By
John Paul Chunga
When
Jürgen Klinsmann inherited a reeling US men’s national team, the 2011 Gold Cup
roster started only one player from the MLS, Landon Donovan. In the U.S. win
over Antigua and Barbuda, the squad was without the Galaxy star and still
managed to start two MLS regulars.
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| AP Photo/ Alex Brandon |
In
fact, when San Jose Earthquakes striker Alan Gordan entered the game, it was an
all-MLS goal that won it for the red, white and blue. Eddie Johnson’s two goals
represented the shift by the Klinsmann regime that placed an importance on club
performance. Simply put, MLS players who succeed deserve a chance to play with
the national team.
World
Cup qualifying games, however, have not always gone this smoothly for other MLS
players. Chris Wondolowski, another Earthquake, got his chance under Klinsmann
but failed to score a goal in eight caps.
Benny
Feilhaber of the New England Revolution fell off the national team map after
the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The list of MLS players not translating to
international success could go on and on, but in the 2014 qualifying calendar,
domestic players are thriving.
However,
with the good comes the bad. US-based players forced national team regular Jozy
Altidore out of recent matches even though he leads the Dutch League in goals
with AZ Alkmaar.
In
an interview with Sports Illustrated, Coach Klinsmann explained, “Now it
looks a little bit different in Jozy's case because he's doing well with
Alkmaar, and he's scoring goals. But he hasn't done well with us in the last
couple of camps. That's why I have more trust for these upcoming two games in
Eddie Johnson and Alan Gordon."
Certainly,
the German coach must thank MLS commissioner Don Garber for supplying the US
with players, but most importantly with wins. When the Stars and Stripes
qualify for World Cup 2014, it will do so with the best players the country has
to offer on the field. It just so happens that those players are from the MLS,
a new form for the USA today.
