Euro Cup 2008 came and went and now I am stuck talking about European soccer until it starts again in a few weeks and watching Major League Soccer.

Don’t get me wrong, I watch…and sometimes actually enjoy MLS. But it’s impossible for the league to compete for our affections against the biggest leagues in the world.

There is just so much more to pay attention to when it comes to European soccer. Here are a handful of topics that have me bursting with laughter…and on other occassions, get my blood boiling.

Silky-smooth floater Ronaldinho looks like he’s headed to Milan. This doesn’t surprise me at all. What did surprise me was all the talk of him going to the EPL and Manchester City. I just don’t see him trying to work his magic while dodging hip-high two-footed tackles on frozen fields. It will be interesting to watch him and Kaka work together and will get really interesting when Milan and Barcelona meet in the Champions League.

American defender Carlos Bocanegra was not offered a new contract at Fulham and has signed with Rennes in France. I say…good for Carlos! I think it would have been easy for the 29-year-old out of UCLA to want to come back to MLS and grind out his last few years of professional soccer in relative obscurity and peace in the States.

But he looks to be counted on heavily by U.S. National Team coach Bob Bradley for the next World Cup go around and being in Europe will be the best thing for his game in order to prepare for that. I’m sure that he got a “come home” buddy phone call from Landon though.

Villareal signed American striker Jozy Altidore and I’m almost in shock because of it. It’s not because I don’t think that Jozy has some potential…he does. I just thought he would have to show more before somebody big came calling. He’s got a great soccer body (that sounds weird to say) and has the tools to be a good striker, hopefully they or anybody they loan him to can develop him more than the Red Bulls were.

I think that Jozy is also the ONLY hope the U.S. has of having a true goal-scoring striker in their lineup going into the next World Cup. For years Brian McBride was the only American who proved he could score goals on a regular basis against European competition, now it will be Jozy’s turn to prove if he can do it.

But wait, Josh Wolff scored two goals in 34 appearances while he was in Germany for 1860 Munich, that’s a good return, isn’t it? No, it’s not! And that’s why he’s back playing soccer in a minor league baseball outfield for the Kansas City Wizards. Can somebody at U.S. Soccer please hide his phone number so Bob won’t keep calling him into National Team games? He hasn’t done anything in years, give up on him.

In order for Bob to give up on the guys who have never consistently proven it in international competition like Josh Wolff, Eddie Johnson and Taylor Twellman, a new marksman has to step up. Right now, the only glimmer of hope seems to be Jozy. Hope you like pressure young man, because there will be a ton of it on you (domestically and internationally) for the rest of your soccer-playing life. But handle it well and live up to all the hype and you will be a very, very, rich man.

Freddy Adu deserves to start for the U.S. National Team. He’s the only guy on the field besides Clint Dempsey that always wants the ball. The hide-and-seek routine of Landon Donovan doesn’t work in big games and Bob’s son can’t hold the ball worth beans once any pressure gets within the county limits. Freddy is your center midfielder along with somebody else as long as he has a pulse.

Frankie Hejduk looks like he will be an MLS All-Star this season. My question to all the voters out there is…’how much crack did you smoke before you voted?’

ChivasUSA goalkeeper Brad Guzan will move to Europe during this transfer window. I think Deco signing Chelsea just puts another cook in an already crowded kitchen. Cristiano will join the glamour boys at Real, but Manchester United will sign somebody that will have such an impact it will have everybody at Old Trafford saying ‘Cris who’ in a few months.

Eddie Johnson better score some goals for Fulham quickly this season or he’ll be out…there’s just too much pressure on that club to perform this year and stay far away from the relegation zone this season. I will tune in to watch Tottenham play solely to see Croatian Luca Modric in the lineup.

Will Spain join the most elite club in sports, which is the winners of the World Cup (only seven…Italy, England, Brazil, Germany, France, Uruguay, Argentina) when South Africa 2010 rolls around?

Keep checking back for more soccer (or futbol, or football) talk! And don’t be afraid to comment below if you’re feeling it. That’s what it’s all about…the conversation, the debate and passion.

 

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