Coming To America: One Tremendous Defensive Midfielder, West Ham-Wigan

Both the imminent destruction of Irish broadcaster Setanta and FIFA's decision to relax regulations on players switching national teams offer boons to the American footie fan. 

One: EPL soccer, which ESPN bid on and was denied by Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta, could finally arrive on American shores if the WWL, which has long wanted a European foothold, picks up the rights Setanta would default upon in a bankruptcy. (They've already said they have no plans to bid for the whole company.) Sky Sports, which has most of the EPL's six television packages, can't buy Sentata's stake because of anti-trust concerns. That leaves ESPN relatively free and clear to pick up the package.

Not that it's a terrific set of games. Apparently the Setanta package is strictly B-list stuff like Fulham-Birmingham and the like, but that's where the Americans will be playing anyway, right?

Two: The FIFA rules change has freed up any player who 1) hasn't already switched teams and 2) hasn't played in a competitive match for his country to switch to a team he is eligible for. Schalke defensive midfielder Jermaine Jones, the son of an American serviceman stationed in Germany, has leapt at the chance to play for the USMNT. Jones speaks zero English and is pretty much just a Germany guy, but due to some friction between the German soccer federation and himself -- he didn't make the Euro 2008 team -- he's decided to cast his lot with the Yanks.

Is this a big deal? From all reports, hell yes. Ives Galarcep:

So who is Jermaine Jones? He's a talented 27-year old who will easily be one of the best midfielders in the U.S. pool the minute he puts on a uniform.

Though Jones wasn't able to break through into the German first team on a regular basis, he did have three caps in friendlies and was one of the last guys to miss out on the European Championship side. He's widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga, a league Landon Donovan's been laughed out of twice.

The only downer is that Jones plays a spot that the US is well-stocked at. (Well, that and his tendency to say potentially offensive things.) This is not a solution to the national team's problems at left back, left midfield, right midfield, or striker. Or attacking midfielder. With Michael Bradley looking like a fixture going forward the USA has to figure out how to pair the two, or figure out if someone can play somewhere else.

They won't have to figure it out just yet, though: the regulation doesn't come into effect until late August.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.