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Dynamic Duo set to leave MLS

Stuart Holden 1 (Getty Images)

by FRANCO PANIZO

If the Houston Dynamo is to continue its relative MLS success next season, it will likely have to do so without two of their most talented players.

Midfielders Ricardo Clark and Stuart Holden are out of contract at season's end, and both players are unlikely to return to the club, having been strongly linked with moves to Europe during the upcoming winter transfer window.

The first of what should be many teams interested in Holden surfaced on Thursday, and it is Scottish club Aberdeen. According to a report out of Europe, Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee is closely eyeing Holden, and is hoping to entice the midfielder to sign with the club during January's winter transfer window. McGhee also said that the club may have to wait until the summer to sign Holden, who was born in Scotland.

The news of Holden receiving interest from European clubs is no surprise, but it comes just two days after the Dynamo revealed that Clark would indefintely not return to the club. Clark, who sent the Dynamo a thank-you email prior to the MLS playoffs, has no intention to re-sign with MLS, and is going to pursue European possibilities. Clark received interest abroad from Italian club Livorno earlier this year.

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What do you think of Holden possibly joining Aberdeen? Think he would find lots of minutes with the club, or should he avoid the physical league at all cost? Where do you see Clark landing? Think the Dynamo will be able to cope without Holden and Clark next season?

Share your thoughts below.
 

Comments

  1. Ives (or one of his minions) reported it and basically implied it was done. Of course, they dont do research on this site. There was never any confirmed deal, just the rantings of Livorno’s president. Clark always maintained that he would see at the end of the season.

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  2. You nailed it Kutama. Holden was making peanuts this year ($34.5K I think). No wonder he wants to leave the MLS.

    I think Holden is the sort of player that the MLS needs to hold on to but until they start paying players more money, the MLS will always be a feeder league.

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  3. Until the national team starts showing more consistent success abroad and the U.S. system produces more polished players the top young American talent is going to be perpetually stuck in this Euro-limbo. The top 4 leagues will only sniff at the cream of our crop and let them ride the pine while many of the other leagues have too much financial instability or institutionally don’t want to take expensive chances, especially in this global recession, leaving our players undervalued. It’s cheaper and easier for top clubs to bring over talent from soccer-mad, poverty-stricken areas like Brazil, Africa or their develop own youth programs. What real incentive is there to import 20-something year old players from the U.S. who still need more training in subtle game aspects like awareness, timing, creativity, passing, finishing and defending? Until American players outside of our goalkeepers start showing more mettle in UEFA competition our players aren’t going to see that stage. Chelsea would much rather establish some little development team and hold 80K seat sold-out exhibitions in the U.S. and sell us their jerseys than take on our players. Can’t wait to see how Donovan’s awaited Eurotransfer will fare.

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  4. Please God don’t let Holden go to the SPL. Look at Edu and Beasley, they’ve both spent significant time INJURED!

    SPL is a ankle-hack league. Bob Bradley needs to keep all his players out of their.

    I’d rather Holden go to Holland or France, where he can work on his technical ability.

    The US team can ill afford to lose that wonderful right foot of his.

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  5. yes, it actually is a good thing for MLS to spend 4mil on payroll and still see its attendance go down, its ratings stay flat, and its entries into concacaf cl get dealt a big can of mexican whoop-ass. For MLS teams to be taken seriously on the regional and international stage, you’ll probably need payrolls in profitable cities like LA & Sea & TFC & Chi in excess of 10mil. Obviously, the league wont be able to support KC or Col (crew or rapids) also having that payroll leeway.
    When that happens, MLS should probably push hard for the Concacaf CL to pay through the nose for a couple of S. Amer. brand names to join in at the group stage to improve the international lustre of the tournament.

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  6. He wouldn’t go to Newcastle those bastard fans are the ones that nearly ended his career before it even started. They did quite a number on his eye when he was a pup at Sunderland. Then again it was a blessing in disguise because the injury and attack allowed him to come home.

