Nkufo returns to service of Twente

by Dave Clark on Mar 15, 2010 7:47 PM PDT in Other Professional Soccer (non-Sound)

Blaise returned to Twente's active roster just in time for the biggest matches of the season. PSV Eindhoven in League action on the 20th and Feyenoord Rotterdam on the 24th to advance to the Dutch Cup Final.

Here's how the Sounders PR staff announced his return

Nkufo Returns, Twente Pulls Ahead

Blaise Nkufo returned to action for FC Twente Enschede last Friday in a 3-1 win over ADO Den Haag. Twente, winner of five in a row, has extended its lead in the Dutch Eredivisie to five points over four-time defending champion PSV Eindhoven.

Twente is seeking its first national title since 1926. It hosts PSV on Saturday in Enschede. On March 24, Twente faces Feyenoord Rotterdam in a Dutch Cup semifinal.

Nkufo, who missed two league matches with a strained hamstring, signed with Sounders FC on March 4 and will join Seattle after completing his commitments to Twente and the Swiss national team.

Nkufo played 13 minutes

But let's look a little more at Twente, as I like some of thier players. They might have a decent guy or two to take on loan here at the tail end of their season who won't figure into McLaren's lineup until next year in the Fall. Now, I can't dream of Bryan Ruiz, but they still aren't using Nashat Akram. Neither of those guys will have international duties this year.

FC Twente have just over a dozen players who haven't started in more than 5 matches. This is a good team, that could lock up its place on the table and in the cup next week, and it will have even less need for depth than it does now.

MLS should be looking for teams like this that need their talent to play, and develop. Not just 18 year old Colombians on Argentine 2nd Division youth squads.

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MLS needs to make more relationships with clubs

A lot of teams, especially in Europe, have a lot of players who aren’t getting a lot of playing time. These could be youth players just coming up into the senior squad or they could be guys who don’t fit with the current coach’s schemes. They’re warming benches right now, not getting any better and a lot of times players get loaned out to lower league teams in this situation. MLS could offer itself as a destination for those kinds of players and reap the benefit of higher skilled players for not much money.

by CarlosT on Mar 15, 2010 8:04 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Doesn't MLS have some rule

about only accepting loans with an option to buy?

How many players are currently on loan to MLS teams?

by Cornchops on Mar 15, 2010 9:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I don't know that it is a rule

But it is certainly a very strong demand by the League.

Chivas has 5 players via loan according to wiki
Houston has Landin
Rapids have 1
Dallas has 3
Galaxy 3
Salt Lake has 1
Philly have 2
Chicago has 2

Red Bull, New England, Kansas City, DC, C-bus, San Jose, Toronto and Seattle have 0 right now.

That’s 18, almost all from Latin leagues and younger

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I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Mar 15, 2010 9:19 PM PDT up reply actions

18 year old Columbians on Argentine 2nd division youth squads

Sounds like you are not real possitive about this signing. I think the club only has so much cap room and allocation dollars. Signing a player from Europe is going to cost some coin. South America, not so much. We still don’t know how they are going to sign Nkufo. Are they going to trade for a DP? Are they going to use all the allocation money they have and utilize the fact that he will only count as half a season’s salary? Or, do they know that by the time he comes, there will be an added DP, for each team? All this said, I think landing an 18 year old they scouted in Argentina is a pretty good thing. We were so amazed at the ability to land Freddy Montero, before he became big time. This could be nothing, or it could be a find. To me, this is the kind of signing needed to add to the young talent in the league. These guys can grow here. The league can be injected with energetic young talent. We shall see how good he turns out to be, but if he follows in the scouting dept. of Montero, Hurtado and Gonzalez, then I think we can forget about the other Dutch league guys for now.

by Camnehem on Mar 16, 2010 12:08 AM PDT reply actions

I like evidence of quality

and the only evidence for Montano is what Hanauer and Henderson have seen themselves.
He does not have the track record of Montero (a Colombian International and leading goal scorer), Hurtado (scouted by AC Milan), and Gonzalez (Costa Rican international).

Montano is a pure unknown, who is young. He is the very definition of a Developmental guy. Yes, he’s cheap, but he is highly unlikely to be the answer to any question about the 2010 Sounders.

I am not a Supporter
I am not a Fan
I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Mar 16, 2010 6:08 AM PDT up reply actions