Trying to keep track of U.S. national team players, which continent they currently inhabit, and what there prospects are? We feel your pain. And we have an article crafted with you in mind.

BY Josh Deaver Posted

January 21, 2015

11:00 AM SHARE THIS STORY



returning stateside. Another laughable Deadspin article . Another round of self-flagellation and rueful hand-wringing.

Such is the offseason Major League Soccer news cycle.

Never a dull moment, the offseason has already seen American emigration from Mix Diskerud, Brek Shea, and now Jozy Altidore—with the promise of more returning sons on the horizon. All told, minus a few German-Americans, the contingent of foreign-based Yanks has shrunk dramatically, sending shockwaves of pearl-clutching and derisive scoffing throughout the soccer twittersphere (#seriousbusiness). While this must be considered a bad thing because LOLMLS, I’ll go ahead and take the negative in this debate.

As Jurgen Klinsmann has dramatically softened his public stance on such comfort-zone moves—as if it was a revolutionary idea that he would prefer his players playing against top competition or even if his decree was as resolute as advertised in the first place—there comes a realization that this was always a possibility as MLS grew.

What American player would eschew American (or, at least, Canadian) living and often better pay for an all-but-on-the-field comparable situation? With the league profile increasing in concert with the demonstrable premium clubs are willing to pay for national team players, you can certainly expect more to wash ashore in the coming weeks.

And why not? When describing the Michael Bradley fiasco to my non-sports-loving wife, she cut through the MLS stigma with refreshing pragmatism: “What’s the big deal? He’s got to provide for his family, right?”

She’s right. Very few athletes are truly dedicated to the principle of blindly obliging media narratives in deference to their own mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.

Could Bradley have stayed in Europe, crisscrossing the continent for another four or five years? Of course. As a new husband and father, however, why?

It’s a testament to how MLS has grown but also to the freedom of choice it now seeks to provide. Given his druthers, and most things being equal-ish, the benefit for an American player living and playing in (North) America, still with a chance at national team stardom, will always outweigh observers' vicarious hopes for foreign glory. Whether you call it complacency or common sense, let’s just remind ourselves: professional athletes are not here to fulfill the expectations that are selfishly grafted onto them.

Of course, this is a bit different from the unending tale of woe that is the last 24 months of Jozy Altidore’s career. One goal in 43 matches is not a life choice. With a return to the MLS, he’s going to take his share of abuse. In truth, it’s probably warranted. (Or not. Sunderland is an awful team, so who knows?) Regardless of what happens, his performance will inevitably become another barometer to make inane value judgments on MLS. If he scores and does well, it looks bad for the league. Told you it was a rubbish pub league! If he doesn’t score, well, Outthedoor always looked rubbish!

Being forced to play the part of returning hero will be the biggest challenge for the New Jersey native. It’s all over Altidore’s face. The same pensive look of someone who is unsure of his own self-worth. International success aside, it’s a bitter pill to swallow when your halcyon Premier League days were a forgettable run with Hull City. Now back in the warm embrace of MLS, it time to go to work. Nothing is going to be good enough anymore…for anyone.

ASN 100 updates

Flipping the script for a moment, Colorado Rapids midfielder Dillon Powers is now in possession of perhaps the most important thing an American citizen involved in international club soccer can have: a European passport. (Since Powers is not a U.S. national team player, Toronto FC has not offered him $6 million a year.) He posted to social media his new Italian passport, which apparently coincides with some interest from Serie A clubs Palermo and Atalanta.

Bobby Wood is looking to get out of his Munich 1860 contract—and the Lions happy to oblige. After being bussed down to the reserves at the end of last season for unnamed disciplinary issues, the 22-year-old is seeking refuge. Could he be the next MLS repatriate?

Tesho Akindele is reportedly keeping his international future close to the vest.

Rubio Rubin, who in 5 months has moved from 98th position to No. 25 in the ASN 100, got the start and went 90 minutes for FC Utrecht in a 2-1 loss to Heerenveen on Saturday.

GERMAN FRIENDLY GOAL ALERT! Both Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach) and Andrew Wooten (Sandhausen) scored this weekend for their respective clubs as the German winter break winds down.

HERCULEZ GOMES GOAL ALERT: Assisted by 42-year-old Cuauhtemoc Blanco, to boot! That's 74 years of life experience in one tally. (Puebla won 3-1.)

Chris Klute will be a member of Columbus Crew SC next season.

Jose Torres will miss 10-12 weeks for UANL Tigres after suffering a herniated disk.

Brad Evans out, Matt Hedges in. The U.S. men’s national team will play its first match of 2015 against Chile next Wednesday. Tell Klinsmann who you want to see at the opening whistle with ASN's patented Starting XI tool. ASN Contributing Editor Josh Deaver is a former academic turned soccer obsessive. Follow him on Twitter already.