Filed under: MLS, Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New England Revolution, Seattle Sounders FC
The inaugural MLS Re-Entry Draft kicked off to lofty expectations last week with a first round that was more a preamble than anything else, as just two unheralded players found new homes.But when Wednesday's second stage began, the player movement mechanism most certainly found its legs.
During the rapid-fire draft's nine-minute second stage, 11 players, including high-profile veterans Juan Pablo Angel, Jeff Cunningham and Jimmy Conrad, saw their rights shipped to new clubs in the innovative event that emerged thanks to last offseason's collective bargaining agreement.
While teams selecting in the first stage were bound to certain contractual obligations, the second go-around provided more freedom to negotiate down the salaries of expensive veterans, thus opening the personnel floodgates.
The most attention-grabbing move came courtesy of Bruce Arena and the Los Angeles Galaxy, who acquired the Houston Dynamo's fifth overall pick and selected Angel, formerly of the New York Red Bulls. A lethal striker with an impressive pedigree and infallible MLS track record, Angel was widely expected to be claimed by a goal-starved squad looking to add a proven commodity up front.
Instead, the Supporters Shield winners claimed him in hopes of reinforcing an already prolific attack. At 35-years-old, however, Angel no longer warrants the designated player money he made in New York. So the clock is now ticking on Arena to convince Angel he should decline opportunities abroad and take his talents to Long Beach for less money.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/12/15/juan-pablo-angel-jimmy-conrad-among-mls-re-entry-draft-picks/
No comments:
Post a Comment