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Juninho returns on loan to Galaxy

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The Los Angeles Galaxy's search for Juninho's replacement has ended with Juninho himself.

The Sao Paulo central midfielder is on his way back to Los Angeles for another loan spell with the Galaxy. Multiple reports out of Brazil say that Sao Paulo manager Emerson Leao had no plans to use the 23-year-old Juninho, who signed a new three-year deal with Sao Paulo during the MLS offseason. According to a team release, the loan will span the 2012 MLS season.

In addition to Juninho returning, the Galaxy also announced that they've acquired the full rights to former Sao Paulo centerback Leonardo, who is still on the comeback trail from a torn ACL and LCL, on a free transfer.

After initially losing Juninho, the Galaxy added Marcelo Sarvas from Alajuelense and acquired Kyle Nakazawa from the Philadelphia Union. Now that his return is completed, they'll both provide backup depth for the Brazilian and David Beckham, as the Galaxy will return their entire starting midfield from their 2011 MLS Cup run.

Aside from losing centerback Omar Gonzalez to a torn ACL, the Galaxy's offseason has gone about as smoothly as possible. The team re-signed Beckham and Sean Franklin and had Edson Buddle return from Germany before welcoming back Juninho, who will rejoin the club next week according to a Galaxy team release.

In addition to maintaining their status as favorites to repeat as MLS Cup champions, the Galaxy's chances during the knockout stage of the CONCACAF Champions League also improve with Juninho's return. The first leg of the club's quarterfinal tie with Toronto FC is set for a month from today.

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What's your reaction to Juninho's return?

Share your thoughts below. 

Comments

  1. Wait…are you a tool for wanting to watch beautiful soccer? I have no connection to Spain, so yeah I like Barca. As for Man U I started watching them when T. Ho. got there so yeah I’m a fan but I support Everton too and would like to see them win.

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  2. I never heard that term, front running. Love it. I just want to cheer a team I have a connection to and a team that has a front office that actually knows what it’s doing and doesn’t screw it all up year after year. It that so bad?

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  3. Not really, I just want to cheer a team I have a connection to and a team that has a front office that actually knows what it’s doing and doesn’t screw it all up year after year. It that so bad?

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  4. South Americans? Who is old and South American on the team? Sarvas is thirty. That’s one guy. Juninho is 22-23 and is far more important. Leonardo is 24.

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  5. i will say though, in ’96 i was in san francisco. but everyone loved the clash during that time and as a LA sports fan, i couldn’t bring myself to cheer for a bay area club. then i moved to guam. then DC. and in DC is where i REALLY got into it.

    another way to look at it. i’ve never been to an LAG home game but i’ve been to a ton of DCU home games.

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  6. I am sure they are working within the MLS rules relating to the salary cap, but the Galaxy must have the best accountants in the league to be able to put together this roster.

    Kind of reminds me of the 49ers back int eh ’80’s. They were the class of the NFL, because they were the first to figure out how to move money around.

    Hopefully, the rest of MLS catches up at some point.

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  7. Dax, you are correct my friend. Sarvas will be dangerous on the left and Magee is the perfect guy to bring off of the bench or use as a spot starter.

    Maybe this Meyer kid is the real deal. LA always seems to find good defenders in the draft….Omar, DLG, Franklin

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  8. Sarvas didn’t come to provide depth. He is a natural left winger with a deadly left foot.

    Magee moves to the bench as a “super sub” on th wing or at forward.

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  9. Keep in mind Brazil is also a feeder league.

    Some teams may just be looking for the biggest possible transfer fee.

    If you have to choose between Juninho and another player of equal quality who is much younger, you choose the younger player because he has more potential to yield a huge transfer fee should Europe come calling.

    Just thought I’d put that out there.

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  10. Air, not sure why you would assume my post would be considered a part of the “hate” postings. Far from the truth. It was only in reference to MLS. Obviously, the gent has been around before 1996 based on his posting as have I. Hell, I remember the Dave’s of watching the LA Lazers indoor club at the Forum. Let alone being take to watch the LA Aztecs as a child. I’ve been around for awhile myself.

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  11. I love that the Galaxy are putting together a great team, but you know the best way to increase the growing number of soccer fans in LA?……GET RID OF CHIVAS USA!

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  12. Such bullsh*t the difference between the AEG clubs in terms of signings. Houston was in the finals too but no signings. We are the orange-headed step children.

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  13. you’re an idiot-unemployment in general may be a somewhat flawed metric of economic growth because it only counts those who are actively seeking work as ‘unemployed'(those who have given up but also do not have employment are called ‘discouraged workers’), but the notion that Obama distorts those statistics is truly, truly stupid.

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  14. I sometimes suspect that the memories of most posters here only go back to about 2000, and they can’t imagine anyone living before the 1994 World Cup. I’m so old all of a sudden.

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  15. 120K seems like a lot to say is nothing on the salary cap, that easily covers Sarvas and possibly half of Nakazawa’s salary!

    They got a nice chunk of cash for Ricketts, about 150-200K from what I remember that is helping them big time and dumping guys like Hedjuk, Kirovski, Berhalter retiring and also Birchall’s 150K+ coming off the books as well as Rickett’s near 200K.

    Some of the guys like Perk and maybe Meyer won’t count to the cap as development contracts and McBean is a homegrown guys so is Villarreal

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  16. You failed to consider the possibility that he’s been in DC since before the league started up?

    Everyone’s so quick to hate on these boards. It’s comical.

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  17. No loopholes. Marquee players would just rather live in LA than KC, Houston, Columbus or Toronto.

    It’s somewhat unfortunate for those of us that support one of the clubs in a less shiny location.

    Nevertheless, it is funny how Galaxy fans like to take personal credit for all of their teams good fortunes and success.

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  18. MLS does have a way to go, I’m with you there and I am sure most here agree with that sentiment. However, I find your argument a bit lacking using the two players you base your measurements on. You see I can present two players also – Donovan (off a plane and staring in a top BPL side and making a huge impact) and Keane (strikes for two spectacular goals in his first loan start) – to counter the two in your argument.

    I do not make mention of my selected players to overstate MLS’ progress (as there is room to grow). No it’s more to counter the basis of your assessment of the league using your selected players.

    I would rather rate the league by measuring it’s best clubs against the best from other leagues – CCL and perhaps if we are so lucky the Club World Cup. However, if we are to do it by players I choose to look at the average player, which, with the Colombian influx and most teams picking up/retaining very talent players and your promising prospects, I’d venture to say maybe MLS is not as looong a way off as we may think (within reason of course – anyone hoping for MLS to be like to top European leagues is going to have to wait for a while, but for it to become one of the top league in the Americas – I can see that happening pretty soon.)

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  19. Angel, you might need to reconfigure your starting 11. Birchall is not with the Galaxy anymore as he is in search for other prospects in Europe. Hejduk’s option was not picked up and thus he is no longer on the squad. Also, Lopez loan deal was terminated and thus Miguel Lopez went back to Argentina. Thus your strike subs would be Barrett, Cristman, Noonan and McBean. Mids would be Cardoza, Nakazawa, Stephens, Magee, Keat, Jiminez, etc. Backline subs would be Boyens, Leonardo, Meyer, Jordan, etc. Although this is more than the 18 that can actually suit up for a match.

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  20. Bryan, not sure I understand what you mean that LAG wasn’t around back then – they were one of the original clubs back in 1996 along with DC United. If you remember your DC club beat the Galaxy in the 1st MLS Cup.

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