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MLS Notes: Marquez trains with Barca B, Red Bulls sign Borrajo and more

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Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

American players are not the only ones going abroad for training stints during the MLS offseason.

In an effort to keep sharp and maintain fitness, Rafael Marquez has begun practicing with Barcelona B. The New York Red Bulls defender had his first training session with the second team of his former club on Thursday morning, and he practiced alongside compatriot Jonathan Dos Santos, among others.

Marquez, who endured a heavily-scrutinized season in 2011, is expected to return to New York in the coming weeks.

Here are more notes from around MLS:

RED BULLS ACQUIRE NJ NATIVE BORRAJO

The New York Red Bulls strengthened its defensive corps on Thursday, signing defender Jonathan Borrajo. The 24-year-old fullback, who was born in Clifton, New Jersey, last played for Norwegian club Hamarkameratene, making 36 appearances during his year-and-a-half stay. Prior to signing with Hamarkameratene, Borrajo played for George Mason University for four years.

Red Bulls general manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler said he expects Borrajo to compete for a starting spot this season.

REVOLUTION ADDS TO ITS COACHING STAFF

The New England Revolution continued its transformation under new head coach Jay Heaps, as it signed two new coaches to its staff on Thursday.

Jay Miller, a former talent evaluator at the collegiate levels and U.S. Soccer, was added as an assistant coach while former Revolution defender Nick Downing was hired as the club's first strength and conditioning coach.

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What do you think of Marquez training with Barcelona B? Happy to see a NJ native signed by the Red Bulls? Do you like Miller being appointed as an assistant coach for the Revs?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Nope, not a one. The only NBC (as in the big NBC, the free NBC) games are Seattle v Portland, then two NY RB games (v Chicago, V Philadelphia).

    Quite frankly I don’t get why Chicago is on the big channel.

    Reply
  2. They’ll surely have more than one meal out while they’re there!

    To be honest, I live in BBQ town, Owensboro Ky (known mostly for Mutton and Burgoo), and I didn’t particularily like any of the famous KC joints, but I don’t think I got to eat at Jack Stack (I think that’s how we found Cinzittis as Jack Stack was in the neighborhood and had a long wait). The Author Bryant place was horrible, but I hear the one near Livestrong park isn’t the good one anyway.

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  3. Exactly, chavarii wants a move to mls, because he wants to play for the us national team. Thus, signing for an mls team allows him to imo get a better chance at getting called into the us cycle than where hes at now. Arteaga would be an awesome pick up- very powerful shot- he deserves to be in mls. RB should also sign chigardze back to compete with lindpere and nielson at left mid. Other players red bull should look at is pedro leal for left back, Bendik or Badr for GK, and they should take a look at andres cabrero. And if the salary cap permits- make a move for jerry bengston, and if they can snab stankovic do it up. Id also try and get Brooks on loan. Thus, my dream ny roster would look like this; GK Rost, Bendik LB Miller, P. Leal RB Solli, Barrajo, Lade CB Ream, Holgersson, Keel, John Anthony Brooks, Hot, Gallego Cm/cdm’s Marquez, Tainio, S. Davis, Stankovic, Mccarty, Kassel, RM Richards, Chavarri, LM Lindpere, Nielson, Chigardze ST Henry, Rodgers, Agudelo, Bengston, Hertzog, Arteaga

    Reply
  4. You are correct Versus was owned by NBC and starting on January 2nd was renamed NBC sports with really nothing changing but the name. If you had Versus you should have NBC Sports, on the comcast channel guide it now is listed as NBC Sports.

    Reply
  5. While Cinzitti’s is a great restaurant, you don’t go to KC for Italian. Head over to any of the Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ places (there are four I think throughout KC) and order some beef burnt ends and crown beef ribs. You’ll be in a food coma afterwards but it is arguably the best BBQ in town.

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  6. Borrajo= good, solid move. You always want players who identify with the club on a personal level- creates higher team moral in some occasions. Other new yorkers id like hans + Soler to go for= jhonny arteaga and deigo chavarri.

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  7. Actually the switch happened this week. It is now NBC Sports, sitting where Versus was on your channels… I think on dish it is 151, but like I said, I don’t have it.

    There will be THREE (instead of previously stated two) MLS games on NBC, all comming on Saturday afternoons in the fall going up against college football. A waste.. would rather see them as Sunday afternoon games before the NFL gets kicked up, or better yet, a weeknight game during the summer before or after the Olympics.

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  8. bah that really sucks. I thought this whole time it was simply NBC.. I too have the sports pack on directv but no way I’m paying a cent more for NBC sports.. it’s so expensive since hd and dvr are already extra too

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  9. IVES– Will you be going to KC for the draft?

    P.S. If so, you need to eat at Cinzitti’s Italian, that place is ungodly good, it’s a buffet designed like an Italian Marketplace. Unbelievably good! Check out their webpage for more info.

    Reply
  10. Off Topic, but since this is a notes section, why not: Anyone know what satellite packages the new NBC Sports is actually availible on? I have Dish networks’s middle priced package plus the $7 sports pack (for Fox Soccer of course), and I’m paying $85 a month after fees, DVR, taxes, etc.. and guess what? No NBC Sports. I’m not exactly sure what the league was thinking with this move, alianate fans in exchange for two regular season games tucked away on a Sunday afternoon on NBC then two playoff games on NBC.

    Reply

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