an 8 p.m. tee-time will still allow even the slowest hacker to get in nine holes before the sun sets. In Perth, the Gateway to the Highlands, the locals will tell you that if there is nae rain and nae wind, then its nae really golf. They will also tell you that if former Real Salt Lake striker Kenny Deuchar is nae hitting the goal trail for their local heroes, St. Johnstone, then it will be a very short highland fling in the SPL next season for their newly promoted team.
Last week, preseason training started for St. Johnstone. It came at a time when many are questioning the viability of the Scottish game. Although the SPL announced record profits last month, its television deal with broadcast partner Setanta collapsed recently due to the company's financial problems and a new broadcast deal will almost certainly see greatly reduced rights fees for SPL games.
The SPL's stature wasn't helped last week by Motherwell's 1-0 home loss to Welsh side Llanelli in a Europa League preliminary round first-leg tie. In addition, the Saints have worries of their own. Manager Derek McInnes was reportedly being courted by English Championship sides West Bromwich Albion and Watford, a situation since resolved with the highly regarded young boss staying at McDiarmid Park. In stressful times, patients look for their doctor to cure what ails them. In the case of St. Johnstone, Saints fans hope their doctor is the cure.
Deuchar, as Real Salt Lake fans will well remember, is known as "Dr. Goals." And while he still has his doctorate in medicine, the good doctor has not been making the goal-scoring highlight reel rounds of late. Before his move to Utah in February 2008, Deuchar had enjoyed a prolific scoring run with St. Johnstone, scoring 10 goals in 14 games during his three-month loan period at the end of 2007. Prior to that he had scored freely for Gretna as the now-defunct team rapidly climbed up the Scottish leagues.
The forward, who shares the all-time British record for hat tricks in a season (six) with England legend Jimmy Greaves, scored only three goals in 29 Major League Soccer games for Real Salt Lake. Last month, Deuchar told the Scottish Sun that while he had enjoyed his MLS experience, the style of play didn't fit his game.
"It's slower than the SPL," Deuchar said. "There's more emphasis on keeping possession, probably down to the heat and the humidity, but I think the harum scarum style of Scottish football suits me better."
As yet, that has not been the case. Back in the SPL with Hamilton last season, Deuchar didn't score a single goal.
From Scotland legends Steve Nicol and Mo Johnston to other successful MLS stalwarts such as John Spencer and Dominic Kinnear, Major League Soccer has benefited enormously from its Scottish connections. But that connection is now beginning to flourish in the opposite direction as well.
Former New England Revolution midfielder Andy Dorman had a breakout year with St. Mirren in the SPL last season, ex-Toronto FC starlet Maurice Edu was a catalyst in Rangers' late season charge to the SPL title and an increasing number of pundits (and many fans, at least on this side of the Atlantic) believe that MLS teams could be competitive in the SPL. It's impossible to compare the two leagues, but the notion that say, the Columbus Crew, couldn't compete in the SPL is nonsense. The fact that there is even a legitimate debate shows how far MLS has come in a short time. It also makes Dr. Deuchar an interesting case study for MLS fans.
There are many reasons why players don't succeed when they move overseas, be it to MLS or Serie A. But whatever the reasons in Deuchar's case, the statistics are stark. As a young striker he couldn't stop scoring goals in the lower levels of Scottish soccer. When he got to MLS, a goal drought set in. Back with Hamilton in the SPL last season, the barren spell continued. If Deuchar can return to the top of the goal scoring charts with St. Johnstone this season, then his MLS-Hamilton experience would seem an aberration. But if his struggles in front of goal continue, then like many big-time lower league scorers before him, Deuchar will know that his game wasn't quite good enough for the big leagues -- be that the SPL or, yes, MLS.
That would be bad news for St. Johnstone, but an interesting storyline for MLS fans to watch for in the upcoming SPL season that, in another sign that summer moves fast, is just over a month away.
