Pirlo in talks with New York City FC, adds to MLS retirement image

                                        

                                               Photo courtesy of funmozar.com

                      

Thirty-six year old Italian international, Andrea Pirlo, has reportedly been in talks with New York FC.  According to NBC Sports, deal negotiations are far from complete, but New York City FC have been interested in signing Pirlo for months.  Pirlo also posted a picture on Twitter of him at a New York Yankees baseball game yesterday, which adds to the speculation.

The MLS seems to be trying to sustain their perception as a retirement league.  Since MLS teams have trouble recruiting international stars at the peak of their careers, they seem to be settling on signing them when their careers are about to end.  It seems as though more and more players are turning to the MLS near the end of their careers: Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Kaka, David Villa, Jermain Defoe, Tim Cahill, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and now maybe Andrea Pirlo.  

If I was a mid-30's superstar, I would love to end my career in the MLS too.  Loads of cash, people drooling over the sight of me, and much less pressure from coaches and fans.  I still can’t get over how there was a “David Beckham Cam” when he sat on the bench his first game for the Los Angeles Galaxy.  The game coverage was a split screen of David’s face, and the game action.  If the MLS wants to get rid of the reputation of being a retirement league, teams need to start recruiting promising young internationals and stop trying to sign old timers that want an easy way to fill their pockets and end their careers.