The former USMNT star joined Mic'd Up to discuss the upcoming MLS season, his love of the game and U.S. World Cup dreams
The plan was for Maurice Edu to sit down with GOAL for 20 minutes to talk MLS. That's not what happened. Things snowballed quickly. That's what happens when Edu gets talking about soccer – sometimes he just gets lost in the moment.
So that 20 minutes turned into an hour and a half. Talk about MLS turned into talk about his love of Arsenal, his respect for DeMarcus Beasley and his dream of someday going to Europe and celebrating a U.S. men's national team World Cup triumph right in the faces of anyone who ever doubted.
Around the 50-minute mark, Edu finally gets to the heart of it all. He finally finds a way to explain why, after all of these years of dedicating his life to soccer, he still loves talking about this stuff so much.
"I use the word 'pure' because there isn't a better description," he says. "That's what it is. There's nothing external. You're just going and playing because you love it. You're good at it, sure, but you still get lost in the moment. When you get older, playing professionally, that still happens and you put pressure on yourself. There are more consequences, but I still love it when the game feels pure."
He felt that love as a player during a career that took him to a World Cup alongside club stops in Canada, Scotland, England and Turkey. He feels it now, too, as an analyst for MLS Season Pass on AppleTV. Edu loves watching the American game grow.
"I have to be on so often that, when I get that opportunity to just watch a game and be a fan… Man, I try as much as I can to just enjoy it," he says. "You can't ever lose that. Obviously, it's difficult but, man, when I'm calling games, if there was a camera on me, you'll see I'm still in the moment."
Edu weighed in on the upcoming MLS season, his thoughts on the league's young stars and his USMNT dreams in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL U.S. taps into the perspective of broadcasters, analysts and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowUSA Today SportsON THE MLS SEASON
GOAL: The MLS season is nearly upon us. Somehow it's felt more chaotic than usual. There have been big coaching changes, big signings and big sales. It seems that the league is a bit more open than ever. Is that how you feel about things after this offseason? What are you looking forward to seeing?
EDU: I think the biggest thing going into any season for me is who the defending champion is, and how they respond to that. That's the Galaxy, and they have a direct rival, LAFC. What's their response? You've seen a power shift in the league since LAFC's entrance where they've been top dog and have taken that market share in LA, right? During that time, the LA Galaxy were going through a rough patch. This year, the LA Galaxy climbed back and they did it in impressive fashion. I'm excited to see where the Galaxy go from here. Obviously, Riqui Puig will miss the start of the season, so how do they fill that void but, then, looking across the city, how does LAFC respond?
Inter Miami will always have a spotlight on them, and rightfully so because they have the best player that's ever played the game in Lionel Messi. They have [Javier] Mascherano as head coach now, yo. If we're talking about coaches, I'm intrigued to see how this coaching carousel plays out now that that's done. And we have some big coaches like Rony Deila in Atlanta, and he's already won an MLS Cup with NYCFC. Gregg Berhalter in Chicago, a club that needs a revival.
Bruce Arena, that's another one. He's gone to San Jose and already shaken things up. When Bruce wen to New England, they were in a similar situation where no one was talking about them. It's a tall task, but if there's someone who can do that with San Jose, you'd be a fool to bet against Bruce.
GOAL: There's just so much starpower in the league now, and it's gotten to a point where Charlotte FC can sign Wilfried Zaha and people don't even bat an eye. Signings like that would have been league-altering a decade ago and now it feels like every team can go out and do that.
EDU: I'm excited about where the league is right now. Charlotte can get Zaha and that's obviously ambitious from their standpoint as they bring in a top, top player. But last year, LAFC brought in [Olivier] Giroud and Hugo Lloris. These are World Cup winners in the league. You have the best player that's ever played the game in Messi playing with all of his boys in Miami. The league is also in a place where they're selling players, like Diego Gomez going to Brighton, right? It all speaks to the global visibility of the league. You're constantly in a shop window. The Cucho Hernandez story is incredible, too. How does Columbus replace him?
I love the fact that there are players creating a space for themselves. The conversation is just as much about foreign transfers as the American players and how they're developing and growing. For years, we've been talking about why you can't just buy a player within the league, and you're already seeing that happen, too. There's wheeling and dealing and, now, as we get to the first game of the season, we're just getting to the exciting part.
The reality is you can't sit still anymore. I keep talking about global exposure, and you don't want to be the team left sitting there while everyone else gets better. That's on-field production, fanbase, atmosphere… everything. You can't be the one team left out or sitting on your hands. It puts pressure on teams to assemble something.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesON AMERICAN SOCCER'S RISING STARS
GOAL: One thing that's always a talking point with MLS is the league's rising stars. Not long ago, you were that guy: No. 1 pick, highly-rated and, ultimately, headed to Europe. Obviously so much has changed, but when you look at the rising stars in this league, how do you assess them?
EDU: First of all, a lot has changed since my day. The opportunities have now heightened in a way that I can't describe. One, MLS as a league has grown and there's a lot more conversation and talk and eyeballs even before the Apple deal. Now, when you factor in Apple, you're in a global shop window. Every game, people can see you. Messi is here, too, so just have the attention on the league. That, in tandem with the national team having players have success in Europe, that puts a spotlight on the U.S. market. You put it all together and then fast forward to all of these massive moves and you see that there is opportunity for these young players.
