Toros Rojos de Nueva York

If various reports are to be believed, the New York Red Bulls are all about assembling a team of galacticos, with the club being mentioned in pursuit of Thierry Henry, currently retired Italian demi-god Paolo Maldini and, the latest, Real Madrid’s Raul.

Hey, it worked for the Cosmos, didn’t it?

So what are the odds of these types of players continuing to blaze the path of Juan Pablo Angel and Becks before them? Personally, I think Beckham’s initiation into MLS (dodgy pitches, mediocre teammates, opponents hacking him down regularly) has had a chilling effect on aged stars considering a move across the pond and that these flirtations amount to little more than a negotiating ploy with the deeper-pocketed–and not league-owned–teams in the Old World.