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Diskerud signs two-year deal with Rosenborg

The lengthy winter search for a club has brought U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Mix Diskerud right back to the same team he most recently played for.

Diskerud has signed a two-year deal with Rosenborg, rejoining the same Norwegian side he spent the second half of 2012 with. A return to Rosenborg has been on the cards for some time, after talks between the young U.S. midfielder and the Portland Timbers broke down due to Portland’s decision that Diskerud was not worth signing to a Designated Player contract (Portland eventually signed Argentine playmaker Diego Valeri).

Diskerud took part in the recent U.S. Men’s National Team camp in January, but didn’t play in the team’s friendly  vs. Canada, nor was he called in for the team’s World Cup qualifier vs. Honduras.

What do you think of the news? See Rosenborg being a good long-term fit for Diskerud? Hoping Jurgen Klinsmann gives Diskerud another look during the March World Cup qualifiers, or do you see the Gold Cup being a good place for Diskerud to showcase his talents?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. DP whatever. The biggest issue is that MLS teams are not spending any money on payroll.

    While teams build 200 million dollar stadiums they put 3 million dollar teams on the field. Then we all wonder why people watch European leagues and ESPN barely pays attention. Teams need to be spending more on payroll. If we did, Mix would be here. So would Dempsey for that matter.

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    • No Dempsey would not. The best American players should go to the top leagues if they can.

      I think its all the players that choose lesser Euro leagues that MLS is missing out on. If you brought all those players to MLS it would be a much better league.

      The problem is players do not get their market value in MLS. So you can’t blame them for not wanting to play here.

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  2. this is how the salary cap and the DP rule hurts MLS. They cannot offer the player his market value and since they didn’t want to use one of their DP slot on him, they passed on signing him.

    No one has ever been able to make a good argument for the MLS salary cap.

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      • there are around 100 soccer leagues on the planet. Other than MLS and he A- league none of them have salary caps. And none of them have gone out of business.

        Someone please warn the 100 leagues on the planet that they are in danger of going out of business because they don’t have a salary cap.

        The salary cap is not needed.

      • Teams haven’t gone out of business…Really?

        What happened to Rangers in the SPL? What about Portsmith in the EPL/Chanpionship? There are a number of teams in various leagues where they are in Debt and facing penalties for Tax issues, or not paying their players.

        The Salary Cap is designed to control spending to insure that the league continues to grow and improve.

        As MLS improves and more people tune into matches (either on Tv or at the Stadiums) the higher the Cap will raise….raising the talent we can sign and retain.

      • i didn’t say teams. I said leagues. How many leagues are there on the planet? Maybe close to 100? None of them have salary caps and they don’t go out of business.

        You’re just parroting MLS-bot salary cap nonsense. Make an argument for the salary cap other than this bogus lie that if it didn’t exist the league would go under. I dare you to try to make a good argument. You can’t because one doesn’t exist.

      • NASL. Just sayin’.

        A-league, NPSL, USL-1, USL (original), etc.

        And 6 different leagues in Australia (only one relatively “major” in relative scale), 3 different leagues in England (none at the level of EPL through 3rd division admittedly).

        And US sports history is LITTERED with leagues in other sports that have tried and failed (XFL, USFL, ABA) usually because they get crowded out of a very competitive market. Suddenly deciding we are going to remove all reigns and let a couple owners go out and buy like mad and have their teams in NY, LA, etc. totally dominate but ultimately fold isn’t good for a sport trying to build 20 stable teams let alone the “moonshot” of a viable enough second and third division where pro-rel would be realistic in the next 25 years. Simply establishing a stable foothold and a stable structure still is the dominant need in a 19 team league that would probably see 4-5 teams fold immediately with no viable replacements if the expectation to compete for salaries was suddenly doubled or tripled.

        Now, as a Timbers fan, would I have liked to see Mix play for us? Sure I would. But if it meant doubling ticket prices, cutting other players, perhaps weakening already weak areas to be able to stay solvent then he isn’t worth it.

        Personally I think that once the league is 20 teams (2-3 years?) there will be a short period of trying to figure out what to do with the serious laggards (those averaging less than 15k – Chivas, Columbus – though improved last year, NE, DC, Dallas). Obviously SJ has solved its own issue with the new bigger stadium. NE, DC need SSS in Boston and DC. Chivas, Columbus and Dallas are thornier problems and may need to move or try something different. After that you will see a period of moderate to accelerated expansion of payrolls and at least people who judge quality by player salary will be satisfied (whether that will mean standard of play will really be higher remains to be seen).

      • 99% of the soccer leagues on the planet do not have a salary cap. None of them have gone out of business. Many of these leagues are worse off economically than MLS.

        If you prevented MLS clubs from trading international slots and capped international slots at 5 players you wouldn’t need a salary cap.

        The average American player isn’t going to cause some bidding war that will make MLS clubs overspend. And the best American players are still going to want to go to Europe.

        The type of Euro player interested in MLS can already come here through the DP scheme. And if La Galaxy could get a real superstar why would that be a bad thing?

        So what does this 2 million salary cap +DP rule mean? Really bad soccer. MLS teams are made up of a couple highly paid players and a bunch of poorly paid ones.Just look at the NY Red Bull. They paid $15 mil last year in wages and $13 mil of it went to just three players. It’s not surprising they suck.

        If MLS is already going to let NY Red Bull and LA Galaxy spend so much more than other teams then why not give clubs full autonomy and let them field more balanced teams? Give me half of that $15 mil and I could assemble a better NY Red Bull team.

