El Pais: Colombian Striker Andrés Ramiro Escobar To Union Or Timbers By Friday

by Scott Kessler on Apr 14, 2011 5:40 PM EDT in News

Colombian newspaper El Pais reported today that striker Andrés Ramiro Escobar is set to have his future decided by the "start of business on Friday." The soon-to-be-20-year-old ~~(his birthday is today)~~ will go to either the Portland Timbers or Philadelphia Union, according to the report.

Escobar is currently with Deportivo Cali in the Colombian top league, Categoría Primera A. After impressing with Cali since debuting with the team in December of 2010, the young Colombian forward has found himself immersed in rumors for a departure, including being linked to Benfica in Portugal in January of 2011.

'Manga', his nickname in Colombia, is the newest in the long line of Colombian players to be linked to the Union since Diego Gutierrez was brought into the team's Front Office. Already sporting Colombian players Faryd Mondragon, Roger Torres, Carlos Valdes and Juan Diego Gonzalez, the Union were thrown around as possibilities for almost any Colombian player linked at all to MLS during the offseason.

In 26 games professionally, Escobar has scored three goals.

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Thats the same team Torres was on, right? Could help make us favorites.

by iamrobk on Apr 14, 2011 6:03 PM EDT reply actions

Colombians on the Union

Torres came from America de Cali. Valdez came from Independiente Santa Fe. JD Gonzalez came from Deportivo Pereira.

by JMarks on Apr 14, 2011 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Curse you Colombia

And your similar sounding club names. I bet they didn’t bother to name a club after the capital city Bogota.

by phillyhoosfan on Apr 14, 2011 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Too Funny

Actually there is a Bogota team they just , oddly, are terrible.

by Damodeg on Apr 14, 2011 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Stop teasing us, Colombia.

Give us one of your glorious strikers.

by phillyhoosfan on Apr 14, 2011 6:12 PM EDT reply actions

This would have to be a project/development guy for the U…..where would any 1st team mins come from?

by Damodeg on Apr 14, 2011 9:32 PM EDT reply actions

The most important part of that article is the part where it says that the cost of the player would actually be HIGHER than the price FC Dallas paid for Fabian Castillo.

If you’re not familiar with that situation, Dallas had to actually pay a transfer fee for Castillo, so he ended up counting as a DP for them. The same would be the case for the Union if they pulled the trigger on Escobar, at least according to the story.

Editor at The Brotherly Game. Madridista de corazón. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @joeysamuel

by Joey Samuel on Apr 14, 2011 9:53 PM EDT reply actions