An American soccer coach takes on England's Premier League

England’s Premier League is widely considered the best soccer league in the world. It attracts top talent from all over the planet. But never had an American coach been given the responsibility to manage one of the league’s teams. Until now.

That's the barrier that Bob Bradley is crashing through. The former US Men’s National Team coach is starting a new job as manager of English Premier League team Swansea City. And it won’t be easy. Bradley is joining Swansea with the season already in progress. His predecessor got fired because of poor results. Swansea is currently in 17th place, out of 20 teams in the league.

At the end of the season, the bottom three teams lose their Premier League status and are relegated to a lower division. Bradley’s job is to avoid that. And that’s not simple in the toughest soccer league in the world.

But the significance of Bradley’s appointment goes beyond Swansea’s fate and the coach’s own career. This is a huge deal for all of US soccer. Here is a chance for an American to prove that US soccer is all grown up now; that Americans can play and compete at the highest levels of the world’s favorite sport.

Bradley himself thinks he’s up to the task. Earlier this year he told Sirius XM that he was on the same level as some of the top managers in the English Premier League. “Maybe I’m stupid,” Bradley said. “But I think that I am a manager in and around that level.”

“I’m not saying I’m better than these guys,” Bradley added, referring to the likes of Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool FC. Those are two of the most highly rated soccer coaches in the world, by the way.

“I haven’t had those types of opportunities, but I think people that have played for me have always felt that the experience in the team was different, that training was challenging, that there were a lot of things done to help them become better players and better people,” Bradley continued. “So I believe in my work ... I just roll up my sleeves and try to show people what I’m all about and see what happens.”

Bradley has spent years working up to this. He coached at the US collegiate and professional levels. And he led the United States to the 2010 World Cup, where his team did better than European powerhouses like England, France and Italy. The US reached the round of 16, where the team lost to Ghana in an extra-time heartbreaker. But not before producing one of the most memorable moments in American World Cup history: a last-gasp winner by Landon Donovan against Algeria.

After the 2010 World Cup, Bradley did what American coaches rarely do: He started testing his mettle way outside his comfort zone, and way outside the US. He coached Egypt in the chaos that followed the Arab Spring. He won praise for choosing to live in Cairo and leading the team through a tumultuous time that disrupted Egypt’s national soccer league. He almost got Egypt to the 2014 World Cup, only to be denied by Ghana again.

More recently, Bradley became the first American to coach in the first division of any major European soccer league, taking the manager’s job at Stabaek in Norway and leading what had been a struggling team to a third-place finish in the Norwegian league.

So Bradley’s international track record is good, if not exactly stellar. And he’s got lots of support from the US soccer community. The question is, can he survive the pressure cooker that is the English Premier League?

Well, it helps that Swansea’s new owners are themselves American. In fact, a number of English Premier League teams are owned by Americans. And a handful of American players have played in England, too. And all of them can tell you that Americans don’t have it easy in the world of English football.

There is a lot of prejudice, in England and elsewhere, against American soccer. People still think of Americans as untested, or worse, as unprepared for going head-to-head with the sport’s elite. Former US national team player Alexi Lalas tweeted about that this week.

What all of this means is that Bob Bradley will have to get results quickly if he hopes to survive as coach at Swansea City. But if he succeeds, he could be opening the way for many more Yanks to crash England’s football party.

Landon Donovan says U.S. men's soccer lost opportunity to showcase sport by failing to make Olympics

When Landon Donovan made his only Olympic appearance in 2000 as a teenager with his hair bleached like Eminem, the Americans' fourth-place finish was supposed to signal the rise of U.S. Soccer — a notion furthered two years later when he helped the squad to a World Cup quarterfinal.

Only today, with Donovan retired as still the leading scorer in our international soccer history, there is no U.S. men's soccer team in Rio. There also wasn't one at the Games in London, representing the first time in 48 years the U.S. failed to qualify for consecutive Olympics.

Donovan told the Daily News it's a significant missed opportunity.

"In the big picture it's not going to mean the difference between soccer 'making it' or not in this country, but the problem is that every four years with the Olympics and every four years with the World Cup, there's a unique opportunity to showcase our sport and showcase our team. And we're losing that," the former striker said. "We lost that last Olympics, and we lost that this Olympics. There are a lot of casual fans who don't normally watch soccer. And they would've been tuning in. And if there was an inspiring moment, they would've become soccer fans. And that's what you're missing out on. I can't tell you how many people who've come up to me in the last six years and said after watching your goal against Algeria (in the 2010 World Cup), I became a soccer fan. I've never watched soccer before that. I've had thousands and thousands of people say that. That's what you're missing out on."

