The comparison between Latas and Reyna is unfair to both....two different players.
The only US player I can remember from the US with the syle, control/touch and artistry that could stand in the same half of the field as Latas is Hugo Perez . He was a damn good baller.
Zeppo, your arguments concerning the leagues where Latas played is also flawed because Hugo perez was a real boss but he played overseas in Saudia Arabia and the lower levels in France. The fact remains that coming out of the CONCACAF region, there werent many opportuinties for our players at big names clubs.
I remembered Hugo in the WCQ for the 1990 WC, silky smooth, nice touches ..but injuries kept him off the US team and when he finally recovered, he wasn't quite the same.
I said before that Latas is one the best I've ever seen play the game period ... and no US born player that I know of is in his class or has attained his stature regardless of position...
I was responding to the claim that US hasn't produced a player on par with Latapy. I said that I'd put Reyna's career up against Latapy's any day, and I stand by that.
It's true that CONCACAF players had major difficulties in getting to Europe for many years. Reyna is younger than Latapy, but when he went to Europe there still wasn't a pro league in the USA either. Reyna was, however, offered a contract from Barcelona when Cruyff spotted him playing at the 1992 Olympics, but he turned it down because he wanted to stay in college. Dumb move, I know, but it's a fact.
Latapy did well to arrive in Portugal with only Caribbean league ball under his belt, and did even better to work his way up to a contract with Porto, one of the league's Big Three. His time there was a mixed bag of ups and downs, and eventually they sold him to Boavista. Hardly a step up. And a move to the Scottish 2nd division with Hibernian was even less impressive. Yes, he eventually made it to one of the two teams in Scotland who actually challenge for trophies, but I've already mentioned how his Rangers stint went.
I'm not questioning his talent. But I think he underachieved because he was simply content to stay in his "comfort zone". Of course, those motivational and disciplinary problems -- things like the drunk driving incident, cigarette habit and walking out on T&T in the middle of a World Cup qualifying campaign -- most likely did their part to scare off any potential suitors from better leagues, too.
At the end of the day Latapy never played in a top tier European league. Reyna, however, established himself as a starter in both the Bundesliga and the English Premier League for multiple seasons. Those are facts. And anyone who has convinced himself that the Portuguese and Scottish leagues are on par with them is delusional.
I know that Latapy is a hero in T&T and to many supporters in Scotland and Portugal. But to an outside observer his resume is just not as impressive as many here like to imagine it is.