chicago needs a goal scorer. the service is there they just need someone with a little bit more conviction to put the chances away. at his best, salas is a better forward than juan pablo angel and blanco. its been years since we've seen the best from the real "matador", but i think salas can regain form in the MLS environment and help chicago make a good showing in the playoffs.

besides, marcelo salas has always played his best soccer when dressed in red and white. RIVER PLATE!!!!!

Blanco and Salas?

I'm shocked, SHOCKED, to find out that Chicago will go over the salary cap :-)

Of course they need redundancy among their aging Latin strikers.

Sarachan will platoon them. As one serves a red card suspension, the other can play.

Off-topic, but... Can anyone point me to UPDATED, detailed Gold Cup standings, please? The CONCACAF Web site is a mess!

Goff,

Would that be $22k a month through December or through the end of the season?

Gold Cup info.

http://www.terra.com/deportes/articulo/html/fox379325.htm

Thx,

Jay!

is blanco's salary guaranteed? maybe they getting salas as an insurance policy for when blanco goes off the rails.

Thanks, Jay!

That goldcup.org is quite awful. I had to click on "Calendar" to get "Calendar/Results" (and standings).

22K per month for the remainder of the calendar year (just like all MLS contracts).

They're going to need Salas, since it's apparently so easy to get Blanco to take a red...

What will happen to players like Chris Rolfe and Chad Barrett? They're not exactly useless, you know.

Thanks for the update, Goff - you're the best.

If Sarachan had half a brain Blanco would play Attacking Mid behind Rolfe and Salas, with Barrett spelling the oft-injured Rolfe and the ancient Salas.

Thank you for the update!

Salas* (*when healthy)is a solid box scorer, even as his knees turn to jelly. Chicago doesn't have any solid box scorers.

If you've seen Calen Carr try to head the ball, you know what I'm talking about.

I have to admit a personal bias in that I absolutely love Salas.
I know he's old, but I'm more than excited to see him in MLS. I hope he signs.

I'd love to have Salas. God knows the Fire need someone who can score. But what makes anyone think that Dave Sarachan't will play Salas or Blanco. He only plays defensive players. The last few games we've had 7-8 defenders in various positions. Not much room left for Blanco or Salas. Fire Sarachan't first.

Goffster, any news about the fans who got kicked out of the US-china, Colorado-china and RSL-china games for displaying tibetan flags?

A bit OT, but the Iranian film Offside, which was screened here in Washington several weeks ago, will be playing this month in repertory theaters in two locations in rural Pennsylvania, of all places. It is playing this week in State College (http://www.thestatetheatre.org/Events/#12), and later this month in Carlisle (http://www.carlisletheatre.org/evdb/eventdetails.asp?eventno=422). This flick has received a 97 percent favorable rating by the critics tracked by the Rotten Tomatoes site (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/offside/), and deservedly so.

Goffster, any news about the fans who got kicked out of the US-china, Colorado-china and RSL-china games for displaying tibetan flags?

Posted by: DCAustinite | June 11, 2007 02:41 PM

Anybody remember when this used to be a free country?

"What will happen to players like Chris Rolfe and Chad Barrett? They're not exactly useless, you know."

Oh, Barrett is exactly useless.

If they could sign Salas for $22,000 per month, that would be incredible.

"What will happen to players like Chris Rolfe and Chad Barrett? They're not exactly useless, you know."

Oh, Barrett is exactly useless.

If they could sign Salas for $22,000 per month, that would be incredible.

some more pics of nelly furtado in DCU shirt posted on dcist: http://www.dcist.com/

Has the Fire front office never heard of the NASL??? Importing aging "stars" and paying them too much money is what tanked American Soccer for years. At least Beckham will sell a gazillion jerseys in Japan and raise the profile of the league. Salas? Blanco? Come on. Is our front office the only one that actually visits South America? Take a trip, guys, it's beautiful down there.

And exactly how old is Beckham?? :-)

I think MLS should shell out the dough for all of the young stars in the world like Tevez, C. Ronaldo, Messi, Diego, Ribery. Why wouldn't they want to come to the US if they are going to get paid more money here? It seems like a much better business decision for MLS to go aftet the best young talent in the world. MLS needs to stay away from the over-the-hill-gang.

Chad Barrett is terrible.

"Why wouldn't they want to come to the US if they are going to get paid more money here?"

One word: Prestige.

Not every player is a mercenary, especially when the team offering less is still offering millions.

Messi plays for a world-famous club that won the biggest club tournament in the world last year and regularly is at or near the top of one of the most skillful and popular leagues on earth. MLS, like it or not, can't match those things. It's also not like Barcelona is run by paupers.

