Good morning folks. As you can tell, it has been a pretty slow week as MLS clubs go through the paces in pre-season camps. There is always some news to go over. I have a few tidbits for you but before I get those I will address a rumor that has picked up way more steam than it needed to.
Stop of you’ve seen this scenario play out. Some non-descript website throws up a completely baseless rumor only to have it picked up by other, slightly more respectable websites. Before you know it a rumor that should never have seen the light of day is running rampant. This is the case with Colombian forward Wason Renteria, who has been "linked" to the Red Bulls.
Folks, common sense should have killed this rumor early on but some people just don’t follow the world’s game enough to realize the absurdity of the Renteria rumor. He is a 22-year-old Colombian national team striker who just happens to be doing very well in the French first division while on loan from Portuguese power FC Porto. His form with the national team and French club Strasbourg has him rated as one of the more exciting young players in South America.
What scenario would have to play out for Renteria to the Red Bulls to even be a possibility? Well, you start with the Red Bulls freeing up a designated player slot, which isn’t happening (If Reyna were going to retire he would have done so by now). Even if that did take place, the Red Bulls would need MLS to essentially ignore its own policy on the size of transfers MLS teams can pay for a player. The league policy is to not allow large transfer payments (there were no big transfers involved in either the Beckham, Angel or Blanco deals). Now, once you’ve managed to free up the DP slot and get MLS to change its rules, you would then need to convince the 22-year-old Renteria that his career would be better served by playing in MLS rather than the French or Portuguese first divisions.
Doesn’t seem realistic does it?
Now for some real news:
Galaxy looking at Brazilian- His name is Alvaro Henrique Alves Pires, but you can call him Alvaro. The Brazilian defensive midfielder is in LA Galaxy camp and making a good impression. The Galaxy need a quality defensive midfield option and the 23-year-old product of Brazilian power Internacional has shown good skill despite looking a bit out of shape. With a nickname like "The Buffalo", Alvaro probably isn’t going to get much smaller.
Another interesting note about Alvaro? He last played with Russian club Spartak Nalchik. Yes, the same club former Seton Hall star Eliseo Giusfredi is trying to latch on with. Admit it, you never in your life heard of Spartak Nalchik before this week.
LA wouldn’t be the first MLS club to sign a Brazilian this winter. FC Dallas signed midfielder Andre Rocha on Tuesday.
In other LA news, the Galaxy is also stepping up its efforts to acquire a veteran defender. Sources in Los Angeles suggest that Portuguese defender Abel Xavier is showing his age while another pending development is expected to leave the Galaxy’s defense even worse off. Stay tuned for more on that. On the bright side, rookie defenders Sean Franklin and Julian Valentin have been very impressive in camp.
Angulo suffers knee injury– New Jersey product and New England Revolution trialist Jose Angulo has suffered a torn meniscus and could miss up to a month. Angulo suffered the injury early in the Revs training camp. The injury will not require surgery and Angulo has joined New England on its pre-season trip to Bermuda. He has yet to sign a contract with New England.
In other Revs-related news, former Rev Andy Dorman scored the game-winner for St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup on Wednesday. St. Mirren won 1-0.
As far as the Gals go, how can they afford to sign anybody with three players (Beckham, Donovan, Ruiz) taking up half their salary cap? Besides, how do we know this Brazilian midfielder is any good? Matt McKeon could impress the Gals’ brainless trust right now.
Regarding Xavier, what did anybody expect? After all, the Gals picked him up on a free transfer after he served an 18-month suspension for steroid use! Of course, he was going to be rusty and old. Besides, given the rumors about Babayaro enjoing the good life a little too much at Newcastle while injured, he sounds like another solid waste of time.
This nonsense reminds me of the movie, “The Natural,” starring Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs. When Hobbs first joined the New York Knights, one of the players cynically said, “another find from our crack scouting staff,” or something like that.
Do Bravo and Lalas know anything about scouting, player development or player evaluation? Does anybody really need an answer to that question?
Admit never hearing of Spartak Nalchik? Hey now. Some of us have spent the last 10 years watching A LOT of Russian soccer on Russian TV.
Well, one of us has, anyway.
Anyway, they are a relatively new addition to the Russian Premier League, which is in part why they never came up until the last 3 years or so. (3 weeks in the case of US fans I know, but you get the point.)
Goff was reporting that LA are also looking at Jay Needham, the guy who spurned DCU last season for the Puerto Rico Islanders.
