3rd Degree

WELL CRAP.

I posted this before in the News Recap from a couple of days ago, but I think it is worth reposting.

In the long run Toja’s move will be good for FC Dallas and MLS. In South America there has been a perception that if a young prospect comes to MLS they were commiting career suicide. They lose visibility to their national team pool and they can kiss any aspirations of playing in Europe good-bye which is why MLS foreign acquisitions tend to be players on the downhill side of the careers.

Toja is the first young south american player to challenge that notion. When he goes, MLS will be able to approach talented young players in South America that aren’t on the fast track to superstardom and offer them “playing time” and the opportunity to get to Europe. The league will be better off by having this option available to them.

Chamo,

That makes lots of sense, but for this fan, the suddenness is what’s shocking. I mean, I would never have thought it would be so soon, in the middle of a mediocre second season.

I hope it works out for him and he gets the chance to play with the NT, because I know that is very important to him and all soccer players.

Chamo nailed it. If this is a step toward bringing in the younger Latin American players looking to prove themselves, MLS will be the better for it.

I totally agree with Chamo. The more players we see cycling into MLS and out to either major European leagues or teams (Steaua is a Champion’s League fixture) the better.

This dovetails well with what Kasey Keller told Shaka Hislop in an interview with ESPN. He proposed that MLS should aspire to being like Holland or Belgium in that it is largely a developmental league. I, like many other, am ok with this, just as long as American soccer keeps improving as it has the past 15 years.

Awwwwwwwww CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can’t say i’m too surprised. Damn we’re gonna miss him.

Where do I sign up for the Steaua Bucharest fan club?

This move is beautiful on a lot of different levels. We may have pulled a fast one on Steaua, who knows if the real Toja was the beauty of the first few months of last year or the inconsistency and nagging injuries of the last 12 months. I like Juan, and I wish him the best, though.
Also, that’s a lot of revenue that can theoritically, be used to make a big signing like Ortega, resources for the Junior’s, etc.
Chamo’s point is well taken, too. Even better for FCD than the rest of the league, because it happened here.

I figured he was gone sooner or later, so I wish the best for him. The money we get from the sale will assuredly make us stronger, since I would bet that both trialists have a good chance of signing with the team if they are good enough.

I know I’m going to get some flack for this - perhaps I have too much “Greedy American” in my blood, but I’m not in this for second place. My $1000+ per year goes toward a club and league that wants to be the best in the world, maybe not tomorrow or in 5 years, but someday. The day MLS says they are largely a developmental league is the day I stop buying season tickets. I’ll still come to games, but I am not here to support that. Frankly, Kasey Keller can kiss my ass.

[...] was here and now he’s not. 3rdDegree has reported that Toja is sold to Steaua Bucharest and when 3rd reports it, it [...]

The fans have finally come to understand we are a feeder league just like minor baseball. This league is good for players to start off and then move on to bigger things if they have the ability. There are 25 other players for FCD that wish they had this same chance.

Hopefully this will finally push Hyndman into playing some of the younger players. This season was going nowhere with Toja and they mights as well let some players get experience.

Moose:

I think the case could be made that there are only 4 leagues in the entire world that aren’t “developmental” in some way.

That’s just the state of football economics.

well, FCD just purchased the contract for Toja in Feb. for what….$500k? and they’ve sold him for 1.5mil? thats a total net gain of $1million and that sounds like good business to me.

better business would be putting that extra $1million of budget-busting cash back into the team by either purchasing another player or two OR, BETTER FOR ME, LOWERING CONCESSION PRICES AND ADDING SOME MORE CREDIT CARD MACHINES AT THE PARK TO INCREASE MY “GAME EXPERIENCE”

I agree with chamo and zarco on this one. I also believe that Toja’s funk this season is down to the broken promises of FCD, he handled it his way and Cooper has handled it another way. Good luck to Juan Toja.

Don’t the proceeds of a player’s sale just go back to the League? It’s true that this sale clears cap room, opens a senior Intl slot and provides some awareness to Central/South American players, but is FC Dallas really better off for it?

Well, damn. I’m glad we didn’t provoke the Romanians for nothing.

