Mixed Report Cards
More Americans were playing abroad than ever before this past season, though their fortunes were often tied to those of small or struggling clubs. Soccer America’s editors present 1994-95 season-ending report cards on the U.S. players with national team experience who were on the first-team rosters of pro clubs abroad. Grades are based on players’ performances, their impact on their teams and the season their teams had.
COSTA RICA
Roy Lassiter (Alajuela)
The former North Carolina State star was the league’s second-leading scorer with 17 strikes. After a grueling four-game final series with Saprissa, his club finished runner-up. Grade: A-.
David Quesada (San Ramon)
The unknown Californian led his team in scoring with 15 goals, which led to his first U.S. cap — against Costa Rica May 28. Grade: B.
EL SALVADOR
Hugo Perez (FAS)
The most venerable of active Americans returned to his native land, 15 years after he started his pro career in the United States, and as a starting offensive midfielder, Perez led FAS to the Salvadoran league final. Grade: A-.
ENGLAND
Ian Feuer (West Ham/Peterborough)
The Hammers aren’t renowned for solid defending, but Feuer was never able to mount a serious challenge on Ludek Miklosko. Undeterred, he headed off on loan to Peterborough and got in his match experience there, instead. Grade: D+. John Harkes (Derby)
Derby has consistently underachieved, and Harkes was never manager Roy McFarland’s kind of player. Mix in a terrible start to the season, injuries and you have a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, Derby came good in the end, just missing out on the playoffs. Harkes has a year left on his contract, but the club could take advantage of spiraling transfer fees and cash in early … Grade: C.
Cobi Jones
How would an American player with flare fare in the rough-and-tumble of the Premier League? Not nearly well enough. When Coventry began its midseason slide and changed coaches, Premiership survival became key to Coventry’s future. Tricky wingers (Jones) went out and grafters (Kevin Richardson) came in to keep Coventry up. The consequence was that Jones failed to play in the required number of games to get his work permit renewed. Grade: D.
Kasey Keller (Millwall)
With a good FA Cup run and a long-overdue return to the national team, Keller has consolidated his position as one of the most promising young keepers in England. But Millwall, despite its new stadium, lacks ambition (the sale of Mark Kennedy to Liverpool is an example). A move to a bigger club will be necessary if Keller is to move to the next level. Grade: B.
John Kerr Jr. (Millwall)
Early promise, exemplified by a hat trick against Derby County, amounted to little for the much-traveled forward. Kerr fell from grace with the notoriously ruthless critics of the New Den’s main stand. Grade: D.
Bruce Murray (Millwall)
Never cracked the lineup at Millwall after returning from Stockport County. Murray moved back to the U.S. last November and earned a contract with the A-League’s Atlanta Ruckus. Grade: F.
Juergen Sommer (Luton)
After displaying slippery fingers in his first U.S. start against Uruguay, Sommer returned home to find himself displaced in the nets at Luton Town. Sommer led Luton to the semifinals of the ’94 FA Cup, but this year’s FA Cup experience wasn’t as pleasant: He let in six against Southampton. He will be shopping himself around clubs in England and maybe Germany this summer. Grade: D.
Roy Wegerle (Coventry)
Wegerle’s stats — 26 games, three goals — tell most of the story of a disappointing season: his worst goal production since his days at Chelsea almost a decade ago. Factor in a blown knee and subsequent operation, his age (31) and a new coach in Ron Atkinson, and it doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to see why Wegerle eyes the comforts of MLS. Grade: D.
FRANCE
Dario Brose (St. Brieuc)
After a stellar debut season in the French Second Division, the former N.C. State playmaker was in and out of the lineup. He still created a lot of chances for himself and his teammates, but they had bad luck all season, finishing 21st in the 24-team league. Grade: C-.
GERMANY
Thomas Dooley (Bayer Leverkusen)
The Bundesliga veteran returned to Germany after a year in the U.S. and started strong — scoring in Bundesliga, German Cup and UEFA Cup play. His play as sweeper and in midfield impressed early, but he was inexplicably benched by Dragon Stepanovic. When new coach Erich Ribbeck put Dooley back in the lineup, the 34-year-old failed to deliver. Grade: C-.
Chris Henderson (FSV Frankfurt)
A gutsy career move: Join the worst team in German professional soccer. He sat out two months of 1995 with injuries, but then scored a couple of goals. Grade: D.