Donovan is also concerned about the overall downward trend of the U.S. youth teams, which includes the U-17 squad that couldn't get out of the group stage of its World Cup last year. Under Jurgen Klinsmann, who took over as both coach of the USMNT and technical director of entire program in 2011, the results of the youth teams have been uninspiring, at best.

It's harder now than 16 years ago to see the bright future from what's in the system.

"I think the bigger issue is that we don't see a pipeline of good young players coming into Major League Soccer or the national team playing consistently. So if you had an Under-17 National team that didn't qualify for their World Cup or a U-20 that didn't qualify but you had four 18-year-old's in the next World Cup, you could say you know what, we can handle it because we're actually developing them on a level that matters. But we're not getting them there. And when you have neither, that's not a good sign," Donovan said. "It's not about doing well in these tournaments. that's nice, and that's icing on top. It's more about, how are we developing players on the national team so we win a World Cup one day (with the senior team). And that's where I have concerns."

Donovan, 34, is more than a year into his retirement and still contemplating his next phase beyond becoming a first-time father in January. He owns a piece of English Premiere League team Swansea City, and told The News that "the opportunity to be an owner of an MLS team is certainly intriguing at some point." He is currently working with Captain Morgan on a promotion to change the law that restricts U.S. presidents to 35 and older, with a goal of getting 100,000 signatures on a petition at under35potus.com.

"It's important to start engaging young people in ideas about what's going on in this country and how we can make it a better place. And if you follow the news, it hasn't been very inspiring," he said. "When you think about all the young people in this country who are doing incredible things, but they can't be be president, that seems a little silly to me."

Donovan also starts pursuing coaching licenses next week, although serving as a manager of professionals doesn't seem so appealing to the soft-spoken Californian.

He prefers teaching kids.

"Especially with men, grown men, that have big egos — the last thing I want to do is manage those," he said.

Donovan seemed to rule out playing again, at least under his current condition, because, "if you've seen me run in the last year and a half, you'd say absolutely not." His last years with the U.S. team were defined by a dissonance with Klinsmann, who controversially left Donovan off the 2014 World Cup roster.

Still, as rumors circulated last month about Klinsmann interviewing for the England job, Donovan believes his former coach wouldn't abandon the U.S. in the middle of World Cup qualifying. England eventually hired Sam Allardyce, and it's unclear if Klinsmann was ever offered the prestigious gig.

"I'm not privy to what's going on but I think any time a coach does well like Jurgen did (by finishing fourth last month) in Copa America, there's interest. I think for any player or athlete or person, it's nice to feel wanted and to be in those discussions," said Donovan. "But in the end I can't imagine that he would leave his job halfway through the (World Cup) cycle and your team's in the middle of qualifying."

And even as these Olympics serve as a setback and the pipeline isn't exactly bursting with talent in Klinsmann's program, Donovan understands the 2018 World Cup in Russia will redefine everything, for better or worse.

"That's the only gauge we'll get and the only barometer we'll have," he said.

Landon Donovan preaches patience with U.S. soccer progress

June 23 marked six years since former U.S Men’s National Team captain Landon Donovan’s game-winning goal in stoppage time against Algeria catapulted the Americans into the knockout stage of the World Cup in South Africa.

That shining moment was a high point for Donovan, the USMNT’s all-time goals and assists leader, in his 15-year playing career.

“I think with more time, I kind of realize how much more special [the goal] was,” the 34-year-old Donovan told amNewYork on Saturday at a Sprint-sponsored event celebrating Copa America Centenario. “In 2010, if you held an event like this, people wouldn’t show up in this way. I think it’s really special to see how much that moment has meant to people, to companies, to fans, our players and to the growth of soccer in our country.”

The current USMNT saw their stay in the Copa America Centenario come to an end this past Saturday with a 1-0 loss to Colombia. The U.S. finished the tournament in fourth place, beating Costa Rica, Paraguay and Ecuador but falling to Colombia twice and Argentina once.

“[The Americans] have beaten the teams you expect them to beat to continue growing, but you want them to take the next step by beating a Colombia or Argentina,” said Donovan, who retired in 2014. “We’ve done a great job getting better, but we still have a long way to go, and we saw that against Argentina.

“It’s not because we don’t have a [Lionel] Messi – Germany doesn’t have a Messi. If you look at the 10 other players on the field for Argentina, we need more of that.”

