Ludovic Giuly to MLS? Let’s hope not

And you can’t swing a corner flag without hitting a 33-year-old attacker in winter, one looking to squeeze a few more drops from the lime, hoping for a nice payday to wind down the ol’ career. You know, someone who wants to sip placidly from the margarita glass of MLS, punctuating his playing days with a nice, easy victory lap. Or so they seem to think.

Chicago’s cop on the soccer beat, Sam Stejskal, reports that the Fire will keep an eye on French winger Ludovic Giuly during an upcoming friendly.

Giuly, 33, is now with Paris St. Germaine. His best days were in the middle of the last decade during a three-year run at Barcelona. He also had a successful one-year stay at Roma in the 2007-08 campaign.

Giuly has been with the Paris club since. He has one year remaining on his deal at Parc des Princes, so MLS would need to pay a transfer fee if Chicago decides to do more than flirt.

Here’s the thing: I continue to believe that this is going the wrong way. MLS should do as a philandering 40-something businessman does: go young.

What’s the real return? He would be 34 before he plays an MLS match. He’s small (about 5-foot-5), which means he’ll get pushed around in a physical league. He’s clearly on the decline.

From the marketing end, no offense, but Giuly is not Thierry Henry. Henry has enough global presence that he can actually move the attendance needle a smidge. Not so with Giuly, who just isn’t widely known enough to move tickets on his name. Sponsors, too, will respond to Henry in a way they won’t for Giuly.

MLS needs to focus on the Marco Pappas, not the Giulys. Pappa is the 22-year-old Guatemalan currently stationed at attacking midfield for the Fire. He’s good. He may or may not stick around. But if they do lose him in Bridgeview, it will be because a team plucked him for strong performance at Toyota Park. If Giuly arrives in Chicago and then leaves, it will likely be due to failure.