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Mid-Day Ticker: Frings considers MLS, Red Bulls injuries mount and more

By AVI CREDITOR

To United States men's national team fans, he will always be considered a villain. And he may be coming to a Major League Soccer team near you.

Torsten Frings, whose "save" to clear a ball off the line in the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup helped Germany hold off the United States, said that he hopes to continue his playing career for a couple of more years, either in Germany or in the United States, specifically New York.

In case you need a refresher of that fateful quarterfinal matchup (the fun starts at the 1:45-mark):

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLtT0imwdCQ&w=440&h=365]

Here are a few more stories to get you through the day:

TCHANI, IBRAHIM RULED OUT

After already declaring that Thierry Henry would miss the first leg of the New York Red Bulls' playoff series against San Jose, the Red Bulls announced that Tony Tchani and Salou Ibrahim will also not be available for selection Saturday night.

Both players are reportedly nursing hamstring injuries and will not travel with the team to San Jose.

FIFA MAY DELAY WC BID ANNOUNCEMENT

FIFA officials are meeting to discuss whether they should delay the announcement of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts.

With the controversy, which includes alleged bribery and collusion, swirling regarding the bids to both tournaments, FIFA's executive panel, headed by the organization's president, Sepp Blatter, is currently in deliberations about putting off the vote and subsequent announcement that are supposed to take place on Dec. 2.

PORTUGUESE REFS TO STRIKE

Portuguese referees are reportedly going to strike when tax increases go into effect next month.

According to Reuters, the Portuguese Football Referees Association is fumed over having to "pay social welfare contributions even though refereeing is an entirely amateur activity in the country."

Should the referees follow through and strike, it would force the postponement of a number of matches, including the Nov. 7th clash between top-flight powers Porto and Benfica.

KLOSE INJURED AGAIN

A day after returning from a thigh injury and training with the Bayern Munich reserves, Miroslav Klose is back on the shelf with an injury to the same muscle.

Klose, who was just out for the last two weeks, will miss the next three weeks, which includes Bayern's UEFA Champions League match against CFR Cluj.

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Would you welcome Frings to MLS? Think the Red Bulls injuries are starting to become too much to overcome? What do you make of the FIFA mess? Do you side with the referees in Portugal? Think Bayern Munich has any shot to get back to the Champions League final considering all its injuries?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. if it’s unintentional it’s not a foul as it must be deliberate. YOu should just say he intended to do it.

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  2. not many in terms of lifestyle though. LA, Chicago maybe. No offense to those other places but a lot of them i wouldn’t want to live in.

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  3. Should have gone to the semis. even if that goal counted the game would only have been tied. And Germany do not lose in world cup shootouts. Hell they almost never miss penalties.

    The semis where not remotely assured.

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  4. Nobody did, but that sure sealed it. If I rob a bank and a pedestrian tackles me to stop me from getting away, does that pedestrian deserve no accolades and I deserve no blame because I probably would not have gotten away with it anyway?

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  5. I think Frings would add creativity and a long range shot desperately needed by a lot of teams. Remains to be seen if he has the legs and the drive, or if he’d be willing to play in a nondescript city.

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  6. I agree. In the case of Frings and Henry it was the referee and linesmen who are to blame. video replay in the goal would have allowed the correct calls to be made.

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  7. To have a personal vendetta against Fringe because he (most likely unintentionally) did what any footballer in the world SHOULD do to help his country is ridiculous.

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  8. Frings is a bad mother!

    He’s probably the only reason I really like Bremen (well after Micoud left).

    He has a winning mentality that will help the careers of others. The same way Jozy profited from playing with Angel, players like Cameron, and the young buck midfielders at Galaxy could benefit from rubbing shoulders with ol’ Thorsten. Great player and he’s still dangerous in front of goal.

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  9. No. N-O. Marquez on NY was one thing, but Frings kept us from World Cup glory. As much of a villain as Marquez has been, he’s never done that. Frings will not be welcome on the Red Bulls.

    I can’t see this happening anyway. Would make 0 sense for the Red Bulls.

