Red Bull Park cleared for steel (Copyright Rosetti)
By BRIAN LEWIS
Here are some tidbits on Hunter Freeman, the Red Bulls’ stadium and other MLS nuggets:
The Red Bulls went before the Harrison planning board yesterday, and got final approval for steel construction to begin on their proposed 25,000-seat stadium. That means they can start moving all that steel out of Port Elizabeth, assuming it’s still there (It’s a joke. It’s a joke!).
*** I’m hearing Clint Mathis’ return to MLS is a done deal, with Cletus set to suit up for Real Salt Lake.
*** One guy I don’t see coming to the league, and certainly not to Red Bull, is Freddie Ljungberg. Juan Carlos Osorio is quite mum about potential Designated Player targets for next year, but the 31-year-old Sweede’s wages were too much for West Ham; they’re far too much for what he’d bring to MLS.
*** And lastly, Hunter Freeman. A bunch of you are wondering exactly what the deal is, so I’ll try to be a little more clear. He is still very much on the roster. He hasn’t been cut, waived, traded, sold or anything else; and he isn’t likely to be.
Him not playing was purely a coach’s decision, which means Osorio can always change his mind; I just don’t expect him to.
He said there was a trade worked out for Freeman within MLS, but the other team pulled out. And with the fullback already having a pre-contract with another club, Osorio is moving on as well.
“I think personally I have to build on the players that have a future here, and obviously he will not be here,’’ Osorio said. “But my position is that’s why I’m playing two players ahead of him.’’
And for those saying it’s not fair since he played Jozy Altidore while there were transfer rumors swirling, check this: Those were RUMORS. They are meaningless. This is FACT. As soon as MLS agreed to terms on Altidore, he stopped playing. It’s just that Altidore actually got bought during the season, whereas Hunter is going to a club unwilling to pay a transfer.
They are however giving Freeman a big raise. And just so you know, Freeman was offered a contract; granted, the counteroffer couldn’t match what he’ll get in Europe, but it was made. That means even though he’ll leave on a free and the Red Bulls don’t get any allocation money, they’ll retain his rights should he return, like Houston and Nate Jaqua.
“At that time we couldn’t (match it). The way it was presented to us we could not match the offer. You know in Europe, the budget there is a lot bigger than ours,’’ Osorio said. Then I asked him about keeping Freeman’s MLS rights by not releasing him and making him an offer.
“At the moment, that’s the case. We debated that, if that’s what we want to do,’’ Osorio said. “There were other possibilities to do something in the MLS, taking a chance. But the team involved pulled out of the deal.’’