
This is the confirmation news from The Province, Canada that Marlon Alex James and Cornelius Bernard Hugging will be joining them for this season.
Sources confirmed the Whitecaps will announce today the signing of forward Marlon Alex James, 31, and central defender Cornelius Bernard Huggins, 34, who have been playing together for Kedah FA in the Malaysian League.
Here is the report from The Province
Whitecaps head coach Teitur Thordarson acknowledged at Tuesday's practice that his squad would be growing, though he spoke in generalities. He said he expected the additions to be "impact players."
"You never know until they are there," he said, "but the players we are working on, they have experience from a high level."
Their credentials suggest they'll bring more, but at worst, these signings add depth. While things are looking up on the injury front -- midfielder Justin Moose returns tonight -- both forward/midfielder Nicholas Addlery and central defender Omar Jarun are sitting on seven yellow cards. One more means an automatic two-game ban.
James, a 6-foot-2 former sprinter, was a prolific scorer in Malaysia, tallying 113 times in 134 games. He helped Kedah to the Malaysian FA Cup, Malaysian Super League and Malaysia Cup the past two seasons, earning most valuable foreign player both times.
James told ESPN at the end of July that he wanted to leave Kedah to play in MLS because the Malaysian Football Association no longer wanted foreign players.
James, who played with Charles for Bray Wanderers of the Irish league from 2001 to 2003, said he had an offer from San Jose, which obviously didn't materialize.
He should add punch to an attack that has relied heavily on Eduardo Sebrango's 10 goals.
Huggins, 6-foot-1, is the most-capped defender from SVG with 135 appearances, and, like Charles, is regarded as a big, physical defender.
(details news on Marlon and Huggings) http://www.whitecapsfc.com/archive/feature08270801.aspx
thanks riyadh for the link...
Vancouver is reporting that the deal fell through. One report I heard was that Marlon Alex James didn't sign his contract. That doesn't make sense. Another said that both players were denied international clearance. My guess is the transfer window was closed when these guys signed with Vancouver, making them ineligible. Has anyone heard where they are at right now?
I'd be curious to know what their options are right now and if they can appeal that FIFA decision.