Welcome back to the Thursday Q&A series, where we focus on one particular topic – today's being the less-obvious transfer targets about to take part in the Gold Cup – and ask you to react, share, and discuss in the comments section. However, feel free to ask about anything game-related (MLS, USL, NASL, USMNT, CanMNT, etc.) over the next several hours.
By now you've probably seen the Giovani Dos Santos rumors. And the Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez rumors. And the Aron Johannsson hinting.
In terms of realistic MLS targets playing in the Gold Cup this month, those guys are Nos. 1, 2 & 3 in some order. They are recognizable names, they play for the two most accomplished teams in the region, and they are in the prime of their respective careers, all plying their trade in leagues that are, frankly, better than MLS.
Most important is that they score goals. Goals win the games and bring the fans that pay the bills.
So we could go down the list and pick out all the other goal-scorers set to lace 'em up and say "Hey, that guy would be a great signing for Team X, Y or Z," and call it a day. I mean, we all know that Kenwyne Jones or Bryan Ruiz would be great pick-ups for the vast majority of MLS teams, right?
So with that in mind, let's move back a little bit and identify the top midfield and defensive players that MLS teams should be involved with over the next month:
1. Celso Borges, MF, Costa Rica: Every two years CONCACAF holds the Gold Cup, and every two years I write my "I wish some MLS team would sign Celso Borges" article. He's the Costa Rican Michael Bradley, a big, rangy central midfielder who murders teams on third-man runs...
...and spreads the ball around the entire field with pinpoint passing.
Unfortunately, the window of opportunity to sign him may have just recently slammed shut. Borges was simply excellent for Deportivo la Coruna on loan from January to June, and extended his deal with the La Liga side for another two years. Chances are that if we ever do see him in MLS, it'll be when he's on the other side of 30.
Where he'd fit: Chicago Fire, San Jose Earthquakes, D.C. United, Colorado Rapids
2. Adam Straith, Canada, CB: Straith is a 24-year-old former member of the Whitecaps residency program, so it's safe to say he's well known in MLS circles (rest assured that somebody has a discovery claim on him).
He left Vancouver at the start of the decade to try to make it in Germany, and while he earned a few dozen appearances with Energie Cottbus, he couldn't quite make it stick. A January move to Fredrikstad of Norway's Tippeligaen got him regular run, and Straith looks like he'll be a big part of Benito Floro's plans going forward, primarily as a left central defender.
He would not, by any means, be a "splash" signing. But if you ask around the league, a plurality of executives will tell you that central defender is currently the weakest spot in MLS. Straith could help change that.
Where he'd fit: Vancouver Whitecaps, Chicago Fire, Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC, NYCFC
3. Harold Cummings, Panama, CB: Let's stay in the same spot for No. 4 on this list. You may remember Cummings from CONCACAF Champions League encounters with Arabe Unido, or from the fact that he's already, at age 23, been capped more than 30 times for Panama. He's been around for a long time, and will be around for a long time to come.
He doesn't have prototypical size for a central defender (5-foot-11), but he jumps out of the gym and has a Jay DeMerit-esque ability to scramble when defending on the back foot. The man puts out fires, and is super aggressive about doing so.
Currently he plays for Santa Fe in Colombia, who he joined in January. He's primarily a right center back, though he can play LCB or right back in a pinch.
Where he'd fit: Fire, Union, Houston Dynamo, Sporting KC, NYCFC
4. Simon Dawkins, Jamaica, MF: I feel like I'm trolling Earthquakes fans, since Dawkins was such a big part of their 2012 run to the Supporters' Shield. He was excellent playing inverted on the left side of midfield, managing to contribute in attack and possession and still doing work tracking back on defense. Damn was that team fun to watch:
Dawkins didn't make it at Spurs – who'd loaned him to the Quakes – but he's since been sold to Derby County and is a reliable contributor all over the front line for them. At 27, he still has a half-decade of prime soccer left, and there'd be no learning curve for him should someone entice him back to the league.
Where he'd fit: Quakes, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City
5. Bryan Acosta, Honduras, DM: Over the last couple of years Real Espana have been the most fun Honduran team to watch, and Acosta is the biggest reason why. He's mostly been a destroyer in the mold of a countryman Roger Espinoza, but there have been real indicators that as he grows up (Acosta is just 21), he'll move deeper into more of a Kyle Beckerman-esque, pure defensive midfield role.
I've seen Acosta maybe a half-dozen times, and I'm still not sure he is fast, but he definitely plays fast. That indicates a good soccer brain, which is something teams are always looking to add in the center of the park (just look at what Soni Mustivar has done for Sporting over the last two months).
For some MLS teams he'd be an immediate starter, but for those with aging d-mids – and yes, I'm looking toward Utah as I type this – he'd be an ideal understudy.
Where he'd fit: NYCFC, Portland Timbers, RSL, TFC
Ok folks, I'll be around for the next couple of hours to talk transfers, trades and anything else under the sun. Let's have at it!
