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Eddie Lewis and Cory Gibbs are set to come back to the Major League Soccer.
SBI has learned that the Los Angeles Galaxy are set to acquire the rights to Lewis after passing on Gibbs with the top spot in the MLS Allocation order. Lewis is set to return to MLS for the first time since leaving for Europe in 1999. Lewis will now join the Galaxy, currently being coached by long-time national team teammate Cobi Jones.
Cory Gibbs future MLS home has yet to be decided, but new potential destinations have emerged has been picked up by the Colorado Rapids and is expected to slide into a starting central defender role.
Source have informed SBI that the Colorado Rapids are considering selecting Gibbs with the top allocation pick, but Gibbs wants to play for New England, which holds the No. 2 allocation spot after LA selected Lewis. (UPDATE)- The Rapids have used their allocation spot to pick up Gibbs.
So why would Colorado select Gibbs? The Rapids could use the help defensively and there is a tie to Gibbs in the organization. Rapids director of player development John Murphy was an assistant coach at Brown University and recruited Gibbs to attend Brown.
Though that tie exists, sources tell SBI that Gibbs is was more inclined to join the New England Revolution. It remains to be seen just how interested the Revs are were. According to reports out of Central America, New England is on the verge of signing central defender Gabriel Badilla. You may remember Badilla as the defender the Revs were considering signing last winter. With Badilla joining Michael Parkhurst in central defense, Gibbs could potentially have been the Revs left back in a four-man back-line. While it appears unlikely that New England would have traded anything of value to Colorado for Gibbs’ rights, the Revs appeared set to grab Gibbs if the Rapids passed.
As for Lewis, he is expected to help give the Galaxy midfield some balance by providing a dangerous winger on the left flank to complement David Beckham on the right flank. The 34-year-old Cerritos, California native is still playing at a high level, as evidenced by his recent turns with the U.S. national team. His veteran poise should also help a team dealing with plenty of turmoil following the departures of head coach Ruud Gullit and team president Alexi Lalas.
What do you think of the news? Is Eddie Lewis a good fit for the Galaxy? Would the Rapids have been foolish or wise to pass on Cory Gibbs? Could Gibbs help the Rapids halt their current slide? Do the Revs need to take a chance on Gibbs or should they stand pat with their current team and Badilla?
Share your thoughts below.
Lewis played left back at last world cup so is at ease in both defense and midfield but I like everyone else want to know how LA can possibly affort Beckham, Donovan and Lewis? I just don’t get it.
Ives, I solved the mystery!!!
We get LEWIS.
and LALAS and Ruud Gullit are both back in training.
The new looking L.A. Galaxy with Lalas in a mo-hawk will beat CHIVAS on Thursday!
@ James. I think you have some bad numbers. For salary cap purposes I believe that your first DP counts as $400k and any other max salary players as $325k.
Eddie Lewis would be a terrific pick up for the Gals, but isn’t it a little like re-arranging the chjairs ont he Titanic?
Playing sexy, attacking football is just a euphemism for having no defense and losing more games than you win. Eddie Lewis is not going to solve that problem while Cory Gibbs (though he is a risky acquisition due to his injury problems) could be the missing ingredient to a good defense.
Anyway, just glad to hear that both are going to be in MLS soon. Two really big acquisitions by the league. Go MLS!
“anti-Galaxy salary cap conspiracy theorists”? Did you graduate from middle school?
Because even a middle schooler can do basic math.
$425,000 (DB) + 375,000 (LD) + $375,000 (CR) + $375,000 (Eddie Lewis – ’cause you know he isn’t coming over for $100k) + the $532,000 in salaries to Buddle, Klein, Vagenas and Vanney alone is over 2 mil. That doesn’t factor in Xavier’s salary, or the salary of the other TWENTY players on the LA roster.
Go here for the details, in case you want to check the facts:
http://www.mlsplayers.org/files/8_12_08_salary_info_club.pdf
And I’m sorry, but LA doesn’t have THAT much allocation money to pay down those salaries.
Now, you tell me the San Jose or Colorado or Kansas City or even Dallas or Chivas want to add a max-salary player, and it is a little easier to believe they have the cap space.
But LA? Sorry, son, but the math just doesn’t add up. Or actually, it adds up clearly enough.
A lot of these comments about the LAG being stupid to take Eddie Lewis seem a little silly.
I don’t know what’s going on with Cory Gibbs but given what happened with him at Charlton I would be very surprised if he became fully healthy again. That concern alone is justification to pass. Then there is the fact that Lewis can play defense AND midfield so he gives them two options. With so little cap room this seems like a wise choice, if Lewis can still play.
Oh my… the Galaxy are so STUPID! Why would you pass up Cory Gibbs, 28, for Eddie Lewis, 35?! I know Gibbs had a tendency for injuries and Eddie is one of the best defenders in USMNT history, but he’s on the brink of retirement! They should be adding youth to their backline, not age!
Great news for Gibbs to come back to MLS. If he can stay healthy – he could put his career right back on track – just in time to be considered for the next WC!
I would rather see Colorado pick up someone who can put the ball in the back of the net instead of getting a defender.
Can they sign Keller and loan him to DCU, please?
How can LA fit Eddie Lewis under the salary cap???????
Other player news…Seattle has a major announcment on Thursday to announce a player signing….and rumor has it that player is Kasey Keller. Ives have you heard about this and do you think its Keller?
It’s a shame, an absolute shame that Los Angeles and New York/New Jersey are the jokes of this league. Different reasons for both, but both jokes.
MLS would be better off if those two markets coached and played more like Houston, DC, New England and Chicago.
Instead, LA is a pub team with two star players and NY is just plain screwed up and mismanaged.
MLS would be far better off if these two markets actually performed.
Eddie Lewis is perfectly capable of playing defense at the left wing position, too. He’s been on form lately with the MNT and I think this will be great. I wonder if this means Beckham will have competition on who’s taking free kicks. Beckham hasnt scored on a free kick this entire season( correct me if I’m wrong) Eddie Lewis scored on a free kick against Polish keeper Artur Boruc( He’s pretty good).I geuss it depends on which side the FK is on. either way Lewis can bring an offensive and defensive mentality to a team. however this might mean no more Ely Allen. or Lewis could be a second half sub. doubt it though Jones WAS Lewis’ teammate at one point…
The Los Angeles Galaxy are killing the MLS.
The Revs definitely need to strengthen their backline. Parkhurst’s future is doubtful – he’s earned a solid promotion to Europe – Heaps and Albright are getting up there in age, and the Igwe/Teirney Combo is still very green. Lawrentewicz is solid back there, but i think he’s needed along with Shalrie in the middle as a marker. Bring Gibbs on, but I would hate to have to trade Heaps for him. That guy is a favorite in the Fort.
Wow, just wow–what an incredibly dumb signing by the LAG. I guess that just goes to show that it isn’t all Lalas and Gullit–they had help as well.
Yes, Lewis is a good player and yes LAG has nothing on the left flank. But the argument that a better midfield helps their defense is weak:
1. The true midfield spot that team is screaming out for help with is D-mid.
2. They need backline help even more. When you’ve got a rookie (Franklin) who is probably your best defender, that’s really sad.
3. They could even upgrade at GK as most non-LAG fans rate Cronin as one of the worst GKs in MLS at present.
4. But here’s the real gut punch from this decision–if they use allocations to make him cap friendly, what do they do in 2009? LAG has got a team where a bunch of players (okay, Vanney doesn’t play much) like Beckham, Klein and now Lewis would be getting up there.
The basic reality that the Red Bulls now know, that DC United knows and you’d have figured out LAG would know by now is that if you have 2 players (let alone 3 or 4) making MLS maximum salary, then you don’t have depth and you skimp on a lot of solid veteran middle-salary guys like….Dema Kovalenko, Brandon Prideaux, Chris Albright (all 3 guys were cap casualties from those respective teams this off-season and all 3 teams could use those players back).
LAG is at the point where they:
(a) have to sell Donovan either now or in the off-season. Not because he’s a bad player but because they need the allocation money for 2009 in order to buy other talent
or
(b) they have to dump Ruiz (which is actually scary given how Buddle always tantalizes with a great run and then disappears).
After watching the Galaxy’s putrid left side against the Quakes, I have to say that Lewis is exactly what they need.
Too bad.
I swear when I read that fast that I thought you were saying that LA was bringing back Cerritos.
Yeah Demon, I caught that too. Not sure what Ives was going for there.
“While it appears unlikely that New England would trade anything of value to Colorado for Gibbs’ rights, the Revs would”
Huh?
Heaps to Colorado for Gibbs?
Maybe we can pick up Benny Feilhaber… He’s a UCLA product and while we’re at it I played at UCLA too! Maybe I should get a contract too. I wasn’t on the team and didn’t go to school there but I was lucky enough to play a pick up game one satuday about a year or so a ago..
All joking aside, my point is that we need someone to help shore up our defense not bolster our offense unless our plan is to score 4 goals a game and hope that the opposition can only muster 2 or 3.
A healthy Corey Gibbs helps the Rapids. I’d sign him to see what kind of trade bait he becomes with NE.
the gals d is not too bad when everyone is healthy. with jazic and franklin plus dominguez, that is a decent core. i think they will be fine. plus no one knows if gibbs wanted to go there and he hasnt been healthy in four years for longer than two or three months. lewis on the other hand can, if needed play in the back. but more importantly he is a left sided threat and is legitimately of premiership quality. i can see this bolstering the attack two fold. good move.
