With more players on Chivas USA's training-camp roster than the league-mandated quota, the time is fast approaching for Robin Fraser (above) to start making cuts in preparation for the start of the season. But that isn't preventing the rookie coach to continue to bring in new blood.
Expected to join Chivas USA training camp next week is versatile Ghanaian defender Seth Owusu, who can play left back and central defense. The 22-year-old spent last year with Ghanaian Premier League side Kessben and is set to join the Rojiblancos club on loan.
Fraser has also added forward Artur Aghasyan. The Los Angeles-area native nearly made the squad last year under previous head coach Martin Vasquez and spent time in 2009 training with Fraser’s former club, Real Salt Lake. Despite the high number of players training with the team, Fraser has a set number on how many players will be on the roster at the start of the season.
“It’ll be somewhere between 28 and 30,” said Fraser. “We certainly have some players who we're interested in and have some spots for them, but other than that, we’ll use all the resources available to us.”
The most intriguing addition is that of Owusu, who has already started to impress enough to earn a call-up to the Ghanaian national team during an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan last October. Owusu did not play in the 0-0 draw with Sudan, but that match was one that featured many of the Black Stars’ European talent.
The 22-year-old’s loan is believed to last until December, but it's unclear whether that term will be extended. His visa has not arrived yet, but the club is expecting him to join camp next week and Fraser remains optimistic about his ability to contribute in his first year in MLS.
“I’ve been interested in Seth for six months," he said. "When I was with Real Salt Lake, I was scouting [him]. He’s a tremendously athletic player who has good feet and is a good defender with good experience. ... We’ll look at him in a number of different positions because he’s a good left back and a good central defender, but the fact that he’s flexible gives us some options.”
