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Morning Ticker: EPL to block Jo transfer, Uruguay rolls and Benfica eyes new playmaker

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Good morning folks. It’s the middle of the week but this isn’t your ordinary Wednesday. With the Euros wrapping up their final group stage matchday, World Cup qualifying continuing and MLS featuring two matches, there will be plenty to discuss today and tonight.

For now, here are some stories from this morning and last night to get your day going:

EPL considers blocking Jo transfer

Manchester City’s potential $32 million transfer bid for Brazilian striker Jo could be shelved if the English Premier League decides to block the move out of concerns about Jo having a third-party owner. Long considered one of the bigger moves of the summer, the Jo to City talks have been going on for some time but the EPL’s desire to avoid another Carlos Tevez transfer debacle could force the transfer on the shelf.

Uruguay trounces Peru

Diego Forlan netted a hat-trick to help Uruguay thrash Peru, 6-0, in World Cup qualifying action on Tuesday in Montevideo. Peru was already trailing 2-0 in the 39th minute when Paulo Guerrero was sent off, leaving an already overmatched Peruvian squad to try and play short-handed. That didn’t exactly work out. The win helped Uruguay move into the fourth and final automatic qualifying berth in CONMEBOL, a spot ahead of Brazil.

As you might expect, Peru’s ugly loss will likely mean the firing of head coach Jose Del Solar. My question is whether the Peruvian FA really believed Peru would have a chance in qualifying after suspending Jefferson Farfan, Claudio Pizarro, Andres Mendoza and Santiago Acasiete?

Cuba wins World Cup qualifier

It wasn’t easy as expected but Cuba needed four goals to hold off Antiqua & Barbuda, 4-3, in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday in Antigua. The second leg is set for Sunday in Cuba, with the series winner set to be placed in the same four-team World Cup qualifying group as the United States in the next round of qualifying.

Benfica bid for Buonanotte rejected

Benfica had an $18 million bid for River Plate playmaker Diego Buonanotte rejected after Buonanotte decided he doesn’t want to move to Europe yet. So why is this non-transfer of interest? Well, the fact that Benfica was ready to splash big bucks to land a 20-year-old playmaker when it still has Freddy Adu on the books makes you wonder where Adu stands in his clubs plans.

Sidwell Villa move complete

Chelsea has sold midfielder Steve Sidwell to Aston Villa for a reported fee of $10.7 million, a move that could help pave the way for Gareth Barry’s departure from Villa to Liverpool. The former Reading standout played in just 15 matches for Chelsea, never finding his footing in Chelsea’s loaded midfield.

Riise in talks with Roma

Liverpool defender John Arne Riise is in talks with Roma after being given permission by Liverpool to talk to the Italian club. No word yet on whether Chelsea would make a bid for Riise out of gratitude for his Champions League gift of an own goal.

Share your thoughts on any of these news stories, as well as any other stories that emerge this morning, in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. tim – adu just turned 19 and is begining his career I’d hardly call him a bust. d’alesandro’s career is winding down….he never lived up to the promise and while he was enjoyable to watch at river and had his moments in europe he was overall a bust, same with gallardo, same with ortega, same with angel. I prefer boca as far as producing players, and even as a club overall. Ask fulham fans if they think Mcbride was a bust or if they would rather have him or angel. Ricardo Quaresma played for river? Really? As far as reading what I write I think you should go back and read I said “Bounoette has played a little over half a season at river hasn’t featured for the u-20’s not a sniff of the national team. Is year older and isn’t in europe” Thats taken exactly from what I wrote. Adu stared for the u-20’s u-23’s and now the senior side. Bounaette hasn’t even featured for the u-20’s. Adu outperformed his peers of the same age pato,jo,dos santos,vela,di maria and you say there are hundreds of players like him. That is something you said. Anyways I’ll watch make sure to watch Bounaette and make an opinion based more than watching three times and you should make sure to watch a little more of Adu honestly his performances latley are a complete 180 from his years in MLS, and I believe he will be the US’s first world class player.

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  2. What happened to D’Alesandro?? What happened to Adu? D”Alesandrp was more productive in Europe than Adu. Nick, keep your standards the same for all. If you call D’Alesandro a bust, you’ve got to call Adu a bust. D’Alesandro kept Portsmouth from being demoted, he’s scored more goals.

    You were comparing national teams. qQuote: “He didn’t even get a sniff at the u-20’s, while adu tore it up at the u-20 worldcup.” Your argument was that Freddie did great things for the U-20 U.S. team while Buenonotte hasn’t played for the Argentina National side. You did compare the two situations. Don’t you read what you write?

