BY PATRICK MacDONALD
EoS Staff Writer

It finally happened. The long expected move has arrived. Robbie Findley appears to be returning to MLS.

How long has the move been rumored? Oh probably since December 23, 2010 when he signed with Nottingham Forest of the English Championship.

There weren’t many who thought Findley’s move overseas was a wise one. Sure, the payday was much better than what he got in MLS, but he had little chance of ever catching on. Findley got hurt almost immediately upon arrival which certainly lessened his chances of getting his feet under him in England.

That being said, he failed to gain any traction for the club once healing. He scored only 6 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions and was even loaned to League 2 side Gillingham where he scored zero goals in 7 appearances. Findley flopped in England and will be remembered for this more than anything else.

He certainly won’t be missed. In fact, one Nottingham fan came across my tweet about Findley coming back and said, “You can have him back, because he is s—.”

Some players are just better suited for MLS, Robbie Findley is one of them.

He’s a serviceable forward who can get behind defenses. But he’s just not a big time player. The fact that he even signed a European contract was a tremendous head-scratcher after he suited up as one of the worst players to ever start for the U.S. at a World Cup. Who knows, maybe he can have an Eddie Johnson like renaissance. Nevertheless, coming back to MLS is the right move.

Notes:

So Jurgen Klinsmann announced his January camp roster – and it’s pretty spot on. There are a few snubs, but none are particularly glaring.

Here are some thoughts.

- Nick Rimando is missing from this roster which is a bit of a shock, but I’ve always been a fan of Tally Hall and like that he’s getting a look. Yes, Klinsmann has suggested that this roster is the official second string and this wasn’t going to be a “futures” camp, but at the same time, one has to think about the true value of bringing in Rimando who at 33 is never going to be the U.S. starting keeper.

- Dave covered the fact that Connor Lade was called in. He’s really the biggest surprise on defense. He’s a very tenacious player who deserves all the credit in the world for a strong rookie season, but is he National team caliber? Maybe time will tell and instruction from Klinsmann could do wonders for the kid. Those worried about his height need only to look at Steve Cherundolo.

- Omar Gonzalez needs to seize this opportunity and never look back. Carlos Bocanegra’s spot is begging to be taken by a younger player. That player should be Gonzalez.

- Benny Feilhaber, though talented, is kind of an odd inclusion considering how he flamed out in New England (The SKC move should be good for him). That being said, in the past Klinsmann has called in USMNT players who were struggling at the club level to motivate them. Nevertheless, Dax McCarty was a far more deserving player.

- Wondering where Brek Shea is? He’s hurt.

- Chris Wondolowski may never crack the first team, but he deserves the call up here after a stellar season. That being said, he needs only to look at teammates Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle to realize 29 ain’t too old for a USMNT forward to pay dividends.

- Speaking of Buddle, he has certainly cooled off since exploding on the scene in 2010 which makes his inclusion a surprising one. Kenny Cooper had a far better season finishing behind only Wondo in MLS. Not sure what the coaching world has against Kenny Cooper.

- Not surprising that Landon Donovan isn’t on the roster as he’s busy finding himself (though he took an admirable break from said sabbatical to be the highest profile player at Soccer Night in Newtown). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; Donovan will find himself in Everton.