Van den Bergh on the Trading Block

According to Soccer by Ives FC Dallas has been shopping ex-Red Bull left sided midfielder Dave van den Bergh around the league, hoping that someone will pick up his salary of nearly $250,000. Getting rid of van den Bergh has to rank as one of the most colossal mistakes of the Osorio/Agoos era. Unwilling to pay one of the club's most important players what he deserved, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee cooked up a story about van den Bergh requesting a move to Dallas that has since been debunked. When Khano Smith proved to be a disaster as VdB's replacement, the Red Bulls were left with a huge hole on the left side of midfield that was never filled. Not only did the team miss the Dutchman's pinpoint crosses, but they also suffered in the free kick and corner kick departments (I'm looking at you, Jorge Rojas).

So, should RBNY get him if they can? Damn straight they should! Van den Bergh only scored three goals in his time at Pizza Hut Park, but he was the team's leader in assists with 11, and that's really where he is most valuable. You'd have to assume that Juan Pablo Angel would be happy to have him back in the fold, and that a return to New York could be attractive for van den Bergh now that the club has left the Meadowlands behind for the greener pastures of Red Bull Arena. The big questions are:

• What the competition is like for a player of van den Bergh's caliber from other interested clubs? Is Bruce Arena licking his chops?
• What would RBNY have to give Dallas in return?

Remember that Dallas, in addition to its two selections in the first round of the 2010 Superdraft, also has a roster that is chockablock with Generation Adidas players. So perhaps a package that included draft selections would not be as enticing as it might be for a club with a higher median age. On the other hand, does RBNY have a piece or pieces that could be offered in exchange for picking up VdB's fairly hefty salary?

One thing is for sure. If the Red Bull front office has a legitimate chance to bring van den Bergh back and is not doing everything in its power to make it happen they should all be fired for negligence.

Van den Bergh on the Trading Block