By BRIAN LEWIS
Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio is back from his scouting trip, and there are reports from a couple of quarters that the two Costa Ricans heâs eyeing are 20-year-old Fabian Rojas and 23-year-old former Seattle Sounder Franklin Chacon, both of CS Herediano. I haven’t confirmed that yet, but as rumors go, Iâm buying this one.
Why? Osorio was vehement yesterday about making sure any players he goes after 1) arenât on anybodyâs discovery list, 2) want to come here, 3) play for teams willing to sell them. And who is coaching at Herediano? None other than Paulo Wanchope, whom Osorio coached from 2001-04 at Manchester City and again last year in Chicago. Whoever the two strikers are, he said he hasnât put them on his 10-player discovery list. Listen to his reason:
âBefore I move (to put a player on the list) I made sure that these players were willing, would like to come here and the club was willing to do something,ââ Osorio said, âbecause they could be on someone elseâs discovery list, but if the club says âNo, weâre not moving themâ then thereâs no reason for me to put them on my discovery list.ââ
Iâd think Wanchope and Osorio _ who showed the Costa Rican striker a lot of loyalty despite his struggles in Chicago last year _ would have a good enough working relationship. Just circumstantial, I know, and pure supposition, but it is worth noting.
Anyway, when I asked him if he felt a deal for these players was doable, Osorio said âOf course. Itâs more than doable. Itâs part of football. Those teams they realize there is a need in our team for the type of striker that they have, and they want some money in return.ââ
When I clarified that I didnât mean were they willing to sell (I canât think of a Central American league that isnât a selling league) but did he think the two clubs were close on a transfer fee, he responded âAt the moment thereâs a big difference. Thatâs why I want to consider.ââ
I asked him if the two MLS-based strikers heâd been targeting were still in play, he answered âAbsolutely, because again you know the rules probably better than anyone. Itâs about money at the end of the day. If that werenât the case I wouldâve signed somebody else already.ââ
As far as using some of that allocation money from trading Zach Thornton to sweeten the pot for New England to give up its discovery claim on George Welcome, Osorio was against the whole idea.
“If I was able to sign George we would have signed him right away,â Osorio said. âI donât think itâs the right way to do business. Why would I have to compensate another team for a player that doesnât belong to them? With all due respect to everybody, no, weâre not going to do that. Itâs the principle. I just donât think itâs the right way to do business.”