With the hiatus looming for Chivas USA it can be assumed there is at least a slight amount of apprehension in the locker room as the players ponder their future without a club. Perhaps, the biggest name of the soon to be club-less players is Erick “Cubo” Torres and his future is predicament rife with potential pitfalls for MLS. Torres is currently on loan from Liga MX club Chivas de Guadalajara but MLS does have the ability to either extend the loan or outright buy his contract at the end of this season.
Below I would like to explore what I view as the most likely options for MLS and some of the potential pitfalls of each.
MLS buys out Torres’ contract and loans him back to Chivas Guadalajara
On the surface this strikes me as the most logical thing to do but it is not without certain drawbacks. Torres’ star is rapidly rising with the Mexican National Team. A return home to Mexico and Liga MX could do wonders for his profile but would the appeal of home and national team stardom lessen the likelihood of a return to MLS?
A couple of years in Liga MX and time spent qualifying and preparing for the 2018 World Cup might just be enough to keep Torres from wanting a return to MLS. So, while the loan back to Guadalajara might seem like the right or logical thing to do, MLS could run the risk of losing a valuable young star.
MLS does nothing and allows Torres’ to return to Guadalajara with no compensation
This option would be beyond foolish and I cannot image it happening unless it was quietly agreed upon as a condition of MLS’s takeover of the club. I do not see that as the case, so I am moving on.
MLS buys out Torres’ contract and looks to loan/transfer him to a European squad
This could definitely be a tempting offer for MLS if the right price came in. MLS could quickly recoup money spent on the buyout while allowing the young Torres time to further mature and develop while his old club undergoes it’s rebranding. A couple of years in a Euro system and the new look LA club gets a legitimate superstar back for its relaunch.
However, this option does run the same risk as a loan back to Guadalajara does. Would Torres want to come back? It is always a risky proposition to let a budding star out from under the leagues influence. The draw of the Euro leagues is understandably great and with the current opinions of MLS, a return stateside can often be viewed as a step backwards regardless of how poorly the Euro adventure turns out.
That is not to say the Torres would not succeed in Europe but simply that it might not matter if he did. Jozy Altidore and Brek Shea both sought the brighter lights and stiffer competition in Europe and neither has made their way back home despite significant struggles. MLS may want to keep the stars they can at home.
MLS extends the loan and assigns Torres to a new team
The LA Galaxy perhaps? This is probably the most volatile of all the options as the any downside happens right in MLS’ backyard. While it might seem like a good idea to keep Torres around his fan base in Los Angeles, what would the backlash be from the Goats fans at seeing their star player in the Galaxy kit?
It may make bring Torres back to the rebranded club a real tough sell, so likely this move would have to be thought of as long term move with only really short term gain. The only appeal to this move would be to salvage some of the non-Galaxy fan support in Los Angeles until the hiatus of Chivas USA ends. Losing a club is bad enough. Adding to it the star player suiting up for the rival might just be too much.
The safest play for MLS would seem to be extending the loan and assigning Torres to another non-LA based club until the rebranded LA club could relaunch. There would be no need to payout the nearly $7 million to buyout the contract if a loan to a new team could be reached. This would keep Torres with MLS and allow them to capitalize fully on his growing stature in the sport and would make a return to LA simpler. However, I am not as comfortable with this option as I probably should be.
Summary/Conclusion
I assume that MLS would want Torres to return to the rebranded LA club when it returns from hiatus. As a popular and known commodity, it makes sense for Torres to be used as the face of the rebranded franchise. Therefore, any time spent with a new club would most likely be tenuous at best. How much fan support would Torres really draw if it was known that he would be leaving shortly anyway? Would he be embraced at all or would he be met with cold indifference at a new club?
I really think that MLS should roll the dice and buyout the contract of Cubo Torres and looked to loan him back to Guadalajara or another Liga MX club. Torres seems poised to really break out in a big way for the Mexican National team over the next couple of years. Why not try to generate as much backing and support for him in his home country as possible and then try to bring those fans with him back to MLS when the rebranded LA club returns?
ESPN’s broadcast contract with El Tri ensures that Torres will still be on TV throughout the United States for his fans here to watch him grow. Even with the risk involved, I believe this would be the best course of action for MLS to develop a rising star’s talent and capitalize on his rising popularity.
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