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More details emerge about Duka-Oduro trade

By IVES GALARCEP

The trade hasn’t been made official yet, but more and more details are emerging surrounding the trade reported by SBI on Friday evening sending Dilly Duka to the Chicago Fire for Dominic Oduro.

The Chicago Daily Herald reported on Saturday that the trade also includes the rights to Robbie Rogers, which the Crew are sending to the Fire.

SBI has also learned that the trade included Dilly Duka signing a new contract with the Fire that will pay him significantly less than he was due to make in the final two years of his initial Generation adidas contract. That new deal was the key factor in getting the deal completed after weeks of negotiations.

Another interesting development in Duka’s departure from Columbus is the high level of interest in his services from multiple MLS teams. The Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City were among the teams also in the mix for Duka’s services, sources told SBI.

The Fire are not on the verge of signing Rogers, but that remains a possibility. A more likely scenario will see Chicago trading Rogers’ rights if he chooses to return to MLS, with the Los Angeles Galaxy among the teams interested in the winger.

The inclusion of Rogers’ rights, along with Duka’s new deal make the trade a major windfall for the Fire. The Crew won’t complain too much because the trade allowed them to unload a player they were desperate to dump off their salary cap, which should allow them to sign another player. The trade also secures them a speedy forward who gives their attack a different element.

The trade has yet to be formally announced, but is expected to be on Monday. Both Duka and Oduro acknowledged the trade via Twitter on Friday night:

What do you think of these developments? See the Fire getting a steal? Think the Crew made the right decision?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. As a Union man I would do anything to have Freddy gone and his salary off the books. I’m sure Columbus fans are pretty well satisfied. They didn’t have a player like Oduro before now. A win – win on the surface, but I would give the nudge to Columbus. I’ve always been a fan of the way Warzycha builds a squad.

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    • If I were a Union fan, I’d agree but as a Crew supporter it can be maddening to watch Warzycha build a team. How many players have left wondering why they didn’t get a chance to play. It is okay to bench a player for poor performance or bad attitude during practices but you need to communicate with the player and let them know what you’re doing. Duka is another good player with national team ambitions that we seemingly lost due to RW’s style. I guess we’ll have to see the details of the trade before I’ll make a call as to who the winner is but I certainly hope we got some allocation money or another draft pick we can waste on someone. Having said all that, so far I’m impressed with the Crew’s additions this offseason and am looking forward to the start of the season.

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  2. Always thought Oduro was at his best when he had Grazzini hitting him through into space… Once Grazzini left the Fire, his production sort of fell off. This coincided with Rolfe getting healthy and MacDonald’s arrival as well.

    Still an incredibly frustrating player… Plenty of times the guy should have had a hat trick for the Fire… Usually needs three chances just to score a goal but with his speed and someone able to play him through, he should get plenty of them.

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  3. The fine gentlemen in the left of that picture is none other than Mr. Sheanon Williams himself. I could spot that Jerry curl from space.

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  4. They call him Federico “el thru Bol” Higuain.

    The thing Columbus lacked last year was speed. Higuain can hit a runner on a dime. I’m looking forward to this year. If Sanchez pans out, it only gets better.

    Note to Chicago: playing duka on the wing makes him go into year long tantrum mode. Beware!

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      • He’sa walking enigma. Not many players have the speed to get themselves in a position to score goals as often as Oduro does, but almost all of them can put away the chances that he wastes. He still is better than what we have as far as goal scorers are concerned but the Rodgers rights soften the blow.

  5. Definitely a “win” for Chicago. Oduro has never impressed me much…a case of the sum of the whole being less than the sum of the part. Kind of like Robbie Findlay in some ways as a player. Duka is a better player, they get a lower salary and they get the rights to Rogers who–if he decides to rejoin MLS–will have a lot of teams interested. Left-sided fast veteran player who isn’t a stranger to MLS–what’s not to like? Now, here’s the downside of the trade to Chicago: if Duka is a locker-room cancer and Rogers re-signs with MLS but at a significant salary–enough so that Chicago can’t afford to keep him and interest in his rights plummets.

    OTOH, Columbus, if they play their cards right, comes out a winner. Oduro is serviceable. You can’t coach speed and he’s got speed to burn. And this frees up some cap room for them. So the value to Columbus in this is really dependent upon how they use the cap room.

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  6. Why trade Rogers?lindperre and Laurentowicz Nyarko on the right Rogers on the left and Duka the super offenseice sub and pause the defensive one….only if we had a goal scorer

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  7. I definitely think Chicago ended up with the better player, but we (Columbus) were able to dump a ton of salary, a locker room problem and got a decent player in return. Reasonable trade IMO and it was obvious that tRR wouldn’t sign with us anyway

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  8. Hey IVES send me an email and let me know when my GM is going to get me another forward. All he tells me is 8-10 days but that resets after ever day.

    please help…

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    • This is in reply to your post from yesterday regarding Torres, as I’m sure you won’t go back and read a reply.

      You are the one who makes no sense. You took one thing I said and completely manipulated it to make it seem like I was saying something that I wasn’t. You need to learn a lot about the game if you think Torres was horrible in his last start against Jamaica. Or go back and watch him against Scotland. Freaking Amateurs….

      Reply
      • First of all I’m not your bro, bro. Second, why would I be mad? I was just pointing out the fact that you should work on your education of the sport…. Obviously, you’re not a golfer.

      • You’re chasing people around on other threads because you’re so desperate to get the last word in? Sounds pretty mad to me. Also, pretty lame.

      • I wasn’t trying to get the last word in I was trying to continue our conversation, one which he obviously knew he was wrong about as you can see from his post above. Now again, why would I be mad?

      • “I wasn’t trying to get the last word in I was trying to continue our conversation”

        Sure you are. Also, there’s zero conversation or debate.

        Quit being mad.

      • Already boys, whip ’em out and let’s have an old fashioned peeing contest. Jeez, if we all spent our time chasing down idiots on the Internet we’d never have time for porn and illegal streaming of soccer matches!

      • Rory, you make a good point but since im at work the other two options are not a good idea. It is nice to see at least you recognize he is an idiot and you have a sense of humor.

  9. This also freed up room for the Crew to being in Marias Sanchez. He’s on his way to Columbus now. Glad to the Crew finally coming together, and can’t wait for 3/02!!!

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  10. “Details that shed some serious light into just how the Chicago Fire and Columbus Crew made out.”
    SBI has a TMZ vibe to it lately.

    Reply

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