Abel Xavier who was a regular for the Portugal National Team before being banned by FIFA for drug abuse was signed today by a desperate LA Galaxy squad. Xavier was released last week by Middlesborough after rejecting a new contract from the club, in spite of playing regularly during much of this past Premiership campaign. Xavier has played previously for Everton, Liverpool, Benfica, Galatasaray, and Hannover 96. He played in 2002 World Cup for Portugal and would have likely made the 2006 squad if not for his suspension.
The Galaxy are desperate to sure up a leaky defense and must hope they don't continue to lose matches until Xavier arrives in the next transfer window which begins June 15th. I am very anxious to hear an explanation from the league as to how LA can afford to sign a player of Xavier's international stature under the salary cap since they have already used their "Designated Player" on David Beckham. I suspect that MLS continues to break its own rules to aid the Los Angeles franchise owned by Phil Anschutz.
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13 comments:
A great signing by Lalas. Obviously your anger is because DC failed to land him.
Doesn't LD have their other salary cap exception? Or is that some kind of double secret exception for the good of the league that doesn't really count?
The rules are always broken for AncSHIT and his pet project the LA Galaxy. They now probably have three of the top five or six paid players in the league and yet no salary cap controversy.
billeshears, you are correct. Donovan was already the exempt player.....now LA will have three exempt players when each team is supposedly only given one exempt slot. Back in the days when MLS enforced its own rules LA had to give up Mathis when Luis Hernandez signed and give up Ruiz when Donovan signed. Now the rules no longer apply.
The Galaxy have started the season the way they ended the last: Being forced to outscore teams, so the league figured they would do Becks and golden boy Landy a favor and sign them a world class defender. The only thing worse than the EPL's enforcement of its own rules with the Tevez saga and the "hand shake" between United and Everton over Tim Howard is a team being able to circumvent a supposed hard salary cap three times!
Msybe he signed for a cut rate to play with Beckham.
Xavier refused £9,500 a week in wages from Boro for a contract extension. That's about $19,000 A WEEK! That's more than some MLS players make in a season. Even if he accepted those same wages to play with Beckham or a little less he'd be one of the highest paid players in the league. If MLS wants to build up one of the two LA teams because it is the biggest soccer market in the nation and Beckham needs a good supporting cast that is fine, but they should just admit "we are going to make LA Galaxy a top international club" rather than having a set of rules for 12 clubs and another for a single club who happens to be owned by the biggest investor in the league over the past 12 years.
Regardless of what team he goes to and salary cap considerations you must admit that this was an outstanding signing for the league. Xavier is a well known international and unlike the previous signings this year post Beckham: Blanco, Marinelli, Angel and Scioutto who were all niche signings, Xavier is well known throughout Europe and has featured in many Champions League matches through the years. A quality signing.
A quality signing, unlike that of Blanco and Angel. But why must he go to LA? Doesn't Chivas need a marque player?
The Galaxy are gaining an international name because of Beckham and many more players of top shelf quality such as Xavier are seeking a chance to join the Galaxy.
Let me also mention Lalas was recently in Europe and so he must have met Xavier directly which is why he refused the extension from middlesboro.
Kartik. Answer your phone sometime.
Big Dawg
I recall Xavier taking a deliberate handball on a Sylvan Wiltord shot to stop it from going into the goal in the Euro semis. He was sent off and Zidane hit the pk for the golden goal and France won the title.
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