Snak

MLS Transfer Rumor: Rafa Marquez may be bound for Mexico´s Leon

The nightmare that has been Rafa Marquez´s time with the New York Red Bulls may finally be coming to an end.

Amidst all the roster change that the New York Red Bulls have already enduring, the biggest one may be yet to come. ESPN is reporting that Rafael Marquez is currently in negotiations with Mexican club Leon for a deal that would likely end what has been a tumultuous time in MLS.

Leon, who was once one of Mexico´s top clubs, has spent the last 10 years in the second division. But they were able to win the most recent Liga de Ascenso title to earn promotion to Liga MX. Bringing in one of Mexico´s biggest stars, even one who has been far from great in recent years, could make some financial sense.

Red Bulls fans are practically giddy in anticipation. Since signing in 2010, Marquez has been arguably the worst Designated Player signing in league history. He´s only appeared in 44 matches and played about 3,500 minutes, scoring just one goal and logging nine assists in the process, Meanwhile, he´s earned a reputation as a malcontent and been suspended by the league several times. He´s done all this while earning a reported $4.6 million last year, the second highest figure in MLS last year.

Rueda: Carlos Valdes Loan To Santa Fe Is For Six Months Or It Won´t Happen

Colombian journalist Diego Rueda tweeted that the Carlos Valdes loan deal would send the defender to Santa Fe for six months, or it won´t happen.

Reports have put Carlos Valdes in Santa Fe, awaiting Philadelphia Union approval, but the supposed terms of the loan may kill off any chance of the player and his former team receiving permission for the deal.

Colombian journalist Diego Rueda tweeted today that the Valdes loan deal
would send the defender to Santa Fe for six months, or it won´t happen.

"The defender Carlos Valdes reached an agreement with Santa Fe, but [they] lack the approval of the MLS," Rueda originally tweeted.

Rueda added in the tidbit about the terms of the proposed loan after a fan asked whether or not it would be like Theirry Henry´s six week loan to Arsenal.

"For an entire semester or just for the three months of the MLS break?" the fan asked Rueda.

"[It] is for six months or not happen," Rueda responded back.

With the Union´s recent acquisition of Jeff Parke, the team could conceivably get by without Valdes until the summer, with Bakary Soumare and Amobi Okugo able to start alongside of the former Seattle Sounder.

The purpose of any loan during the offseason for Valdes would be to keep him in the Colombian National Team picture prior to the start of the 2013 Major League Soccer regular season. Valdes has earned himself multiple starts for his country since being named captain of the Union.

Colombia´s Millonarios supposedly interested in Fredy Montero

Sourcing is pretty thin, but Colombian radio stations are reporting that Millonarios is trying to bring in Fredy Montero.

Not quite sure what to make of this rumor, but apparently Colombian club Millonarios is trying to work out a deal for Fredy Montero. My immediate reaction to this rumor was to completely blow it off, but I guess there are some ways it could make sense.

First off, I´m not quite buying the idea that the Sounders would just transfer Montero to Millonarios. While they were once one of Colombia´s biggest clubs, they´ve only recently emerged from bankruptcy and are long removed from their former glory. Colombian clubs also aren´t known for paying big transfer fees and have recently been much better known for sending players to places like MLS.

If this is a move designed to pick up some allocation dollars, then, it would likely have to be more of a loan during the MLS offseason. Colombia´s clausura is essentially ending now, but the apertura opens in late January. It would seem unlikely, but not impossible, for Montero to head to Colombia for a few games before rejoining the Sounders when their season opens in early March. Assuming there´s a decent fee involved, the Sounders could theoretically pick up some allocation that they could use for other purposes.

Why would Montero be interested in this move? While playing in Europe is one of Montero´s dreams -- as it is for most players -- he´s also very interested in getting more involved with the national team. He hasn´t been called up since 2009 and there´s speculation that he´s considering this move in an attempt to get back into that picture.

Admittedly, this all seems a bit far-fetched. Until more substantive details come to light, I´m not inclined to be too worried. We´ll obviously let you know if we learn anything else.

Wilmer Crisanto on Sounders Radar

Reports out of Honduras are that another Honduran Olympian may be joining the Sounders. A Seattle rep will be visiting his current team shortly.

According to Honduran daily Diez Wilmer Crisanto is again linked to the Seattle Sounders. Currently with Victoria, a team in need of money, Crisanto was also on the Honduras Olympic team with Mario Martinez and other MLS players.

