Where do World Cup players go from here?

There are rumors of Uruguay's Luis Suarez being suited by many teams including Manchester United. Mexico's "chicharito" will likely being playing for Man U. versus the MLS All Star in that game very soon. Then, there's the rise of Landon Donovan...

Who do you think are the biggest financial winners of the Cup?

You mean besides FIFA?


I think several players from Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay have made themselves very marketable in Europe.


Cesc Fabregas is probably a big winner, just because he has a contract expiring where the bigger stars in the Spanish league are spoken for just now. You don't have to play to win.

Donavan might actually get a European - type salary, and anyone who gets into the Spanish league. They are paying the best right now.


Miroslav Klose extended his career, which hasn't been going all that well the past year or two.

Geezaldinho wrote:
Cesc Fabregas is probably a big winner, just because he has a contract expiring where the bigger stars in the Spanish league are spoken for just now. You don't have to play to win.

If he does go to Barca this summer (it's not if, just when), I think any Barca fan watching Spain this Cup has gotten a nice preview of what to expect from him at the Nou Camp.

(In other words, Geezer is right--he won't be playing much, but he will come out a winner.)

La Celeste player may sign with the Sounders...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sounders/2012415835_sounders22.html

It will be great when the Timbers come to the MLS, and there are some nice rumors around the transfer window time in PDX too...

The new French coach and the FFF suspended the entire French team for their upcoming match against Norway because of their Conduct and performance in the World Cup. I guess it is called team building.
Ribery and Benzema are indefinitely suspended until they get their legal issues resolved.

It could be worse. Nigeria suspended their team for two years for the same reason. That should have them in top form when they come back

I can't wait to see what FIFA does with that..

I don't see how shutting down operations can help completely... But I definitely don't blame Laurent Blanc for wanting to come in and send a message that any further insubordination won't be tolerated. And honestly as one of the stalwarts of the back line along with Desailly back in '98 the guy has some clout when it comes to French football (Even though he did have to sit out the title game because of some Croatian gamesmanship).

I thought that FIFA already stated that Nigeria could not take the actions that they did. There was a brief story on NPR. Well, I'm not sure if there have been any developments since earlier in July:

http://blog.taragana.com/sports/2010/07/05/with-fifa-sanctions-looming-nigerian-president-drops-plan-to-suspend-national-team-118382/

onetouchfutbol wrote:I thought that FIFA already stated that Nigeria could not take the actions that they did. There was a brief story on NPR. Well, I'm not sure if there have been any developments since earlier in July:

http://blog.taragana.com/sports/2010/07/05/with-fifa-sanctions-looming-nigerian-president-drops-plan-to-suspend-national-team-118382/

I saw the mention of both teams being suspended today, so I assumed the Nigerian President got a wild hair and decided to go ahead with the suspension anyway.

Looking back it was in the Huffington post, so the veracity is somewhat questionable. I haven't seen anything else about Nigeria.

Sounders finalize agreement with La Celeste player:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sounders/2012480640_sounders30.html

These are the kinds of designated players that really help to grow the MLS...younger players coming into their prime. Though the big name players like Thierry also draw fans in. It's nice to see the young, developing players come through too...

Hopefully, Portland Timbers fans will get to enjoy that as well...

Even better news for Seattle: Chicago just took Ljungberg in exchange for a draft pick.

Best news I got all day! The guy is the definition of a locker room cancer...

DaTruRochin wrote:Best news I got all day! The guy is the definition of a locker room cancer...

Among active athletes...unless Bonzi Wells suckered another NBA team into taking him...

DaTruRochin wrote:Best news I got all day! The guy is the definition of a locker room cancer...

Freddy makes it sound like a love-fest.

"I want to start off by saying how proud I am to have been part of the most successful new franchise in MLS history, the Seattle Sounders FC," Ljungberg said in a statement released after his trade. "I didn't know exactly what to expect when I first came to Seattle but I have to say that how the city and the fans have embraced me has gone beyond my wildest dreams and for that I am forever grateful. I also want to thank my teammates who are absolutely great on and off the pitch. I have made some very close friends who I know I will be in contact with forever."

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/39140/ljungberg-shipped-to-chicago.html

Hmmmm... well, I think you have to be real about his relationship with the Sounders. Yes, it wasn't a perfect fit, but, I wouldn't say that I would compare him to Bonzi Wells. It wasn't that bad...

I'm sure that the friendship that Ljungberg is referring to is the one with Steve Zakuani who is a Generation Adidas Arsenol Youth player who followed Ljungberg since his prime. Ljungberg is who he is: he plays harder on the offensive end and he gets frustrated with refs and his teammates' ability to finish. It worked okay for him in the EPL, but, I'm not sure if he's going to find what he's looking for in the MLS period...

All the same, there were games when I felt like he was the hardest working player on the field in his first season, and I don't think that signing him as a Designated Player was a mistake... He just faded really quickly in his second season. I think when you sign a player with a big name like Ljungberg, he comes in with unrealistic expectations... and in the end he couldn't live up to those...