Top Stories

MLS Ticker: Espindola returns to full training; Lade loaned to Cosmos; and more

Fabian Espindola

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

D.C. United has been dealing with some injury issues in the last four weeks but they received some good news on Monday.

Forward Fabian Espindola returned to full training this week after missing the last four league matches with a medial collateral ligament strain in his right knee. Espindola went down with the knee injury in D.C. United’s 4-2 victory against the Montreal Impact.

Since Espindola went down, D.C. United have continued their strong play this season, going 3-1 and with wins in their last three matches.

D.C. United also provided updates on injured players Jeff Parke and Chris Pontius. While Pontius has returned to light jogging with club training staff, there is no timetable for his return.

In addition, Parke, who hasn’t played since a May 31 match against Sporting Kansas City, is out indefinitely as he deals with migraines.

Here are some more stories from around MLS:

RED BULLS SEND LADE TO COSMOS ON LOAN

The New York Red Bulls proved on Monday that the rivalry between fans of theirs and the New York Cosmos doesn’t extend to the front office.

The Red Bulls announced that they have sent full back Connor Lade to the North American Soccer League’s Cosmos on loan, likely for the rest of the season. The Red Bulls can recall Lade from the loan at any time.

“This loan enables Connor to get some much needed playing minutes in competitive action while also keeping him fresh for the remainder of the 2014 season,” Red Bulls sporting director Andy Roxburgh said in a statement. “We will monitor Connor’s progress as the year proceeds.”

Lade, in his third year in MLS, has found himself farther down the depth chart than he anticipated. The 24-year-old has only made five appearances this season for the Red Bulls, totaling 10 minutes of action.

ANGEL ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT PLANS

A former Red Bulls legend is planning to call it quits at the end of the year.

Forward Juan Pablo Angel signed a new five-month contract with Atletico Nacional in his native Colombia through December on Sunday and confirmed on his official Twitter account that he would retire from his playing career when the contract ends.

“It is with immense happiness that I communicate an agreement with Atletico Nacional that will allow me to play my last five months of my professional career,” Angel wrote. “These next five months will be full of emotion. Every time I take the pitch it will be a countdown to that finish line I had always hoped would never come. That being said, to live this experience here at home is a perfect close to my career.”

Angel, 38, began his career with Atletico Nacional before moving to River Plate in Argentina. In 2001 he became Aston Villa’s biggest signing at the time, staying their through 2007 before joining the Red Bulls as their second designated player. Angel scored 61 goals for the Red Bulls in MLS play (playoffs included) before moving on to the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA in 2011 and 2012.

Angel returned to Nacional for the 2013 season and managed to score 13 goals in all competitions last season. He’s currently coached by former Red Bulls boss Juan Carlos Osorio.

RED BULLS SIGN FRENCH DEFENDER PERRINELLE

The Red Bulls added some more defensive depth on Monday, signing free agent French defender Damien Perrinelle to a contract. 

Perrinelle last played for Istres in France’s Ligue 2 but had been on trial with the Red Bulls for a number of weeks this summer. Perrinelle will be added to the roster upon the approval of his P-1 visa and the receipt of his international transfer certificate.

“We’re very pleased to add Damien to our roster following a successful trial period with the club.” Roxburgh said in a statement. “He’s a versatile defender with good technical quality and he’ll add depth to our squad.”

——–

What do you think of this news? Glad to see Espindola back in full training? Do you think D.C. United missed him at all? Do you expect Lade to receive plenty of playing time with the Cosmos?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

    • Bad enough we have retirement league types like Lampard still joining the league. MLS doesn’t need to compound its troubles with Ronaldinho.

      Reply
    • The inadvertent irony here is we talk about the same set of monied or new teams over and over, what about Columbus, Dallas, Chicago, Philly, etc.?

      Reply
  1. By the way, for all the red bull fans. I’m not hating or anything, do you people like your team name and jersey. My team is Houston dynamo since I live in texas but my real team is cosmos since my teen years and I can’t wait for cosmos to do a damn MLS move.
    Being a red bull fan is like having a second job and working for the red bull company. You buy a jersey, drink red bull, watch red bull extreme games, go to bars and order red bull or wake up tired and drink red bull for energy, smoothies also contain red bull, go to red bull soccer games, buy red bull clothing and souvenirs.
    It’s hard to to be a red bull fan and support an energy drink company. MLS knows red bull was a last resort thing, and cosmos owners are waiting to sell until a big check comes in calling.

    Reply
    • Being a RBNY is like being a fan of any other team (well any other team that doesn’t win all that much). The Cosmos are a “brand” just like RBNY is.

      Reply
    • I think it will be a decade or more before MLS considers another NYC team. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s even some NYCFC expansion deal “exclusivity” clause saying as much. So it’ll be a question whether the NewCosmos are willing to wait MLS out for years with no guarantee they’re #3. I think they can buy a good minors team because no one else would be that crazy to spend their way in the red in the minors. But you probably have to win USOC or finish second to get a CCL spot, so there’s low realistic hope there — and I think if they ever got close MLS would mount a Stop Cosmos effort like the roster changes in the 00s after PR and Montreal started catching up.

      So, the reality check will eventually come. How long am I going to break the bank relative to attendance and merchandise for a team MLS doesn’t want that can’t get in CCL.

      And that’s not getting into, this is not the OldCosmos, it’s a bought name. They’re trading on a mystique they can’t deliver. Kind of like when the Quakes lay claim to SJ history even though there was the Clash that moved, and various historical breaks, new leagues, etc.

      The interesting thing with RBNY is going to be if they don’t win before NYCFC gets in, and City brings some names and achieves something, whether a NJ team will just hollow out. I think RBNY has much more to fear from City because while RBNY has turned their team around, it’s still not a winner, and City is about to have a chance to provide it instead, something Cosmos just dream about.

      Reply
  2. So wait eh minute. The Cosmos are the farm club for the Red Bulls ?
    LOL. Where are the MLS-hating, NASL-loving trolls ?

    They can’t be happy about this……
    The RedBulls must be running away with the MLS title this year…..that 5-6-9 must be a misprint ?

    Reply
    • What if red bull buy the cosmos. Sooner or later cosmos will have to open their brain and say, screw NASL and let’s go for MLS.
      Something is going to happen sooner than later, let’s say cosmos ownership doesn’t want to do deal with NASL or wants to sell, then what?
      What if red bull is told by MLS, we love you but you gotta rebrand, the red bull thing is not a long term thing and not everybody drinks red bull and we know everybody drinks red bull with vodka, is that good thing, nope.
      No matter what, something is gonna happen with cosmos and red bull.
      Will they unite powers and red bull becomes cosmos and red bull half owner and sponsor.
      Let’s say the 24th spot is Minneapolis and MLS wants to be a 26 to 30 team league, and red bull still alive, would you rather want cosmos come in queens by their owner, or would you rather want red bull to buy cosmos.
      Everything can happen in the next round of expansion. If Beckham came to MLS, then cosmos still have a chance.

      Reply
      • RBNY are not buying Cosmos. I don’t know why you’d buy anyway. How much could it cost to purchase a minor league team in Hempstead? It’s not even like they own their own stadium either.

Leave a Comment