
…bye bye, Jon. You will won’t be missed. I won’t have you as a personal punching bag anymore, but I still don’t think you’re any good.
Chicago, IL —
Veteran goalkeeper Jon Conway retired Tuesday, ending his 12-year Major League Soccer career.
Conway, 34, started his career with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2000, and won two MLS Cups before he left the club after the 2005 season. Conway then played for Red Bull New York, Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire later in his career.
He also spent time with Chivas USA, although he did not make an MLS appearance with the club, and was most recently selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the MLS Re-Dntry Draft.
“After talking to [L.A.] Coach [Bruce] Arena about the opportunity in LA and evaluating my options, it just felt like a good time to transition out of the game,” said Conway.
“It’s been a pleasure to witness the growth of the sport and the league in the United States.”
Conway made 88 appearances, including 85 starts, during his career. He had 23 shutouts. (Chicago Tribune)
A big victory occurred yesterday for so many of us. We all stood up and our voices counted…we will not be ignored. For too long, we’ve been doubted, been spit upon and beaten into the ground. That’s right, short ‘keepers, this man was MLS Goalkeeper of the Year:

I have known Jon since I was 14. We aren’t great friends or anything, but its been a total pleasure watching his career take off. He’s not on RBNY, but he’s everything that is right with the position: highly cerebral, terribly athletic and he’s fantastic at controlling the tempo of the match and defending outside the six-yard box. (more…)

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?