WVHooligan - Soccer Blog

Afternoon to all, hope you are making it through the work week like I am while getting ready for the US-Mexico game tomorrow night.

I have a few rumbles of information to share with you all today. Just a few links on some players that could be coming over to the league shortly. Some I am still waiting to get more confirmation on despite the talk across the pond. Go figure the morning I bust on teams for not going after players abroad we get news on some that could be coming. Timing is always a pain in the ass if you ask me but at least teams are getting things done.

As stated above, most of this news is just reports of things that could be in the works. You all know how I take Latin reports and even some from England and other places in Europe. Until I see the player sign with the club here in the league, then I will believe it.

A day after signing Swiss international Raphel Wicky, Chivas USA may not be finished as they are reportedly looking to lure Paraguayan Jose Cardozo out of retirement. The soon to be 37-year-old striker could be a good pairing with young Maykel Galindo for the Goats. Cardozo does know how to score, he netted 342 goals total in his career.

Questions about this health will be one thing if the Goats do lure him out of retirement. If he can regain his form that he saw in Toluca, then it could be a great move for Chivas, especially if they are still keen on moving Ante Razov before the start of the season.

Still, signing an aged striker may not be the right answer in a quick league like the MLS.

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Costa Rican striker Victor Nunez may be the next running mate along side Taylor Twellman in New England.

The 27-year-old striker currently plays for Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense. Some may remember Nunez for his game winning striker over South Korea at the 2006 World Cup.

Some reports on Nunez say he is a crafty player that could match up well with Twellman, much like Clint Dempsey did in his time in New England.

Honestly, this is one answer to the puzzle that the Revs need to address before the start of the season. Their depth at the striker position isn’t very good right now with just Twellman and Adam Cristman. They can’t expect to have Twellman run the show by himself, too many teams will close in on him and him alone, which means New England will have to look elsewhere to score. Nunez could fill that volid.

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Columbus is still chasing an international player to sign. Reports out of C-Bus say that the Crew are giving a trial to German midfielder Lars Ricken.

Ricken fits the description of the player coach Sigi Schmid said would join the team last week: 31 years old, currently under contract elsewhere and a member of a 2002 World Cup team. Check, check and check.

Ricken, who scored a goal in Dortmund’s 3-1 victory over Juventus in the 1997 Champions League final. The goal made Ricken the youngest & the fastest player ever to score in a Champions League final, just 16 seconds on the field as a substitute.

He was demoted to Dortmund’s reserve team last year and later said he would retire from professional play. He currently works in the Bundesliga club’s front office.

If he gets a job with the Crew, Dortmund said they would grant his release to the MLS side.

I don’t honestly know if this is the right step for the Crew, getting a right midfielder instead of an international striker. Ricken isn’t really known all that much for his goal scoring abilities other than a couple big time goals that he has scored over the years.

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FC Dallas may be signing another international, this time possibly Scottish defensive midfielder Bob Malcolm from Derby County. Malcolm was recently released from Derby so the move wouldn’t cost the Hoops a transfer fee.

Reports from across the pond say the Hoops have offered him a contract to come play but none of my sources here in Dallas have been able to confirm that they have.  And honestly I don’t really see this move happening, just based on how Dallas is going this off season.

The Hoops seem more eager to sign Andre Rocha from their sister club in Brazil. According to Buzz over at 3rd Degree, the club is real close as he got this quote from Steve Morrow yesterday at practice:

 We’re close to getting a deal finalized, we’re hoping to get it done this week so we can get him up here as soon as possible. It’s something I’m very excited about, he’s a player I’ve admired for some time and the opportunity has come up this off season to make a deal happen with CAP.  I think he’s going to be a tremendous addition to our roster.  He’s got enough skill to play in the middle, either holding or attacking mid, but he can also play wide on the right either in midfield or defense.

Honestly, this deal makes much more sense for Dallas than going after Malcolm. Dallas loves making these kinds of deals with their partner clubs like CAP. They got Ricardinho last year from CAP on a deal and could land Rocha in the same fashion.