SMU alum Paul Broome traded

[PonyPride]

From CNNSI.com:

SMU grad Paul Broome part of Dallas-L.A. swap
Speed, versatility lauded by new team

CARSON, Calif. (AP) -- MLS All-Star defender Ryan Suarez joined the Los Angeles Galaxy from the Dallas Burn in a five-player trade Friday.

The Galaxy also got midfielder Antonio Martinez and defender-midfielder Paul Broome, while Dallas received defender Ezra Hendrickson and forward-midfielder Gavin Glinton.

The Galaxy also sent their first-round choice in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft to Dallas in exchange for a conditional choice in the 2004 draft.

Los Angeles waived defender-midfielder Jose Retiz to make room on its roster.

The new players are scheduled to join the Galaxy for the Peace Cup Korea 2003 tournament, where Los Angeles will open play Wednesday against Uruguayan champion Nacional in Busan, South Korea.

Suarez made his U.S. national team debut May 26, starting and playing the first 77 minutes in a 2-0 victory over Wales at San Jose, Calif.

Broome has two goals and 17 assists in 87 MLS games, while Hendrickson was selected as the Galaxy's MVP in 2001, and had 17 goals and 26 assists in seven seasons with the team.

"We are excited to bring in three players that have an opportunity to immediately impact our club," said Galaxy VP/GM Doug Hamilton.

"We have acquired a young, athletic defender in Ryan Suarez, who has worked his way into the national team program, a creative player who gives us options in attack, Antonio Martinez, as well as an experienced MLS player with great pace who can play a variety of roles for us in Paul Broome.”

Glinton had two goals and five assists in 31 games over two seasons with Los Angeles.

The Galaxy currently are third in the Western Conference table with 16 points through 16 games, while Dallas has the league’s worst record, picking up only 10 points in 13 games.

"These changes are exciting for our team," said Burn head coach Mike Jeffries. "In Ezra we get a new dimension coming out of the back on the right side. He's a guy that has been the MVP on a very strong Los Angeles side and was a team leader with the Galaxy.

"Gavin offers us flexibility and pace in the midfield and is a player that will give us the opportunity to look behind the defense. He is a very creative one-v.-one player and a young prospect with a lot of talent and is capable of scoring goals like the one he scored against us earlier this year."

[SMUguy]

The Burn is starting to really annoy me. The reasons I went to games was to watch Paul Broome and Carl Bussey. Then they cut Carl, and traded Paul. They're a lot less interesting without their SMU connection.

[Pony4Life]

Well, I'm sorry to see Paul leave the Burn, but I hope he enjoys nothing but success in L.A.