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Morning Ticker: Giusfredi update, Fulham’s Cousin deal and Kanu eyes Aussie move

Good morning all. Okay, I know, it isn’t even really morning anymore on the East Coast (although I say before noon counts as morning). It’s morning somewhere though, like the West Coast, where folks are just making their way to work.

Whether you’ve already made it through the winter mess on the East Coast, or are enjoying the sun out West, here are some news nuggets to get you through the early afternoon and morning.

Giusfredi in talks with Nalchik. From the "Oh, THAT Spartak" department comes word that former Seton Hall standout Eliseo Giusfredi is in contract discussions with Russian Premier League club Spartak Nalchik, not Spartak Moscow. A source close to Giusfredi clarified this for me this week.

So where did the Moscow link come from? It came from Giusfredi, who may not have understood the difference between the clubs when discussing his potential move to Europe. Yes, there is a slight difference between the clubs. One is a Russian power set to play in the UEFA Cup Round of 16, the other is a small team that finished in 12th place in the 16-team Russian league last season. It also didn’t help that both clubs were in Spain recently for pre-season training.

It’s probably better that Giusfredi is at Nalchik, where he may actually have the chance to play right away. I will keep you posted on Giusfredi’s progress toward landing a professional contract.

Fulham deal for Cousin delayed. From the department of the absurd comes news that Fulham’s transfer bid for Rangers forward Daniel Cousin is STILL on hold. Yes, the transfer window closed two weeks ago but Cousin is still in limbo. Or is he. Apparently Cousin will still be allowed to play for Rangers in their UEFA Cup tilt this week.

Here’s my question. If and when Cousin does go to Fulham, just how will the Cottagers find minutes for him, Dempsey, McBride, Johnson and Kamara?

FC Dallas eyeing Navia. At the very bottom of this story by my boy Tobias Lopez from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram is the very interesting news that FC Dallas is talking to Chilean forward Reinaldo Navia. That would be a major score for the Hoops.

RSL target not for sale. You may have already heard about Real Salt Lake’s interest in Brazilian striker Reinaldo, currently playing for Australian club Queensland. Well, Queensland wasted no time stating that he wasn’t for sale. Reinaldo has a year left on his contract so a move to MLS is far from assured.

Kanu ponders Aussie move? Portsmouth striker and former Arsenal standout Kanu is considering a move to the Australian A-League. My question is why aren’t a line of MLS teams looking into landing the Nigerian striker? I know he’s had his injury issues, but he’s still only 31 and a class forward. I’m pretty sure a team like the Columbus Crew could use his services.

Real Madrid world’s richest club. To the surprise of no one, Real Madrid maintained its place as the world’s richest soccer club. Here is the Top Five: 1. Real Madrid, 2. Manchester United, 3. Barcelona, 4. Chelsea, 5. Arsenal. Checking in at 21,415 was Real Salt Lake, followed by the Charleston Battery (okay, I’m kidding).

That’s all for now. Share your thoughts on these stories below.

Comments

  1. It would be a shame not to get Kanu to MLS if he’s looking to make a move out of Europe. I agree with the comment that he’s a great player and would likely make more of an impact than Juan Pablo Angel, who was not an impact player in the EPL.

    Some team has to jump on Kanu — Columbus? Toronto? DC? Houston? C’mon guys, I’m sure he would bring out all the Nigerian fans.

    The guy is a scoring machine and would easily be a higher profile player than many of the other DPs considered this off-season.

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  2. Hey Hincha,

    Between NY and RSL, which team hasn’t made the playoffs for the last three years?

    That said, I like RSL for 2008 a lot actually, hopefully the team will get in this year. May even be a darkhorse for winning the MLS Cup.

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  3. Sayreville, the entire discussion took a turn it didn’t need to take. It wasn’t about Giusfredi’s status, just the tone of the debate. As for I “brought it up” because it was the explanation for why MLS didn’t sign him.

