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Galaxy signs Angel as third DP

JuanPabloAngel (ISIPhotos.com)


By ADAM SERRANO

The Los Angeles Galaxy have signed Juan Pablo Angel as the club's third Designated Player, the team announced on Wednesday. Angel was chosen by the Galaxy in the Major League Soccer Re-Entry Draft last December.

Los Angeles is in dire need of a forward after the recent departure of Edson Buddle to the German second division and the trade of Tristan Bowen to Chivas USA. Angel joins recent acquisitions Chad Barrett and Adam Cristman, as well as Mike Magee and Johan Kirovski in the Galaxy forward corps.

Angel scored 13 goals in 2010 for the Red Bulls and finished his time in New York with a final tally of 58 goals scored in MLS league play, the most by any player over the past four years.

The Galaxy will need Angel to increase his production in order to make a run at MLS Cup. The 35-year-old will be bolstered by service from Galaxy midfielders Landon Donovan and David Beckham, as the club seeks to return to the cup final for the second time in three years.

"I hope that I can fit into the club as soon as possible, so I can do what I've always done with every club that I have been to," Angel said. "With the service that Donovan and Beckham provide, there's a good chance that I can finish those chances."

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Do you think Angel will succeed in Los Angeles? Does his signing make the Galaxy favorites for MLS Cup? Does the club need more help up top?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Juan Pablo Angel with service from Donavan and Becks????…..Sick, absolutely sick. They dont call him “the artist” for nothing and in 2011…with something to prove…wow.

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  2. Angel didn’t play that well, and still managed to score a bunch of goals. I think he’ll do just fine in LA and will score his share of goals.

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  3. Becks, TH14 and Rafa came in mid-season and not fully fit. JPA was offside a TON, lost a step, and showed none of that “finishing ability” last year. He just wasn’t worth the DP money. While I love all he has done for RBNY, this was the right move. I hope he does well in LA, but I’d thrilled to have TH14 and Agudelo up top at this point.

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  4. Jozy’s loan to Sporting Gijon looks like its gonna go through.

    Could be a good move for him, especially if he gets regular minutes.

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  5. Yep, Angel isn’t very mobile anymore. But that’s not why he’s being brought in. And yep, he has injury problems. So you need to manage his time wisely. You figure you aim for 20-22 games out of him (where in some of those games he’s coming out in the 75th minute). He avoids mid-week games. Maybe doesn’t play on turf.

    But in return you get a good finish (albet one who isn’t mobile). You get a guy with pedigree who can perform at big moments.

    I suspect that LAG is viewing this year as likely the “last hurrah.” And Angel was the fallback option. They went after Ronaldinho serious it appears like, didn’t get him and had budgeted for a DP. They weren’t counting on Buddle leaving (though it might happen but didn’t expect it) and probably figured it was worth taking a flier on Angel with the possibility he might sign for non-DP money. But Buddle leaves, Ronaldinho just flirts with LAG so now a proven finisher who knows MLS becomes a priority. So they go for a championship this year and then much of the team gets broken up (either choosing to leave or intentionally reconfiguring the team). I also suspect Arena is under a little pressure (he’s a great coach but when was the last time he’s won a championship?). So this is a “win now” scenario.

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  6. You better hope that Chad Barrett can actually finish his chances. If JPA can stay healthy, then he should have 15 goals this season. But if they don’t pan out, the Galaxy are in for a long season.

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  7. Yep, that would. But I’m not sure I’d make that move–Donovan is a world-class outside mid and seems to have found a good home in that role. Personally, I think Donovan is not only stronger at MF but the team is better with him in that role given his skill and engine. But hey, Bruce Arena doesn’t consult me.

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  8. If they win an MLS Cup or manage to actually manage get past a second division and make a good run in the CCL then they may look like geniuses.

    I’m not holding my breath but it just might work.

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  9. RB didn’t have Beckham or Donovan quality service, personally I feel like JPA can still score goals even if he isn’t as mobile.

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  10. Waste of a DP slot for LA which is great for the rest of the Western Conf. Angel is a class player but Buddle seemed to be hitting the peak of his career (hence the move to Europe) while JPA is on the downside of a good career.

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  11. Wait.. what? Are you saying JPA is not a penalty taker? If so, do you realize how many of his goals over the last 3 years were from the penalty mark?

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  12. Either way Galaxy still hold the rites to buddle when he heads back to MLS in the summer(after his german team gets relegated and he can’t get a work permit). Hopefully all this salary cap room they’ve traded for can get him back on the team without a DP slot.

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  13. Agree, JPA looked glacial last year especially near the end of the season. Throwing his arms up in the air in disgust every time he didn’t get the ball served exactly where wanted it really was annoying.

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  14. ive watched perhaps all but 3 games JPA has played in for RB the past 3 years and many of them in person since ive been a season ticket holder for a while. JPA cant move anymore. This whole notion that he lacked the service in NY last year is comical. RB had a very strong team last year. Bruce is making the same mistake he made with Reyna when he signed him for a 2 year DP deal a few years ago with RBNY.

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  15. I think Angel still has some finishing left in him. That said, LAG just might have the slowest frontline in the entire MLS. And speed is capable of stretching defenses and getting cheap goals (on breakaways, defensive mistakes and counters). So it’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out.

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