In The Year Of Beckham, Seven MLS Americans Making A Name For Themselves

In The Year Of Beckham, Seven MLS Americans Making A Name For Themselves

Chris Webb

October 09, 2007

20 years from now when MLS is firmly entrenched in the sports landscape of not only the United States but also a player in the world scheme of things in terms of producing soccer talent, most people will point to the 2007 MLS season as the turning point in which MLS finally opened up the wallet and started signing significant talent that before was not possible due to the self imposed salary cap restrictions.

Washington, D.C.

With the heralding of the Designated Player rule which in it's initial season brought you the likes of David Beckham, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Juan Pablo Angel, Claudio Reyna and Denilson into MLS, the face of domestic soccer in the United States took a different path towards respectability and acceptance on the world scene.

While most people will remember this season as the season that everything changed, what might get lost in the shuffle is the handful of young American players who have made a significant impact on MLS with their suprising play. While most people will look at the list that I have constructed and say "duh" on a few examples, you'll be generally suprised at a few names on the list that you could have bet the mortgage on that they would fade into the MLS oblivion of the hundreds of young American players who have come and gone in this league. So here is list of seven players that to me have made people stand up and take notice of their game.

Brad Guzan - goalkeeper Chivas USA

Guzan was the #2 pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft in their initial season. Many people openly questioned the selection and wisdom of drafting a keeper that high in the draft. Guzan was under fire in that first season but in spite of giving up a ton of goals due mostly to a paper thin defense, you could see the talent. Big, fast and good with the ball at his feet. Well it's now two years later and Guzan is arguably the top keeper in MLS and has his eyes on the National Team job as well. The United States is so deep in keepers that Guzan might not get any significant time in the near future, but don't be suprised if Guzan is somewhere in Europe in the next year or two.

Sacha Kljestan - midfield Chivas USA

Another player taken highly in the draft (#5 in 2006), Kljestan played in all 32 games last season and this season has taken a leap forward and very well could be considered for the MLS Best X1. Nominally a right sided midfielder, Sacha can play any of the midfield positions and has had a few sniffs with the National Team earlier this year. Tall and skillful he also has a bit of an edge to his game as witnessed to his suspension earlier this season with a nasty from behind tackle on Andy Williams.

Colin Clarke - midfield Colorado Rapids

A local player signed to a developmental contract in 2006, Clarke is the definition of a player who has taken full advantage of the Reserve Team concept that was introduced to MLS in 2004. Clarke bided his time in the reserves and finally this season got an opportunity to strut his stuff on the left side of midfield. Quick and skillful and posessing a bullet of a left peg, Clarke has given the Rapids a shot in the arm to a team that is woefully inefficient offensively. Clarke's size (6'0") is also a plus. It's really too bad that the National Team program is already chock full of left sided threats (DaMarcus Beasley, Bobby Convey, Justin Mapp, etc..) otherwise Clarke could get a serious look from Bob Bradley.

Arturo Alvarez - midfield FC Dallas

Arguably the player who has made the biggest leap forward this season Alvarez is the most enticing with his blend of skill, speed and passing ability. While he doesn't always finish off his great individual moves with a goal, he scares the bejeezus out of any defender in MLS with his silky moves. Almost everyone knows he's exlusively left footed yet no one has figured out how to stop him as of yet. Alvarez was drafted in the second round in 2003 by the then San Jose Earthquakes but really only got spot duty until this season where he has played 24 games so far. While his statistics (2 G 3 A) don't exactly rival that of the league leaders, his skill is undeniable. It's only a matter of time before someone in the National Team program gets a look at this kid. U-23 Olympic Coach Peter Nowak will have him into a post season camp in January and hopefully that will get his international career rolling.

Stuart Holden - midfield Houston Dynamo

Holden came to life earlier this season when an injury to Brad Davis gave him his chance to get solid first team action. Taking full advantage of the chance, Holden fit seemlessly into the Dynamo attack on the left side of midfield (also switching to the right side at times) and scored 3 goals with 5 assists in the first half of the season helping the Dynamo out of an early season slump to top the table midway through the season. An injury unfortunately sidelined most of the second half of the MLS season but he is back now just in time for Houston to make another run at the MLS Cup.

Devon McTavish - defender/midfield DC United

Probably the most versitile of all the field players listed, McTavish came to United via the Supplemental Draft (4th round) in 2006 out of West Virginia University. McTavish has played most of this season in central defense and even supplanted 2006 MLS Defender of The Year Bobby Boswell in the starting lineup midway through the season. United's switch from a 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2 is probably the biggest benefactor in McTavish' increased playing time this year. In recent games McTavish has played in the midfield to help with some injuries and suspensions to United players. The addition of Greg Vanney midseason has given United some much needed depth along the backline.

Marc Burch - defender DC United

Biggest suprise of the season in that Burch, a converted forward, actually can do a bit of defending. When MLS coaches take converted offensive players and stick them on the backline, it's almost accepted that the learning curve of the actual defending part of the job comes last as most coaches simply want them to bolt up and down the flank hitting in crosses. Burch arguably has the best left sided cross in MLS and saying that is both a compliment to him and a real shot at the current crop of defenders in MLS and their lack of ability to hit a dangerous cross. Burch's ability has transformed what was once a very predictable attack for United that relied on the skill of Christian Gomez and Jaime Moreno going through the middle of MLS defenses. Now when Burch gets on the ball United players automatically get themselves into goal scoring positions in the box which has now given United a different way to attack the goal rather than their usual "walk it into the net" approach of previous seasons. Burch also has a laser of a left foot as evidenced by his thunderbolt goal against Toronto FC a week ago. If Burch's learning progression continues, he just might be the solution to the US' lack of anything resembling a left back in their National Team program.

This is just a sampling of what young American players have offered MLS this season in 2007, the year of Beckham. Let's hope next season reaps even more rewards and more great stories come forth for the sake of MLS and US soccer.

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