If they could pick him up, that would be a good addition. They’d probably have to throw DC something small for his rights.
So with 4 d-mids fighting for roster spots, the Gals bring in another? Goodbye Pete Vagenas. Or Kelley Gray. Or Monchichi. Or Kevin Harmse.
What they need is a left side midfielder/winger. I like Mike R., but I think he needs another year. But then, I’m not watching him train. Martino is playing out of position on the left and while I like his spirit, I’d like to see him someplace else being effective on the field.
What else could go wrong on the back line? Babayaro being blocked from playing? Xavier losing another step? Ty Harden transferring to Scandanavia? Having Chris Klein as the only right back option?
Hey, here’s a thing… why don’t the Gals trade Buddle to Houston in exchange for Waibel? Or any right-sided defender on that roster. Houston needs forwards, Galaxy needs defenders…(though I’m not sure Buddle counts as a forward – they have to score, right?)
Anyone know where I can get a Spartak Nalchik wallbanger?
I’m in for the transfer fee and will throw in for the kit too, but my stipulation is that it is Twellman-sized and has Twellman on the back
I’m all for it. As long as Ives doesn’t wear a Twellman-sized jersey.
Any one else want to pitch in for a transfer fee just to see Ives in a Columbian kit?
Speaking of rumors, have you heard anything about Benny Feilhaber to Houston on loan from Derby? du Nord (http://dunord.blogspot.com/) has this up on their website today, and Bernardo Fallas says in his blog today (http://blogs.chron.com/soccer/archives/2008/02/dynamo_wins_in.html) at the very bottom that he’s hearing things… is there anybody else hearing anyting?
ooof for a peruvian to wear colombian colors . . . . ouch. i will believe eyeves on this one.
I really hope I’m not included in the side that thinks it will happen…
I feel like my points are completely misunderstood regularly. Pretty frustrating.
Folks, the Renteria deal is not happening and was NEVER happening.
I’ll say this once. If Wason Renteria signs with Red Bull this year or next I will wear a full Colombian National team uniform to a Red Bulls game, cleats included. Book it.
History,
Where did I say otherwise? I was simply referring to the fact that I understand how these rumors start and how out of hand they get. Read the papers out of England during a January transfer window. That’s all I’m referring to. I suppose i’m not a true eurosnob since i have season tickets to Red Bulls, I was just referencing that watch the game outside the MLS
Hey Eurosnob, there you know are and have been South Americanplayers who play for their national team in MLS.
Jaime Moreno…..
Count on me for some humor Ives. All in a days work.
Ives,
At what point do you see the league feeling it’s stable enough to shed its distaste for transfer fees and to raise the salary cap to a decent level ($5m or more, with whether the club uses it or not left up to them)? When everybody has their own stadium? When everybody turns a profit?
Right now, it feels like having a rich uncle who buys you the same Wal-Mart socks for Christmas every year.
Is the league’s caution legitimate, or is it just stinginess?
I guess I’m just anxious for the day when the league stops babying the teams and lets them sink or swim on their own. Do you think parity would take that big of a hit?
I’m a Eurosnob and a West Ham fan, trust me I know how rumors start and how oftentimes quotes are flat out fabricated. Follow Carlos Tevez for a year…
I’ve never thought this would happen or found it realistic (If I remember correctly Renteria made the Columbian Copa team over JPA & for WC qualifiers, that tells you everything right there)…
I just thought that quote gave it a shred of credence, unlike when it was on
mlssuperhottransferrumors.com or whatever crap site people go on…I don’t even bother with those sites.
I don’t think Renteria is coming here either. That said, as the league has turned a blind eye to LA’s transactions, it would not be a 100% shock (only about 95%) if the story had a basis in reality, albeit stretched beyond limits, on the other blog. Perhaps RBNY contacted the team & were shot down or the league shot it down. Also, who knows what motivation a player may have. If I were a player, for example I’d rather make 1mm in Holland than $2mm in Turkey because I like life in that country better.
Again, I still don’t think it’s real.
As for Renteria, I just think MLS was brought up for leverage. Make it seem like there are other options to gain more interest. That’s all. It wasn’t the first time that happened, and it won’t be the last time, either.
And I have a feeling we’ll never really get to see Angulo at his best. An injury-plagued, fitness-questioned career is ahead.
But I’ve been wrong many, many times before…..
Angulo has NOT signed a deal yet.