While soccer in the United States is not yet at the level of the elite squads in Europe and South America, Donovan assures the U.S will join the ranks among the world’s best in due time.

“We live in a society where we want instant gratification,” Donovan said. “Everyone wants it to be like the Premier League tomorrow, but unfortunately it just takes time, and we have to deal with that.”

Landon Donovan believes the USA will win a World Cup in his lifetime

THE UNITED STATES are not even among the top 20 countries in the Fifa rankings but all-time leading goalscorer Landon Donovan believes they will win the World Cup in his lifetime.

In 10 appearances, USA have only ever advanced to the quarter-finals of the showpiece event on one occasion – at the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.

Jurgen Klinsmann’s side made it to the last 16 in Brazil two years ago, but went out against Belgium following a 2-1 loss in extra time.

But as USA prepare for next month’s Copa America Centenario with an international friendly against Ecuador on Wednesday, Donovan believes the Americans can reign supreme on the world stage.

“In each World Cup, you need a lot of luck in addition to excellent preparation,” ,” the 34-year-old told Mexican news agency Notimex.

“While Brazil and Germany can have four [average] matches in a World Cup and two excellent ones to be World Cup champions, teams like the USA and Mexico need to play great games and then it can happen.

“Mexico has several decades playing in World Cups and hasn’t won it and the United States has only been to some World Cups.

“But I believe that I’ll see the United States as world champions.”

Host nation USA will kick-off the Copa America against Colombia on 3 June, followed by matches against Costa Rica (7 June) and Paraguay (11 June).

The Toffee Club, new English pub and soccer bar, opens Monday

A former Southeast Portland strip club reopened Monday as The Toffee Club, a family-friendly soccer bar with British beer and English pub food.

The new bar, which takes over the former Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard home of the Hawthorne Strip (now on Powell Boulevard, name intact), comes from general manager Niki Diamond; her brother-in-law, bar manager Jack Hoppins; and her husband, Pete Hoppins, a Nike design director.

"The name 'The Toffee Club' is a nickname of the Everton team, which was my husband and brother-in-law's local team back in England," Diamond says.

(The building's landlord stripped away most reminders of the bar's previous tenant; a back wall was still painted silver when The Toffee Club took over.)

The bar's menu focuses on savory pies, including a steak and ale, a chicken and veg and a lamb shank, plus specials, including fish and chips. The bar pours eight beers on tap, an even split between local and English ales, from Breakside IPA to Fuller's London Pride. There are scotch eggs and sausage rolls to snack on, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

Like The 442 just up the road, the focus at this 100-seat bar is football -- and not the American kind. The men's bathroom is wallpapered with Panini stickers, the English equivalent of baseball trading cards. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, The Toffee Club will open at 7 a.m., just in time for the second slate of English Premier League games, serving full English breakfasts and not-so-frosty ales to early risers.

Everton F.C., which lends the bar its name and iconography, might not be Europe's most successful football club. But the team has an outsize presence in the United States. That's mostly thanks to the Americans who have gone there to play, including national team titans Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. They're also the preferred team of Roger Bennett, co-host of the popular "Men In Blazers" podcast and somewhat popular TV show.

"I know my husband listens to it," Diamond says of the Men In Blazers podcast. "I haven't. Well, I've heard a few in the car."

"No, yeah, I mean, I listen more to 'Football Weekly,'" Pete Hoppins says of a rival soccer podcast. "'The Men In Blazers,' it does go on a little too much."

The Toffee Club is open now at 1006 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.

23 ‘World Class’ Premier League Players You’ve Forgotten About

Arguably one of the most competitive and entertaining leagues in the world, the Barclays Premier League attracts some of the world’s biggest and best players with the offer of huge financial rewards.

To date, the Premier League has welcomed 1,612 foreign footballers from over 100 countries including Oman and even the Seychelles but not all of them turn out to be a resounding success.

We have seen on countless occasions a “world class” player, highly regarded on the continent move to a Premier League club only to pack their bags and leave shortly after. Why is this?

There could be a number of reasons as to why this happens but if you factor in the change of climate, lack of a winter break and bouts of homesickness you could be left with a very unhappy player who is out of form and desperate to go home.

Could it be down to the “shop window” effect of a major tournament such as a World Cup, a European Championships or an African Nations Cup?

With the eyes of the world upon them, a handful of great performances from a player on a stage like this can make a Premier League club’s chairman reach for the cheque book.

