There is something to be said for knowing the right time to cut a player loose, knowing exactly when it becomes bad business to keep investing in a player.
As true as that is, there is also something to be said for treating players the right way, particularly one who has been an inspiration and leader and key contributor for years.
The New York Red Bulls very well may be proven to be right about the timing of their decision to part ways with star striker Juan Pablo Angel, who the team doesn't plan to bring back in 2011, but their handling of Angel has been nothing short of a disaster.
All Angel has been to the Red Bulls is a goal-scoring machine, a reliable star who has earned every bit of his multi-million dollar Designated Player contract at a time when few Designated Players have produced. Angel became the club's all-time leading scorer in just four seasons, guided the team to its first MLS Cup final, and he's given Red Bulls fans reason to believe even at times when the Red Bulls were a dreadful team.
As special as Angel's past four years have been for the Red Bulls, the reality was that it was always going to be a longshot that the team would pick up his seven-figure contract option for 2011. Angel turns 35 next week and is starting to slow down, and the fact is the Red Bulls are eager to bring in another high-profile star to match recent signings Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez.
That still doesn't excuse the way the Red Bulls went about handling Angel. Instead of approaching him with their intentions and discussing alternatives, such as having him return at a non-DP salary, the Red Bulls told Angel he would not be back in 2011 and he could leave immediately if a trade could be worked out. Instead of putting off the inevitable, they let their team captain know he was unwanted, even going so far as to bench him for a game.
To his credit, Angel didn't raise a stink or go public with the news that he would not return to the Red Bulls in 2011. He has just kept playing and only in recent weeks has it become clear that his future won't be in New York. Angel has struggled since late summer and it makes you wonder how much he has been affected by his treatment. How would you handle knowing the club you've given four great years to is showing you the door?
Is New York making a mistake not keeping Angel? Not wanting to invest a Designated Player slot on him is understandable given his age and the team's ability to afford and attract a high-profile replacement, but to not even consider the possibility of trying to re-sign Angel at all seems like a mistake in a league where reliable goal-scorers are hard to come by.
MLS teams know this all too well, which is why Angel is a safe bet to still be playing in MLS come 2011. Teams have already begun making inquiries about Angel and given the new league rules under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Red Bulls stand to lose Angel to a rival for nothing. That means the Red Bulls' career scoring leader could be suiting up for someone like Philadelphia or D.C. United next season. That would have been an unthinkable scenario a year ago, but now it seems inevitable.
Where might Angel wind up? Here are some possibilities:
Philadelphia Union -- The expansion team could use a veteran leader and a reliable forward who can help groom Philly's young strikers. The Union could also offer Angel a Designated Player slot and playing for Philadelphia could keep Angel from having to move his family.
D.C. United -- Few teams are in more dire need of forward help than D.C., which will be bidding farewell to Jaime Moreno after this season. President Kevin Payne has long admired Angel and would love nothing more than to have Angel recapture his scoring touch in the nation's capital. If he does, it would be a repeat of 2004, when United acquired a seemingly washed up Moreno from New York and subsequently won an MLS Cup as he overcame a back injury to be an MVP candidate.
Los Angeles Galaxy -- Who was the man responsible for bringing Angel to MLS? That's right, it was Bruce Arena. Moving his family across the country might not be appealing for Angel, but playing with the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donovan (and possibly Ronaldinho) would certainly be an enticing proposition.
Chicago Fire -- The Fire need a goal-scoring forward and the Nery Castillo experiment has looked like a flop. Angel could be tempted to join a team with a good midfield, and a team in the Eastern Conference.
Seattle Sounders -- This destination would only make sense if Fredy Montero were sold. Truth be told, having Angel play on the turf at Qwest Field might not be the ideal scenario, but playing in front of sold-out crowds on a team with ownership willing to spend money would have to be an attractive option for Angel.
Will the Red Bulls reconsider their position on Angel? Not likely.
Head coach Hans Backe isn't believed to be a big Angel fan, and the club does have a blue-chip prospect in Juan Agudelo it will be looking to groom. Even if the club decided now to make some sort of non-DP offer you have to wonder whether Angel would seriously consider it after what being treated the way he has been treated.
The Red Bulls will move on, and will find a new marquee player to bring in, but the fact remains they have mishandled the departure of one of the best and most beloved players in the club's history. If Angel has his way, the move could very well come back to haunt the Red Bulls.
Ives Galarcep is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com covering Major League Soccer and the U.S. national team.
