By RYAN TOLMICH
Following the demise of Chivas USA, Major League Soccer is fighting to keep Mexican star Erick “Cubo” Torres, and the league is willing to pay the forward handsomely to do so.
The league is reportedly set to offer Torres a salary north of $1.5 million per year for his services. While the future team of Torres would be determined at a later date, the league reportedly has a $7.5 million option to buy the 21-year-old forward.
For now, Torres continued to train with Chivas Guadalajara, but has left his options open regarding his future.
“In the end, my word counts and is exercised,” Torres said. “What is best for all three parties is the decision I will make with both my family and the people who are advising me.”
Here are some more news and notes from around MLS:
RAPIDS HIRE UEFA’S SMITH AS SPORTING DIRECTOR
After seven years with UEFA and the Football Association of Ireland, Padraig Smith is set for a new challenge in MLS with the Colorado Rapids.
The Rapids announced the hiring of Smith Thursday, as the Irishman will assume the role of the club’s Sporting Director. Smith will be charged with overseeing the club’s team operations while also focusing on data and performance analysis, which was his specialty with UEFA.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at UEFA,” Smith said. “However, I feel that this is the right opportunity for me to move on to another exciting and challenging chapter in my career. It is clear to everyone in European football that MLS is taking major strides towards its goal of becoming one of the top leagues in the world and I believe the Rapids are poised to play a leading role in that development. It’s a project I’m very much looking forward to playing a key role in.”
Smith, who will officially begin on Jan. 1, was a key member of UEFA’s Financial Analysis Group where he oversaw club’s compliances with Financial Fair Play rules. In addition, Smith chaired a group that looked to develop the game in Ireland while also implementing the first salary cap structure in the League of Ireland.
SOUNDERS SIGN HOMEGROWN FORWARD MANSARAY
With homegrown star DeAndre Yedlin set to depart some time in the near future, the Seattle Sounders have added another homegrown talent to the team’s ranks.
The Sounders announced Wednesday that the club had signed 17-year-old forward Victor Mansaray to a homegrown deal. Mansaray, who will join the Sounders for the 2015 season, is the club’s fourth homegrown signing following Yedlin, Sean Okoli and Aaron Kovar.
“I think the time was right for me to take the next step going forward and it’s a dream come true for me to sign with Sounders FC,” said Mansaray. “I’m surrounded by the right people and I’m looking forward to working hard and getting better. That’s why I’m here.”
Mansaray, who has been a regular for the U.S. Men’s U-18 National Team, scored a team high 18 goals for the Sounders U-16 squad in his second season with the team.
“We are thrilled to add Victor as the club’s fourth Homegrown Player and are confident in his ability to become a standout pro,” said Sounders FC Sporting Director Chris Henderson. “He has all the tools to succeed and his time with the Academy and the U-18 National Team prepared him well. We are excited to continue his development.”
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Where do you see Torres ending up? What do you think of the Rapids’ hire? What do you expect from Mansaray in the future?
Share your thoughts below.
MLS’ obscure byzantine rules need to go asap. So ridiculous.
After MLS took Jemaine Jones away from Chicago and gave him to NE in a phony blind draw, MLS owes Chicago a favor. Torres is that favor. MLS is so phony that i can’t belive anyone is gulliable enough to watch it.
In before “Quit Whining” shuts you down without engaging with your comment. Sweet.
What makes MLS phony, exactly? And more importantly, what makes it so phony you wouldn’t watch your team play? I absolutely admit its rules are hard to follow and frustrating – I said as much up above here – but if you have a team you support or you’re a fan of domestic soccer, you just watch in spite of the front office’s shenanigans.
I support my team, DC. I support the league because soccer in America is what I want.
I no longer support Garber. He was the perfect guy to pull our league from death and grow it. In the last few years, he’s become very cheap with his purse strings, has shown absolute favoritism to teams, has gone back on his word multiple times, has turned player transfers into a giant secret that the Masons would be proud of, and has recently been shown as just a whinny speakerbox for owners.
+1 Well said, Ian. Most of global soccer could be called “phony” at this point if transparency and consistency in transfer regulations are the standards. Nobody has to love it, but it’s a silly reason to abandon one’s fandom.
Get ready for the “blind draw” for Cubo where he ends up going to…wait for it…the Galaxy.
Google Translate
English to Spanish: Show me the money!
RESULT muestrame el dinero
Spanish to English: muestrame el dinero
RESULT: “In the end, my word counts and is exercised,What is best for all three parties is the decision I will make with both my family and the people who are advising me.”
