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Mexico National Team manager Juan Carlos Osorio has drawn the ire of the U.S. soccer community for saying a thing that is true.
Osorio said that he preferred his players, particularly those in their primes, to play in Europe because it is more competitive there.
From Excelsior:
In an exclusive interview with Excélsior, the tricolor strategist expressed his views on the choices players like Giovani dos Santos have made, who opted for soccer in the United States and the rumors that have placed Carlos Vela in MLS also. Osorio was critical, saying that the league of our northern neighbors is not for players who are in the most important point of their careers, both for the schedule and the level it has, a situation which has ended up keeping Giovani out of the first Tricolar training camp this year. Therefore, the Colombian strategist has already made it known to Carlos Vela, as of yet still a Real Sociedad player, that the decision to migrate to the MLS could marginalize him for future call ups.
“I have expressed this to Carlos Vela last year when I was in Europe, and I think the objective of all the world’s players is to go to Europe or at least that’s the primary objective, because there they have the best leagues, the best tournaments and thus they are seen all over the world. Now, every situation has its particular circumstances that merit further analysis, and I don’t know those of Giovani (dos Santos) so I dare not give an opinion about it, but I do believe that the objective of the Mexican players and all the young players who emerge is to play in Europe and stay there for long time.”
Granted, there are European MLS stars like Toronto's Sebastian Giovinco and Bradley Wright-Phillips who have come to the MLS in their primes and thrived, but they are the exception, not the rule.
“I think that at some point they should go to America because it may be a long-term goal, but I think the time when a player is at his peak performance is to to be spent in Europe and not in MLS. I think at this time, that league is for the end of a career and not to play there as a player still has much to give,” he said.
If I worked for the MLS, I would be mad about this too, but Osorio is right. Maybe MLS will become one of the world's top leagues in the future, but that's a way off. For now, it's mostly older internationals and Americans who either can't or don't want to make the jump to Europe. And that's OK! But maybe Gio Dos Santos woud have liked some warning before he transferred to LA Galaxy (then again, he is getting rich).
(H/T Deadspin)
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
