Photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com
Geoff Cameron's rise from MLS standout to the U.S. men's national team may very well culminate in a move overseas in the near future.
According to the Houston Dynamo broadcast from the club's win over FC Dallas over the weekend scouts from Everton, Stoke City and Schalke were in attendance with an eye on the U.S. national team centerback, who turns 27 next month.
Cameron attracting overseas interest is a developing trend. Last month, SBI reported that the versatile Cameron had suitors lining up in Germany, England, Portugal and the Netherlands. Cameron has two more years on his current deal with the Dynamo, and according to MLS' official website, Dynamo president Chris Canetti said that he is aware of the interest in Cameron but that no formal offers have been made to the club just yet.
What do you think of this development?
Share your thoughts below.
What? Tim Ream was excellent for NYRB’S!
You watching this defense struggle….against TFC? You really think we can afford to lose Cameron?
I take back my +1 on the basis that cj’s sense of equivalence is lazy and wholly lacking objective reason. -2.
he means ream had a poor mls season before moving to the epl
+1. Cameron should move somewhere where he gets instant PT. Holland- AZ Alkmaar?
By the time an American player goes to La Liga, it’ll be too late to develop better ball skills. You gotta have them first before going. We have a long way to go before we produce players of that caliber on a consistent basis.
I think he has some of the requisite tenacity, skill, and composure, but from year 1 he’s had a habit of diving in and I think he needs to work on the mental game. He still gets caught ball watching and stuff.
Moyes strikes me as the sort of coach who would teach him things. Schalke sounds like the deep end of the pool and I’m not sure that’s the place for learning on the job.
Pulis, well, they already play Dynamo style ball so that’s probably like plug and play. Perhaps he’d learn from the tougher EPL experience, maybe he’d get exposed like Berbatov did to him at the all star game.
The basic appeal of a MLS American is they are cheap and to the extent they can get a work permit usually at least of the quality a mediocre EPL team could use.
But if English/European wages drop as you suggest then Americans are less competitive because I can snag some guy over there that I can thoroughly scout, at similar or slightly increased cost. I think the wage gap is actually something we exploit.
Then. Don’t. Sell. Look before you leap. We have a contract, he has a career. We need a veteran back before we sell. QED. The whole reason Cameron got moved back is the defense sucked without him. I have no urge to return to 2010 defense and watching the playoffs from the wilderness.
As far as Boniek goes, we chose to obsess on the guy for three windows and butt heads with Olimpia’s FO. We ultimately paid a million for him (“restricted by money”?). I hope he’s worth it.
Guys is too small to play in the EPL or Bliga. He should go to Spain.
I hope he gets over there but the scouts sure picked the wrong game to watch
Canetti didn’t say he was scouting defenders when he talked about the summer window and Boniek and an Unnamed Forward. It is therefore reasonable to be concerned that we might be counting transfer $$$$$ without considering the competitive impact/ availability of replacements.
Perhaps the suggestion is we can make do without. Did you watch the Whitecaps game? That’s what our B team defense looks like. There is a thin patina of quality in our defense over a lot of mediocrity. Dallas was all over Ashe. Signing Boniek and selling Cameron would be a competitive wash, or worse.
I refuse to take crap for thinking a player (Appiah) who scores within minutes in his first MLS game, might have promise. Dom traded DeRo for nothing, was unable to exploit Wondo, traded away Oduro and Kamara for spite, etc. I think he’s reasonably effective at implementing his direct 442 but the big picture is we play a lot of ugly, defensive soccer and haven’t won a big trophy since 2007. We’ve always been defensive but recent years we’re a caricature.
Can we please keep politics out of here. For every instance you show a conservative silencing somebody I can show you three from liberals.
Bocanegra, Goodson, Howard, Guzan, Bradley, Dempsey, Holden, Altidore, Gomez, all started in MLS.
If soccer prime is 26-30, why isnt Cameroon starting? All I see are 30+ year olds in our defense except for Johnson. What’s your argument if there are very little young players in the national team?
Off to go see Cameron, I hope he plays better than last game.
Alan, my friend, soccer PRIME is 26-28. You don’t get any faster, more agile, or physically able to handle the rigors of professional footballing after that age. After age 30, MOST players (I won’t say all) experience a fall off in their play. Certainly keepers are an exception to that, and some field players also have a resurgence after 30. But 26-27 is a perfect time to try your hand for a big club in Europe — just ask Gerrard, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Robbie Keane, Thiery Henry, and the list goes on forever.
I think it was expected, his combo of size and touch gives him a leg up against other MLSers, plus the dude is tough as nails.
Bocanegra, demerit, cherundolo were all 30 when they made the world cup goodson was 29. Age must not bother klinnsman because I dont see him developing any players.
No.
i like the EPL, but i would like to see some players get into La Liga. we need to improve our touch and dribbling. we’re desperate for a CB who can pass out of the back, who is good on the ball, who is quick. La Liga would be a perfect place to improve those skills. but like you said, PT would be hard to come by in either, depending on the team. as long as he is smart about it, he can find a team i’m sure.
honestly, Ream didn’t really have a bad year in the EPL. but, there are plenty of others who did follow that path exactly.
i will have to respectfully disagree that he is too young and that he shouldn’t think about moving to a big league until 30. and why would he, at 30, just be getting into the national team picture? how does that help us much? i don’t believe you are serious though.
