Afternoon Update: Dempsey, Jones, LD, Bob, and Nigeria

Here are some news and notes to get you through the afternoon:


Interest in Dempsey

Yanks abroad super agent Lyle Yorks has said that there is a lot of interest in Clint Dempsey thanks to his strong play with both club and country.  Yorks stated there this is a "major club" from Italy and a "major club" from France expressing interest, in addition to a team from the Bundesliga.  Couple that with the interest that surely exists within England, and it makes for an interesting transfer window for the Fulham star.

With Roy Hodgson leaving Craven Cottage, I could see Dempsey opting for a change of scenery, though it's hard to say what the favored destination would be.  When I hear "major club", I tend to think Champions League, so it would be very interesting if a club like Roma, AC Milan, Lyon, or Marseille splashed some cash to bring in Deuce.  Though many feel that Dempsey underperforms with the US, he has developed into a very strong, consistent performer in the English Premier League, and I could see him taking his game to the next level with a new, more decorated club.

At 27 years old, this could be the biggest transfer (in terms of the amount of money Dempsey could command) remaining in his career, and his stock may never be any higher after coming off of another good year at Fulham, a Bronze Ball at the Confederations Cup, and a World Cup.  If a deal doesn't materialize, however, Deuce does have a security blanket; the extension he signed last year would keep him on Fulham's books into 2013.

Stay tuned for more on this, as the silly season will surely feature a lot of rumors about some of the USMNT's biggest names.



Jones Still Rehabbing

It's been all quiet on the Jermaine Jones front for awhile now, but here's an update.  Schalke's offseason training camp is underway, but Jones is still fighting to get back to full strength.  Jones did not participate in a match against a local team and did not participate in all drills, doing individual work instead with the club's conditioning and rehabilitation coach.  Sounds like a lot of the same stuff that we've heard for months now.

Unless things start coming together quickly, I don't see Jones being fit or sharp enough to be available for or worthy of selection for the August 10 friendly against Brazil.  That wouldn't preclude him visiting camp, though, similar to what he did for the Netherlands match in March.  With all that being said, I'm not a doctor, so take my opinion with many grains of salt.  Perhaps I've just gotten to used to the complications and steps back that have riddled Jones' recovery.



Donovan and Bradley on the Daily Show

Landon Donovan and Bob Bradley paid a visit to late night host and former college soccer player John Stewart, talking about the World Cup and what the response has been like in the US:

Landon Donovan & Bob Bradley

www.thedailyshow.com

 

Nigerian President Suspends National Team

After the Super Eagles crashed out of South Africa with one draw and two losses in Group B, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has suspended the national team for two years in order to reorganize the country's football system.  If he were to stay true to that decision, it would keep Nigeria out of the Africa Cup of Nations qualification that begins in September and doubles as the qualification for both the 2012 and 2013 tournaments (CAF will be transitioning to an odd-year tournament schedule from the current even-year pattern), which by default keeps them out of the next two continental tournaments and keeps them out of contention for a spot in the 2013 Confederations Cup.  Further, unless the two years are cut a little short, it could interfere with the beginning of World Cup qualification, which started in June 2008 for this cycle and would presumably start in June 2012 the next time around.

Of course, all of that assumes that FIFA wouldn't discipline Nigeria for blatant political interference and extend Nigeria's absence beyond 2012.  And unless Jonathan backpedals very quickly, it seems almost certain that Sepp Blatter and company will bring the hammer down.  FIFA has shown in the past that they will enforce their rule that football associations must be run independent of politics, dealing out discipline to a number of associations in recent years, and I expect Nigeria to be next in line if this plan is indeed carried out.


It'd certainly be a shame if one man completely wiped away a cycle for one of Africa's top teams, but that's exactly what Goodluck Jonathan might do if he continues to meddle in footy affairs.  Hopefully, pressure from FIFA, the media, and the public will straighten things out.
 

-----