Jeff Carlisle Article for ESPNFC: More Jurgen vs. MLS

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Now it appears there was more to Garber's ire than met the eye. Seattle Sounders minority owner Adrian Hanauer, Philadelphia Union CEO and Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz and several other sources, have told ESPN FC that there is growing frustration within the league over the advice Klinsmann and U.S. soccer staff are giving to youth national team and MLS academy players.

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At issue, according to sources, is an approach whereby Klinsmann and his surrogates are advising those players to sign with European clubs and bypass MLS. To this end, the U.S. Soccer Federation has been organizing training stints and trials for various youth national team players, the better to showcase those players for overseas clubs.

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In a statement made to ESPN FC through a USSF spokesman, Klinsmann insisted that there is no one path for players and that his advice has reflected this. "You have to look at every situation individually and help the player to determine what is best for himself," he said. "There are a lot of parts to the picture, things like the player's ability, what his support structure is like, his past experiences, and his mentality and goals. Some kids would benefit from the environment in Europe, while others are best suited to continue their growth in MLS. There's no one right answer that applies to all players and each player's circumstances changes over time."

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Reached by telephone, Hanauer confirmed to ESPN FC that academy players -- both with the Sounders and other MLS clubs -- have been encouraged by Klinsmann or his surrogates to explore options overseas. "We are investing millions of dollars in youth development," said Hanauer. "It's hard enough to compete with foreign teams who are trying to poach players in the U.S. and Canada. I'm certainly not happy if our federation and its representatives are in any way pushing our players to sign with a foreign club and bypassing our professional environment. At some point, if [this continues], clearly I -- and I assume my MLS partners -- would need to reconsider our investment in youth development, which I don't think is ultimately good for U.S. soccer," he said.

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