RAPIDS HAVE WORK TO DO
Colorado Rapids experienced a 2 – 0 home defeat to MLS Cup Champions Toronto FC in the first leg of their 2018 CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 fixture but manager Anthony Hudson still had plenty of reasons for optimism.
“What I do is, I come away from this feeling very positive about where we’re at today,” Hudson said following the game. “The first three and a half weeks spent with a new team has been spent working on the foundation of the team and getting things organized. We’re just scratching the surface of where we’re at.”
Hudson introduced his new 5-3-2 formation along with six new players in the starting eleven; forward Jack McBean, midfielders Jack Price and Enzo Martinez, and defenders Deklan Wynne, Tommy Smith and Edgar Castillo.
“I think you could see at times it was gelling, but we’ve still got work to do,” Jack Price added, a signing from English Championship side Wolverhampton during the offseason. “But it’s coming together. We’ve got close to 12 new players and six new starters. Like I said, it’ll come together.”
ZYEN JONES HEADS TO GELSENKIRCHEN
One of the signs that MLS academies are growing in stature and quality is the export of talented youngsters to top European sides, bucking the trend where aging European stars travel the opposite direction.
Another star has departed the United States to join one of Europe’s biggest sides as Atlanta United’s Zyen Jones has joined Schalke 04. The Gelsenkirchen side will officially acquire the 17-year-old US youth international forward on a deal that will officially begin when Jones turns 18 in August. Jones will join fellow American Weston McKennie and is likely to play for the U19 team.
SOUNDERS SIGN DUO
Seattle have added two more players to their 2018 squad, bringing back attacker Lamar Neagle and signing goalkeeper Calle Brown.
Neagle has appeared for Seattle before, he returned to the club in a midseason trade from D.C. United in 2017 and will be paying in is seventh season for the Sounders, spanning four separate stints.
Brown joins Seattle after spending the last two seasons with the Houston Dynamo, making 19 appearances for the club’s USL affiliate Rio Grande Valley.
“We are happy to bring Lamar back to the club and welcome Calle into the Sounders family,” said Sounders FC general manager & president of soccer Garth Lagerwey. “Lamar gives us an experienced and reliable option in the attack, while Calle completes Tom Dutra’s goalkeeper group by giving us three solid players that we can play between the posts.”
TRADE ON CARDS?
MLSsoccer.com’s Sam Stejskal is normally somebody in the know so when he says that Felipe Martins and Tim Parker swap deal could be on the cards, it may be a realistic proposition.
Tim Parker particularly is wanting a raise after earning around $100,000 last campaign with Vancouver Whitecaps, which Steven Goff has commented on, also alluding to a potential Red Bulls-Vancouver trade. However, just to hit the hat-trick of reliable media sources, Kristian Dyer suggests that New York City FC are looking for a young American centre back within MLS for a trade.
Any Other Business…
Auro turned down La Liga to sign for the MLS Cup winners according to Kurt Lawson of the Toronto Sun, thanks in part to a recommendation from former Toronto striker Gilberto… FC Dallas have added a third goalkeeper to their 2018 squad with Kyle Zobeck joining Jesse Gonzalez and Jimmy Maurer… With a Designated Player spot still to fill, Seattle Sounders sporting director and vice president Chris Henderson is looking to Liga MX with ‘one at Tigres and one at America’ on his radar.
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