Cruz Azul dips into MLS, signs Baca, Farfan, Villarreal
Cruz Azul, with what the club itself called a surprise set of signings, has turned to Major League Soccer for three new players, a shock triple swoop la Machina hopes will help them compete for the upcoming Clausura’s crown. In San Jose’s Rafael
Baca, Philadelphia’s Michael Farfan, and Los Angeles’s Jose Villarreal,
the Mexico City club are getting three players capable of starting in
Major League Soccer, signings that will raise a number of eyebrows
north of the border.
As of Sunday, none of the players’ Major League Soccer teams had confirmed the news, with San Jose going so far as to tell multiple outlets that Baca remains under contract for 2014. Adam Serrano, who covers the LA Galaxy for LAGalaxy.com, reports that Villarreal’s move iss a year-long loan with an option to buy, raising the possibility that all three players could be on similar deals. But with (bizarrely) the league’s official web site unable to get its clubs’ representatives to confirm the moves, we’re still in the dark as to if, how, and why three Major League Soccer players landed with Cruz Azul.
On Sunday, the trio were unveiled along with Marco Fabian, Fausto Pinto, Xavi Báez – Cruz Azul’s other additions to a team that finished fourth in the Apertura’s qualification stage. In the Liguilla, the team was seen out of the tournament by fifth seeded Toluca, with the club website acknowledging they need to “reinforce many parts of the team” if they’re to improve on their fall result.
Baca just completed his third season with the Earthquakes, starting 28 games and recording two assists. A linchpin along side Sam Cronin in San Jose’s midfield, Baca had made 79 appearances since debuting for the team in 2011, scoring twice while assisting on nine goals.
Michael Farfan broke out as Philadelphia’s playmaker in 2012 and was selected to the All-Star Team but never found a groove in his first full last year under John Hackworth. The 25-year-old, also having completed his third season in Major League Soccer, had four goals and nine assists in 82 games.
Villarreal is a homegrown player for Los Angeles who has also appeared for the United States’ U-18, U-20, and U-23 national teams. The 20-year-old debuted for the Galaxy in 2012 and has made 13 appearances, scoring two career goals.
The trio’s debut with their new club could come as early as Jan. 4, with Cruz Azul opening the 2015 Clausura at CONCACAF champions Monterrey. By then, we should know something about how the players ended up in Mexico. Still, with their new team having unveiled the players at a Sunday press conference, it’s truly bizarre that the league’s own machinery can’t get somebody to confirm the moves.
Rumors about Cruz Azul’s potential swoop have been circulating since last week, but without announcements from the league, the whys and hows of La Machina’s signings remain a mystery, even though the club unveiled their new players on Sunday. Whether these are outright sales or temporary loans remain to be seen.
Perhaps the only certainty beyond the trio having signed contracts in Mexico: Cruz Azul have certainly “surprised” MLS followers with their triple swoop.
As of Sunday, none of the players’ Major League Soccer teams had confirmed the news, with San Jose going so far as to tell multiple outlets that Baca remains under contract for 2014. Adam Serrano, who covers the LA Galaxy for LAGalaxy.com, reports that Villarreal’s move iss a year-long loan with an option to buy, raising the possibility that all three players could be on similar deals. But with (bizarrely) the league’s official web site unable to get its clubs’ representatives to confirm the moves, we’re still in the dark as to if, how, and why three Major League Soccer players landed with Cruz Azul.
On Sunday, the trio were unveiled along with Marco Fabian, Fausto Pinto, Xavi Báez – Cruz Azul’s other additions to a team that finished fourth in the Apertura’s qualification stage. In the Liguilla, the team was seen out of the tournament by fifth seeded Toluca, with the club website acknowledging they need to “reinforce many parts of the team” if they’re to improve on their fall result.
Baca just completed his third season with the Earthquakes, starting 28 games and recording two assists. A linchpin along side Sam Cronin in San Jose’s midfield, Baca had made 79 appearances since debuting for the team in 2011, scoring twice while assisting on nine goals.
Michael Farfan broke out as Philadelphia’s playmaker in 2012 and was selected to the All-Star Team but never found a groove in his first full last year under John Hackworth. The 25-year-old, also having completed his third season in Major League Soccer, had four goals and nine assists in 82 games.
Villarreal is a homegrown player for Los Angeles who has also appeared for the United States’ U-18, U-20, and U-23 national teams. The 20-year-old debuted for the Galaxy in 2012 and has made 13 appearances, scoring two career goals.
The trio’s debut with their new club could come as early as Jan. 4, with Cruz Azul opening the 2015 Clausura at CONCACAF champions Monterrey. By then, we should know something about how the players ended up in Mexico. Still, with their new team having unveiled the players at a Sunday press conference, it’s truly bizarre that the league’s own machinery can’t get somebody to confirm the moves.
Rumors about Cruz Azul’s potential swoop have been circulating since last week, but without announcements from the league, the whys and hows of La Machina’s signings remain a mystery, even though the club unveiled their new players on Sunday. Whether these are outright sales or temporary loans remain to be seen.
Perhaps the only certainty beyond the trio having signed contracts in Mexico: Cruz Azul have certainly “surprised” MLS followers with their triple swoop.
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