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  10. Thanks for this. I wasn’t suggesting he’s not good anymore, rather just curious what people of thought of his current form. Still he wouldn’t be a sexy signing from a PR standpoint but he may help a team win games. Not hard to believe he’s better than Freddy L.

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  11. Pretty funny that “Handball” Frings wants to play on the same team as Thierry Handry. Bring on Suarez to NY for a Handful trifecta! Ha!

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  12. Torsten “Handball” Frings! MLS must be going for the Howard Stern / Shock Jock approach to marketing. They are signing up all these internationals that Americans hate – Blanco, Marquez, and now Frings. It will probably work too. I will make sure not to miss the game where he comes to my town so I can boo him. I still boycott Oktoberfest to this day because of him.

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  13. nothing like being the worst team to make the playoffs and getting a gift of playing in the worse league against a team with only half it’s players, way to go MLS, these match ups are pathetic.

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  14. I agree with him in the sense that people should move on from the incident. Frings handball looks like a minor incident compared to the Suarez handball against Ghana.

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  15. Frings is not a better option than Angel.

    As far as Tchani, a loss, but slot Lindpere in the middle and Ballouchy on the left. I’d like to see Agudelo replace Ibrahim, but wouldn’t hate Ballouchy up top and Carl Robinson in the middle on the road.

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  16. @Neruda

    Frings is still a pretty good player dude.. right now, he has more to offer than Freddy had when he went to seattle. He’s looked decent in Champions League matches, against the likes of Twente Enschede and Tottenham.

    & I actually remember him more for that rocket shot he hit against Costa Rica, in the 2006 WC opener.

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  17. Time to line up a good ‘ol tar and feathering for Frings as part of his welcoming party, not to mention gluing his hands together…yes I’m still bitter.

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  18. Mexico outplayed the US on the previous round and there was hand ball involved as well. Welcome to soccer where the unfair and unexpected happens!!!

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  19. I haven’t followed Fringe but what does he bring from a soccer standpoint? From a PR standpoint MLS teams can’t be that excited about signing Fringe as a DP. If anything hardcore fans only know him for his handball. Lunjberg is a bigger name and he had one good year and one bad year MLS thus far, not exactly worth the money.

    Let me know when someone the caliber of Close decides to give MLS a try.

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  20. I’m a big Mannshaft fan, that being said, the mere mention of Frings name makes me sick to my stomach. I would have a very difficult time cheering for him if he came to Seattle. But I suppose you need to seperate the national team fan with the club fan at times though. I love Donovan on the national team level, but on the Galaxy…not so much.

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  21. nooooooo!!! i remember being 12 and hating him more than anything for so long. i can never forgive that cheating German scum. we outplayed them in that game and should have gone to the semis

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  22. If Frings came to NYRB, would that move Rafa Marquez back to CB? Frings plays defensive midfielder for Werder Bremen, and Rafa has, so far, played DM for the Bulls.

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  23. Seeing that clip sends me seething all over again.

    Also, the only way he should come to MLS is if he has enough in his legs for a few seasons, not just one good seasons and a couple more for paychecks.

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  24. And this should be the FIFA announcment:

    “As many of the current attempts to bribe and collude for the WC bids have been exposed, we will delay the announcment so that new bribes and collusions can be properly put in place.”

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  25. Assuming they are coming here to play and not to collect a paycheck, yeah. If he does come to the MLS, I hope he gets booed _everywhere_ he goes, though.

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  26. Truth be told (and it hurts to say it), Frings isn’t the villain. Hugh Dallas is the one to blame. Frings’ handball was mostly instinctive (still intentional!) But the call was missed.

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  27. So tough to watch the WC highlights. We had many chances in the game and Frings definitely handled the ball. That said, I’d welcome Frings to MLS. Better players, better soccer — that’s the goal, right?

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  28. Can’t see RBNY wanting or needing Frings (regardless of the 2002 incident). Sure I bet they’d like to add to their midfield depth, but not at the price he’d likely want.

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