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MLS Notes: Maldonado signs with Chivas, Santos moves to Toronto and more

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Chivas USA announced the long-anticipated signing of Venezuelan forward Giancarlo Maldonado from Mexican side Atlante. The all-time leading goal scorer in Venezuelan history has been training with the club for several weeks as the club completed his transfer.

Maldonado will be eligible to play for Chivas USA on July 15th for the club's Superliga match against Puebla F.C.

A veteran of leagues in Venezuela, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico and Spain, Maldonado is known as "Moldogol" in his native Venezuela and has scored 19 career goals for the national side.

The 28-year-old scored 32 goals during his time with Atlante and earned the "Golden Boot of the Americas" during the 2007-2008 season with a 25-goal season for the Mexican Club.

Elsewhere around Major League Soccer:

SANTOS SIGNS WITH TORONTO

A player whose departure opened up a spot for Maldonado with Chivas, Maicon Santos, has signed with Toronto FC.

Santos was released this week by Chivas but was quickly snached up by his former coach Preki.

"We are delighted to welcome Maicon," TFC GM Mo Johnston said following the announcement. "Preki knows this player and speaks highly of him."

After joining Chivas USA on loan from Bonsucesso Futebol Clube in Brazil, Santos appeared six times last season and nine times this season. His lone goal this year came in a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire on May 1. He scored twice in his time at Chivas.

"He's a target man, is strong and has a very good shot," Johnston said. "We are excited."

Santos will be available for selection Saturday afternoon when the Reds take on Colorado at BMO Field in Toronto.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed per league policy.

OBODAI BACK IN HOUSTON

Midfielder Anthony Obodai is on another trial with the Houston Dynamo. He completed a two-week trial during the World Cup break and made a couple of appearances in friendlies.

Obodai, who has three caps with the Ghanaian national team, most recently played for Dutch side RKC Waalwijk. He played with Ajax from 2001-2005 and Sparta Rotterdam from 2005-2007.

Obodai would provide some stability in the Houston midfield should he sign with the team, especially considering that Geoff Cameron is out for the year and Brad Davis is battling a hip flexor problem.

RED BULLS TO UNVEIL NEW DP NEXT WEEK

The New York Red Bulls will be unveiling their new Designated Player signing during a press conference at Red Bull Arena on July 15, the team announced Friday via its Twitter account. 

All signs (for quite some time) have been pointing to Thierry Henry being the newest DP to join the Red Bulls.

(Adam Serrano and Kurtis Larson contributed to this article)

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What do you think about the moves? Do you see Maldonado lighting it up for Chivas? Do you think Santos can find his scoring touch in Toronto? Would Obodai be a good fit in Houston? Any chance that the Red Bulls are unveiling someone that is NOT Henry?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Ironic, all this talk of MLS teams moving forward and what flanks the article and comments on both sides of my computer screen, taunting me ?

    Ljungberg, aka a waste of $1.3 million per year.

    Reply
  2. I always wanted to see Maldonado play in the us. I think he is the guy who scored against the usa for venezuela in those 2006 world cup send off friendlies. He played in spain last year and I can’t WAIT to see him play here. Chivas usa can really use him right now.

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  3. Cameron is NOT out for the season. Please stop reporting that, guys.

    He’s doing light training with the team already and expects to be back in four to five weeks.

    Reply
  4. It would seem not. Nothing in any of the articles I’ve read have said anything about him being a DP. What’s interesting is that when he was first linked to the club, it was looking that it’d be a loan move. Now it looks like he’s signed with the team outright. YAY!

    Reply
  5. It had been rumored that Bornstein would be signing with Atlante, but all signs seem to point to him staying in LA, for now. There have been rumors that Chivas are trying to get him to renew his contract, but at the moment it’s all speculation.

    Reply
  6. I did a little digging and found the pre-game and game photos of him (NOTE: it only works on sochaux’ french site).

    He seems to be in shape, but the double chin is very noticeable; so I assume the double chin is the result of the accident/surgery.

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  7. thanks, however i already know that, and in fact they’ve already played 2 of said friendlies. What we’re talking about are pictures on the sochaux site that show CD9 in a rather unflattering light ie) Fat out of shape). Today, charlie posted a picture on twitter where he looks to be much slimmer and in shape. I’m trying to determine the timeline of the pictures.

    Reply
  8. Sochoux informed me that he is still on trial to see if he can play at the start of the season… I follow them on twitter:
    FC_Sochaux @FutbolUSAdotnet Charlie has resumed training with the group. There will soon be friendly games to judge the level of everyone.

    Reply
  9. It’s all in the angle, my friend. Notice how, on the one he posted, his head is looking down. But you can still see the double chin.

    But it doesn’t matter if he still can produce. C’mon CD9!! We believe in you!!

    Reply
  10. yeah, i saw that. he’s looks like he’s in wayyy better shape than those pictures on the site. he’s also a lot less pale.

    Reply
  11. DO we think this deal with Atlante has anything to do with Mr. Bornstein??

    Also, Charlie davies just posted a picture that shows him with his normal short haircut. I wonder if the pics on the website are old? He also looks to be much more like the skinny, in shape CD9 that we know and love

    Reply

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