    You were the one that compared Gallardo and Ortega. Ortega, as a midfielder scored at a higher rate of goals/game than McBride in Europe, as did JPA. Yet you call them B list. If they were American’s with the same resume you’d be calling them the best in the world. You say Porto’s so great? Who’s their best player… oh, an ex-River Argentinian midfielder. Since you have only watched Buenonotte three times (when?) then how can you form an informed opinion? I’m not South American, I watch both European leagues and the Argentinian leagues. I watched Freddie Adu play in person numerous times.

    As I said in my original post, Freddie needs to go somewhere where he is playing regularly. Then we’ll see if he’s the real thing. If you had watched Buenonotte regularly throughout the Clausura, you would have seen he IS the real thing.

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  3. Hinchen Tim – There was only one maradona. I didn’t say the u-20’s were a better test I just said it was a major tournament where adu performed well and Bournette was non existant. Adu plays in europe and has played in champions league matches we both agree thats a higher standard and he has performed well in major competitions as well as for his senior national side. Your the one spouting off touting a 5’3 lightweight player whos played two thirds of a season in a sub standard league. What ever happened to D’alesandro anyway, Luciano Figeroa?. And no ones comparing national teams argentina is clearly better than the us, im comparing players.

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  4. Pete – like I said he played a little over half a season he’s played 24 games in the clausura. You seem to have a computer right there just go to wikipedia dog.. not that hard.

    Pete yes I do bow down to the european leagues they’re significantly better than south american ones(the world club championship is a joke everyone knows that) and Benfica(were in the chamions league by the way), Sporting and Porto are miles better than any south american club side if you don’t agree your….certafiably nuts!!

    The standard of football is not as good in south america the play is more open and the defenders look non existant. I’m not saying it’s not better looking football it certainly is but there is a significant difference in the quality.

    As for not sniffing the national team your boy hinchen tim was saying he had the talent to be as good as messi or aguero(absurd). Those players are reg called up to the arg national team as is adu to his national team now. He didn’t even get a sniff at the u-20’s, while adu tore it up at the u-20 worldcup. I’ve seen him play, I’ll admit only three times but I would never say he would be a class above adu. Adu is just simply a different and better player.

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  5. Nick

    (BTW Maradonna was 5’5″). You think that a U-20 tournament is a greater test than playing in the Argentine Primera, the Brazilian 1st Division or the Mexican league, which are the best leagues outside of Europe????? Nick..Nick…Nick, do yourself a favor: watch some Copa Libertadores Games or Argentine or Brazilian first division soccer before you spout off. At least be informed before forming an opinion.

    And comparing the appearances for their respective national teams is just stupid. Besides the goalie position how many on the USMNT would make the Argentinian National Team and vice versa?

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  6. Hinacin Tim- gallardo and ortega are midfielders and are not comparable to mcbride also were major busts in europe. Mcbride had twice as many goals in europe as them. Angel had a couple of good seasons at villa but is widley considered a bust by villa fans. Mcbride captained a team in the best league in the world and had five successful seasons there.

    “If Freddie were not American, he’d be like a hundred other young players out there you’ve never bothered to notice.

    You are the ones with double standards.

    classic argument used by south americans, by the way adu outperformed pato,jo,di maria, vela, dos santos all of them at the u-20 world cup and he’s like a hundred other young players?? Thats ridiculous, now he’s proving his potential as a senior international. Potential is over, Adu is a very very good player right now and needs to be playing and deserves to be playing at the highest level reguarly. Believe me if Adu would have been playing for arg or brasil(who he incedently single handedly destroyed) in the u-20’s he would have gone for a lot more and would be playing right now. Yes there is a double standard.

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  7. Oh, please Nick, you are smoking something. My God, if I wanted to read some homer BS I’d read a Bill Simmons column. First of all, you do realize there are two seasons in a year in Argentina, right? So he has played a full season and half of a second one.

    Second of all, no one is putting him in the same category as Messi or Aguero — in fact, he certainly can’t be the “next” one of either of them, considering they’re about the same age. But if you think the next level above Adu is Messi or Aguero, you’re certifiably nuts.

    Your bowing down to worship the European leagues is so typically American (and, for that matter, European) it’s disgusting. Guess what? Not all the European leagues are the Premiership, La Liga, or Serie A. (And by the way, remind me, who won the World Club Championship two years ago?) I cannot imagine the level of the Portuguese League (and I’ll admit, it is not one that I watch) is that far and away superior to the Argentine league. So Adu plays in Europe — whoopdy-damn-doo. He has not played that often, while Buonanotte has been one of the — if not the — best players on a Clausura-winning side.

