Bocanegra to Rennes France - TalkSoccer

**kennethlindheim** · 28-11-2003, 06:11 PM

Chicago Fire defender Carlos Bocanegra has confirmed that he wants to move to England.
The MLS Defender of the Year has just finished the season in America with defeat in the Cup final, but he is now looking to the future.

"I was waiting for the end of the season, and this next week I'm going to start evaluating my options very heavily," said the 24-year-old.

"I'm speaking to clubs overseas, and hopefully I can be over there next season."

Bocanegra, who has been capped 24 times by the US national team, admits he wants a move to England.

"England would be my favourite," admitted Bocanegra, who has been linked with Leeds United.

"But maybe Spain, Portugal, or Germany. I'd just like to try it out.

"You don't get to be free too much in MLS, so it will be exciting. Hopefully something comes up here for me."

Bocanegra was disappointed to end the season with a 4-2 defeat to San Jose in Sunday's MLS Cup final.

"We had a great season, but when you lose a game like this it's kind of like the season didn't matter, you know?" Bocanegra said.

"We worked hard to get here, and it's frustrating.

"Defensively we didn't give them many chances, but the chances that they got, they finished, and that's what a good team does.

"They capitalised on the mistakes and punished us."

**Frank Cunha** · 28-11-2003, 06:45 PM

good player and he his a free agent

Ricochet · 08-01-2004, 08:29 PM

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/...=180486&cpid=8

EXCLUSIVE by Graeme Bailey and Chris Bergin of ussocceruk.com
Skysports.com can exclusively reveal that Fulham have sealed a deal for American defender Carlos Bocanegra.
The Chicago Fire stopper has been looking for a club in England for the past few months and now a move to Fulham has been agreed.

The MLS Defender of the Year has had his work permit granted by The Home Office and he is now free to finalise his move to Loftus Road.

"The player has been granted a permit to play in England for Fulham," a Home Office spokesman told skysports.com.

The Whites have agreed a deal for the defender, who had also been linked with Leeds United, after his contract expired with Major League Soccer in America.

Fulham manager Chris Coleman have already brought Bobby Petta to the club during the transfer window and now he has bolstered his defensive options with the arrival of the 24-year-old US international.

Bocanegra did not automatically meet the criteria laid down by The Home Office, but a players' panel gave the move the green-light after concluding he was of sufficient calibre to play in England.

**Frank Cunha** · 08-01-2004, 10:14 PM

Soccer America report

1. U.S. ABROAD: Carlos Bocanegra seals deal with English Premier
League's Fulham

Carlos Bocanegra, MLS's Rookie of the Year in 2000, has reached a
deal with English Premier League club Fulham and has been granted a
British work permit.

Bocanegra, 24, left UCLA after his junior year and has played the
past four seasons with the Chicago Fire, twice earning MLS Defender
of the Year honors. He has made 20 appearances for the U.S. national
team, scoring four goals.

Fulham, the former club of American midfielder Eddie Lewis, is currently in
seventh place.

"MLS has been a huge part of my development as a player," Bocanegra
said. "I couldn't have achieved the level of success with the U.S.
National team without my years with the Chicago Fire. I'm going to
miss my teammates."

Bocanegra's MLS contract expired after the 2003 season, during which
he helped the Fire to a runner-up finish.

**Frank Cunha** · 09-01-2004, 12:12 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soccer News
United States defender Bocanegra cleared to sign with England's Fulham

The Associated Press
1/8/04 6:39 PM

CHICAGO (AP) -- Carlos Bocanegra, a defender on the U.S. national team, is expected to sign with Premier League club Fulham after receiving an English work permit, the United States Soccer Federation said Thursday.

The 24-year-old Chicago Fire star has proven to be one of the best defenders on the U.S. team since his debut in 2001.

Bocanegra ranked second on the national team in scoring this year, and became the first defender since 1994 to score at least four goals in a season.

He would become the sixth American player to play in England's top division, joining U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, Kasey Keller and Jovan Kirovski.

Bocanegra was chosen as the Major League Soccer rookie of the year in 2000, and MLS defender of the year last season.

