Outfield soccer players are generally regarded as being at the peak of their careers in their mid- to late-twenties, so it’s all the more remarkable to hear Colorado Rapids and U.S. midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, 31, announce that at the end of the current major League Soccer season he’ll be heading for Europe.
And it won’t be to the Norwegian second division. Mastroeni told David Ramsey that he’s hoping for a contract in either Italy’s top flight, Serie A, or its Spanish counterpart, La Liga. “My mind is made up,” he said a few minutes after the Rapids’ victory over New York Friday. “I’m ready to go. Every soccer player wants a challenge every day.” It’s almost as though he’s saying that beating New York is not a challenge any more.
“There’s a level of comfort playing in the MLS,” Mastroeni continued. “The pressure is not there to win or lose. If you go to Europe, it’s not like that. Everything is cut-throat. If you’re not winning, you better be focusing on the next opportunity. Soccer is so much more part of everyday life.” Strange that it’s taken him 11 seasons in MLS to notice. Let the bidding commence.