Mike Woitalla: Where to Chase the Dream Tens of thousands of American boys dream of playing professional soccer. In any nation, in any sport, a minuscule percentage of those with such ambitions of glory will enjoy successful pro careers. To comprehend how difficult it is, take the case of 18-year-old Landon Donovan. The 1999 U-17 World Cup Golden Ball winner and 2000 Olympian celebrated his national team debut in October with a goal and an assist against Mexico. He earned a call-up from Coach Bruce Arena for the qualifier against Barbados. But Donovan’s weekly soccer comes in the Oberliga Nordrhein, one of 10 German Fourth Division conferences. He had signed with Bundesliga power Bayer Leverkusen 19 months ago, becoming the richest American teen-age soccer player ever. But when he dons a Leverkusen jersey, he plays ball at a level far below even that of the A-League. Donovan may yet make Leverkusen’s first team – although he must contend with the club’s frequent shopping sprees for stars. A transfer or loan is likely, and I have little doubt he’ll have a great pro career. In the Nov. 20 of Soccer America, we begin an “Americans Abroad” series with John O’Brien (page 10), who also left California as a high-schooler for Europe. He won a First Division spot. Still, Americans – youngsters and veterans – usually end up playing lower-tier ball in Europe or sitting on First Division benches. That shouldn’t discourage Americans from venturing abroad. The foreign experience alone is valuable, and among the advantages is the fact that clubs abroad move youth players into older age groups faster than U.S. youth clubs. There’s also the financial lure. But MLS’s quality has risen above the foreign lower-tier leagues. This makes the choice for young players harder than ever. There’s never been a better time to be a young American player with a dream. FANS, LET’S HEAR YOUR VIEW Click here to log onto (Soccer) American Graffiti. Then click on the topic titled “YOUR VIEW: Where to Chase the Dream” and respond to Mike Woitalla in 200 words or less. Best responses may be reprinted in Soccer America Magazine. If YOUR View is selected, we’ll send you a cool T-shirt and pin… Because You’re FANATIC.