Ethan Zubak played just 341 minutes for Nashville SC over the last two MLS seasons, so it was no surprise the team declined his contract option this winter. What was a surprise was Zubak’s decision to move on to the Orange County SC of the second-tier USL Championship instead of another MLS club, a decision that made it appear as if his career path had hit a dead end.
But that would be true only if you didn’t know where Zubak, 25, hoped that path was headed. The former Galaxy forward never planned on spending his whole career in MLS; he wanted to play in Europe.