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Whitecaps add Miller as third DP

Kenny Miller (Getty Images)

Fresh off of moving Davide Chiumiento and Sebastien Le Toux, the Vancouver Whitecaps added a potent attacking weapon to their disposal by signing Scotland national team captain Kenny Miller on Monday.

The Whitecaps signed Miller as their third Designated Player, and the 32-year-old striker will provide another lethal scoring threat up top for head coach Martin Rennie. Miller joins a collection of quality attacking talent that already includes the likes of Eric Hassli, Darren Mattocks Camilo Sanvezzo and Omar Salgado.

Miller, who has made 60 appearances for Scotland, finished last season with Cardiff City. There, he scored 10 goals in 43 appearances. The experienced forward has also previously spent time at Rangers, Celtic, Derby County and Bursaspor.

Miller joins Hassli and fellow Scotsman Barry Robson as the Whitecaps' Designated Players. Terms of the deal for Miller were not disclosed per club and league policy.

What do you think of the Whitecaps addining Miller as their third DP? Expecting him to shine in Vancouver? Would you have preferred to see the club use their last DP spot on another position?

Share your thoughts below

Comments

  1. 11 goals in 50 games in 2nd division England isn’t DP worthy in MLS. Would be a decent signing on a salary of <100K.

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  2. you keep Salgado and in 4 years you get a 5 million transfer fee for him. This is how the business of football works.

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  3. 10 goals in 40+ appearances lands a DP contract these days? Why not work a trade for Wondo and give THAT guy a DP contract? Someone who has proven it already in the league? I’m putting you all on notice: I’m very close dropping 10 lbs and lacing up the old boots. 11 goals later I’ll be on DP contract – nice!

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  4. and to clarify, i don’t think this is a bad signing, i just don’t think he is DP worthy. Robson more than anyone though.

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  5. Building your team around Scottish players seems like a really solid strategy. Their international pedigree speaks for itself. Plus, they’ll fare well during the summer months. Scotsman absolutely worship the sun.

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  6. @Thomas…I would have thought that NYRB beating Arsenal at Arsenal in the Arsenal Cup would have changed enough minds…but it just seemed to make them want Henry on loan rather then admit how well NY played. Seriously…I am not sure how that win did not make bigger noise or at least make more people admit to the talent in MLS.

    When you play across leagues its always easy to say its a friendly or one team is in pre or post season…and make excuses. But…I think just having an MLS league match (not a friendly or cup play) could be a good way to show the talent in the league. I think people would come out if it was one of the MLS teams with some good DP’s. Their soccer is out of season during the summer so it would be a great way for fans to enjoy the warmer weather and get in a game….and maybe having it be two MLS sides would let people enjoy the game without needing to come with excuses as to why their home side did not win.

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  7. The Dynamo are playing a 433 on offense then 451 on defense. Kandji and Boniek fall back on defense but press and stay high on offense.

    I generally agree this is not the place for Salgado to sneak in. Among other things, this is a tough team veteran-minded team to break into. You notice no sooner did Watson and Carr get back then Creavalle and Ownby disappeared again. Probably see them for CCL but we are pro-vet and if Salgado doesn’t immediately beat people out, we’re not a big developmental side. We tend to shape a team out of existing elements, not mine potential.

    Kandji is playing good ball because he is being deployed in a way which accords with his talents. He is not a 442 back to goal guy. At minimum he’s the speed guy running off the target. But I think this formation lets him use his wing abilities and run at people. Which is not necessarily something DK’s usual disciplined 442 wanted.

    I would disagree re one player, Salgado is better than Carr. Salgado has an assist this year unlike Carr. Penalty kick aside, Carr is way overrated — ask Fire fans — but as long as he’s used like last night (late sub) is relatively harmless. Just don’t get bigger ideas than “energy sub” from the running around and aimless crosses punctuated by one decent run that got the PK.

    Personally, I think Ownby could have gotten the same PK. We were killing DC down the wings.

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  8. Robson has been a joke so far; he is so slow and acts like a brat on the field. Miller will be a similar disappointment but with a less annoying attitude. My opinion of Rennie is going down the toilet.

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  9. So weird that MLS is now a go to destination for Scottish players. 10 years ago it was a top 10 league and now since Rangers is gone, it’s a top 30 league.

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  10. Similar to MLS vs. top leagues in Europe, our Nats go overseas. I would imagine they consider MLS to be better than the SPL. Which I would agree with.

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  11. Miller played in 50 games last year with 11 goals for Cardiff. The strike rate is meh but the goals total is decent for England (albeit second division), you have to adjust that for MLS, and then the sheer amount of appearances would seem to be a decent sign of durability/ health.

    I think this’ll be at least as good a signing as Boyd in Portland — whom he is similar to in background and superior to statistically — and Boyd quietly has like 7 goals.

