CARSON, Calif. – The deal that brought Pablo Mastroeni to the LA Galaxy also reaped the rights to attacking midfielder Baggio Husidic, who could be part of the two-time defending MLS Cup champions next year.
The former Chicago Fire man (above right) is in his second season with Hammarby, a Swedish club half-owned by Galaxy owners AEG and managed by former Galaxy and US national team defender Gregg Berhalter. Husidic's contract concludes when the current Swedish season ends in November.
“This can always be an option for him, if he wants to come back to MLS,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena told reporters on Monday. “... At some point, we will discuss it. It's Gregg Berhalter there. So I'll pick up the phone and talk to Gregg at some point and collect his thoughts.”
READ: Arena calls Mastroeni "the kind of player we've been looking for"
The Bosnian-born Husidic, 26, played alongside Galaxy associate head coach Dave Sarachan's son, Ian, at the University of Illinois-Chicago before he was taken by Chicago in the second round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. He spent three seasons with his hometown Fire, making 50 MLS regular-season appearances – with 22 starts in 2010 – and headed to Sweden after Colorado acquired his rights in the 2011 Re-Entry process.
“We've known Baggio for some years ...,” Arena said. “I haven't even spoken to him, to be honest with you, but I think it's something down the road that would be an option for both Baggio and the Galaxy.”
READ: Berhalter reflects on first season as manager in Sweden
The Galaxy gave Colorado their natural second-round selection in next year's SuperDraft and an international slot through 2014 for Mastroeni and Husidic's rights.
“As we pieced together this deal with the Rapids, obviously Pablo was the focal point of the deal,” Arena said. “And to try to piece it together and the draft needs everyone had, it seemed to make sense to me to do this.”
