Okay, armed with a 15 year old Norwegian-English dictionary and an aborted attempt at the berlitz Norwegian class….

Clarence goodson has signed with Start during the night.

Clarence signed the night before Friday and the league paperwork is satisfied, Jan Oddvar Skisland revealed [not sure if he’s the coach or GM]. [Journalist] Svein Mathisen confirmed by phone from Rio.

Clarence is currently at the American training camp preparing to play Sweden January 19.

He plays middle-stopper and is right footed, but is good with both legs. [Really? Anyone ever see him use his left?] And has good aerobic conditioning [luftstyrke - literally air-strength, so it could also mean he’s good in the air]

Clarence was born 17. May 1982 and has played for FC Dallas and most recently for the San Juan [sic] Earthquakes. But he desired a new challenge at a higher level in Europe.

We wish you welcome to Norway and IK Start, Clarence.

BTW, I was looking at the Start site, these guys are not in the top division. They got relegated last year, so looks like Clarence is going to a team making a run for promotion.

[...] Go! C’mon, tell me the real name). Mmm…maybe it’s not so hard. 3rd Degree’s report link to Soccer by Ives ran on something more solid than “making a run” at a job in [...]

Nobody seems willing to eat crow about the sound decision to expose Goodson in the expansion draft. Allow me to be among the few:

Good move, front office.

And how, JC. Totally agree with you. Protecting Goodson was simply NOT an option. He had Europe on his mind the whole time.

Nothing wrong with Clarence trying to get better as a player (although I’m not so sure that’s possible in the Norwegian 2nd tier league), but for those who have been complaining as to why we didn’t protect Goodson in the expansion draft, IT WAS INEVITABLE. There was NO way around it.

And now look at San Jose. I remember a couple of stories about the Quakes staff believing that Goodson was going to be depended on as their defensive leader (if I am wrong about this, please forgive me, folks…) Look where Goodson is now. In Europe, just as he wanted.

As I said, NOTHING wrong with wanting to give Europe a try, but PLEASE people. Enough with the complaining to the FO (on this topic, anyway), because there is NO reason anyone has to complain. IT WAS INEVITABLE.

Good luck, Badson in Norway! I hope you find what you’re looking for. And as always, GO HOOPS!!!!

I hear that both FCD & SJ got screwed by MLS in trying to sign Goodson, he might have stayed if treated 1st class but that’s not possible in MLS sometimes. Both teams lose and Clarence is the only winner in this one.