Exactly! Wouldn’t want “show me the money!” to get lost in translation 😉
well played
Hehe.
Chicago fire needs a rebrand. In a super mega market with so many cultures, the fire will not recruit fans or attract.
FIRE really. If they dont rebrand then relocate the team into inner chicago or play some games at soldier field for a cheap price.
Inter Chicago would have been perfect or Atletico Chicago or even Global Chicago city.
If they want mexican dps, theres a lot down the border and good ones.
Wow, you really love new teams and name changes, dontcha?
Question of the day, how many MLS teams will end up with the same logo or name in the next 20years?
So by 2035 will teams like Red Bull, Rapids, Fc Dallas, Fire, Revolution still have the same name an logo, i dont think so.
By 2035 I project 28 to 30 teams in MLS.
I dont know about an MLS2 given that MLS shows no life of that.
So 2035 will be a very interesting year.
Any name ideas.
Dallas Natives, Inter Dallas, Dallas Mustangs
Colorado Arsenal
Boston United
Inter Chicago or Global Chicago city
Red Bull as Empire United.
I don’t think calling the team “Global Chicago city” would help much.
I can only imagine “GO GLOBAL CHICAGO city” in lights on the Prudential Plaza building.
+1 Sounds kinda like a consultant name. “Chicago Global Solutions, LLC” couldn’t be more than a half step away.
Or global chicago fc or french chicago athletic jk.
How about El Chicago FC
How about worrying about something that matters like say… putting a decent team on the field.
The fact that MLS is now offering salary terms (and very nice ones) tells me not only that they are now quite serious about exercising the option with the intent keeping Cubo, but probably that there is a specific team behind the offer.
Smells very much like the Galaxy to me. Nobody is really sure what is going to become of the Chivas USA fanbase, but they have two years before LAFC gets started and they need to grab what they can with both hands. In the sense, Torres is probably worth more to the Galaxy than to any other team because of this premium. The salary, while appropriately generous, is easily covered by Donovan’s existing package
Good point.
Toronto just stated they have their eyes on someone, a DP, though.
If Cubo goes to LA then what do you do with Zardes?
Play 3 up top.
Yeah I guess Bruce could figure it out, I’d just hate to see Zardes as a winger again.
That would be up to AEG and Arena — and in all likelihood it’s a “high class problem” with a few potential solutions.
If Arena think he can accomodate having Torres, Keane, and Zardes in the team (perhaps using Torres as a wide player…. not sure what it would look like), there is no reason they can’t keep them all given the salary that is rolling off the books w Donovan.
Zardes may well be a transfer target both within MLS and abroad, should they choose to sell.
Even Keane may be willing move (though I don’t expect him to– I understand he is quite well settled in LA). Certainly he would be likely to want to stay in MLS, where he is almost guaranteed playing time, the main consideration in his quest to lead the line for Ireland at at Euro 2016.
Doughnuts’ theory is probably the most intelligent one I’ve read about this matter including this site, Twitter, and other forums. There’s got to be someone with a lot of money behind this. Andrew Hauptmann can’t have this much leverage in the league, especially after Jonesgate. It’s got to be Toronto or Galaxy.
I’d be ecstatic to see Cubo in blue, white and gold, but does he fill LA’s needs after Landon leaves? Seems like LA will have to go after a playmaker/#10 type to fill the massive LD-shaped hole.
“The league is reportedly set to offer Torres a salary north of $1.5 million per year for his services. While the future team of Torres would be determined at a later date, the league reportedly has a $7.5 million option to buy the 21-year-old forward.”
What, exactly, does that mean?
I can’t wait to see the contortions that Garber and the Secret Star Chamber go through to make sure Cubo ends up with the “right” team. It’s safe to say that he will be an exception to the exception that already needs to be created for the dispersal of the Chivas roster.
What exactly do YOU mean ?
You seem to have a great handle on it.
Please tell us what will happen then. Where does he end up in this grand conspiracy ?
These vague accusations for events that haven’t happened are a little rediculous. Tell us what happens.
Isn’t the point of Brain Guy’s post that we don’t know what will happen or what events should happen because MLS is so shady about their allocations of star players?
Del Griffin nailed it up above here. “Quit Whining” is just Garber on a laptop.
Yep. Thanks.
We all love the weird levers and pulleys of the transfer allocation system… But don’t get too far ahead of yourself just yet– lest we forget, there is still the possibility that this is simply a negotiating tactic.
