Friday --> Gomez Is A Rapid

As View From The Couch has mentioned, there is a Rapids press conference this Friday. It will be the official unveiling Christian Gomez. The question remains, how much are the Rapids giving up for him?

Speaking of signings, has MLS Rumors ever blogged anything worth printing? Just curious since Delgado missing practice hasn't seemed to materialize into his rumored signing with the Rapids. Well, at least not in a way that the Rapids Front Office are willing to do anything other than flat out deny. Quite the contract with the Christian Gomez situation which they simply won't confirm. It's just as well the Rapids didn't piss away their money on El Tin [reasons listed here].

Gomez... Ever... So... Pailfully... Slow...

Not a peep from the Rapids FO on this one yet. At least if Goff is right, and he usually is, the deal is still on track to be completed. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2008/02/dcu_update.html Still no final word on the Christian Gomez negotiations with Colorado and the imminent trade with United for his rights. Sources assure me that his new contract and the trade will happen. I'll share further any information as soon as possible.

What Does Retirement Mean?

Remember when the Colorado Rapids announced that the Mexican Clint Mathis, Daniel Osorno, had retired at the age of 28 after the 2007 season? It seems that Osorno these days is playing for the Mexican club Dorados (2nd division. Did Osorno announce his retirement even though he wasn't going to stop playing? Or did the Rapids think that announcing that a player without any serious injuries and only 28 years of age had retired was somehow a means of saving face? After all, $140,000 isn't the sort of money you see spent in Major League Soccer on a player that plays 55 minutes (3 games) and commits a solitary foul.

Did Osorno actually retire or did the Rapids waive him?

Colorado Rapids:
Also in addition to this list, Rapids forward #16 Daniel Osorno has announced his retirement, and will not be made available for the draft. Dorados de Sinaloa

Full Of Themselves

Leave it to a DC United fan to be so full of themselves to ask such a question. Gomez was with how many clubs before DC United? 5? 6? And how large of a pay increase was he demanding at age 33? The man has to make a living. But surely no player that would live and die for a club's badge would let a few quid come in the way of finishing out his career with that club, would he?

From Black and Red:
Gomez will improve most any club he goes to by a significant and noticable margin. One thing that will remain to be seen, is will he play for, live for, and die for the badge for another club, like he did for the Black and Red?

Maciej Doesn't Join Crew

Polish striker Zurawski has passed up a move to the Columbus Crew for $1 million transfer to Greek club Larissa [previous post on the move here]. Surely this is frustrating for Crew fans to see their club finally pony up some big money for a player only for the move to fail on the last day of the transfer window. Crew fans shouldn't be too surprised by this. Poland's coach Leo Beenhakker had made it clear to his captain Zurawski that he needed to be playing regularly in the lead up with Euro08 this summer. So they shouldn't be quite so shocked to see Zurawski move to a club in Europe, even a small one like Larissa (full name translated as Athletic Union of Larissa 1964), when they're willing to put cash for him. It's likely his main concern is getting ready for Euro08. A move to Larissa should help ensure he makes the squad. Had Zurawski moved to the Crew and had made Poland's squad, the Crew would've been missing him for 6-8 weeks. And that leads to the question if it's best to use a DP slot on player you know you're going to be missing for a couple months in the season. Did the Crew actually dodge a bit of a bullet?

Note: Everton fans may recognize another Larissa player who was with them during the Walter Smith days, Ibrahima Bakayoko.