Fair enough Danny. Something that has gone on for years now is European-based players talking up their options in order to stoke interest in them and drive their prices up. We have seen plenty of players claim that MLS is an option because there is a perception that MLS has money to burn (thanks to Beckham).
Here’s a scenario. Someone invents a rumor and puts it on the internet, some gullible sites pick it up, the rumor grows legs, international outlets pick it up and approach the subject about the story. Subject can either say “That’s completely ridiculous” or “Yeah, sure, I wouldn’t mind playing in New York. I’ll listen to good offers from anywhere.” A player who is settled at his club is probably going to deny the rumor. A player actively pursuing options for a new club is probably going to play along. And there you go, even if the actual validity of the potential for the transfer is ZERO you suddenly have an artificial story.
Look at the only quote in that story from Renteria. It’s an absolutely vague quote that doesn’t really do anything to make you believe MLS is something he’s really considering.
ives, has Angulo actually signed with the Revs yet?
The website Ives is referring to isn’t Goff’s blog. He’s probably talking about the one on blogspot that is run by an attention whore who is desperate for affirmation. That site has a horrible track record of making up stuff like a roadside fortune teller.
what’s with the gigantic perfume bottle to the left? Not exactly target marketing.
Ives,
I don’t know the website at all. Are you saying they fabricated the quote? If so, then of course I don’t believe it.
Like I said, I NEVER believed this. But if Renteria really did say that, I still don’t think it will happen (and shouldn’t) but its not as crazy as I originally thought, thats all.
As a DC United fan I wouldn’t want to see Red Bull use the scenario Mark described, but as far as fairness goes I actually see nothing wrong with it as long as the loan is restricted to a year or two. This would keep it in line with any other MLS team convincing an EPL team to loan a young player to them who they could never afford normally.
It has nothing to do with Goff. It has to do with the emails I keep getting asking me about Renteria and why I haven’t addressed the rumor yet. Now I’ve addressed it.
Ives,
What is known about Andre Rocha? Is he an impact game changing type player and why would Paraneinse loan him to Dallas?
Ives, why are you hating on Goff?
Ives – I understand the league’s hang-up with signing him for Salzburg and loaning him to NY, but isn’t it similar to the partnership that FC Dallas is now using with CAP of Brazil, where Dallas (according to Buzz) received Rocha for free on loan. I’m not a Red Bull fan, just interested in MLS policy or lack thereof.
Nice work Martinez, love getting some proper sarcasm in the morning. Things have been getting a little too serious around here.
Danny, if that website report has you sold on the deal being real then I really don’t know what else to tell you.
“What scenario would have to play out for Renteria to the Red Bulls to even be a possibility?”
Maybe his wife really, really wants to move to New York.
What’s this pending development in LA that weakens our defense?
Babayaro work permit denial?
P.S. I’d never heard of Spartak Nalchik before this week. I admit it. 😉
Ives, I think that rumor is ridiculous as well. Having said that, are you really going to tell us about the MLS rules when they treat every team differently, i.e. allowing L.A. to possibly have up to 4 DP slots in the near future?
The head honchos in these league are idiots…I long ago learned never to quote league rules, because they simply don’t exist when you get right down to it.
Ives, I totally agree with you and your take on Renteria, however just saw this article
http://www.futbolred.com/default.asp?link=noticia&idn=16640
Translated:
Colombian striker of Strasbourg in France, Libardo Wason Renteria Cuesta, it is claimed by the NY Red Bulls of the MLS. The team led by Juan Carlos Osorio pereirano already has in its ranks the Cafeteros Juan Pablo Angel and Oscar Echeverri Marino.
Renteria that belongs to Porto of Portugal, was given in the present season football Gallo, where he has played 19 matches, 15 of them as an owner and has scored 7 goals.
The skillful attacker is also claimed by the German football, however, will be Porto to decide their future.
As for the possible arrival of MLS, the player said “likes to have offers from different countries and that does not rule out any option if it is a good proposal.”
HEY IVES! WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS PICK ON Spartak Nalchik?!?!?!? (notice I copy pasted the name. couldnt be bothered to scroll back up and get it right. effort? hell no.)
Mark, that would essentially be circumventing the salary camp and I can’t imagine that MLS would allow that. Then again, with MLS nothing is ever guaranteed.
Ives,
Any chance that Red Bull Salzburg pays a big transfer fee for a player in the future, and then loans him to RBNY?
There was talk of the Gals looking at Vanney who is out of contract with DC. They would have to give DC little to gain his rights.
Is this still out there?