    I’m not trying to put Adu down here; he clearly is a bright, shining ray of hope for the U.S. national team. He brings creative energy to the pitch and has the potential to be the greatest field player this country has ever produced. But to say that he’s a class above Buonanotte — a player I doubt many people in the U.S. have seen that often — based on the fact that Adu plays in Europe and has a whopping seven caps while Buonanotte hasn’t sniffed THE FREAKIN ARGENTINIAN national team is beyond preposterous.

    I’ll give you one thing, though: dude is definitely mad small.

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  8. Hinch Tim – Messi is about 5’7, Aguero about 5’7 5’8, buonoette is around 5’3 and no size is not a prerequisit to being a great player that is tiiiny. As far as important goals just look up adu’s last u-20 tournament, or the goals he scored for benfica when he got on the field or the recent success he’s had at the full international level. I could care less if a player can score in samerica or in the mls its europe and major competitions is where it counts. When Adu has been played and been played correctly he has looked world class. Bounoette has played a little over half a season at river hasn’t featured for the u-20’s not a sniff of the national team. Is year older and isn’t in europe, no comparision…Adu’s in a different class.

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  9. You guys crack me up. If Marcelo Gallardo, Juan Pablo Angel or Ariel Ortega, (all who scored goals in Europe at a greater rate than Brian McBride, widely acknowledged to be the greatest American forward ever)were American you’d be indignant that someone called them “B-List”.

    There’s no conspiracy against Freddie because he’s American. Even if he had to show he was not just equal but better than his European Benfica compatriots, it just goes to disprove your argument. If he was so much better, he’d be playing. If he’s equal to the average Benfica player, it certainly does not put him with the best players of the world.

    Soccer teams are there to win games and they’re going to put the players on the pitch that they think are going to have the most likelihood of getting them there.

    If Freddie were not American, he’d be like a hundred other young players out there you’ve never bothered to notice.

    You are the ones with double standards.

    Adu has potential, but that is all it is at the moment: potential.

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  10. Adu has had quite a few game winners for Benfica. Did play well in MLS9albeit out of psition) and was the best player on the field vs Spain. He was being double teamed and hacked at by Argentina(the team Buononnote hasn’t played for yet. In fact, he only has 4 u20 appearences.

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  11. Nick,

    Buononotte does not play a wing, you obviously have not watched River play, so how can you judge Buononotte’s play? “He’s small, he doesn’t have the potential to be Messi or Aguero”. Hello, how tall are Messi and Aguero? Robinho? In case you haven’t noticed, size ain’t exactly a predictor of success in soccer..

    Show me the goals, the game difference makers that Adu has in his whole career compared to the plays and goals that Buononotte had in his first year with River. Adu deserves a chance, but the simple fact is, whether it’s his fault or not, he has not done anything substantial yet, except for subbing late in games. He didn’t do anything of note in the MLS. Lots of potential, none of it realized (yet). Maybe Freddie can be that player, but it hasn’t been shown where it counts: on the field in real games.

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  12. Dominghosa – especially harsh since he was 14 when he arrived playing against guys twice his age… especially in a league that had more physical play then finesse.. espeically since the obvious growth since the U20’s….

    quite frankly i dont know this argie that is in another class then adu, but we yanks do tend to underclass our players, as do foreign coaches… our players have to go above and beyond someone who may be less talented, but the fact they are from europe or s.america they are already deemed better…

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  13. Music, his play in MLS, I assume. Which is probably too harsh. Adu has shown he can do things when he has better players around him.

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  14. Oh please, see what Adu did to Spain, and then making a 50 yard run with the ball vs Argentina. Adu is in the same class as any top young player around now if not higher. He showed it against his “peers” (two years older) at the last U-20s. And is showing it fr the full national team.

    It’s unfortunate that American fans are still underrating our own talent.

    Why is it that the Benfica fans think Adu will be incredible, while the U.S. fans are scared to recognize it?

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  15. Buonanotte is very very small and plays on the wing. He does not have the potential to be the next messi or aguero. The people who say he’s a class above adu have an obvious bias they are very different players if anything I’d say adu is a class above Buonanotte. The argentine leaugue isn’t much better than the mexican. To add to joe b’s list.

