January 17, 2007
Rhinos coaches Laurie Calloway and Willie Fitzpatrick along with Rhinos players Scott Vallow, Matthew Delicate, Jason Perry, and T-Bone Bonseu will be a part of a free clinic at The Total Sports Experience on Elmgrove Rd in Gates this evening from 6pm until 8pm.
Also, Rhinos Executive Vice President Matthew Ford will be there to talk about what's going on this offseason with regards to player moves and the ongoing work at PAETEC Park.
Coach Calloway Q&A on Rhinos Soccer.com
Coach Calloway didn't give away much. It was expected that Frankie Sanfilippo wouldn't be back in 2007 and that they are looking at guys to replace him.
The key will be who can they bring in to fill the holes that Coach Calloway talks about.
DC United signs Brazilian forward Luciano Emilio
DC United's first big addition during the offseason was unveiled yesterday as the club announced that they have signed Brazlian forward Luciano Emilio on a free transfer from Honduran club CD Olimpio.
After DC United traded away Freddy Adu and Alecko Eskandarian, they hinted that they were looking at adding some more South American flavor to the club given the $600,000 in budget space that those moves created. The first step was adding Emilio who is expected to start up top next to Jamie Moreno and be a dynamic offensive force in MLS.
DC United has also been linked with another Brazilian in right outside midfielder Ruy who is currently playing for Botafogo in Brazil.
While Emilio and Ruy won't provide the media buzz that the David Beckham signing has, it will be interesting to see how big of an on the field impact the two additions will have for a club that always has high expectations entering the MLS season.
How the Beckham signing will affect Landon Donovan
The Beckham signing could have a ripple effect on Landon Donovan. The first question will be who will wear the captain's armband in LA. Last evening on Fox Soccer Channel's Fox Football Fone-In, LA Head Coach Frank Yallop said that he expects Donovan to remain as the Galaxy captain as he couldn't see making that change when Beckham joins LA mid-season in 2007. However, he did leave the door open to a potential change based on how the two players feel about the situation.
The other issue will be in 2008 when Donovan will count as a Designated Player. LA GM Alexi Lalas will need to work a deal to acquire a second Designated Player slot. However, the price for such a move has been set pretty high with Chivas USA receiving former MLS MVP Amado Guevara from New York for their Designated Player slot. Donovan wasn't keen on the idea that he will be traded away from the Galaxy, so it will be interesting to see how that situation plays itself out as well.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.
