Van Den Bergh Traded for Oduro

Please don’t kill me, but . . . .

3rdDegree out of Dallas is reporting the imminent trade of Dave Van Den Bergh for long time Coach Osorio target, Dominic Oduro, and the 11th round draft pick in this years SuperDraft.

I guess I will have to go back to the artillary arsenal and suit up again.

THE FAN IN ME

I have to start off with the praise, so well deserved after a season with such success. DVB has been this teams work horse of 2008, taking the youngsters under his wing, and shouldering the offensive burden when Angel was being double, triple and quadruple teamed. Where there was a leadership void, DVB came in to fill it. It was his clutch performances, and non-stop commitment on the pitch that made the Bulls so successful in the postseason. He anchored a team of rookies, no names, and retreads to the MLS Cup Final, and that is not an understatement.

The fan in me will miss DVB if this deal has truly come to fruition. Much like Mathis and Howard before him, I love players that give their all for their club each and every game. He developed a repore with the fans over the course of a year that made it feel like he has always been here, guiding the ship. Well, the two year love affair appears to be over. And his accomplishments can never be diminished, and will never be forgotten.

THE REALITY

The reality of the situation is much like I said in the last post, but with a new twist. Yes, the Bulls did this for budgetary reasons. Yes, they did it because of his age. And Yes, they did wait for his stock to be at its absolute highest to trade him, regardless of how the fans felt. That is business my friends. But the tipping point is Dominic Oduro. Juan Carlos Osorio has had his sights on Oduro since last season. When the opportunity came to further put a stamp on this team, he did so, sacrificing one of his most reliable players to do it.

Now, the trade shapes up as a swap involving not only the players, but a 15th and 11th round choice, and both sides find themselves well served. FC Dallas has been desperate for a left sided attacking threat. The rest of the league has solved that issue, and the Red Bulls are the only ones that have depth in the spot, so in all likelyhood, taking away the possibility of an outside option, Dallas had to look the way of New York to complete its attack. Being that the case, the Bulls ask for the player they most coveted, along with to a first round draft pick. Why would Dallas do this? Because they are riddled with youngsters, and can afford the luxury of trading the draft options away. Why wouldn’t Red Bulls consider and pull the trigger on such a trade, especially in a year where the draft seems to be fairly deep?

As a fan, it hurts to see a leader go. As a business man, I can make sense of why this was necessary.

THE BIRDMAN, DOMINIC ODURO

Now, who is Dominic Oduro? Up until this past season, the 24 year old has been Dallas speedy offensive bench option. When Dallas sufffered through countless injuries, Oduro took advantage of his playing time and shined with clutch goals, and excellent team play.

Much like Dane Richards, Oduro has been blessed by speed. But also like Richards, his finishing, though ever improving, has always been a point of contention. In 9 starts, and 25 appearances, Oduro managed 5 goals and 2 assists; a respectable feat for the young man. 2007 saw him notch 29 appearances, again, as an off the bench, late game threat. Not exactly an unknown commodity or a risk, but the Red Bulls will be offering Oduro something he never truly owned; starting time.

If capable of the responsibilities, he compliments this team in more ways than one. For instance, last seasons squad relied heavily on Dane Richards. Once he was benched or injured, there was suddenly no speed on the pitch, and tactics turned very slow and predictable in the process. Oduro compliments the wingers speed, and is able to compensate for the loss of a Richards if necessary.

He also scored clutch goals as the Dallas season progressed, which is important considering the fact the Bulls are trading away their version of Mr. Clutch. Oduro isn’t afraid to challenge people, and blow past them with his blazing speed. Add to all this the fact that he is 6 feet tall, and a great target on corners, and you have more areas to check off that the Red Bulls needed improvement in. If the trade shapes up the way it seems, then the Bulls and Dallas walk away happy.

MOVING FORWARD

Taking all this into consideration, the Bulls have opened up pandoras box, and bought more questions to the forefront. For instance:

+ Is Oduro’s acquisition a clear sign of the end of Mac Kandji as a Bull?
+ If not, is Osorio going to do something that is completely foreign to the MLS and perhaps institute a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3?
+ What will be the focal point for the SuperDraft acquisitions at #’s 11 and 15?
+ Will this lineup be able to compete and succeed?
+ Who will fill the void of DVB’s leadership?
+ How much more will the team now rely on Pietravallo and Rojas?
+ Is the team now “too young”?

Again, I must mention that Jorge Rojas is a viable option off of the wing. I will never forget when he first came into the league, and set up a beautful heel pass that lead to a goal by none other than Van Den Bergh and how impressive and telling that one move was. I am willing to buy into the fact that the Vinotinto Captain was simply worn down from a very competitive, non-stop year. This seasons more rested version may do the about face that DVB did from 2007 to 2008. But will that be enough? Can this lineup survive?

——–Angel—–Oduro——–
————–Ubi—————
Rojas——————-Richards
——Sassano—Pietravallo—–
—Goldthwaite-Petke-Boyens—-
———–Cepero—————

Only time will tell.

Personally, I am torn between my brain and my heart. My heart says “Who will be able to fill those shoes offensively and in the lockerroom?” My brain says, “This is a good trade for a guy who’s stock can not possibly go any higher. The Bulls pulled the trigger when the pulling was good, and got a player and draft picks that they so coveted.”

What do you think? Share your hurt, pain, happiness, or tears with us, as I am sure the opinions will be flying.

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