Both MLS and Red Bulls officials have denied claims made by CD FAS vice-president Rafael Villacorta that the reason for the delay in Alfredo Pacheco's loan move to New York was the fault of the league and Red Bulls.
According to league sources, MLS has had a signed contract with the signatures of Alfredo Pacheco and FAS president Reynaldo Valle for weeks, and that one of the conditions for payment of the $30,000 loan price was that the Red Bulls receive Pacheco's ITC (International Transfer Card), which the club has yet to receive.
Villacorte told Salvadoran newspaper Diario de Hoy that the Red Bulls had failed to make the $30,000 loan payment for Pacheco, and had failed to provide a legitimate copy of a signed contract for the loan.
Red Bulls sporting director contradicted those claims in a statement released by the team.
"The Red Bulls organization has followed all of the transfer rules for securing the rights to Mr. Pacheco from his former team CD FAS," Agoos said. "We have a fully executed contract dated March 1, 2009, signed by CD FAS president Jose Reynaldo Valle and stamped with the CD FAS official seal securing the rights to Mr. Pacheco to play for the Red Bulls.
"The contract states that CD FAS will receive the transfer payment from MLS within 15 days of receipt of the ITC (international transfer certificate). However, as of today, we have still not received the ITC."
According to one source, the agreement should have been finalized weeks ago and the Houston match marks the second match Pacheco will miss that he should have been available to the Red Bulls for if not for delays in negotiations caused by FAS.
So why did Villacorta feel compelled to accuse the Red Bulls and/or MLS of sending FAS an altered and incomplete contract as well as failing to make a payment they weren't obligated to make yet? That's a very good question. The better question is why has a loan move that should have been completed in March has yet to be completed? Valle tried to point the finger at the Red Bulls, but FAS should not be ruled out as the real culprit behind the delays.
So what does it all mean? It means Pacheco won't play tonight, but he should be eligible for the Red Bulls game vs. Real Salt Lake next week.
