Since we are in down time, might be a good time to revisit something you know we all love and enjoy: lamenting RSL's limited international slots. Just a brief recap. All MLS teams have 8 international slots, which can be traded and there is no limit how many a MLS team can acquire (que the Chivas USA trucks). However RSL only has 6, why? Because the early-day brain trust permanently traded 1 to Colorado for a player who barely played and 1 to Chivas for a player that retired before he got to Utah. Of our 6 we are using 4, which according to Wiki, breaks down like this: Bonfigli, Espíndola, Martinez, Viana. Paulo Jr would count but RSL is using some funky new MLS rule which says if you loan out a player during the season he doesn't count. Kewl, huh? Also Álvarez, Johnson, Mansally, Morales, Olave, Saborío, Steele and Velásquez are all foreign born but count as domestics (green cards, political asylum etc). So if Bonfigli gets cut (sad) and Paulo, Espindola and Martinez finally get green cards by March 2013 (which they were close too this past year) then RSL should have only one used up, for Viana. Leaving 5 open. Fun huh?
That'd be some good news. I wonder what horrible things we'd have to do to get those 2 other spots back.
RSL worked really hard the last few years to get MLS to reset the slots, but they said no (apparently the request wasn't in the form of a check from AEG). Perhaps some day Chivas and Colorado, being our close friends, will see the light and allow us to trade for them back. I say we send Braun to Chivas and Bonfigli to Colorado. Maybe? Small silver lining: Houston is just as dumb as us with only 6 currently (although I don't think their missing 2 are permanent).
They gave the organization a ton of respect within the hemisphere, IMO. Certainly in MLS. IMO, the players that should stay for the future based on they provide sufficient quality compared to their salary hit: Rimando (But, if you can get a killer trade, do it, Reynish is probably ready to start) Saborio Beckerman Olave Shuler After those are several more that are probably keepers based on having a low salary, but they also seem low on production, so they are probably replaceable at equal or lower cost. I'd tend to say keep Watson-Siriboe, Velasquez, Gil (only if seriously lower salary since now off Gen Ad), Alvarez, Martinez, and Viana. The reason to keep them is so that the time, money and energy scouting for new players is not spent on finding their replacements that would probably be of equal usefulness (or less) and no meaningful drop in salary. The money should be spent on finding replacements for the following: Beltran, Borchers (though I can be talked in to keeping him), Wingert, Grabavoy, Morales (this is where the big bucks should be spent on a new player), Paulo, Espindola, etc. That's a lot of players to replace, so you have to limit how many you are looking for to make it a reasonably successful process. And, Kreis needs to get some serious redirection on his coaching. I think his Diamond and emphasis on passing is great, but they lost the thread. The purpose of the passing was to wear the other team down, exhaust them. But, the team/he lost the tread and started passing so toothlessly that other teams just ignored it until the ball got over midfield, sometimes ignored it until it was in the final third.
Rimando called into USMNT camp for Wednesday's friendly @ Russia. That's 7 consecutive USMNT camps for Nicky. Still, that's a long way to fly to hold down the bench. No Beckerman this time...I think that means his USMNT career is over.
That's an awesome free trip to Russia for Rimando. As for KB, I wouldn't fully count him out. I think he'll get at least one more shot during a friendly in the time leading up to the qualifiers.
You don't know anything...about Kyle and the national team and his soreness right now as to why he didn't go. Look at the roster, think Romano is the only mls player.
No, we all know that IBIK doesn't know anything. Phills is totally on there. WINNING! Good thing he is on here to set us straight. Personally, I think Beckerman should concentrate on club, get healthy in the offseason.
He cause the foul cause he had to run back after Dempsey lost the ball, and a ball hitting his foot doesn't take him off the team especially after the game with the win in Mexico. He was given praise then and for other games. The only people that have taken him off the team are the beckerman haters for which you have always been one.
Never ever been a Beckerman hater. Beckermans lack of speed was exposed on numerous occasions in the Jamaica match. Jumping in a wall and having the ball deflect of ones foot happens that event did not torpedo his national team career, his lack of speed torpedoed him. I really do hope Kyle gets another shot, but I seriously doubt it.
The fact of the matter is, Beckerman is on the wrong end of the age scale to factor into anything more than friendlies for the most part. I'd honestly rather he didn't get called up again. I'd prefer he was able to play all games for us and avoid the unnecessary risk of injury. His speed is the majority of the reason he's never been a constant fixture at the national level.
I haven't had anybody tell me "you don't know anything" since....well, since my first-grader told me that last night.
I agree that the diamond, as we played it this year, didn't have the advantages that came with it in previous seasons. The point about wearing down the other team is exactly right. I actually think the formation was wearing down our guys faster than it was wearing down the opponents. Teams realized that if they clogged the middle we would knock ourselves out trying to get to the side. When we did, the defenders took a few steps and shifted over o that side. Then, we would go back up to ward mid-field and try to get to the other side. Same thing. What I'm not sure about is the cause....players or coach?
At what point is it ok to point out the shortcomings of the coach, this team took most of the middle of the season off and it cost them a shot at the shield, the CCL spot, tie open cup. What did I miss? Agree with the above post, RSL played keep away all season and other teams were able to sit back and enjoy us holding possession and rarely pushing the ball into the box until late in matches.