today is a day of mourning. wade barrett, my favorite soccer player, star defender for the san jose earthquakes and up-and-coming star defender on a national scale, has signed to AGF aarhus in denmark. while this may mean more money for wade, and a shot at playing in the european leagues, he is leaving behind a city and a team that loved him and helped him grow. to his credit, i believe that wade has the skill and the heart to make it in "the bigs," but i think he's going about it the wrong way. he was just beginning to get visibility in US Men's National Team camp, but he departed from there to train with his new team. rumor has it that wade was disappointed with the contract offer that major league soccer had proposed, and decided to look to europe instead.

unfortunately, i also think that that misconception comes from a belief ingrained in much of youth soccer in america-- "if you want to play soccer at the highest level, you have to play futbol in europe." while this certainly has its validity in history, MLS and numerous youth programs have done some serious development of soccer in america. we have indeed produced some international superstars. hell, we made it to the quarterfinals of the world cup this year! who expected us to do that? no one. european leagues consider the MLS to be semi-pro, but that's not so anymore. however, if our american/MLS stars feel that way as well, the exodus will continue.

i'll continue to be an avid earthquakes fan beyond which players occupy the field positions. that's what happens when you're a fan of a team. but it's disappointing to see the players you like and the combinations you enjoy falling apart. this year is already looking to be a rebuilding year for the san jose earthquakes, although in reality it shouldn't be. the quakes were the champions in 2001, and had the second-best record in the league in 2002. that doesn't sound to me to be a team that needs rebuilding. it's a team that should be held together and complemented in its weak spots. some combination of MLS powers-that-be, landon donovan's hefty price tag, low salary caps, and unsatisfactory contract renegotiations are possibly keeping this team from achieving its potential.

i'm sad that wade is leaving. i wish him the best, because he deserves to have his hard work and determination recognized. but i'm sad that he won't be on the team that allowed him the opportunity to blossom, in a community in which he was intensely involved.

but hey, you're only young once. and when you're a professional athlete, that means more than it should.