For your viewing pleasure, above is the video of Juan Agudelo scoring the goal of the year so far in Major League Soccer. Every time there is a story or interview saying Americans should temper their enthusiasm for him and hold off on predicting greatness, he does stuff like this. Enjoy him while you can MLS fans.

Now for the roundup of what else happened this week:

• The Benny Feilhaber drama has ended for now with the midfielder claimed by New England after Chivas and Philadelphia passed on his rights. He was not traded to Houston, as was the rumor, and it looks like Shalrie Joseph will drop to a more holding role to make room for Feilhaber.
• The Chicago Fire are shuffling their lineup again, according to MLSsoccer.com.  Can’t say that’s incredibly surprising.
• Coach Wilmer Cabrera has made his call-ups to begin training for the U-17 World Cup in Mexico.  These are the type of players where you print out the list, wait four years, then go back and take a second look to judge how good of a team it is, based on where some of the players have gone.
• ESPN as part of their “money” issue of their magazine broke out a list of the top paid U.S. soccer players playing overseas (defined to include players with dual citizenship).  The entire list is behind their pay wall, but the top five are not surprising although the order may be: Brad Friedel, Oguchi Onyewu, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, and Giuseppe Rossi.  Want to know why Freddy Adu hasn’t returned to the U.S.? He makes close to $900,000 on his current contract.
• And finally, let’s hope the Lamr Hunt U.S. Open Cup winners celebrate more successfully than this.

Photo by thepeculiarcat

The United States lost a promising national team player today when Andy Najar officially announced he would represent Honduras in the 2011 Gold Cup and thus be eligible to play for their national team.  Najar, the 2010 Rookie of the Year in MLS, comes from the Central American country but has lived the past few years in Alexandria as he came up through the DC United youth system and attended Edison High School.

Despite the hope that Najar would eventually join Bob Bradley’s team, this decision made sense on multiple levels.  Despite living in Virginia the past four years, Najar would have had to maintain residency in the states for another few years in order to qualify as a citizen for purposes of playing for the U.S.  The residency clock would have stopped if Najar went to play overseas which, if he builds off a stellar rookie campaign, is a distinct possibility.  By choosing Honduras, he is eligible to not only play in the 2011 Gold Cup but can join the Honduras’ U-20 team and possibly play in the 2012 Olympics.

From a U.S. national team perspective, this is not a major loss in the short term.  Najar plays on the wings in the midfield and would be behind Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey on the depth chart.  Maybe eventually he could move inside, but it would deprive his team of a speedy threat on the wing and he fits more of an attacking role needing space than a distributor.  Long-term however it deprives the U.S. of a tantalizing option in the midfield.  Najar is the type of player the U.S. currently lacks: quick, works well by creating space, and a threat to score whenever he touches the ball.  Imagine the Russian World Cup in 2018 where a U.S. team captained by Michael Bradley has Mikkel Diskerud in the middle, creating scoring chances for Najar on the wing and Juan Agudelo up front.  That is a pretty entertaining scenario, one that had to have U.S. fans salivating.

In the end, losing Andy Najar isn’t as devastating to the U.S. as losing Giuseppe Rossi, if for no other reason than Najar does not play a position of absolute need.  But it does rob the U.S. of an intriguing option for the future and a playmaker who may one day be the kind of difference maker the Americans have sorely lacked.

Can Jozy's move help his USMNT career?

While the MLS transfer window is still open for another three months, the international transfer window closed Monday.  If you are a fan of an international league, you know how crazy this January transfer window was with money and players being tossed about in a dizzying fashion.  And while no American got over £70 million like Fernando Torres did, some name American players moved to a new location that could alter their club and international careers.

Rather than do a plain list, I divided the transfer and thoughts into a couple of different categories.  Agree or disagree?  Don’t by shy in the comments section.

