Everton signs another obscure American

Soccer by Ives brought this story (and the above picture) to my attention - Everton have signed another American player who I've never heard of. This time, it is Wake Forest striker Cody Arnoux, who just finished his junior year.

Apparently, he had a trial with the club in March and signed a contract today. He was projected to be a top three prospect in the MLS draft next year, according to SBI.

Arnoux is so obscure at this point that he doesn't have his own Wikipedia page, nor is he listed as an Everton player on that team's Wikipedia page. That will surely change in the next day or two, if not sooner.

Everton is quickly overtaking Fulham as the American team in England. If they end up signing Clint Dempsey as well, then they surely will have claimed that title away from the London club.

Sven to Notts County?!?

Sven Goran Eriksson was revealed as the director of football at Notts County FC today.

You may be asking "why Notts County?" I'm right there with you. Especially when Sven is saying things like this after taking the job

I always said I wanted to come back to the Premier League. I chose a little bit of a difficult way to do it I think.

Not sure why taking a job with a League Two side who finished 19th out of 24 teams last year has Sven convinced that this job will lead him back to the Premier League. Maybe he wants to construct a team that he can assemble with funds from a Middle East consortium who just took the team over. Notts County FC are the oldest professional soccer team in the world, after all - they certainly deserve something better than League Two.

But still, for Sven, who managed England in two World Cups, took Manchester City to their highest ever point total in the top flight (not to mention beating Man Utd in both league games in his only season in charge) and has been in charge of such high profile teams as Benfica, Roma and Fiorentina, this is a bizarre move. Even after a rough stint with the Mexican national team of late (for which I will be forever grateful - thanks Sven!), he surely could've landed

Just to clarify, Sven will not be managing Notts County, he will be the director of football. He will essentially be the equivalent of a general manager in US sports.

Also, I wonder how this will play out on a new season of Special1 TV.

Everton signs American Midfielder

And it's not Clint Dempsey.

Everton has signed 22-year-old midfielder Anton Peterlin (who?) from the Ventura County Fusion, a team in the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. He has no senior caps for the US national team, nor does he have any youth level caps.

That said, he seemed poised to make a step up from his current club. He had already rejected offers from Chicago and San Jose...but Everton? Talk about one hell of a step up.

This is a kid I'll have to keep an eye on.

Also, I wonder how he ever got to be on Everton's radar. Was Everton really scouting this kid playing down in the US's fourth division in California? I doubt Tim Howard knows him personally.