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  7. How does going to europe now better him? And he hasn’t gotten paid crap he was a GA with no other offers, he is an endorsed athlete. Going to europe in the middle of the season has worked out for who exactly? Unless you are a game changer, you have to come in fighting to get past the other guys who have been there all season,Instead of worrying about making this team he should be concentrating on working on the things that the US team will need from him in SA.

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  8. Agreed Martha. I hope Holden turns down the SPL offer. It could be argued it is not a step up from Houston in quality. Hopefully he’ll get an offer outside of the SPL.

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  9. Holden should avoid that crap hack league before they ruin him like Edu and Beas there’s only two teams in that league good enough tobplay in coca cola mls is a better all around league. He can get. Hacked here he doesn’t need to go to third rate euro league for that

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  10. Precisely….100% agree with you Scott. Even some of the best players in world over the past decade or so have started out with the baby-step method. Ronaldo (of Brazil) played for PSV. Van Nistelrooy did as well (and also played for Heerenveen and someone else prior). Ronaldhino played for PSG. Even Zidane spent a full 8 years in France before making his move to Juve. And these are top-class players. We can only hope that whoever these agents are for our young talents realize how this concept works.

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  11. Bingo. I’m sure he’s been offered a lot of cash from the Dynamo (they’ve implied as much) but this is at least as much about his development as a player as it is about salary. I really think Holland would be a great choice for him, I’d love to see him get some great training somewhere like PSV, play in some UEFA/Champions League matches, then move onto the Premiership in a few seasons.

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  12. As much as I want him to stay in MLS, the kid has to go to Europe now. He has gotten paid like crap here for 4 years, he’s already won 2 MLS Cup titles, been to an All Star game, voted best 11…what else is there for him to accomplish here? MVP? His goal is to develop as a player, make the World Cup roster in 2010 and play regular first team football in Europe. Besides, IF there is a work stoppage in MLS the timing of this move looks even better for him.

    Send us a postcard from Europe Stuie!

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  13. And to learn what a run-on sentence is…haha. I couldn’t resist. But If Holden goes now he’s likely to start playing now, whereas if he waits for the MLS season to start he will have been off for 3-4 months.

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  14. The only problem Holden staying still next summer before going to Europe is that MLS minimum signing time is 2 years (in which he might not be eligible because he is not a “veteran” – I guess Heath Pearce used this to sign for 2 yrs minimum so as to go back to Europe after his contract is up) & that will trap him in MLS unless a European team is willing to shell out a transfer fee…..I don’t think Holden will go for that. This is the problem with a March – Nov league instead of a European style league of Aug – May

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  15. WTF Beas hasnt done well since he left PSV. As i recall he stunk it up in Man City. He never understood that his biggest asset are his jets….run forest run!!!!

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  16. Don’t go to Scotland. They play rough there and you will end on the bench injured. Seriously, Holden Scotland is overrated….go somewhere else, don’t take the first offer.

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  17. Did I read somewhere that Holden is fluent in French?
    Does he speak any Spanish?
    If so, two good league possibilities for his style of play…

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  18. Most interesting comment is that Maghee said they may have to wait until the summer to sign him. Indicates that he may stay in Houston until after the World Cup. If he does, that is a great move IMO and not just because I am a Dyanmo fan.

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  19. Chris, are you currently in Belfast? I was just there for the first time this summer and loved it. On the subject of where US players should play; I completely agree, France or the Netherlands would be a good choice for players trying to ply their trade in Europe.

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  20. are you asking about the email, or the fact the article says Clark would “indefintely not return” to the club? That’s an interesting turn of phrase that I’ve not seen before 😉

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  21. Agreed. Without a reasonable salary MLS cannot attract good players or develop depth to compete in the multi tournament/leauge play where most clubs in europe make their money. Without the ability to re-sign key players and develop teams over time the MLS leauge will always be a 3rd table leauge where players get a start or finish their carrers. In other words inexperienced or over the hill players.

