Photo by ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
The Columbus Crew's back line just got a little deeper.
Columbus acquired U.S. U-20 national team defender Korey Veeder in a weighted lottery on Tuesday. The Crew landed the 19-year-old Veeder despite having the third-best chance (19.31 percent) out of the four teams trying to acquire him.
Toronto FC (45.52 percent), the Seattle Sounders (24.83) and the Colorado Rapids (10.34) were the other teams that opted to remain in the lottery for Veeder, a right back who is a product of the U-17 residency program and a potential member of the U.S. U-20 World Cup team this summer (pending qualification).
By acquiring Veeder, who played for Crystal Palace Baltimore last season, the Crew are ineligible for any other player lotteries this season, along with other previous lottery winners San Jose, Real Salt Lake and Philadelphia.
Here are a couple of more stories from Tuesday:
LICHAJ OPEN FOR LEEDS EXTENSION
Currently on a month-long loan to Leeds United, American right back Eric Lichaj is open to a longer stay with the club.
Lichaj admitted he isn't against sticking with Leeds for the remainder of the season, as he wants to continue to get playing time. Lichaj made his Leeds debut this past weekend with a 90-minute performance in a 2-0 win against Bristol City.
NURNBERG LOOKING TO OFFER CHANDLER NEW DEAL
If you want to see more of Timothy Chandler at FC Nurnberg, you'll be happy to know he is close to receiving a contract extension from the club.
Coming off a starting debut in which he scored a goal and assisted on another, the 20-year-old Chandler is likely prolonging his time with Nurnberg, as a deal for a new contract is close to completion, according to reports out of Germany.
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What do you think of the Crew acquiring Veeder? Do you see him contributing this season? Do you think Lichaj should stay at Leeds for the remainder of the season? Surprised Chandler is getting an extension so quickly?
Share your thoughts below.
How many countries in Europe have 50+ metro areas with populations greater than 1 million people. Just as a comparison the UK had 5 in 2001, which includes Glasgow.
Is there really a need for cities in the US to have more than one soccer team in MLS. You could support your local college team if you are desperate for an alternative to MLS.
you realize the knee deep irony of the phrase ‘originally American’ right?
Yeah I’m pretty sure we are going to have to agree to disagree here.
I don’t view that it is good for the perception of a young league, in a sport that is barely recognizable by the average person in the United States, to promote big cities vs. small cities and allow the small cities just to be moved around and or shut down because they can’t compete because the system is all screwed up. I suppose you think the system in England and most of Europe is healthy with the big clubs vs the small clubs. Sorry, I don’t. However, your comments do reek of a fan of one of those big city teams that thinks the league is holding your team back from just running the table year after year.
This league may eventually get there, but its still growing and still adding teams. I don’t see why we are in such a hurry to get there just to say we have the same system as the rest of the world, which is losing all kinds of money running these mega clubs. In the process you may very well end up running teams out of the league or from city to city just to see where they finally fit in.
By the way, I have questioned the league and some of their decisions plenty of times, so stop it with the personal attacks like I am some sort of apologist.
“the league is single entity. They aren’t run like the rest of the leagues around the world”
Exactly, you pinpointed the problem. The single entity structure needs to be seriously reformed/scaled back/maybe even scrapped entirely. One of the main reasons I cannot wholeheartedly embrace MLS is because it structure seems to be modeled on the NFL’s. No thanks.
