Nowak: Califf To Chivas USA For A Player And Something Else, Waiting For MLS Approval

Danny Califf has been traded to Chivas USA, awaiting Major League Soccer approval, Peter Nowak told reporters at his weekly press conference today.

"Soon. There's nothing from us to release the stuff," Nowak said. "That's, as I said, it's the league process of confirming some stuff."

"We are still in the process of concluding this trade, Nowak said. "We try to accommodate this as soon as we can."

The Brotherly Game originally reported the trade was to happen at 3:46 on Sunday via Twitter, then had a full report later that night onsite.

The trade will not be the rumored Califf plus Jack McInerney for Juan Pablo Angel, according to Nowak.

"Just Danny for player and something else," said Nowak when pressed for an answer as to the components of the deal.

Chivas USA's "initial offer come out of the blue," Nowak said.

Nowak noted that the first offer came in to the Union after the Schalke game and stressed that the team was not actively shopping Califf prior to Chivas contacting Philadelphia. All the while, Califf was apparently kept in the know of the situation.

"He's been informed every single step of the process that this may happen," Nowak said.

The former MLS and Bundesliga star, and two-time MLS cup winner as a player and manager, tried to distance himself from questions surrounding the injury status of Califf and the progression of the trade.

"The hold up is not because we want to complete this trade... Danny was in and out of the lineup because of the hamstring injuries. It's not that we keep him out just to complete this trade."

A source informed the Brotherly Game that Califf's latest listing on MLS's injury report was to minimize rumors involving the center defender, not because of an actual injury.

Califf will be reunited with former teammate Robin Fraser, who was named as the head coach of Chivas in January of 2011. He will also return home to Southern California, where he played high school soccer before going to the University of Maryland, leading to him being drafted by LA Galaxy sixth overall in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft.