Va Va Voom in New York

Anfield, Liverpool, January 6^th 2007. 83^rd minute. An FA Cup third round match sees Arsenal visit the home of league rivals Liverpool on a cold, blistery night. Two goals from Thomas Rosicky and one in reply from Dirk Kuyt have given the gunners a slim lead. Suddenly he has the ball in the centre circle and plays it into the wide expanse of field on the left. Jamie Carragher tries to shield it but the he bustles him off the ball and bursts into the box. He cuts past Agger and slots home past Pepe Reina to seal a memorable 3 – 1 victory.

As a lifetime supporter of Manchester United, this was my guilty pleasure. Without a doubt he is the best striker, if not the best player that has ever graced the Premier League. Regardless of who you supported, it was a treat to see the number 14 glide away with his silky cool running celebration after strikes that would often be goals of the week. We bought his boots, we emulated his moves. We all wanted to be Henry.

Thierry Henry’s recent move to the New York Red Bulls may not be an appropriate way to conclude his illustrious career, after a mediocre spell by his standards at Barcelona. Hopefully we will be able to see some more magic from the Frenchman on the east coast. But at 32 years of age, it will probably be his last move. Unsurprisingly many commentators have called the MLS a retirement home for former stars, a warm and cozy place to settle down as their limelight fades.

But is this a good way for the MLS to improve their standing on the world stage? There are several former European stars that ply their trade here these days; Freddie Ljunberg (Seattle), Juan Pablo Angel (New York) and of course David Beckham of Los Angeles.

These and other players coupled with the successes of the US National team and some clever marketing have seen a rise in the popularity of the league since its inception in 1993. To its credit, the MLS has grown rapidly in tough conditions, the limited avenues for commercialization that US sports thrive on and indifference to ‘soccer’ the two main culprits.

However this policy does not seem sustainable. The quality of play is still an issue. Sure, you can have beautiful stadia, decent young players and brilliant marketing. But if there is no craft to match the graft MLS will struggle to attract quality players that aren’t looking to wind down their careers from abroad.

To fully exploit the talent that North America has, MLS clubs should embrace the youth model that almost all other clubs follow, nurturing talent from an early age. The college system is a great outlet for players, but more work is required to improve the home grown players outside this avenue. This also serves to better the national team. Once the quality of players increases, the rest won’t necessarily fall into place, but it will certainly make it a lot easier to grow.

As I write this, I am watching a friendly between San Jos Quakes and Tottenham Hotspur. During the half time break, there will be a special report of Henry’s upcoming MLS debut. The iconic number 14 has already brought welcome interest to the sport in the states. His va-va-voom will assist the league’s popularity but more will be required from the clubs’ before it can reach its goal.