    Sayreville, I didn’t have as much of an issue with all your comments but I wasn’t going to erase some comments and leave others.

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  4. OK, guys, love the Dempsey love fest, and I’m about his biggest supporter, but he’s not all that. In a recent study done on players in the prem, Dempsey comes in about dead last when dribbling one on one against opponents. You can find this info on a post by Rich on our Fulham blog. Click on my name.

    Dempsey is no longer being played as a forward in RH’s new system. And even though Cousin has not had all that much success, he is at least experienced with European Football which EJ is not. So he would have to be rated higher that EJ when coming to pecking order. You also forgot Kuqi, (Ughh-sigh) Healy, which you mentioned later, Nevland who’s been getting the start as of late, and the very elderly but still -well, sometimes still- effective Litmanen. Those are beside Kamara, and McBride who you mentioned. I think you will also see Kamara perched in the midfield from now on and not often as a forward unless RH changes from the 4-5-1.

    Easy on Bouazza. He’s still young and could still be a decent player. He has certainly had his moments. But he’s a lot of improvement to do. He’s certainly not horrible.

    Lastly, I love Bocs also, but again, watch him week in and week out and there’s no way you say he can be a starter over Hangeland who so far has been more that outstanding, and Hughes who is also better over all then Bocs. Hangeland has size, skill and his reading of the game and passing abilities puts him at the top of the skill list in the back third of the field. Bocs is not tall, not a great jump and his passing is some of the worst on the team.

    Just trying to be fair here. I’m a huge U.S. supporter but I also am honest enough and coached and trained enough years to be fairly objective when it comes to watching the game, whether their a yank or not.

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  5. Why did you delete all the comments on Giusfredi?

    If you didn’t want us talking about him being here illegally, why’d you bring it up?

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  6. Guys, let’s keep the talk about soccer. I’ve written what I’m going to write about him until he signs.

    And Hincha, you know you weren’t being sarcastic. And I really don’t have anything against RSL. I plan on covering them more on the site, they just came to mind as a team to poke fun of. Actually Columbus and Colorado came to mind first but I already catch enough heat from Crew fans who think I hate Columbus and I just went off on Colorado’s acquisition of Christian Gomez so it was RSL’s turn.

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  7. Guys, I don’t take it personally. But, how is it that you guys can throw a shot, but when someone throws one back in kind, you say they “overreact”? Didn’t you see I put “just kidding” after my post? That gives me, like Ives, the liberty to take any potshot I want with immmunity against reactions! (just kidding)

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  8. To Hincha Tim:

    Brilliant post. I can feel the sarcasm pouring from every word.

    And i am sure it wasnt a malicious post, so what would ives care (to anyone who though the post was over the top)

    Very funny – from a red bulls fan with a sense of humor and reality.

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  9. Yea Bouzza stinks ives. Really stinks.

    Dano – Bullard actually plays centrally or right.

    I screwed up and put em left. Though if you watched teh last two games, he seems to play every position on the friggin field.

    I just love Dempseys play, and love to see him play that centralized roll. If not, its all Bullard. Thats just my crappy bias though, if not Bullie would be center.

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  10. Yea Bouzza stinks ives. Really stinks.

    Dano – Bullard actually plays centrally or right.

    I screwed up and put em left. Though if you watched teh last two games, he seems to play every position on the friggin field.

    I just love Dempseys play, and love to see him play that centralized roll. If not, its all Bullard. Thats just my crappy bias though, if not Bullie would be center.

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  11. Dave, not that I regularly follow Fulham, but doesn’t Bullard usually play centrally? I thought he pulled most of the strings on their offense?

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  12. Dang, Ives, yet another gratuitous shot at RSL. Certainly reinforces the stereotype of a New Yorker who thinks the world ends at the Hudson River. We all know the NYRB are in by far the largest market with the most resources, and should be, over the years, at least among the most successful team in the league.

    Questions for you :-):

    Name the only original MLS teams still in the league who have never made it to an MLS final?

