The Beckham's and Blanco's may attract all the headlines, but it's becoming clear that one of the best ways to build a solid MLS side for cheap (the cheap part is necessary, given the stringent salary cap currently in place) is through South America.
Ahndray Rocha, a young Brazilian signed today by FC Dallas, is the latest young talent to join the league. Dallas already had the Columbian hotshot Juan Carlos Toja. Columbus managed to avoid being a huge suck-fest thanks to the midfield play of Guillermo Barros Schelotto (from Argentina). Real Salt Lake (who WERE actually a huge suck-fest) was given a huge late-season boost by the signings of Javier Morales and Matias Mantilla (also Argentina). And DC United rolled to the best regular season record in MLS largely because they have like 8 talented South Americans on their roster.
While all the talk is around the current Sounders Seattle MLS could call upon, and the potential designated players like Shunsuke Nakamura that get soccer fans drooling, it would be wise for Adrian Hanauer to take note of all the good, cheap talented South Americans that are available.
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2 comments:
Look for a Costa Rican 'pipeline' to develop. Hanauer has contacts there and brought a forward named Chacon to Seattle in 2005, along with 2 other Ticos who never played but practiced with the Sounders.
If I were Adrian, I'd be looking to get in touch with some of the southern Brazilian teams, especially those from Rio Grande do Sul, Gremio and Internacional. They seem to regularly crank out good players, and there are a lot of players who'd welcome a stint in MLS as a stepping stone to Europe.
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