By ISIphotos.com
Good morning folks. It was a very interesting day here at the All-Star festivities. While several players had yet to arrive, there was still enough interviews to do and enough information to uncover.
With that in mind, here is an MLS-heavy Morning Ticker, complete with some transfer rumors and one unhappy coach.
Donovan addresses rumors of Europe move
With growing rumors swirling that Landon Donovan is set for a move to Europe, Los Angeles Galaxy star and U.S. national team captain confirmed that he is more interested in a move than ever, but was careful to quell suggestions that a move was imminent.
"Competitively I have that itch to go test it," Donovan said of moving to Europe. "And now, as opposed to when I was younger, I feel like I’m ready. Physically I’m ready, mentally, psychologically I’m ready. I know I could handle it, so now I’m having that itch to go try it again.
"When i was younger, I admittedly wasn’t ready."
Donovan, whose experiences with European soccer consist of two failed stints with German club Bayer Leverkusen, stated that a move isn’t imminent and that he’s been stating his new philosophy on a move to Europe since late last season.
"That could still be a long way away," said Donovan. "That’s a hope, that at some point it happens.
"That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen," Donovan said. "If it doesn’t happen the I’ll be fine. It’s not like I have some pressing need, but it would fun at some point."
Carver blasts Cunningham, Wynne
Toronto FC head coach John Carver had to believe his club had found a miracle when a loose ball sat near the goal-line just waiting to be kicked in. Forward Jeff Cunningham was right near the ball but couldn’t put it in, which forced TFC to settle for a 1-1 tie against Montreal on Tuesday night. The tie cost Toronto a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
"I’m thinking How has he scored 99 goals?’," Carver said of Cunningham’s failure to find the game-winning goal in that late scramble. "That’s what I thought. How has he scored 99 goals in this league, because, if you’re a poacher and you’ve got desire, no matter how you put the ball over the line you put the ball over the line."
Carver repeatedly stated TFC’s desperate need for help at forward, saying the team needs two new forwards to get out of its current funk.
"When we’re having to depend on a 16-year-old boy to be our lead striker I think that tells you everything," said Carver, referring to Abdus Ibrahim, who started as the lone striker in Toronto’s 4-5-1.
Carver didn’t just bash Cunningham. He saved some venom for U.S. Olympic team defender Marvell Wynne, who played his last game before joining U.S. Olympic training camp in California.
"I had to try and get my fullbacks involved in the game to try and create something," Carver said. "Unfortunately, when the fullbacks did get into the final third the lack of quality, certainly down the right-hand side, was disappointing.
"This is a guy who’s going away to play in the Olympics."
A Costly miss on the transfer market
Toronto FC’s lengthy search for a striker has been well-documented but one of the lesser-known strikers the club targeted, and nearly signed, was Honduran national team striker Carlos Costly.
Toronto midfielder and Honduran national team player Amado Guevara confirmed on Tuesday that Costly was ready to sign with Toronto FC before his current club, Polish side GKS Belchatow, signed him to an improved contract.
"If we could have signed him, it would have been amazing," Guevara lamented. "We need forwards, that’s clear for everyone to see."
Norwegian club makes bid for Buddle?
One of the more interesting developments I heard about on Tuesday was that an unidentified Norwegian club made a $1 million offer for Los Angeles striker Edson Buddle. The Galaxy doesn’t look like it will be parting with Buddle, although forward Carlos Ruiz could still be on his way out, especially if growing rumors about Peruvian midfielder Carlos Ruiz Nolberto Solano signing with Los Angeles are true.
That’s all for now. What do you about
An interesting part of Donovan’s game is that he can thrive in a dump and chase environment. His effective pace (he knows when to run and where to run and is pretty damn fast) makes him a perfect guy to play off of a target striker who can take down a long ball and distribute to space. So many of Donovan’s goals and assists come from long runs that get behind the final defender.
Just some thoughts.
betinho- hence y i said he’s pretty much an average MLS forward…
ill use Barrett as an example…. he’s by no means a stellar forward, altho he has the tools to do well if he could learn the mental aspect of the game….. he had a TERRIBLE season last year (but the fire had a terrible season last year so its hard to blame his season soley on form) and yet he managed to get 8 goals…. hence y i put him in the list of average forwards in the MLS due to his average of 9 goals a season….
saying that, we are bound to see if his current form continues or if it was merely a good season… however, if he goes abroad then we may just have to wait and see…
PapaBear, get your head out of your cave. The man was field boss at Newcastle for four years under Robson and was Shearer’s favourite.
@ anotherbodymurdered
Do you have anything of value to add to this website, besides smug comments about Toronto FC, and it’s fans?
I’ve noticed your posts in entries having to do with the club over the past few days, and it certainly doesn’t seem like it.
I hope Buddle makes the move to Europe..
@Posted by:kpugs | July 23, 2008 at 10:42 AM
It’s pretty obvious you haven’t seen Buddle play at all this season and looked away when he torched your team down the left and set up a beauty of a pass to Ruiz for a goal.
He is a changed player this year. You diatribe was true a few years ago but he is a much different man now.
Carver, while amusing, is an idiot. That locker room will be in full on mutiny sooner rather than later. It will be fun to watch TFC continue to fall down the standings and finish out of the playoff hunt.
I understand that Buddle’s played like garbage at times during his career, but the guy is legitimately playing well now. To continually talk about how much he sucked when he was really sucking sort of misses the point.
I look at Buddle now, I see a promising team-oriented forward. His first touch is soft and effortless with either foot. He finds space easily and can hold the ball up in traffic. His passing was always strong, and has improved. He has finished well, and scrapped for the ball when a chance was there to be taken.
On current form, whichever Scandinavian team wants Buddle is doing some solid scouting, imho. Of course, that’s on current form. The question for Edson would be, will the bottle (or whatever) beckon too forcefully in a strange place?
If I’m him, I’m using this for leverage for a better contract, and I ain’t goin’ nowhere. But maybe he’s gotten super ambitious during the process of getting, y’know, good again.
And if you tell me his goals aren’t of good quality, you’re more a fool than I thought.
KPUGS
You are an idiot.
Buddle has always been nasty, but alcoholism and injury have hurt him. The dude is already high up on the league all-time scoring list, and his scoring rate (career) is only beat but a couple of players to ever play in the MLS.
Go spew ignorance somewhere else shmuck.
Coach – agreed Landon would look great teaming with DaMarcus in RFC squad; as for King Small Snake…a prima donna doesn’t piss on aztec’s pitch; landon will always be loved for that and his crucifixtions of mexico in a USMNT jersey.
COACH – I agree that RFC could benefit big time from his pace, especially with Barry out; that’d be great for USMNT too, pairing him with DaMarcus. As for King Small Snake…where’s the last “prima donna” that pissed on azteca’s pitch, goldenballs certainly hasn’t…landon gets a lifetime pass for that and perpetually scoring against mexico for MNT.