When discussing foreign MLS transfers, Americans playing abroad are often overlooked. Fans normally want their clubs to go after the exotic foreigners and often are disappointed when linked to American players abroad. However, the American player pool is better and there are more Americans playing abroad than ever. There are several players out there that a move to MLS could greatly benefit them or be an attractive option. With that said, what are the advantages of signing American players?
The first and most obvious reason is a quicker adjustment period. There will be no culture shock or language barrier when bringing in an American player to the MLS. The second reason is that he won’t fill up a valuable international player slot. That means one could use those slots on the more impactful positions such as attacking midfielder or striker with higher-profile foreign players. Lastly, American players are normally undervalued so if you have to pay a transfer fee there is a good chance it will be lower than say an Argentinian or Spanish player.
There are plenty of MLS quality Americans playing abroad that Charlotte FC should be inquiring about. However, there are a certain three that would be open to an MLS move, fit the club’s ideal player profile, and be automatic starters for Charlotte without breaking the bank.
Starting with…
Ethan Horvath (25)
Club: Club Brugge (Belgium)
Position(s): GK
Transfermarkt Value: $1.4 Million
Profile: Ethan Horvath has been playing in Europe his whole professional career, first at Molde in Norway and then Club Brugge in Belgium. Unfortunately for him, things haven’t gone to plan at Brugge only playing one league game thus far this season. His contract expires this upcoming June so he could leave for free. At 25 years old, Horvath is entering his prime and has an important decision to make regarding the future of his career.
Does he renew his contract at Club Brugge and keep fighting for the starting position? Or does he decide to leave to get guaranteed playing time elsewhere? Horvath has previously stated in an interview that he is the main financial provider for his parents. A move to MLS in his current situation would be very attractive considering he would get the playing time he deserves and be financially stable to continue supporting his family. All this while being in the familiar setting of his home country.
Horvath can easily be one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. He has all the ability and experience to be one of the headline keepers within the league. Back in October, the starting keeper for Brugge, Simon Mignolet, tested positive for COVID-19 and couldn’t play the Champions League game against Zenit. Horvath was thrust into starting a Champions League game having not played competitively in 13 months. He rose to the occasion and had a brilliant game making 2 key saves near the end to help Club Brugge win the game 2 – 1.
This was a testament to Horvath’s not only goalkeeping ability but even more so to his unwavering mentality to put in a performance like that, after not having played in 13 months and on the biggest stage in football.
Horvath stands at 6’3 with a lean, lanky body physique. He possesses excellent reflexes making him good in 1 v 1 scenarios and set pieces. He also has a great diving ability and is able to stretch and reach wide shots with precision. All that is combined with strong hands and parrying ability that decreases the risk of him giving the opposing team extra chances.
The command of his box is solid with him being aggressive to punch or catch crosses or corner kicks. Horvath’s lanky physique is deceptive because unlike what most would think he is athletic. He is capable of coming off his line quickly with acceleration and speed. As well has a good jumping ability to reach crosses or set-piece passes.
Horvath’s biggest weaknesses are his on the ball ability and distribution. He is not a ball playing goalkeeper. If a system is heavily reliant on using the keeper as an extra man for possession he may struggle in it. While he isn’t the worst, don’t expect him to do anything more than either to play it simple short or punt it long. His decision-making in certain scenarios could improve too but only being 25-years-old and a keeper who generally have longer careers, he has plenty of room to improve.
Charlotte FC would already be signing one of the best keepers in the league without him even playing a game for the club. He wouldn’t require a DP contract but a cheaper TAM deal would most likely be needed to attract him to Charlotte. For Horvath, Charlotte would provide a guaranteed starting position as well as financial security.
The clip below demonstrates Horvath using his high reflexes and strong hands to save a problematic shot and protect his team’s lead.
Ventura Alvarado (28)
Club: Atlético San Luis (Mexico)
Position(s): CB, RB, LB
Transfermarkt Value: $3 Million
Profile: Ventura Alvarado has been applying his trade in Mexico his entire career. The ex-Club América player has currently fallen out of favor at Atlético San Luis to a much younger Jesús Sandoval. The club is in 14th place and Alvarado is getting minimal playing time so a move to MLS could sound like a saving grace to him.
Alvarado’s most obvious asset to his game is his athleticism. He’s not the tallest of centrebacks standing at barely 6 feet but his raw athleticism makes up for his lack of height. In Mexico, he’s known as being one of the fastest and most mobile defenders in the league. Alvarado is extremely fast. Possessing quick acceleration and an impressive top speed for anyone let alone a centreback. Despite his shorter height, Alvarado is also very strong and able to win physical battles.
Alvarado is also a super aggressive defender. He is constantly seeking out the ball and pressuring anyone who has it. He loves to let the attackers know that anytime they touch the ball he will be right there to give them a shove and make them uncomfortable. His athleticism combined with his aggression makes for a difficult combination to beat the majority of times. Attackers have very little time to react when Alvarado is right on them immediately as they receive the ball.
