I just read in a local Guatemalan news paper, that the owner of Marcos Pappa which is the team Municipal had talks this Saturday with the team Xerez of the league “La Liga” of Spain, to have him playing next year, their offering a good amount of money to Municipal and if Municipal accepts, they would pay Chicago what the contract between Chicago and Municipal says. Do you think Fire should make a counter offer? Or accept the money? This is the first of many talks both teams are going to have.
They'd better make a counter offer, but it'll depend on how much money we're talking about. I don't like the idea of losing both Rolfe and Pappa.
What does Marco want? If it's better pay and getting away from Hamlett, I doubt that there is much the Fire would be able to offer to Municipal that didn't include a significant raise to Pappa.
Maybe Xerez' coaching staff will notice that he can only go left and force him to learn to use his right foot.
He is as good as gone then. A chance to play in La Liga trumps anything else, sure they will probably be relegated since they have scored 1 goal in six games giving up 12, but he will have at least half a season in the top flight and this will be his foothold into Europe. Xerez plays both Real Madrid and Barcelona in the spring, so that should be fun. Then it's the Segunda Division, if he doesn't make an impression forcing a transfer that is.
Or end up on loan. You don't need two hands to count the number of players who've transferred from MLS to Spain who didn't end up on the bench the entire season or loaned out to a second division club out there. He would be offered both more money and better coaching in Spain, no doubt. Is that worth more than playing time and a chance to win (which Chicago has a better chance of than Xerez right now, your criticisms of the team not withstanding)? Depends on the player.
I doubt it, replace "La Liga" with "EPL", I doubt any young player in MLS would not jump at being transferred to Wolverhampton, Hull City or West Ham.
Hmmmmm.....Theres no way Fire could pay way more than Xerez. If the Fire could keep Pappa without salary cap problem giving Pappa a huge raise, then Fire should fight for Pappa. Or get the money, and that money should be use for salary cap raise for the Fire.
It all depends on who will be the 'coach' next season.. If Ham is still around it makes no difference If not then counter offer ...Yes
Conceptually you're right, but racking my brain, the only two guys I can think of who went to Spain from MLS are Altidore, who got loaned out because he wasn't getting playing time and Razov, who went right to the second division and came back after 19 games. Guys who went to England have had better success staying there. Guys who've gone to other countries have often come back for less money after not getting playing time. Every player is different, I understand that, but I don't think Pappa is at the level of Altidore of Ante Razov circa 2000, so I don't see him walking into the starting lineup there and thriving.
All things considered, I would like Marco to stay. But, he has been pretty ordinary for a few months running now. Some good moments but also long periods where he disappears and even some stretches where he turns the ball over a lot. If its a lot of money, I guess we take it and run. Come on Frank. You have a monster off season ahead.
Consiering that this duty would apparently fall to Justin Mapp, I'm buying stock in ComEd because TP's electric bill is going to go through the freaking roof.
Remember that this lower table teams in Europe buy this kind of player cheap, because they see them not as heroes to keep them in the 1st division, they know there going back to 2nd division, they buy them as an investment. They always loan them and the next year or two they sale them to a middle table team in the 1st division triple o 4 times what it cost, that’s how the make money to come back to the 1st division. So is always good for Pappa cause he will end up playing in the 1st division. Spain is a better league for the style of play of Pappa. I think Fire should make an effort, cause Pappa is playing well for the age he has, in two or three years, they could sale him for a couple of million dollars, that’s what the Mexican league do, they did it with Carlos Vela, Andres Guardado and other great South American players.
Sorry, but this is a huge stretch. Firstly, this is something read in a local Guate paper. I read in a recent Guate paper that Cocodrilo Dundee Dos is about to debut in local theaters. Secondly, no way, no how is Pappa ready for any kind of consideration from a club from La Liga, a club possibly preparing for relegation to Segunda or even a team firmly in Segunda. Mediocre performance in MLS doesn't translate into any serious interest from a 1st or 2nd division club in Spain, England, Italy, Germany or France. Soumare had a mediocre year with us to be sure, but he had one of the best year's in MLS during last season, he was getting more playing time with Mali's NT during WCQ and I believe he may have had French citizenship - all of which Papa didn't or doesn't have going for him. Thirdly, Vela and Guardado were brought up in a much more competitive, more respected league than MLS and succeeded in FMF and/or NT which garnered Euro interest. FMF > MLS. Additionally, trying to make even the slightest comparison between Pappa potential path based on his performance with the Fire and Vela y Guardado's is pretty ridiculous. Finally, until I read this on MLS Rumors this is all just hearsay. Okay I KEEED, I KEEED!!! This looks more like a rumor started by Municipal to get the Fire to buy Marco's contract rather than any real interest from Spain. I like Pappa and think he's a good player, but he's more likely to go back to Guatemala than Spain, unless he's vacationing there.
Are you referring to the rumor (not sure how concrete it was) that Jaga was interested in him? Honestly I expect him to be gone after this season in any case. The kid is young and talented. Sure he's been in a slight funk as of late but he has almost as many goals as our ahem 'strikers' without scoring recently.
If this news is true.... its about time!!! Pappa is a beast in the midfield, his style would work VERY well compared to any americans that have been there lately. He has that more latin style of play and his physicality would only help over there too. He knows how to play good touch and go soccer. Its sad if he goes as he IMO was one of the best young players in our league, but i'd be happy to see another MLS'er in la liga, a league which largely has ignored MLS players. He can open doors.
I hear you milicz, if you're referring to Ekstraklasa, sure . . . but not La Liga. I could see Marco going to a number of other smaller Euro leagues in central or eastern Europe or even follow the well traveled path of many a MLS yeomen to Scandinavia. Maybe we can get someone in Poland, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, etc. to take some interest in Mapp.
All of those leagues are too busy laughing hysterically at what we're paying him currently. Christ I can think of one specific midfielder I'd rather have from Houston that doesn't get paid anything close to him and that has matured on the national team level while Justin has done nada when even given that chance.
I don't know how the money would work, but if we can get a decent amount for him, I say take it. Frank is going to have a lot of work to do this off-season, and the more money he has to spread around, the better.
Another one bites the dust And another one gone, and another one gone Another one bites the dust 2010 is looking bad lol.
That is nice in theory but odds are we will get another Thiago and not another Pappa with that money, I would rather keep a known quantity then gamble on an unknown.