Victoria is in the Apertura semi-finals facing Motagua this weekend and there are indications that a Sounders technical staffer will be visiting the team around that time. While the deal is not done, the publication does present quotes from Crisanto´s current coach that it would help the player and the team improve if he were to transfer.

During the Olympics Crisanto played right back, right mid and left mid. He is more often deployed as a defender with his club team and appeared in 12 of 18 regular season matches. Just 23 years old Cristanto is in his sixth professional season while carrying experience with the Honduran U-17 and U-20 teams.

Last winter Seattle was connected with several other Hondurans, including Ever Alvarado and Harlinton Guttierrez who trained with the team. This is unlikely to be the last of the rumors connecting Seattle with players from the Central American power.

Stor udrensning I Atletico Junior, ny træner og en del spillere forlader klubben inklusiv Señor Gutiérrez - måske interessant for Valencia.

También saldrán varios jugadores, entre ellos Giovanni Hernández y Teófilo Gutiérrez

Junior no le renovará contrato a ‘Cheché’ Hernández

Barranquilla, 11 de diciembre de 2012.- El club Atlético Junior confirmó la salida del entrenador José Eugenio ‘Cheché’ Hernández, a quien las directivas ‘rojiblancas’ decidieron no renovarle el contrato y estará al frente del equipo hasta el 31 de diciembre.

En un comunicado de prensa el cuadro ‘tiburón’ dio a conocer la noticia de la salida de Hernández

“El Club Deportivo Popular JUNIOR se permite informar a la opinión pública en general y a los aficionados en particular, que hasta el 31 de diciembre de este año, se desempeñará como técnico del equipo profesional el profesor José Eugenio Hernández, a quien la Junta Directiva ha decidido no renovarle el contrato.

La Junta Directiva, agradece al técnico José Hernández su aporte y trabajo, mientras estuvo en la dirección deportiva del equipo, el cual se vio reflejado con la obtención del título en el segundo semestre del año inmediatamente anterior”.

‘Cheché’ había asumido como entrenador del Junior en el 2011, con los tiburones ganó el Torneo Finalización del mismo año, pero en el 2012 llegaron los malos resultados con la eliminación en la Copa Libertadores en la fase de grupos, la derrota con Nacional en la Superliga y las no clasificaciones a la final en los torneos de liga 2012-I y 2012-II.

Por otra parte también se rumora que no continuarían en el club los jugadores Giovanni Hernández, Teófilo Gutiérrez, Leonardo López, Juan Gilberto ‘Núñez’, Víctor Cortés, Anselmo de Almeida y el ‘Cachorro’ Belalcázar.

Havde sgu troet han var røg til Europa ...men vild angrebsduo de får i América med ham og Chucho Benítez - de mener de sgu seriøst denne gang - og godt for Ecuadors landshold også.

Endvidere ser de ud til Águilas også snupper Aímar...så mon ikke betyder at de sender montenegro til Independiente ?

“Junto a Narciso queremos hacer historia”

Benítez se relame por la dupla que integrará junto a Mina

2012-12-10 16:29:10

México DF, México
Honrado por ser elegido por los capitanes y directores técnicos de la Liga MX como el Mejor Jugador del Apertura 2012, Christian Benítez compartió su ilusión por alcanzar el esquivo título azteca junto a Narciso Mina entre las Águilas.

Nuevamente el Chucho se quedó a la puerta de la gran final del torneo mexicano con el Club América. Sin embargo, su brillante campaña en el Apertura, marcando un total de trece dianas, le valió el reconocimiento de colegas y estrategas de la Liga MX.

“Es algo que a uno lo motiva para seguir esforzándose, sabiendo que esto es mérito de todo el equipo”, confesó Christian Benítez charlando este lunes con radio Rumba Deportiva, en alusión a su nombramiento como el Mejor Jugador del Apertura.

El 11 de la Tricolor seguirá como Águila en 2012 y ya piensa en la dupla que integrará junto a Narciso Mina. “Sabemos del potencial que tiene Narciso y esperemos que nos vaya muy bien, que podamos hacer historia en este club. Lo que hizo en Ecuador tiene que venir a mostrarlo acá”, mencionó.

Se rumora que el argentino Pablo Aimar estaría en planes del América y Benítez cree que el Payaso sería de gran ayuda, tanto para él como para Narciso. “Eesperemos que se de, todos sabemos que es un jugador de enorme calidad, para los delanteros sería ideal que trajeran a un jugador así”, expresó.

