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Mid-Day Ticker: Boa Morte trains with TFC, Najar left off Honduras and more

BoaMorte (Getty Images)

Luis Boa Morte has resurfaced, and it is with Toronto FC, at least temporarily.

Boa Morte, who abruptly left South African club Orlando Pirates last week and was released from his contract, is reportedly on trial with the winless MLS side and was at training on Tuesday ahead of the club's second-leg match in the Canadian championship final against the Vancouver Whitecaps, according to numerous reporters in Toronto.

The 34-year-old Portuguese international most notably played for Arsenal, Fulham and West Ham before leaving England prior to this past season. Tuesday was not the first time that Boa Morte was at BMO Field, as he played for West Ham in the 2008 MLS All-Star Game that was held at Toronto FC's home park.

Here are a few more stories to keep your day rolling:

NAJAR MISSES OUT, BERNARDEZ, ESPINOZA MAKE HONDURAS CUT

D.C. United winger Andy Najar was not among 27 players tabbed for Honduras' friendlies against New Zealand and El Salvador and World Cup qualifiers against Panama and Canada. San Jose Earthquakes centerback Victor Bernardez and Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza were named to Honduras' roster for Los Catrachos' upcoming matches, with Bernardez getting the call despite spraining his MCL against the New York Red Bulls on April 14. He has not played for the Earthquakes since.

Here is the Honduras roster:

GOALKEEPERS: Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia), Jose Mendoza (Platense)

DEFENDERS: Mauricio Sabillon (Marathon), Brayan Beckeles (Olimpia), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Wilmer Crisanto (Victoria), Jhony Leveron (Motagua), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic), Rommel Murillo (Marathon), Daniel Tejeda (Real Espana), Juan Carlos Garcia (Olimpia)

MIDFIELDERS: Roger Espinoza (Sporting Kansas City), Wilson Palacios (Stoke City), Boniek Garica (Olimpia), Arnold Peralta (Vida), Mario Berrios (Marathon), Edder Delgado (Real Espana), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Alfredo Mejia (Motagua), Carlos Disuca (Motagua)

FORWARDS: Carlo Costly (Unattached), David Suazo (Catania), Carlos Will Mejia (Olimpia), Kervin Jhonson (Real Espana), Anthony Lozano (Alcoyano), Allan Lalin (Real Espana)

ORLANDO CITY TO HOST STOKE CITY, NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Summer friendlies in the United States are not just for MLS teams.

USL Pro champion Orlando City will host English clubs Stoke City and Nottingham Forest in a pair of July friendlies, the team announced on Tuesday. Orlando will play Nottingham Forest on July 21 before opening the Citrus Bowl to Peter Crouch and Stoke City on July 28. 

Stoke will also be playing the Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City on its summer tour of the United States, while the Nottingham Forest match marks former Real Salt Lake striker Robbie Findley's return to America after signing with the League Championship side in December, 2010.

MANCHESTER CITY CUTS HARGREAVES

Owen Hargreaves' stint with Manchester City was sweet, but short.

The Premier League champions cut Hargreaves after one season, one in which the oft-injured midfielder made just four appearances in all competitions while being part of the title-winning side. He scored one goal for City in a Carling Cup victory over Birmingham back in September. The Canadian-born Hargreaves, 31, was a transfer candidate for the Vancouver Whitecaps last summer before ultimately finding another home in the Premier League after playing for crosstown rival Manchester United for four seasons. 

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What do you think of Boa Morte potentially joining TFC? Disappointed Najar was not called up to Honduras? Surprised to see Bernardez get called in despite his injury? Will you plan to attend the Orlando City friendlies? What do you think is next for Hargreaves?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. old school, i think you should wake up and stop kidding yourself. this is world cup qualifing coming up and if us fans or us soccer takes any one of these games lightly, that would be most stupid.

    im not saying your stupid old school, unless of course, you really think your sunday league team could win antigua. we need to be very serious with regards to this world cup qualifing.

    lets take care of business and qualify, then maybe talk a little, but even then, aint that much to talk about just qualifing.

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  2. As bad as DeGuzman has been, he was one year separate from being Deportivo La Coruna’s defensive player of the year. That was an easy mistake to make.

