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Villa set for fall loan to Melbourne City

DavidVillaMelbourneHeartSigning1 (MelbourneCityFC)

By DAN KARELL

David Villa will in fact be playing soccer this fall, though it won’t be in Manchester or New York.

New York City FC sister club Melbourne City FC announced on Wednesday that David Villa will be playing for them between October and December. It’s expected that Villa will play 10 times for Melbourne in the 2014-2015 A-League season, and then return to New York for NYC FC’s inaugural campaign.

Villa, currently in the Spanish national team squad for the World Cup, will take time off after the tournament to recharge his batteries before joining his teammates in Australia.

“It’s very good for me in every sense,” Villa said about playing in Australia. “From a football point of view it’s the opportunity to play in a new league in a different country, and of course it will be ideal for me to get some competitive football in the period before the MLS season gets under way. I’m sure that playing for Melbourne City FC will be a marvelous experience.

“What I’ve always done throughout my career is do the best I possibly can. That is what I will do for Melbourne City FC in every game that I play for them. I’ll be giving everything for the team, just like I have with every club I’ve played for.”

On Monday, NYC FC announced Villa as the team’s first ever player signing, joining the club on a three-year contract. Though it wasn’t disclosed, it’s a safe bet to assume that Villa is joining the team as a Designated Player.

Villa is coming off a season with Atletico Madrid where he scored 15 goals in all competitions and helped lead Atletico to their first La Liga title in 18 years.

Melbourne City FC finished last season in last place in the ten-team A-League with just 26 points from 27 games. Last January, Manchester City purchased the club and on Thursday unveiled Villa and their name rebrand from Melbourne Heart to Melbourne City.

This move is likely a win-win for Man City, as they get to sign a talented player to play in front of crowds in two countries with leagues where Villa could become one of the star players .

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What do you think of this news? Surprised to see Villa go to play in Australia while he waits for the 2015 MLS season to begin? Not surprised at all? Think he should have gone on-loan to a team in Europe?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Looks like Villa is taking a tour of retirement leagues. It’s amazing how far he has fallen is such a short amount of time.

    Reply
    • He’s not playing in Australia because he has “fallen so far.” He signed for NYCFC because that is what he wants to do…this is a training exercise while he waits for MLS to start up next year.

      It’s not really hard to understand.

      Reply
    • You know that’s an excellence thought. I assume Melbourne City’s payments are seperate of his NYCFC’s contract.
      Then again many MLS players have gone to Europe to stay fresh during the break, if they were paid in a similar fashion, then there is no issue.

      Yes, Man City can however give a him bigger salary at Melbourne Citycan be a wink,wink

      Reply
    • This is being done to promote “City” so the more reasonable alternatives are cast aside in favor of one that promotes City’s holdings. You could loan him back to Spain including AM but then that’s not helping sell City’s brand expansion. Ditto a loan to anywhere else in Europe, or into the US at either an existing MLS side or god forbid a minor league team (which would also be too big a comedown one assumes anyway). This is the natural result if they won’t let him play for just anyone to stay sharp, that he goes to an affiliate.

      The risk is he either gets hurt or loses sharpness playing for the worst team in the A-league, but I think they want control and will risk him being hurt playing for a City affiliate but no one else.

      NYC has no team yet so they have no cap concerns this fall. The sign and loan approach on this timeframe is being done for PR reasons to highlight the team and Villa prior to the World Cup so they can sell tickets for next year. In theory this could have waited until next winter, in sporting terms, but then you lose the value of the World Cup for publicity, as well as the ability for a long term ticket push. So you sign him now to secure his services but then you have to do something with him for the better part of a year til next season starts.

      Reply
      • I should add that this way, he can launch both the Melbourne reboot and the NYC new team and be all things to both teams. The initial face of two new City teams, and the fans of the other team don’t necessarily realize their Face of the Franchise also is launching the other team. Funny that.

  2. Villa has been very successful in La Liga this year with excellent service and Diego Costa next to him being double-teamed. Australia will be good for him to learn how to play with less accurate service and a less intimidating striking partner. Smart business decision by Man City.

    Reply
  3. Hmmmm…..I would rather have Villa some All-Stars and some friendlies than go to A-league, Villa’s performance level might drop playing in A-league.

    Reply
    • His performance will drop if he plays in a competitive league, but not if he plays friendles? That doesnt make sense

      Reply
  4. Right about now Villa must be wandering WTF happened to his career. A couple of weeks he was playing the UCL final and just when he thought he couldn’t go much lower than MLS off to the A league he goes.

