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MLS Ticker: Rogers trains with Galaxy; Viana out for Red Bulls match; and more

Robbie Rogers Landon Donovan

By DAN KARELL

The Los Angeles Galaxy announced over their Twitter account that Robbie Rogers had joined the team in training on Tuesday.

The former U.S. international was practicing with a professional team for the first time since last February, when he simultaneously retired from the game and came out as gay.

On April 17, Galaxy manager Bruce Arena responded to comments by Rogers about reaching out to Arena for a training invitation by saying that the 25-year-old California native is always welcome at Galaxy training. After Tuesday’s practice, Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan gave his thoughts on Rogers appearance.

“My opinion is that Robbie is an inspiration to all of us as human beings,” Donovan told LAGalaxy.com. “I think that he’s paving the way for not only gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual people and athletes, but for all of us to be okay with who we are.”

Here are some more stories to get you caught up around the league:

VIANA TO MISS NEXT MATCH

The Columbus Crew will be without a key player in their lineup when they welcome in the New York Red Bulls this Saturday.

According to reports out of Columbus, midfielder Agustin Viana’s MRI exam on his injured hamstring revealed no damage, but the 29-year-old has been ruled out of Saturday’s match-up at Crew Stadium. Viana started last Saturday against D.C. United but was substituted after just 20 minutes.

The Uruguayan-raised midfielder has started in all eight of the Crew’s games this season, helping lead the team to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Viana has yet to record a goal or an assist this season.

DYNAMO ANNOUNCE STOKE CITY AS CHARITIES CUP OPPONENT

The Houston Dynamo announced on Tuesday that their opponent in the annual BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup this year will be English Premier League side Stoke City.

The match is set to take place on July 24, and will see the return of defender Geoff Cameron to Houston for the first time since his transfer last August to Stoke. The English side will also be playing FC Dallas three days later at FC Dallas Stadium, giving midfielder Brek Shea a chance to return to his former stomping grounds.

The English side, who also have the loaned-out Maurice Edu on their roster, will be in the U.S. for ten days during their pre-season ahead of the 2013-2014 Premier League campaign. The Dynamo announced that proceeds from this year’s Charaties Cup will go towards the “Building a Better Houston” initiative.

RAPIDS SIGN SUPPLEMENTAL PICK GRIFFITHS

The Colorado Rapids signed their first selection in the 2013 MLS Supplemental Draft on Tuesday.

The club inked central defender Brenton Griffiths to a contract after training with the team since preseason and taking part in all four of the Rapids reserve matches this season. The 22-year-old Jamaican spent the last two years playing at the University of South Florida, scoring four goals in 36 matches.

“Brenton is a solid, young defender who is eager to learn,” said Rapids Technical Director Paul Bravo to ColoradoRapids.com. “”We’ve been encouraged by his effort and tenacity since he began practicing with us, and we’re pleased to add him to our roster.”

Griffiths has also represented his native Jamaica with their Under-17 and Under-20 teams. He was the 25th pick (second round) of the 2013 Supplemental Draft.

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What do you make of these reports? Are you happy to see Rogers back in training? Do you see him making a comeback? How much do you think the Viana injury will affect the Crew?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. and btw … I guarantee my comments will not be posted but if I came out and bragged about being a bisexual or a transgender they would be…that in and of itself says something very loudly..

    WE ARE A PAGAN NATION WHO HAS TURNED OUR BACKS ON THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS…AND WE WILL UNDERGO JUDGMENT AS A CONSEQUENCE…AND INSTEAD OF REPENTING WE WILL CURSE GOD FOR NOT CONFORMING TO OUR IMAGE OF HOW HE SHOULD BE AND ACT……GOOD LUCK WITH THAT PEOPLE..HE IS HOLY AND HE WILL NOT TOLERATE THE PAGANISM THIS NATION IN HER SELFWORSHIPPING,PLEASURE SEEKING ,MENTALITY HAS ERECTED IN HIS PLACE….HE IS A JEALOUS GOD,,JEALOUS FOR THE LOVE AND LOYALTY OF THE PEOPLE HE CREATED…YET HE LOVED US TOO MUCH TO MAKE US ROBOTS SO HE GAVE US FREEDOM TO CHOOSE…AND WE HAVE CHOSEN TO IGNORE HIM AND HIS WORD AND REJECT HIS SON……WHO HAS EARS TO HEAR? WHO HAS THE COURAGE TO STAND FOR CHRIST IN THIS EVIL AND WICKED GENERATION? I DO…AND I WILL DO SO UNTIL MY LAST BREATH…..

