Yes it's a cluster, but really did anyone expect anything different? That is this club's m.o., from the beginning of time. I can only assume the bulk of these guys can be released for no hit come training camp before contracts are guaranteed, especially a guy like Zobeck. To keep 5 keepers is just dumb, even if you plan on loaning out the 2 kids.
A quick look at the roster below shows some very obvious holes: "GOALKEEPERS (5): Raul Fernandez, Chris Seitz, Richard Sanchez, Kyle Zobeck, Jesse Gonzalez. DEFENDERS (9): Jair Benitez, George John, Kellyn Acosta, Matt Hedges, Walker Zimmerman, Stephen Keel, Michel, London Woodberry, Moises Hernandez. MIDFIELDERS (6): Andrew Jacobson, Je-Vaughn Watson, Bobby Warshaw, Danny Garcia, Mauro Diaz, Ryan Hollingshead. FORWARDS: (5): Fabian Castillo, Blas Perez, Bradlee Baladez, Jonathan Top, Eric Hassli." Without a doubt we had better add a couple of MLS all-star quality midfielders ASAP as well as a serviceable good MLS quality forward. Maybe we have to trade some defensive depth to get that. By dropping Ferreira, Jackson, and KC we gave up 12 goals and 13 assists. Those 3, (Jackson not so much), accounted for about 25% of the offensive production on a team that wasn't good enough to get into post season play. Somehow, we have to upgrade. I'd think a near DF$ investment into a defensive mid, and some type of complimentary right sided attacking mid would be essential. Looking for another reliable option at forward when Blas is out.
I have ZERO idea how this MLS re-entry draft BS works, order, who gets what, or if it is a free for all, but of this list these are the players I would be all over and trying to add to FCD were I the GM: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...list-eligible-players-december-re-entry-draft Mauro Rosales Steve Zakuani Bobby Convey Dwayne DeRosario Fabian Espindola - or Chad Battett If you added those players to the core we have, that would be a pretty legit MLS team, in my opinion, and shore up the glaring roster holes and issue we have. Granted I don't follow these players enough to know health, injuries, contract situation, salary, etc.
My understanding is in the first iteration, you are picking up those players at their current contract's with no ability to renegotiate. Rosales and Espindola are both high dollar players, so you don't want those in this version. Zakuani is going to draw interest, but perhaps his salary goes up big time. Convey and DeRo seem to be high dollar, and close to done...Barrett sucks and has, so lets steer clear of him. The second draft where you get to start fresh with the guys is going to be interesting, lots of good available players who you could get at a lower rate. Unfortunately, I don't see many guys I would take a gamble on. BUT, if you could get Logan Pause for around 100k, that would be a big upgrade over Jacobson.
What a shame to see Zakuani and Ferreira never regain their former level. I hope this is a lesson remembered by the league.
You know as well as anyone they haven't learned one thing from those incidents. Just look at the final where the MVP probably should have been sent off before he scored the tying goal for taking the legs out of RSL players over and over as they wooshed by him.
Right you are Peg. And so, let me amend my comment to say that I hope this is a lesson learned by FCD. We need a designated hitter. But, I would greatly prefer for this signing to be an @SS kicking defensive mid with bite and game. This will allow Mauro Diaz to live long and prosper.
If they don't get this guy they will continue to need two players to split the job and a formation with one forward. The defensive midfield general allows more offense as he allows an extra attacker.
http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/1...an-midfielder-adam-moffat-seattle-sounders-fc Dallas trades Kenny Cooper's rights for Adam Moffat.
I know we need a dmid but I've never been a big fan of Moffat. He's 27 but plays like he's 37. And I hate that we also gave up allocation money. I really hope it wasn't much.
To end the Zach Loyd speculation, he told FCD more than a year ago that he would not be extending his contract past 2013. Given that the guy doesn't even live in the state of Texas anymore says all we need to know about his future at the club.
People always talk about "upgrades." We need to talk about "a$$-kickers," "difference makers," that sort of thing. At this point of the offseason, it seems like FCD is just re-shuffling mediocrity. Which I suppose is what the club has always been about.
Everyone remember, the SuperDraft is coming up. FCD can upgrade there. It is likely that FCD will not have a coach by then, or for the next few seasons. That is all right. We know how FCD drafts. 1) FCD will only draft a Generation Adidas player. 2) FCD will only draft a central defender. Welcome A.J. Cochran from Wisconsin! You know who would make a great coach? Why, a $400,000 Mexican traffic cone, of course! -SD
One thing is true, MLS is a thug league. I can't stand the little turd but ClaveeHOE is a thug coach. He can build a thug team. Maybe FCD should just put him on the sideline and let him build the only kind of team that HSG will actually pay for and that could possibly win.
This offseason has been so boring. All the promises about big-time changes and big-time additions to get us to re-up on season tickets and they've given us nothing to be excited about. For all the crap we give Jerry Jones, at least he makes moves (even if they are awful moves)
It does appear that we are all about subtraction by subtraction. And, it appears that we are torching the roster without anyone driving the bus. I smell Southlake version 2.0 coming on very quickly. Has the Cycle of Suck returned to its axis? I have the sickening feeling that if some sort of strategy or plan for winning does not emerge quickly, we are going to bitterly miss SH. The darkest hours for this club have come when accountants were playing team manager. I can almost smell the sulphery vortex. Someone please put me at ease, and assure me that John Wagner is not calling the shots?
I wonder how many years a team with Adam Moffatt on it has failed to make the playoffs...................? It's kind of like how a Dema Kovalenko (the filth) team never failed to make the playoffs in his career. And you say, "Is that a coincidence?" How many major trophies has Adam Moffatt lifted? Three? He's a hard-nosed, industrious type that the team sorely lacks. He may not be the glamorous piece, but can he be a piece to this puzzle? Yes, I think he can. Plus he's married to Steven Lenhart's sister. I don't know what that means, but it means something. He's cruisin' for a bruisin'.
FCD has plenty of industrious types. What it needs is a superstar - for both onfield and off-field reasons. Hasn't had one since Shea's breakout year. Whether you want a 30+ based Euro player or a 20-something Latin American player or a returning USMNT player, it needs someone who inspires fear in the other team.
How about joining the dark side? Throw some money at Lenhart. Throw some money at Chance Meyers and make him your RB and move Acotsa to RM. With Moffat, Meyers and Lenhart you add a ton of grit. Also try to trade Castillo to Houston for Davis. Release Benitez. Get rid of the mistake prone head cases.
I don't think it is about less, I think it is about more. Great to see that we now have a guy with some bite in the midfield. That is sorely needed. However, we also need a guy who has creativity and can help us keep possession. Remember Simo? Now that guy was a hacker's hack. But Simo could hurt either team that had the ball. Too often that is what we have to settle for. And, you get too much of that on the field at one time and it becomes unwatchable and not worthy of being considered professional quality that you spend money or time to see. Don't get me wrong. Having an option off of the bench to neutralize certain situations is always good. We apparently now have our designated hitter. But, what we still need soccer players.
Good ol Simo. You could just see the ref gearing up to issue him a yellow. Everyone in the stands saw a Simo Valakari yellow coming.