Best transfer for both an American player and the new club

Michael Bradley moving to Aston Villa was a huge move this week and one that should pay immediate benefits for both parties.  Bradley will immediately compete for playing time in Gerard Houllier’s club, and while it is not a guarantee he will start over fellow newby Jean Makoun and other current starters, playing with players like Darren Bent against some of the best clubs in the world can only help his development.  Aston Villa will also benefit by having another midfield option who can score, plus quietly the club is becoming very American friendly.  Bradley will join fellow American internationals Brad Guzan, Brad Friedel, and Eric Lichaj.  If the loan deal works, Villa has the option to purchase his contract.

Best transfer for both an American player and the old club

At first, Jozy Altidore’s loan deal to Bursaspor in Turkey seems like a major step back; after all, he is leaving La Liga for a second-rate (at best) European league.  But this move is a good one for Altidore and Villareal.  For the past few years we have heard about Altidore’s amazing potential but have seen little actual playing time to back it up.  Behind Giuseppe Rossi in Spain, a move to Turkey actually will give Altidore playing time in a competitive league.  Finally Villareal can see if Altidore is worth holding on to, and Altidore can see if he is ready for top-flight competition as well as gain international experience.  While Turkey is not the EPL or La Liga, the level of competition is good and the league is known for being a tough place for away fixtures, something that will make him mentally tough.

Worst move to resurrect a career

It’s been discussed ad naseum, but when will Freddy Adu realize that MLS has playing time for him?  The itinerant American, whose rights are still owned by Benfica, signed with Çaykur Rizespor through the end of the season.  The Turkish club is not Bursaspor; it is in Turkey’s second division.  While I do not follow Turkish soccer on a regular occasion, it is hard to believe the competition is that much higher than MLS.  Maybe Benfica didn’t want to send him to the states, but whatever the reason this may condemn the former up-and-comer to ignored status.

Best transfer window signing you don’t know about yet

We all know about the current and former national team Americans who moved this month, but one American may be positioning himself to boost his career immensely.  Former D.C. United youth academy product Erik Opsahl signed last week with English second-tier club Reading, the same club that once employed Marcus Hahnemann and Bobby Convey.  Opsahl played high school soccer in Maryland and a year of college soccer at St. Johns, but was seeking international opportunities to advance his career.  While he will start out playing for the reserves, he already has a work permit so he does not have to hassle with visa issues and could be poised for playing time with the senior squad.  Remember this name; he could be the next surprise Bob Bradley call-up.

Biggest transfer news I didn’t care much about

I should probably be more excited about this, but Eddie Johnson went out on loan from Fulham to Preston North End, an English second-tier club looking to avoid relegation and in need of some goals.  Johnson wasn’t getting playing time at Fulham (one start in ’10-’11) so now he has the chance for some regular minutes.  But this move just didn’t interest me; maybe I have Agudelo-fever or don’t recognize Johnson’s contributions to the national team, but when I saw this move I shrugged my shoulders and moved on.

Earlier transfers discussed but needing one final thought

Carlos Bocanegra seems to really be establishing himself in France, and the move to Saint-Etienne seems lateral, but I would love to see him more often on TV so I could appreciate his talent.  So his transfer while not professionally disappointing is personally disappointing.  Gooch’s move to FC Twente has been discussed in depth, but I hope this move works out for him or serious questions are going to be raised about his international future.

Would you want to see Guiseppe Rossi this summer?

Earlier this offseason, I posted a poll and question about what EPL teams you would like to see do a tour of the United States.  Since then we have seen Barcelona confirm a three-stop tour of the U.S., where they will be playing both Manchester United (DC) and AC Milan (Miami).  But with as large a country as ours, there is plenty of space and a diverse enough fan base in the United States for other European clubs to pay a visit this year .

Today’s question will expand the original to the other three major European leagues: La Liga, Bundesliga, and Serie A.  A later post or two will include further European leagues and clubs, so if your favorite European team has not yet been posted, you will have your chance to pick it later.  All three of the other major leagues have diverse styles of play and passionate fans in the U.S. who sometimes have to compete for attention with the more popular (and culturally accessible) English Premier League.  But a major driver of the popularity of these leagues is immigration – fans root for teams in the country of their descendants or from where they originate.  Hence the huge Barcelona and AC Milan followings across the United States.

