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Going Or Staying A Tough Choice

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By BILL WARD, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 27, 2008

BRADENTON - At age 17, Preston Zimmerman decided to make a leap of faith. He turned down a full soccer scholarship to Duke University and the elite education that came with it and, with the approval of his parents, accepted a contract to play with German Bundesliga giant Hamburg SV.

For the first few months in the northern German port city, Zimmerman thought he might have made a terrible mistake. Hamburg might be known as the place that helped launch The Beatles' career, but Zimmerman wondered if it might end his career before it started.

"It was a total culture shock, because I didn't know how to go about my life," said Zimmerman, a native of Pasco, Wash. "The simplest things, like going to the store or going out to eat, were a challenge. I didn't know what was what because I couldn't speak the language. And the worst thing was, I had no one there to speak English with. I was real homesick."

Like many other young Americans playing professional soccer overseas, Zimmerman was able to overcome the cultural barriers and focus on the reason he went there: to become a better player. He is now fluent in German and is working hard toward his goal of one day moving up to Hamburg's first team.

But the debate rages on: What's the best way for America's young male soccer players to reach their full potential? Are they better off playing abroad, where they can be totally immersed in the sport? Or should they stay in familiar surroundings, develop through select youth programs, move on to college and, if drafted, play in Major League Soccer?

"I think it's different for every player," said former Tampa Bay Mutiny coach Thomas Rongen, who led the United States to the quarterfinals of the 2007 Under-20 World Cup. "It depends on the personality of the player, the environment, circumstances - so many factors."

As the U.S. under-23 men's team trains this month at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, the discussion about how to develop American players for the world stage will continue.

The eventual squad chosen by Coach Peter Nowak will compete in the CONCACAF men's Olympic qualification tournament, with the U.S. playing three group stage games at Raymond James Stadium on March 11 (Cuba), 13 (Panama) and 15 (Honduras).

Involved with U.S. Soccer Federation youth national teams for the past six years, Rongen is certain of one glaring difference between the developmental scheme of the United States and the rest of the world: Overseas, it's the professional clubs who identify and develop their own players.

Some MLS teams, like Colorado and Real Salt Lake, are in the process of creating a developmental system of youth clubs. But for now, the burden of developing elite American talent falls mostly on the United States Soccer Federation. To do that, the USSF has created innovative programs like the under-17 residency team in Bradenton, where players can leave home at an early age to train and compete year-round, and Generation adidas, a joint venture with MLS that encourages players to leave college early with a promise to help them earn their degrees later.

But Rongen, a native of Holland, readily admits overseas clubs generally do not have to compete with American colleges offering scholarships, as well as the lifestyle and business opportunities of this country. That, along with a variety of personal decisions by individual American players, can easily keep them home.

"I have a lot of family in the States, and I kind of wanted to establish myself here before I moved overseas," said Real Salt Lake striker Robbie Findley, who played college soccer for Oregon State before being taken in last year's MLS draft. "I just think my decision was the right decision for me. It's probably a little bit sharper and overall harder overseas but here, I think it's getting there."

For the American men to qualify for this summer's Beijing Games, they will have to play better than they did in 2004. The United States failed to qualify for Athens. It was the first time since 1976 the Americans failed to reach the Summer Games in a non-boycott year, and the 2004 roster contained 20 full-time professionals, including Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Eddie Johnson.

The final roster Nowak picks for the March tournament in Tampa will no doubt be made up exclusively of professionals who are starters for their clubs. Many will be members of MLS teams, but once again, several key starters, such as forward Freddy Adu and midfielders Michael Bradley and Benny Feilhaber, will be coming from teams abroad. For many young Americans, Europe remains their ultimate goal.

"MLS could be where I stay my entire career but, honestly, since I was a little kid, it was my dream to play overseas," said San Diego's Eric Avila, who was selected by FC Dallas in this month's MLS SuperDraft. "That was where my head was at and still is."

For forward Charlie Davies, who turned down MLS offers to play for Hammarby IF in Sweden, the reason to play abroad is obvious: to become a better player.

"In Europe, you can't have one good day of training and then take a day off, or just not train as hard if you think you're a better player than the other guys," said Davies, who played for Boston College. "It's going into each day of trying to get better each day. That's the biggest difference - trying to be a better player each day."

Nicholas J.E. Murray contributed to this report. Reporter Bill Ward can be reached at (813) 259-7456 or wward@tampatrib.com.

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