        And besides, the salary cap doesn’t help the small market clubs anyway. Real Salt Lake would benefit from being able to field a balanced team with wages around $5 mil. They aren’t going to get the high priced Euro DP who wants to play in Utah.

        You didn’t make a case for the salary cap. That’s because no one can.

  3. If he really wanted to get playing time for the Nats he should use signed with a Mexican Club. Then he automatically would get starts with the Nats and get every opportunity

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  4. Mix Diskerud has accomplished 1 goal and 1 assist in just 106 minutes on the field. Neither goal or assist was a fluke.

    The question is: Why does this guy not receive more playing time?

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    • Mix’s goal and assist both came near the end of friendly games.

      Is it so strange to think that maybe the game “opens up” at a time like that, that maybe the South African and Russian defenders weren’t all that focused?

      Mix isn’t playing for the USMNT yet because he hasn’t proved anything .

      Good players in Norway usually get snapped up by bigger leagues by this time ( he’s 22 now). The fact that he has to go back to Rosenborg tells me no one was all that interested.

      He was soft in the Olympic qualifiers and apparently, was soft in the USMNT training camp. He has a lot of potential but that is all it is potential. National teams don’t give playing time to unrealized potential, they tell it to go get realized.

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  5. I kinda agree with A on his post , but i do feel mix should have played in the Canada friendly. just off his performance as a sub in the game against Russia ( i believe it was) where he came on and rescued a point in Russia. He is young and just coming in to club form (from what i read) and will probably, like Josh Gatt and Joe Carona, get looked at for the gold cup squad. I would like to see Mix and Gatt used as sub for qualifiers but truthfully thats not going to happen right now. Im glad hell be in Norway for at least 2 more years. if he continues to ball he’ll garner interest.

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  6. I get that people have their favorite players, but here we have a player who plays in Norway and was just deemed not good enough for a DP spot on an MLS squad, and did not show well enough in the USMNT camp to even make the bench and people are clamoring for him to start and play a major role for us.

    Sometimes what you “feel” needs to happen isn’t reality.

    Reply
    • true that, although he has had decent US performances he is on the depth chart but not in the final 23 picture yet.. Still I would have made him a DP in MLS. Ohwell do well in Rosenburg, especially in UCL, and get a transfer to a better league then we will talk..

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    • In three appearances, Mix has had a goal and an assist, both leading to a last minute win and tie. He is a two-way, creative midfielder. He is one of his club team’s most important players at 22, and has a very high ceiling. Essentially, he’s a player we should be implementing soon.

      Klinsi is flimsy with his young player choices. His words to Mix during the camp were, “He’s good. But he doesn’t bring 100% to training. And he doesn’t dig in.” Similar to Jozy, Klinsi recognizes Mix’s skill level, but wants to push him further. As with Jozy, he didn’t play Mix as a sign to him that he has to raise his level of play. It wasn’t a sign that he’s not good enough, it’s Klinsi throwing down the gauntlet.

      Mix won’t fix our problems. But he’s the kind of player at the right age to impact us – as he has done almost every chance he’s been given at the international level.

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      • Agreed. I’m sure JK’s comments about training carry some water, but Mix has been solid in both senior team appearances and was a beast against Mexico’s U23s. He struggled a bit during Olympic Qualifying, but since then he’s been playing well in European games, etc.

      • “Norway is a better standard than MLS anyway.”

        Very debateable

        Norway is ranked 26th in Europe. The teams there have a lower average attendance than MLS.

        They send a lot of players to bigger leagues but that is a function of location and history.

  7. Good for Mix. I really hope JK gets him more USMNT time- he’s too good to just sit on the bench, or even worse, not even get called up.. I have a feeling that if Mix works his way into the US starting XI, he could be a big part of Brasil 2014 (Think about him paired with MB90 in the middle- Wow..). Lets Go You Yanks!

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  8. Like Gatt, Mix must find harder opponents. The Netherlands seems like the next step. A two year contract does show Mix’s intent to eventually move. Otherwise, it would have been a four-year signature.

    I don’t think Mix fancied himself in Russia or playing for another Norwegian team so he’s sticking around. He recently said Italy or Spain would be his preferred destination, based on his abilities. Maybe he’s hoping one will come in for him in the summer.

    It’s still better than MLS in my opinion. Staying at Rosenborg means he’ll compete in Euro tournaments and he won’t take time to acclimate to a new environment.

    Let’s hope that wherever he plays, he takes his abilities up a level and forces Klinsi’s hand.

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  9. I was hoping he would sign for a Russian Premier League club or maybe some Dutch club but still good. He starts at the bighest club in Norway with regular European play but no way he will get NTcall-ups with his contract. Bradley, JOnes, Edu, Williams, Kljestan, Torres,Holden, Beckerman are all in front of him. though he is only 22

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    • none of those players (with the exception of maybe holden?) play the same position as mix. i agree that it seems they are in front of him, but only because klinsmann isn’t calling up attacking mids.

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  10. valeri might work out but if the negotiations w/ Mix fell through over DP status that makes me sad

    wouldve been a great chance to get an exciting young player in the league to balance some of those who left during the winter transfer window.

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      • I think it speaks volumes about Porter that a young, exciting American player who had no history of playing in the US was considering playing for the MLS

    • If MLS DP structure caused this, then MLS should be ashamed of themselves. We all know the league has flexible rules when it wants to have them. MLS could have made it work and used thIs as an example to other up and coming Americans (if it worked out). Maybe MLS doesn’t care as much about the development of American soccer as much as they claim to do.

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