    Ariel ortega

    Marcelo Gallardo

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  16. You know, I’m sure this comment will be met with angry retorts but, the only difference between Adu & Buonanotte is that Buonanotte gets to play and Adu doesn’t. That’s it. Week after week the former gets experience and chance after chance to hone his skill and make himself a better player and the latter doesn’t. Yeah River Plate is a great team, but again a lot of players who had playing time and made big moves to Europe didn’t exactly make the level of a Messi or a Crespo:

    a) Pablo Aimar

    b) Juan Pablo Angel (Yes him.)

    c) Andres D’alessandro

    to name a few…

    I think the Argie Kid is right stay home for now. I also think that Freddie—if he plays his cards right can be the big player he wants to be.

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  17. Let Mr. Adu’s situation be a cautionary tale for other yanks abroad (esp. Mssrs. Bradley, Bocanegra, and others contemplating summer moves): nothing, NOTHING matters more than actually playing. I don’t know that Freddy really could have done much to prevent his current situation (3 coaches, as others have noted… not his fault) but others can avoid putting themselves in a place where they hope to “work their way in” to a lineup. Zizzo, anybody? Does it EVER work to sign with a big-name club and work your way in after not dressing for a couple of years? Others who keep up better than I do can probably come up with a couple of examples, but…

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  18. Yep, Adu just isn’t in the class of Buonanotte. I love watching him play in Argentina, but I am curious to see how he would perform in Europe. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him wait a year or two and then end up in Serie A or La Liga.

    As a Roma supporter, I am gutted to see what looks like a change from Mancini to Riise. That is not a step in the right direction, especially since it’s being reported that Mancini is going to Inter. Absolutely gutted.

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  19. wait roma is looking at riise and kewell? are they trying to ensure they get worse? boy did the youth of leeds united amount to nothing or what? think about the fact that kewell, smith, and bowyer were the big three for LU and quickly faded into the ether along with leeds. ouch.

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  20. if the coach has no plans on using Adu, i hope they truely do loan him for a season…. the kid needs time…. but a trip to the olympics + some WCQ’s could do him well….

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  21. The Sidwell to Villa move is not complete. Chelsea and Villa have agreed a fee. Personal terms have to be sorted, and it involves Sidwell taking a massive paycut (he makes 60k a week, and he is looking at 35 or 45k a week at Villa).

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  22. Sacre’ bleu, Ives:

    Why is their no mention of me in this morning ticker? After yesterday’s loss to those obnoxious Italians, I have nothing to do for the rest of the summer except make shaving commercials. Je suis mal a la tete! Seattle is looking better every day.

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  23. Doug,

    I think 2010 might be a little too early for Buonanotte to crack the Gaucho lineup, as he has no senior international experience, and its tough to put him in there when every qualifying game is huge. He’ll definitely be a factor in 2014. I would also think that he will be a major player on the Olympic squad this summer. I just hope that River doesn’t transfer him like all their other young stars, but hangs on to him for a couple of years, like Boca is doing with Palacio and what they did with Tevez.

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  24. Ives,

    Not to diss on Freddy A., who I think deserves a chance to play regularly somewhere, but Buonanotte is a whole other class than Freddy. The kid is truly an exceptional talent with a big game mentality. I see him having the potential of a Tevez, Messi or Aguero.

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  25. mls should look at carlos bueno “aka” Charlie Good. this guy is a total character he is nuts, so entertaining to watch with his skills and antics, some mls team should take a chance cuz he can certainly score goals and im sure hes not making much at penerol.

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  26. Peru is in a state of nothingness, sadly. Over the years, the whole system has been declining and now the league has suffered the consequences. The federation chief all the way down to the waterboy have to be thoroughly evaluated and considered because this 6-0 drubbing is the lowest point in Peruvian futbol. They are not mathematically eliminated just yet but with a scoreline like that, morale, confidence and support will not be easy to recuperate from this for a long time. Peruvian players have always had technique but collectively and structurally, its futbol has slowly eroded to the point that I don’t think they’d compete with even the smallest teams in Oceania or Concacaf, sadly. I weep for my team’s status at the moment.

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  27. Peru 0 Urugua 6, is not surprising. This team lost to Mexico by 4 goals. All three goals came within the first 20 minutes. I think it is about time Peru use the younger players to get experience because they have been out of contention for the 2010 world cup for sometime. I don’t think Pizarro, Farfan, Mendoza or Acasiete would have made a difference. All of them are good in Europe but when it comes to the national team none of them have done much to merit being starters of the National Team. I am sorry but Peruvian soccer has been in decline for a very long time because we keep reusing older players without giving younger players the experience to succeed. Also the coach is horrible and should be let go, and please do not bring back “El Diamante”, etc.

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  28. I thought I read on someone’s comment yesterday that Benfica were considering loaning Adu to Osasuna? Hmmm…either way, not looking good for Adu at Benfica. Three coaches in a year will do that, I guess.

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