Soucie on Soccer

Rumors have persisted for days now that Kenny Cooper was on his way out of MLS.  Those rumors indicated that Cooper was headed back to England to play for Championship side Bristol City.  Those rumors appear to be false, but Cooper is still on the move.  While an official announcement has not been made by MLS, an email sent to FC Dallas season ticket holders indicates that Cooper has been sold to 1860 Munich of the Bundesliga 2nd Division (Germany).  The transfer fee was not disclosed.

The email from FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock states:

As we all know, Kenny is the consummate professional; a great player on the field and a great ambassador for FCD (and the sport of soccer) off the field. With this transfer, Kenny will have an opportunity to return to Europe which is something he wanted. From a timing standpoint, it was critical that we finalized a deal in this transfer window so as much as we all would have loved to have Kenny Cooper here for the stretch run of the ’09 season, it was the right time for Kenny and it was the right time for FC Dallas. Although you never want to lose a player (and person) like Kenny, this transfer will prove to be a great opportunity for Kenny while providing an opportunity for FC Dallas to seek future players and continue the development of our elite Juniors players.

I’ve been critical of Cooper recently.  I still think he has potential to develop, and this transfer should be good for him.  What this deal all hinges on for me is whether or not he sees the field on a regular basis.  Freddy Adu has been languishing in the French and Portuguese leagues the past few seasons, only to watch his skills practically disappear because of the lack of playing time.  The same can be said for DaMarcus Beasley and, to a far lesser extent,

Some will say that Cooper needed to leave MLS to develop more as a player.  While I see the argument, I think it was really more of a case where Cooper was in a bad situation.  FC Dallas is a team in shambles, one that lacks direction, and clearly has no idea what to do with a player like Cooper.  He has peaked with the current coaching staff at FCD.  In a better environment with a better coach, Bruce Arena for example, Cooper could still develop within the MLS system.  Since Dallas isn’t about to trade Cooper in-league, this is the best thing that could have happened to him.  Good luck, Kenny.  Now it’s time to show us what you can really do.