Although I understand that playing CL soccer will be great for JT, I am somewhat concerned about Toja with Steaua. Becali, the owner of Steaua, is crazy, in addition to having politics which fall somewhere to the right of oh, say, fascism. They’re not quite Red Star Belgrade, but somewhere closer to that than an up-and-up club.

He is rich, however, and treats his players well (or at least better than his Maybachs, which he’s been filmed fixing with a tire iron).

Buzz — how involved do you think Schellas was in this whole process?

[...] Buzz has confirmed. When Buzz says it’s true, it’s true. [...]

hey, now we can at least go to a formation that can help with our personnel. Rocha can play in the middle where he is most comfortable.

Must have happened within the last 25 mins. The FCD Blog says nothing official as of 8:30 ET

not suprising that Buzz would know before FCD knows.

Rocha sucks!

Stevet, I think Schellas set the price they would take to part with him.

Chase, my source came from the league level. We’ll see I suppose. I’m not infallible by any means.

ahhh and he was my favorite player. He made me a Dallas fan for the first time. Oh well this is sad that he will no longer be in Dallas but oh well, this is better for him. Good Luck in Romania! Thanks Buzz for keeping the fans informed. this sucks:(

Ditto to the above. He’s a big reason I got hooked on FCD last year. (SIGH). Well, I’m hooked, but it won’t be the same for this fan. He was SOOOOO much fun to take photos of.

But . . . GO FCD!

While Steaua of Bucharest does play in the Champion’s League, there is no young player in South America aspiring to go play in Romania. Spain, Italy, France, England, Germany…yes. There are more players in South America wanting to play in countries like Turkey rather than Romania. I can promise you there are more young South Americans aspiring to play in the MLS than in Romania. Juan Toja has played in Argentina, which is considered one of the top leagues in the world, better than many other “European” countries.

What’s important to Juan Toja is money. Toja was promised a big pay raise by Steve Morrow once FCD bought his rights. Once that pay raise didn’t happen, Toja wanted out. When the FO fired Morrow, they had every chance to make things right with Toja, and they didn’t. Toja wants to go anywhere he can to make the most money possible, while he can still get it.

“What’s important to Juan Toja is money. Toja was promised a big pay raise by Steve Morrow once FCD bought his rights”

And how do YOU know this?

This is a team with other Colombians who play on the NT. That’s plenty of motivation right there.

“Juan Toja has played in Argentina, which is considered one of the top leagues in the world, better than many other “European” countries.”

People still don’t get the difference between LEAGUES and CLUBS. Argentina’s league is almost certainly better than Romania’s, yet it doesn’t have a team in it that’s better than Steaua.

By low, sell high. I’ve heard that somewhere… No if we can only up the price for Cooper, FCD’s plan for world domination will be complete. 3 Million dollars!

time for toja to move on, very disappointed in his play this year

Of interest: An interview with Toja. Run it through the Google translator . . . oh, and it says he’s coming back to Dallas on Friday to take care of things here, so won’t be going to Bucharest as soon as they want him to.

http://www.mysport.ro/stirea/3...erviu_cu_juan_carlos_toja.html

Argentina doesn’t have a better team than Steaua. Hahahahah. What a ridiculous statement.

No South Americam players will be inspired to come to MLS because a Colombian was sold to a Romanian team. Franco is right. It won’t make a difference until it’s a big name league regardless of a the team.

And, sorry, Hutch. This isn’t about national team call ups for Juan. This is all about money. As Alex and Franco have said all of Juan’s unhappiness this year stemmed from broken promises by the club. He’s going to a team where (hopefully) they pay players the money they promised.

Good comments, guys! I’m a newbie here, I’m an expat living in Bucharest and just wanna to touch base and kinda see the heads up on Toja. From reading the Romanian news he’ll be a starter as soon as the plane lands in Bucharest! That’s quite surprising, they don’t seem to have done a whole lotta scouting on Juan. They’re probably relying on what Steaua’s two Colombian starters are having to say (Zapata and Daryo, both w/ the Columbian NT). Anyways, I wish him well.
One word of disagreement w/ Franco here, The Romanian League is practically inundated with imports from So. America.
Not all imports pan out, but few are outstanding. There are teams with 10, 15 imports. The 2008 champion CFR, out of city of Cluj in the heart of Transilvania, have an astounding 22 foreigners! Times they are a changin…
Keep up the good work and… Go FCD!!!!!

ccart5, actually, the opposite is true. FCDallas gets 2/3rds of the fee, while MLS gets the rest.

