US Captain Carlos Bocanegra Makes Saint-Étienne Switch

In a move that barely made a ripple on the slowly simmering summer transfer gossip wire, U.S. national team captain Carlos Bocanegra recently completed a low-key move between French Ligue 1 clubs.

Specifically, the former MLS Rookie of the Year moved from Rennes to Saint-Étienne for a rumored $650,000 transfer fee.

The 31-year-old will probably be counted on to provide some defensive stability to a club that finished 17th in Ligue 1 last season, eight points above the relegation zone.
Bocanegra had been at Rennes since moving away from Fulham in 2008. He'd apparently fallen out of favor at Rennes in his second season, as the club began jettisoning its older-age players. His first year in France,\ Bocanegra played 38 games, a figure which dropped to 26 last season. Still, he did start all four of the U.S.'s World Cup matches in South Africa last month.

Share At Rennes Bocanegra was mainly a left back, at Saint-Étienne he may play a more central role as the club looks to replace Pape Diakhaté.

The situation at Saint-Etienne is less than ideal, with many of the supporters living in the past when Les Verts were a European power in the 1970s, highlighted by a loss in the 1976 European Cup final to Bayern Munich. This puts more pressure on the current squad as it looks to fight off relegation.

One thing that seems to work in Bocanegra's favor at Saint-Étienne is that he should get plenty of playing time. Bocanegra seems more suited to playing a central role then as a left back, which should help him as he gets a little older.

Perhaps one area he can help the club in the scoring department. One of Bocanegra's strengths in international play has been his ability to finish near the goal on set pieces, scoring 12 times in a U.S. shirt. If he could chip in four or five for Saint-Étienne it would be a huge boost to the club, which was last in Ligue 1 scoring with only 27 goals in 2009-10.

However with the club flirting with relegation for the last few seasons, if the trapdoor to Ligue 2 finally opens, Bocanegra might find himself looking for another club come June 2011. By then a return to MLS wouldn't be out of the question.