2013-14 Sporting Kansas City Offseason Thread (Now Comes with Spring Transfer Window!)

No one is addressing if we'll be able to keep Federico Bessone?

 

At his salary I'd say definitely keep.

 

Dwyer headed back to England???

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footbal...an-success.html

 

We're discussing that in the offseason thread

 

The reason that Bieler hasn't been playing is because he doesn't fit into our 4-3-3... when we've played him in the playoffs he's been set up more like a 4-4-2 with Zusi back in the midfield.

I actually believe that Vermes is 100% correct in saying that there are tactical reasons for not having Bieler in there - and that he absolutely wants Bieler to stay and that we will use him next year. You simply don't move away from the 4-3-3/4-5-1 which you've been perfecting for 3 years in a cup final... but when push came to shove he did make adjustments to see if it would work... though mostly in come-from-behind scenarios where the 4-5-1's high pressure wasn't as necessary.

Look to see Zusi and Feilhaber combining in the midfield next season with Sapong/Teal up top with Bieler in a 4-4-2. But the 4-3-3 will still be around as well.

It's not that Vermes doesn't want to be flexible in his tactics - it's that he doesn't want to use anything he doesn't think is 100% ready. This is a guy who believes in preparation above all else... and if something wasn't ready in practice then he's only going to use it as a last resort in a game.

 

You guys got Zusi too. Hometown hero from Orlando.

 

The discussion here about nagamura is interesting to me. I just note that playoffs aside, many of our biggest victories this year also saw Nagamura in the XI. (3/30 Montreal; 4/17 at NYRB; 5/12 at Houston). Also, some of our worst defeats (5/8 Seattle; 8/3 NYRB; 8/18 at SJ; 8/23 at Chi) came with him gone. You may accuse me of cherry picking....

I was critical of Naga early in the year, but taking the 30,000 foot view, I was clearly wrong. Was our August suck-fest due to a lack of minutes by nagamura?

I was one of the ones that wanted Cesar back for 2013. Seems to me to be tempting fate losing Espinoza, Cesar, and Naga in successive years. (HX health just highlights this more).

All this is independent of Mikey Lopez making a big contribution in 2014. Not to slight the kid, but I'm not sure PV will be banking on him next season either.

 

Ha try playing the way we play with 3 pretty boys in the midfield. For the system we play to be successful we need a grinder, a enforcer, or as some put "a blue collar worker in the midfield". I really don't care if it's Nags or not but we need someone like him and Rodger.

And if you don't want to waste the money on him guess what? We have a guy on our squad that would work. His name is Peterson Joseph.

 

That looks dangerous up top I will admit but a disaster on the defensive side. You would have to move one of Nags/Rosell/Benny to a outside mid. My stomach turns just thinking about that.....


Or say you scratch nags and acquire an actual wide mid. Well then your leaving Uri by himself back there. Errrr also not an easy feeling....

 

4-4-1-1

Bieler
Sapong
Feilhaber - Zusi
Uri - Nags
Myers - Besler - Collin - Sinovic

 

Still not completely sold on him yet, and it is not clear whether his best long-term role is box-to-box or attacking. His health issues are also a concern.

I see no reason why the team cannot continue to line up "officially" in a 4-3-3 with Zusi as a nominal winger who ends up roaming all over the field.

 

For a team that likes to use the flanks that looks like a disaster.

 

I would imagine it a lot like a 4 - 5 - 1 with Sapong tucked under Bieler, but I'm just spitballing here.

Honestly, I don't think we need a formation change, but March is a long ways away and I've gotta kill time somehow.

 

Honestly I just think we need to stick to the tactics that has won us 2 cups in the last 3 years. We saw what happened when we tried to get too greedy at the beginning of the year with our low pressure, high possession system. We lost in Toronto followed by two 0-0 snooze fests before we started reverting back.

 

This seems a bit oversimplified to me. The team did not play quite the same this year as it did last year or the year before. I think that we have seen a progression, with more emphasis now on possession. The difference later in the season, and especially in the playoffs, is the combination of keeping the ball more with maintaining high pressure when the other team has it. The players have an even better understanding of their roles and generally do a good job of staying within themselves. They are more willing and able to dial it down and pass it around a bit, but still can go full throttle at appropriate times. The midfield is key--Rosell's background and development, Feilhaber's arrival and adjustment, and Nagamura's versatility and consistency all combined to make it work at just the right time. The reward is a gold star!

 

Yea, something like this - Though I still think that in offense you see Bieler and Sapong/Teal line up pretty much even - if not having Sapong/Teal being the highest up and Bieler coming back for knock-downs or pulling into midfield to get the ball and open things up.

The midfield could also be seen as somewhat of a diamond. Width comes from FBs going forward or Bieler/Sapong/Zusi/Feilhaber pulling out wide.