Give it up for Buzz. Great scoop, my friend.

we wait him to come saturday night at the presentation of the team steaua against as roma,it will be a big surprise for all steaua’s fan to see him neear his future team colege…..at the end of the season he will be the best player of first romanian league same as zapata was the best golckeper of season 2007-2008 end steel be…..the coach marius lacatus will make a big player and you will hear agan of juan toja…..hai toja ca te asteptam sai facem in nas pe cainii de dinamovisti si pe cioroii de rapidisti si pe ungurii de cfristi…..sorry my bad english
FORTZA STEAUA!!!!
FORTZA STEAUA!!!!
FORTZA STEAUA!!!!
FORTZA STEAUA!!!!
FORTZA STEAUA!!!!

edit: for the sake of space I took out about 50 more “FORTZA STEAUA!!!!” - Buzz

Teddy - 3 Million dollars is insufficient funds for world domination. According to my source (Dr Evil), one hundred billion dollars is required.

You’re famous. Buzz:

http://www.stelisti.ro/stiri/7...le-cu-transferul-la-steaua.htm

Wow, I don’t think the Romanian websites quite get humor/sarcasm — not that you were being sarcastic — but you also weren’t totally serious about the “broken hearts” –that would just apply to us sobbing female fans.

After all, they took the Los Toros site seriously . . .

You americans better stick to baseball or basketball, because you are not good at all in commenting or playing FOOTBALL or (soccer, or sucker??) as you call this sport. Toja will play for a very good and well known team in Europe, so what is all the fuss???

For the people who are commenting this move, you should first search Google and find out about ROMANIA and his national team, and then you can talk. For the moment Toja is ours to keep, he will play in Champions League if you know what competition is that and he will be happy. As for the south americans willing to play in Turkey rather than Romania, that remais to be seen.

FOOORRRRZZZZAA STEAUA!!!!!

Hi, I’m a Romanian fan of Steaua Bucharest. Don’t mind those websites, all they want is traffic so they publish idiotic articles. As far as I know Toja is a talented player but this season he was rather inconsistent. If you have any questions about my favorite club, I’ll be very happy to answer.

@ For the Americans

I am apologise, guys, for some stupid remarks of the Romanians! I respect United States as a country and I wish welcome to Toja! The transfeer fee was around 2 mil of dollars, 1.5 mil of euros …

Wellcome to Steaua Bucharest!! I’ll be on Ghencea (Steaua’s stadium)!! In Romania we are the best, great history ( 23 national titles, 21 romanian cups, 1 UCL, 1 Europe Supercup)!! Forza Steaua!! Go Steaua!!!

http://www.suportersteaua.net -> the official fans site ! go there

Steaua Bucharest is one of the biggest clubs from Europe. They have won Champions League, Supercup of Europe, they play another Champions League final but lost it in front of AC Milan, The years ago the played a semifinal of UEFA Cup. Localy, they won the title for 23 times, Romanian cup for 20 times and 5 supercups of Romania. Last season the have finished second and lost the championship in front of CFR Cluj from Transilvania, one point was the diference between CFR and Steaua. the owner have an estimated fortune of 3,2 billion euro(5 billion USA dollars) and is one of the richest from Romania. he enter in politics but without musch success. Is very popular in Romania, and when he appear on TV he make some donations, for example in talk show he donated 2 millions of EURO(3,1 milion USA dollars) to people who need some help. If Toja will make a good impresion in the start of the season Becali(owner) will give him aditional money, to motivate him. Not cry for Toja, he moved to a big club, in a high level. Good luck Toja! For more about Steaua Bucharest try here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Steaua_Bucure%C5%9Fti

I’m guessing this might help explain the mystery of why Toja was named to the All-Star team. Much easier for MLS to negotiate a transfer fee to their liking if they can say that Toja is one of their top players (”Look! He’s on this team with Beckham and Blanco! He must be one of our top players. Now give us more money if you want him.”)

