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Evening Ticker: Clark returns to training, Real Salt Lake acquires Gil and more

Ricardo Clark 2 (ISIphotos)

photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

The U.S. national team currently has a long list of injuries its trying to deal with, but Ricardo Clark is one name that can now be scratched off.

After missing the last few weeks with a calf injury, Clark returned to training for Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday. Eintracht manager Michael Skibbe said the former Houston Dynamo midfielder returned quicker than the expected four weeks because he went through intensive rehabilitation and put in extra sessions of rehab.

Clark likely won't see time in Eintracht's match this weekend against VfB Stuttgart, but he could make his Bundesliga debut when the club hosts Schalke 04 on March 6.

Here are some more stories from Tuesday:

Wizards trade Gil to Real Salt Lake

United States Under-17 national team midfielder Luis Gil is on his way to Salt Lake City.

A day after acquiring Gil via a weighted lottery, the Kansas City Wizards traded Gil to MLS champion Real Salt Lake. In exchange the Wizards received a 2011 second-round draft pick, an International Player roster slot and 25 percent of any future transfer fee received by RSL for Gil from a team outside of MLS.

Hoyos called into Argentina U-20 camp

The USSF's chase of Estudiantes la Plata and U.S.-eligible midfielder Michael Hoyos took a blow, as Hoyos was summoned by Argentina U-20 coach Sergio Batista for a 43-man camp. While attending the camp doesn't cap-tie Hoyos, it could be a sign that the 18-year-old might become the latest promising youngster to snub the United States for another country.

Hoyos previously turned down call-ups from the U.S. U-20 national team, stating he wanted to stay with his club in Argentina to fight for a spot in the first team.

Lopez and Kansas City part ways

The Kansas City Wizards and Claudio 'El Piojo' Lopez have parted ways, the club announced on Tuesday.

Wizards manager Peter Vermes said he would have liked to have kept the Lopez, but that it became evident early in negotiations that a deal was not going to be reached with the 35-year-old Argentine.

Lopez was consistent in his two years with Kansas City, scoring six goals and assisting on seven others in 2008 and recording seven goals and eight assists in 2009. 

Lopez joins goalkeeper Kevin Hartman as veterans who were unable to reach new deals with the Wizards this offseason.  

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Do you see Clark making his Bundesliga debut this weekend or next? Concerned over Hoyos taking part in the Argentina U-20 camp? Think Kansas City should have kept Lopez?

Share your thoughts below.
 

Comments

  1. I wonder what it is like for Rossi being an someone who grew up in the US but playing for Italy. Do you think the Italian players have accepted him? Is he treated like any other Italian player, or is he looked down on? How do the fans treat him?

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  2. MLS sure helped Adu and Gaven grow. Need I list dozens more youth players who have had their growth stunted as players because they joined the mls too early?

    Landon also spent time in europe before coming to the mls as well. Its near impossible to spend your youth as a player in the mls. Even college is a better option than the mls.

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  3. Yes, I think that was the logic. I agree that once you have competed in the Olympics for one nation you should not be able to compete for another…

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  4. Rongen went out of his way to criticize both Subotic and the 2nd division German team he played for at the time. If you look at the defenders he favored over Subotic it clearly indicates he’s unqualified to evaluate talent.

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  5. Though now when I re-read your comment, maybe it’s the fact that Lagat medaled for Kenya before becoming a US citizen that irks you?

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  6. “Hoyos, it could be a sign that the 18-year-old might become the latest promising youngster to snub the United States for another country.”

    Sunil and Rongen just can’t seem to get a comprehensive plan going to entice dual nationals. Since that would be a major part of their job, USA is nation of immigrants, that would be a major reason to fire them both.

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  7. I find your logic a bit strange. You wouldn’t mind if a born and raised completely German player (who happens to have an American father) switched over to our side, but someone that moved to the US and attended college and continued to live in the US and became a naturalized citizen is not okay?

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  8. I see what you are saying and would agree with you completely in that instance, but honestly these guys are making so much money that it really shouldn’t matter. They also have to move from city to city or country to country (Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso ect.), and I am sure after a few years they would have become good friends with at least some of their teammates or locals. I think there is more to it than just the job aspect.

    Having said that I understand that anybodies playing career could be over in an instance so making as much money as you possibly can is in no way a bad idea.

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  9. I understand the system, and it really is just an imperfect reality, but sometimes it just doesn’t feel right to play politics over which country you represent. Jermaine Jones is German. The only reason he is switching over to the US team is because he was unable to break into the German national team and because he was technically eligible for the U.S. team. If he ever comes, great, he’s obviously a great player. But I hardly would feel snubbed if somebody in his case didn’t.

    I think it’s Olympic sports that get me a little more. Our top 1500-5K runner is Bernard Lagat. But before he joined Team USA, he medaled at the Olympics and World Championships for Kenya. Nothing against him as a person—he is by all accounts a really good guy—but doesn’t something seem wrong about that?

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  10. SLC only sucks if you are an alcoholic. kid is 16 so this is a good place for him. he will get topnotch high altitude training with a young up and coming coach that really wanted him. in 6 years he will be the usmnt #10 at age 22 when he is already playing in europe. rsl promised to train him with a view he will go abroad some day.

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  11. I have to admit as a kid growing up in the US with an Italian mother I dreamed of playing for the Azzurri in the World Cup more so then I did for the US team. It wasn’t about not appreciating the US, it was about the challenge of playing for one of the best teams in the world and the prospect of winning a World Cup. And add in the adventure of experiencing a different culture in a country that truly appreciates soccer stars. It had no bearing on the fact that I would have always considered myself blessed to be an American. Granted, I think with the advancements the US team has made in recent years I would probably harbor a different opinion were I young player today. I am sad to see the US miss out on some top players but I think everyone gives them too much grief for choosing the path less taken, I don’t believe it reflects their feelings toward the country as a whole. And yes, I route wholeheartedly for Rossi to succeed with the Italian National team, though I wouldn’t mind him taking it a little easier on the US if we meet again.

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  12. Completely our fault with him and something we’ll regret. I think Serbia stands at having a better shot at winning the WC than we do as it stands.

    Plus on a grander national team basis, Serbia competes against the best – there’s only so many times you can beat Canada, Jamaica, etc, and lose to Mexico away before it gets a bit boring for a player.

    I’m half English (mum born there) so I can see temptation to play for them but to lead the US to victory in Mexico for the first time or crush England would be far greater. There’s something to be said to playing with the underdogs.

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  13. Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. I have traveled a few times down I-80 going through SLC. there are some serious hotties there. not a bad place for a 16 year old boy.

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  14. Well said Chris. I am in the military and have moved around my whole life. Lived in hawaii, england, germany, panama, and oh yeah, Rapid City, South Dakota. But you know what, Rapid City was kinda nice. It is what you make of it. I made some great friends there. Got some great friends in the U.K and Ireland too, wish i could go back Chris.

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  15. Norwegian-American Diskerud is the next player I think we’ll lose. He played for the US at the U-20 WC but has said he’ll play for whoever calls him up first. Knowing that Norway gets to play some UEFA qualifiers against a team like Faroes Island or Albania we know what that means.

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  16. people saying that hoyos might not get time with argentina are not paying attention…their central midfield guys are all late 20s into 30s except for banega gago and masch…cambiasso veron lucho ledesma…all these guys will eventually need to be replaced…i have NO idea how good the hoyos bros are but there will be opportunities for young argentine central midfielders in the next cycle

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