The player arrives into a media circus touted as the club’s next big thing, only to make a hasty return back to easier, less competitive leagues after a handful of uninspiring appearances.

A bad experience for the player but a lucrative one nonetheless. It is a risk many are willing to take.

Of course, this isn’t always the case. Some players come to the English Premier League for a last hurrah – one final opportunity to test themselves in one of the toughest leagues in the world.

Money is no longer the driving factor for these players as they have made millions over the course of their careers. They are just seeking a final challenge and the chance to get their hands on an English trophy.

We have compiled a list which not only includes foreign players that you could genuinely say added value to their clubs but also those that didn’t live up to expectations on the pitch and returned home with their tail between their legs.

Henrik Larsson – Joining Manchester United on loan from Helsingborg during the Swedish off season in 2007, Larsson was hailed by fans and Alex Ferguson alike for his professionalism and attitude.

Larsson was held in such high regard by Manchester United that when they won the Premier League title in 2007 the club managed to get special dispensation from the Premier League to get a winner’s medal for him even though he hadn’t made the required 10 league appearances.

7 Premier League Appearances, 1 Goal

Hakan Sukur – Legendary Turkish striker Sukur was signed by Graeme Souness for Blackburn Rovers in 2002 having worked with him before at Galatasaray.

Unfortunately a training ground accident left Sukur out of action for the first two months of his six month deal which meant that he only ended up making nine appearances for the club before returning to Galatasary.

9 Premier League Appearances, 2 Goals

Taribo West – The Nigerian defender with the crazy hairstyles was a massive success for Derby County when he signed for them from AC Milan in 2000.

A team that was struggling at the bottom of the league with only seven points from 13 goals were transformed upon the Nigerian’s arrival.

With his defensive skills and experience, Derby won five of their next nine games with six clean sheets which ultimately led to Premier League survival.

West left Derby County at the end of the season because of his high wages and his international team commitments which would have resulted in him missing important games throughout the season.

18 Premier League Appearances, 0 Goals

Roque Junior – Brought into Leeds United on loan from AC Milan in 2003, Roque Junior’s time at the club was disastrous.

During the seven games he played in all competitions, the team conceded 24 goals which has led to him being widely regarded by Leeds United fans as one of their all-time worse signings.

6 Premier League Appearances, 0 Goals

Thomas Helveg – Having amassed over 100 appearances for AC Milan including a Champions League winner’s medal and approaching 100 Danish international caps, Helveg was a huge coup for newly promoted Norwich City in 2004.

Unfortunately Helveg was unable to replicate the form he had shown in Italy and on the international scene and drifted in and out of the squad in various positions throughout the season.

Having shown few examples of his class, Helveg left Norwich City when they were relegated at the end of the 2004-05 season.

20 Premier League Appearances, 0 Goals

Dino Baggio – The 32-year-old Italian midfielder joined Blackburn Rovers at the start of the 2003-04 season on a season loan from Lazio.

A defensive midfielder by trade, Baggio was utilised in a unfamiliar forward role from the substitutes bench in each of his nine Premier League appearances.

Blackburn won only three of the 13 games that Baggio featured in and his uninspiring displays led to the club terminating his loan spell early.

9 Premier League Appearances, 1 Goal

Christian Karembeu – The French World Cup winning midfielder was signed by Middlesbrough from Real Madrid in 2000 as a player with proven quality.

Karembeu had a slow start to his Premier League career and rarely showed the class that he had exhibited at Madrid and for France in a struggling Middlesbrough team.

Karembeu did improve as the season progressed and chipped in with a couple of vital goals in their relegation battle. However, his long term commitment was always questionable and he was sold on to Olympiakos at the end of the season.

33 Premier League Appearances, 4 Goals

Robert Mancini – Moving to Leicester City on loan from Lazio in 2001 at the age of 36, Mancini was keen to experience the English game before hanging up his boots.

He only made four appearances for the club before returning to Italy when he was offered the Fiorentina manager’s job.

Mancini cites his experience in England at Leicester City was where he fell in love with the English game and played a huge part in his decision to join Manchester City as manager.

4 Premier League Appearances, 0 Goals

Bernard Lama – Arriving at West Ham United at the start 1998 on a short term deal after a ban from PSG for consumption of cannabis, Lama impressed enough for West Ham to offer him a permanent contract.

Unfortunately for West Ham, after France won the 1998 World Cup in which Lama was a squad member he returned to PSG.

