It’s the middle of the week, and despite making a new signing yesterday, things seem a bit quiet. We’ve got a new man in the form of Blake Wagner as reported yesterday, and while it’s hardly the marquee signing some in the league made this week (cough, Freddy Adu, and cough, Robbie Keane), it’s a move that reassures fans that, yes, Jason Kreis and Garth Lagerwey are paying attention and see the problems in the squad.
I expect Wagner won’t be starting on Saturday (shocker!) unless Tony Beltran or Robbie Russell find themselves short of fitness. However, I am certain we’ll see him in the next 2-3 weeks, and perhaps he can be given the treat of making his first appearance at home. (That’s a treat, right?)
There are still question marks over Robbie Russell’s fitness, and Tony Beltran has been known to take a knock or two recently, so the signing of Wagner is I think a bit essential. Some have wondered whether this is a short-term move or something longer — I, for one, see this as a longer-term move, and it’s certainly a position the team has been looking to fill. It’s not particularly risky to guess that he won’t be on big money, and he certainly won’t take a coveted international slot. If he’s willing to prove to Kreis that he deserves a starting spot, he’ll be a valuable member of our squad.
What does this mean for Chris Wingert, who also plays on the left? Not too much, truth be told, at this moment. I assume Chris is still first choice in the position, and while that could change in a month’s time, I wouldn’t bet the home on it.
Other notes:
Robbie Keane’s signing for L.A. Galaxy shows, well, not much. He’s hardly the player he was, and he’d been spending time out on loan, and while he didn’t perform particularly badly, he’s no living legend as some have built him up to be. That said, I do think he’ll be a good fit for the league, as we’ve a slightly slower pace here than in the modern English game.
The MLS’s Designated Player rule has once again changed, allocating younger DPs less room on the salary cap: Under the age of 21, DP salaries will only hit the salary cap with $150,000, and from the ages of 21 to 23 will hit the salary cap with $200,000. This is in contrast to the typical $335,000 that current designated players hit the salary cap with.
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