MLS focusing on getting a Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo in the immediate future would be like me trying to land my own private spaceship on Mars before the summer is done.

OT: Any truth to the rumors that Henry's prospective move to Barca is now a done deal? I'd be much happier seeing him stay with the Gunners...

Do you know if United has even looked at trying to acquire DaMarcus Beasley?

Chad Barrett is completely worthless. Salas would be an enormous upgrade. That being said, they shouldn't pay him any more than they are offering. Anyone who saw Salas play when he returned to River a few years ago could see that his best days were long gone. Moreover, I'm not sure how he is going to be able to foil MLS defenders bc he simply does not have the pace. Maybe shots from long distance or poacher's goals, but i don't think a forward like that is worth more than 300K a year in this league...

I am beginning to be frightened, irritated and disgusted by calen carr in the exact (EXACT!) same way I am frightened, irritated and disgusted by cobi jones. This puzzles me.

As always, I am senor evil.

Chest Rockwall:

I agree with all of your points, but a wise man once said "Show me the money!!!!!!!!" If MLS were to dangle say $75 million in a guranteed contract to anyone I mentioned, they would be on the first flight to the US. Money talks baby. Once MLS decides to dish out the money to the stars who are in their prime, we will be the number one league in the world. I think that day will happened, but not until every team has their own soccer stadium, and there are around 18 teams, and the league becomes profitable. I hope MLS will be sending a huge contigency of scouts to the U-20's next month. They could possibly stumble upon a diamond in the rough.

Give the locals some credit people. US players are more than proving themselves both domestically and abroad. Why spend all of our money abroad when we have so much potential here? Isn't one of the main points of MLS to increase interest in soccer at all levels and develop our national team?

If you want European players you can watch FSC, if you want Latin players you can watch Goal, if you want American players you should be able to watch MLS.

I like having a few foreign stars to help improve our status but after that I think we have plenty of talent here and its only getting better.

I like Salas, but as someone else noted, his second tenure at River wasn't that great. I think he played primarily as a late substitute. He looked out of shape, and was definitely no speedster. 22K per month may be okay, but anything more than 400K/year would be a mistake. The Fire could probably get a younger, hungrier South American with that kind of money. BTW, I never knew Chicago had a big Chilean population. (I'm kidding.)

Goff: are you serious? Salas at 30% capacity is better than most of what we have right now. Bring him on.
Southeasterner: I agree. My #1 dream for MLS is a day when the overwhelming majority of our talent is able to stay at home and grow here. I think it helps Germany & Italy enormously that they essentially pick their Nat team solely from their domestic league. There is something to be said for all the players playing in similar systems.
Beside, it would beat having our boys playing in Second Division in England or Regionalliga Noord or some crap just cause they can pay a little more than MLS can.

DC United Fan: You are living in a dream world. The reason why MLS doesn't dangle money in front of great, young players is because it doesn't have the money to dangle.
Have you checked out the attendance at MLS games lately, or the TV ratings.
How exactly do you pay $30 m. transfer fees when your whole league doesn't make $30 m. a year?

Be realistic. For now, while the league is building credibility, bringing in older talented players is a fine idea. Claude Makelele at 34 is still more talented than just about anyone playing D-Mid in MLS.

DC United Fan: You are living in a dream world. The reason why MLS doesn't dangle money in front of great, young players is because it doesn't have the money to dangle.
Have you checked out the attendance at MLS games lately, or the TV ratings?
How exactly do you pay $30 m. transfer fees when your whole league doesn't make $30 m. a year?

Be realistic. For now, while the league is building credibility, bringing in older talented players is a fine idea. Claude Makelele at 34 is still more talented than just about anyone playing D-Mid in MLS.

DC United Fan: You are living in a dream world. The reason why MLS doesn't dangle money in front of great, young players is because it doesn't have the money to dangle.
Have you checked out the attendance at MLS games lately, or the TV ratings?
How exactly do you pay $30 m. transfer fees when your whole league doesn't make $30 m. a year?

Be realistic. For now, while the league is building credibility, bringing in older talented players is a fine idea. Claude Makelele at 34 is still more talented than just about anyone playing D-Mid in MLS.

Who cares? Sarachan and Guppy are incompetent imbeciles. Its all they can do to keep from drooling on themselves, let alone put together an entertainment option worthy of the chicagoland area.

Barthez to where? :-)

Goff any insider info on the Aguas Caliente acquisition? I'm (not) surprised MLS didn't make an offer for the former french superstar.

Necaxa (MX), now being denied...

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