By DAN KARELL
The Portland Timbers found success last season when signing Diego Valeri from Argentina and they’re hoping to replicate that success in 2014 again.
According to a report in Diario Ole in Argentina, veteran Tigre defender Norberto Paparatto is on his way to Portland after a deal was agreed between the two clubs. Paparatto will undergo a medical examination before signing a contract with the Timbers.
The 30-year-old centerback, who recently served as Tigre captain, brings with him six years of service and 126 league appearances to the Timbers, with one goal scored during his time at Tigre. The Buenos Aires-based club finished runners-up to the Argentine league title on three occasions during Paparatto’s tenure and they also finished runners-up in the 2012 Copa Sudamericana.
Paparatto joins the defending regular season MLS Western Conference champions, and will take part in the CONCACAF Champions League next season. Reportedly set to join the Timbers this month from Argentina as well is Gaston “La Gata” Fernandez.
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What do you think of this report? Do you like this signing? Think that the Timbers are dominating the Argentine market?
Share your thoughts below.
Factual error – the Timbers are not the Western Division Champs. They lost to RSL.
“regular season MLS Western Conference champions” is correct. Read: regular season. They were not the playoff champions, nor did the article suggest as much.
Recent signings of American players suggest they may be the most overpriced. Gonzalez, Dempsey, and Bradley never would have commanded the figures they got from MLS in any other market around the world.
Mexican players have been historically much more overpriced in their own league. Chivas Guadalajara just paid 3 million for a 27 year old centerback with no national team caps and less than 3 years of top league experience
I think you mean American USMNT players by your comment. Gonzalez, Dempsey, and Bradley are very much the exception than the norm. Many American and Canadian players are paid much less than the average European or South American in our league.
Overpriced in MLS. Underpriced everywhere else.
T R U E
Argentine footballers can be overpriced, but not as nearly overpriced as Brazilians.
True. But not more over priced then English players.
Exactly re:English players. Francis Jeffers anyone???
No people in the HISTORY OF THE WORLD has thought more of themselves than the English! OK, we are a close second but the English are the worst at valuing players and overvaluing their contributions to the world.
Argentina has one of the best division 2 in the world, due to its toughness and very young players. People in mexico compare ligaMX to Argentina second division, crazy but true. But timbers can con do better than that, why not go after skcs center. U need to steal to win 🙂
Wonder if the Salary Cap went up and the public hasnt heard the announcement yet !
Salary cap can’t go up until a new CBA is negotiated.
and MLS doesn’t pay transfer fees. OOPS!
just kidding, I am sure it hasnt, yet.
“Salary cap can’t go up until a new CBA is negotiated.”
Not true, It can be raised anytime the owners please and no I don’t have a link.
This Argentine pipeline is paramount to signing players who are skilled and professional. Morales, Rosales, and Valeri are a testament to this.
Argentina export more professional footballers than any country in the world
really? i would have guessed it was brazil produced more, particularly after hearing tim vickery talk about it. do you know this to be fact or is this conjecture, and maybe have a link to the info? not to doubt you, just to learn more. like i said, i’m a bit surprised. i agree that the quality of the players that they produce to be top notch.
I heard it once watching a game, so no, at don’t have a source at the moment, and things could have changed (it’s been a couple if years). I thought the same thing though when I heard it te first time – how could it not be Brazil?
the rising Brazilian economy is keeping more of their young impact players at home now so their export numbers are down. Meanwhile the economy in Argentina is not on the rise and they are Exporting their players for nice paydays when they can to supplement the lack of Sponsorship and Butts in seats.
On the production side I would say Brazil is producing a similar number of players, possibly more. BUT there are also more people in Brazil and more flame outs of trying to find that impact player Brazilian. Just because the name ends in “-inho” doesn’t mean he’s gonna be a world beater. It just means he’s the lesser of someone else’s name.
The Argentine league is not what it was, but the quality of players is still very good. Great place for MLS teams to pick up impact pieces.
Lot of talent comes out of Argentina. Great to see MLS tapping into that league