Juan Pablo Angel, Los Angeles Galaxy Agree To Designated Player Contract

A week after losing Edson Buddle to Europe, the Los Angeles Galaxy seem to have found as suitable a replacement as exists in MLS as they finally came to terms with Juan Pablo Angel on a multi-year Designated Player contract. The sticking point, since the Galaxy picked Angel in the Re-Entry Draft, has been assumed to be the amount of money Angel would be paid. Angel made almost $2 million last year, and has been among the highest paid players in MLS ever since joining the league in 2007.

Although exact terms weren't released, Angel will be the Galaxy's third Designated Player, meaning he'll make at least $335,000. Considering no MLS player can come close to equaling his 58 goals in the past four seasons, it's not hard to imagine Angel being paid even more than that despite his being 35 years old. He'll join David Beckham and Landon Donovan as the Galaxy's other DPs. The Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders are the only two teams that currently have three DPs, the maximum currently allowed in MLS.

"I’m very happy to join a team like the LA Galaxy, a tremendous organization with great players and a coach that knows me and that I know as well," Angel said in a team release. "I’m anxious to start this new challenge in my life and will do my best to bring back another championship to this city. The Galaxy fans are some of the greatest fans in the league, they provide great atmosphere and I can’t wait to play in front of them.

"I want to take this opportunity to show my appreciation for the Red Bull supporters, me and my family will always be grateful for the love and support they gave us. I also want to thank the organization for allowing me to be part of their club. I spent four great years in New York and I will remember my time there fondly."

Angel is generally considered to the be most successful DP ever signed by MLS. Although he was never able to bring a championship to New York, he was extremely popular. He never scored fewer than 12 goals in a season, and scored 13 his final year there while leading the Red Bulls to their first regular-season Eastern Conference title.

Despite his successes, though, he never seemed to be one of Hans Backe's favorites and was deemed expendable once the Red Bulls acquired Thierry Henry and Juan Agudelo began to develop. The Red Bulls declined to pick up the option on his contract and he entered the Re-Entry Draft, where he was picked by the Galaxy. The two sides had been negotiating since the Dec. 15 draft. In the meantime, the Galaxy had traded away young forward Tristan Bowen (presumably in order to make room for Angel) and lost the services of Buddle, who scored 17 goals last year. The Galaxy had also acquired the services of forwards Adam Cristman and Chad Barrett, neither of whom have near the pedigree of Angel.