The jump from Major League Soccer to the Premier League has had mixed results in the past. The recent news of Seattle Sounders right back Deandre Yedlin finally securing a deal to join Tottenham Hotspur in the EPL after the MLS season is a big deal for the continued growth of US soccer. As LWOS staff writer Roger Cleaves shares, this is a good move for Yedlin, however, it won’t be easy for him. The EPL is perhaps the most international league in the world and therefore there is more competition and there is always someone gunning for your job. While Yedlin’s stock continues to rise, it might be a good time to revisit how some of the more recent MLS players have fared after making the move to the EPL.
A Closer Look at the MLS to EPL Jump
Player: Tim Ream
Position: Center Back, Left Back, Defensive Midfielder
Previous MLS Club: New York Red Bulls
EPL Club he moved to: Bolton Wanderers
Transfer Window: January 2012
Ream came on strong in the MLS, much like Yedlin, becoming a Rookie of the Year candidate in the MLS in 2010, playing regularly on the U.S. national team in early 2011 and two games at the 2011 Gold Cup. He made the jump to the EPL when Bolton lost center back Gary Cahill to Chelsea and became a regular on the Bolton back line in the spring of 2012. Ream’s arrival could not help Bolton stay in the EPL as they were relegated at the end of that season and have been in the Championship League since. However, the 2013-2014 season was a career year for Ream as he played in 45 games for Bolton and won Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year honors. He recently signed a new 3 year contract to stay at Bolton and hopefully help the club make it back into the EPL. Ream’s spot on the U.S. national team has been shaky as he wasn’t even called up for the preliminary 2014 World Cup team.
Player: Geoff Cameron
Position: Center Back, Right Back
Previous MLS Club: Houston Dynamo
EPL Club he moved to: Stoke City
Transfer Window: August 2012
Cameron started out his MLS career on fire as well and became a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2008 for Houston, while playing in the center back role and helping Houston make the MLS playoffs in 3 of his 4 full seasons with the club, losing in the MLS Cup Final in 2011. His move to Stoke occurred in the Summer of 2012 where he was moved from center back to right back and has played the majority of his premier league games at ever since. Stoke finished in 13th place in the EPL his first season there and last year they finished in 9th place, while he played in a career high 41 total games for the club. Cameron has turned into a key piece of team USA and became USA’s first choice center back for the 2014 World Cup. Rumors have flown all summer that up to 9 English teams are interested in his services and at least one German club, but Stoke have been adamant about keeping Cameron. Whether that is at the right back position the club prefers him at or the center back position he prefers to play in is the subject of a different story.
Player: Roger Espinoza
Position: Midfielder
Previous MLS Club: Sporting Kansas City
EPL Club he moved to: Wigan Athletic
Transfer Window: January 2013
Espinoza played 5 seasons in Kansas City, helping the team reach the playoffs in 3 of his 5 years and winning the U.S. Open Cup in 2012. He made over 100 appearances for the club and joined the EPL’s Wigan Athletic on a free transfer in January 2013. He helped Wigan win the FA Cup that spring, however, could not help the team avoid relegation. Espinoza currently is still with Wigan as they begin their second season in the Championship League and last year got a taste for some European competition as Wigan played in the Europa League. Espinoza also represented his country in the 2014 World Cup.
Player: Break Shea
Position: Midfielder, Winger
Previous MLS Club: FC Dallas
EPL Club he moved to: Stoke City
Transfer Window: January 2013
Shea’s career move to the EPL has not been a storybook one. Shea was the 2nd pick in the MLS Superdraft in 2008 but didn’t crack the starting lineup until 2009; helping team to the 2010 MLS Cup Final and in 2011 had becoming an MVP candidate. Even though he had a disappointing, injury riddle 2012 season with Dallas, Stoke city still decided to take a chance on him with a 4.5 year contract. Shea went on to play only 2 games that Spring before being shut down for the year due to his injury. Shea did have a moment of brilliance, making the 2013 U.S. Gold Cup team and scoring the lone goal in the Final to win the tournament for USA. Overall Shea has only played in 5 games for Stoke City to date, with a half season loan spell to League One team Barnsley, in which he was sent back early to Stoke due to a dispute with a fan in the stands episode. It looks as if Shea will be loaned out again this season by Stoke, should they find the right suitor.
Player: Kei Kamara
Position: Forward
Previous MLS Club: Sporting Kansas City
EPL Club he moved to: Norwich City
Transfer Window: January 2013
The Sierra Leone international made his career in the MLS playing for Columbus, San Jose, Houston and finally shining for Sporting Kansas City with over 100 caps and 38 goals in 5 seasons with the club. His final season fork SKC, he played in 35 games, scored 11 goals and helped the club finish first in the East and win the U.S. Open Cup tournament. Kamara was picked up on loan by Norwich City in January 2013 with a pre-negotiated option to purchase him. He played in 11 games and scored 1 goal for Norwich before being returned to SKC at the end of the EPL season. He played in 10 games for SKC picking up where he left off with 7 goals before signing with England’s Championship League team Middlesbrough. He played in 25 games and helped the team to a 12th place finish, however, rumors have it that the team is currently looking to bring in one or two more strikers to compete with him for a starting spot on the team.
Player: Juan Agudelo
Position: Forward
Previous MLS Club: New England Revolution
EPL Club he moved to: Stoke City
Transfer Window: January 2014
It is easy to forget that Juan Agudelo is still only 21, the young Colombian-American striker burst on to the MLS scene with the New York Red Bulls late in 2010 and jumping on to the USA team radar almost immediately. Efficient stints with Chivas USA, New England Revolution and USA team lead the young striker to being courted by EPL’s Stoke City on a pre-contract agreement, similar to Yedlin, one in which he signed in August 2013 but would be allowed to remain with his MLS club until the end of the season. Agudelo was denied a work permit in the U.K. so Stoke City loaned him out to FC Utrecht in the Dutch League, where he played in 14 games and scored 3 goals. At the end of the season, Agudelo was once again denied a work permit leading to Stoke cutting ties with the young striker. Unfortunately, Agudelo is a player without a club right now and was last seen training with Orlando City, who came out and said that he will not play for the team, they are just giving him the opportunity to train.
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