Uruguay's Alvaro Fernandez is set join Nery Castillo of Mexico in Major League Soccer. Mexican international Castillo became MLS's latest acquisition yesterday, and it appears Fernandez is set to follow him, in his case to Sounders FC in Seattle. His arrival would almost certainly signify the departure of the unhappy and surly Freddie Ljungberg, although there are a few fans still optimistic the arrival of quality players will persuade the Swede he wishes to stay here.
A poll on Prost Amerika suggests Sounders fans are very evenly divided about the fate of the Swedish international. The vote between those who wish him to stay, and those who wish him to go, is almost evenly split with about 40% of the vote. A further 20% took the offered option that he could go, but only is a quality replacement, like Fernandez, was brought in.
Nery Castillo is an attacking midfielder with 21 caps under his belt and is just 26 years old. He would of course be following in a fine tradition of Mexican players at Chicago after Cuauhtemoc Blanco among others. Fernandez is 24 and their relative youth suggests MLS is starting to shake off its reputation as purely a retirement home for ageing Europeans.
So far, Thierry Henry (France and New York), Omar Bravo (Mexico and Kansas City), Sal Zizzo (USA and Chivas USA) , Fernandez (Uruguay and Sounders) and Castillo (Mexico and Chicago Fire) have arrived in the USA signifying a new generation of top class international players, arriving in the immediate aftermath of the World Cup.
However there is one transfer yet to happen that would really set the heather on fire, There are strong indications that Barcelona's Rafa Marquez may be heading to join Henry at New York. If he does he will join two other Designated Players, Henry and Juan Pablo Angel making the Red Bulls the first side to carry three DPs.
Marquez would be an earth shattering move for American soccer. Although at 31, he is just a year younger than Henry, he is seen to be a player at the peak of his career rather than struggling to refind former greatness after Barcelona proved a step up too far at a bad time in his career.
Alvaro Fernandez Full FIFA profile
Hernandez Talks about Moving to MLS among other Things
Comments
I like where this is going. Things are really getting interesting. US players in Mexico, Mexicans in US, and more of both to Europe. Where as before I strictly watched English and Spanish league football, I will now keep an eye on North American as well.
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