Photo by Tony Quinn/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
WASHINGTON -- This past fall, when D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper contemplated his
goals heading into the offseason, two of the first priorities that came to mind were adding veteran
leadership and strengthening his team's back line.
By DAVID GUBALA
The Chicago Fire departed for Ventura, Calif., on Wednesday with a long-missed face settling
back with the team for the first time since the end of the regular season.
After having quite the busy offseason, goalkeeper Sean Johnson finally regrouped with the Fire
for their second phase of preseason.
Photo: Nick Waters
Philadelphia Union
Porfirio Lopez describes what he will bring to the Union: "Having a winning mentality is the
most important thing in soccer. I'm going to try to bring my experiences and positive attitude into
the group. Without a doubt, winning championships is the priority.
So much for the new number 9.
Less than a week after the Revolution announced the signing of Colombian striker Jose "Pepe"
Moreno their biggest offseason signing so far - it appears that the 30-year-old has cold feet
about coming to MLS.
Citing his desire to play alongside recent Once Caldas signing Dayro Moreno and displaying a
renewed sense of appreciation for the Manizales-based side, the 6-0 striker has reportedly
reneged on playing in Foxboro, at least for the time being.
Less than a week after bringing American Edson Buddle back to Los Angeles, the team has
bolstered the roster further by unveiling two Brazilians.
Earlier this week, the Galaxy officially announced that the club had reached an agreement with
Brazilian club São Paulo FC, allowing midfielder Juninho to return on loan for the 2012
season.
photo by Don Feria/ISIphotos.com
For the second consecutive offseason, Chris Wondolowski has signed a contract extension with the
San Jose Earthquakes.
A year to the day after signing a new deal with the San Jose Earthquakes, Wondolowski has again
agreed to renew his contract with the club.
Personnel wise it's been a disastrous couple of days for the New England Revolution. Rajko Lekic
is off in Denmark, Monsef Zerka has signed in India, Milton Caraglio is off in Chile, Re-entry
Draft pick Danleigh Borman is in South Africa, and now news out of Columbia has told us that one of
the Revs "big" offseason signings has changed his mind and will not suit up for Jay Heaps in
Foxborough.
The Los Angeles Galaxy's search for Juninho's replacement has ended with Juninho himself.
The Sao Paulo central midfielder is on his way back to Los Angeles for another loan spell with
the Galaxy. Multiple reports out of Brazil say that Sao Paulo manager Emerson Leao had no plans to
use the 23-year-old Juninho, who signed a new three-year deal with Sao Paulo during the MLS
offseason.
Daneil Cyrus is not in camp with Sporting KC due to "personal reasons" and it doesn't look like
he'll be joining the team soon. Word out of Trinidad (h/t The Daily Wiz) is that Cyrus will be
joining the Trinidad and Tobago U-23 for a camp. The camp will be capped off by two friendlies
again the full national team of Guyana.
Looks like Mr. Backe has some decisions to make come opening day in Dallas. With a surplus of
forwards and central midfielders, it'll be interesting to see what formation and personnel makeup
the starting XI. With so many options and possible configurations at his disposal, how will Backe
manage his depth?
For a team that has lost (Brian Ching, Danny Cruz, Hunter Freeman, Carlo Costly) more than it
has gained (Nathan Sturgis, draft picks, trialists) over the offseason, the Houston Dynamo might
just find itself in an improved position once the 2012 season begins where the 2011 ended. And that
would be without a single major offseason acquisition.
Soler Swag for days
After what can only be described as a highly disappointing season in 2011, the Red Bulls, and
more importantly their front office, certainly had their work cut out for them. A roster filled
with so much talent but woefully underachieved had to be revamped somehow. And it was Erik
Soler's job to fit together the right pieces to assert New York as a top team once again.
Soler Swag for days
After what can only be described as a highly disappointing season in 2011, the Red Bulls, and
more importantly their front office, certainly had their work cut out for them. A roster filled
with so much talent but woefully underachieved had to be revamped somehow. And it was Erik
Soler's job to fit together the right pieces to assert New York as a top team once again.
A few weeks ago while watching the MLS Player Combine I was struck by a strange realization;
what happens in the Seattle Sounders FO is a spectator sport and that for me it is one of my
favorite aspects of the game.