12 Premier League Appearances, 0 Goals

Winston Bogarde – Signing for Chelsea after success across Europe with Ajax, Milan and Barcelona, Bogarde’s time at the club is mostly remembered for his refusal to leave the club even though he wasn’t getting selected to play.

Reportedly earning £40,000 a week, Bogarde honoured his contract to the letter and turned up to training every day and played for both the reserve and youth teams. Once his contract expired, Bogarde retired from playing.

9 Premier League Appearances, 0 Goals

Michael Reiziger – Arriving at Middlesbrough in 2004 after a seven year spell at Barcelona, Reiziger’s time at the club was ravaged by injuries and poor form.

Unable to replicate the form he showed at Barcelona, Reiziger ended up returning to Holland with PSV after making only 22 Premier League appearances over two seasons.

22 Premier League Appearances, 1 Goal

George Weah – Former World Player Player of the year and 90s footballing superstar George Weah arrived at Chelsea in 2000 on loan from AC Milan.

At 33 he was arguably past his best but he revitalised a Chelsea team struggling to find the net with a goal on his debut against Tottenham Hotspur.

Adored by the Chelsea fans, the love affair ended at the end of the season after he helped them to win the 2000 FA Cup.

18 Premier League Appearances, 4 Goals

Pierluigi Casiraghi – The Italian striker arrived at Chelsea in 1998 for £5.4 million with high hopes but was desperately unfortunate to sustain a cruciate ligament in only his 10th appearance for the club.

After 10 operations over the course of the next four years Casiraghi was forced to retire from playing.

10 Premier League Appearances, 1 Goal

Didier Deschamps – One of the most decorated players in the game, Deschamps moved to Chelsea in 1999 on a free transfer from Juventus.

Although many, including Deschamps’, thought his playing style didn’t suit the English game, his Chelsea team still managed a fifth place finish and the FA Cup in 2001 in his only season at the club.

27 Premier League Appearances, 0 Goals

Marco Materazzi – Long before he gained notoriety for winding up Zinedine Zidane in the World Cup Final, Marco Materazzi played in the Premier League for Everton during the 1998-99 season.

His one season at Goodison will mostly be remembered for his poor discipline although he did show the odd glimpse of class with a magnificent free kick against Middlesbrough.

27 Premier League Appearances, 1 Goal

Patrick Kluivert – Former Ajax, Milan and Barcelona striker Kluivert arrived at Newcastle United in 2004 with a fantastic scoring record. A strike partnership with Alan Shearer was a mouth-watering prospect for the club’s fans.

Unfortunately, Kluivert was unable to hold down a regular place in the team and was critical of manager Graeme Souness’ reluctance to drop Shearer, even if he was out of form.

Kluivert left Newcastle United for Valencia after only one season after the club decided against invoking an option to sign him for a further two years.

25 Premier League Appearances, 6 Goals

Landon Donovan – Widely regarded as one of the best players to have come out of the US, Donovan joined Everton on loan during the MLS break in both 2009-10 and 2011-12.

Both loan periods were considered a success with Donovan winning Everton’s Player of the Month award in his first spell and chipping in with seven assists in his second spell.

17 Premier League Appearances, 2 Goals

Viorel Moldovan – Coventry City made Romanian international striker Moldovan the club’s record signing when he arrived from Grasshoppers in 1998.

Unfortunately his time at the club was peppered with some less than impressive displays which led to many wondering whether he was playing with too much caution so as not to get injured in a World Cup year.

Fortunately for Coventry City they sold him on a year later to Fenerbahce for a £750,000 profit,

10 Premier League Appearances, 1 Goal

Fredi Bobic – A prolific scorer at every club he played for, German international Bobic arrived at Bolton Wanderers on loan from Borussia Dortmund in 2002.

Bobic was a huge success at the club and his goals, including a hat-trick, ensured Premier League survival that season.

Unfortunately for Bolton they were unable to tempt Bobic back to the club after his loan spell expired and he returned back to Germany.

16 Premier League Appearances, 4 Goals

Albert Luque – Arriving at Newcastle United from Deportivo de La Coruna for a £9 million fee in 2005, Luque failed to live up to his large price tag during his two year stay.

A mixture of injuries and poor form led to Luque falling down the pecking order and he was never able to regain a first team place under any of the three managers that were in charge of the club during his stay there.

Newcastle United ended up selling Luque to Dutch giants Ajax for £2 million resulting in a £7 million loss for the club.

21 Premier League Appearances, 1 Goal

Adrian Mutu – One of Roman Abramovich’s first purchases when he took over ownership of Chelsea in 2003, Mutu had a flying start to his Premier League career with four goals in his first three games.