Are you Italian?
Whats wrong with giving my own opinion? Isn’t that what the comment section is for? Not sure if you’re conservative or a big ranting bitch face.
You sound like an idiot, many American players that go to Scandinavia hardly ever play in the EPL. MLS is not going to sell a player if they get nothing back, its a Business as well, they have to think about the club. Even Jurgen thinks young players, should stay in MLS first, then make the jump. You are the reason we have the Marcus Tracy’s of the world, History has shown MLS lets players go,for the right price.
There’s never a better time… like now. Make the most of your opportunities, surround yourself with good people – this type of advice that allows a person to grow, excel in life.
He has the physicality, hunger and growing skills. It would be great to see him in Europe in a accelerated competitive environment.
Happy to hear the good news for Cameron.
What the hell are you even talking about? I can’t tell if it’s stupidity or sarcasm…
When is it not the best option?
Go to Europe where all options are on the table or go to MLS where your essentially locked down and it no longer becomes cost effective for European teams to take a flier on an MLS players becasue of how expensive it is. If your coveted by an your MLS club, they arent going to sell you. That’s why Shea is going to more than likely have to wait before he can go to Europe. At that point, he’ll be 24 and would’ve been playing at a plateued level for 2 years.
MLS is the option if you have no foreign suitors or you decided to play in college. Sure you can do a Dempsey and play your way into Europe, but that is more like the exception to the rule. If you are heavily recruited out of high school do yourself and US Soccer a favor and get in some lower divison European team and work your way up. There is a reason there are less than 10 viable USMNT players in MLS. Our best players are seasoned in Europe without a doubt.
Cameron is starting way behind the bell curve, but as we’ve seen he can still probably contribute for another 5 years or so.
that wasn’t Canetti, that was Olimpia president, who 2 times accepted an offer, then at the last minute said “nevermind.” Also, it didn’t take three years, the first interest came just a year ago. And I don’t blame Canetti for anything, he is very restricted by money.
Fair play rules won’t do nothing, clubs in Europe will still be in financial trouble, it is a wast of time.
I can’t tell if you are kidding about firing Dom, if you aren’t, then you should be.
Why is it a stupid statement? Thats how stuff works.
That is a stupid statement
Nice observation/point.
We’ll see more of this with financial fair play rules coming into effect over the next several years. Players coming from MLS will be on lower wages and require a lower transfer fee.
Well if he’s going to move to europe then he should move to a club in Denmark or Sweden and when he turns 30 he should move to mid table team in the premir league then he should be called into the national team.
Preach on JC. I think we should use the cash to bring back Sammy Appiah. We might get just enough in transfer funds to be able to afford him! Oh yeah, FIRE DOM.
Oh great we lose another player to Europe (Clark, Holden, Jaqua, Ngwenya, and now Cameron) and nobody to adequately replace them.
I doubt with Canetti in charge we will get anyone of quality to replace him.
It took 3 years to get OBG here as a DP.
Hope it works out for him, but i had no idea he was that old.
Tim Ream sucked in MLS, adjusted to the EPL fine.
Not too shabby for a 3rd round draft pick.
Hmmm, Canetti didn’t deny it or say he’s not for sale. So that means something.
Now, the rote MLS fanboy response to such things is the horribly confused notion that the transferee somehow makes his former team look better by being snagged. “See how good the Dynamo are he got picked up.” But the real fans paying attention know it can leave the team in the lurch. Anyone who’s watched the Dynamo midfield go downhill from the days of DeRo, Clark, and Holden knows that if your former players leave town and are not adequately replaced, whoop de do that “we produce high quality players attractive to Europe” because you’ve stuck me with the crap ones who aren’t.
Of particular concern to me would be that Cameron is the last remaining athletic defender of decent quality left. Hainault, Boswell, and Taylor are all slow. Ashe sucks, as do the spot players who recently saw time against Vancouver in a 3-0 loss.
I recall we once traded away DeRo for Julius James and a bucket of used athletic supporters, with the concept that the cleared cap would be useful. That trade was advocated by people around Houston who thought DeRo too big for his britches. We then, I believe, acquired the useless LA Landin, who graced our frontline on and off for a year and a half in the wilderness (neither James nor Landin is still in Houston, but DeRo won MVP). If handled poorly, there is a chance the Dynamo start fixing the offense only to botch the defense. So if Canetti has the idea of transferring Cameron in his head, he better have a replacement in mind, too. Well, not just in mind, but pretty much signed.
Make him sign a new contract so buyout clause is higher! He was a late round draft pick, his pay/buyout can’t be that high.
This makes me feel good as a MLS fan, every time someone tries to down play MLS role in US soccer, makes me angry. I hope young players see that going to Europe may not be the best option.
You’re kidding, right? 26? Too young?
Good for him; I think he’s a top player who needs to be pushed with regular playing time at a higher level. I’d be worried about PT in the EPL and think the Netherlands would be a great destination for a few years until he’s ready to move up even further.
-Get some National Team Call Ups: check
-Enter the conversation for up & coming CB’s in MLS: check
-Have rumors about European interest: check
-Have a bad year following the hype: check
Sounds like Cameron is right on course for the Tim Ream fast track to Europe.
He’s too young.
i think it’s fantastic. this would be great for him and the USMNT if he can find the right club.