The internet broadcasts for the Combine were sponsored by a video game called Football Manager
2012 by Sega.
The international transfer window close a couple days ago. This doesn't mean too much, but it is
a milestone in that MLS teams can no longer actively seek in-contract trades with other teams
outside MLS. Still, the roster freeze date isn't until March 1st so we may yet still see more moves
made, even if it isn't Juan David Duque (Franck Songo'o?
photo by JN Santos/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
The man responsible for the tumultuous offseason the Colorado Rapids endured is prolonging his
stay with the club.
Technical Director Paul Bravo signed a new three-year deal with the Rapids on Wednesday,
extending a stay that began in 2009.
Toronto and Kansas City have faired pretty well so far this winter. (Getty Images)
Many clubs are a few weeks into their pre-seasons and now that the international transfer window
has shut, it is a good time to look at how each MLS side has done so far this winter. (Note: the
MLS window doesn't close until April, which means players who failed to land new jobs in Europe can
still head to MLS.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian from 2011
The offseason can be crazy in the business that is soccer and sometimes it can be all too
easy to forget that in the end, it's really about the game. If you are looking for some inspiration
to help you get your soccer head back on straight, go to the Ritz East tonight to see the
Philadelphia premier of Laduma.
After spending a year in Germany playing for FC Ingolstadt of the German 2. Bundesliga, United
States striker Edson Buddle is returning to the Galaxy after signing a free transfer.
The Galaxy garnered suspicion early Wednesday when they posted a picture of a blank #14 jersey
on their official Twitter account, asking fans whose name they would like to see on the jersey.
The past few days have altered the landscape of MLS, the Western Conference and, specifically,
Cascadia. While many of us have always believed that the West was much stronger than the East, the
amount of talent that has flooded in during the past week alone has only strengthened that
belief.
Let's review: The Portland Timbers have added Kris Boyd, the leading scorer in Scottish Premier
League history; the Vancouver Whitecaps traded for Sebastien Le Toux, who's contributed to 45 goals
over the past two seasons; and the LA Galaxy brought back Edson Buddle, who scored 19 goals during
the 2010 season.
The Fire have had a tremendous offseason so far. We have fortified our midfield, improved our
defense in the SuperDraft, and even added some forwards to the mix. The Fire midfield is certainly
the most populated on the team, and one I would definitely consider it a strength. It's credit to
the front office for taking what was considered a big weakness last year and turning it into one of
our strong points.
Edson Buddle is back. (Getty Images)
Edson Buddle is back in a LA Galaxy uniform. The deal to bring back one of the league's all-time
best goal-scorers happened today.
Buddle rejoins the Galaxy after being released from his contract with FC Ingolstadt 04 on
Tuesday. Los Angeles maintained his MLS rights following his free transfer to Ingolstadt last
January.
Photo: Earl Gardner
There are a lot of quotes from Sebastien Le Toux in this article. Many of them come from
Chris Vito's (of the Delco Daily Times and The Times Herald) fantastic interview with Seba. Check
it out. Many quotes from Peter Nowak are from his January 31 press conference.
Another Philadelphia Union player is on his way out of the club, as Kyle Nakazawa will be
traded, the Brotherly Game has learned.
Sources tell the Brotherly Game that the Nakazawa will be moved to the LA Galaxy in a move that
one of the sources said will be announced tomorrow. The trade has been in the works since sometime
last week.
On Monday, the Portland Timbers announced the signing of Scottish striker Kris Boyd, the
all-time leading scorer of the Scottish Premier League, with 164 goals in 296 matches.
The deal was completed pending the completion of a team physical and receipt of his visa.
The 28-year old forward appeared for Kilmarnock FC from 2000-05 before joining Rangers FC midway
through the 2005-06 season.
Last day of the transfer window makes for a fun day.
Two big(ish) points of news on this Monday afternoon.
1. The Portland Timbers have signed their third DP, Scottish striker Kris Boyd. A big stinkin'
signing.
2. Faryd Mondragon has left Philadelphia to return to Colombia. Union now down to one keeper in
Zac MacMath.
As the New England Revolution's search for quality and stability at striker continues, a
significant horse in this offseason's race has bowed out of the running. Reports in Denmark have
surfaced and indicate that Rajko Lekic has agreed to terms with relegation-threatened Superliga
side Lyngby BK. Apparently he's being hailed as a "savior" and saddled with the expectation of
bringing the club out of the basement.