This was arguably the highlight of his time at Chelsea because a year later he was out of the club after a fallout with Jose Mourinho and then a failed drugs test which ultimately led to a seven month ban.

27 Premier League Appearances, 6 Goals

Christian Panucci – Signed on a years loan by Chelsea from Inter Milan in 2000, Panucci had a pretty unremarkable time during his time at Stamford Bridge.

The sacking of Gianluca Vialli from Chelsea coincided with the appointment of Marco Tardelli at Inter Milan and Panucci returned to his parent club after only 10 appearances.

8 Premier League Appearances, 0 Goals

Jorge Costa – After a fallout with his manager at Porto, Costa made a surprise loan move to London to join Charlton Athletic in 2002.

Costa’s main motive for the move was to prove he was still worth a place in the Portuguese World Cup squad and excelled in the Premier League prompting Charlton manager Alan Curbishley to try to sign him on a permanent deal.

Unfortunately for Charlton, Costa returned to Porto when the manager he had fallen out with had been sacked and replaced with Jose Mourinho who immediately reinstated him as captain.

21 Premier League Appearances 0 Goals

For more information on what your favourite ex Premier League players are doing now, visit premierleagueheroes.com

Enthusiastic Las Vegas soccer crowd cheers Donovan, other retired players

The Global Legends Series was created for retired soccer stars to suit up again and for fans to see their favorite players up close and personal.

Both missions were accomplished in Las Vegas — especially the latter.

Fans rushed the field at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday after Team Landon Donovan defeated Team Luis Figo 8-5. Fans bombarded the soccer players and requested selfies.

A few of the players ran into the locker room and some soaked in the rock-star treatment that they have received for many years.

French standout Christian Karembeu stayed on the field the longest and took numerous pictures with the wild fans.

"The fact that there was a bit of hysteria at the end with people going crazy for these guys shows how famous, how much of a legend they are," said James Davies Yandle, who co-founded the GLS event.

The public address announcer at Sam Boyd Stadium asked the fans multiple times to return to their seats, delaying the trophy presentation. The announced crowd was 10,148.

"I didn't like it," Yandle said about the fans. "I care about my players' safety. They'll (players) complain, but secretly they loved it ... it was a bit dangerous, but it was all done in good faith."

Donovan, as he did for many years with the U.S. national team, got the fans to calm down and thanked them for their support. Speaking in Spanish and English, Donovan said it was his dream to play with 28 of the most decorated soccer players and being a captain.

Donovan, the youngest on the field, still had plenty in the tank. The 33-year-old U.S. soccer legend scored two goals and recorded an assist. His stellar play didn't change his mind about retirement.

"After this night I don't think I'm going to be able to walk for a week, but at the moment I'm happy with my life," Donovan said. "I'm OK with watching the professionals on television. I don't feel like I can come back."

Donovan was a maestro in the box, distributing perfect crosses to teammates.

Italian great Christian Vieri recorded a hat trick for Team Donovan, and on one goal he appeared to tweak his back extending for the shot. Turned out, the 42-year-old striker was fine.

"The play was a bit slow, but the technique and skill that we saw tonight was still there," Yandle said. "How they moved the ball around the pitch was still amazing."

Brazilian legend Cafu was the most active on Team Figo. The only player to compete in three World Cup finals, Cafu constantly attacked Team Donovan goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek (Poland) and found the back of the net twice.

Cafu got a loud cheer in the second half after he raised his right hand while dribbling near the right corner.

Fans from all over the world were at Sam Boyd to see the greatest players of their era one final time. One fan who rushed the field made it his mission to find England's Paul Scholes.

"Where's Paulie Scholes?" he said in a British accent.

Latino fans roared for Mexicans Oswaldo Sanchez and Jared Borgetti and made plenty of noise for Donovan.

One fan snuck into the postgame interview scrum hoping to get an autograph from one of the Mexican players. No luck.

"Now I can talk to fans more up close," Donovan said. "Playing before, it was hard, but now it's more laid back, and it's an opportunity to talk to people who support me, and I know very clear the Latino people are very important for us in this sport."

Yandle said the event was a success and he would like to see the match return to Las Vegas.

"I'm satisfied," Yandle said. "I think we can do an even bigger game next year. We want to come back, but I do feel Vegas is in need of some soccer identity, and I think with what we've done is a bit groundbreaking, and I think if we can build on that for next year even better."