So here are six clubs that I think would do well to take a tour of the United States this summer who have not already announced any matches.  Of course vote for which ones you’d like to see through the poll below and in the comments section:

Inter Milan:  The nerazzurri hit hard times under Rafa Benitez but slowly seem to be righting themselves.  Even if they are not treble contenders this year, the team is stocked with world class talent from front to back.  Wesley Snejder, Samuel Eto’o, Cambiasso, Julio Cesar, etc. are all big names in the soccer world, and are good draws.  Inter has visited the United States as recently as last year and draws very well.  Dream match – Inter Milan versus AC Milan in Baltimore.  Bring one of the best derbies in the world to the U.S. city with a rich Italian history.

Juventus: Juve is another large Italian club that has fallen on hard times.  But Juventus has traditionally been the face of Italian soccer, supplying the national team with many of its players.  Fans would come out to see Gigi Buffon, maybe when healthy the world’s best keeper, as well as Alessandro Del Piero, Alberto Aquilani, and breakout star Milos Krasic.  Dream match – Juventus versus Ajax in the New Meadowlands.  Replay the 1996 now-Champions League final outside a city with supporters of both clubs.

Real Madrid: Any chance you can see The Special One, you have to take that opportunity.  But besides Mr Mourinho, Real Madrid may have the best collection of soccer talent in the world.  Even a second or half squad would bring out world-class players but fans could hope to see Ronaldo, Higuain, Xabi Alonso, and Mesut Ozil.  Dream match – Real Madrid versus FC Dallas in the Jerry Dome.  Miami gets Barcelona this summer, so Dallas gets Real.

Villareal: The big reason to bring Villareal to the United States is Jozy Altidore.  If he is the future of the U.S. national team, bring him to the U.S. on a tour or for a friendly so Americans can see him with his club.  And Villareal is having a great season, third in the league behind the big two, and they have a ton of talent.  One of their top scorers is Giuseppe Rossi, someone American soccer fans may have heard of.  Dream match – New York Red Bulls and Villareal in New Meadowlands.  Playing the match here allows Rossi and Altidore a chance to play near their hometowns.

Bayern Munich: The Bundesliga pecking order has been upset this year, with traditional clubs like Stuttgart in danger of relegation.  However, even though they are sitting just fifth, Bayern is the premier name in Bundesliga outside Germany.  Big names from the most recent World Cup like Muller and Schweinsteiger populate the roster, and French fans can come out to see Franck Ribery.  Dream match – Bayern visiting Seattle at Qwest Field.  Seattle has been skipped in many of these tours and deserve a big-name competition.

TSG Hoffenheim: Many people may not have heard about this club or think it would be a good draw in the United States, but Hoffenheim, a mid-table club, has a great story in Vedad Ibisevic.  You can read the entire story in this New York Times article, but in brief Ibisevic’s family fled to the United States to avoid the ethnic warfare in Bosnia.  Vedad played for a year with the University of St. Louis before beginning his professional career in Europe.  Dream match – Obviously Hoffenheim should play in St. Louis and the probably opponent should be Sporting Kansas City, the closest professional club.

Bob Bradley went against conventional wisdom with his squad for the South Africa match next week and picked a good number of young players to make the squad.  Three young MLS players and three international professionals will have the chance to earn their first international cap next week in Cape Town.  What’s interesting about the Rookie Six is that most of them are dual internationals the U.S. has been chasing to join the U.S. National Team.

The most surprising call-up was Teal Bunbury, the first-year striker for the Kansas City Wizards.  Bunbury’s father was a Canadian national team star, but his American mother raised him in Minnesota, causing the national team dilemma for the 20 year old.  In college, CBC quoted him saying “I was born in Canada, I have a lot of family members there, and it would feel wrong for me to play for the U.S. I feel a connection with Canada.”  However, after his selection, the striker said “I felt a better tie with the U.S.  I had to do what was best for me.”  He has turned down Canada’s national team for three matches as well as the U-23.