Signing of Diego Souza rules out Juan Román Riquelme move to Cruzeiro

Cruzeiro director of football Valdir Barbosa has revealed that the signing of Diego Souza means that Juan Román Riquelme will not be joining the club for next season.

Riquelme, 34, was close to joining Cruzeiro in July after announcing he would leave Boca Juniors after losing the Copa Libertadores final to Corinthians.

However, Barbosa told Lancenet! that a deal is now unlikely to happen.

He said: “We have Diego Souza and Montillo. If we bring in Riquelme, one would have to stay on the bench. It is impossible in football, playing with three playmakers and another player at forward.”

And Barbosa also revealed that it was the board of Boca Juniors who were responsible for the former Barcelona and Villarreal star not moving to Belo Horizonte.

“The situation was hanging by a thread. Riquelme had agreed with everything, what was missing was the release of Boca in time with the window open.

“I remember on the Friday ended the international window. He was made a memorandum of urgency. But Boca locked. This prevented the deal being done.”

ah O Animal loved that guy...

Former Vasco star Edmundo: ´I do not want to fight with the club´

Former Vasco da Gama striker Edmundo has promised not to sue the club until the end of the year, despite still being owed £240,000 by the club but has asked for his former employers to talk to him over the delay in payments.

Edmundo, 41, was originally owed £4 million by the club in wages from his last season at the club in 2008, but agreed to reduce this to £1.4 million as he knew the club were in a difficult financial situation.

This remaining amount was scheduled to be paid in instalments but the former Fiorentina star has not received the last five payments. However, apart from the money not being sent, it is the lack of consideration from the club that has annoyed him the most.

He told Lancenet!: “I promise I will not sue Vasco until the end of the year. I´ll talk to my lawyer, I know he wants to defend my rights, but also understand the time that the club is going through.

“I´ll never want to fight with Vasco, I´ll always choose the agreement, unless the board does not want. I do not wish to quarrel with Vasco, but I want consideration.”

Edmundo, who was often known for his wild behaviour, played for Vasco on six different occasions during his career and is disappointed by the lack of respect he is being shown.

“I am still waiting for a call from Vasco. I know that the club cannot pay the salaries of officials and players.

“I know that my debt is not a priority. If I wanted to run a debt collection I could have run before, because Vasco always paid me late.

“I find this all a disregard to me. What I want is attention, respect, just that. The rest, we´ll talk. I just want a phone call to tell me when I will receive, even if it´s six months from now.”

Grêmio close to signing São Paulo striker Willian José

Grêmio have revealed they are interested in signing striker Willian José, who has spent the last two seasons on-loan at São Paulo, despite rumours that the player would join Santos next season.

Willian José, 21, who is owned by Deportivo Maldonado, a Uruguayan based third-party club owned by entrepreneur Gustavo Arribas, seemed destined to link-up with Neymar next season at Vila Belmiro but now it appears he could be heading to Porto Alegre.

“I will not deny, the discussions progressed well,” Grêmio director of football Rui Costa told Porto Alegre newspaper Zero Hora. “We are already negotiating for a long time.”

And the transfer could be announced as soon as Tuesday if all goes well, although the club will wait for the contract to be officially signed before releasing a statement.

“He´s a player who has donned the shirt of the Brazilian national team and plays on the São Paulo, a club as demanding Grêmio.

“Vanderlei Luxembourg has interest in him,” added Costa.

Corinthians captain Alessandro: We are not thinking about Chelsea

Corinthians captain Alessandro has revealed the Brazilian side have banished thoughts of meeting Chelsea in the Club World Cup final from their minds, in order to focus on Thursday’s semi-final with Al-Ahly.

The Copa Libertadores winners take on the African champions for a place in Sunday´s final, where they could meet Champions League winners Chelsea.

The Blues must beat Mexico´s Monterrey to set up a potential clash with Corinthians, however, Alessandro has revealed they can´t think about that yet.

The 33-year-old defender said: "We don´t have the luxury of thinking about Chelsea.

"Chelsea are one step later. We have a difficult match tomorrow first."

However, this view isn’t shared by coach Tite, who is dreaming of playing in the final at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.

He said: "We are excited, overwhelmed to be able to play in this special event the Club World Cup.

"We want to make the most of the chance. We are thinking of playing in the final. We have the right to dream.

"If we perform to our potential then the dream can come true.

"The prospect of it coming true can sometimes give you shivers and make you feel sick in the stomach. That´s natural but we have to control that."