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Reports suggest Kenny Cooper will return in 2009 to FC Dallas.
FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman recently discussed that he has been told Kenny Cooper will be staying in MLS for the 2009 season. A huge move really for the club that missed out on the playoffs in 2008.
“I believe we will have Kenny for this year,” Hyndman told DallasSoccerNews.com. “All I know, we got an okay to count on Kenny for the season.”
From what I’ve heard around town it seems to be pretty true too. Most of the people I’ve talked to around the club say they are confident that Cooper will not only be with the club at the start of the season but they also believe he will finish out the season with the club. Now I kind of think other wise here as I still have a feeling he will eventually head over to Europe this year. I just don’t see Dallas being able to hold on to Cooper for the entire year. If he continue to play like he did in 2008, he will keep getting offers that will the league will want to go with.
Also a lot of talk around town are that the club is looking to move up in next week’s SuperDraft. Currently Dallas owns the 5th and 11th picks. Some reports out there at places like SBI and a couple others suggest that the Hoops want to move up to the number 2 slot in a deal with Toronto. Some around the club say that Hydnman does not want to hold on to both first round picks and would love to package a deal to trade up here, they may also include a player in that deal if they do trade up with Toronto. SBI is suggesting that they will package Canadian defensive-midfielder Adrian Serioux with one of its first-round picks for Toronto FC’s 2nd overall pick.
What do you all make of the news about Cooper? Do you think he will really last a full year again with the club if he continues to play well? Secondly, what do you make of the potential Draft Day deal with Toronto?
1. Kenny Cooper staying I think has more to do with what has happened to other USMNT players who have gone abroad recently than does his own personal desire to play in Europe. Here in the MLS he is guaranteed to play every week for FCD, whereas he might ride the pine in Europe waiting to earn his time on the field. Kenny has always made it very well known that he values playing for his country very highly, and while I think that he wants to be in Europe, he understands that his road to the WC leads through FCD this time. I think as long as the FO of FCD makes it right with Kenny and pays him up to the max of what the MLS allows for a domestic player (which is pure lunacy btw), then he will be ok playing here and stay for the ‘09 season.
2. FCD needs to trade up to get Omar Gonzalez; he’s a Dallas-area guy and would fill a huge void in the lineup. I think the idea of trading both first round picks AND a player is too much to give up unless you are getting a player in return along with the 2nd pick. Trading both the first round picks, without a player involved, to move up makes since tho.