    Worth considering the big money big name DPs everyone covets come with Henry-style injury risks associated with the age of acquiry. Like Djorkaeff, you might even get a fantastic season year 1 but then they break year 2. Still could be true of Miller but he doesn’t seem over the hill yet.

    Personally, I favor finding productive younger players from someplace like Latin America (at the risk that like Emilio from DC they score 20 one year and then get itchy to cash in, and implode) and giving them a first big payday, because the older players subject you to Old Man Soccer or injury risk, not necessarily what you need in our ahletic, physical league (though LA won with it last year). But Miller’s not so awful he’s a waste of a DP.

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  12. NFL already plays a league game in London, and has been since 2007.

    I agree though. MLS is clearly better than the Scottish Premier league, and most Scandinavian leagues. I really don’t think Europeans really quite grasp, or don’t want to admit that MLS is of a fairly high standard now!

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  13. Uhm, Salgado was starting at LF for the Whitecaps before he broke his leg. Actually he has looked really good as winger/left Forward.

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  14. http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/4431856/Kenny-Miller-news-Barry-Robson-says-star-can-still-play-for-Scotland-despite-MLS-move.html

    I find it more odd that the Scottish coach had to say that playing in MLS does not mean he is done at the international level. I mean it should be clear that MLS is a MUCH better option then the SPL (especially now with only one quality team). I doubt they would need to say this if a player was going to Norway or Austria or Denmark…its a bit insulting that they would need to say this about a player going to MLS…especially now that MLS has a few of their top talents.

    Will there be more travel when he plays in friendlies?? Sure…but they should say “dont worry we will fly him first class for friendlies so he is rested” rather then “dont worry..even though he is playing in the MLS we still expect him to keep his skills up.” Again, if team GB thinks Becks can’t compete despite being in mid-season because he is outside the BPL…that is their own issue, but for a Scotish coach to feel the need to clarify that a move from a D2 English team or playing outside a 2 team..well 1 team now Scotish league to the US is not going to harm his international chances just shows how little he or their public knows about MLS.

    The NLF has talked about playing a league game in London….maybe MLS should send 2-4 teams (especially a team waiting for a new stadium to get finished like SJ) over to play a league game in London or at the somewhat unused home of the Rangers in Scotland to show how much MLS has grown. With the unbalanced schedule it seems like a decent idea. You could play SJ (or maybe DC or the Revs since they have bad stadium situations) vs the Whitecaps in Scotland and take an LA game (especially if they had to limit attendance because of the school parking issue) vs NY at Arsenal during summer season for a real league match. I would hate for home fans to loose a home game….but I also hate when people rate MLS so low without really seeing the progress.

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  15. Salgado wouldnt get PT in Houston either. Bruin has 10 goals, Mac Kanji is playing his best ball, and Ching is playing from the bench. Carr is playing well and like Mac, is playing in the midfield considering the dynamo only play 1 forward.

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  16. Cross one rumor off the Dynamo list. Sone Aluko would be the only other named player I’ve heard connected with Houston other than the already-signed Boniek.

    Between the unproven Salgado and Miller, I’d have preferred Miller at Houston. But particularly if we’re going to play a 433 I think the need area is midfield. I liked everyone in the front 6 for DC — including Cameron who may or may not be transferred and impact our needs — but Camargo. I think we could use one more incisive attacking player.

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  17. This is good. We need to start signing players from the SPL. There are some quality players that we could sign for 200-250 K.

    Or Poland. Remembert Robert Lewandoski was scoring in the lower leagues of Poland up until a few years ago. We could mine it and score some really decent players for cheap.

    Same for Scandinavia. We can’t pay the 1 million that most players in the top 5 leagues get but we can definitely be a great league for bigger leagues to loan their younger/reserve players too

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  18. hahaha Robson and Miller both blow. Might as well scrap the DP slots and spend money on players that deserve it, not has beens (or never have been in this case) with minimal production that can be outmatched by players earning 40k a year

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  19. Colorado would take him too! He would be off the bench but frequently in games as Cummings and Muellen are often off by the 70′. Cascio and Salgado as primary wing-forwards off the bench would be great!

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  20. A front office that doesn’t talk smack about the right signing for the “brand” and focuses on leadership, discipline, and relative youth for thier DP? A leadership team that doesn’t talk continual SMACK about who they could potentially sign from a whole laundry list of people interested but then does absolutely squat.. instead choosing to quietly work on details, and complete the signing of a DP without a hint of arrogance or desperation? And a GM and coach that pull the trigger on a player for thier overall quality vs how much merchandise and advertising revenue they could generate? Vancouver, your front office is refreshing. Congrats on the signing, I wish you well this year.

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  21. Vancouver needs to offload Salgado. Poor kid needs playing time and now he is 4th choice. Dynamo would take him 🙂

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