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Magee dealt to Fire for rights to Rogers, who has signed deal with Galaxy

Mike Magee

By IVES GALARCEP

When the word of Robbie Rogers’ desire to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy first surfaced, the initial belief was that the Chicago Fire (which hold Rogers’ MLS rights) would likely fetch something small in a trade.

The Fire aimed much, much higher than just a draft pick of allocation and landed a hometown hero in the process.

Sources have confirmed to SBI that the Fire and Galaxy have completed a trade that has sent Rogers’ rights to the Galaxy in exchange for Chicago native Mike Magee.

The Galaxy and Fire agreed to the terms of the trade earlier in the week, but Rogers did not finalize his new contract with MLS until Friday. Both teams are expected to announce the trade on Saturday.

The teams had been talking trade for several weeks, with the Fire asking for a package including Magee and other parts. The Galaxy were looking to acquire Rogers’ rights for far less, but after weeks of negotiations, LA finally relented and parted with their team’s leading scorer.

So does a Magee-for-Rodgers deal make sense?

Magee seems like a steep price to pay for the services of Rogers, but Rogers is considerably younger (he’s 25, Magee is 29) and the marketing appeal of having the first openly gay player in pro American team sports could make the deal worthwhile for the Galaxy.

From a soccer standpoint, the Galaxy would be giving up Magee’s goal-scoring ability, and penchant for playing well in big games, but they would also be welcoming in a player in Rogers who would give the team a pure wing threat who could slot in as a right winger or left winger.

The Galaxy also have a pair of the league’s most talented young attacking players in Jose Villarreal and Gyasi Zardes, two players who can help fill the kind of roles that Magee’s departure leaves with the Galaxy.

Rogers will be expected to slot in on the right wing once he is fit, and he should be able to give the team some quality service from the flank, with either Landon Donovan or Villarreal sliding into the left wing role.

The trade is a bonanza for the Fire, who acquire a proven goal scorer and a local Chicago-area product with a track record of coming up big in big games. Chicago’s struggling offense will almost certainly benefit from Magee’s finishing and soccer acumen, though the FIre are almost assuredly still searching for more help at forward.

The trade also puts a new perspective on Chicago’s trade of Dominic Oduro to the Columbus Crew for Dilly Duka and the rights to Rogers.

What do you think of the deal? Think the Galaxy are crazy? Feeling good about the Fire after their acquisitions of Magee and Bakary Soumare?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. R-O-G-E-R-S, there’s no “D” people…
    For those playing the SBI drinking game at home, this is one of the more prominent items to drink to over the years, right along with the Freddy Adu age comments and John O’Brien out-of-retirement call ups, ha.

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  2. Shocking, Magee has been solid for l.a. I hope Rogers is in form and this isn’t just p.r. Could be that garber and arena struck a back room deal. Nonetheless, I hope they both succeed. On the face of it, Chicago get a proven and in form striker for the rights to what has to be considered a question mark. I will let Rogers’ play do the talking though. And I would like to see him regain his national team form, but I have to say that is no guarantee. If he can get his head on straight, he could. Off topic, but I’d also like to see Brek do the same. I’m not sure if this immediately improves the galaxy on the field, though the galaxy have talent to play with.

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  3. The fire pulled off a good deal here, especially since they had nearly no leverage in the situation. Great job. Hope it works out for both sides.

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  4. Great pickup by Fire. Rogers is a good player but not worth giving up such an important part of Galaxy. I hope Robbie makes the Galaxy look brilliant in the end….he is a talented player and maybe he can develop even more under playing alongside guys like LD and Keane.

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  5. When I first heard RR was coming to Galaxy … I thought okay, that’s cool.
    But when I heard it was a trade for MM .. I thought WTF?
    Best of luck Mike, you did us proud!

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  6. There is an advantage here for LA that Donovan will likely move up to forward. They’ve been wanting to do that. Their lineup might be stronger with Rodgers even if Magee is a better soccer player because he fills a need in their lineup.

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  7. As a Sounders fan I approve of this move.. Magee has been a pain for the past few years… but,.. Maybe Chicago finally has the weapon to finally beat us tho…

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  8. So I see a win-win-win-win-lose situation – only loser is Magee. 1 win for Rogers of course. 2 wins for LA’s PR. But it is a questionable deal soccer-wise. Magee gone – gonzo leaving – no lampard – possibly a new DP this summer. With all these changes, LA may not 3-peat as team chemistry will be low but if any team can afford it, LA can. 3 wins for Chicago who need Magee as he will immediately help Oduro up top. And 4 wins for league parity as this may open up for another team to win the Cup – maybe finally, NYRB’s year to shine ?!?!?

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    • BTW This will be a win for Magee if he plays well in Chicago because then we will know if it was the player or LA’s system that made him good. Then Klinsmann will certainly call him up to the USMNT – he would be a good support player like Brad Evans.

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    • Not sure if it’s so fair to categorize him as an ex-Nat player. Technically, yes, he played a few meaningless matches for USMNT, but he was never a regular and he was probably called in more for his speed and need at the position than actually being a top 23 player. He’s definitely a useful guy, though.

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  9. at first glance, it tells me Arena is really psyched on the new young guns

    hope this all plays out for the Galaxy. Fire just got a tough, in form competitor who is clutch and playing with tons of confidence

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  10. wow. hope this works for the Galaxy, Magee a favorite for many years now since he got himself in shape a few years ago.

    Robbie Rodgers…never a favorite on the field and always the player who almost could but can’t. Hope he can change that perception

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  11. It will be pretty interesting if he tries to get to the National team, then the US plays in an hostile place like Honduras or Costa Rice or even Mexico… Those fanatics will have a field day with him especially if he is in the starting eleven, that’s an automatic loss for the US cos that will get to him…..the fans calling him some pretty nasty name all of 90 mins…….

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    • I doubt it would get to him.

      The PR for him joining the USMNT would be interesting. I can see him getting another call up. If he can still play.

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    • Naw…its like yelling at a concert. It all gets drowned out. He won’t hear any slurs unless the overwhelming majority decide in a coordinated slur-ridden chant.

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    • I hope he doesn’t get affected by it…..those central American fans could be very hostile…..they could sing that (slurs and curses) all match long & they are doing that so that they can help their team win. I also won’t be surprise the players of the opposing team will try to get under his skin by taunting him on field so he could take drastic action and get himself a red card aka Zinedine Zidane….Well good luck to him.

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  12. I wanted Rodgers in LA but Mike Magee was too high a price to pay and I think this will cause a backlash from fans. LA jus got a whole lot worse while Rodgers works his way to fitness and health. Fire can get out of the cellar.

    Magee is an underrated workhorse of a player and has been steadily proving himself on the stat sheet the past few years. This is a sad day. Magee was part of what made LA and he was good in the lockerr room, pitch, and everywhere.

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    • I also find the timing of this trade becoming public to be suspicious, late late on a Friday when the news gets quieter for a few days and people are off. Like the firing a person on a Friday so you risk less of a backlash.

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      • You think they are trying to downplay this move? More likely, the league wanted to make sure it happened in time for Rogers to be on the roster when the Galaxy play the Sounders on national tv before a packed house on Sunday night. They may even have needed some lead time to get an International transfer certificate completed since Rogers last played in England.

  13. Rodgers is more athletic but McGee is the better soccer player! McGee is more skilled and a better scorer. Dumb move!

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  14. Bigger questions is what is the Galaxy plan for DP3 without Beckham. I believe this is part of their plans to sign another DP this year.

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