By BRIAN LEWIS
As the Red Bulls’ search for a striker draws _ moving from players like Costa Rica’s Jonathan McDonald to USL penom Macoumba Kandji to a still-undetermined Caribbean _ it’s becoming clearer and clearer that it won’t be short, easy or cheap.
Coach Juan Carlos Osorio saw several of his targets on last weekend’s scouting trip to Costa Rica, but Herediano coach Paulo Wanchope _ who played for Osorio in Manchester City and again in Chicago _ didn’t want to sell the best of the lot, Jonathan McDonald.
“No, they have a good forward there but my conversation with Paulo was very straightforward,’’ Osorio said. “He has a couple of players that he doesn’t want to trade, a couple players that he thinks are very good at the moment for him, and he’s one of them. So that’s not a player we can (get).’’
So what about his two lesser-known teammates, Fabian Rojas and Franklin Chacon?
“He has two other players that I like,’’ Osorio said. “But to be honest the player that I like the most is a guy that didn’t play. I saw him the following day in a friendly match. I think in the long run that trip might prove to be productive but for just immediate solutions, no.
“There were two good players in different positions that eventually may be important for us. But at the moment the strikers I like on that tram, it’s a strain for Paulo and he doesn’t want to move them.’’
Osorio and assistant Richie Williams flew Friday to watch Atlanta Silverbacks striker Macoumba Kandji play vs. Miami. The 23-year-old from Senegal leads USL in goals (10) and points (25) and the Red Bulls have the top discovery claim on him, but Atlanta wants $200,000 for him.
Considering they’ve used the $400,000 from the sale of Jozy Altidore to get Jorge Rojas and Gabriel Cichero, that may be too rich for Osorio’s blood.
“Somebody somewhere doesn’t quite understand the rules of the league, because for that money, it’s very difficult. It’s not easy to say that much for a player. In this league $200,000 is a lot of money,’’ Osorio said. “If I’m honest it’s a lot. Everybody is entitled to put a price to what they have, but I think for that money it’s a lot.
“I think they’re looking at the European market more than MLS market. I can’t fault them for the way they’re thinking. I can only say regardless of the ability of the player _ and he has ability _ it’s a lot of money for this league; so we have to be careful as to how much we’re going to spend and where.
“At the present moment, he’s just one of the options we have. We have to make a decision soon but there are other options we’re considering and discussing at the moment.’’
One undetermined target is a Caribbean, and two are in MLS. And no, Carlos Ruiz doesn’t fit the mold. Think more like Colorado’s Omar Cummings, although he isn’t one of the two because the Rapids have no intention of giving up a cheap speedster. But clearly a player of that type.