Soccerdad · 09-01-2004, 01:12 PM

sorry to see him go but glad to see his hard work paid off for him. He is an awsum defender and great on set pieces

goalmirivan · 10-01-2004, 12:37 AM

will be one of the best defenders in the Premier, for sure, another surprise like Tim Howard :danc:

**Lemmy** · 10-01-2004, 12:57 AM

Fulham needed to make their defense better. They have been sliping in theEPL as of lately, and it is not due to their attack. This is good news for American soccer and Fulham :thumbsup:

**Frank Cunha** · 10-01-2004, 04:37 AM

1. CARLOS BOCANEGRA: 'Maybe I can start kind of a second wave'

By Ridge Mahoney

Carlos Bocanegra, 24, won an appeal to be granted a work permit to play in the English Premier League, which freed him to sign a 3 1/2-year contract with London club Fulham. His MLS contract expired Dec. 31.

Bocanegra signed a four-year contract with MLS after leaving UCLA a year early to begin his pro career in the 2000 season. He didn't meet a requirement that a player appeared in 75 percent of his national team's competitive internationals during the previous two years to be granted a work permit and so his initial application was denied.

In the appeal process, one criteria is the salary the club will pay its prospective player. Americans Brad Friedel (Blackburn), Kasey Keller (Tottenham), Tim Howard (Manchester United) and Claudio Reyna (Manchester City) all reportedly earn far more than $1 million per year.

Bocanegra's salary was undisclosed but believed to be one reason he won his appeal, since appeals panels in the past have rejected relatively low-salaried players. Also, Bocanegra played nearly every game in the 2002 and 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cups as well as the Confederations Cup last summer; as a comparison, U.S. midfielder Bobby Convey, whose appeal to sign a contract with Tottenham was denied last August, didn't play in the 2002 Gold Cup.

Soccer America talked to Bocanegra on Friday as he was packing his bags in preparation for his trip to England on Saturday:

SOCCER AMERICA: Do you think MLS made serious effort to re-sign you?
CARLOS BOCANEGRA: I sort of told the league I didn't want to stay so I didn't feel like they wanted to keep me. But I didn't feel like they were anxious to get rid of me.
MLS has helped me out so much. It gave me a chance to play and got me onto the national team and helped me get overseas, so it's turned out great for me."

SA: Besides personal satisfaction, what would earning a starting spot in the Premiership accomplish?
CB: It's important that I get some playing time and pave the way for a few more of our field players to go over there, because our goalkeepers have done so well. That's like the next step.
Claudio [Reyna], Eddie Lewis and Jovan [Kirovski] have done well to get their feet in the door for the field players. Maybe I can start kind of a second wave, a younger generation, that will go over there and I definitely think we have the athletes in MLS to do well.

SA: How much contact have you had with the club or the manager?
CB: I've talked to [Fulham manager] Chris Coleman. He sounds like a good guy. He wants me in the middle, they call it a center-half over there.

SA: What's your time table?
CB: I leave tomorrow. Once I get over there they'll sort out everything about a place to live and a car. I have a medical Monday morning but I don't know if I'll train that day or not.
As long as they let me in the country I'll be fine.

BethlehemFC · 13-01-2004, 01:18 PM

Nice move for Carlos.

**Frank Cunha** · 13-01-2004, 07:26 PM

I believe he can starter

Soccerdad · 13-01-2004, 07:30 PM

I do also, he will do just fine in the middle as a "d", hes big , strong and fearless..plus good at set pieces to boot!

**Frank Cunha** · 13-01-2004, 08:21 PM

Cottagers Finalize Boca Deal 13/01/04

United States international defender Carlos Bocanegra has joined Fulham on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal with the club.

The 24-year-old Californian arrives from Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire, where he was out of contract.

Manager Chris Coleman told the club's official website www.fulhamfc.com: "I have seen Carlos play and I could see that he has great potential. He reads the game well and is very skilful and strong which are the prime attributes of a defender."

Coleman added: "He has a great track record at international level, so I have no doubt he will acclimatise to the Premiership fairly quickly. I am looking forward to him joining us

**Frank Cunha** · 18-01-2004, 02:27 PM

Bocanegra interview on Fulhams official site...
http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/displaynews.asp?id=4586

**Frank Cunha** · 18-01-2004, 02:31 PM

Bocanegra interview on Fulhams official site...
http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/displaynews.asp?id=4586