2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Three MLS alumni --
Troy Perkins
,
Clarence Goodson
and
Freddy Adu
-- started for the U.S. national team in its 4-0 win over Grenada in Group B action on July 4 in Seattle. Adu had an eventful day, scoring the opening goal in the sixth minute and picking up a yellow card in the 79th minute. A fourth MLS alumnus,
Michael Parkhurst
, came into the game as a 70th-minute substitute for Goodson. Last week, CONCACAF announced that due to the USA's participation in the Confederations Cup it could add an additional seven players to its 23-man roster. Coach
Bob Bradley
named a "magnificent seven" from the Confederations Cup squad, including two MLS alumni --
Jozy Altidore
and
Brad Guzan
.
In the other Group B game on Saturday, Honduras beat Haiti, 1-0. Alexandre Boucicaut, who played five games for the Chicago Fire in 2004, started for Haiti.
Former Toronto FC goalkeeper Greg Sutton posted a shutout as Canada beat Jamaica, 1-0, in its opening Group A game on July 3 at The Home Depot Center. In the second game of the doubleheader, El Salvador snapped its 12-game winless streak against Costa Rica with a 2-1 win. Former MLS veteran Andy Herron was a first-half substitute for the Ticos. Ex-MetroStars defender Pablo Brenes also saw action as a substitute for Costa Rica, coming on in the 72nd minute for Esteban Sirias.
In Group C action on Sunday, July 5, ex-Revs striker Ricardo Phillips started for Panama in its 2-1 loss to Guadeloupe in Oakland. Former Real Salt Lake forward Luis Tejada was a second-half substitute in the Panamanians losing cause.
Elsewhere around the world
In Argentina, the final day of the Clausura championship came down to a showdown of former LA Galaxy defender
Eduardo Dominguez's
league-leading Atletico Huracan at second-place Velez Sarsfield. Huracan needed only a tie to claim the title, but even though Velez Sarsfield missed a first-half penalty kick, a Maxi Moralez goal in the 83rd minute won them game, 1-0, and clinched the title.
Former D.C. United loanee Franco Niell made his customary second-half substitute appearance for Gimnasia La Plata, who won 2-0 at home over Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy. La Plata finished seventh in the Clausura.
In Australia, EPL side Fulham arrived in Brisbane for exhibition games with A-League sides Gold Coast United, Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory. U.S. national team star Clint Dempsey was excused from the trip, but former Kansas City Wizards and FC Dallas striker Eddie Johnson is part of the Fulham squad.
In Bolivia, The Strongest proved too strong for Joselito Vaca's Oriente Petrolero on the final day of the Bolivian Apertura championship. OP traveled to La Paz with a mathematical shot at the title, but a 5-3 loss left them in fourth place in the standings. Bolivar won the Apertura title with a 2-1 home win over Real Mamore. It was a record 16th championship for Bolivar.
In Brazil, it was Week 9 of the Campeonato Brasileirao, but it was a weekend of inaction for former MetroStars head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and his Fluminense team. They travel to Corinthians on Wednesday, July 8, where Parreira could face his former Brazilian national team superstar, Ronaldo.
In Ecuador, former MetroStars and LA Galaxy midfielder Wellington Sanchez picked up a yellow card as El Nacional lost 2-0 at league leaders Emelec in Week 21 of the Copa Pilsener.
In England, former MLS executive and current Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis sparked debate when he suggested that the EPL would benefit from the introduction of a salary cap.
In Norway, while Troy Perkins was away on Gold Cup duty with the U.S. national team duty, his Valerenga teammates went down 3-2 at Aalesund on Sunday, July 5. Ex-Fire and Wizards midfielder Khari Stephenson played the full 90 for Aalesund. MLS veteran Thiago Martins scored Bodo Glimt's first goal in their 4-2 home loss to Molde. Former Real Salt Lake defender Willis Forko also played the full 90 for BG. Neither Clarence Goodson nor Hunter Freeman played for IK Start on Sunday in the 2-2 home tie with Stromsgodset. Goodson was on Gold Cup duty, while former Red Bulls defender Freeman was serving a yellow card suspension. Earlier in the week, Freeman played the full 90 as Start lost 3-2 at Lillestrom on July 1.