At a certain point in time we need to realize that it’s only natural for the clubs in bigger media markets to have more resources at their disposal than do the clubs in Columbus, OH and Kansas City. League sanctioned parity ensures that all MLS clubs are equally mediocre and the on-field product suffers as a result. Worse than that though, as result of the single entity structure and top down approach, all of MLS’ clubs are homogeneous, reek of overwrought branding, and sorely lack anything resembling distinct identities. Something has to change. People like Kip seem to think that we’re not even allowed to question/criticize the status quo, which is unfortunate. Fans need to hold the league accountable.
unfortunately if he keeps it up Germany may come calling.
hell ya im with Cletus!
the great thing about MLS is that it wouldn’t be the small vs. big markets it would be the strong soccer market teams killing the weak soccer market teams. thus forcing teams to be extra creative and innovative to grow their market.
example. today i went to go renew my season tickets for my local MLS team. as excited as i am for the new season my team has done NOTHING in the offseason to make the club, stadium or fan experience better. not a single friendly game or even a new player to get excited about. the ticket rep quickly said “nothing” himself when i asked. they basically wait for the players and the fans to come to them.
if i lived in a different country with a better league i could just support another team in my city. but here thats impossible. mls clubs (not players) are way to entitled and don’t work enough for the passion that their fans bring to every game. the player lottery is just one of many ways that the league is making itself less competitive.
Why a bit too soon? other than Stevie name one other RB getting starting minutes in a top league. Call him in and see if he’s truly interested.
Nope. They have decided to sit out each one. Bingham, Arnoux, Agorsor and Veeder,
Either DC is seriously overrating their roster — and ignoring the fact that there are more slots than players in camp — or they must ahve their eyes on someone else.
Yeah their RB should be back in 2-3 weeks and had been a very solid performer from what I’d heard. Maybe either he or Lichaj can play LB? I’d rather Lichaj fight for PT at Leeds than not make the bench at Villa for the next two months.
But that doesn’t have anything to do with “needy” teams in this league. Any team can choose to get involved in this process from LA and NY to Columbus and Kansas City. It has nothing to do with “needy” teams but placing players that have decided late to sign with the league, not a team, because they didn’t come in through the standard process.
This process only exists because, as someone else said, these kids either chose to go another route and it didn’t work or they chose not to go into the draft. Do they do away with the draft? Do they just allow players to skip the draft just so they can pick whatever team they like?
Remember, the league is single entity. They aren’t run like the rest of the leagues around the world, and that is for a reason. It is in place to keep the league, and the teams of the league viable in what is a very very young league still.
Well, Bunbury spent a majority of his life here, to an American mother. Agudelo’s family moved here years ago before international soccer was ever a concern, Mixx grew up with an American mom and openly said he felt ties to both so he would just let the first NT to pick make his destiny.
Unlike Daniel Williams, Chandler’s 1 connection to America, his father, moved out when he was tiny.
I am not saying I’m not open to him, but I hope to see some sincere interest in representing us outside of chances to play NT futbol.
Yeah you guys posting here would do a better job running the MLS, right?
It’s set up this way for a reason, find something else to complain about.
Dude is playing and doing well for a mid-table Bundesliga team, I think he can handle playing in a friendly for the USMNT.
He’s about at Eric Lichaj’s level in terms of where his career is, and that’s more than enough to get Bradley’s attention.
Hahahahaha. Nice one. Seriously made me almost cough up my coffee.
because players would purposly bypass the draft to play with the best teams and the small market teams would lose. But i do think for returning USMNT players and players not coming straight out of college, they should be free to sign with whatever team they want.
Has DC participated in any of these lotteries? If so they have some terrible luck
He’s trying to say that they should let teams sign players freely if the player has tried to sign with an MLS club before using up all of his elgibility.
So guys like Veeder, Agoror or whatever his name spelling is and Arnoux along with Bingham who left college early but AFTER the draft and last year’s situation with a youth talent like Luis Gil they should just be allowed to sign with the highest bidder is what Cletus is saying
I’m with Cletus. Take the training wheels off already. It is almost impossible for the fans to follow the incredibly complicated scenarios that unfold as a result of the league’s obtuse allocation process. That drafts and lotteries exist at all is part of what holds the MLS back.
