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Galaxy land Brazilian forward Samuel on loan

Samuel Fluminense (Fluminense)

By FRANCO PANIZO

There will be even more Brazilian flavor on the LA Galaxy this upcoming season.

The Galaxy announced on Tuesday that they have acquired Brazilian forward Samuel on loan from Fluminense of Brazil’s Serie A. The 22-year-old Samuel has spent the past two seasons with Fluminense, and has scored 15 goals in 72 appearances across all competitions.

“We are pleased to add Samuel to our roster,” said LA Galaxy head coach and general manager Bruce Arena in a statement. “Samuel is a young, talented forward with both size and skill. We are confident his addition will help boost our attack in 2014.”

Samuel, who stands at 6-foot-1, will join a talented LA squad that already includes compatriots Juninho, Marcelo Sarvas and Leonardo as well as star forwards Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane.

Samuel will be added to the Galaxy roster pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa. Terms of his loan agreement were not disclosed.

What do you think of the Galaxy acquiring Samuel? Do you see him becoming the latest player to find success under Arena? What other areas do you hope LA addresses before the season starts?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. This move says that Arena has little hope that Zardes will even find the finishing touch required to play inside the box on the professional level. McBean, maybe they give him another couple of years since he’s still a teenager. But Zardes, welcome to your permanent position as a winger.

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  2. LA seems to be the only MKS team that really takes advantage of such loans. Is my perception correct? Why don’t other teams do this more? Does LA have especially good contacts or scouts?

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    • LA, NY, and Seattle are the teams that take full advantage of the DP rules and have the resources to spend like this.

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      • True, especially if the loan is costly to the MLS club. But my specific question concerned the apparent reluctance of other clubs (even RBNY and Seattle) to pursue such loans, regardless of how expensive it would be.

      • FCD takes advantage of the DP rules, we’re short of 3 now that we released David Ferreira. Sure we don’t spend like some of the others, but we are making use of the DP rules as available. Castillo and Diaz are considered young DPs and our technical director has said FCD is wanting to make use of the 3rd DP spot soon. Personally I’m hoping for Jones, if he decides to come to MLS. Other than a stout DMID, we should still be looking at wingers and another forward/cam.

  3. Too bad galaxy have 3dps already, with all their brazilians, why not make a move for ronaldinho. I don’t ronaldinho Is making the World Cup in Brazil. He will only go to sunny weather, unless New York City fc brings him or red bull, but ronaldinho loves the sunny weather and galaxy would be perfect, so now it’s all between Miami, Orlando and nycfc.
    Hopefully after World Cup 2014, MLS 2015 will have more Dps and a higher salary cap.

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    • If the Galaxy land Ronaldinho, I could see the league deciding to allow more designated players. Like the previous three times that LA signed marquee players that had no chance of squeezing under the salary cap.

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      • MLS is opening their wallet more, but galaxy making Gonzales a DP is kinda weird, unless he goes to Europe before or after the World Cup.
        Then u got Landon who will not leave MLS since he’s afraid of Europe.
        Then keane, but galaxy is missing out on a top DP.

      • I think LA making Omar a DP is a roll of the dice at him having a good WC. If he shows well, he will sell high.

  4. He sounds like a steal, but if his team is willing to part with him for a year then I am still skeptical. It worked really well with Juninho so I hope Samuel can be as good.

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  5. Hopefully better than the DC guy… Bruce has had good luck with international signings tho.

    I assume its a 12 mo loan w/ option to buy?

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    • At something like 14 goals in 72 games in 2 years, it will be interesting whether this is a Chad Barrett-productive banger or someone who flourishes like Luciano Emilio.

      That they are shipping out Villareal and bringing in this guy, to me, underlines MLS’ continued focus on veterans who they think they can use right now.

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  6. Looks to me like they are also providing cover for an aging front line. Hard to tell how helpful this will be without more opportunities to see him play.

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  7. Maybe wishful thinking, but I see Samuel as the best characteristics of Villarreal and McBean: Villarreal’s skill/accuracy and McBean’s size. Time will tell if that’s an accurate assessment.

    I still see LA’s midfield as the area that needs the most improvement. If they can land a playmaking mid, I think they’ll be set.

    Oh yeah, we’re also down a right back with Franklin’s departure. Oscar Sorto is good, but he’s 19 years old. Would be good to bring in a veteran.

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    • —- Keane —- Samuel (or McBean) —-
      Zardes —- Juninho —- Sarvas —- Donovan
      Dunivant —- DLG —- Omar —- Sorto
      ———— Penedo ————

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      • That’s a good lineup when everyone is healthy and available. Keane just had double Achilles surgery, Donovan will miss some games for the World Cup, and I’m not sure Sorto is ready for the starting job yet.

        I still think we need a playmaker. Not sure who I would replace, though. Sarvas’ work-rate is irreplaceable, as is Zardes’ speed. That leave Juninho. Maybe competition at his position would up his game a bit.

      • Pretty much exactly what i was thinking/hoping for, but push DLG out on the right and insert Leonardo or Opare at CB next to Omar. Awesome midfiled with Landy not having to play as a forward all the time.

    • nope they need to learn how to develop young players. Sick of mls teams buying old (not in this case) players instead of using promising young players

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      • Like Zyardes, Gil, Yedlin, etc. now.

        Like Besler, Zusi, Omar, etc. when they were young.

        I think MLS is doing just fine with developing young players.

      • they aren’t developing them though. They are poaching them off other club teams in So Cal. By the time they enter the LAG Academy they are already 17 yrs old.

        MLS clubs need to start developing players at younger ages.

      • Problem is still, if you develop these players at a young age now they can be poached by MX and European teams without any recourse.

        Haji Wright might be the next example of this.

      • MLS is trying to sign three “home grown” college players even as I type.

        Do you follow MLS Shawn ? Between the draft and home grown players, I am guessing there were around 40 young guys brought into MLS last year.

      • Richie Williams just released a camp list for U-17 close to half the kids are MLS youth team players, a pair of them are actually U-15 kids being called up.

        Unless you’re seriously following a club or youth soccer in general, it may seem like little is being done, but there’s been huge advancements in MLS related youth academies in the past several years.

      • Like AJ De La Garza? Or Sean Franklin? Or Villareal, McBean, Zardes, and Gonzo? As much as LA relies on big purchases, they have a lot of core players on their team that came up through their academy or the draft.

      • Don’t forget Opare, Meyer, Sorto, Rafael Garcia, Charlie Rugg, Hector Jimenez, Chandler Hoffman, Michael Stephens, or even Haji Wright who just tore up the likes of England and Brasil in the Nike Friendlies?

      • Yup. LA’s U23 team would not be the worst team in the league, and their team of only academy and drafted players could probably make the playoffs. They are much more than Donovan, Keane, and a handful of Brazilians.

    • mls teams as in plural! Yes players to come up from academy but, many of them get stuck at around 18-20 with no first team action and they rot in reserves. Sure they are some but, they’re clearly not enough

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    • Wow, that is a horrible combination of players who I’d bet won’t amount to much of anything. I don’t understand the fascination with McBean. The kid is incredibly clumsy and pretty slow. He’s a VERY poor man’s Connor Casey and he’ll be lucky to have 1/10th of Casey’s success. Villareal is simply to frail. With his size he needs to be at least two steps quicker than he is and you can’t train speed.

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