Harden Retired? Vanney In?

Discussion in 'LA Galaxy' started by m vann, Feb 15, 2008.

  1. m vann

    m vann Moderator
    Staff Member

    Colorado Rapids, Celtic FC, & Louisville City
    Sep 10, 2002
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.soccerbyives.net/

    This suprised the hell out of me. Soccer By Ives is reporting Ty Harden has suddenly retired to work for a charitable organization after one season in MLS. This is big news in Galaxy land. I thought Harden had a very bright future and while looking shaky at times last season, he showed glimpses.

    To fill the void, Ives is reporting the Galaxy and DCU have structured a trade to bring in Greg Vanney. No details have been made available. I assume this will be announced sometime today.
     
  2. iride_mybike

    iride_mybike Member

    Mar 31, 2004
    DFW
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If this turns out to be true, what a bizarre turn of events. I know I rode the guy a lot last year but Harden seemed to have potential to be a decent MLS defender. I really expected him to push Roberts for the starting job this season. Obviously he isn't happy though and this better not drag on. We don't have time to wait for some kid who is wishy washy about his job. Hopefully with Valentin and Needham he won't be missed much.

    We have all been asking for a veteran to shore up the back line. Does Vanney fit that mold? I like him and appreciate all the good years he gave us during his first stint with team. Problem is he may be a bit on the wrong side of veteran that we wanted. How much does he have left in the tank? How has he looked at CB?
     
  3. Sean...

    Sean... Member

    Jul 23, 2005
    Ireland
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wow, I know he was getting a low rookie salary(17-30k?), but he had the ability to get a raise without question. I'll wait for something more official, but that's a real shock.
     
  4. pwip

    pwip Member

    Jul 10, 2004
    Dallas
    Wow, I thought he had promise but that salary structure, well, can you blame anyone? what a joke.

    Billy and Ives are the only one who has the story? anyone else on the west coast working? good grief
     
  5. StillKickin

    StillKickin Member+

    Austin FC
    Dec 17, 2002
    Texas
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  6. EdsonArantes

    EdsonArantes Member

    Apr 6, 2006
    Barra Brava
    Wow...everybody from all other teams talks smack, but you guys should be very good next year. Vanney is not stellar but he is a solid MLS defender.

    Babayaro, Vanney, Xavier, Randolph is a SOLID back line in this league, with Kelly Gray and Troy Roberts for depth...and Jazic playing either defender or mid. Klein even plays defender and mid, no? The back line should help make up for Cronin in goal.

    Your midfield is solid: Solid...Klein, Tudela, Becks, Martino and Vagenas (who I have to admit are not BAD players, even though not great) Donovan depending on the formation.

    Forwards: Ruiz (who is very easy to hate, but he is a quality forward, period, and most teams would rather have him on their roster than not), Buddle (same applies to him, he has had ups and downs but is talented) - he could start next to Ruiz, or if Ruiz and Donovan start, he provides depth. The Sessay kid has promise too.

    All this is to say that despite all the hate in the league, I think you guys should do very well this year...the addition of Vanney should help solidify the defense, as he did with us, even though not as much as we wanted. You guys should make it to the conference final in the playoffs at least...I would love for Galaxy to make it all the way to MLS Cup on home soil...


    and then lose to DC United.

    Good luck in the Pacific cup and the season...
     
  7. shirteesdotnet

    Feb 13, 2007
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If this is all true, I give Harden a lot of credit for sticking to his beliefs and knowing whats right for himself as a person. Sometimes, we make big huge plans and goals in life... like to become a Major League Soccer player some day and play against or WITH David Beckham... and Ty Harden did that. He reached one of the boxes on his "goals in life" list and he got to check that box off this past season. Not many of us can make such big goals and even reach them! I applaud him for moving on if he feels thats whats best for him.

    When I was 18 I had a goal to build a reggae record label and to sign some big names. In a short year I sold my car to generate the funds to start and build my business. Within 5 years I was listed in the whos who of reggae books (yes, there is one), helping to set up a reggae ambassador organization, speaking at reggae conferences, traveling the world, full page color ads in all the national reggae magazines, and signing big named artists in the reggae world. And you know I thought it was all good. It was all I ever wanted at the time. The status, the fame. I wasnt the Ty Harden who grew up with missionaries or whatever. But something in me knew I just wanted a happy life with less stress, a women who shaves her armpits, no drugs around me,... a normal family life and I knew being in the reggae industry Id never get it.

    Some life changing turn of events happened and I ended up walking away from the fastest growing reggae label as of the year 2000. And 8 years later I got everything I really need now. A beautiful loving wife who shaves her armpits (yes, european ladies do shave and she speaks 7 languages too), two pets, a nice house, a garden with tomatoes still growing from last summer, and even more, respect from my family for building a happy family.

    So, you go do your thing Ty Harden. I back you 110% whatever decision you choose.
     
  8. 256_Galaxy_fan

    256_Galaxy_fan New Member

    Jun 22, 2004
    Huntsville, AL
    This has to be one of the most thoughtful post I have ever read on big soccer. I hope Harden does well with whatever he decides to do.
     
  9. Ranka

    Ranka Member

    Apr 1, 2005
    I just heard in the radio (espndeportes radio)
    that what he was making with the Galaxy was not enough to continue to live in Los Angeles, that the Galaxy would not give him a raise and that is why he decided to walk away.
    He will be making twice as much in his new job than what he was making with the Galaxy.

    If that is true, MLS should start thinking about what some of these players make.
     
