TGIF: Grinding out a long week

Good afternoon folks. It's the close of a busy week and today is a pretty light day on the news front.

I did some writing today, a piece for ESPN.com on the international comings and goings in MLS. It should post this weekend.

Here is some light reading for you if you haven't seen these stories already:

Steven Goff's story on Jaime Moreno re-signing (and Christian Gomez possibly leaving). I'd put the front-runners for Gomez's services as: Chivas USA, Colorado Rapids, Toronto FC.

The Columbus Dispatch's Shawn Mitchell speaks to Xavier Balc AND gives a rundown of the Marco Gonzalez transfer. Anyone else think Balc is going on a Rocky Balboa-esque training regimen to show all those teams that passed him up that they were wrong?

The Toronto Sun's Dean McNulty on Toronto FC's chase to sign Joe Lapira as well as the collapsed deal with goalkeeper Josh Wagenaar. I'd put money on Lapira winding up with Toronto. Wagenaar? Not so much, especially now that Toronto landed Brian Edwards in the draft. There is less urgency to sign him so Wagenaar needs to either take the deal or try his luck elsewhere.

And a VERY funny take on Fulham's collection of Americans.

And for those of you who haven't seen it yet, I make an appearance on GolTV's American Soccer this week. The episode covers the draft and I offer my take on the draft. I'm sure the show is airing a few dozen more times before the next episode so check it out.

I will be handling some SBI business today so the posting will be light this afternoon, but if something develops or if I get a call on some stories I'll be sure to post something ASAP.

Comments

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Id love for both of em to sign (mostly Lapira) tho i was excited for Wageneer, he has a massive history of injuries which to be frank we just dont need. Curious to see wherehe lands if not at TFC. God i hope youre right about Lapira.

[Brian from NY]

JCO, get Lapira now.

[usnavysrchief]

I just read a blog on BBC.COM That states LANDON DONOVAN is heading to England for negotiations with an unknown Club. IS There anyway that is true??????

[Thomas]

congrats on the appearance, Ives

i also wanted to mention to you that the night of the draft that on the Fox Soccer Report they made mention of you and your blog when talking about how well the fire draft was

[patrick c]

do you have a link for that landon rumor?

soccertimes reported this:

""USA MF/STRIKER Landon Donovan is coming to England for talks about possible transfer. The clubs interested have not been identified but could be one of several. David Beckham has been talikng him up according to the source as they are teamates at LA Galaxy. Newcastle, Arsenal, Fulham,Birmingham City are all rumored to have been in contact with his agent."

[Tony in Quakeland]

landon to England? My first thought was no...then I thought, unless Beckham got him thinking about it. I can see it.

[Dominghosa]

Would love the day LD tries another hand at Euro football.

[Pat]

Ives why did you take down the story about Gooch?

[dwbpnm]

If this LD rumor pans out then the talk of Zurawski to LA could be true.

[Postmaster]

Umm. I'm assuming that the story about a Chelsea offer to SL for Gooch just a temporary mirage not to be mentioned further?

[Joe Quake]

I would love to see Landon go to England, but this would really suck for MLS. The only reason the Galaxy are somewhat watchable is b/c Landon is there with Beckham. One of the best players in the US is playing with one of England's best players, and that is compelling to me.

There isn't another American player that means more to MLS than LD. I bet MLS would want at least a $10M transfer for LD.

[DavidJ]

Ives,
Saw you on American Soccer. Good analysis, as usual.
Loved the Team America picture. I hope they can hep Fulham stay up.

[MikeinSD]

Well if we hear anything from ussoccer.com or their blogs that LD has left camp, then we know this story is true. Although I would like this to happen, I agree with the poster who said it would suck for MLS..

[Carter]

The Gooch story is still up for me. It says last updated Jan. 23, 2007, so its probably not accurate.

[Tony in Quakeland]

Previously, Donovan was all but signed sealed and delivered on a loan to Portsmouth, but he pulled out when he recognized that he wouldn't be able to return to the Quakes until August.

I wouldn't be surprised to see that a similar loan is being discussed now and that the would take it.

[Joseph D'Hippolito]

Regarding Donovan, I wouldn't be surprised if he left, either. He subtly criticized Alexi Lalas for Frank Yallop's resignation after last season. Lalas responded by saying that Donovan wasn't playing hard enough.

Believe me, the Galaxy is a joke. Donovan was quite frustrated with the siutation last year and publicly supported Yallop amid rumors of his demise. Lalas and AEG's Tim Leiweke have ruined a once-great franchise.

BTW, Ives, didn't the Galaxy draft Edward, not Toronto? Or did the Galaxy trade Edwards?

[scott47a]

The LD stuff is just pure speculation at this point, but fun.

As an MLS fan and an American Gooner, I can honestly say I can't see any way he fits in for a club as good as Arsenal.
That said, he is definitely good enough to play for some of the other clubs.

And I would like to see it. It would be good for him, good for American soccer and, in the end, good for Galaxy too. They need a lot of players and have spent much of their cap space on just three.