Mikkel Diskerud is another half-American through his mother who is currently playing in the Norwegian league for Stabaeck.  Diskerud played for two U.S. youth teams but because he was raised in Norway and plays in Scandinavia, his decision was never a slam dunk.  Another call-up, New York Red Bulls Juan Agudelo, has dual American-Colombian citizenship but played in the U.S. youth system.  Gale Agbossoumonde was born in Togo before coming to the U.S. in his youth.  The same week all of these dual-citizenship players were called-up, MLS Rookie of the Year Andy Najar rejected a call-up from the Honduras national team, citing his busy schedule.

Just to note, all of these players are free to choose another national team until they play in a FIFA qualifying match, so it is possible they could never play another match for the U.S.  But it is a good sign for Bob Bradley.

This continues a positive trend for U.S. soccer of dual-citizen soccer players choosing to play for the U.S. national team.  The emphasis on recruiting such players came after the high-profile defection of Giuseppe Rossi to the Italian team, robbing the team of an offensive threat it could use.  But this year Jermaine Jones left the German system to play for the U.S. as well as Polish-American Eric Lichaj.  The U.S. needs to continue this type of recruiting to supplement the youth academy and take advantage of other countries’ youth development.

For the U.S., there are some major battles in the near future.  Andy Najar is still undecided for his international future, and the MLS itself is host to a number of possible American national players, Steve Zakuani and Danny Mwanga as the biggest names.  It’s unrealistic that Bob Bradley will win all these battles, as position depth or nationalistic reasons will be a determining factor for many of these players.  However, more players leaning to the U.S. increases the talent pool and allows Bob Bradley and his successors to build better teams.  In this sense, the experience of the Rookie Six in South Africa may be more important than we think.

Heading into this World Cup, no team should be looking for any extra motivation.  After all, this is the World Cup , where the world’s best will be gathered for one big battle royal to decide who takes home the title, World Champion!  Never will these teams ever again experience the spectacle or pageantry that will be apart of starting June 11.   The US enter the tournament with their most talented, experienced, and by their own admission, the most focused team they have ever had.  This team has a rare opportunity that many teams don’t get, to exorcise some of the demons that have haunted them, to right some of the real and perceived wrongs that have been happened to them on the field.  This tournament may very well turn into their very own revenge tour, and this time its personal.

England

The US are going to first and foremost be looking to get some form of points from this match, but make no mistake, many of these players will remember the poor showing this US team showed against England at Wembley in 2008.  England players reported that some US players were shaking in the tunnel, an image that they no doubt want to erase from their own minds as well as the England players.  Also there is a little revenge here on the English media. Once their favorite son, Beckham, made his choice to come to MLS, all you heard was how “Mickey Mouse” MLS was.  A league that all the US players have gotten their start in and have strong emotional ties to.  Taking any points off England, would be the akin to the US saying; “We’re here, we beat you, now shut it!”

Contingent on Advancing from the Group Stage(which they will)

Germany

In 2002 the US completely outplayed the Germans and had an obvious handball by Torsten Frings in the penalty area go uncalled.  A likely round of 16 opponent, the US will be thinking of this and liking their chances, especially going against a German team missing captain Michael Ballack, starting keeper Rene Adler, plus three other players key players(Heiko Westerman, Simon Rolfes, and Christian Traesch).

Ghana

Going into their last group game in 2006 many of the US fans and players felt that this was a team they should have and could have beaten to advance, and many of the players still feel that way today(an argument for another day).  However you feel, there is no denying how soft the penalty German referee Markus Merk awarded Ghana, when Onyewu jostled with 5-foot-8 Razak Pimpong for a header at the edge of the penalty area.  Its worth noting the Pimpong is on the Ghana diving team.

Serbia

A dark horse for many fans, this is more of a revenge game for US fans rather than the player.  After Giuseppe Rossi’s omission from the Italian team, US fans will be looking for their second pound of flesh in the form of  defeating Neven Subotic, a player who played all his youth soccer in the US kit before switching allegiances.