And, to “the other alex”… so what’s it like to be on the inside - you know, which I assume you must be to have such knowledge? Give it a rest, already. We get it. You don’t like the FCD FO. Everyone has been lied to. Toja, Cooper, Ricchetti. I forget anyone? Blah, blah, blah.

Sgc, ever heard of River Plate or Boca Juniors? Compared to them Steau is just like FC Dallas my friend. Those are 2 clubs that are world class and can compete with the very best European teams year in and year out. Look at the World Club Rankings, River and Boca are top clubs.

That having been said, many of the Eastern European leagues are fairly good, and they each have a Bayern, ManU, Real type team that dominates the league, like Steau, or Sparta Praha in Czech Republic, those teams are good and on any given day can give the top european clubs a tough game and beat them, but you don’t see them get past the group stages of the Champs. League or UEFA Cup very often. Still, those teams, not necessarily the league, are a step up in class from MLS. Which is why I disagree with Franco’s comments. This will be seen as a path for players to see that they can get to a “big” European club, or at least a European club that competes with the very big boys.

Certainly I would state without reservation that many of the MLS clubs, no doubt the top 5 or 6, could easily compete very well in several eastern european leagues and the scottish league, MLS is better than most give it credit for. Now, EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, the MLS champ might be able to play a season and not get relegated but would finish very, very low; and an MLS All-Star team might finish mid-table, but that’s about it.

Well, at least Toja’s hairstyle will fit in with the rest of the Eastern Europeans! We’ll miss him, of course, but we had too many midfielders, so it clears the decks a bit and we get fairly compensated for it — better than a trade for some journeymen MLS players.

Buzz, great job. Chamo, I agree completely. As much as I hate to lose him, it’s very much part of the game.

I think you have a bad opinion about the Romanian league.It is one of the most powerfull leagues in Europe.In romaina players have been sold with more then 6 millions euros(9 million $) and latin-american players brought with more then 4.5 millon dollars.And i think Romania will greatly improve in the following years…Good luck for Toja because he will need it!!

Thanks Steaua will take care of him now.

http://www.steauafc.com

hey guys,
I’m a Steaua fan and I was willing to find out more about our transfers… that’s how I got on this forum… so how’s Toja?

P.S. to answer some comments regarding the quality of our football league… I think it’s just a bit better than MLS… in fact, I think that some of the MLS better teams would have no problem in qualifying for UEFA or CL, if they play in our first league…
when it comes to the Argentinian league, well it’s a way lot better than ours…

i can’t understand this hate for romania! why do u say that romania championship is not a important one??? i must say some of u are retards…. steaua bucharest reached the semifinal in 2005/2006 uefa cup! here is where steaua bucharest reache the uefa team coeeficient in that year… 1. FC Barcelona 34.1620 2. Arsenal 31.716 3. Sevilla 30.16 4. STEAUA BUCHAREST 26.55 5. AC Milan 26.0675….. 10. Inter Milano 24.0675 11.RAPID BUCHAREST 23.5550 12. Juventus 23.0675…. 19-20. Liverpool - Chelsea 17.7610!!!!!!!! watch this and after that u can speak about romanian football or soccer as u f**king idiots say!!!!! this was a comment that aimed ONLY THE ONES WHO ATTACKED ROMANIA AND ROMANIAN FOOTBALL!!! i want that the other readers excuse me!

Hutchtx, I don’t think the tongue in cheek’ness of the photo title translated well.

tzirip,u are dinamo bucharest fan… what the hell u are doing?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qS_L3rmMaPM
http://youtube.com/watch?v=59fZD1oJT_M&feature=related
WELCOME 2 STEAUA!
Toja will make a big step with the move 2 Europe.What u think about a partnership between the 2 clubs?
TZIRIP,eyesgreen saluts you!
ps still in NY?
ps go DALLAS COWBOYS! THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN!