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  3. Hargreaves is loathed by most Canadian soccer fans, after changing allegiances later in his teens when he’d promised to play for Canada. He would not be welcome in Toronto

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  4. Get over it, Rossi wanted to play for Italy since he was 12 or even before.

    Either get over Rossi, or start calling J. Jones, T. Bunbury, D. Williams, F. Johnson, A. Morales all traitors.

    As an MLS fan, I would LOVE it if (a healthy) Rossi came to play here in his prime.

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  5. He didn’t grow up here, he grew up in both countries, he came to the US at age 13-14. He is in the process of becoming a US citizen but he is 4-5 years away. If you really expect a 19 year old to refuse call ups for the next 4-5 years just for the chance of MAYBE getting called up by the US at age 23-24, you are a fool. Even if he didn’t make this Honduras roster, he has plenty of other chances in the next FIVE YEARS.

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  6. Boa Morte would be useless for TFC. He was like the king albatross to West Ham, and they had plenty of albatrosses pre-relegation.

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  7. Well he grew up here and could have become a citizen. Instead, he decided his loyalties lay elsewhere. I guess Honduras has decided to pick Hondurans, not opporuntists.

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  8. Najar is not a dual. He was like 5 years away from US citizenship, which is why he chose Honduras to begin with. The general feeling is that he would have chosen the US if that was even a viable choice. But it’s not like his wait will be shortened because he’s a refugee (Danny Mwanga, who is waiting to be US eligible) or because he’s about to marry an American woman (Darlington Nagbe, also waiting). DC even tried to lobby area politicians to sponsor a bill making him a citizen, but there was no political will for it in the current climate. It would next to impossible as it is, but Najar originally came to this country illegally as a 13 year old so no one is touching that with a ten foot pole. Personally I think traveling from Honduras to the US to join your parents is an amazing story and he should be welcomed as a US citizen but Rush Limbaugh disagrees.
    Another talented youngster lost because of our country’s stupid immigration and naturalization laws. Hopefully Diego Fagundez isn’t next….

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  9. How can you be a traitor to a country you aren’t a citizen…ph never mind. Never try to teach a pig to sing, waste of time etc, etc.

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  10. so we can add Boa Morte and Hargreaves to the MLS potential DP lists. although i’m not sure either really deserve DP money.

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  11. He is tied to Honduras because he participated in the U-23 tournament before he had US citizenship. If he were a citizen at the time, he could have later filed his one-time switch.

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  12. Should we expect Hargreaves to sign a $4 million/year contract with Toronto FC. After the ridiculous contract they gave DeGuzman, I wouldn’t put it past them.

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  13. Rumor mill here has Hargreaves looking at Vancouver Whitecaps. Of course it’s a pretty flimsy rumor that started with Hargreaves doing a lot of rehab here over the years and having informal discussions with people from Whitecaps. I’m sure the rumors of him going to Toronto are just as flimsy as the speculation that has him going to Vancouver.

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  14. is he cap tied to Honduras? i have no idea how far along he is in gaining US citizenship or if he even has any interest whatsoever in playing for us should he get citizenship, but it would be nice if the door was still open. the kid can really play

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  15. Hargreaves has TFC written all over it. Dream match for both. He thinks he can still play and they’d love to have him since he’s cough, cough Candia…er I mean English.

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  16. It’s not Ben Olsen’s job to set up Najar for Honduran national team selection. It’s to get wins with DCU. And he is doing that.

    Najar is competing for playing time like everyone else. Play well and the rest takes care of itself (not that he’s play poorly — DCU is just deeper than it was in the recent past).

    Besides, Najar played quite well at right back. Showing versatility never hurt any player.

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  17. Najar’s omission is definitely a slap in the face. Most ‘duals’ make their decisions only with solid commitments from the selected country. One could wonder if Trafic Sports was involved.

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  18. Najar has been good, even at RB. But he is still young, and will most likely be a part of the Olympic Team anyway.

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  19. what ever happened to Carlo Costly playing for Houston, did he get cut? i see “unattached” next to his name.. i bet Najar not making is due to his RB experiment, way to go DCU!

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