    Reply
      • he has a point. Villa is assured CL football in the fall with Atletico. Sure he only played in like half the games but even at 32, still 1 of the better strikers in SPAIN.

        and yet he moves to a new club in MLS? weird

      • There is no shame in taking a big payday at age 32. If he was 22 and chose MLS, we’d all rightly scratch our heads, but at 32 – and still firing on all cylinders, we must concede – it’s a perfectly logical move to come stateside.

        It’s a win-win for all involved. Villa gets paid, NYCFC gets his highly-valued services, and MLS gets the press. End of story, really.

    • We are all aware that Villa agreed to this deal? So I don’t think he’s wondering about it at all. I’m sure he’s quite happy to be collecting a nice pay check and eventually be playing soccer in NYC.

      Reply
  5. Villa “Amigo, hay antes nueve meses hasta jugamos en MLS, hay otra liga donde hablamos Ingles y jugar futbol mediocre?”

    “Si, Australia”
    “Bueno”
    -David Villa signs on for a loan with Melbourne FC

    Reply
    • This is an ignorant comment.

      Man City partially owns the Melbourne Heart. They’re just making sure Villa stays fit for the start of the NYCFC season, and they’re doing it free of charge.

      Reply
  6. I know I will get bombarded with negative comments but if MLS expands into warmer markets and each team has their own stadium, and let’s say MLS goes for 26 or 28 teams, then why not go into the FIFA calendar.
    MLS would actually make more money and get more attention, by executing a FIFA calendar season.
    In addition, MLS would be able to get more dps and talent with the FIFA calendar.
    So let’s say, when MLS get 26 teams with warmer markets, start in august, break in mid December and come back during Super Bowl week with a couple of games. ( during winter break, have a Hawaii tournament, ligaMX vs MLS tournament in Mexico and of course friendlies in non MLS markets)
    End the season in May and maybe have the all star MLS game at the end of the season and have endless summer friendlies versus European, South American teams.
    By the way, before I get bombarded with negative stigmas, MLS already goes against Nfl preseason and regular season, Most of MLB, most of NCAA football , NCAA March madness, half NBA season and playoffs.
    What’s the difference?
    MLS can have Friday night games, typical Saturday games and Sunday as well. Once MLS hits 26 teams, something has to change.
    Good weather year round after winter break, LA 1 & 2, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, San Jose, San Antonio if they join, Vegas if they join, Sacramento if they join, Toronto has Rogers center, Montreal has the big O, Vancouver is inside, timbers and Seattle are real fans and will show up,
    That’s more than half, plus markets who won’t be afraid of playing AFTER THE WINTER BREAK.

    Reply
      • Do you have a better idea. How many teams do u think MLS will stop at, 26,28?
        Does MLS need warmer or colder markets? Besides Minneapolis, cosmos, Detroit.
        Is San Antonio, Sacramento, Vegas better?
        Will MLS recruit or sign top DPs like Lampard or messi with this current calendar where teams can not just sign them and bring them the next month.
        Do you think garber never dreams about the FIFA calendar?
        Does garber really care about going against NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA? ( news flash, MLS already is) and he needs warmer markets.

      • No but like I said, when MLS reaches 26 or 28 teams.
        At this moment, there is San Antonio, Sacramento, Vegas that will be in MLS sooner than later.
        I’m pretty sure MLS will stop at 28, given that MLS can easily expand to 28 teams.
        So let’s say 23 and 24 are Miami and Vegas.
        Theoretically MLS will have Sacramento and San Antonio on the waiting list and on the east, I guess Minneapolis, cosmos and Indy.
        Besides teams will play in November and mid December and come back the last week of February with a couple of games. Is not that bad.

      • Garber admitted recently that the European calendar just isn’t going to happen in MLS anytime soon.

    • MLS is quickly losing viewers and fans, so as far as American growth MLS is just fine where they are, plus it would be suicide right now for MLS to try and compete with the NFL, NBA, and college football head to head. A lot of MLS’ success can be attributed to America losing interest in baseball, so why try to take on the big dogs too soon?

      And to top it off, FIFA hates America, so why try and play by their rules? They pretty much just shut out this side of the world with their new international league, why would they want to help us grow? And why would we want to give them more earnings? Money for DPs and more teams won’t come from FIFA, it will come from continued support and growth of the American fan base. I think an MLS vs Liga MX tourney would be great (it’s pretty much the CONCACAF champions league…), but I really don’t see any reason for MLS to change their calendar, except in a World Cup year, which would be a minor exception.

      Reply
    • I think a lot of the FIFA schedule depends on the Qatar World Cup. Maybe Europe switches to a summer schedule and likes it.

      Reply
  7. Hey David Villa, my rec league needs another guy in August and September. Since you’re in the mood to hold up a new jersey every other day….

    Reply
  8. Australia is a great place to prepare how to deal with MLS defending. In related news, NYCFC in talks with Lloyd’s of London.

    Reply

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