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MLS Ticker: Whitecaps to sign DP playmaker, Zavaleta joins Chivas USA on loan, and more

PedroMoralesVAN (Getty)

By IVES GALARCEP

The Vancouver Whitecaps had a relatively quiet off-season in terms of additions this winter, but the past week has seen the club make some serious moves that have increased the reason for optimism for the club which was forced into selling a Golden Boot winner.

The Province in Vancouver reported on Friday that the Whitecaps are going to sign Chilean playmaker Pedro Morales from Spanish side Malaga. The move was first reported in Spain, but the Province confirmed the report.

Morales has left Malaga by mutual consent, and appears ready to give the Whitecaps their third Designated Player and second midfield DP addition of the week after acquiring Argentine defensive midfielder Matias Laba from Toronto FC.

Here are some other items to catch you up on the latest in MLS news:

ZAVALETA JOINS CHIVAS USA ON LOAN

Eriq Zavaleta didn’t get much of a chance for playing time with the Seattle Sounders as a rookie in 2013, but his chances for time in 2014 have increased after being loaned to Chivas USA for the season.

Zavaleta will join a Chivas USA attack in what is just the second intraleague loan deal completed since MLS established the player personnel mechanism a year ago. Tony Cascio’s loan from Colorado to Houston being the other.

Zavaleta made five appearances for the Sounders in 2013, playing just 31 minutes. He also had loan stints with the NASL San Antonio Scorpions.

EARTHQUAKES LOAN BINGHAM, GARZA TO NASL SCORPIONS

The San Jose Earthquakes have loaned goalkeeper David Bingham and forward Sam Garza to the NASL’s San Antonio Scorpions for the upcoming season.

Bingham has been a regular in U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League action for the Earthquakes, but was not ready to unseat regular starter Jon Busch. The 24-year-old will have his chance for regular playing time with the Scorpions.

Garza has seen limited playing time in his two seasons since being a first-round pick for the San Jose Earthquakes. He has played in 11 MLS matches for the club, but should find more regular playing time with San Antonio.

QUICK KICKS

Mike Magee has returned to training with the Chicago Fire after having been out for “personal reasons”. Reports had Magee holding out for a new contract, with Fire head coach Frank Yallop denies.

D.C. United has named Tom Hunt the club’s new Chief Operating Officer after former COO Michael Williamson left the club to become Chief Financial Officer at Inter Milan.

The LA Galaxy have waived defender Bryan Gaul. A rookie in 2013, Gaul made 14 appearances for the Galaxy.

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What do you think of these developments?

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Comments

  1. “Zavaleta will join a Chivas USA attack in what is just the second intraleague loan deal”

    I thought Laba was a loan.

    Reply
      • On their website the Whitecaps even wrote it was an acquisition not a loan. This is great for us as Laba was really solid in his preseason showing last night. To top it off looking forward to Morales joining the team soon to if it is true.

  2. There’s only room for one Morales in MLS and he plays for RSL. Of course I’m joking and would love to finally see a Chileno do well in MLS. So far the Argentines have owned MLS and very few Chileans have joined the league and there hasn’t been one that I can remember that made any kind of impact.

    Reply
  3. Sounders have really not done well at all with their first rounders in their history:

    2009: Zakuani – in Portland (injuries really derailed him)

    2010: Estrada – still w/Seattle (hard to see him becoming much more than highly average)

    2011: Traded 1st rounder

    2012: Andrew Duran – never played for Seattle, waived in 2013

    2013: Zavaleta – rarely played, multiple loans now

    pretty bad history of choices there, I know the sample is a bit small but still

    Reply
    • Lets get real, something like 4 – 5 first rounders amount to something in a given draft. I would be willing to bet that Seattle’s picks are near on par with most other teams. IMHO, the draft is something that will be gone once the ‘home grown player’ starts to have more impact.

      Reply
      • while true, it’s a bit bold to be putting this on ives’ site where his sole source of income is those ads.

      • Freeload or don’t log in at work or anywhere else where unexpected sounds are undesirable. What I hate is the EPL fantasy site log-in page I can get the first letter down, but then have to wait and wait and wait for some retarded commercial, on a slow-as-molasses cheap server, from a company that I will now actively steer my friends away from. (not listing it here because on the net, any publicity is good publicity). But still, web-browsing should be seen, not heard, unless your on uTube.

      • Common sense solution here bud, like most of us in the office we disable the sound for all applications. Nothing more annoying than listening to a cube-mate’s PC ping all day for emails, etc.

        Right sys tray sound icon, disable sound.

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