In Paraguay, on the last day of the Apertura championship, 2002 MLS MVP Carlos Ruiz saw his team, Olimpia, go down 1-0 at 3 de Febrero on a spectacular 89th-minute left-footed strike by Makanaki. Ruiz led Olimpia with 10 goals during the tournament, which was won by Cerro Porteno with a 1-0 win over 12 de Octubre, a date that CP fans will no doubt remember, as the victory gave them their 28th title and first since 2005.
In Peru on Sunday, former D.C. United goalkeeper Jose Carvallo was beaten in the fifth minute by a Hector Vasquez goal as Sporting Cristal saw their six-game unbeaten streak snapped with a 1-0 home loss to Total Chalaco.
Tradewinds
Various British newspapers claim that former New England Revolution star
Clint Dempsey
could be moving to Everton after turning down Fulham's offer of a contract extension. Dempsey, who reportedly played in the Confederations Cup with a hamstring injury, has one year left on his deal with the Cottagers.
Dempsey's teammate Eddie Johnson could also be leaving Craven Cottage. The former Wizards striker has been linked to a move to Fulham's London rivals, Crystal Palace.
Former MetroStars midfielder Roberto Donadoni has been busy in the transfer market this week. The Napoli boss signed Colombian defender Camilo Zuniga from Siena and goalkeeper Morgan de Sanctis from Galatasaray. Napoli report to preseason training camp on July 10, and Donadoni told reporters last week that he expects his unsettled Argentina star Ezequiel Lavezzi to be with the team as it begins its preparations for the new Serie A season in Austria.
While Freddy Adu's status with Benfica is still unclear, the Portuguese giants made a big move with the official opening of the transfer window last week signing former Argentina prodigy Javier Saviola from Real Madrid and Ramires, one of the stars of Brazil's Confederations Cup triumph, from Cruzeiro.
Former Colorado Rapids midfielder Alain N'Kong has joined Mexico's Indios Juarez. The Cameroonian played for US Boulogne in France's Ligue 2 last season.
Another Rapids veteran, Junior Agogo, is said to be on the move. After a controversial season in Egypt with El Zamalek that was marred by disputes with team officials, the Ghanaian international is reported to be on the verge of signing with Greece's Panionios FC.
While Sweden hosted the European U-21 championships last month, the Allsvenskan was put on hiatus. The league returned to action this weekend, but former Kansas City Wizards player Ryan Raybould did not. During the break, Raybould and Gefle IF mutually agreed to part ways. The Yale man signed with Gefle last year but played sparingly in Sweden.
South African officials have denied that they are in talks with former MetroStars head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira to return as the Bafana Bafana head coach in September. "City Press," a Johannesburg newspaper, reported on Sunday, July 5, that the SAFA wanted Parreira to work with current head coach Joel Santana. Parreira had recommended Santana for the job when he resigned last April to return to Brazil to be with his ailing wife.
Also in South Africa, Bulgaria legend and former Fire forward Hristo Stoichkov has signed a two-year contract to coach Mamelodi Sundowns of the South Africa Premier Soccer League. He is the team's 11th coach since 2003.
Performance of the week
After the U.S.'s 4-0 win over Grenada, head coach Bob Bradley took time to acknowledge
Freddy Adu's
goal and contribution to the victory. As Bradley noted, no U.S. player has faced the expectations thrust upon Adu and his goal and performance was a positive step as the talented youngster continues to gain his footing on the national team and in the wider world of soccer. Last season, Adu saw little playing time while on loan at AS Monaco from Benfica, and last month saw no playing time in the Confederations Cup. Yet, Adu has stayed focused on developing his game and got his reward against Grenada, along with this week's POTW nod.
Mark C. Young is an Emmy Award-winning freelance writer/TV producer who has covered several FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games. He is a contributor to Goal.com and also writes for the blog "No Mas."