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  22. i think right now playing time in 10′ is woth staying in MLS until after the world cup he could play himsel into an even better contract since most here believe this is all about money, so with the new cba he could sign a better MLS deal he is bound to take over what clark was making and more put a transfer clause in his contract after next season he transers either mid way or at the end win, win for him and the league, personally jozy’s form and conidence would be enough for me to want to stay and play in an environment I know and be fresh and ready for the world cup then be rotting on the bench in a different environment with the conidence of a 16 year old. Clark to me this is his only shot I think he is overrated if edu doesn’t get hurt he doesn’t even go to the confederations cup so he should go but stu should wait atleast til after the world cup.

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  23. yes, this is great news for MLS. Actually, its great news for MLS fans.
    This will show that the supposed 4mil payroll MLS will allow for next year isnt even enough to keep it all from going down the drain. More is needed, and Garber will eventually allow such from profitable teams. This will be a league-saving play.

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  24. Wait… he wouldn’t start in the SPL for Aberdeen, but he would start in the Bundesliga? That doesn’t quite equate for me.

    That said, I don’t think US players should go ANYWHERE near Scottish football. It’s a losing proposition right now. Championship- lower table if you’re going to England. I want more of the guys to go to France and The Netherlands, though. Those will be great leagues for the guys to improve their technical ability and ability to read a match.

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  25. I love the fact that Stuart is a duel Scottish citizen because it opens up many options for him. It’s obvious playing in the UK is no problem but his passport opens the door to La Liga who, because of their tight non-EU limits, usually go for South Americans because they can fast track them to citizenship or exploit linkages for passports. His Scottish citizenship also open some doors to Holland, too. Eredivisie clubs must pay non-EU citizens on a 1st team contract a 400K (Euros??) minimum salary. So being a Scot some might not shy Eredivisie clubs away from signing him. Though I think he’s work a 400K salary.

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  26. Solid management at Hearts? Come on. They are owned by an absolute whack job in Vladimir Romanov and ran by equally nutty son Roman. They’ve thrown a butt load of cash at players. Sadly, they’ve essentially just moved Hearts up one or two spots in the table from where they traditionally sit. Since the Roamanov’s arrival in ’05 the club has gone thru 8 managers (including caretakers) last time I counted. Not to mention players have walked out and demanded transfers. The Romanov’s also brought over players from their other club FBK Kaunas (which they no longer own) and demanded the managers play them.

    I will say Hearts are starting to turn a corner and the Romanov’s are removing the tight grip of things but the club still has a ways to go before calling them stable. László is a good manager but he’s thrown his name into the hat for the Scotland job. So more uncertainty abounds.

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  27. I’d like him follow the Baby Bradley plan go to the Dutch league play for a mid table team where he can start today. Then use that experience to leverage a move to a bigger league.

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  28. Hold your horses…Holden ain’t that special enough to play first team soccer in the top 3 leagues. He is not going to crack those lineups…With that said, He needs to play consistently…the better option would be lower table teams in Netherlands…France…even Scotland.

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  29. I’m sorry to see them both leave us but excited to see what they can do. I’ll echo the idea of Stu heading to Spain or Holland as a good one, just get the minutes man. And I wouldn’t put too much stock in the Aberdeen story, this is just the first of many rumors to come.

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  30. agreed. someday the MLS will enter the talent market where they will understand that developing youth players and selling them to Europe before their prime is a great revenue source.

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  31. I’m rooting for Spain and Holland for Holden. The KEY, as noted by several, is to go somewhere he can get PT. I’d love to see him develop his touch and vision for a PSV or comparable club. However, he has to balance long-term vs. 2010 WC. That is, he might do well long-term to go somewhere that he wouldn’t start at first, but could in a year or so. However, not getting playing time in early 2010 will make it hard to go to the Cup.

    Clark is another matter. Perhaps he can play and grow in Serie A. Let’s see what happens.

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