This picture shows why the MLS is able to mine sign from Colombia some of their best talent. They get to bring their families to this country and actually get a steady paycheck. What person wouldn't want to provide for their family?
4 months ago
Ryan Gates
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Congratulations Chara!
Happy to see his family adjusting to life here.
RCTID - Stumptown Footy
Moderator of /r/MLS
I would actually love to hear a story about Chara
Maybe something that explains how his life in columbia was, and if htat was a factor in wanting to come over, or other things along those lines. I would find it interesting
Noted
Sounds like a good idea, we will see what we can do.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Good idea
The Timbers website – the English version – rarely has a profile article on the Colombian players. On their Espanol page it’s an article here and there but Google translate is spotty with it.
Also just a minor critique of SF, I think the phrase “mine Colombia” makes it sound like MLS is exploiting Colombia. I know that isn’t what you intended. I understand that you see it as a straight business deal where both sides benefit, and it is, but “mine Colombia” just sounds wrong to me. Not a big deal, but just saying.
Stop SOPA
by yepyou'reright on Jan 18, 2012 2:42 PM PST up reply actions
Noted
Also every time I see it now I dislike it more. I picked it up from the MLS site and for that I shall hang my head in shame.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Great artists steal
But the MLS site will never be accused of artistic genius. :)
Stop SOPA
by yepyou'reright on Jan 18, 2012 4:34 PM PST up reply actions
but...
When it really comes down to it, it’s clear Colombia is full of good soccer natural resources…
by chrisperry1983 on Jan 18, 2012 8:33 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Very True
In reality MLS is not just stripping the country bare like a mine would do but (at least in most cases) they are paying for the player and actually helping the country out by buoying up a down trodden soccer economy.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
I feel ya
I meant it more as a sarcastic continuation of the originally worded sentence. Then again, I’m a little drunk on the IPA I brewed, and may be talking out of place. Either way, great looking fam he’s got going on there! Viva MLS!
by chrisperry1983 on Jan 18, 2012 10:14 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
There
The changes make it sound and feel much better.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
how can you not love the guy when seeig something like this
I JUST WANT MY BASKETBALL BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Sean in Vancouver on Jan 19, 2012 12:07 AM PST reply actions
Moving from Colombia to the U.S.
Maybe players can make somewhat more here, but from what I can glean from the net, the salaries for good and even medium-level players in Colombia are more than enough to support a family. The interest in futbol is very high – over the decades, Colombia has had some of the finest teams in all of South America, with world stars like Alfredo di Stefano spending years playing for Colombian teams.
On the flip side, the toll on a family for moving here has to be REALLY high – new language, new culture, new team, cold, no relatives nearby and few friends either, …. The players are professionals, of course, and the difficulties of changing teams come with the territory, but still it has to be hard on the family. (Hopefully having fellow countrymen helps with these issues, and Gavin & co. are undoubtedly aware of this and maybe even use it in their persuasion.) I suspect that part of the allure of coming to MLS, aside from the somewhat better salaries, is the heightened possibility of being noticed by European teams, where salaries and fame are quite a bit higher.
[Subtext: Please be careful about paternalism. I caught a strong whiff of “of course things are superior in the U.S.” from the original post, when I’ll bet the picture is far more mixed for the players. Maybe this was just my reading of it, but that’s what I noticed.]
P.S. Go Diego! Hope you DO like it here! Somos Timbers!
by Timber Dave on Jan 20, 2012 9:29 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
One Thing
You are right MLS and America is not “better” than Colombia just because it is America.
The one big difference, and I am only looking at the leagues, is the fact that all the MLS teams pay their players on time and always pay them. This is what I was referring to is the fact that the pay-check is steady and they know they will always be paid as long as they are here. There are a lot of teams down there that have trouble paying their players, not saying all of them but there are a lot and this may factor in to their decision.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
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