WVHooligan - Soccer Blog

According to a couple sources out there and from what several other reports are saying, the LA Galaxy are looking to trade for New England defender Joe Franchino.

The realization of a terrible defense is starting to catch up to Alexi Lalas and company here as they look to a defender who hasn’t played all that much over the last season or two due to injury. From what I’ve heard and seen out there the Gals are considering giving up a draft pick, more likely a late rounder or even a conditional pick.

Is this really the best the Galaxy can do at this point? Nothing against Franchino here, but seriously? Trading for a defender who’s just coming back from a foot surgery and has only played maybe a solid minute of action this season alone. Believe me, I know he’s a familiar face (he was drafted by the Gals back in the day) but landing a defender who’s coming off a pretty tough injury doesn’t sound like the best move out there for them. I guess maybe its because he is cheap in consideration to what they already have taking up space, though wasted space, in their defense already.

It is unclear whether this recent incident involving Franchino and teammate Gary Flood has played any part in the Revs putting Franchino on the trade block. Apparently Flood or both Flood and Franchino went R-Kelly on a crowd at Fenway Park and peed on someone.

Even if he is on the block due to that incident I still really wonder and question if it is the right move for the Galaxy. Sure for New England, they dispose of a possible PR nightmare in what happened with those two. What they do with Flood may be another issue altogether here.

I know defenders, especially good ones, are very hard to come by in this MLS. If he can be the Franchino that was a New England captain for a season or two, then this deal doesn’t sound too bad to me. But getting someone off a surgery just sounds like it was all they had to work with here.

Maybe I’m too critical or something here but to me this move just doesn’t sound like it will improve the situation in defense for the Galaxy. I mean wasn’t Lalas a defender in his day? Shouldn’t he at least have some eye for defensive talent that is fully healthy here? Again, I’m not knocking Franchino but he isn’t, nor was he ever, the best defender in MLS. Solid but not one that will change their defense overnight.

I suppose though that desperate times call for desperate measures.