Veteran forward on MLS loan moves

The top foreign players in MLS would be making a wise move if they reject any loan offers this offseason, Landon Donovan says.

Former United States international Landon Donovan thinks the star foreign players in MLS would be right to reject off-season loan moves to big European clubs.

A number of the league's top recent recruits " including Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa - have been tipped to agree temporary deals in the coming months.

But Gerrard and Lampard have already ruled out loan switches, while Villa has said he does not expect New York City to sanction such a transfer.

Donovan, who himself had a spell with Bayern Munich and two moves to Everton while playing for LA Galaxy, believes the players would be wise to fully focus on MLS in the current climate.

"You have to take it more seriously now," he said after playing in David Beckham's UNICEF charity match at Old Trafford.

"There is more money involved, more attention paid to it and the fans actually genuinely care more now.

"There is more pressure and you have to really take it more seriously than you probably did 10 years ago."

Donovan, who won the MLS Cup four times with the Galaxy, feels it is positive that a number of players are now ruling out loan moves, in something of a shift in attitude from the likes of Beckham and Thierry Henry.

However, he acknowledges the league still has a long way to go to match the top divisions in Europe and wants there to be more focus on developing world-class American talent as well as attracting big names from abroad.

Donovan continued: "That is a good sign [that players are ruling out moves]. We are not naive and we know we have a long way to go but we are trying to get there.

"We have foreign players who care and want to come and make a difference, which is great.

"But we are also trying to develop our own players and produce players who can play on the world level."

On American Soccer: Promotion/relegation becoming a much less taboo topic in the U.S.

Promotion and relegation is a common practice in leagues around the world, but not in MLS. More and more people are asking why.

Landon Donovan has a lot of free time on his hands these days.

The retired American soccer legend has made a seamless transition from the playing field to the post-player life. He has dabbled in television work, and even some coaching, while he enjoys the comfort of retirement and awaits the birth of his first child.

Among Donovan's new hobbies is social media, and the former LA Galaxy star hasn't been afraid to engage followers in topics he considers interesting ones. Earlier this week on Twitter, he asked a group of American soccer journalists what they thought of the topic of promotion and relegation, and as is often the case with that volatile topic, a simple question stirred up a bit of a firestorm.

The thing about Donovan's public inquiry about a topic that had long been a virtual taboo talking point is that he is far from alone in discussing the topic. These days, promotion/relegation is popping up in American soccer discussions far more frequently than ever, and unlike years past, when most would do their best to avoid discussing it, we are getting more and more public discourse.

To the uninitiated, promotion/relegation is the system by which professional leagues can be set up in tiers, with a league's worst teams being dropped down a division in a given year while the best teams in the division below can move up to a higher league. It is the standard system of professional soccer around the world, with the United States being the glaring exception.

"There are many complicated factors that need to be considered when discussing promotion/relegation in this country. I understand both sides of the argument," Donovan toldGoal. "One thing we shouldn't do is simply write it off and not seriously discuss it. Soccer in this country is bigger than just a handful of markets that have MLS teams. In the end, soccer needs to win and perhaps we can find creative ways to give deserving markets a chance to be part of Major League Soccer."

Promotion/relegation has never been a part of top-level professional American soccer, not in any of the previous professional incarnations of the sport, and not in the current setup. As the number of American soccer fans who follow international club soccer continues to grow, the questions about and calls for, promotion/relegation grow. That has forced MLS officials to start publicly addressing the topic, even though their general view of promotion/relegation has not changed.

As far as MLS is concerned, promotion and relegation isn't a system that makes sense to try and establish in the current professional sports setup.

"Promotion and relegation was created in the 1800s," Garber said at a recent soccer event in New York. "It was a system that existed because there was no other way that existed to create good competition. They were amateur teams. If you were to create professional football in England or Italy or Spain today, I don't believe you'd have promotion and relegation. We need to create a league that works for the fan base in this market.

"Nobody looks at the NFL and says it's not working because there's no promotion and relegation."

MLS's aversion to promotion/relegation isn't exactly a surprise given the financial risk involved in having teams paying nine-figure expansion fees and investing considerable amounts of money to be in MLS only to risk that investment on being dropped to a lower division after one bad season.

"If you're investing billions and billions of dollars, which we are now at about $3.5 billion invested (in MLS) in 20 years, to build something in Kansas City and they have a (crappy) season, to think they might be playing in Chattanooga in a stadium of 4,000 people on a crappy field with no fans, makes no sense," Garber said.

