MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER WITH THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
REDS REVIVAL THE GOOD While there had been a plethora of speculation and rumours running rampant that Toronto FC could lure 2020 Euro Cup winner Lorenzo Insigne away from Napoli, very few envisioned it actually happening. This was surely too daunting a task - even for the club that managed to sign Sebastian Giovinco in his prime. After all, Insigne was still the captain of Napoli and a big part of Luciano Spalletti’s squad. But the temptation of a massive payday and a better lifestyle for his family was too much for the 30-year-old to turn down. As a result, he will be plying his trade at BMO Field this summer, helping the Reds try to win their second MLS Cup. It was a tremendous coup from Toronto that will ultimately benefit the entire league. The Reds also signed 28-year-old Mexican international defender Carlos Solcedo as a Designated Player, continuing the trend of signing younger stars in the primes of their career. In the past, teams far too often
prioritized older household names that may have brought more exposure to the franchise but ultimately less success on the pitch. Toronto are far from the only team focusing on younger talent for their Designated Player spots, with a variety of other teams following the same strategy. Orlando City signed 26-year-old Austrian international Ercan Kara, while the Philadelphia Union brought in 27-year-old Mikael Uhre and FC Dallas acquired 19-year-old Alan Velasco. Of all the new Designated Players in MLS in 2022, Insigne is the oldest. Other than him and Alexander Ring of Austin FC, the other 10 new Designated Players are all under the age of 30. While MLS still has a long way to go before we start seeing a migration of global stars in their prime choosing to play in North America, the mere fact that TFC were able to sign someone of Insigne’s quality during such a crucial stage of his career is proof of the substantial growth the league has made over the last decade.
‘SIGNING INSIGNE IS A MAJOR COUP FOR TORONTO’ THE BAD With the success of the Canadian and American men’s teams during World Cup qualifying, Major League Soccer should take a lot of pride in the fact that the majority of players representing the two nations are either currently playing in the league or were developed through some part of it. With that said, it must be concerning that so many of the biggest and brightest domestic stars are deciding quicker than ever that they’d rather continue their professional career in Europe. While it is great to see players like Alphonso Davies and Christian Pulisic at some of the world’s biggest clubs like Bayern Munich and Chelsea, questions must start being asked when the league will be able to convince such players to stay home and play the game in the same city they grew up in. While MLS has proven it can attract young stars from around the globe, they still have some issues keeping their best local talent.
54
SOCCER360 MARCH • APRIL 2022
Tajon Buchanan, Richie Lareya, Ricardo Pepi, Daryl Dike, James Sands, Cole Bassett and Justin Che are all examples of young talented Canadian and American players leaving during the January transfer window to pursue other opportunities across the pond. Pepi, Dike and Sands were ranked numbers one, two and three in the 2021 MLS top 22 under 22. While it may ultimately prove to be beneficial for the national team as it will allow these players to test themselves against some of the biggest names in the world, it also shows the lack of interest these players have of staying in MLS. If the league is going to ever take the next big step forward, they will have to start raising the quality to the point that even local talent believes it is the best place for them. The MLS Cup is far from the most prestigious club prize in the world, but that could all change one day.
