Youth certainly was served at MLSÆs latest All-Star extravaganza. Landon Donovan scored four goals and mimicked Brandi. Santino Quaranta dished off a couple assists. DaMarcus Beasley jitterbugged. Bobby Convey, injured, stood around looking pretty.
TheyÆre the image league bigwigs want to project, and one canÆt fault them for it. MLS has some tremendous teen-age talent. Showcasing it presents the league as young and exciting, all about the future, something for those from a blossoming generation thatÆs decided the national pastime isnÆt theirs.
While it was nice to see so many young faces in San Jose, it seems the league is concentrating so hard on its future that itÆs forgotten about soccerÆs past. And so Paul Caligiuri, who is finishing off a remarkable career before moving into college coaching, spent All-Star weekend in Yosemite with his daughters.
He should have been in San Jose.
BaseballÆs midseason classic ù still the best of AmericaÆs all-star games ù recognized the contributions of Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, heroes retiring this fall. It was short-sighted of MLS officials not to follow suit.
CaligiuriÆs credentials canÆt be dismissed. ThereÆs the ôShot Heard æRound the World,ö which put the United States into the 1990 World Cup. ThereÆs two World Cups, in Æ90 and Æ94. ThereÆs nearly 13 years with the national team, for which he debuted five days before 16-year-old QuarantaÆs birth. ThereÆs the door to Europe, which Caligiuri jolted open while signing for Hamburg in 1987. At 37, he remains a solid contributor for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Perhaps thereÆs lingering resentment over two lawsuits against MLS that Caligiuri was party to ù nobody in MLSÆs offices will admit it ù and, if so, thatÆs a shame. All-star celebrations serve myriad purposes. Showcasing tomorrowÆs stars is one of them. Honoring yesterdayÆs is another.
MLS got the equation only half-right.