We'd still defend in a 4-5-1 like we generally have since 1/4th through 2011.

The other thing that you have to consider is that the players are not thinking, nor is Vermes asking them to think, "I'm supposed to be a wide forward/central midfielder/(even) central defender so I can't go anywhere else". Vermes wants his players to recognize that there is an opening or space to go into and then also wants his players to recognize that another player has moved "out of" position and take his place. When Besler or Collin gallup up the field, Rosell should take their spot. The rest of the midfield then also needs to rotate (depending on how long the switch takes place). It is why Nagamura can, many times, be the farthest SKC player up field despite being behind at least 4 players in the formation.

Which is to say that saying "we're going to play a 4-4-2" is not terribly useful - it's an oversimplification. Sure, not everyone gets the license to roam the field like Zusi has had in the playoffs, but the formation is really just a starting point or a rough sketch and hardly cemented in place by any means.

 

The Re-Entry Process list is now out, and it does not include anyone from SKC. Either the team was given an extra day to celebrate before letting anyone go, or it wants to re-sign all of the eligible players--Bunbury, Kronberg, Nagamura, anyone else?

 

My thoughts:

Defense starting four are fantastic. Make sure they are all back. Best defense in the league for the past three years. Opara and Olum are wonderful CB backups. We are lacking at FB depth.

The way we ended up with our three starting midfielders in Feilhaber, Rosell, and Nagamura ended up working out nicely. I still wish Nagamura provided a little more offensively, but we never got much offense out of Espinoza or Cesar either. Depth is still a problem, I am not sold on Joseph at all.

Forward is still solid with Bieler, Saad, Sapong, and Bunbury, assuming Dwyer is gone. The SaadorSapong-Bieler-Zusi line looks good; I would also like to see Saad-SapongorBunbury-Zusi on occasion.

Zusi is Zusi. Pay him whatever you have to pay him, but nothing would make me happier than to see him a Sporting player for life.

GK, wow. Jimmy, if you retire, thank you so much for what you have given to the club. You absolutely belong in the SKC Hall of Fame. Replacing you will not be easy, but hopefully Kempin's development is coming along.

The only upgrades I would really like to see are better replacements for bench players like Peterson, Joseph, Gardner, Jerome, etc. Excited to see what some of the youngsters can do like Lopez, Medranda, etc.

The 4-3-3 ended up working out; with the gold star I hereby suspend any and all criticism I may have had for PV and the system for at least a year.

(Bill Simmons' 12th rule for being a fan: "12. After your team wins a championship, they immediately get a five-year grace period: You can't complain about anything that happens with your team (trades, draft picks, salary-cap cuts, coaching moves) for five years. There are no exceptions. For instance, the Pats could finish 0-80 over the next five years and I wouldn't say a peep. That's just the way it is. You win the Super Bowl, you go on cruise control for five years. Everything else is gravy." I don't think I can go five years, but I will refrain from all criticisms for at least a year.)

 

Here is the list: http://m.mlssoccer.com/news/article...list-eligible-players-december-re-entry-draft

I would be interested in Gspurning. He's been good; never liked going up against him. For some reason I find Kenny Cooper intriguing. Not sure why as I've not really been a fan. Perhaps just because the name sticks out.

 

Not sure I'd dig Gspurning. He's goodish, sure. A great shotstopper, which is something we don't have currently. But really, given the defensive stranglehold we tend to have in games, I think a very strong 1v1 ability is essential. How many games did Nielsen save by blasting off his line to shut down a runner who snuck behind the back line? Dozens of times every year. That stop on Agudelo, for example, that kept us in the playoffs not so long ago. I'm not sure Gspurning fulfills that function as well. Not sure who I'd want, though, as in my opinion, everything else aside, no keeper in the league is better at stopping the 1v1s.

 

Steve Zakuani is an interesting possibility, but his health and salary are probably too much to take on.

 

This is probably super dumb, but what about Josh Saunders? Same age as Gspurning, maybe cheaper (???), I think has a history of addiction that he overcame like Jimmy, about the same age as Jimmy when Jimmy came, has played behind some pretty good freaking keepers. Jimmy as assistant for a smooth transition. Is Saunders busted? Does he have that competitive fire that caused Pascarella to take note of Jimmy? If we retain the defense, it's not like we need a top 5 GK back there.

BTW, if Jimmy retires, who becomes captain?

 

Nielsen just announced his retirement at the Cup celebration.

 

Love Jimmy. In my opinion, absolutely the right choice by him here. Hope he never leaves the city, though.

 

I wonder if Vermes is comfortable with Kronberg for a season, or if he thinks Kempin is ready for the big time. If not, there are obviously several stop-gap guys available.

As for captain....hmm. I could make a case for Zusi as the high-profile guy, Besler as the quiet rock of a guy, or Nagamura as the grizzled veteran.