His athleticism and aggression make him an excellent 1 v 1 defender. His aggression and ability to outpace or muscle opponents tend to be overwhelming. He will come out on top in most 1 v 1 scenarios.
However, this aggression doesn’t come risk-free and can be a liability. Alvarado accumulates a lot of yellow cards. Normally it is due to him being overly aggressive and arriving late on tackles. This is something he will have to be careful with when playing against the evasive MLS attackers such as Pozuelo and Zelarayán. Alvarado is best paired with a more passive, sweeper centreback to cover for him.
Alvarado is also very technically sound. First off, he’s completely comfortable with both his feet. He’s able to ping passes and dribble with both his right and left foot. He is also very comfortable carrying the ball and driving it forward. On top of that also possesses a solid passing range. From short easy passes to long diagonals across the pitch, Alvarado is capable of passing in a variety of ways.
Lastly, as a byproduct of his athleticism, on-the-ball ability, and two-footedness, Alvarado is very positionally flexible. He can play across the entire defensive line and defensive midfielder position in an emergency. He possesses the speed and technical ability to play fullback on either side of the pitch. His height, aggression, awareness, and tackling ability allow him to play as either the left or right centreback.
One aspect that one can’t see on the stat sheet is that Alvarado is also a leader. He captained Club Necaxa during one of their best seasons in recent years finishing 6th, making the Liga MX playoffs.
Alvarado’s skill set, athleticism, and versatility make him the ideal defender for modern, high-pressing systems that require fluidity between the different positions. With his age, lack of playing time, and at a smaller club in Mexico, Charlotte FC should be able to sign him at discounted transfer fee. He also would most likely be able to be brought in with just a senior contract. Alvarado can be a player that the club can build their defense around with his vast experience in playing and captaining in the unforgiving Liga MX.
The clip below demonstrates Alvarado’s aggression and strong tackling ability.
This one demonstrates his raw athleticism and commitment.
Shaq Moore (25)
Club: CD Tenerife (Spain)
Position(s): RB, RW
Transfermarkt Value: $720,000
Profile: Shaq Moore was a lock-in starter for Levante when they were playing in La Liga three years ago. Putting in solid performances week in and week out, including a memorable one against Barcelona. However, he currently finds himself being a key player at CD Tenerife in the Spanish second division but sitting in 16th place.
So far this season, Moore has 2,105 minutes played, by far the most minutes of any other player at Tenerife and one of the highest in La Liga 2. With that said, there is no chance that Tenerife will get promoted this season. That combined with just being flat out too good for Tenerife, Moore could be looking for alternative options. He’s been playing in Spain for almost 5 years now and a new challenge back in his home country could be enticing.
Moore is an attack minded fullback that loves to get forward at every opportunity. Standing at 5’11, he’s taller than most fullbacks but doesn’t sacrifice any speed for the additional height. He is rapid and utilizes that that speed to fly down the wide-space, beat players in the 1 v 1s, or to get back on defense.
His speed allows him to get into the position to do what he does best. Crossing. Shaq’s biggest strength is his pinpoint crossing ability. His crosses don’t only have the pace but the precision as well. Almost every cross Moore makes is a threatening one. For opposing teams, it’s a nightmare combination when you have a fullback who can get into the crossing positions and put in precise crosses all game long. It is very difficult to defend for 90 minutes.
Naturally, when it comes to attack-minded fullbacks, their poor defensive positioning will get exposed. Nevertheless, with Moore’s speed he is capable of getting back on defense quickly. His speed and agility also helps him in 1 v 1 defending. His 5’11 height combined with his quickness makes it very difficult to dribble past him. On top of that, he has an impressive slide tackle to add to his defensive arsenal.
Moore isn’t only a crossing merchant on offense. He has great overall technical ability to dribble into threatening positions as well as playing dangerous through balls. His offensive abilities are so good that he is sometimes utilized as a right-winger for Tenerife. His passes have a nice weight to them. He will often play threatening passes in behind the defense to his wingers or strikers playing them through on goal.
Moore’s transfer fee is a bargain for the quality of player Charlotte would be getting. He wouldn’t even require absurdly high wages. A senior contract on the higher end of the spectrum would most likely be the max required to sign him. Moore should have no problem adjusting to the MLS and would fit the player profile of what the Charlotte front office is looking for. Moore is entering his prime but is still young enough to make a move back to Europe if he so desires, which would also net Charlotte FC a nice profit. It wouldn’t be a dead-end move for Moore. Charlotte would get a potential top MLS fullback for a bargain with the potential of profit or being the long-term right-back for the club.
This clip below is a typical Moore sequence and showcases what he does best. He uses his pace to join the attack, drives the ball forward when he receives it, and then delivers a threatening cross.
Conclusion
Signing American players from abroad is a great way to bring quality into the club without having to spend a fortune. It allows for more room for international slots and the budget to bring in even better foreign talent into the team. That combined with an easy adjustment period makes signing Americans make that much more sense. With more talent than ever in the US pool, better players are getting overlooked and Charlotte FC should take full advantage of that.
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