WVHooligan - Soccer Blog

Only a couple more days (if you count today) in this winter transfer window. Lots of teams are hoping to see it pass while some others are wishing it wouldn’t go away as soon as it does.

Its been fairly slow in this final week of the transfer window in the MLS. Sure there have been some developments in the early part of the week but nothing big enough to shake up the league like we’ve seen in recent weeks. Yeah, I know DC fans, your club went out and signed half of South America, good for you, though it should be enough to help drive you through all those competitions this year.

Still, the situation surrounding Christian Gomez is stick as ever. Yesterday the club introduced Marcelo Gallardo as the first club’s Designated Player. What’s more interesting is the fact that the club gave him the number 10, which pretty much means Gomez is now an after thought in their minds.

I keep getting word that Colorado is heavily trying to get Gomez on their roster. Honestly, the transfer window can’t come to an end soon enough for the Rapids even though Gomez is technically a free agent at this point.

I am very curious to see who and what they package in a deal for Gomez. What really is his worth right now to other clubs out there since he isn’t a DP, though unless you talk to him. I’d still love to see Colorado throw Terry Cooke, Colin Clarke or even Jovan Kirovski. Before you knock any of those, think about it. Any one of those would be well suited in a trade in my mind, even Kirovski, who would do well getting out of Colorado and into a place like DC.

Still, it would have to be a player and some allocation, which Colorado has plenty of since they don’t know how to shake a stick at any foreign players anymore. Everyone remembers the Roberto Brown situation of last year.

Rapid fans, and DC fans…I want to know what you want to see in this deal. Some of you keep saying a Cooke and allocation for Gomez while others have said just allocation and draft picks would do fine. I may be incline to think the ladder of the two will be what happens.

I think we will know something about this sometime before the end of the week though.

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Houston has signed 33 year old English keeper Tony Caig as a back up the forever young Pat Onstad. Caig was Vancouver’s goalkeeper in their 2006 USL championship season, and played last season for Gretna in Scotland.

Even when Houston loses forwards they do manage to get a back up for a spot on their roster that was lacking. I know many Dynamo fans will scream at this move since it doesn’t involve a striker but believe me with the amount of games the Orange have this season they need a solid back up and Caig should be just that for them.

I like this move but I am still curious see them go after a striker soon. They still have the rights to Ramiro Corrales, who was recently sold to the MLS by Norwegian side Brenn.

Corrales had wanted a move back to the States for a couple of months now and could go with Houston. But something tells me they will be selling his contract to another club for a striker. Many think it will be San Jose but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see another club get him and help out the Dynamo in their striker-less situation.

Maybe a Chicago or Dallas would be a possible trade partner. Both have plenty of strikers, though I know many Dallas fans will be quick to say the Hoops lack a striker now that Carlos Ruiz is no longer a member of the club. Still, I think Houston would love to have a Chad Barrett or an Abe Thompson to go along side Brian Ching.

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It looks as though Columbus will indeed sign Polish striker Maciej Zurawski, Polish reports suggest. Some of my contacts in Columbus seem to think the same thing as well.

He is not expected to be Columbus’s DP, rather make around $500k allowing the Crew to use allocation money to pick up the tab and keep him away from the DP status.  Now that contract figure could indeed change in the next day or so but I am hearing that Zurawski is expected to be in Columbus to work out the contract very soon, if not by the end of the week.

Thinking about the contract, Columbus will probably give him what Dallas gave Denilson, a very insentive based contract. Thus allowing him to make over a million but not have it count towards their salary cap number. It makes perfect since because the same group that owns Dallas owns the Crew, so they would probably be wise to offer the same type of contract after seeing how the last DP worked out in Dallas. Not to say that Zurawski will be anything like Denilson, but you never know and I am sure the Hunts are taking this as quick as they can to sign him but as slow as they can to not get screwed over again by a high profile player.

More on this in the coming days….if not sooner.

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Many clubs are beginning preseason mode with training camps. Below is a list of when clubs start, some have already kicked up:

MLS team preseason start dates:
-Jan 26
New York
Salt Lake
-Jan 28
Columbus
Colorado
DC
Kansas City
-Jan 30
New England
-Feb 1
Toronto
Houston
-Feb 4
Chivas USA
Dallas
Los Angeles
San Jose
-Feb 6
Chicago

Lots will be doing tournaments and such in the coming weeks. A new four team gig was created down in San Antonio at the start of March. Houston Dynamo, DC United, Toronto FC & Chivas USA face off in three sets of double headers called The Texas Pro Soccer Festival.

This adds to what will already be a busy preseason for the MLS. Plus I think I’ve read that the Galaxy are suppose to take their circus to Asia again sometime in the coming weeks. Wow. But here is some more things to look forward to before the MLS season kicks-off.

Pan-Pacific Championship (Feb. 20 – 23)
Wednesday, Feb. 20
LA Galaxy vs. Gamba Osaka (Japan), 6 p.m. local; 11 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo vs. TBD (Australia), 8:30 p.m. local; 1:30 a.m. ET

Saturday, Feb. 23
Third-place match, 6 p.m. local; 11 p.m. ET
Final, 8:30 p.m. local; 1:30 a.m. ET

CONCACAF Champions Cup (March 12 – April 29)
Wednesday, March 12
D.C. United vs. Harbour View (Jamaica), 7 p.m. local at RFK Stadium
Houston Dynamo vs. CSD Municipal (Guatemala), 10 p.m. ET at Robertson Stadium

Tuesday, March 18
Harbour View vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. ET at RFK

Wednesday, March 19
CSD Municipal vs. Houston Dynamo, 7:30 p.m.

If D.C. United advance, they will face the winner of the quarterfinal series between Pachuca (Mexico) and CD Motagua (Honduras). If Houston Dynamo advance, they will face the winner of the quarterfinal series between Atlante FC (Mexico) and Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica). The semifinal series take place April 3-10 and the two-leg final will be held April 24 and May 1.

Carolina Challenge Cup (March 15, 19, 22)
The Charleston Battery of the USL First Division hosts this annual classic at its authentic soccer haven, Blackbaud Stadium in Daniel Island, S.C. This year  the New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, and the San Jose Earthquakes along with the host and  home team, Charleston Battery.

The fifth consecutive year of this round-robin competition consists of three doubleheaders, and the three MLS clubs will train in Charleston all week. To purchase tickets, call (843) 971-GOAL (4625) or visit http://www.charlestonbattery.com.

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