If promotion and relegation were to happen in the United States, it would not be MLS' decision to make. U.S. Soccer ultimately has the authority to force the country's professional leagues to establish a system of promotion and relegation, but U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati has made it clear the federation isn't about to simply impose that system on the current pro leagues, not least of all because it could lead to a serious legal battle with clubs who would see their considerable investments threatened by a change in league structures.

"It's safe to say that if the federation imposed all the powers that it might have via the Ted Stevens Act, and its membership in FIFA, there would be very long discussions with many people with high LSAT scores," Gulati told reporters prior to the U.S. national team's recent World Cup qualifying win against St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Gulati stopped short of saying promotion and relegation could never happen, but made it clear it won't happen until the country's established leagues push for it to happen.

"Does that mean that promotion/relegation could never happen? No, I'm not saying that," Gulati clarified. "But to think that we would, from a federation standpoint, say it's happening, 'figure it out or this is what you're doing', I think that's a rather different setup than when it's happened organically and people knew the rules."

Another reason for the increased interest in promotion and relegation is the increasing number of professional teams popping up around the country. MLS continues to grow and will reach 24 teams in the next few years, with a 28-team league not too far away. The North American Soccer League, the current American second division, is also seeing rapid growth, with NASL commissioner Bill Peterson saying the league could reach 16 teams very soon.

The list of those who support promotion and relegation in American soccer continues to grow, with current U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann and former U.S. coach Bob Bradley among the many who see the benefits of it, and need for it.

"I am a huge fan of promotion/relegation but I'm not sure it's going to happen. I'm not sure everyone in the U.S. is ready for it," Bradley told The Associated Press. "When you see what goes on at the end of seasons in Europe. I've see it for years but I have experienced it the last two years. When you see what happens when teams go up, when you see the battle to stay up, this part is tremendous.

"To get to that point you have to continue to grow," he added. "I don't think there's anything wrong in saying that there have been some owners in the league over the course of the history that have definitely made big contributions to the growth of soccer in the United States. The owner when I was in Chicago was Phil Anschutz who is now the owner at the Galaxy. so when you are around a guy like Mr. Anschutz and you see what he has put into the game then when you want to have a real discussion going forward about how to put promotion and relegation in place it still has to be done with respect to him. 

"Can that happen? I hope so. I think that would be great for the game. I don’t think I’d be here in Europe if I wasn’t a purist in many ways. I still love promotion/relegation."

Klinsmann made waves a year ago when he touched on the subject of promotion and relegation, making it clear he wished U.S. Soccer would adopt the structure.

"I just wish that we would have a system in place where all the young players and all the players in general know that there's the next higher level and there's a lower level (and think), 'If I play a bad season, then that lower level is waiting for me,'" Klinsmann said in October of 2014. "If I play a very, very good season then there's the chance to go up and play at whatever you describe then as the highest level."

U.S. national team star Clint Dempsey has experienced both systems, having played in England in the promotion/relegation system, and having played in MLS. He sees benefits for both structures, but isn't sure promotion and relegation would work in the U.S. 

“If you ask me at different times I think differently about it. I like the idea of promotion and relegation in terms of any team can make something of themselves and move up and play at the highest level possible, like a Cinderella story," Dempsey told Goal USA in 2014. “What I don’t like about it is the way it changes how things are, and even though it’s business, it makes it even more cutthroat. When you’re playing, it’s always stress because if the team gets relegated then you’re not going to be playing in the best league, you’re going to be playing down a league. It’s going to affect people’s wages. It could affect that club in terms of what the future holds because they’ll have to sell some players and try to keep some players because you’re missing out on the money from TV deals."

The financial realities of professional sports in America make promotion/relegation something we aren't likely to see any time soon, and we won't see it until the country's lower divisions grow stronger and close the gap between themselves and MLS. Proponents of promotion and relegation will argue that the gaps can't close without promotion and relegation, but other pro sports in this country have seen upstart leagues put pressure on the established top leagues. American football saw the AFL push the NFL into a merger in the 1966, and the ABA forced the NBA into a merger in the 1976. In both instances, the newer leagues grew into viable direct competitors and reached a point where the established leagues had no choice but to negotiate and create new leagues.

If MLS keeps growing, and NASL keeps growing, and USL keeps growing, we could see promotion and relegation eventually, but that still feels like a long time from now. . That said, the fact that the discussion has gone from "it will never happen" to "it won't happen soon" feels like progress, as does the fact a once-taboo topic is becoming a more regular subject for discussion in American soccer circles.