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MLS Ticker: Martins sidelined by knee injury, Earthquakes sign local forward; and more

ObaMartins (Getty)

By VINCE MADURI

Seattle Sounders’ recently acquired forward Obafemi Martins will miss the CONCACAF Champions League second leg against Santos Laguna after the Nigerian picked up an injury to a tendon above his knee.  The forward has already left the team to seek treatment and had been ruled out of the first leg Tuesday night.

“He’s had this injury before and he was treated by a doctor, so we’ve let him go back to see that doctor,” Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said. “Then he’ll be back early next week. We’ll be in communication and hopefully whatever the guy did the last time will resolve it and he’ll be able to do it again.”

Martins has yet to score his first goal with the club since being acquired from Spanish club Levante.

Here are some more stories from around MLS:

EARTHQUAKES ADD LOCAL FORWARD TO BOLSTER DEPTH

The San Jose Earthquakes signed Bay Area native Alexandre Gonzalez Emerson Thursday to strengthen the team’s forward depth.

Gonzalez Emerson, who is only 20-years-old, had played for Mexican side Necaxa since he was only the age of 12.  The forward broke into the first team for the club in 2012 but instead decided to pursue an opportunity for his local club San Jose.  Gonzalez Emerson played for the Earthquakes in preseason, scoring two goals.

The young Emerson joins a club loaded at the forward position with the likes of reigning MVP Chris Wondolowski, Steven Lenhart, Alan Gordon, Michael Fucito and rookie Adam Jahn.

RAPIDS STILL CAUGHT IN A BATTLE FOR CAMEROONIAN ELOUNDOU

Almost three months after announcing the Colorado Rapids had signed 18-year-old Cameroonian Charles Eloundou, the forward remains in his homeland and not with the club.

Rapids technical director Paul Bravo talked about the battle between the Cameroon FA and Colorado Wednesday.

“I think we’re close to getting a resolution with his situation,” Bravo said. “What we’ve put together is a timeline of the events and MLS proceeds us getting the players right. MLS signed him back in December when he turned 18, and that has started the timeline. Unfortunately, it has taken much longer that we hoped and expected.”

The forward is training in Cameroon a few months after making his full international debut for his homeland at just 18-years-old.  With Eloundou’s stock rising, several Cameroon clubs are trying to get money out of the player before they turn him over to MLS.

The Cameroon FA and U.S. Soccer have now gone to FIFA to sort out the situation.

“It’s up to the Cameroon FA to respond to the U.S. Soccer request [for Eloundou]. And then it’s up to the league to request from the federation to submit that stuff to FIFA, and then for FIFA to take action,” Bravo said, while adding that the Eloundou move is not a loan as originally thought, but a purchase. “The next step is hopefully to get a ruling from FIFA.”

RAPIDS’ HARBOTTLE OUT 4-6 WEEKS

The Colorado Rapids have confirmed that Chilean winger Kevin Harbottle is set to miss 4-6 weeks after spraining his left knee in training last Friday.  The 22-year-old underwent an MRI on Tuesday which confirmed the injury.

Harbottle has already begun rehabilitation on the knee while the club is set to face Real Salt Lake on April 6th.

QUICK KICKS

New England Revolution are monitoring goalkeeper Matt Reis’ knee injury: REPORT

Philadelphia Union welcomed Brazilian Kleberson to the area: REPORT

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What do you think of these developments? Starting to worry about Martins’ signing?

Comments

  1. The new Quake signing is listed as a forward, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Yallop doesn’t push him more towards an attacking mid role…same for Martinez, the new Honduran signing. I like Baca a lot, he’s an excellent distributor, but he is not a threat at all in the attacking third. Quakes need to have an attacking option in the middle if flank play is shut down.

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  2. Martins who is actually 34 years old always had injuries what a stupid signing with a player who has had injuries for years.

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  3. Remember when everybody was hailing this mid-level guy as the forward savior for the Sounders? How’s that working out for you? At best, Martins is an above-average journeyman player.

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    • are you honestly implying that if martins was fully healthy he would not be among the better strikers in the MLS? nobody was hailing him as the savior, they were making him out to be the thing that pushes them over the top and clearly that hasnt worked out yet.

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      • I think you better start reading all of the stuff that was said up to the signing. He was supposed to be the guy who scores goals and or sets them up with EJ. That sounds like a savior to me. If you were not in Seattle during his 1st cap, I was, you would have seen everyone acting like they had seen god. I am not over exaggerating. To deny this means you forgot who he replaced on the roster.

    • The guy is anything but a journeyman.

      Any player that’s captained an EPL team, played for Inter and was among the league leaders in goals scored in La Liga is anything but a journeyman.

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      • journeyman also implies switching clubs constantly, unless im mistaken he was at inter/newcastle for like 8 years.

      • Dude is not that great. I would rather have Bruin, old Man Henry, Wondo, Pontious (sp), Agudelo, Bieler, Keane over this dude. MLS has a few good forwards and Martins is not one of them.

      • i simply dont know what to say to that. what has agudelo done to deserve being over him? lol get out of here

  4. I wouldn’t worry until the rehab time goes past Sigi’s expectations. Martins is a beast, and even if he only gets you half a season at full tilt, it will still have been worth it. Bad luck having him and E. Johnson out at the same time though.

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    • i wonder if his pre-contact physical was done over the phone. “So Oba, how’s the knee?” “No problem, its fine.” “Okay. We’ll wire your first paycheck now per your instructions. Looking forward to meeting you in a few days!”

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  5. Maybe the Sounders are just choosing to go in the tank at the beginning of the season and play well in the playoffs instead.

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