    GO DYNAMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  2. @ChiTown – assuming that things play out as you describe them, is there any fair compensation for Robbie Rogers rights that MLS could force upon the Galaxy? Dig…

    I.E. If a MLS Veteran returns from abroad to his previous team or the team at the top of allocation and that player has: minimum 5 years MLS experience, 100 Games Started, and 2 All-Star teams made that player is a “Minimum Required Compensation Player” or MRCP.

    If Chicago owns the rights to the most recent MRCP and the Galaxy want the rights to that player for whatever reason the minimum required compensation for said player is: The next two years 1st round picks in the MLS Superdraft, Rights to swap spots in the MLS Veteran Re-Entry Draft for 2 years and $$ compensation equal to an international allocation spot.

    — Would something like this be enough minimum compensation for a player returning like Robbie Rogers? Would it at least be somewhat of a deterrent to teams in favorable markets that want to openly recruit returning vets to their teams?

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  3. As a crew fan, I would love to see Rogers back in MLS. He is a speedy winger who at least poses a threat. His last couple of years he really slowed down on production. It seemed like his heart wasn’t in it. Maybe we now know why.
    We made out like a bandit on the trade for Oduro. I think Rogers is worth more than Duka at this point.
    So I wouldn’t mind seeing him play for LA. I wouldn’t want to see him in Chicago. Good talent goes there to wither away.

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    • Either come back to MLS and blaze the “openly gay male athlete trail,” or go away forever and blog about fashion. If Robbie isn’t getting paid to play soccer he can GTFO of my soccer blogs.

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  4. hahaha i think half this site called the Stoke City vs. Houston game when the Dallas game was announced. there was just no way they could not play Houston.

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    • This happens all the time. I seedorf came and practiced with the Galaxy like 6 months ago. It happens all the time in Europe. Beckham and Henry come to mind.

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    • Like when Robbie Keane trained with Tottenham during the MLS offseason? Or Beckham trained with Arsenal after he left LA?

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      • You’re being pedantic. He retired 2 months ago for personal reasons. Clearly he’s reconsidered that decision.

      • Did Keane ever train with West Ham during the summer when he played for Tottenham? Did Beckham ever train with Arsenal when he played for Man U? As long as Chicago holds Rogers’s rights he shouldn’t be working out with any other MLS team.

        Also, there’s, “My personal hope is that we’ll sign him and that they can find out a way to work a trade with Chicago,” Donovan added. Clearly Rogers isn’t there for a casual knock around, his intent is to play for the Galaxy.

      • Uh, MLS doesn’t have Rogers signed to a contract. Chicago’s trade means nothing to this guy. He LIVES in LA. He’s from there. If he wants to work out and keep in shape should he move to a city he is not employed in? Come on this guy is not a slave. He’s a person. He wants to be with his family, maybe he will play again, maybe he doesn’t. That’s for him to decide, not you or me, Chicago Fire or MLS.

      • New reports have Chicago, LA and Seattle chasing his signature. Just a matter of time before he signs…

  5. First Collins in the NBA and now Rogers might return to MLS. Cool. Now if we could only get a couple of women who currently play professionally or in college to come out. There must be at least a couple of lesbians who enjoy playing sports.

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      • People need to know when to respond with cogent comments that aren’t completely superfluous. Was sarcasm really needed? He wasn’t being derogatory or rude, it was a joke since there are plenty of lesbians who are public. C’mon now, let’s not get too PC.

    • He is just kicking himself for letting Collins get all the attention now. he’s saying I could’ve been that guy.

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    • Which is hopefully never. I don’t get the infatuation with this guy. So he’s gay, meh. Good for him for coming out. It’s all about being happy and true to yourself. Before he came out, no one cared if he played or not. Now everyone wants him to be playing (especially for the Galaxy).

      With respect to soccer, the dude is overrated. He is just someone that is all speed and no technical ability. He has been frustrating to watch since the youth national teams. Like these guys from MLS ETR or MttM proposing LA trade Villareal for this guy’s rights. What a joke, that is why they are talking heads.

      As a Galaxy fan, hopefully you can get your Chicago Rogers jersey.

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      • Fair points. I dont need to see him in a national team shirt again. But as a galaxy season ticket holder, I’ll take Rogers over Colin Clark in a second. And as to the gay issue, well, sometimes you have to think about what a guy can do for the brand, not just the team. Like it or not, Rogers is the new spokesperson for a sea change in American society. Putting him in a Galaxy shirt would improve not only our attacking width, but the Galaxy image as well. More importantly, it would help Rogers and other gay athletes in the future. No league is better positioned to take on the challenge of an openly gay athlete than the MLS; and no team would serve better in the vanguard than the Galaxy.

