Jukka Raitala (who, I must admit, I didn't realize was still in MLS) has been traded to Minnesota: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2021...eran-fullback-jukka-raitala-trade-cf-montreal
Stop the presses! Danny Szetela is thinking about retiring!!! https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2021...-considers-retirement-in-wake-of-team-hiatus/
Atlanta waives Adam Jahn. Never had anything against the guy but for Atlanta to keep claiming they were a big time contender and then sending Jahn out as their starting center forward was, well, laughable. Could still be a backup someplace. More likely to end up back in USL 1. And Frankie Hejduk is one of nine "player" finalists for the 2021 Hall of Fame class.
And Shep "Playgirl" Messing is on the ballot as a veteran. I could make some jokes here, but I won't. Bob Rigby was a much better goalie, though.
Jamey Rootes has resigned as president of the Texans. ESPN reported that he didn't like the direction the team was headed and they hired a new GM and coach this month. https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/02/10/houston-texans-president-jamey-rootes-resigns
Rootes coached my u17 club team back in 1997, was a good guy. Our team got to train one Saturday with the Crew and as a keeper, I would have been able to meet and possibly train with Brad Friedel. Instead my parents made me take the SAT which conflicted with the practice, still angry about it.
Beloved former player Danny Szetela has found life after the Cosmos by landing a gig in USL League 2: https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/news_article/show/1152760
I noticed that his bio features a lot of "He played with so-and-so" and less about his actual accomplishments on the field.
Nico Hansen now with Minnesota: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2021...-former-houston-dynamo-midfielder-niko-hansen Where he re-connects with Trapp, Raitala, and Finlay. This would be a database project only Matt Bernhardt could love, but I do wonder where the Crew stand in terms of total number of former players still active with other MLS clubs. They're everywhere, it seems.
It'd be interesting to do a pie chart just to see Austin compared to others. With four in Minnesota and it doesn't seem like too many more down there, I'd guess their slice wouldn't be as big as one might think.
And there's at least one ex-Crew player who's worse off than Danny S. Jorge Salcedo https://abcnews.go.com/US/ucla-soccer-coach-sentenced-college-admissions-scandal/story?id=76565557
https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2021...ass-on-what-i-learned-to-the-younger-players/ WHY SZETELA SIGNED WITH MORRIS ELITE: This is an opportunity for me to be able to pass on what I learned to the younger players Mar 26, 2021
Potential lessons from Szetela's learnings: - Don't pose as a smung SoB if a massive club drafts you. - Do not play on any team called Cosmos - Take care of your body so you don't look as a drunk uncle by your 33th year - In regards to technical abilities, avoid everything that I did.
Lesson learned, stay out of the bars in Boonton. https://www.nj.com/soccer-news/2011/02/clifton-raised_soccer_player_d.html