If the reports out of Mexico are correct, it is possible that Cubo prefers to remain with CD Chivas (where he is now training, and where is is apparently wanted for their relegation battle). MLS may be resigned to the fact that they will not be able to enforce the option in practice (the Camilo/Vancouver situation is one of many that illustrate the difficulties involved in trying to “make” a player play in a place they wish to leave, even if they are contracted to do so)
BUT, Chivas would likely have to pay MLS some kind of consideration in exchange for waiving the option, and as such tMLS would want to demonstrate a maximum internal valuation of the player they are relenting on. $1.5 million is a lot of money for a player with Cubo’s CV, good though he is.
Chivas is in a relegation battle? I thought they were on of the most popular teams in Mexico, right up there with with America?
They are indeed the most popular club (at least by their count), and have never been relegated in their history. Currently they lie 17th (out of 18) though they have a game in hand on most of their rivals at the bottom of the table.
From what I have seen it will be down to the team(s) willing to pay the 7.5 million fee and that is why, when reports first came out, the big spenders were all linked. I personally would like to see him in Houston but they wont pay. I do wonder if the Sounders (I am a supporter of Seattle BTW) would actually try and do it, even if they don’t necessarily need him.
Anyways, I hope he stays in MLS and I hope he goes to a team that isnt the status quo of being big spenders.
Raise the cap by 3x
Yes, sign this kid up!
Maybe I am a poor reader, but where does it say he’s going to Chicago? I don’t have a problem with how MLS is doing business right now, and I hope Torres goes to a market with a lot of Mexican fans. Chicago could use him, and they have the Mexican fans. If he continues to do well with El Tri he will be an amazing investment for the league. But Torres himself has expressed being homesick in LA. I can imagine that being even worse in Chicago. And if he somehow ends up in Canada or some other place that is not flush with latinos, it seems like a recipe for disaster. I don’t mind the league engineering this a bit, as I think it has to for the league to keep growing. IN a few years the training wheels might come off, but not yet. Baby steps–increase the salary cap for now, but keep thinking strategically for the league as a whole…
If Chicago pick him up, I would drive the 3 hours to go see him. And yes, they need an exciting Mexican player on the squad. If only they could find another Blanco in the midfield to feed him good passes.
Something tells me, Yallop is just going to recreate his San Jose teams in Chicago.
Cuba staying in MLS is a good thing. He was one of the bright spots of watching Chivas USA.
if you read the article this links to, it says Chicago, Seattle or LA.
And Seattle doesn’t have an empty DP slot, and LA needs a playmaker.
Seattle has enough allocation $$ to buy down Alonso’s DP status for at least one season. They do that and voila Seattle has basically 4 DP’s. Also there is the chance that the league increases the DP’s to 4 a team, though, I would much rather see them raise the overall team salary cap instead.
Frustrating, why not Houston?
Cubo Torres is worth every bit of $1.5 million. I just wish MLS teams could bid on him in the open market like nearly every other soccer club in the world. He may have ended up at Chicago either way, given the circumstances, but the league deciding his fate is just boring.
Boring ?
In the end, I want to see him play.
Will I see him play in Mexico ? A little maybe, if Chivas makes CCL, but probably not.
Will I see him play on a MLS team, that isn’t my hometown Sounders, absolutely.
Go MLS, get it done for us. The whiners can get lost. Hopefully they will, because listening to them whine is….boring.
Ugh, kindly shut your dogmatic face. I’m the biggest MLS cheerleader around. You’re not even interested in dialogue.
Quit Whining is Don Garber’s nom de plume here.
I know. And I generally agree with his sentiment, but sometimes he turns off his critical thinking facilities just to evangelize his “stop whining” gospel.
My point was this: Cubo is a hot commodity and many teams would pay handsomely for his services. I have read in other sources that the league will allocate him to a team based on… what? I don’t know. MLS has some incredibly esoteric rules for player allocation. I think it’d be better to let the highest bidder win. That’s all. No whines about MLS. Just stating the fact that its rules are byzantine and it’d be more fun to watch teams fight it out for Cubo on the open market.
How many teams are willing ti pay his transfer fee? Not many of at least the ones that need him. I would like to see him in Houston
I’m also a pretty big MLS cheerleader but the MLS player allocation system is shady and makes it harder to follow the league and/or take it seriously. These rules are made up as we go along.
Agreed. I love this league, but I find many of its rules needlessly byzantine.