There's not a lot going on right now on the U.S. side of things (unless you're one of those that's really excited about the upcoming Pan Pacific Championship in Hawaii), other than a few transactions here and there. I'll be honest, I'd hoped more MLS teams would be using their DP slots a la D.C. United and Marcelo Gallardo, because bringing in players of that ilk can only make the league and individual teams better. On that note, with the recent departures of Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya, Houston really needs to bolster its striker corps. Anyway here's what I'm thinking about right now:
1. The mysterious case of Ty Harden -- If you haven't heard by now, last year's Galaxy rookie sensation (OK, I'm exaggerating just a tad, but in a season where Alan Gordon got heavy playing time, Harden was Fabio Cannavaro-esque in comparison) has decided to retire at the ripe old age of 23. Apparently, Harden has opted to pursue a business opportunity with his family instead. One reason being cited is that he reportedly had difficulty adjusting to life in the big city and was prone to bouts of loneliness.
In any case, choosing to leave the sport entirely for a career opportunity that he presumably could have had at any point (it is his family after all) probably indicates that Harden had lost his enthusiasm and desire for the game. As for where this leaves the Galaxy? Probably in a slight defensive bind, although rookie Julian Valentin should be good enough to cover the slack. If, and this is a big if, Celestine Babayaro still has something left, and Abel "I play every other game and only if it's not on artificial turf" Xavier can overcome his chronic injury problems, then the Galaxy should be able to cope. Failing that, there's always Greg Vanney.
2. D.C. United front office fleeces another team -- Is there any GM in MLS as savvy as Dave Kasper when it comes to making trades with other teams in terms of getting full value for a depreciating asset? I'd say no, especially after D.C.'s latest trade of yet another player it no longer needed or wanted (the afore-mentioned Vanney) to the Galaxy for a young cost-effective talent in Quavas Kirk (as reported by the Post's Steven Goff). This of course follows on the heels of getting a nice haul for Christian Gomez and the Freddy Adu trade last year.
3. The EPL's plans for playing abroad are scuppered -- By now, most of you have probably heard about the English Premier League's plan for playing a 39th game abroad. This plan is now effectively dead in the water after FIFA president Sepp Blatter's warning shot. Blatter came out blazing and threatened to put the kibosh on England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, should the EPL try to go through with its audacious money-grabbing plan. The threat of wrecking England's once-a-century chance to win the World Cup with home-field advantage will ensure that the plan receives little to next support going forward domestically.
Aside from that, the proposal was simply poorly thought out (a 39th game where some teams would have the disadvantage of playing the Big Four, where others wouldn't? Can you say competitive imbalance?), arrogant (did EPL exec Richard Scudamore seriously think he could just announce this without prior consultation with the various regional authorities) and delusional (apparently Scudamore thinks fans in Indonesia want to watch Wigan vs. Derby).
4. Ronaldo, the end of an era or is it? -- After his serious midweek injury, Ronaldo's career looked to be at an end -- a sad conclusion to what was once one of the
brightest lights to ever grace the game. The important thing to remember about Ronaldo is that after 1999 and his first serious knee injury, he was never really the same. Once he got injured, got fat and became unmotivated, he coasted on sheer talent. Even the 2003 version that scored a memorable
hat trick in the Champions League against Manchester United for Real Madrid was probably only 60 to 70 percent of his former self. The Ronaldo of his prime, was easily one of the five greatest players I've ever witnessed in my lifetime (the others being Maradona, Michel Platini, Zico and Zinedine Zidane).
Having said this, Dr. Gerard Saillant, the surgeon who operated on Ronaldo, thinks that it's possible Ronaldo could be back in nine months -- assuming he works on his rehab. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that if Ronaldo does make it back, that we could see him in MLS in 2009. Perhaps even with the Red Bulls, whose new stadium will be opening -- and the allure of the Ronaldo brand name to the huge local Portuguese/Brazilian population, keen to see if he can still recapture the magic, will be hard to ignore.
5. Jen Chang signs with the USL's Charleston Battery -- OK not really, but I will (barring any unforeseen last-minute changes) be training with the team in mid-March for a week or so and blogging about the experience and life in the USL. In the meantime I need to hit the gym ...
Jen Chang