Mike Lapper (Wolfsburg)
Like every other Ami in Germany, the marking back saw his coach get fired. But replacement Gerd Roggensack gave Lapper no chance. After starting through March, Lapper was discarded during the final stretch of Wolfsburg’s futile promotion battle. Grade: D+.
Brian McBride (Wolfsburg)
The striker from St. Louis University never won a starting spot, but his beautiful goal helped take Wolfsburg to the German Cup semifinal. The Second Division club made it all the way to the final, but by then McBride was a plainclothes observer. Grade: D.
Joe-Max Moore (Saarbruecken)
The Californian rewarded his club once it gave him a starting spot: After two goals in the first half of the season, he notched another 11 in the second half as Saarbruecken climbed from 15th place to seventh. His 13 league strikes are the most ever by a U.S. product in German pro soccer. Grade: A-.
Claudio Reyna (Bayer Leverkusen)
Any chances of a Bundesliga debut during his first season came to an end with a shoulder separation in February. But he did well enough in training and reserve league games to win a new contract with the wealthy club, though he may end up elsewhere next season. Grade: D-.
Eric Wynalda (Bochum)
For the second time in his three years in Germany, a Wynalda team gets relegated to the Second Division. He cost almost $1 million — the club’s most expensive signing — but the striker failed to score. In November, he broke his ankle. In the winter break, he lashed out at teammates. He returned to action in April but never found his niche. Grade: D.
GREECE
Frank Klopas (Apollon)
Klopas returned to Athens in the winter, joining tiny Apollon, which managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup with a spectacular late season run. Klopas didn’t have an entirely happy stint at Apollon, being nagged by injuries and used in a more defensive role than he plays for the U.S. when he was available for the Greek club. Grade: C.
ITALY
Alexi Lalas (Padova)
The most-publicized American abroad this past year. On the positive side, “Wild Bill Cody,” as the Italians called him, scored several big goals, and played in 33 of 34 league games. On the negative side, Padova had the second worst defense in the league and barely avoided relegation. Grade: B-.
MEXICO
Yari Allnutt (Tijuana Stars)
With Allnutt, a 1992 Olympian, starting in midfield, the Stars reached the promotion playoffs with his Second Division club but came up short. Grade: B.
Marcelo Balboa (Leon)
Balboa joined a struggling team at midseason, started immediately and helped shore up the defense from a center back position. Still, Leon finished last in weak Group 4, letting a playoff opportunity slip away in frustrating fashion. Grade: C+.
Dominic Kinnear (Necaxa)
He’s a champion — though he didn’t see any action in the playoffs. The midfielder was also the only U.S. player to score this season in Mexico. Grade: C-.
Tab Ramos (Nuevo Leon)
Tigres was virtually out of playoff contention when Ramos arrived in January. He had some solid outings, and his dazzling moments — such as in a 2-1 loss to Club America — proved he had recovered from the World Cup whack from Leonardo. But a knee injury took him out of the season’s final phase. Grade: C.
Mike Sorber (UNAM)
The steady midfielder from St. Louis stepped into a starting spot with a young Pumas team that came seconds away from a semifinal spot in the Mexican championship. Pumas, the former club of Sorber mentor Bora Milutinovic, offered Sorber a two-year contract. Grade: B.
NETHERLANDS
Gregg Berhalter (Zwolle)
Did all he needed to in his first season. Berhalter maintained his first-team place all season. Zwolle is a mediocre Second Division club, but it’s an excellent place to showcase rising talent. Berhalter has wisely not renewed his contract and should be ready for the next step. Grade: C+.
Ernie Stewart (Willem II)
Hopes were high after the World Cup — transfer talk was of $1-2 million — but ambitious Willem II — with its new stadium — wanted to keep its talented striker. Stewart suffered a long World Cup hangover, Willem II changed coaches midseason, and both had to sit back and enviously watch Roda JC emerge as the country’s up-and-coming club. Still, with 10 goals, Stewart remains a key player at Tilburg. Grade: B-.
SCOTLAND
Steve Pittman (Patrick Thistle)
In many ways, Pittman’s third season in the Premier Division was his best. He was picked up by Patrick from Dundee after the latter club was relegated last year, and managed to score four goals from his left back position in 26 appearances. After early-season relegation worries, Patrick finished tied for sixth in the 10-team league. Grade: B-.