MLS Offseason News and Thoughts

What a crazy time it has been already within MLS. Juan Carlos Osorio ends up with the Red Bulls and Chicago is left without a coach. The franchise in its ten years of existence has had three head coaches and two of them have been poached away by the New York franchise. What makes Osorio think he can succeed in New York? Considering Carlos Queiroz and Carlos Alberto Parriera among other big names have failed, why would Osorio be any different? Perhaps Osorio realizes the bad habits he learned at Manchester City from Stuart Pearce and Kevin Keagan won’t work in MLS and he’ll coach more aggressively next season with the likes of Juan Pablo Angel to fall back on. Osorio knows Claudio Reyna from his Man City days and may be inclined to keep Reyna in the fold.

Where will Chicago turn? I would strongly consider either John Spencer or Paul Mariner. With Spencer you get a former Premier League and MLS footballer with a great mind for the game. In Mariner you get a boatload of Ipswich Town fans who see him as a bit of a god like figure to support the club, as well a man who has arguably the best scouting network in the country.

Bobby Boswell’s career with DC United has ended. A year ago at this time Boswell was a star in the making, and was rapidly becoming the poster child for young Americans in the league. His time at Florida International University in my backyard was filled with promise as were his first two years in MLS and his first several call ups with the national team. Then it seems he went too Hollywood, and his game completely deserted him. Boswell heads to Houston for Zach Wells who will likely replace Troy Perkins who is almost certainly headed to Europe. So when Perkins heads to Europe he will be the latest in a long line of American keepers to get a job across the pond.

FC Dallas has released Denilson. What a waste of a DP. But more importantly Juan Toja has been resigned which shows MLS is serious about keeping young Latin players stateside.

I have heard some interesting speculation regarding Landon Donovan’s future in Los Angeles. Regardless of what some US fans and American talk show hosts think of Donovan he is highly respected south of the border. In fact I will go on record as saying he is the most respected American player in history south of the border. I’ve heard that Moreila who pushed deep into the Mexican Apetura playoffs would love to take Donovan on loan for the Clausura season. I have also heard one or two other Mexican clubs may be interested. In addition, what MLS team wouldn’t want to add Donovan to the fold? The way I see it, if Los Angeles is really keeping Clint Mathis it must be dealing Donovan. Or maybe it is Mathis who’ll be gone to Sydney FC or San Jose in the upcoming months. Stay tuned- this will be interesting.

Another bit of potential transfer news involves Eddie Johnson possibly heading to Newcastle or Reading. Please let it be anywhere but Newcastle. ANYWHERE!!!!!

Of the possible DPs coming to MLS this season, only the names of Andriy Shevchenko and Jared Borgetti makes sense. The other names like Ronaldo, Juan Sebastian Veron, and Claudio Lopez. In the case of Borgetti the fact that MLS still hasn’t signed him, a Mexican admirer of the American game is mind boggling. When Borgetti left Bolton two years ago, MLS had an easy opening to get him before he went to the Middle East, and then back to Mexico. But as has been the case often with potential signings the league was asleep at the wheel. Now MLS will have to try and sign Borgetti while some suitors in Europe are still in the mix. My guess is if he signs with MLS he’ll be allocated to Colorado, and Daniel Osorio will be history with the Rapids.

Finally, the future of MLS Talk is still in the air. I plan on the continuing to add to this website in the future, but right now my energy is focused on the American Soccer Show on the Champions Soccer Radio Network.

Along with my co-host Dave Denholm of ESPN 710 in Los Angeles, we’ll delve into the wide world of American Soccer every week and take your emails as well. I hope to continue MLS Talk or some work with the EPL Talk Network but that is to be determined.