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Sounders deal DP Fernandez to Fire

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

With the signing of Designated Player and FC Kaiserslautern midfielder Christian Tiffert, the Seattle Sounders needed to create a DP opening on their roster. With the trade of Alvaro Fernandez to the Chicago Fire, they've done just that. 

The Sounders sent Fernandez to Chicago in exchange for an undisclosed amount of allocation money Friday, making way for Tiffert and sending a DP to Chicago for the second time in two years. They traded Freddie Ljungberg to the Fire in 2010 on the heels of signing Fernandez. It is the second DP acquisition by the Fire this week after they signed Dutch striker Sherjill MacDonald Tuesday.

Fernandez joined the Sounders after playing for Uruguay in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored 13 goals and had three assists in his two years with the Sounders, including nine goals last season.

What do you think of the deal? Do you see Tiffert as an upgrade over Fernandez? Do you see this move making Chicago a contender in the East?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Yep, good point. We will retain Pappa’s rights. Yes, we miss out on a transfer fee, but if Europe doesn’t work out and/if he ever comes back to MLS, we have his rights. We can either bring him back or sell his rights to the highest bidder.

    Marco will be gone for sure. As long as we have replacements for him (which we now do), then it’s a smart plan by the FO.

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  2. Really August? You are sure he will be bad for the Fire before he has even played a game for them? He is a very different situation from Ljungberg. Please at least make sure your comments that you post are useful.

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  3. Chicago is 1-1 against NY, 1-0 against sporting and 0-0-1 against Houston. We have the talent to compete but our solo striker formation is killing us. We move the ball but have few outlets up top. hopefully macdonald will pan out

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  4. Worked well in the case of Rolfe. By not selling him the fire retain his mls rights. Same occurred with Conde. There are merits to selling but there are also some for not selling.

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  5. Both teams are stronger and capable of going all the way. Both clubs should play some attractive football and will be fun to watch.

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  6. Maybe he actually gets to play with the Fire. He has proven he deserves PT. I don’t blame him for wanting to get back in the Uruguay picture.

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  7. Or you could understand Seattle is a “mid table”, in the open cup final, starting ccl with a team that has suffered a ton of injuries this season.

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  8. Two mid table teams in their respective conferences and each sitting on 31 points. The question is, which team (or both) put themselves in position to make a run at the MLS Cup. I like the move for Chicago and they have a ton of options in the attack but I really don’t see them as better than NYRB, Houston, DC, or Kansas City (maybe they could make a run at KC). So for Chicago, meh. As for Seattle, they have the tools in the attack and Tiffert remains to be seen but I suspect they are a slightly better team today than yesterday. That being said, I don’t see them finishing ahead of San Jose or RSL. Probably a toss up between Vancouver, Seattle, & LA. So for Seattle, meh. A wild day but here we are at the end of the day and I suspect not a whole lot has changed in either conference.

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  9. Flaco is a very good winger in MLS. He’s just not at the DP level. Good pickup for Chicago. I hope Flaco succeeds there. Is Tieffert DP worthy? We’ll see.

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  10. Actually, you’re a moron. Christian Tiffert will instantly become a premier playmaker in this league, something you seriously lacked before (Brad Evans? Really?)and you have Zak getting back to full fitness to take Fernandez’s spot on the left. Your team is now better than it was before, so you should stop bitching when your team makes good moves like this.

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  11. It’s too late for that. What a bad move. I can’t believe MLS ever lets guys go for free who everyone KNOWS is going to leave. Get some money for him you morons…

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  12. Do you watch many Sounders games? How many times did Alex Caskey start over Flaco? What does that tell you about Flaco being one of the best wingers in the league?

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  13. Well then in that case they could buy down the next DP so that they’re not a DP. Plenty of guys making DP money that don’t count as DPs (eg DeRosario, Adu, etc.).

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  14. MacDonald has plenty to do to even be in the decent DP category, the stats are not in his favor. El Flaco is a good get though.

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  15. This move is so dumb by Seattle. If anything, Montero should be leaving. I would not vote to retain Hanauer. Why on earth dump one of the best wingers in the league for an older player? Dumb.

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  16. Tiffert has well over 200 appearances in the German Bundesliga, with cap restrictions MLS teams have to be creative in using DP’s.

    For whatever reason ( injuries, speculated friction w/ Sigi ) Flaco’s production significantly dropped. & defensively it’s no secret we need help.

    Potentially, w/ Tiffert both of these issues can be addressed. He’s an adept passer ( assist & vision ), & is comfortable coming deep to break up plays. Something Flaco was just recently implementing more in Seattle.

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  17. I agree – chicago looks to be getting great talent here. Allocation money goes a long way – CONCACAF champion’s league + MLS cup needs some depth. And, I hear about Kaiserlautern midfielder coming (new DP) to seattle. So, both teams might be making positives.

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  18. I like this for the Fire…now the MacDonald play makes more sense. They went for two decent DP’s instead of one over the top DP.

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  19. If Seattle received enough allocation to buy down Rosales’ contract below DP so they can sign another DP, then it will be a good move.

    Sigi didn’t seam to be a fan of Flaco which is a shame because he did some good things, was getting into his groove this year, and will be missed.

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