Soccernet.com reports that former USMNT captain Claudio Reyna has been released by Manchester City and appears to be heading to the regrettably named New York Red Bulls. Reyna has long claimed he would someday return to the US and play in MLS, and it's certain to be a warm homecoming for the Jersey boy.
Is this good for Reyna? Of this, there is little doubt. Claudio has a home in NY, grew up in Jersey, and will be working for Bruce Arena, his old college and USMNT coach. And from a sporting perspective, even in his footballing dotage, Reyna will undoubtably shine in MLS. While he has never been flashy, he is a player with real class and a wealth of experience at the highest levels. His tackling, composure on the ball, vision, and leadership automatically set him at the top of the class of MLS midfielders.
But will it be good for MLS? With Beckham, Reyna, and the rumor of Edgar Davids, MLS fans have to be worrying about a US soccer league again becoming world football's Old Folk's Home. The lackluster runouts of Lothar Matthäus and Youri Djorkaeff are enough to worry some MLS stalwarts that the league's "Beckham Rule" could become a way for past-their-prime European stars to have a farewell tour across the pond.
In this case, however, I think the concern is misplaced. Nothing in Reyna's past suggests he'd treat this as merely a paycheck. He has always demonstrated a sense of responsibility for US soccer success, and turning around a perpetually underachieving New York franchise would be a substantial part of his legacy.
And unlike Matthäus or others of his ilk, Reyna will feel an obligation to US soccer, and will understand the importance of building a good team in a huge sporting market.
One thing is for certain, Reyna deserves a better curtain call for casual US fans then his unfortunate gaffe against Ghana, and I believe he'll grasp the opportunity and run with it.
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