MLS: The sad departure of top-class coaches

FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja is reportedly set to leave to manage Club Tijuana. He would be the latest in a series of sad departures of top-class coaches from MLS.

As Major League Soccer grows in quality and profile, it is natural that much of the talent that resides within the league becomes increasingly attractive to those across the globe.

The better players are suddenly apples of Europe’s eye; the managers are highly touted and wanted by international teams and clubs throughout the world. And so, it makes sense that the best of the talent drips away from MLS.

This year, it has been the turn of the coaches to move away from North America.

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It all started with Patrick Vieira. The New York City FC head coach had instilled an identity and style in his team that was admirable and successful. NYCFC were one of the best teams in the league when Vieira departed for Nice in early June — he had reportedly been close to replacing Arsene Wenger at Arsenal only a matter of weeks early.

Then it was Jesse Marsch, one of the most astute coaches in MLS, leading a brilliant New York Red Bulls team. Marsch was shipped across to Europe by the Red Bulls consortium, becoming a part of the Red Bulls Leipzig coaching arrangement in Germany. Marsch is considered a brilliant mind, but the fact he exited for not even a head coach or manager position is damning for MLS.

And now, with the season drawing to a close, three more top-class head coaches have either left or are set to leave in the near future: Tata Martino of Atlanta United, who agreed to a deal with Mexico, which will commence when Atlanta’s playoff run ends, Gregg Berhalter, who is expected to become the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach in the near future, and now Oscar Pareja, the FC Dallas coach reportedly set to manage Club Tijuana.

Pareja had been the Dallas head coach for five seasons, being named Coach of the Year in 2016 when he led FCD to the Supporters’ Shield and U.S. Open Cup double. He is renowned for his work with youth players, his coaching on the training ground and astute investment in talent. His absence will be a huge loss, both to Dallas and MLS.

As will the departures of Berhalter and Martino. Berhalter is at least expected to stay within U.S. soccer, if he is hired as the national team head coach, but Martino, Marsch, Vieira and Pareja are four of the top coaches that MLS has to offer, and none will be in the league or even related to the league next season.

It is a natural development of a growing and improving league. But that does not dampen the disappointment of seeing some of the best and brightest minds leave. Pareja is most certainly one of them, as is Marsh, Vieira et al.

MLS will recover, obviously. But it will need to bring through a new raft of head coaches because there has been a rather sad exodus over the past six months.