News: Revs sign Jerry Bengtson (updated 7/5)

According to Ives, Revs are about to sign Honduran striker Jerry Bengston:

https://twitter.com/SoccerByIves/status/219880293962747904

Here's his info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Bengtson



He is 25 and seems to have a decent scoring rate.

Weren't we rumored to sign him a while ago, like last off-season? Or was it just a suggestion someone had that he'd be a good signing?

Here's what I could find on him:

- He lead the Honduran league in scoring for three consecutive seasons from 2010-2011
- He's been capped 22 times by the senior Honduran NT, scoring eight times
- He received interest from Rangers in 2010
- Got in a bad car accident with his wife and a friend (can't find the date on this)
- Only scored two goals for his club during the past season, and his mental health was called into question by the President. He claimed that marital problems were cause for his underpeformance.
- His inclusion in the Honduran Olympic team as one of their three senior players has been brought into question due to his recent poor performance

This seems like a solid move. I would much rather see a young relatively unknown player with potential than an over-age Euro looking for one last payday. The Revs might actually have a little depth at forward - Moreno, Sene, Blake, Fagundez, and Bengston. Hopefully the next signing can solidify the defense...

I can't recall. I know we were intersted in Georgie Welcome a couple years back.

The wikipedia page already says he is on loan and will wear #27...

Already posted a few times about him in the summer transfer thread but another positive besides age and goalscoring record for club and country is his height, 6'1 1/2. Unless he's a Sene type then that suggests he'll be capable of holding the ball up, which would be ideal as the lone CF if Heaps wants to stick with the 4-2-3-1.

Interesting. Consider me a lot less excited if he's on a loan. Bringing a player in on a loan for only a couple months at the end of the season really doesn't help the team or the player. It's not easy for a player to adjust to a foreign country, plus jump right into a team and make an impact. Even if he does perform well for the two or three months he's here, we'll probably not pay to retain him. I really hope this isn't true, the reports out of Honduras mentioned that we had signed him to a four year contract.

My first reaction ?

I have never heard of this dude.

That being said I welcome him and hope is a good player for us.

The official website of CD Montagua confirms the move and says that he is to undergo a medial tomorrow. Also it says that it is a 4 year deal:

http://sitio.motagua.com/2012/07/jerry-bengtson-pasa-al-new-england-revolution-de-la-mls/

I think most people that closely follow the USMNT/CONCACAF, CCL, etc. will have heard of him. He has definitely stood out during the games that I've seen him play.

Someone translated the Honduran news item and it said Bengston is arriving on a 4- year deal.I absolutely love this signing, when Bilello tweeted he signed a #9, he was a few months premature. From what I've seen of him, this is the type of player this team needs.

I love this signing if the Revs indeed signed him for 4 years. A still fairly young NT forward with success at the club and international level. He had a solid gold cup last summer as well.

It just feels a little odd that the best two forwards we have (if this Bengston thing is true and he's the player I remember from the Gold Cup) will be wearing numbers 27 and 39. Through Cardenas #80 in there, and we've got a lot of quality wearing the numbers of Academy players and the doldrums of Reserve teams

Bengtson has a .37 goals/game rate in international play, with a brace against Serbia and goals against Ecuador, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. That's a better goals/game ratio than any USMNT player ever.

He also has a brace against the Shalrie-less Grenada in the 2011 Gold Cup, according to his wiki. Not exactly an impressive feat, but it's still 2 more goals in a cup competition.

What did you expect? This is probably the best signing the Revs have made in recent memory.

Obviously there are no guarantees, but everything about the signing from age to health makes so much more sense than Moreno--surely he's gone now, considering how many forwards we have on the roster.

Bengston is tall, but is good facing goal somewhat like Sene. He's not a back-to-goal guy. Let's hope he does better in this league than Carlo Costly. Right age to be part of a "core".

But it really makes you wonder what position the DP will play...if there ever is one.

https://twitter.com/OrtizKicks/status/219900795091566594

Wow, Revs actually beat some other team to signing a player. When is the last time this happened?

Something tells me if any other MLS team signed Bengston to a 4 year deal instead, the prevailing attitude here would be, 'Why can't we get guys like this' or ' while other teams sign scoring champions, we dumpster dive for the obscure'.
C'mon, a little bit of credit is due here.

I could see them considering Bengston a project just because he's pretty unproven outside of Honduras & the NT. I'd expect him to be around or near the quality of players like Cooper, Sene & Santos but it could take him some time to adjust. I wouldnt use the word project if it were me though.

Ok, but even so, this signing shows a level of vision unseen at RevsCentral. Going after Bengtson is a guy with pedigree and his 25. If he went anywhere else, there would be definite griping here.
Nobody signed anywhere is a lock for success, but at least the Revs aren't basing too much on "hoping".