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MLS Ticker: Dempsey not traveling to Colorado; Rosales “wishes” to remain with Sounders; and more

Clint Dempsey

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

Clint Dempsey’s participation with the U.S. Men’s National Team’s final two World Cup qualifiers in October could be in serious doubt as of Friday.

After training on Friday, Seattle Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid all but confirmed Dempsey’s omission from the traveling squad that will face the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Dempsey has spent the last three weeks trying to recover from a hamstring injury suffered in Sounders training.

“He’s making progress, he’s getting better, but for him to travel at this stage is probably still a little early,” Schmid told the Seattle Times after practice.

USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann delayed his roster announcement due to injury concerns from players on the squad, and Dempsey is likely one of the players Klinsmann is waiting on to see if he can be fit. If Dempsey is unavailable, it will be another big blow to a U.S. side that’s already missing Michael Bradley due to injury.

Here are some more stories from around the league:

ROSALES HOPEFUL TO REMAIN WITH THE SOUNDERS

Although he’s seen his status on the team diminish slightly this season with the arrival of big money signings of Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders midfielder Mauro Rosales isn’t ready to move on from the Emerald City.

The 32-year-old Argentine’s contract is up at the end of this season, but speaking to press this week and through his agent, former FC Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala, Rosales confirmed his ambition to remain with the Sounders for the future.

“I want to stay in the (USA) and in MLS for a few more years,” Rosales told the Seattle Times. “I wish I can stay here. We will see.”

The Times report states that Rosales is hoping for a new two-year contract, the same length as the current contract he is on. He may have to go below his designated player status though as a number of players are in line for raises, such as Eddie Johnson and Osvaldo Alonso.

NYC FC SIGN RADIO DEAL WITH WFAN IN NEW YORK

Major League Soccer’s newest franchise New York City FC has no stadium of it’s own or even a head coach, but they just inked a deal that will certainly boost their profile in America’s most populous city.

On Thursday, WFAN Radio, the first ever sports radio station in the world, announced that they had signed a multi-year deal with NYC FC to broadcast all of their league and friendly matches on the radio starting in 2015. The news comes nearly a month after co-owner of the club, the New York Yankees, announced that they had come to terms to move to WFAN for the next season.

“We’re thrilled to partner with a station as prestigious as WFAN,” said Ferran Soriano, CEO of Manchester City Football Club in a statement. “This is a huge opportunity for the team to bring (soccer) to all New Yorkers, right from the onset of our playing debut.”

The deal represents a major boost for MLS in the New York area, as the two other professional franchises in the area, the New York Red Bulls of MLS and the New York Cosmos of the NASL, both have radio deals but the Red Bulls is Spanish language only, while the Cosmos is online-only.

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What do you think of these reports? Do you see Dempsey’s absence hurting the Sounders in Colorado? Do you believe the Sounders can resign Rosales? How important is it for NYC FC to have a major radio deal?

Comments

  1. Who gets the captain if Dempsey is out? LD, Howard or Jones. I only mention Jones because he has worn the armband in the past and Klinsi loves him.

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  2. I know NYCFC only got the radio deal because of their connections to the Yankees but come on RBNY – 18 years and still no english language radio? And we wonder RBNY is invisible in the NYC sports market? Can we rectify this please?

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  3. Big Blow? Dempsey hasn’t play to his usual standard since June, that’s 4 months ago! I hope he is not included in the list, I want to see AJ get the start for being “in form”, Let’s see what the kid can do.

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  4. I wish Klinsmann wouldn’t have been so gung-ho to say that if Dempsey was playing on Saturday he would be with the National Team. I think it created a club vs. country controversy that didn’t really exist too much before this. Supposedly he is good friends with Sigi? Then why wasn’t this handled behind closed doors? Now fans have to get this club vs. country thing in their heads when before most MLS fans were pretty pro-country.

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  5. A big blow? Uhm, the US has already qualified. They will be fine without Deuce. Lando or Iceman will replace him in the hole. And to be honest Landon is a better fit in the hole anyway.

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  6. I like Rosales. Nice guy, works hard, puts the ball on Eddie’s head, but he is not worth a DP contract. The league has gotten better and he has gone the other way. Put Eddie just below DP and Alonso as a DP. Extend Yedlin. Great team next year.

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    • Rosales is not really an every game player anymore, he needs games off and to only appear as a sub sometimes. He can still be an impact player but doesn’t deserve DP money at this point probably, would like to have him stay in Seattle but not at his current price.

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    • Probably something like Jozy and Johannsson up top, with Donovan on one wing and maybe Bedoya or Fabian Johnson on the other, and Jones with Beckerman or Diskeruud in the middle. Kljestan could also play as a cutting in winger or a CM ahead of Jones. Plenty of options.

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      • I want to see Aron up top too. But at this point, given the form he has been in for the national team lately, it’s hard not to have EJ play a part. Maybe start Aron in kc and have Eddie on the road? Or perhaps the opposite. I’d rather we make it easier for panama to get a result if that’s what they need to keep Mexico at home this World Cup….

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