Agbossoumonde close to six month loan with Djurgardens

photo by ISIphotos.com

U.S. U-20 national team defender Gale Agbossoumonde looks set to end his club woes by joining Swedish club Djurgardens IF on a six-month loan, it was reported Tuesday via Swedish outlet fotbolldirekt.com.

Agbossoumonde, who has struggled to find a permanent club since signing a pro-contract with soccer management company Traffic USA, has impressed during his two-week trial with the club and should finalize a loan deal soon. The loan runs until August and includes a fixed price should Djurgardens wish to buy Agbossoumonde permanently.

Here's a (translated) video of Djurgardens sporting director Stefan Alven talking about the nearly-completed deal:

Davies trialling with D.C. United hoping to resurrect his career

photo by AP Photos

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The last time I spoke to U.S. national team forward Charlie Davies in person was in Miami back in October 2009, just a few days prior to the disastrous car accident that almost took his life near Washington D.C.

15 months later, as Davies continues to attempt to completely recover from the multiple injuries picked up in the deadly car crash (a passenger in the one-vehicle accident lost her life), I, along with several other reporters, spoke to Davies in South Florida again.

Having healed from multiple injuries - including a broken and dislocated left elbow, a right leg broken in three places, a broken nose, forehead and eye socket, a ruptured bladder and bleeding on the brain - Davies is hoping to end his club team woes and find playing time as he's attempting to secure a 12-month loan deal from French club Sochaux to MLS's D.C. United.

United is in town for a pre-season camp, and Davies talked to media following his first full training session with the club. The fit but scarred Davies touched on a number of items, including how the potential loan deal came to be and whether or not he had second thoughts about playing for D.C. United with the accident having happened so close to the club's headquarters.

Give my story over at SoccerbyIves a read and see how Davies is not only ready to complete his recovery, but also receive a fresh start after a rough 15 months.

Grading the Big Three after win against OKC

For the first time in about two weeks, the Miami Heat fielded its three superstars, and the result was an 108-103 victory over Oklahoma City in a game some would argue was the best win of the season.

Facing a talented but young Thunder team, the Heat went blow for blow with the hosts in a tight contest that wasn't decided until Eddie House hit an open three to make the score 105-103 in Miami's favor.

House may have hit the winning shot, but it was Miami's big three superstars which were mostly responsible for the win. Combined, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh accounted for 75 of the Heat's points. The win was the three players' most complete performance since the demolition of the Lakers on Christmas day, and it was made more impressive because they are still shaking off the rust picked up through respective injuries.

Here's how I grade Wade, James and Bosh's respective performances against the Thunder.

Dwyane Wade 32 points/9 rebounds/41 minutes

Grade: A

Fresh from removing the stylistic shades he wore earlier in the week, Wade returned to his role of leading scorer against the Thunder. He nearly achieved a double-double, scoring 32 points and recording nine boards. He also hit a few eye-opening, highlight reel-like shots.

LeBron James 23 points/13 assists/40 minutes

Grade: A

Sacrificing his points per game average for delicious dimes, James grabbed a double-double with his 23 points and 13 assists. James' most clutch play in the game was one of those assists, when he passed up glory and an open look to feed Eddie House for the game-winning three.

Chris Bosh 20 points/7 rebounds/36 minutes

Grade: A-

Bosh began the game well, and while he did show glimpses of a player returning from an ankle injury, he showed well for the most part. Bosh was a handful offensively, scoring 20 points, and defensively he contributed with 7 rebounds. Bosh also exchanged words with Thunder star Kevin Durant early on.

photos by MiamiHeat.com