The Stoking of America goes on! Brek Shea to Stoke City?

What a massive bit of news this will be, assuming all comes to fruition: Brek Shea to Stoke City FC.

ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman had the news Friday afternoon on Twitter, reporting that the FC Dallas winger may soon be on his way to England’s Premier League club, pending a lengthy physical.

Reported sale price for the rangy 22-year-old attacker: $3.5 million, which looks a little low but surely reflects the fact that he’s coming off a poor season, not to mention coming off surgery. A year ago, coming off that breakthrough 2011 season, the price for Shea would surely have doubled, at least.

Where the story goes from here:

• The physical that Shea must pass is no small matter. He was undone by injuries last year ranging from a frustrating turf toe that bothered Shea for much of 2012 to off-season foot surgery, which prevented the Texan from joining Jurgen Klinsmann’s ongoing January camp in Southern California. Stoke City had better poke and prod with all due diligence.
• While $3.5 million doesn’t get close to an MLS mark for sell price, it does give FC Dallas some decent money to play with in the market. Technical director Fernando Clavijo, you are on the clock!
• While getting into England probably isn’t a bad thing, Stoke is a something of a different place. They play a lot of defense – and then attack almost as afterthought. It’s a helluva place for someone like Goeff Cameron, the U.S. international defender who has become a fixture in Tony Pulis’ lineup. For a winger? Well … we’ll see.
• On the other hand, Stoke is become to this decade what Fulham was to the last decade: the go-to for U.S. fans who might be looking for a second (or even first) team to support. Maurice Edu may not have worked out for the time being, but he remains Potters’ property. If this one comes to pass …