Pop quiz: What countries produce the most MLS players?
If you – like most normal people – don't know offhand, hazard a guess right now and then click over and take a look at the latest edition of Major League Soccer's "Players by Birthplace Map."
The league's two host nations top the chart, as you might expect, but those next few atop the list make for interesting reading.
Little Jamaica sits fifth on the overall list with 18, trailing only football factories Argentina (22), England (22, including Jamaican dual-citizen Giles Barnes) and Brazil (19) despite a total domestic population of just 2.7 million. Nine members of Jamaica's Gold Cup squad are based in MLS.
How on earth is a country with about as many residents as Chicago so high on this reckoning?
The answer lies in a combination of factors that have made the Caribbean island a firm friend of MLS for well over a decade, running almost back to the very founding of the league. And they underline the delicately interwoven nature of the protagonists in Wednesday evening's US vs. Jamaica Gold Cup semifinal (6 pm ET, Fox Sports 1 and UniMas in the US, Sportsnet World in Canada).
“From Andy Williams to Wolde Harris, the first influx of Jamaicans that came into the league to the last 15 years-plus, Jamaicans have consistently shown that they fit the profile of what MLS is looking for,” Reggae Boyz striker-turned-player-agent Damani Ralph told MLSsoccer.com.
“From Tyrone Marshall all the way up to the present with Deshorn Brown, what he did, what Darren Mattocks is able to do, Jermaine Taylor, Je-Vaughn Watson – I could name the list on and on and on,” added Ralph, who kick-started his own career via a fruitful stint with the Chicago Fire. “I think just from the style that we play in our home, integrating here into the US system is just a good fit for both sides.”
Traditionally known for their athleticism, physicality and personality, top Jamaican footballers – like their counterparts in other fields – have long had to seek their fortunes abroad thanks to a modest domestic league and limited economic scale back home.
“Even when I was a kid growing up, you would seek opportunities outside Jamaica,” explained Ralph, whose agency, Global Premier Management, represents a number of his countrymen, including Reggae Boyz Watson, Michael Seaton, Kemar Lawrence and Lance Laing.
“Jamaica is a wonderful place, a wonderful island, a wonderful place to grow up and live, but ultimately there's a lack of opportunities there from a socio-economic background in terms of making a living from playing soccer. You're more likely to be able to do that, and sustain your family and yourself, by plying your trade outside Jamaica.”
Many have wandered to disparate destinations far and wide across the planet. But large, well-established diasporas in England, Canada and the United States eased adaptation to those nations' leagues – and when the hurdles to securing work visas in the United Kingdom were raised around the turn of the century, MLS was the most immediate beneficiary.
It helped that hungry, adventurous young Jamaicans had already made their way into the NCAA system, and the young pro league's strenuous physical demands played to their strengths. It's noteworthy that while MLS front offices generally hunt for attacking weapons in South America and Europe, Jamaicans can be found in just about every position on the field across the league.
Growing global visibility can lead to additional opportunities for all parties, as with Deshorn Brown's transfer from Colorado Rapids to Norway's Valerenga earlier this year. And this month's Gold Cup heroics may help spread the Reggae Boyz' reputation even further.
“The world market in soccer is growing,” noted Ralph. “Every culture, every nation has benefited from that and Jamaica is no different … I think people are realizing that if you find little pockets, you can find talent everywhere in the world.
“It's always an opportunity when a player gets a chance to showcase his talent on a stage where the world is watching. The Gold Cup is the biggest tournament in this region, so it's a good opportunity for them to go and enjoy the experience with their teammates, do it for the country.”
How to build on MLS and Jamaica's mutually beneficial relationship? Ralph believes that the national team's continued progress can unlock the next big steps forward – even if it comes at the US national team's expense.
“I just think that's something we will continue to have to show improvement on the national team level, and that will eventually translate into teams taking a little bit more careful look at Jamaican players,” he said. “It's always an uphill battle … We Jamaicans have to do better, we have to be able to put together more consistent results at the international level so it broadens peoples' view and raises the profile of the Jamaican player.”
