Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe becoming official as the newest wow-wow transfers was the big whale of news in Major League Soccer, but there were a lot of sizable fish otherwise swimming around the league pool this week. Let’s recap:
(By the way, most teams will be in training camp or about to report by this time next week.)
By Monday, some of the sizzle of surprise had dissipated from the big news, that high-profile, high-priced transfers Michael Bradley and Jermain Defoe were bound for Toronto FC. But there was still plenty of meat on the bone as the press conference to introduce the new MLS pair played out.
Suddenly, TFC is worth watching again around MLS, eh? We covered the story from all angles at PST. (Including this one, wherein I went to whuppin’ on the soccer snobs out there who have bemoaned Bradley’s move into MLS.
Another U.S. international is trying to elbow his way back into MLS. Richard Farley looked at the financial implication of Maurice Edu’s potential return here. And there was more to say about the burgeoning kerfuffle here.
During one of his draft day chats, MLS commissioner Don Garber said the announcement on Miami joining MLS is likely coming in early February.
Golden Boot winner Camilo (Vancouver Whitecaps) left for Mexican Liga MX side Querétaro. This was a complete mess, a bizarre bit launched when Camilo (officially Camilo Sanvezzo, but he’s Brazilian, so you know … ) posted a photo of himself in a Queretaro shirt, apparently goosing the Vancouver Whitecaps and MLS into a transfer, whether they really wanted to or not.
As talented scribe Andrew Wiebe said via Twitter, the “best possible result from the whole Camilo debacle is he goes to Liga MX and tears it up, justifying transfer value for himself other MLSers.” Well said, sir.
In the MLS Draft, a goalkeeper was selected No. 1 overall for the first time – UConn’s Andre Blake went to Philly, which traded up one spot to get him. ProSoccerTalk’s Nicholas Mendola caught up with the impressive young man here.
Who really nailed it, draft-wise? We declared D.C. United the winner around here (by a close margin over New England.)
Speaking of talented young men, Juan Agudelo is bound for Europe after all, signed by Stoke City (as we thought) but bound immediately for a loan. (Remember, he was denied a work permit to play for Stoke.) So he’s bound for the Dutch Eredivisie and FC Utrecht. (Related, we still don’t know how they play soccer in those doggone wooden shoes!)
FCD will officially introduce Oscar Pareja on Tuesday. This comes a few days after the new coach made draft day news by taking a man who moved way up in draft value during the recent, Tesho Akindele.
U.S. international Michael Parkhurst is making an MLS return, back to the league that helped him get into higher-paying Scandinavian soccer. Later in the week, Crew manager Gregg Berhalter answered the question on many minds: the guy will be a center back, not a right back (as he was for the national team).
Finally, and only partially about MLS: The United States national team, currently doing the business in Brazil, announced a match against Ukraine for May. Look for 10-12 MLS men to make that trip.
