By AARON CRANFORD
Taking advantage of Targeted Allocation Money, the Philadelphia Union announced Wednesday that they had opened their wallet for some Swiss talent.
The Union acquired Tranquillo Barnetta on a free transfer after the 30-year-old had made 30 appearances for Schalke 04 in the 2014-15 Bundesliga season, assisting five and scoring three goals.
The club used TAM, which has helped teams from across MLS bring in additional star talent by allowing each club to use up to $100,000 per year for five years in additional spending money on players outside of the normal salary budget. The Union are not the first team to take advantage of the new rule, as the LA Galaxy were able to bring in Giovani Dos Santos, the Montreal Impact signed Didier Drogba and more have already used TAM to help build their 2015 squad.
“To add a player of Tranquillo’s quality will help us tremendously in what we’re trying to build,” Union technical director Chris Albright said. “He’s a player with a real pedigree who chose to continue his career here in Philadelphia over other options. His experience and leadership will also be a great addition to our group as we push for the playoffs and make a run at The Open Cup.”
Barnetta has made 75 appearances for the Switzerland national team, with his last call-up coming in Oct. 2014. He has been a member of the nation’s last three World Cup runs, including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Here are some more notes in MLS this Wednesday:
ORLANDO CITY ADDS REAL MADRID PRODUCT, FC LUZERN MIDFIELDER
While the pursuit to sign Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez remains in limbo, Orlando City SC’s desire to search for talent to help its inaugural MLS campaign has not.
Orlando City announced Wednesday that it had inked defender and former Real Madrid academy player David Mateos and midfielder Adrian Winter from FC Luzern.
“We are delighted to have David and Adrian join our club,” general manager Paul McDonough said of the two additions on the team’s website. “Both are well-versed players who will strengthen our backline and attacking third. We believe they’re solid additions to our club, who will make an impact right away.”
The 28-year-old Real Madrid product played with current Lions forward Kaka while the two were at the Spanish club, but recently he has suited up for Ferencvarosi in the Hungarian League, appearing 40 times and scoring seven goals.
Meanwhile, Winter plied his trade for FC Luzern for the past four years in the Swiss Super League, making 130 appearances and scoring 15 goals from midfield.
BRADLEY TO MISS APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK WITH CALF STRAIN
U.S. Men’s National Team captain Michael Bradley will have to wait to rejoin his Toronto FC teammates on the field, as he has been sidelined for seven to 10 days due to a calf strain.
Bradley was ruled out of the MLS All-Star Game Tuesday and will likely miss two or three more games, as TFC plays the New England Revolution Saturday, Orlando City SC on Aug. 5 and Sporting KC on Aug. 10.
GIOVINCO DROPPED FROM ALL-STAR ROSTER WITH INJURY, ALTIDORE AND IRWIN ADDED
The list of stars unavailable to compete in the 2015 MLS All-Star Game continues to grow.
Hours before the big game with Tottenham Wednesday in Commerce City, Colo. (9 p.m., FOX Sports 1, UniMás), Toronto FC star and MVP frontrunner Sebastian Giovinco was removed from the gameday roster due to a heel injury.
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni called in TFC teammate and U.S. Men’s National Team forward Jozy Altidore as his replacement, and the All-Star coach also added Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Clint Irwin as the team’s third goalkeeper.
With Altidore coming into the squad on the day of the game, he will be unlikely to start, but who do you think will get Mastroeni’s nod of approval?
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What do you think about the Union adding Tranquillo Barnetta? See David Mateos and Adrian Winter making an impact for Orlando City? Think Altidore and Irwin will see the field vs. Tottenham?
Share your thoughts below.
In another MLS story… The New England Revolution still have not signed anybody, despite having numerous needs. In an official announcement, a team spokesman says “Mike Burns is really trying hard to sign players, but it is just really hard to find players that nobody else wants and that will play for 50K a year.”
OMG Laughing my ass off but its so true. The just lost a player, available on a free transfer, in the price range mentioned, to a NASL team
Barnetta is a quality player, and will be a great addition to the Union and MLS. As a fellow Swiss national, Bonne chance Barnetta!
Wait, multiple teams have used TAM to sign players? I thought the rule was only for the Galaxy?
Ditto Ivan. Barnetta buy seems like a good bit of business. Solid player for likely a manageable (Philly FO wise) salary.
Michael Bradley played an inordinate amount of time in the Gold Cup, while some players mainly sat on the bench. You need to pick solid players who are injury free and then rotate them to reduce the chance of fatigue and injury. Apparently this was not done. While young players such as Zardes, can play and recover faster, there was little need for several of the starting player like Zardes to play against Cuba. Most of the older players will pass on MLS All-Star games if they are even in the slightest way “not 100 percent.”
I too am disappointing that no DC players were chosen for the game all though I’m sure there will be some who will garner ALL-Star selection on the players vote AFTER the game.
I couldn’t believe Bradley played at all, let alone 90 minutes against Panama in the group stage game. The game meant absolutely nothing, the US had already clinched the group, and JK puts him out there for 90 minutes for the third time in six days?
Barnetta is a quality midfielder-he has played at the highest level and he is only 30, meaning he has a few more years left to play at top level.
Great purchase by Philly.
indeed, excellent signing!
adding Pirlo, Lampard and Drogba brings in the cash, adding Dos Santos and Bradley costs a lot of cash but brings in a lot too, but signing guys like this brings a lot of legitimacy to the league.
I’ve been saying for some time that it’s guys like this or Giles Barnes who will do the most good because they deliver a lot of quality for much less than the high priced DP’s. I realize that it’s the DP’s who sell tickets and jerseys, but it’s a bunch of guys like Barnetta who can really improve teams since you can get several of them for the price of one DP.
He’s not from Man U, Chelsea, Barcelona, or Real Madrid….terrible move
I’m kind of stunned honestly. This is an impressive move from Philly. Barnetta is skilled.
The east going to look different for the second half of the season, nycfc and Orlando are 2 dark horses, while the rest still is trying to figure ou who they are
So nobody from DCU, the top team in the league? No Fabian Espindola? Instead they opt to add Jozy (huh?)…I know MLS doesn’t want to pay their players based on performance but the least they can do is recognize them for their on field contribution.
Yeah, I understand.
To be fair, though, Bill Hamid would have been D.C. United’s representative in the All-Star Game if he was healthy. He likely would have started.
And in the end, as a DCU supporter, would you rather have the top team with no All-Star selections or be in another team’s position? I would choose the former.
Kitchen, Espindola, Franklin, Boswell all deserved it but none have major USMNT or international appearances to get marketing all worked up!
consider it a blessing, they will all be ready to go this weekend!