The Montreal Impact came away from last week's expansion draft without a proven goalkeeper, but that void was filled in a major way on Monday after the Impact acquired Jamaican national team goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts from the Impact for allocation money.
Ricketts had been one of the best goalkeepers in the league before a broken arm sidelined him and paved the way for Josh Saunders to take the starting job away from Ricketts. Now, the 34-year-old netminder, and 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year will anchor a Montreal defense that has the makings of a solid unit for an expansion team after signing Nelson Rivas from Inter Milan and landing Zarek Valentin, Tyson Wahl and Bobby Burling in the expansion draft.
For the Galaxy, the move seemed inevitable as the team tries to keep its championship-winning side together while paying for new contracts to keep standouts like Saunders, Sean Franklin and Todd Dunivant for the long term.
What do you think of this deal? Starting to think Montreal will be a force in year one? Disappointed your team didn't make a play for Ricketts?
Share your thoughts below.
I agree with with this agreement.
I can totally question Arena, but this has nothing to do with that. I’m glad Ricketts is going to a side where he can play a #1 role. He’s too good to be a backup in MLS.
Yep. TRUE!!! in 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Saunders#Los_Angeles_Galaxy
Between Donovan, Donovan, and Dunivant the LAG lineup was too confusing this year. Sort of like the Rapids with Cummings and Cumminges. Or some future US national team with George John and Jann George.
Wha? They did protect him. This isn’t the expansion draft, this is a trade.
Galaxy went from the miserable Steve Cronin to Ricketts which was great piece of business by Arena. I’m really sad to see Rickity go he is one of the great characters in MLS and did marvels for The Gals. Good luck and God Bless to you Donovan!
As far as what else will happen at the Galaxy, watch this space Arena has a plan and this is just the first move.
Arnaud would be my guess.
Are you serious about Saunders being cap-tied to PR????? When/what/huh????
Montreal are making very very good moves- wonder whose going to captain this team
Shame LAG did not protect him.
LOL
allocation money = Juninho money
Imps.
Mon real.
Glass Jaw, it was fun while it lasted. Adieu
Limp’Act
Ricketty Cricket destroyed us on multiple occasions. Good move by Montreal.
Ricketts is a stud in CONCACAF and MLS, and was for the Galaxy. I’ll miss him and enjoyed rooting for him and still will when he’s not facing the Galaxy
Allocation money is extra cap space. And it’s definitely worth it.
There was no need to pay Ricketts so much when you’ve got a guy on the bench just as good who is younger. The Galaxy have a lot of guys they’d like to resign, but not much cap space. Ridding themselves of Ricketts’s contract and getting extra money will clear up hundreds of thousands of room to sign other needed guys.
I agree…and he will be 35 in June.
He never played above the thrid division of English football before he came to MLS…Top Ten? Thats an insult to the likes of Tim Howard…
Bruce played Rickets in NY toward the end of the regular season and he was rusty as heck. The Galaxy had too much on the line to let a less-than 100% Ricketts play when they were chasing the Shield.
Who’s pulling the strings for Montreal? Granted, we’ll have to wait and see how the team actually performs, but these deals all look good on paper. The Earthquakes trades don’t look good anywhere…
Sorry for my bitterness. I should let it go. I don’t blame Stephenson for the play. He was poaching and a flying cranium is obviously stronger than a radius and ulna.
SoCal + NorCal = Hella BFFs 🙂
I gotta say I was a little surprised that Galaxy kept Saunders in all season. Not to say that he didn’t do an amazing job, its just that DR was our starting keeper until his injury. I trust Bruce Arena’s decisions.
If it makes you feel better, I thought it was a horrible, dirty play.
What I’ve taken away from all the MLS expansion is that the league seems to have a good system in place for expansion teams to be competitive right away, if they do things the right way.
Agreed!!!
Arena and the Galaxy need to make these moves to free up cap money to keep Juninho and Franklin.
