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Tuesday Kickoff: Rangers owner confirms exits for Bocanegra, Edu and more

BocaEdu (Reuters Pictures)

It was the longest of longshots that Carlos Bocanegra and Maurice Edu were going to stay at Rangers and play in Scotland's fourth tier this upcoming season, but the two U.S. men's national team starters have officially been granted the blessing of the club's new owner to seek new teams.

New Rangers owner Charles Green is resigned to the fact that he will lose both players, saying that expecting them to drop all the way down to the Third Division with the cash-strapped club is too much to ask. 

"I was at Murray Park with Carlos on Sunday and he was out there jogging. He's been playing international matches which is why Ally [McCoist] allowed him to come back later," Green said. "They said to us they would stay if we had gone down a division. To ask them to stay in the Third Division is a bridge too far. We are going to lose some more players now unfortunately for different reasons than why the last ones left. We sympathise and thank them for their loyalty."

Edu, who had a transfer to French club Sochaux turned down last winter, has been recently linked with a move to Turkey, while Bocanegra's name has been batted around MLS circles but is also a candidate to seek a top-level club in Europe. Green made no mention of U.S. international Alejandro Bedoya, who moved to Rangers last summer from Swedish club Orebro.

Here are a few more stories to get your Tuesday going:

BANGOR CITY PLAYER NAMED ON UEFA BEST PLAYER SHORTLIST

Some of the game's biggest names were included on the 32-player shortlist for UEFA's Best Player in Europe award. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Les Davies among them. Yes, Bangor City's Welsh midfielder Les Davies.

Coming off a season in which he scored 16 goals for the Welsh Premier League side, Davies is the shock nominee among a group voted on by a panel of journalists across Europe. The finalists will be narrowed down to three on Aug. 14 before a winner is crowned in Monaco on Aug. 30. The award is in its second year after its inception for the 2010-2011 season, when Messi captured the hardware.

Here is the full list of nominees:

Sergio Aguero, Xabi Alonso, Mario Balotelli, Jakub BÅ‚aszczykowski, Gianluigi Buffon, Iker Casillas, Petr ÄŒech, Fábio Coentrão, Leslie Davies, Didier Drogba, Cesc Fàbregas, Radamel Falcao, Joe Hart, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Andrés Iniesta, Shinji Kagawa, Vincent Kompany, Frank Lampard, Lionel Messi, Luka Modrić, Mesut Özil, Pepe, Andrea Pirlo, Sergio Ramos, Raúl González, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, David Silva, Fernando Torres, Yaya Touré, Robin van Persie, Xavi Hernández.

STURRIDGE'S OLYMPIC PLACE UNCERTAIN

One of Team Great Britain's top goal-scoring threats may not be competing at the Olympics after all. 

Daniel Sturridge's place on the squad is in jeopardy as he battles a case of viral meningitis. Sturridge has until July 25 to prove to manager Stuart Pearce that he is fully recovered and fit. If the 22-year-old Chelsea forward is not, then he will be replaced by one of the four injury alternates, but he would also leave a major vacancy up top, where he is primed for a starring role. 

"I have got to be 100% sure in my mind that Daniel is fit enough and can see out a tournament," Pearce told the BBC. "There were certainly doubts because of the illness he had."

FULHAM EYE LUKAKU LOAN

Romelu Lukaku has had a hard time breaking through in Chelsea's lineup ever since joining the club from Anderlecht, and one of Chelsea's London neighbors is looking to take him off the Blues' hands this season. 

Fulham, which has lost a number of attacking pieces in the transfer market and could be on the verge of losing Clint Dempsey as well, is reportedly interested in a season-long loan for Lukaku, a rising star and Belgian international. Chelsea is also reportedly into finding a loan partner for Lukaku, who has accompanied the team on its U.S. tour.

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Where do you think Bocanegra, Edu and Bedoya will end up? Who should win UEFA's Best Player award, and who should be the final three nominees? Do you think Team GB stands a chance without Sturridge? Would you like to see Lukaku get a shot at Fulham?

Share your thoughts below. 

Comments

  1. Americans are no different than any other players. When they act like jerks people will treat them accordingly.

    Sochuax invested money in Charlie and he rewarded them by acting irresponsibly.

    And when Sochaux refused to go along with Charlie’s delusional quest to turn the USMNT’s 2010 World Cup into the Davies Comeback Circus, he turned on them viciously. And when Sochaux facilitated a loan to DC, a move Bradley endorsed as a good idea, Charlie managed to make a bad impression on the club, taking time out to sue people along the way.

    He comes across as someone who is looking for people to blame for his misfortune rather than getting on with it and being the best player he can be.

    I saw a lot of his DC games and was struck by how inconsistent he was. I was not convinced he was completely recovered then.

    This from a guy who basically only had a ten game hot streak for the USMNT.

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  2. Bocanegra is a solid veteran who would be purchased for depth whereas Edu is hitting his peak and is a solid player but not consistent enough to be a starter in the PL. Maybe to a team like Wigan.

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  3. Players like Edu & Bocanegra are a dime-a-dozen in europe. Thats why no england priemier or championship leagues teams have stepped up.

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  4. i don’t think Wondo wants to leave. Haven’t heard of many offers other than the Danish Superliga, which is not that much better a league than MLS.