FC Dallas traded Heath Pearce to Chivas USA today for an undisclosed amount of allocation money. What does that even mean? Why can’t the clubs simply buy and sell their players on the open market just like clubs do in every other league in the world? MLS’s over-involvement in decisions that should be left up to each individual club limits the league’s growth potential. Grant the clubs a bit more autonomy already. They can handle it.
1 + 7 = 8
The comment was sarcastic busdriver, keep up.
What exactly are you talking about? Anyone could get in the lottery for any of these 3 players from the last 5 days, except those that have already won. Only 4 teams decided to try yesterday and today.
In the case of today the team with the 3rd highest chance, out of 4, won. How exactly does that have anything to do with needy MLS teams?
Good eye.
Haha, re-read Jonk’s post dude.
Sick of this crap. Open the damn market and let teams start bidding for these players. Time to take the mouths of the MLS needy off the nipple and start letting them learn to drink from a glass. If they can’t, then they don’t deserve to survive.
Why is his jersey # 17 and shorts #8?
crazy awesome. It happens though. Didn’t the Bulls (nba) get the top draft pick a couple years back with only a 5% chance going in?
Well at least Bunbury, Agudelo, and Mix have spent a moderate amount of time in and around American culture. The fact that they were born elsewhere is not unusual for Americans.
Hurzeler and Chandler might be more German culturally, but if they make the effort to get along with the guys, then it shows they are here for more than just a WC opportunity.
Chandler was born in Germany and has spent his entire life there. He is similar to Jermaine Jones in that he’s the son of an American military father and a German mother. He was not one that MLS lost.
Isn’t Lichaj filling in while Leeds’ normal RB is out on injury for a few weeks? I wonder if staying there for the rest of the season would, in fact, guarantee playing time.
Good to see him playing again, though. The fact that the manager has the confidence to immediately start him should be a confidence booster after a rough few months under Houllier.
Renteria more than likely, from what I saw of him last year, He and Gavin will be the stars this year. I hope Griffite actually gets some decent time this year. Great player
Thanks, didn’t know about that one. It just seems the underdog wins these lotteries more often than not. Serioulsy, I’m no conspiracy theorist, but Bingham going to his hometown team of SJ with a 5% chance was pretty crazy.
Spot on. MLS should have done much better to hold on to Chandler. Unfortunately none of the teams had academies in Germany where he grew up and so he was forced to play in Germany.
Haha, pretty soon a good majority of our most promising players may not even originally be American. Chandler, Bunbury, Agudelo, Fabian Hürzeler, Mix. I don’t even care…if they want to be on America, we’ll welcome them with open arms like Steve Perry of Journey would.
Oh yes. It happened a long long long time ago. Yesterday to be precise. Philly had like a 96% chance at won.
Is that sea salt you are pouring in the wound? Nice.
You usually see them rot away on the bench…Might hear from this guy in 2 years. MLS needs to keep these guys and develop them. USA needs to develop an identity.
Has anyone with the highest percent chance EVER WON an MLS weighted lottery? I’m just sayin’.
Still undefeated versus Toronto.
IMO…Chandler is likely to get his first USNT call up when the U-23 squad is formed. Since he’s never been involved in any of the US youth teams I think that would be the best way to get him into the pool with out putting to much pressure/expectations on him.
yah just a bit too soon. Last weekend was the first time i heard of him, let him be consistent and if he keeps it up then maybe we’ll start to talk about him more, he is a good prospect tho, you don’t see too much americans score and have an assist on they’re debut for a team in Europe
I’m sure this will be good for the Crew some where down the line.
But I’m still trying to figure out where the goals will come from for the Crew.
Is Chandler ready for a nats call up or is he more of a Daniel Williams situation, where he’s just filling in for injured starters. If he is ready to play at the international level, he could allow dempsey to move up top more permanently. Seeing as Holden is probably going to play inside, there are no standout natural wing options. Even bedoya prefers a more central role, and has been inconsistent in nats appearances.
Anyway, probably too soon for this sort of talk…
Finally something goes right for the Crew…Amazing