Now it is going to take more than the US taking the pitch in revenge mode to make this World Cup a memorable one, but any added motivation can only help this already talented team.

This past week it was officially announced that Vincenzo Bernardo had opted out of his contract with Italian Serie A club Napoli and is now a free agent. For some weeks there has been speculation that the New Jersey native, who joined Napoli’s primavera squad in 2006, would be coming to Major League Soccer; however, no MLS side has publically expressed a strong interest in signing the small but talented Italian-American midfielder/striker.

Despite having success in practice matches against Napoli’s first squad, Bernardo was not getting call-ups from Napoli Coach Roberto Donadoni, who spent time playing for the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in the early days of MLS. Late last month, Napoli attempted to loan Bernardo to a Serie C/2 side, but Bernardo rejected the loan. It was on the last day of the 2009 UEFA summer transfer window that Bernardo opted out of his contract with Napoli in order to become a free agent and take control of his playing future.

Bernardo was born in Morristown, New Jersey in 1990, and began playing soccer in Madison, New Jersey when he was 6 years old, playing in a league where all other players were about 2 years older then him. Over the next 6 years, Bernardo played for a YMCA travel team and then joined Morris United when he was 12 years old. Over time, Bernardo made his way up the New Jersey soccer food chain to St. Benedict’s Preparatory School, home to one of the best high school soccer programs in the United States. Among those who have played at St. Benedict’s are Claudio Reyna, Tab Ramos, Petter Villegas, Greg Berhalter, and Gabriel Enzo Ferrari.

Unlike fellow New Jersey native Giuseppe Rossi, Bernardo has played for the US National Team’s U-17 and U-20 squads, though he has not been called up for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Additionally, prior to moving to Italy, Bernardo played for the New York MetroStars’ Academy’s U17 and U19 squads. While Rossi has spent the bulk of his youth playing in Italy, Bernardo has grown up in the American soccer youth development system and has since moved on to benefit from training time at Napoli, one of Italy’s most storied sides, which was playing in Serie B when a 16 year-old Bernardo moved from New Jersey to Italy

According to an interview with Greg Seltzer for Soccer365.com, Bernardo is currently being scouted by teams from lower divisions in England and Spain, as well as clubs in Germany and the Netherlands; however, Bernardo indicated to Seltzer that he has not ruled out returning to the United States and playing in MLS. Unfortunately, none of the articles linking Bernardo to MLS have identified an MLS side with a strong interest in obtaining the young midfielder/striker. The obvious choice considering Bernardo’s New Jersey roots and youth career is RedBull New York, but Brian Lewis from the New York Post has written articles indicating that the struggling east coast side has not expressed strong interest in signing Bernardo.

As much derision as Giuseppe Rossi received from US soccer fans after Italy destroyed the US National Team in the confederations cup this summer, it is surprising and worrisome that neither USSF or US soccer fans have pushed harder for returning Bernardo to the American soccer fold. Having only played for US youth squads, Bernardo is still eligible to play for both the Italian National Team and the US National Team, but Thomas Rongen’s failure to call Bernardo up for the U20 World Cup causes concern as to whether USSF views Bernardo as an outsider, meaning Bernardo will only get capped after much foot dragging by the USSF.

After years of growing up and working his way through the various youth football systems in New Jersey and the United States, and then getting the benefit of training with an Italian club like Napoli, it would be a shame if the US and MLS let Bernardo get away. If MLS wants to take that next step in increasing the league’s profile among soccer fans in the US, signing a young prospect like Bernardo, who has development time in Serie A, would be a positive move. Unfortunately, MLS and US Soccer have been lacking when it comes to that “vision thing” and, like many other American players before him, Bernardo will likely end up in either a smaller league or second division league in Europe without being seriously pursued by MLS. If, in a few years time, Americans see Vincenzo Bernardo suiting up for the Italian National Team instead of for the US, instead of blaming Bernardo they will need to blame the US Soccer system for letting him get away.