from today's nyt: Major League Soccer is close to a deal that would send the veteran defender Eddie Pope of the MetroStars and the United States national team to Southampton of the English Premier League, according to a person close to the negotiations. Pope, 31, the MetroStars' captain and highest-paid player last year, was in California last week training with the national team for its World Cup qualifying match against Trinidad and Tobago on Feb. 9. The MetroStars open their preseason training today in East Rutherford, N.J. Any deal would have to be completed today because the transfer period ends in Europe. The transfer amount was originally $1 million, but M.L.S., which owns all player contracts under its single-entity system, said it wanted $2 million to $3 million to part with Pope. Pope became expendable when the MetroStars acquired Jeff Agoos, another veteran defender. Several M.L.S. clubs expressed interest in trading for Pope, and a deal was close with Real Salt Lake, an expansion team, before Southampton came into the picture. The Saints are near the bottom of the Premier League and recently hired a manager, Harry Redknapp, from rival Portsmouth in an attempt to stave off relegation. Asked to comment on the potential deal, M.L.S. Commissioner Don Garber, in an e-mail message last night, said, ''I can't comment on that one.'' Jack Bell
and interesting that eddie would want to go at this point in his career. figure he could make twice his mls salary no prob., so maybe more of a security move for him?
From a financial standpoint, the move makes even more sense with the pound "pounding" the snot outta the dollar. Oh, and Eddie will immediately be Southampton's best player. Though, that's not saying much, is it?
Poor guy. I've always wondered why Eddie of all the players that have gone to Europe, decided to stay here. I can't say I blame him for getting a payday before his career is over. Hes quite possibly our best defender ever and should do very well over there.
this might be true on the national team, but on a mls team, i'm not so sure based on last season. pope wasn't so great...at best, an above average defender, which agoos is as well, imo. national team i agree though. for whatever reason, pope really underperformed for the metros....but hell, doesn't everyone?
I would hope that if Pope does go, that means a major allocation for Metro. Should have plenty of cap room to bring in a few players. Perhaps we'll see an Agoos/Arena platoon with Parke in central defense. That's a lot of speed back there.....
Well the main reason he's expendable I think isn't because of Agoos, as much as the fact that we are going to be playing max salary to a player who is going to be playing at MOST, 14 or 15 games this year (and that's not assuming injuries...). so in other words, even if he is on the team, we are going to have a backline of Parke, Agoos, and Arena (who was better than Pope was last season...if you can believe that..I know it's hard, but it's true). If this occurs, it all depends how Bradley uses the allocation. If the money has a Gueverra type impact, well worth it. If the money has a SGR type impact (who knows, he's still on the team this year...might be better) God help us.
Doesn't the transfer window close today? So they'd have to get this deal done pretty quick. Does the physical have to be completed before the deadline?
I can imagine Bradley moving Leitch back there as well, and relying on one of the Regan/Stammler/Ward/Corcoran group to step up at left back.
I'm sorry to say this, but Eddie Pope would not be Southampton's best player. Maybe the Pope of 4-5 years ago. I agree that Crouch is good, and I like their goalkeeper. What they really need is Bobby Convey. What's Metro up to. Last year I thought they had good forwards and midfielders. Perhaps even too many quality forwards. Defense and occasional Johnny Walker "senior moments" were their downfall. What have they done to improve their defense over the off-season? Agoos isn't the answer, although I like the guy. They need a stud back there, a Ryan Nelsen type of guy (What they thought they were getting with Pope no doubt). Any news of an international pickup for the defense. This is what almost every MLS team is looking for.
I like Eddie and all but for the sake of the league, please let this happen today. The day that we can collect $1 million or more from EPL clubs for fragile defenders over 30 years old is a tremendous day for MLS. The Metro allocation is just a bonus in this deal.