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MLS Ticker: Convey an All-Star replacement, Houston hires Ralston and more

Bobby Convey (ISIphotos.com)

Photo by ISIphotos.com

When the MLS All-Star team was filled out with reserves earlier this week, one of the most glaring omissions was San Jose's Bobby Convey, one of the league leaders in assists and one of the keys to San Jose's surprising season.

That oversight was rectified on Wednesday, when Convey was selected as a replacement for Jonathan Bornstein, who will miss the match due to a knee injury.

Convey has posted eight assists for the Earthquakes and will serve as the team's lone All-Star representative.

In other MLS news:

HOUSTON HIRES RALSTON

Just a day after bidding farewell to New England Revolution fans after retiring as a player, Steve Ralston began his coaching career by becoming the Houston Dynamo's newest assistant coach.

Ralston replaces John Spencer, who left the Dynamo to take the head coaching job of the expansion Portland Timbers.

Ralston is a former teammate of Houston head coach Dom Kinnear with the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny.

REAL SALT LAKE WON'T ADD DP

Amid all the Designated Player signings and rumors, another team has joined the list of teams who won't be signing a DP this season.

The defending champions, Real Salt Lake, will be standing pat on the DP front, with general manager Garth Lagerwey citing the team's impressive form, as well as the club's limited resources, for the decision not to go looking for a high-priced player.

What the club may be looking for is defensive midfield help to offset the absence of Kyle Berckerman to a foot injury. RSL is taking a look at former FC Dallas midfielder Pablo Richetti.

In other news, Colombian defender Jamison Olave received his green card, meaning the 29-year-old defender will no longer count as an international player against Real Salt Lake's roster. The extra international slot could help RSL as it looks to make summer roster moves.

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What do you think of these developments? Glad to see Convey get his due? Think Ralston will make a good coach? Think a team without a Designated Player will win the MLS Cup title yet again?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. not sure what his full potential really is? He is fast but that’s about it and if Davies comes back (likely) then he has reached his full potential as he wont be getting caps anymore

    He’s a marginal player that will play here and ride pine in Europe. He’s better off here. Europe has done nothing for Adu and Altadore so far

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  2. Good for Convey. There are too many “All Stars” on this team that don’t belong there. Speaking of that..wonder if Bornstein is really all that hurt or if he’s just worried that his stock would drop if he got smoked by good competition? He is certainly no all star

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  3. Guys, I really don’t care at the end of the day whether or not Donovan actually ends up at Man City, or anywhere else in the Premiere League for that matter. He can already play with plenty of the top talent in the world. He doesn’t NEED the EPL. He had a better WC than Rooney, Ronaldo, and Messi. I just thought it was an interesting story.

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  4. Was a flame warranted here? Do you have anything constructive or insightful to add or say, or are you just bestowing upon us your clever wit?

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  5. Ya know what’s more pathetic about this thread?? That an “MLS ticker” makes NO MENTION of the coach of one of the most high profile clubs in the world voicing interest in THE most high profile American player in MLS. Really?

    (SBI-Tim, the Mancini comment was completely overblown. I tweeted about it repeatedly on Wednesday.)

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  6. The Ralston-to-Houston move is good for everyone. Ralston is a classy guy which Houston is smart to grab and Houston is a good organization top to bottom with a great coach. They just lost one of the best assistant coaches in the league but picked up a good coaching prospect. It is warm fuzzies all around.

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  7. With all due respect, wasatchsmc, and I don’t recognize your name from any of the posts over the past two years that I’ve been reading SBI, I am so sick of hearing (reading) “…won’t happen playing in the states” from people like you.

    While it may NOT happen with EVERYONE or EVEN one right now but it IS happening and will continue to get better…

    Haters of USA soccer and MLS need to let it rest.

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  8. Man City is obviously trying to get a foothoold in the US. NSC linked to some program City is funding in NYC, then there’s this tour, the new website and its aggressive campaign…

    I don’t know if $15-20 mil for someone who may or may not work into their plans is worth it when trying to tap into the US market, but leaking “interest” and talking about it for 20 seconds while in the US certainly would be.

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  9. He hasn’t officially been announced as their coach, but he’s widely considered the leading candidate and even did an interview of sorts last December or January.

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  10. “Garber has stated MLS isn’t interested in selling, but if Manchester City really wants him, they are one of the few clubs that will be willing and able to pay the coin MLS will want.”

    So how much are they asking for this guy if City is one of the only clubs who can afford him? Let’s face it, he’s 28 and has played something like 3 months of top-level football in his life. So yeah, we want our 20 million!

    Of course the reason might be that he’s too valuable for the MLS. He’s the only American player casual fans might recognize so they want to keep him around.

    And since the MLS plays hardball with Donovan, European teams may as well buy better players from Brazil or Argentina.

    BTW. Why do they play an all star match?

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  11. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. They have been solid on all their acquisitions so far.

    They’ll find some more Espindolas and Saborios out there. What they need to do is keep Javi Morales and Beckerman going into the future.

    On a different note, all I’m reading says Ronaldinho is pretty much set to join LA by August….

    How much of that am I supposed to believe?

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  12. Not a bad move for him either. He gets (pretty much) an MLS team handed to him and gets to know the squad and time to prepare well before his first MLS season.

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  13. I wouldn’t mind seeing Findley leave he is good yes, but needs to reach his full potential. That won’t happen playing in the states.

    I am also confident in the coaching staff that they will find a quality replacement.

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  14. I read the quote on ESPN.com yesterday. The interest doesn’t seem to be all that great. Mancini: ”We will have to see. The market is open until the end of August. It could be, because Donovan is a good player.”

    Lukewarm at best?

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  15. After this season RSL might lose their 2nd and 3rd quality strikers in 2 years with the departure of Robbie Findley and Alvaro Saborio. The chemistry stuff is cute but at some point they might need to drop some coin on a goal scorer instead of having them all leave. Yura Movsisyan is tearing it up in Europe are they going to let their 2 current strikers join him?

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  16. It’s bad enough this website has all the Man City advertisement banners, what does this have to do with the post by Ives?!?!

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  17. What else did Roberto Mancini say after his plane landed in the US to do a preseason tour in an attempt to get free PR while in the US? Any word yet if Manchester United, Celtic,
    Tottenham or Sporting Clube de Portugal are interested also.

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  18. Aside from being a great, though hugely unheralded player, Ralston has been a class act for 15+ years. Sorry to see him go, but glad to hear Kinnear has locked him up as an assitant.

    The Best of Luck to a humble guy!

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  19. Per SI.com today, Manchester City interested in Donovan. Stated DIRECTLY from Roberto Mancini. Garber has stated MLS isn’t interested in selling, but if Manchester City really wants him, they are one of the few clubs that will be willing and able to pay the coin MLS will want.

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  20. Re: Richetti

    He’s not even playing in the open mens divisions here in Dallas (He’s playing O30) I don’t see how he would translate going back to the MLS.

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  21. Houston has some amazing coaches. I’m a little surprises Stevie didn’t end up back in STL or working along side Steve Nicol. Good luck Ralson – great career.

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