After the Super Bowl winner is decided, Wes Welker will become a free agent. However, the star
wide receiver for the New England Patriots insists he's not thinking about money right now.
Said Welker: "I plan on being back. I am not really too worried about that right now. I am fully
concentrated on this game and what we have to do, but I plan on being back.
Right colour, wrong shirtIt's a Chile afternoon in Toronto! Great news for TFC
supporters and pun-lovers alike as The Reds officially announced the signing of Chilean
international defender Miguel Aceval today. The announcement concludes a signing-process that has
been rumoured since December but spent the last few days floating around MLS red-tape limbo.
The offseason is now kicking into gear as training camp is open and the Seattle Sounders' first
cuts should be announced shortly. In this week's episode of Nos Audietis, we discuss the Sounders'
new partnership with the Tacoma Tide and their subsequent rebranding as Sounders U-23. The team
will play in the PDL and give Sounders Academy products an opportunity to stay close to come during
the offseason.
Three of Sporting KC's trialists are heading to Arizona with the Sporting KC team. Goalkeepers
Steve Spangler and Scott Angevine will be joined by former Michigan State midfielder, Cyrus Saydee
in Arizona. The team departs tomorrow.
Sadly for Irving Garcia, Matt Kuhn, Myron Samuel, and Kevin Struck the attempts to make the
Sporting KC roster end after a few days.
Following a tweet from player agent Richard Motzkin that announced Danny Mwanga would be
training with Aston Villa for ten days, the Philadelphia Union confirmed that the striker will miss
the team's first preseason session.
According to the Union, Mwanga "will join his teammates in Orlando on February 6, in time for
the start of the Union's second leg of preseason.
File this one under "huh?".
Another MLS player in the UK? Yep, @wmgllc client & @PhilaUnion player Danny Mwanga is training
with Aston Villa for the next 10 days.about 2 hours ago via
web
ReplyRetweetFavorite@RichardMotzkinRichard
Motzkin
Training with an English club during the offseason is one thing.
Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
The Philadelphia Union's preseason is starting to become more notable not for who is in camp but
for the attackers who are spending time in England.
According to his agent, Richard Motzkin, third-year forward Danny Mwanga is training with Aston
Villa for the next 10 days.
In all the hoopla surrounding the Seattle Sounders offseason moves, there has been one player
that seems to have flown under the radar more than any other: Servando Carrasco. During the
midfielder's rookie season, he became better known for the person he was dating than anything he
did on the field.
If you had asked any Stevenage supporter a couple of weeks ago who Gary Smith is, the majority
would have replied 'Who?' It would have been a justified reaction because until his name began to
be linked with the vacant managerial position, Gary Smith's reputation within this country was,
well, non-existent.
Photo by Michael Janosz/ISIPhotos.net
BY ADAM SERRANO
CARSON, Calif. -- Marcelo Sarvas has some big cleats to fill.
Brought in from Costa Rican side Alajuelense, the 30-year-old Brazilian midfielder was signed by
the Los Angeles Galaxy during the offseason as a replacement for fellow Brazilian Juninho.
The boxes are being ticked, slowly but surely. With the addition of central defender Emiliano
Dudar, the depth acquisition project seems all but complete. Still, the two biggest needs, left
back and finisher the ones we've been pointing to all offseason, remain frustratingly unfilled.
Stefan Jerome, recently arrived on trial, would be a nice project up top (can't believe he's only
19 my memories of him as a U 17 seem distant), but isn't the finished product.
By DAVE MARTINEZ
Though the New York Red Bulls were once considered clear-cut favorites to win the 2011 MLS
Eastern Conference crown, the team imploded with a host of problems on the field, and in the locker
room.
The defense became a porous mess that forced head coach Hans Backe to retool tactically in the
final quarter of the season with a crude system he dubbed "cynical soccer" in order to stay
competitive.
The Fire have made official the signing of Kheli Dube, their lone pick in the 2011 MLS re-entry
draft. This builds on the busy offseason the Fire have had, with Dube becoming their fifth player
added to the Fire roster this offseason. Follow me after the break for a couple of comments and
some info on Dube.