  10. JoeW

    JoeW New Member

    Apr 19, 2001
    Northern Virginia, USA
    My guess is that Vanney (like our trade of Quaranta to you) will be contingent upon playing time. But he's likely to play a lot. I would also think that adds credence to the rumor that Abel Xavier is potentially on his way out.

    Vanney was out of contract but he's not going to sign for anything like the kind of money Harden was making. And he's not a replacement for Harden either. At this stage in his career, he's a defensive organizer who can distribute out of the back. So I suspect he's being brought in to compete with Xavier and then you'll keep whichever one looks best and ditch the other.
     
  11. iammrben

    iammrben Member

    Jul 27, 2007
    DC (Petworth)
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    And now apparently you're giving us Quavas Kirk in the deal...
     
  12. JoeW

    JoeW New Member

    Apr 19, 2001
    Northern Virginia, USA
    And related to Harden (since Vanney is not a replacement for him), my understanding is that Needham is in camp with LAG. He could be a replacement for Harden. If so, then I'd imagine these two teams would be talking trade again since DCU owns the rights to Needham.
     
  13. mbar

    mbar Member+

    Apr 30, 1999
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wow, we really like to ship out our young talent don't we?
     
  14. Ben7

    Ben7 Member

    Jan 14, 2007
    Vanney for Kirk and Harden retires - news coming in thick and fast now...
     
  15. TrickHog

    TrickHog Moderator
    Staff Member

    Oct 14, 2002
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Although has Kirk ever been healthy enough to show his talent?

    Of course, we'll ship him to D.C., he'll finally get healthy and then become an MLS All-XI right midfielder....
     
  16. cobi13

    cobi13 Member

    Aug 16, 2004
    NY
    This is shocking to say the least. I will admit that I was a hater of Harden last year, but to see that the Galaxy refused to give him a raise when he clearly needed it makes me worry that we are getting too big for ourselves. I want MLS to be successful, but I don't want them to become the NFL or Man. U. or any other money-sucking, fame-driven jerks. Maybe it is a Catch-22, but it is true. The only thing that makes me feel like there is more to this is that he isn't returning teammates phone calls. I can see reporters, but some of these guys are his friends.
     
  17. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    Hmm... Quavas might be young, but talent? hmmmm...
     
  18. Atouk

    Atouk BigSoccer Supporter

    DC United
    Apr 16, 2001
    Arlington, VA
    Club:
    Queens Park Rangers FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  19. TequilaJoal

    TequilaJoal Red Card

    Mar 3, 2002
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Bad Move

    Harden's decision... completely understandable.

    The Galaxy's Decision... Baffling upon disbelief.


    Why would you want Greg Vanney Back?

    33 years old... now 4th MLS club in 2 years. His best position (outside back) he can still play decently, (center back) not so well. And all we need are 2 rather slow and "not so nimble" center backs.

    And they way DC shanked Colorado earlier this month with the Gomez deal, can you imagine what they would do to Alexi?

    Alexi is an idiot.. so I imagine him giving up the farm for Vanney.
     
  20. JoeW

    JoeW New Member

    Apr 19, 2001
    Northern Virginia, USA
    From an LAG perspective, Xavier is rumored to have been unimpressive so far in camp. Harden just retired. I bet you offer no guaranteed money for Vanney. You either cut Xavier outright (and Vanney will probably be cheaper) or Vanney and Xavier compete for the organizer/sweeper role and one of them stays, the other gets cut. So that by itself isn't a bad move. Let's face, budget sweepers are hard to come by--foreign talent worth a darn at this point is likely to cost you more than Xavier or required guaranteed money. So Vanney is a gamble.

    As for dealing Kirk....eh. I don't think he's a great player. But he's still Gen Ad isn't he? On a team without a lot of depth, he gives you youth, speed, cap friendly numbers, a little flexibility (outside "D" and outside mid). Maybe the feeling is that with Franklin holding down right back, Klein is a fulltime outside right mid and therefore Kirk was no more than deep depth? Or maybe the team just saw more of a budding crisis in central defense with Xavier unimpressive and Harden retiring.
     
  21. Hate_Eternal

    Hate_Eternal Member

    Aug 6, 2006
    AVHC
    Re: Bad Move

    So now with Harden gone the only CBs we have are X and Vanney? If the Galaxy doesn't make a move for another center back than I think we will get burned a lot just because of the molasses like pace that our center backs have. X is solid but he isn't exactly the quickest guy on the team, although I don't remember if Julian Valentin plays center back if he does than maybe he can contribute like Harden did last season.
     
  22. mbar

    mbar Member+

    Apr 30, 1999
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Bad Move

    Roberts is a center back.

    Valentine is a rookie center back thought to be good but slow.

    Jay Needham is trialing with the team and he's a center back. Although his rights are owned by DC so who know what Alexi would give up to get him.
     
  23. mbar

    mbar Member+

    Apr 30, 1999
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: Bad Move

    I'd say salary cap is an even bigger issue now. If we were pushing the cap before, how does shipping out a salary of $30k and a GA (doesn't count against the cap) salary and bringing in a guy who made $225k last year fit?

    I know Vanney and the Galaxy will have to renegotiate his contract (Surely they did that already before making this trade) but I can't see him playing for less the $125k can any of you?
     
  24. iride_mybike

    iride_mybike Member

    Mar 31, 2004
    DFW
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Kirk for Vanney?? I don't like that at all. Kirk, while oft injured, has a lot of potential. Unless the rights to Needham are included this is just plain wrong. DC has no interest in Vanney. He is out of contract. They have been shopping his rights and nobody has bitten so we give up Kirk? Unless the rights to Needham are included this is just plain wrong.
     

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