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Afternoon Roundup: Galaxy searching, Red Bulls shopping and another American goes abroad

Galaxytrio_ap

Good afternoon all. Apologies for the gaps in posting but the Olympic tournament has done a number on my schedule. There are so many stories to get to, and so much information to pass along.

I have nuggets, some new and some old, on the Galaxy, the New York Red Bulls and their forward search, Clint Mathis, Kasey Keller and another America going to Europe to ply his trade.

First up to bat is the Galaxy, which is looking for permanent replacements for the two men in the above picture who aren’t smiling (could this photo have been a sign of what was to come?). Let’s get started:

Galaxy set out to find replacements

The Los Angeles Galaxy need a new team president and new head coach following the departures of Ruud Gullit and Alexi Lalas and the search has already begun on one front. Sources are telling me that the Galaxy will look to fill the team president position before deciding on a permanent head coach, with Tim Leiweke expected to leave the decision on the coaching hire to his new president.

So who will be the new president? Current interim president Tom Payne is in the mix, but another name to consider is Houston Dynamo chief operating officer Chris Canetti, who has been an integral part in building the successful operation in Houston. While team president Oliver Luck is the more visible front office leader in Houston, the feeling out of Houston is that Canetti is more involved in the day-to-day operations, both on the business and soccer sides of the Dynamo.

Another name to consider is former Chivas USA general manager Javier Leon, who is currently working for Chicago Fire owner Andrew Hauptman. Leon helped hire Bob Bradley as Chivas USA head coach, helping turn the Goats into a respectable team, but was eventually forced out because of the club’s lagging ticket sales. Leon has been working closely with Hauptman on the running of the Fire, though sources say he has not been considered a candidate to fill the Fire’s team president position that has been left vacant since John Guppy was forced out in April.

As for the Galaxy’s head coaching position, Peter Nowak remains a favorite of the current AEG leadership, but rumors persist that Bruce Arena is being strongly considered, both for the head coach and team president positions. I have had sources offer conflicting takes on Arena’s chances in LA, with more believing that Arena winding up in Los Angeles is a long shot, so it’s still difficult to tell just how good his chances are of eventually finding a job with the Galaxy.

Red Bulls hunting for allocation funds to land Kandji

With time running out on the Red Bulls search for forward help, the club is actively trying to trade for allocation funds to pay for a transfer fee to acqure Atlanta Silverbacks striker Maccoumba Kandji. According to multiple sources within MLS, the Red Bulls are ready to trade at least one senior roster player to acquire the allocation funds needed to land Kandji, considered the top striker in the USL first division.

So who are the Red Bulls trying to deal? That’s the magic question. The club doesn’t exactly have that many players with trade value that it can actually afford to deal. Could the club be ready to deal a team fixture such as Jeff Parke or even Dane Richards? It remains unclear, but what is clear is that the Red Bulls aren’t done dealing and aren’t done changing around their roster.

Matt Taylor off to Germany

Former Kansas City Wizards and Chivas USA striker Matt Taylor has become the latest American to make the move to Europe, signing with German Bundesliga 2 club TUS Koblenz. Taylor, who scored six goals in four seasons in MLS, played briefly in the USL with the Portland Timbers and spent some time with Hollywood United, before eventually signing with Koblenz.

Here are some other nuggets I will look to talk more about tomorrow:

Kasey Keller has signed with Seattle Sounders FC for the 2009 season. Just what that means for current Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Chris Eylander remains to be seen (what it means is that the 24-year-old USL standout will likely be riding the pine in 2009.)

Clint Mathis is returning to MLS, joining Real Salt Lake for a second time. He can provide depth for RSL, but you wonder how much Mathis has left considering he tried out for Norwegian second division club IK Start and couldn’t land a contract.

That is all for now. Who do you see running the Galaxy? Do you think the Red Bulls would be wise to break the MLS bank to add a USL striker in Mac Kandji? Are you surprised to hear that Matt Taylor has resurfaced in Germany?