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  5. Bradley is most better than Edu and has proven himself consistently. Edu is not good enough or consistent at this time to play in a big 4 league.

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  6. Charlie Davies was signed by Sochaux in July 2009 and at that point was humming along, 20+ goals over 3 years for Hammarby, goals against T&T in qualifying and Egypt in Confed Cup. August 2009 shortly after the signing he scores on Mexico in Mexico! But Sochaux started him out as a sub and between July 2009 season start and the October 2009 accident Sochaux played Davies just 8 times.

    Sochaux then loaned him to DC (where he had 11 goals) but used him twice as a sub on his return, on the way to 14th place in the league, led by a player with 9 goals.

    They then offered Rangers a pittance for Edu.

    Nothing about the situation screams, come sign here, we love Americans.

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  7. lol jerked around?

    He skipped curfew and almost died, totally jeopardizing his career and contract with Sochaux.

    Davies was in position to play for his French club for well over 20 months.

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  8. i think epl or prem league teams wouldve gone after Mo if they felt he was worth it.
    England is right next to scotland so its possible that they get a better look at him than we do.

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  9. Europhilia. Was Sochaux not the team that jerked around Davies before and after his accident, resulting in the DC loan and Danish signing?

    And my memory was they were lowballing Rangers, hoping to capitalize on their financial issues. Like 500 thousand quid, $800 K. If Geoff Freaking Cameron is worth at least $2 million that is way off the market for a more consistent US midfield starter and Rangers regular.

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  10. As I’ve said before, Boca has to leave because he’s too old to wait, and Edu is getting too much US PT to risk hanging around. But at 25 and more of a marginal player Bedoya might want to weigh the value of sticking around and getting to play all he wants, with the potential to be rewarded for loyalty over time, versus starting over elsewhere.

    And people are leaving out that Rangers will probably be a domestic cup nightmare for their opposition. It won’t entirely make up for being in the 3rd division, but, for instance, there is the potential of an inspired cup run resulting in European football as soon as next soccer year. Long shot but something they can aim for.

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  11. Honestly, I was upset when each of those three successively went to Rangers. Despite all of these financial issues, it was already a bit of a mistake (at least for the middle or long term). It has proven to be a mistake for different additional reasons now, but was always a dumb move. I’m surprised especially about Bocanegra moving there. He had to have other options at the time…

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  12. Bankruptcy. Epic dickishness in not providing other team with their share of the gate in a timely or complete manner.Just generally lording it over everyone for years.

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  13. seriously what’s the news on Bradley? what’s he making at Roma?

    and what about Cameron? Is Stoke going to up their offer or will MLS come to their senses and let him go free?

    Is Dempsey going to be a Red or a Gunner?

    Oh and is Wondolowski leaving MLS? He’s clearly the best striker in the league. Let him leave and find a nice club. It’s good to have more strikers to choose from for the NATS even if he sucks.

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  14. If I were Edu I would go to England. No language barrier, can jump right into it. They already have a good respect for American players from the many Americans already. Style of play will be fine for him. I like Portugal but I think it’s a harder transition.

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  15. why again is Rangers being punished? why have they been moved to the 4th division in Scotland? why did the manager expect the players to d wrop a division? Because that would be akin to say Man U/Arsenal players being asked to stay if the club was dropped to the Championship but assured a return the following season. Maybe some would stay, but the biggest stars don’t. They simply refuse to drop or be relegated.

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  16. Yeah, Bedoya has shown he can be a darn good player. Like Shea, I really hope he finds success soon because when players are capable of playing at a high level, you want them to get there. To be honest Boca is awesome but older now, and Edu is good but not THAT good and in a crowded midfield. Bedoya seems like he could provide at least a good player off the bench for USA if he found a good club situation. Why a player like him would go to Scotland I have no idea. The other two make sense.

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  17. I’d imagine Edu has some PL quality but as a starter? I doubt it. If I were him i’d try the French or Portuguese league. He could find a mid-table team and be a sure starer. As for Bocanegra, I’m sure several smaller clubs in France or italy would go for him.

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  18. Yeah, but what about Bedoyo? Sounds like he will be enjoying playing in front of 2,000 fans on desolate thistle-covered moors next year.

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  19. I do not understand how some Championship teams or even lower tier Prem teams are not looking for Mo Edu… he is a very decent defensive MF and is only improving each year…

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  20. I don’t understand why Rangers did not let Edu go to Sochaux when the opportunity was there. If they were that desperate for cash then why not take it when the opportunity was available?

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  21. That is good news that Bocanegra and Edu. (But what does it mean for poor Alejandro Bedoya?)

    In any case, Eintracht Frankfurt coach Armin Veh announced over the weekend that he plans to bring on board three (yes, three) new central defenders to the team, which moved up to the 1. Bundesliga this season after spending one year last season in the 2. Bundesliga. This could be a ideal situation for Carlos Bocanegra, with Frankfurt no doubt desperate to stay afloat in the 1. Bundesliga and maybe seeing great benefit from experienced defender like Bocanegra.

    http://www.welt.de/newsticker/sport-news/article108292178/Veh-bekraeftigt-Forderung-nach-Verstaerkungen.html

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