Odds and Ends
The US faces El Salvador tonight in the Gold Cup. The Americans have already qualified for the quarterfinals, and a draw guarantees that they will win their group. I’d expect Bob Bradley to let some first team guys sit this game out, especially Carlos Bocanegra and Frankie Hejduk who are sitting on yellow cards from the game against Guatemala.
Another player that may sit this one out is DaMarcus Beasley. The Scottish paper Daily Record is reporting that Glasgow Rangers have agreed to a transfer fee with PSV Eindhoven for the left winger, and Beasley would like time off to discuss personal terms. While Beasley wanted to catch on with Manchester City, this wouldn’t be a bad move for him. He would get to play in Europe, and if there’s a league that will force you to become accustomed to physical play, Scotland is it.
Despite Real Madrid President Ramon Calderon shooting his mouth off (again), David Beckham says he fully plans to head to Los Angeles to play for the Galaxy at the end of the month. No real shocker there, in my opinion. Beckham was seemingly never appreciated by the front office, multiple coaching staffs, and the fans at the Bernabeu until he has become one of the driving forces in Real’s resurgence this season. He knows that if he leaves now, he would be departing as a hero in Madrid. Why stick around long enough for public opinion to turn on him again?
In other transfer news, Thierry Henry and his agent have denied that the Arsenal captain has agreed to personal terms with Barcelona. I doubt this saga is over, but at least this is good news for Arsenal for the time being. Some might argue that Arsenal should sell Henry while he can still fetch a hefty transfer fee. I’m not so sure I agree with that logic. Henry may be getting older, but after watching Arsenal’s form drop significantly after his injury early in 2007, one can’t deny the impact he still has on the club. I’d hope that if Henry does leave, Arsenal will look to find an immediate replacement for him, unlike the inability to replace Patrick Viera’s presence in midfield when he was sold to Juventus.
Gold Cup, US Soccer, DaMarcus Beasley, Rangers, David Beckham, Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Madrid, Thierry Henry, Arsenal, FC Barcelona
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