Share your thoughts on any and all of these stories in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. Don’t be surprised to see Eylander head to Houston in the deal that sees Nate Jaqua go to Seattle.

    Complete speculation, mind you, but it would make a lot of sense.

    Reply
  2. Rojas is making $94k and that number includes allocation monies being applied against it. For the question of why RBNY would be using their Jozy money now, that answer is easy. JCO found the guys he wanted and was able to fit them all under the salary cap. He has been talking about these guys for months and finally pulled the trigger. For the guys saying that Pietravallo is less of a player than Sinisa, I hope that’s a joke. Pietra is a hell of a player and is still getting accustomed to MLS. He will prove his worth. JCO is worth his weight in gold for bringing these guys in. To think, we haven’t even seen Jimenez yet who is supposed to be solid. I hope the Bulls get rid of Wolyniec or Goldthwaite to free up some cap room. They are awful. Knadji is an up and coming star. Can’t wait to see him up top with Angel. Would make for a great couple of months for RBNY. We took the year to adjust the roster and it looks as good as it has in a long time on paper right now. Let’s hope they gel together and become a team. By the way, great to see that the MLS has become a retirement league for our own Nats. Gibbs, Lewis, and McBride will be repeat stories of Reyna.

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  3. WHAT?! Rojas makes half what Pietravallo does? If true that is the worst thing I’ve ever heard, Pietravallo 190k, Mendes 71k, Stammler 105k, Sinisa 17k and Parke 57k. Mendes, Stammler, Sinisa and Parke are all >>>>> Pietravallo. And yes those numbers are correct, 192 k for Pietravallo and 84 for Rojas. I’m off to go get Pietravallo’s agent to talk him into representing me

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  4. @Posted by: Matt | August 14, 2008 at 04:15 PM

    Seattle would be first in the allocation order for 2009 since they are an expansion team so they could sign whoever they want.

    Of course that means whoever sucks the worst at the end of this year will end up with the top spot again. Good news for San Jose fans. (kinda)

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  5. I agree with Tim. Trading Dane Richards would be crazy — he’s exactly the kind of player we need on the right wing. Trading Parke would be crazy as well, since he partners well with Cichero, is a good centerback, and actively cleans up the mistakes of others. No point in opening up holes on the right wing or in central defense in order to pick up another striker.

    My edits to the list

    – Andrew Boyens

    – (the rights to) Eric Brunner

    – (the rights to) Hunter Freeman

    – Mike Magee

    – John Wolyniec

    There are also international roster spots to deal, draft picks (just don’t deal the 1st round pick!!), rental of the unused DP slot, etc.

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  6. The 4 players they brought in are good, but not good enough to help them win a championship this year. they should have saved the money. And i read today that rojas’ salary is $95k/yr and PIetravallo is something like $190k. rojas is a huge bargain. pietravallo – not so much.

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  7. No Bruce Arena! He is a has-been!

    Cobi Jones is not a bad idea. Salcedo from UCLA is another good choice. Vagenas would make a good assistant.

    Local boys are what LA needs. Bring on Eddie Lewis!

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  8. I hope Mathis is able to contribute. He’s still one of my favorite Metros, and it’s tough to see him barely hang on. How the mighty have fallen.

    I really hope JCO doesn’t trade Parke. The guy is a rock solid MLS defender for the money he makes.

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  9. Ives –

    So have the RBs already used all of the allocation money from Jozy’s transfer? what was the point? they should have saved some for next year.

    Reply
  10. Definitely not Parke or Richards to make room for a USL player. No freakin way. Those are kind of guys you need to build a solid MLS team – young, good in this league, not quite good enough to make a jump to a better league.

    The obvious thing would be to trade Freeman since Osorio isn’t going to play him anyway.

    Reply
  11. Eylander is under contract from the USL Sounders and I am assuming would have to have been a part of a Transfer much like Kanji.