Toja will be missed. At his best, Romania, you are inheriting a really great player who is really fun to watch!! Good luck in Europe! This sucks; it has been hard to be a Dallas fan this season. Hope there is some good news soon.

lol, tzirip & eyesgreen, dau de voi pe forumurile din america, ahahahahah
forza steaua

well if u think that Steaua Bucuresti is a litle team I want too say you that Steaua Wins ones Uefa Chapions League and reached semifinals for 4 times

It wins a SuperEuropean Cup

So think twice when u call Steaua Bucuresti a litle team

Buzz . . .

Wow!

You are now more than famous — you are completely international!

And, no, I don’t think the “tongue & cheek” aspect of your caption (THAT was the expression I was trying to think of this morning!) translated very well.

P.S. To whoever said it . . .He wants to go just for the money, eh?? Whatever.

Quote from interview that on the Fifa.com page:

“I want to play in Europe because it’s the only way to play in the Colombian national team,” said Toja, who has only played for the national U-20 side during his time with Independiente Santa Fe.

i am from romania i am a big fan steaua bucharest and i hope the player toja’s wil come here and help a win .site of steaua bucharest is http://www.steauafc.ro

Hello guys,

Don’t feel sorry for Juan. If he is as good as you say he is, he well be welcomed in our “house”, as well as in our hearts.

For a better understanding of what I mean by “house”, take a look at tese pics…

http://www.fcsteaua.ro/index/s...es/mode/list_by_tag/tag/ultra/

This is STEAUA Stadium, aka “The cathedral of Romanian Football”
Only in the last 15 years, the likes of Glasgow Rangers, West Ham United, Aston Villa, Southampton FC, Middlesborough, RC Lens, SC Hereenven, FC Valencia, Betis Sevilla, Standard Liege have left this stadium defeated….

We are of latin origin, just like he is - that’s way South Americans adapt very well in Romania.
If is set to work hard and do a good job here…well, he will feel like “home”….

Hutch,

I wouldn’t be so quick to roll your eyes. There were three different people saying it’s a money matter.

What a professional athlete says to the press and what he shares with his friends are two totally different things. With all respect, you clearly have no clue what’s going on here and other people — including the other alex — do.

Okay. I’m not going to say that $$ has nothing to do with it, but don’t tell me that the chance of an NT call up is not very important to him as well. Ask anyone on the Colombian forum over at B.S.

Toja e la steaua ?

Steaua did one their biggest transfers this summer…I hope he’ll play for us as well as he did for Fc Dallas…And Dallas fans…don’t feel sorry for your team…i’m sure you’ll find someone good or better as Toja.:) EUROPE ! STEAUA! - ROMANIA! STEAUA! - ANYWHERE! STEAUA! - CHAMPIONS FROM “Ghencea Stadium” ! ! !

I AGREE WITH HITCH!

I know Toja and I know his state of mind. He wants to play soccer. Money, yes that is nice but he wants to play futbol in a supportive country. The US is just not ready right now.

As for the money, yes it is nice and it will help Toja….take care of his Mom and Family which is his goal when moving up in his career. If you will read about Toja, his mom is his priority.

Hitch, I will miss all the GREAT photos. Please let me know where I can get some really good ones from you.

Um . . . it’s HUTCH, not Hitch, but thanks!! Send me a PM on Big Soccer (hutchtx), and we can talk about photos.

And whatever the motivation is — I wish JT well! He’s been through a lot in his young life, and he and his family deserve the best!

MUIE STEAUA
MUIIIEEE STEAUA
MUIIIIIEEEEEE STEUA

i’m from Romania,forzza steaua muie dinamo si rapid nu-i asa??(fraierilor)

Romania is a toilet

Kinda like Houston

Gypsies, tramps, and theives

Try gettin a good chicken fried steak buddy!

Guys … this site was infested by romanian idiots …
If you want to follow hard behind Toja’s evolutions or just to have an eye … http://www.steauafc.ro or http://www.stelisti.ro but you have to learn some romanian (or ask me to translate) cause i cannot find an english version … damn !

i’m dreaming for an friendly match between Dallas and Steaua B … at Bucharest …

hey some .. first you are an idiot
second why do we need to translate our sites in english ?