Late Nate: Jaqua heading to Europe (in two languages!)

Accoring to MLS Rumors and other sources, Nate Jaqua has signed with Austrian Bundesliga division side SC Rheindorf Altach. For those of you who speak German, here is the story from VN-Online:

Jaqua soll für Altacher Tore sorgen
Nade Jaqua überzeugte die Altacher Verantwortlichen beim Test gegen die Austria. (Foto: Riethbaum)
Stürmer der Houston Dynamos überzeugte Neo-Trainer Fuchsbichler.
Dieter Alge
dieter.alge@vn.vol.at, Tel. 72/501-149
Altach/Lustenau (VN) Zwar fehlt noch die Unterschrift des 27-Jährigen Nade Jaqua, dennoch dürfte der großgewachsene Mittelstürmer im Frühjahr für cashpoint SCR Altach auf Torejagd gehen. Neo-Coach Heinz Fuchsbichler ist von den Qualitäten des 1,92-Meter-Mannes jedenfalls überzeugt. "Er ist genau jener Spielertyp, den wir suchen", freut sich Fuchsbichler. Altach hat dem US-Boy ein Angebot unterbreitet und wartet nun auf seine Zusage. "Ich habe mich nach dem Spiel sofort mit seinem Manager in Verbindung gesetzt. Es müssen kleinere Detail abgeklärt werden, aber ich bin zuversichtlich, dass der Transfer zustande kommt." Gestern unterzog sich der Spieler einer letzten medizinischen Untersuchung.

Translated to the english, (thanks to an unnamed friend), that comes to:

"Forward from Houston Dynamo convinced new Coach Fuchsbichler.
The signature of the 27 Year old Nade (?) is still missing, but the tall Forward should be trying to score for SCR Altach in the spring. New Coach Fuchsbichler was very impressed with the quality of the player. "He is exactly the type of player that we are looking for" opined the coach. Altach has made an offer to the US-Boy and is waiting on his reply. "Right after the test match I contacted his Manager. There are some small details that need to be cleared up, but I am confident we will get the deal done." Yesterday the player underwent the Medical Exam."

This is not altogether unexpected, though I for one did not think it would happen. Of course, it still has not officially happened as the club is not expected to announce until Monday, but still, I think we can all assume that Nate is gone. SC Rheindorf Altach is currently sitting eighth in the 10-team table, fighting hard to avoid relegation.

Jaqua was of course one of Dom Kinnear's excellent midseason acquisitions, along with the dearly departed Joseph Ngwenya and the still-here Richard Mulrooney. Apparently, Kinnear is going to have to work some of that magic again this season. I am nervous, but at times like this I just go back to my fall back: TRUST IN DOM. It's worked for me so far.

Nate, we hardly knew ye.

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SuperDraft thoughts

Ives Galarcep on Soccer by Ives is reporting that Dynamo are actively trying to trade up for tomorrow's SuperDraft to get a shot at Texans FC player Brek Shea, a left winger. Shea, pictured, an 18-year-old from College Station, is a Generation Adidas player who apparently has already expressed his desire to play for Dynamo. But the only way that is going to happen is if the Orange brain trust starts in with the wheeling and dealing.

One deal that Galarcep alluded to yesterday was the rumor that Dynamo were actually in play for the No. 1 pick before Kansas City sent Nick Garcia to the Quakes for the top spot. According to Galarcep, Dynamo were prepared to part with Brian Mullan and a 2008 pick for that spot. Personally, I would rate that rumor as very low on the believability scale. I mean, I know Shea looks like the real deal and all, but the SuperDraft has historically been anything but super. Picks come and disappear utterly. And according to numerous sources all over the Internet, this year's Combine had one of the lowest quality of players in recent years. Apparently, the draft looks like more of the same. So trade the co-MVP of the 2007 MLSchamps for a pick in the SuperDraft? Sounds like a very un-Kinnear move to me.

Still, Galarcep is also reporting that he expects Dynamo to move into a Top 4 spot just in order to nab Shea. Anyone got any potential trades that you think would make sense here?

And though the idea of signing a local kid like Shea is always a nice one, it seems that winger is hardly Dynamo's area of concern. With both Nate Jaqua and Joseph Ngwenya trolling Europe for job offers, and right now the oldest player in the league as Dynamo's only keeper, it would seem that the team's top areas of concern are the alpha and omega, forwards and in goal. I'm not saying Dynamo doesn't deal. Looking at his track record, Dom never, EVER stands pat when a good deal can be made. I'm just saying that a midfield-heavy team like Houston (Mullan, Davis, Clark, Holden, De Rosario, Mulrooney, who am I forgetting?) seems unlikely to trade up in a suspect draft to get TA-DA, another midfielder.

My personal feeling is that both Ngwenya and Jaqua, even though right now they're both free agents, will return, and the fixture-congested squad will be able to employ their depth to stay afloat in all of their various competitions. Read more!