Photo Credit: Seth Binsted/The Breeze

In today’s MLS Expansion draft, we expected to see Amado Guevara, Frankie Hejduk or Eddie Robinson taken to help coach Peter/Piotr Nowak build the nucleus of what should be a pretty decent team in Philly next year. Instead, we saw a good, scrappy bunch of kids (including RBNY’s Nick Zimmerman) leaving their digs for “greener” pastures in Philadelphia.

There were no superstars taken, no former league MVPs. No players with U.S. national team caps, or players with multiple all-star appearances, or even players with ties to the Philadelphia area. When the final list of players chosen by the Philadelphia Union was announced, we were treated to a group of MLS players who could make up the type of tough and tenacious team that Nowak likes, and Philadelphia fans will want to root for. [SBI]

The fact that Zimmerman was left exposed (eff you Jeff Agoos!) makes me very, very angry. The new sporting director is on his way (believe me, it’s no damn secret who it is!) but we couldn’t find a way to hang on to a kid that had proven that he got it. We didn’t let Sassano or Sinisa go for similar reasons and dammit, I wanted Nick around. Now that $5 thing I bought off that kid in the Giants Stadium parking lot isn’t worth $h!t.

Ugh.

According to a report in Thursday’s Diario HOY, RBNY will be making a trip down to Argentina to make an offer to Juan Sebastian Veron. The midfielder might not the biggest name to come into MLS (that award will go to Beckham), but it proves that with USA’s consistent international success in CONCACAF and WC Qualifying, there is a new level of respect being given to our cute little league.

Just as before, when Juan Sebastian Veron re-signed with Estudiantes de La Plata, next week delegates from Red Bull New York will arrive to offer a succulent sum of dollars to “La Brujita” and convince him to join the Yankee team. The exact numbers have not been revealed, but MLS is talking about offering him a contract on level with David Beckham’s ($250 million over five years). Brujita joked, “It makes me happy that they think I am still capable of playing soccer.”

Would Veron be the solution to MANY of the Red Bull issues? I can’t really say for sure, but getting a world class midfielder seems like a step in the right direction as compared to signing another forward like Thierry Henry. There is NO way that he is worth Beckham money, but Blanco is making $6.5 million a year and for a player of his pedigree (and with his leadership and free kick ability), Veron would be a welcome addition to any team – which is why DC United tried to sign him a few years back.

What should RBNY do?