United midfielder Branko Bošković controls the ball. Photo by Pablo Maurer
D.C. United ended a long-running debate today by finally re-signing Branko Bošković. The midfielders previous contract had been set to expire on July 15th and his future has long been a point of uncertainty. “Bosko” missed all of the 2011 season with an ACL tear, and his slow but steady recovery had led some United fans to believe that he was destined to be the next inductee into United’s “Hall of International Failures.” With three assists in the club’s past four games, however, the Montenegrin has been rapidly gaining favor among the DCU faithful, and most of us are happy to see him stay.
“I’m staying because this team is really good and we have a chance to be the best in MLS. I want to help the team make the playoffs and win a championship,” said Bošković in a team press release.
Continued United GM Dave Kasper: “Branko was very professional throughout this whole process. It never affected his play. This is a win-win for everybody. He is an important part of our team and we are thrilled that this is now finished and we can move forward.”
Boskovic had entertained offers from other clubs in Greece, Germany and Austria, but chose to stay in the District. “I always wanted to speak first with D.C.,” Boskovic told United’s Sebastian Salazar. “In my career I always give the first chance to the club where I am at the moment. I [wanted] to see what D.C. United wanted and what they would offer me… the club has been so good to me and I want to give them back something.”
Per league policy, terms of the contract weren’t released – but we did learn one key piece of information. Bošković will no longer be treated as a Designated Player, so he surely signed for less money than his original $500k+ salary. The move also frees up a DP slot, meaning United are free to pursue another high-profile player during MLS’ summer transfer window. We’ll see what happens.
United also picked up some new blood yesterday in the form of striker Long Tan. Tan, the first Chinese-born player to appear in MLS, has spent most of this season struggling to get on the pitch for the Whitecaps. He appeared in two matches for their minor league USL PDL side, scoring three goals in two late-May games while playing in a league he’s over-qualified for. He’s also made several appearances for Vancouver’s reserve squad, but has only notched a scant 27 minutes of MLS league play.
Where Tan has really made waves this year is on Twitter. Clearly dissatisfied with his playing time, Long did what any seasoned athlete does these days—filed his grievance in 140 characters or fewer:
Even in broken English, Tan got his point across well. But for those of us who are more visually inclined, his next tweet included some depressing imagery:
Hey, at least he’s polite. Obviously the Whitecaps weren’t too thrilled with Long’s outburst, first suspending him indefinitely, and now granting his wish by offloading him.
Tan does have an upside. He’s a hard worker, for one, and he’s shown the ability to score goals at the NASL/USL level. United have given up little to get him, and his salary of $44,000 is bargain material. He may see some time later in the summer when any number of D.C.’s attacking options head off for World Cup qualifying duty, and Tan could also play reserve-league matches—or even be loaned out to a lower-division team like Ethan White or Andrew Dykstra.
Realistically, Tan has been mighty inconsistent throughout his career—80 percent of his offensive output in 2010 came during a one-week period, and his three goals for the Whitecaps’ reserve team came in two consecutive games. With United’s current line-up, he’s certainly not going to make an immediate impact. Tan is an average player, but one from whom fans have always expected more. Honestly, I’m not sure why.
For their part, United seem realistic in their expectations. Even the team’s press release sounded, well, reserved. Said General Manager Dave Kasper: “We’re happy to have Long join our organization and will look forward to him joining the team. He’s an interesting prospect and a player we feel has a future upside.”
Long has likely grown from his Twitter outburst. He’s far from the first professional athlete to lash out at his club in the media. Let’s just hope that was the last TAN-trum of his career. See what I did there? I’ll show myself out now.
