"Earthquakes sign Honduran International Bernardez" (SJEarthquakes.com - Wednesday, 12/28/11) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
- SJMN: San Jose Earthquakes sign Victor Bernardez Pretty much the same info as the sjearthquakes.com article.
Literally seen his name pop up about 3 times in rumors before this. Didnt expect it to be SJ tbh. Very surprising, especially with Hernandez, Opara, & Attakora as available options at CB. However, its still a good signing seeing as that he's better than any of them. I really am a fan of what SJ has done this offseason. Chavez, Bernardez, & Alexandre very exciting signings & players I like. Salinas is fine aswell I guess.
Seems like a good signing - has to be an upgrade over Burling at the very least, and I suspect the upside is greater than simply that.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kf7xwu30tI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kf7xwu30tI[/ame] Looks like he has a cannon of a shot.
It's funny that the high light clip doesn't show a defender actually defending ... looks like he might be a good forward though I love that he's comfortable with his feet. If he can defend better than Hernandez (it's a low bar I know) this is a great signing. Typically I'd say we have too many center backs, but with Opara so often injured I think we might need 4. This guy, matched with Opara, means the Quakes will have a large and potentially potent back line and that is the key to the post season. Color me impressed with the off-season (superficially until we see the result on field): 1) We signed a proven target forward for the year 2) We upgraded the speed of the outside of our game 3) We signed a tough stopper (remains to be seen if he's better than Ring) 4) We signed a big center back Those were 4 large holes from last year, with the biggest being center back. I'm wondering where this came from... Doyle has really struggled for the last 4 years. I wonder if Kaval is having a positive effect on how to manage a business.
Agreed. It seems like every need is being filled, and the quality is much improved compared to previous off-season acquisitions. No USL players in the bunch. It's pretty customary to have 4 CBs due to injuries and suspensions though. Any less and we'd not be in a good position depth-wise.
Another good acquisition by JD. We needed CB help after the loss of Burling. Opara is great but made of glass and Attakora is still developing and a bit unpredictable. Bernardez has played at a high level in Belgium and Mexico and for the Honduran national team. He started their Gold Cup semifinal against Mexico in 2011 and their 0-0 draw against Switzerland in the 2010 WC. He is still only 29 and has plenty of mileage left on his legs. The downside seems to be he has only played in about 50-70% of his team's games the past 3 seasons. I can't tell if it's injury related or not. But he played quite a bit when he went out on loan so maybe he was just buried on Anderlecht's depth chart. Check out the Quakes spending relative to other teams the past few years. We are always in the bottom two or three teams in payroll. That is on ownership, not JD. I don't know what specifically has caused the change but ownership seems to be opening up the checkbook a bit more this offseason. Our non-draft-related 2011 preseason acquisitions were: McLoughlin and Luzunaris. That's it. Now compare that to this year. It seems to me there has been a change in payroll policy but we won't really know for sure until the Union releases its 2012 salary figures.
From what I know about the other signings, it hasn't cost us much. I doubt this one did either... time will tell (when we get salary detail during the season) but I'm not going with the "checkbook opening" yet. As for 4 CBs... assuming Corrales stay on, he's a servicable (albeit expensive) backup at CB, LB, LM and Stopper. I would think that would be enough... I say trade Hernandez assuming he has any value in the market but we all suspect Opara will be out a portion of games and I'd rather have him on the field than Nana or Corrales (or Burling for that matter).
He was probably just a squad sort of player at Anderlecht. He's played a lot on loan and with Honduras recently though. We also picked up Donatelli in January...then released him about a month later before the start of the season. We should have a good bit of money free with all the players that were not re-signed (Sealy, Leitch, etc). I think we were close to the cap last season...maybe it's just smarter spending. The only way we could spend a lot more would be on a DP wouldn't it?
So much for no more big signings. And let me say that I am happy about that!! So, a quality center back takes care of our worries about Ike being injured. If we can play both Ike and Bernárdez, we could have a very formidable defense. As for Kaval's influence, I think this is a case of Kaval telling JD and Frank to get some good players, and backing that up with Lew's money. I am not convinced that JD is an idiot, but rather that JD is often between a rock and hard place. Frank is an idiot though. I bet a lot of MLS quality center backs would be buried on Anderlecht's depth chart. So he got loaned out. This is the sort of player that we can afford, so it's good to look at him and guys like him. How about a really crappy, inexcusably bad 2011? And Frank and JD both said that ownership were willing to spend more for the '12 season. So here it is. We've made some good signings so far, we're still trying to get Dawkins on a longer deal, and we're trying to pry another player or two loose from Spurs, and I think (could be wrong) that we have a backup plan in Brasil. Smarter spending, and more spending. OF COURSE, we cannot know all of the ins and outs of the salary cap and how much (if any) we pay in loan fees or transfer fees and or other "hidden" costs. I'm not trying to wax conspiratorial here, I'm just saying that the way the league is run, we don't really know what a player costs us. We paid Dawkin's $60 last season, but we may well have been paying Spurs additional cash on top of that. (Some here argue that that must be the case, and I cannot disprove such a claim.) So, off to a good start for the pre-season!! Keep it up guys!! Redeem yourselves from a shitty 2011! GO QUAKES!!!!! FIRE FRANK!! - Mark
As mentioned above, this guy has a cannon of a freekick--similar to fellow CB Alex (who's leaving Chelsea). It either goes on-frame, breaks somebody's face or leaves the stadium. His size, power and experience will balance nicely with Opara's athleticism. Opara and Attakora can learn a lot from him. Good pick up.
does this mean all the folks wailing and gnashing their teeth about how stupid Doyle was because he let Burling go should be bellying up to a large crow dinner?
One less hole we have to worry about. our roster is shaping up nicely. very pleased this offseason so far
Bernardez and Chavez are both Honduran Internationals, so they will have some familiarity with each other on and off the field. That should make it easier for both to become comfortable on a new club. Roger Espinoza (KC) Andy Najar (DC) are the other Hondurans in MLS, according to a thread on MLS News and Analysis.
Unless one of them is a "Less Filling" kind of guy and the other is a "Tastes Great" kind of guy and there is a flare up a week between them before the first kick of 2012.
Really crappy, inexcusably bad was New England, Vancouver and Toronto. We were just below average. Thats important, because its the difference between needing a total remodel and needing a few tweaks and upgrades here and there. As for our roster situation, I think its much cleaner and more maneuverable then DC, Portland, and Chivas, some other teams in our neck of the woods. I think the biggest thing about the end of last year is it showed we could play decently, if not always get the results we wanted, without relying on any real problem contracts or players. We had a solid base to build on this offseason, and I think they have been smart about what theyve chosen to address.
I am surprised, and pleased, but this off-season so far. Chavez, Bermudez, Alexandre, Salinas, Lenhardt added/kept Burling, Convey (who was so far in Frank's doghouse he might as well have been in Hawaii) lost With Sealy, Luiz, Peterson, Weber likely to follow Let's sign Dawkins and get one or two other Tottenham loan projects and we are good to go. I think this team (on paper) is a playoff caliber team.
Btw, have the quakes signed Attakora yet? I thought I read that he needed a new contract. If he is signed then I think the Quakes are good at center back: Bernardez, Ike, Attakora, and Jason. Only concern would be injury-proneness of Ike and Attakora. If needed they could play Ramiro there.
Now that the Quakes have signed Marvin Chavez and Victor Bernardez, could a signing of former Giants steroid-swilling outfielder Marvin Benard be far behind, as, I don't know, club pharmacist?
"Quakes add Honduran defender Victor Bernardez" (CSNBayArea.com - Wednesday, 12/28/11) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G