    As a Sounder fan there are rumors that they are going to announce the signing of Eylander as well today. we shall find out in a few minutes.

    Reply
  12. Jeff Parke has been the MVP for th e rEd Bulls for much of this season, and Richards is outstanding when fit. They cannot afford to trade either of them.

    Trade MAGEE, WOLY, FREEMAN,YES, but not Parke or Richards.

    Also they should have re-signed Clint Mathis, as he LOVES NY!!

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  13. I hope that RBNY does not give up Richards. I think that he has way too much upside and can see it coming back to haunt us if we trade him. With Diego Jiminez supposedly challenging Golthwaite for his starting job, I’d say Goldhwaite would be the best player I’d be willing to trade. I wouldn’t be heartbroken to see Magee go…

    Reply
  14. Freeman is going to Europe, I guess that is good. Osorio didn’t really like him I guess.

    I am very happy that Keller signed with Seattle. I wish NY would sign Mathis again…

    Reply
  15. As a Galaxy fan I saw we should pick up Eylander ASAP. The only reason we were still competing for a playoff spot last year was that we had Joe Cannon. Now we have a completely worthless goalkeeper. I’m in favour in putting in our reserve keeping cause I’ve had it with Cronin. I saw we should try to get Eylander.

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  16. It’s absurd that the Bulls develop the best American youngster ever who is sold for the highest transfer fee ever for an American player, yet RBNY seems to get absolutely nothing for this! They are never on top of the allocation list and somehow have no money despite generating all that income for the league. I hate MLS and its asinine, counterproductive, senseless rules.

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  17. I’m thinking we could have got some allocation money through a trade if we still had Mathis’s rights. We then could have used it to help get Kandji but now we have to sell our soul again. This is all wishful thinking and probably would have never happened but I get the feeling our management never even considers these things.

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  18. I am not knowledgeable on the whole allocation thing, but from what I have read the Sounders are first in line for the allocation as an expansion team.

    I have also read that some think he doesn’t require an allocation, because he hasn’t played for the Nats in the past year and because he has never been had his rights designated to an MLS team

    for all I know this is way off base.

    Reply
  19. The Red Bulls need a dependable forward; I don’t know if that is Kandji or someone else.

    Who could the Red Bulls give up for allocation funds; any or all of the following players

    – Andrew Boyens

    – Eric Brunner

    – (the rights to) Hunter Freeman

    – John Gilkerson

    – Kevin Goldthwaite

    – Gordon Kljestan

    – Mike Magee

    – Chris Megaloudis

    – Michael Palacio

    – John Wolyniec

    Otherwise, may not be worth it.

    Reply
  20. Cleetus is good for a couple of goals for whatever team he is traded to in the first two matches…then…trade him quick!

    Let me be the first to predict that Kandji will be a star in MLS! Lots of upside here.

    Arena…would be fun to see El Bruce learn some humility at the feet of the Victoria 🙂

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  21. How does Seattle get Keller without him going through this whole allocation thing that Gibbs and Lewis went through? If the signing is for a future season does that whole thing not come into play for returning USMNT players?

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  22. duh,

    Yup New York got rid of their 3rd best scoring option last year for a cup of coffee, they then let their second best option go to spain, and now the Red Bulls are sitting on 6 wins, great moves.

    Reply
  23. I hope we don’t give up too much to get Kandji.

    I’ll always like Mathis, but it’s incredible how quickly he deteriorated after his great start in Germany. It’s like his benching for disrespecting his manager started his physical downfall.

    I agree with duh here, if that is his real name. Would be nice to add Mathis now to come off the bench and spot start here and there for the Red Bulls. Consdering we got nothing for him, we should have held onto his rights like New England did with Noo-nan.

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  24. I know we traded Mathis to LA for a cup of coffee but why didn’t we just let him go and hold on to his rights? Other teams magically are able to get something for nothing through the stupid allocation/player rights system. Why didn’t we do this with Mathis?

    Reply

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