I don’t expect the Galaxy to make any “big” moves until the Beckham question is answered. Apparently it’s down to PSG and the Galaxy, with PSG offering a big 18 month contract, European and Champions League competition and the Galaxy offering a pretty good contract ( a bit more than last year) an all-star team California and a rumored VP at AEG after his playing days are over.
I’m thinking he will stay.
The galaxy have a pretty good backup netminder in Brian Perk, who did a more than good job against Manchester City this summer and more than held is own during his time between the pipes this year for the Galaxy in MLS play.
The great thing about Saunders is that he is cap tied to Puerto Rico and won’t be called up to the USMNT for any international competitions.
If the Galaxy lose Beckham, I don’t expect them to fill his DP slot quickly. They will most likely sign a “name” star from South America or Europe before or during the summer transfer window,
def. sad to see him go. Ricketts is a top 3 goalkeeper and the best keeper in MLS the first 3/4 of the season. Now we have to find a way to keep juninho, re-sign franklin, dunnivant and saunders and find some more depth to keep the team moving forward
Top 10 GK in CONCACAF? Sure. The world? Not even close.
It’s just l’impact – drop the ‘e’. Which is kind of unfortunate since the English-speaking fans of other teams are going to have fun making ‘limp’ jokes!
Agree that this is a good move by Montreal – I’m happy to see that they are adding quality players. I’ll be very interested to see who they target as DPs.
lol
“Until he got hurt” in Quakeland. Thanks a lot, smurfs.
I agree with this.
Ricketts is an excellent keeper. He got injured this season but is better than Saunders for sure when healthy. Le Impact de Montreal just got a heckuva lot better with this move. Good goalkeeping is vital for an expansion team — just ask Philly after the nightmare they had in net in their first season.
I must be greedy because I think LA should do all three of those.
Could somebody explain why ‘allocation money’ is a reasonable exchange for a GK of Rickett’s caliber? Or just what it is?
Frankly, until he got hurt I thought he was the best keeper in the league. Keller was smarter and more savvy, but Ricketts the better athlete. Other guys were great at reaction saves, but Ricketts was that and more.
What What in the Butt
It’s hard to see the Buffalo Soldier go. He was a fan favorite and solid as a rock until his injury. Saunders is a great GK, so I don’t worry about the G’s future, but it’s pretty deflating as a supporter.
“Oy-yoy-yoy, Oy-yo-yoy-yoy, oy-yoy-yoy-yo-yoy-yo-yoy-yoy”
I had my doubts about this franchise, but they are proving me wrong. Every move made has built a pretty solid team, and considering they’ll probably add 1-2 dps, these guys could be pretty good (and a big draw) come next season.
Ricketts is a great pick up for the Impact, but I think it’s a bit odd that people are calling him “world class” and a top ten keeper.
Terrible trade for Los Angeles on its face, but I’m sure this is a domino. Ricketts is a real asset at $195k, and there are teams in this league that could have returned a legit MLS starter for a Goal Keeper like Ricketts (such as New York).
Some scenarios:
(1) LA is going to go big in the re-entry draft (Joseph, Rogers, Espindola, etc.).
(2) LA is going to purchase Juninho and buy down his transfer fee cap figure, so he isn’t a DP.
(3) Sean Franklin and Josh Saunders are getting big money by MLS standards to re-sign.
Good get for the Impact.
Good steal for Impact. Ricketts is a world class GK, teammate and man! Just sucks he’s going to be playing for a rotten opportunist cheap owner like Saputo (possibly the Donald Sterling of MLS)
are you serious, mike?
allocation will be nice for LA to have
Agree its a steal, but Top 10 goal-keeper in the world? Come again? What does that make Josh Saunders?
looks like they may be the best expansion team since seattle.
steal for the impact. they got a top ten goal keeper in the world! perplexed but cant question arena!
Sounds like they’re making a real “impact!”
…sorry.