Why would a team want to take an injury plagued player like Cory Gibbs? Makes no sense. I love how soccer fans on the Internet act like these players can just suddenly become injury free and play at the same level they played at previously. Dream on, people!
Good scoops today, Ives!
You bring more pride to the rojiblanco than Solano, Pizarro, Farfan or Guerrero combined!
Lewis can play left mid and left back (at least as well as Jazic can!).
Now the Galaxy just needs to find a good centerback… oh, Cory Gibbs. Oops.
The scarier thought for me is New England with Gibbs and Badilla. They might not concede a goal the rest of the year. Quadruple anyone?
With the future of Parkhurst in MLS up in the air, the Revs would be foolish to pass on Gibbs as long as they can get him at a reasonable price given his history of injuries. Heaps and Albright aren’t getting any younger, or better for that matter
If Parkhurst is going to leave after this year, Gibbs might not be a bad pick up
I know if I was keeper, I’d be sweating bullets on a 30 yard free kick with Lewis and Beckham standing over it.
I don’t see why L.A. don’t just keep Gibbs and Lewis. I’m sure the league would be more than happy to let them.
Who is running the Galaxy now?
They’re not getting any younger at this point, and someone Lewis’s age certainly can’t have that high of trade value, regardless of his experience.
That said, it’s nice to see Lewis back in the league. I’ve liked watching him on the National team.
The money is allocation money, presumably, so it’s something they have to deal with next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ely goes down to the Developmental Roster.
While the Glaxay has a problem on defense, the midfield is part of the reason. Plus, if Lewis plays at LM, Randolph is available to go back to left fullback against some of the faster wingers.
there might be free relegation clause in Eddie Lewis’s contract so he might be free after all. if you play Football Manager long enough, lots of players ask for that clause
I think Lewis go the Gals makes sense since he’s a UCLA product. But as other posters have mentioned, who’s going to play defense? When healthy and in form, Gibbs is one of the best defenders in the US.
Where does this leave Red Bull on the allocation order once these moves happen?
i think the galaxy are going to just try and forget about improving the defence, and just focus on trying to completely blitz other teams with their offense.
and besides, it makes all galaxy games exciting to watch, because they are goal-fiestas.
Why Lewis when they need defense and not a left footed Beckham type player?
Also, Lewis is still under contract to Derby for really decent money even if there was a pay cut that came into effect with relegation. I wonder how much Derby will have to pay of his salary to make him go away. Even at his age, he may have suitors in the Championship.
It is understood that either of these two selections would be a boost to LA. But how does the Galaxy with the WORST defense in the league pass on a player like Cory Gibbs with his youth, albeit injured youth? If he were to remain healthy, he could be a huge benefit to the Swiss cheese back line currently holding LA in mediocrity. Lewis is great and I admire his play on the field, but it is not what LA needs right now. Regardless, good to have some American talent returning to MLS.
LA Galaxy Roster Overview including Salary Calculation
http://www.soccerpubs.com/boards/index.php?s=&showtopic=25483&view=findpost&p=490612
G’s have plenty of “yous sucked in 2006 and 2007 allocation money” to spend on incoming players
Ives you could maybe make that sticky for all galaxy related stuff, otherwise it will never stop…
We need help in goal, defense and left mid, Lewis is older than Gibbs, but at least doesn’t seem to have a long injury history…
Bravo is currently in charge of all player decisions.
Can’t Lewis play left defense? I seem to remember him overlapping with Beasley in some USNT games. How the $$ work, I don’t know, but if Gibbs doesn’t want to play in LA and has a history of knee trouble, why bother. I don’t think NE will bite. NY might, though.
I am happy. I always thought our defensive problems stimmed from a poor midfield. We have needed a left sided midfielder for some time.
I also would have been happy with Gibbs, but I will take Lewis with open arms. Also, he is a local boy and will be very happy
So LA passed on Gibbs when they desperately need defensive help in order to pick up another attacking player in Lewis?
Are we sure that Lalas still isn’t the GM there?
Uh oh, here come the anti-Galaxy MLS-cap conspiracy theorists!!!
How could LA afford either player and if they could, why would they ever select a wide midfielder over a defender.
Plus how could LA being making any major player personel decisions when the coach and GM were just fired?
Who is in charge over there…Cobi Jones? You can’t be serious. Paul Bravo maybe.
after following the USMNT around the last few years and happening to stay in the same hotel as the team a few times, one thing i’ve noticed is that lewis and reyna were always together. they both seemed to have an air of arrogance around them (yes, i know, how judgemental of me, particularly of someone i don’t know), and i can’t help but think lewis will be to LA what reyna was to redbull…a waste of money. where’s his motivation?
HUGE help to the galaxy. Their left flank was non existant all season with Randolph and Allen playing there. Buddle may get a few headers comming from the left side of the field now
How do they afford Lewis?