Short Takes
• MLS is often derided as a “retirement league” by worldwide critics, thanks to a number of high-profile European players who have ended their careers collecting big checks on these shores. It looks like the league may lose three of them at once, though. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Robbie Keane have all left their MLS teams in the past week.
• “60 Minutes” interviewed a number of U.S. women’s national team players for its program on Sunday, giving the players a chance to state their case for being paid equally with their counterparts on the men’s national team. Given the continued success of the women’s team, and the huge interest from fans around the country, it’ll be increasingly hard for U.S. Soccer to keep up the pay disparity.
• Speaking of the men’s national team, speculation is flying about coach Jurgen Klinsmann after the U.S. suffered a pair of embarrassing losses to kick off the final round of World Cup qualifying. Bruce Arena, the current LA Galaxy coach and former national-team coach, seems to be emerging as the favorite to potentially succeed Klinsmann. Arena led the U.S. to its best World Cup performance, in 2002, but also to one of its most disappointing performances, in 2006.