      • For your next trick will you be comparing Rosa Parks to the “Don’t tase me bro” bro?

      • I’d take Villareal for Rodgers straight up, as a matter of fact I’d even throw in one of any one you want with the exception on Sean Johnson and Austin Berry.

  6. I am done with MLS as a league if they force Chicago to trade his rights to LA. There are way too many people in the Galaxy organization speaking openly about a player whose rights are owned by another team.

    This stinks horribly.

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    • Calm down! The dudes from Huntington Beach. Its geographic at this point. No one has said anything about him signing for Galaxy! Decaf may be in order

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      • I have to agree with Chitown, seems to be a matter of time at this point that he signs with LA. We’ve def taken a beating on the Oduro trade to this point. We’re not going to force a guy to play for us when he doesn’t want to but come on this sets a dangerous precedent for the future if all you have to do is fake a “retirement” and sign for whatever team you want.

      • You don’t think the fact that he didn’t want to play for Chicago had any thing to do with the timing of his retirement? If LA had owned his rights then do you still think he retires? Probably not.

      • His contract was terminated by mutual consent with Leeds. Technically, He hasn’t retired unless he’s filed his papers with the MLS Players Union.

      • If you leave your team and say there’s a chance that you’ll return to the game at a later time, That is not a retirement until he says he’s done with the game.

      • Yes, because his coming out of the closet had nothing to do with it. Even this important event in the history of gay rights in English-speaking countries was only a face for LAG to achieve their dastardly, Galactic Empire-like aims.

      • You can call it what you want to Eric, CNN, ESPN New York Times, fox and this website headlines were Rodgers comes out, retires. Not, Rodgers comes out, takes leave of absence. Just because that’s your interpertation doesn’t mean that’s what was said.

      • The headlines were shortened to the point of inaccuracy, as often happens. Rogers has stated since his announcement that he may return to the game. Chicago still owns his rights, though, and shouldn’t be bullied into a trade whether Rogers and the rest of MLS like it or not.

    • Rogers is out-of-contract so his rights are not owned by any team. And the transfer window is open until May 6th. If he signs with MLS then Chicago has right of first refusal, which LA would have to buy out with allocation money or transfer of player. Chicago would have to show a willingness to sign Rogers to maintain that right of first refusal. It’s an allocation ranking, not a player’s rights that are the subject. So it’s completely fair for LA to be interested. Now, there is a gripe if Chicago is not adequately compensated for Rogers should LA come knocking.

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      • Yes though Chicago has no leverage, either they trade his rights or he stay retired. I guess Chicago should have gauged his interest in the first place but it’s still a bit of Rodgers forcing his way to where he wants to go a-la Eli Manning and San Diego.

      • Also, and this if a big if, I guy who just came out and wants to return to professional sports, may want the support of his family who happen to live in LA. Just saying

      • The smart move is for Chicago to inflate the value of Rogers to get as much out of any deal with a potential MLS club. Yet offer as little money as possible to be considered a reasonable offer to maintain their right of first refusal. If Rogers doesn’t want to play for Chicago, this is the smart move.

        Rogers has not retired, he’s out-of-contract. Rogers used the word retire as a euphemism for quitting. He hasn’t officially retired from MLS. Didn’t Brett Favre “retire” like 3 times?

      • How would we do that? Everyone and their mother knows he doesn’t want to play in Chicago. They’ll offer us a ham sandwich for his rights and there’s not much we can do about it.

      • “Right of first refusal and MLS rights are the same thing, just different words.”

        That’s from the Chicago Fire’s official account. If we turn Rogers down, he goes into the USMNT allocation pool.

        His rights are owned by the Chicago Fire. Full stop. He isn’t up for grabs. The moment he declares he’s returning to soccer he becomes a member of the Chicago Fire in contract negotiations.

    • Remember when Brian McBride would only return to MLS if he got to play in Chicago.
      Not saying you are a hypocrite, but this stuff happens regularly in MLS.

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      • Except it doesn’t.

        Brian McBride’s rights were not owned by anybody. He was to be put threw the USMNT allocation process when he returned to the league.

        Chicago OWNS Robbie Roger’s rights. We traded for him knowing he was coming back. He then left. He is ours.

      • I get that the rules are the rules and should be enforced the same for everyone. You’re right about that. But here the rule itself is dumb. The guy is out of contract and should be able to sign wherever he wants.

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