News from Spain

Some news from Spain relevant to CONCACAF in general and MLS in particular:

• Welcome to La Liga, Giovani.  In the final match of the season against Getafe, Giovani dos Santos scored his first goals in the top flight in the best possible way -- a hat-trick.  His second and third goals were beautiful.  Barca won 5-3, and with Guardiola taking over from Rijkaard the next question is, "Does Giovani stay?"  If he goes, that could be an even bigger mistake than letting Ronaldinho go.  Giovani did have ankle surgery today and will wear a cast for four weeks.
• After navigating yet another Liga side into the Champions League, Javier Aguirre decides to fulfill the option on his contract with Atlético Madrid.  And now Mexico's federation will have to look elsewhere to fill that national team position.  Aguirre said that his future at the club was never in danger, which I doubt many people believe but begs a question: why was his job ever in danger?  El Mundo Deportivo has more. 
• And might Thierry Henry be in Seattle on MLS First Kick 2009?  MARCA is reporting (and quoting an Independent of London story) that the Sounders have offered close to US$5 million per year for Henry's services.  (The Independent is saying that the offer is for £5.2 million a year, and that's quite different.)  It would be tremendous for MLS -- Henry might be the second most recognizable soccer player in the USA next to Beckham -- but it probably won't happen right now.  Henry is on the downswing of his career but he has at least one more year in Europe, and Diario AS quotes him as saying that he'll stay in Barcelona.