Photo by John Dorton/ISIphotos.com
In just a few short weeks, United States international centerback Gale Agbossoumonde will have to go back to the drawing board.
Agbossoumonde's option will not be picked up by his Swedish club Djurgardens IF when his loan expires, the team announced on its website.
The 19-year-old Agbossoumonde, who joined Djurgardens on a six-month loan on Feb. 17, began the season in the starting XI but has struggled for playing time since the opening weeks of the Allsvenskan campaign. Now he's set to search for another team to join as he seeks career stability.
Agbossoumonde's rights are owned by player management company Traffic Sports through the end of 2012, and his current options appear to be finding another club to play at on loan or finding a suitor willing to meet Traffic's asking price. In the statement from Djurgardens, the club says that it will release Agbossoumonde from his loan before it expires if he finds another team.
What do you think of this development?
Share your thoughts below.
I don’t get the hype. Why is this more news than some other US youngster washing out at an obscure club?
US soccer really cannot be blamed that much. It takes a while for a country to develop really good technical soccer players. In terms of player development, now that we have top notch athletes playing the game we need to develop them to become more well-rounded players. I would suggest that USSF needs to try to eliminate the physical advantage its best players have. Maybe ankle weights or something like that during scrimmages to force them to compensate with tactical and technical prowess.
i’m thinking agosumbe must not be all that special of a player unfortunately. A yet anywayt least not
Possiblly, but with each and every passing day Traffic is losing ground. If they can’t get a buyer on his next loan or sometime next year then they lose out. They paid him nice wages and eventually they will have to sell cheap to get a ROI.
Thanks.
I know that it would be more proper of me to say “Thank you for appreciating my comment and feeling that it added some value to the conversation” but I don’t feel like writing all of that out. Sorry.
I don’t understand why the media loves this guy. There’s so many U-20’s that are much better than him. He has the worst mental ability and makes the most boneheaded mistakes. I don’t know where the hype ever come from. He’s look like garbage at ever level I’ve seen him play.
Another poor match-up by both player and agent. What is the common denominator from other similar tales?
You’re losing sight of the main problem.
Players ought to be smart and realize they shouldn’t be signing with Traffic. They have a negative rep as it is…yet somehow players keep signing with them.
And I don’t know how good this kid actually is. Perhaps he might not even amount to much. He still has to do his part and perform as well. He’s young right now but he won’t be young forever.
Remember Marvel Wynne? Another athletically talented player who had a lead first touch and used his speed to make up for way too many mental errors. I think Wynne has improved, probably not enough that BB will be calling him for a real game anytime soon, but better. Gale could improve as well (and he is younger than Wynne was when he entered MLS).
I hope he gets a spot where he will improve his skills, will play, make errors, and learn from them. The making errors part is an important part of the learning process, but if he makes too many, the will not get the opportunity to play much at a very good level.
+1
traffic sucks. you’re not foolign anyone.
Exactly. Why are we so quick to anoint these young players? The path for the US is a strong collage soccer program. This will keep it from being controlled by a single group and will give time for the cream to rise to the top. And before you say anything I don’t care how the Europeans or the South American programs are run.
I don’t even like the MLS developmental programs. Inbreeding never helps the species.
Great success!
Why are they named Traffic? As in human Trafficking?
The Carolina Railhawks just lost their captain and defender, Brad Rusin, to the Danish Superliga … Traffic Sports has a controlling interest in the Railhawks and owns the rights to The ‘Boss. I’m just day-dreaming, right?
He’s not technically gifted or tactically proficient enough to play for Porter.
Enlighten us Andy in Atlanta.
He is the classic American scouted at 12, anointed by 15, career trajectory over by 18.
No, he won’t. He’s not that good.
I remember reading that ‘Boss was not doing very well in Sweden where he was playing, and eventually lost his spot in the lineup. I think this kid has a long ways to go before we see him become a good CB – if ever.
“SBI readers are not stupid”
Let’s not get carried away here.
He should’ve gone to college. Caleb Porter sign him up.
uh. this news is like 3 weeks old. this has been known in Americans Abroad circles for at least 3 weeks if not more. way to keep on top of things here at SBI.
Thanks for the laugh, dude. Traffic blows, and SBI readers are not stupid.