It's one that, if I had it when I was a young player, I'd salivate at that. If you have success here, you're not worried about "Is a scout watching?" or "How can I make sure people see my game?" If you're doing well, you're going to be seen. It makes me excited, man. I'm excited because the level is better now. Players in this league now play at a level that better prepares them for that jump, which is a whole process because it does start from scratch when you get to Europe.
Maybe they can break into teams a little bit quicker because they've earned that. There's a little bit more respect given and more trust in our players. You still have to be ready when your name gets called, but this is a great time to be playing. Guys like Diego Luna, Jack McGlynn, Obed Vargas… these are players within the league that we've been talking about
GOAL:You moved to Europe at a young age. People don't realize how hard that is. Obviously it helps that you moved to a club like Rangers, that has everything together, but what do you remember about your decision to go to Europe and what that time period was like for you?
EDU: The biggest part that was helpful for me was that DeMarcus Beasley was there. He's a guy I knew from the national team and a guy I looked up to. He helped me so much in just settling on and off the pitch. At Toronto FC, I was one of the first names on the team sheet. I had just broken into the national team, had gone to the Olympics, so I was used to playing every game.
You go to Europe and you're not always playing and you're like, "What the hell did I sign up for?" That took a bit of time, but it was valuable to have Beas there because I could pick his brain. Nowadays, there are more resources that help make the situation smoother, but it still forces you to mature and grow. If you're a young kid, you'll have to grow up relatively quickly. It's all part of the process and it makes the journey more rewarding when you do have success.
USA Today ImagesON CAVAN SULLIVAN
GOAL: You mentioned rising stars there, so I have to ask about Cavan Sullivan. There's just so much hype and pressure, but he doesn't seem too phased by it. When he's on the field, he never looks out of place, which is a compliment to a player that's so much younger than everyone else on the field. What do you see in him and what do you make of everything that's happening with him at his age?
EDU: Cavan, to me, is like Freddy [Adu] to me when I was coming up. I remember Freddy was three years younger than me, and I remember the first time I saw him play. I never thought he was younger because everyone was like "Who is this kid?" It was ridiculous what he was doing. You see the talent there and then you start seeing that talent against grown men. Obviously there were challenges physically, but you could tell he was a footballer. I see similarities in Cavan. I don't want to put too much pressure on him and make that kind of comparison because maybe it is unfair. I want him to go down his own path, but the talent is there.
Man City recognized that and made the move. He seems to have – and top, top players have this – a persona of confidence that's borderline arrogance. He comes off the bench and he's not coming off think he needs to fit in. He plays like it's no different than the game he played just a few days ago for his MLS Next Pro team. He gets the ball and tries to do the same thing in that game with the professionals. He has no fear. I love that. He has his brother Quinn, and I think it's important for him to have someone he can trust, someone who can check you at times. That's so valuable for a young kid. This league is littered with young talent, man, and, again the opportunity is in front of them. It's enormous.
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Getty Images SportON THE USMNT
GOAL: You obviously had a big national team career and got to live those moments at the highest level. Now, you have that first-row seat to what these guys are doing now. What's it like watching the USMNT once your playing career is over? Does it feel different?
EDU: Before anything else, I was a fan. As a young kid, I wanted to play for the national team because I was a fan. When I fell in love with the sport, I had my club team I supported, Arsenal, but before anything, I was a fan of the national team watching the World Cup in 1994 and then seeing the young guys like Beas and Landon [Donovan]. I remember just thinking that I wanted to do that, to experience that. Fortunately, I was able to.
The passion, as a fan, is heightened when you wear the shirt. When you become part of it, it's a different level of pride because you feel a part of it in a different way. Now, I still feel like I'm a part of that fraternity. Guys paved the way for me, and I hope my generation paved the way for this group that is playing and doing its thing. When I watch, I'm a fan first and foremost.
I want them to have success. I want to walk around abroad wearing a Tyler Adams or Christian Pulisic or Weston McKennie or Mark McKenzie jersey and talk sh*t to someone in England or Italy or France because we just won the World Cup. That's my dream. When I watch them, I watch them through that lens because I desperately want them to be successful. I want them to fulfill that potential. I want this group to succeed and the next group and the group after that.
GOAL: Everyone on the outside always compares generations but, when you actually see guys interacting, it doesn't seem like there's any animosity or jealousy. Jozy Altidore was at USMNT camp in the fall, and so many players made sure to go show him love. That has to be special as a member of that fraternity.
EDU: I want all of the guys after me to be Hall of Famers. I want these guys to be the best we've ever seen but, at the same time, I do love the dynamic. You have to bet on yourself. If you ask me if I think my generation can beat this generation, I'll always say yes. If you ask any athlete that question, they better say that. If not, I can't trust you. They might be a better team on paper but, if you asked me when I was on Philly if we could beat Barcelona, one thousand percent they were better than us, but I'll always bet on myself.
Someday, though, the USMNT will win a World Cup and, when that moment comes, you won't be able to tell me anything at that point. I'll be all over the world celebrating.