Ross Paule traded to Crew

Link?

 

Metro still owned his rights. In theory, the same type of deal would go down if someone wanted Balboa, Ramos or Andy Williams.

 

Yeah I for one would love to see the link. According to the pre-season reading on the Crew Matteo and Leitch both were recieving PT. Nothing was said or mentioned about Paule. Leitch to be accurate is a defender. Played some 6-8 games at Right back last season. Matteo kept our bench warm most of the season but Leitch shows promise while still developing.

 

It should be official later today.

 

Matteo's mlsnet bio is unavailable, but here is Leitch:

http://www.mlsnet.com/bios/chris_leitch.html

Sounds like a young kid with a big upside.

 

http://www.ussocceruk.com/modules.p...e=article&sid=220&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Also, confirmation Savarese and Myrieu, although I thought Frederic might still be heading to Argentina with the team. Oh well, sights fully turned on Gueverra.

 

And Chicago might want Williams. Just for fun, whom do you think we would get in a trade? I doubt they'd part with any of their P-40s (Capano, Mapp, Jaqua or Pause) or Kelly Gray, which leaves some of the following: Chad Dombrowski (D), Rob Friend (F) (Canadian, turned 22 in January), Ryan Futagaki (M), Ryan Mack (M), Mike Nugent (F, DP), Damani Ralph (F) (Jamaican, turned 22 in November), Dipsy Selolwane (F) (Botswanan, 25), Phil Swenda (F). Of those, only Nugent and Selowane were with the team last year (so Bradley knows what they are capable of).

 

Jeff Matteo is a nice pickup IMO. I've seen him play several times at St. John's. He was usually the most skillful player on either team when they played. He also was a complete bulldog in the midfield, never giving up on any 50/50 ball and constantly moving/working. The main knock against him going into the draft was his size (he's Richie's size).

He had 9 goals and 10 assists in his last 2 seasons at SJU.

http://www.thecrew.com/club/bio.cfm?ID=77&mode=1

 

Thanks for the memories Jeff Moore.

 

There was a bit of a soap opera concering Matteo possibly going to a lower Italian division team last summer, which is why he didn't report to the Crew until pretty late in the season.

As for Leitch, someone on the Crew boards would know better but I think he was on a developmental contract last year and earned a "real" contract as a result -- so he may have some promise.

Of those Fire players, Dombrowski and Mack were cut (though the team may still have rights to them, no idea how that works). Rob Friend is a big striker who I thought had a contract with Moss in Norway -- but that wouldn't explain why he's with the Fire.

 

Leitch/Matteo for Puale

 

Thanks, we didn't see that!

 

here's what the Crew had to say when the signed matteo last year:

CREW SIGNS MIDFIELDER AND 2002 DRAFTEE JEFF MATTEO TO DEVELOPMENTAL CONTRACT
Selected by Columbus in the second round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft, following his senior season at St. John's, Matteo has been playing for Westchester of the USL D3 Pro League

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Columbus Crew President/General Manager Jim Smith
announced today that the club has signed 2002 draftee Jeff Matteo to a
Developmental Contact for the remainder of the season. Terms of the deal
were not disclosed.

Matteo, who celebrated his 22nd birthday last week (August 8), was
selected by The Crew in the second round (No. 20 overall) of the 2002 MLS
SuperDraft, following a stellar four-year career at St. John's University.
After attending training camp with The Crew, he played in the Italian third
division (Serie C1) for Monza, before returning to finish the USL D3 Pro
League season with the Westchester (N.Y.) Flames, whose season just ended.
Matteo played in 12 games with the Flames, tallying five points on one goal
and three assists.

"Jeff is a dynamic young player and we are pleased to have come to
terms with him," said Crew head coach Greg Andrulis. "We have remained in
close contact with him since training camp and look forward to both his
return and future contributions to our club."

At St. John's, Matteo was a two-time first-team All-Big East selection who paid a visit to Columbus last December to play in the 2001 NCAA Men's College Cup, when he scored the Red Storm's lone goal in its 2-1 overtime loss to Indiana in the national semifinals. Named the Big East Midfielder of Year as a senior last fall, Matteo played in 88 games in his St. John's career and scored 55 points, on 17 goals and 21 assists.

"I am really happy to be in Columbus," Matteo said. "It was an unusual situation how it ended up, but I am excited for the opportunity. I am going to work hard and give it my all every day and do whatever the coaches and team need me to do."

Matteo will wear uniform No. 24 for The Crew and he will be available for selection on Wednesday, when Columbus plays host to the Los Angeles Galaxy on the third and final Johnsonville Buck-a-Brat Night of the season.

Jeff Matteo Thumbnail Bio
Position: Midfielder
Born: August 8, 1980 (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)
Hometown: Stormville, N.Y.
Height: 5-5
Weight: 140 pounds
College: St. John's University
How Acquired: Selected by The Crew in the second round (No. 20 overall) of
the 2002 MLS SuperDraft. Signed
to a Developmental Contract on August 13, 2002.
Pro Outdoor Experience: Westchester Flames, D3 Pro League (2002); Monza,
Serie C1/ Italian third division (2002)

 

That's it -- Monza. Numerous people on the YA board were never able to confirm that he was ever actually at the club. It's almost certain that he never played. He may have been there on a short-term contract or something.

 

This is such a great league. You waive a player and nobody wants him. Then however , a team trades for him so you get something back instead of nothing. MLS rules seem somewhat flexible at times.

 

The same rule applies in all US professional leagues. Recent NHL example: Jason Wooley was put on waivers by Buffalo. He cleared waivers, remaining their property. He was then traded to Detroit for future considerations.

 

I think that it may be a little different in the MLS with the low team salary caps. Players with value can be waived because of the salary squeeze. The mid-range salaried players get squeezed every year in this league. So, a player with value (greater value than those willing to play for the league minimum, or close to it) has to test his value with other teams by not accepting the low ball offers. The teams are in a box by having to let these players go that have greater value than those they can afford and the players are in a box because their options are limited. But it still doesn't seem right to have to compensate for a player you waived.

 

Me thinks you don't understand waiver rules at all.

 

What I understand and what doesn't seem right can be two different things. But that may be a little too complex for you. Sorry, I didn't mean to pull you back out from under your rock again.

 

Oh, thats rich..........

 

I always come out from my cave (not rock) to point out the stupid, ill informed "facts" you like to post. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

Pardon me as I step around the bickering, but the trade is official, Metro Press release: http://www.metrofanatic.com/mf/story.jsp?ID=1123

 

Stats boy Dan, what do you know abt the waiver draft?