Soccer's American Idols

Strong performances at the global tournament in Germany could mean European contracts worth big bucks for the cream of the crop of U.S. players

By Stanley Holmes

Clint Dempsey, a rising star of American soccer, has come a long way in his 23 years. He grew up in a trailer in East Texas and polished his skills on dusty fields against the sons of Mexican migrant workers. Now, with the rest of the U.S. men's national team, he's preparing for his first World Cup, in Germany. And if Dempsey, aka "Deuce," lights up the pitch in the tournament, his fortunes could change even more dramatically. With two or three smashing goals, the youngster could land a lucrative European contract, leaping from the low-profile U.S. professional league to the center of the international soccer world.

The financial stakes are sky-high. As an All-Star player for the New England Revolution in America's Major League Soccer, Dempsey makes $86,000 a year. Signing a contract with an English second-division club or a club in Holland, France, or Belgium would triple his base salary overnight. Incentive bonuses would drive his potential income even higher. Europeans scouts are already watching him, and Dutch power Feyenoord Rotterdam has had him in for training. "Clint Dempsey is your breakout player, "says Eric Wynalda, ESPN commentator and former U.S. national team star: "Dempsey is young and brash, but talented."

FINANCIAL JACKPOT.

He's just one of a crop of young, gifted American soccer players heading into the World Cup tournament with more on the line than just wins and losses. The others include U.S. defender Oguchi Onyewu, forward Eddie Johnson, and midfielders John O'Brien and DaMarcus Beasley. If they and other U.S. players shine in the month-long tournament kicking off on June 9, then they may be sought out and signed to contracts by top clubs in Europe.

For top Yank players, it's the opportunity to hit the financial jackpot. One 90-minute stretch of spectacular dribbling, visionary passing, tough tackling, or breakthrough goal-scoring at the World Cup could prove the difference between earning a million dollars in London or Madrid, or toiling for modest wages in Kansas City or Columbus, Ohio.

True, it's not quite the same as fleeing back to the Brazilian favelas, or slums. But the reality is that the salary gap between the U.S. and Europe is as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. The average salary in England's Premiership, the world's top league, is $1.25 million -- excluding incentive-laden performance bonuses. The average MLS player earns about $90,000, and many players make the starting minimum -- $37,000. Only two players in the MLS earn $1 million: Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan, a star for the U.S. national team, and Juan Francisco Palencia, a former Mexican national team star playing for Chivas USA. (Wunderkind Freddy Adu, who just turned 17, rakes in about $500,000 a year). Even in the English second division, the average salary is about $375,000 a year.

Other players have already shown the way across the Atlantic. Two years ago, Ryan Nelsen turned down $260,000 -- one of the biggest contracts the MLS has ever offered a defender -- and opted to sign with English Premier club Blackburn Rovers. The New Zealand native received a base contract of about $400,000 and the potential to earn hefty bonuses on top of that. "He would have been the best-paid defender in the MLS," says Soccer Times senior writer Bob Wagman. "He was an unknown quantity but ends up captain of the team, playing every minute, and now he's a star. Last year, he made close to a million dollars."

PATIENCE PAYS OFF.

Players on the American team face more obstacles than just the Italian and Czech talent they'll meet on the field. There are strict work-permit issues in England as well as restrictions in most European countries for non-European Union players. Still, the economic lure is strong enough to prompt the American soccer player to consider Europe's third-tier leagues in Scandinavia, Portugal, or the lower divisions in Germany and England.

But they must be prepared to battle red tape. That's what Bobby Convey, a speedy left-footed winger, did. The 23-year-old had caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspurs, an English Premiership team, but a lack of starting time on the U.