    Who is getting a SS stadium in 2008?

    Who has a metropolitan population base of 18x that of Salt Lake City but draws about the same number of “fans” to its home games?

    What team, despite having spent 3x more than RLS on salary for its coaches and players in 2007, allowed MORE goals, and only won 5 more games in 2007?

    What was the head to head results between “lowly” RSL and NYRB in 2007?

    Between the NYRB and RSL, per dollars spent on players and coaches, which team won more games, scored more goals, allowed fewer goals and drew more fans?

    Which writer covering a glass house should not cast stones (at leat until that glass house is a SSS? (just kidding)

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  13. About Fulham:

    Healy stinks.
    Bouzza hasnt done a thing.
    I still believe Kamara can produce.
    Bullard needs to stay, and stay healthy. Love em.
    Bocanegra should start at CB with Brende
    Healy stinks.

    How is this for a lineup?

    —Kamara/Johnson—-McBride——
    ————–Dempsey—————-
    Bullard——Andreasson——Davies
    Konchesky—Boca—-Brede—-Baird
    ————-KELLER—————–

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  14. Oh, I’ll be streaming the game. I just think it’s ridiculous for FSC to put the other two games on when you could have the two top teams in the PL right now.

    Kanu would do well in MLS, doubt he comes though.

    Here’s hoping that EJ gets playing time before Fulham are in the Championship.

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  15. Ives,

    If Giusfredi was undocumented, how the hell was he able to take classes at Seton Hall? Foreign-born non permamenent residents need a student visa to go to a US college. Did Seton Hall not make him get a student visa? (If so, they were in violation of the law.)

    And, if he is here illegally – that’s what “undocumented” means – doesn’t that mean his family is here illegally, too?

    Have they gone back to Argentina or are they all hear as undocumented workers, as well? Because, if his folks were here legally, he should have been able to be here legally as well as their child, particularly if he was under 18 when they got documented.

    Something seems quite amiss with this situation.

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  16. NOW we finally get recognition of the striker logjam at Fulham eh Ives? 😉

    In addition to the guys you already mentioned throw in Litmanen, Healy, Kamara, and Nevland.

    Think they have enough strikers?

    Reply
  17. Cousin and Johnson will get a lot of playing time when Fulham goes down and Dempsey is picked up by another Prem team and McBride departs to MLS.

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  18. Maybe Giusfredi’s teeth are signing with Moscow? I’m glad he sapped the US school system for free and didn’t bother to learn geography or even English.

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  19. So I know this is a bit early, but has anyone else noticed that FSC isn’t carrying the Arsenal v. ManU FA Cup game this weekend? They are however carrying the Liverpool v. Barnsley and the Chelsea v. Huddersfield. WTF? From what I can find of their schedules, GolTV and Setanta aren’t carrying it either. Biggest game of the weekend, and it’s not on anything but PPV in the states? Weak.

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  20. Wow. Moscow . . . Nalchik . . . Moscow . . . Nalchik. For the uninitiated, this is the difference between New York and Evansville, Indiana. You may remember Nalchik when Chechyan terrotists overran the city, shooting anyone in their sight back in 2005.

    Good luck with that. I think I’d go for MLS instead. Swallow your pride man.

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  21. FC Dallas has also signed Brazilian midfielder Andre Rocha. Though I admit, I know zero about him.
    He’s either coming to play right back or midfield.
    If Kanu goes to the A-League, MLS seriously needs to look at how to identify and go after players in Europe who are willing to move off the continent. Kanu is still a class striker and would probably make a bigger impact than JPA if he came in healthy in a year.

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  22. Kanu would murder most of the CB’s in the MLS. This would be a major coup for anyone who could afford him. He would look like Drogba playing against Derby.

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  23. Kanu, eh? I hear a certain team in our nation’s fair capitol has a DP slot to burn…

    I know, just dreaming. but heck, we wouldn’t even NEED a better defense at that point, go to a 3-4-3 and score goals in bunches.

    Reply

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