Official 2009 Pre-Season Roster Thread Part 2:: Vide's Gone

I don't see it on our official site yet, but the press release about the signings of Barklage and Peters must have gone out:

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3784866

 

From Behind the Badge: "By the way, Mr. Barklage will be wearing #24, while Mr. Peters will sport #12."

http://www.behindthebadge.com/2009/03/barklage-peters-signed.php

 

Have we used all of our available International Slots, inlcuding the one from Colorado? - Or are we still holding onto one? - Is this Kocic's?

One thing I like in previous seasons, although it was maddening at times, was that DCU always had an available International slot coming into summer, just in case someone came along who could get us around the corner of the season - Hope we keep that option open this summer again, even if we don't use it

 

International Roster Spots (9 total spots – 8 for DCU + 1 from Colorado)
1. Crayton
2. Gomez
3. Fred
4. Khumalo
5. Emilo
6. Doe
7. N'Silu
8. Jakovic
9. Kocic (if he makes the team)

 

Young back line, older offense. At this point optimistic, if a few of these younger guys turn out we will be a solid team. We are fairly deep, we have good leadership with Benny, Jaime, and Christian, and a strong offense with two of the past three league MVPs. I know a lot of people are nervous about the D, but it is young and athletic, they will improve as the season goes on.

I would much rather have the team get younger and look a little inexperienced instead of throwing cash at old out-of-shape internationals who are only gonna be here for a year. We are getting younger AND we are still a strong team, good deal if you ask me.

 

There is simply no way to know how our defense is going to do at this point so I am not going to try to guess, but I like that the club is trying to take a more sensible approach to roster building than last year.

We can talk about size and speed all we want, but at the end of the day all that matters is that our guys make the plays that need to be made when they need to make them. Size and speed helps, but it takes much, much more than that. Let's hope that this group has the tools both inside and out that will allow them to be a great team.

One extra note: That was a great point about having the international spot available for the summer window. I sure hope that we have that option. DC have a history of using that option very skillfully at times.

 

^^Personally, i would love to get our hands on Santiago Solari ex. real madrid/river plate/ Argentine International and Ex. Inter' of italy.

He is nice and big at 6foot, and has skills and pace to play well in our league IMO. Too bad we already have a DP in Emilio..... He would be awsome to throw on our team and may even have american citizenship.


O yea and i mention him because i saw him play vs. River where Gallardo had a not good game, and Solari in his 35mins playing(got hurt cause he got a slight muscle pull, left the game) he played great! Hes only 32 too, and is on a 1 year deal with San Lorenzo that ends this summer and is a free agent.

 

I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see Emilio sold if he manages to put up respectable numbers in the first half of the season.

 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2009/03/kocic_to_sign_with_dcu.html#comments

Kocic is our new developmental goalkeeper. I guess that means either Thorpe or Platter is the odd man out.(most likely Thorpe)

 

I just don't have my usual optimism this year. Maybe it's the tanking economy making me so pessimistic, but I keep thinking:

Our attackers are pretty old. Jaime almost never shoots, and tries to dribble the ball into the net. Gomez may have regressed, and he will need a late-game sub. Fred is great until he actually has to shoot the ball into the net. Benny will be an inspired shadow of his former self, and may not last the season. Luciano tailed off last year, and may never get back to his best form. And so on......

A few good days from the Dow and perhaps I'll perk up.

 

I on the other hand feel different. I think This is the year our forwards shine. I see Emilio hopefully regaining his form, with Moreno playing along side, and N'silu coming in or Doe to come in when Emilio is having an off week or needs rest.

Gomez i have a feeling is going to go back to being his effective self, as it seems players are playing deep into their thirties given his slow drop off rate. Moreno i think will surprise us all by doing awsome with being refreshed frmo his off season surgery(ies).

Our offense isnt going to be the problem...as last season our offense really got messed up by injuries.... *knocks on wood*

Its all on the defense this year, and i am confident with no spanish speakers back there we will be ok.

 

Since Crayton is coming off an injury and has yet to play a pre-season game, Platter is veteran cover now as well as later in the season when Crayton's contract expires. It would not be a surprise to see Kocic loaned out for games in USL or USL2. Thorpe is a goner.

 

This is very interesting. Kocic needed to swallow his pride to sign a developmental contract. Who knows how good he will be, but it is a good sign that he is able to be in touch with reality about where he stands as a player enough to sign a contract that was below his initial expectations. I am all for self confidence, but it needs to be balanced with the self awareness of your current limitations. DC were smart to only offer him a developmental contract and Kocic, at his current level of play as a professional, is smart to take it. I feel a lot better about Kocic as a player. My hope is that he now has a much more realistic understanding of what it takes to be a professional goalkeeper.

That said, I will miss that final international spot on the roster. I guess they could release somebody if they really, really need it later on.

 

Since 4 of the 9 international spots are held by reserve players (Kocic, Khumalo, Doe, N'Silu), DCU would likely not have a problem releasing one of them in the middle of the season if a key foreign player signing came to fruition.

 

Khumalo, N'Silu, and Doe aren't developmental. The 4 devs are: Wallace, Kocic, Barklage, and Miller.

Per Goff, all 4 dev slots are filled so Thorpe would have to beat out Platter for the final GK slot and a senior contract.

Anyone else thinks this new roster system SUCKS?

 

I tihnk that you are mixing up international (DCU has 9 of them) and developmental (DCU has 4 of them) roster spots - they are not the same thing and it is possible for a player to hold both of them at the same time (as Kocic will).

I called those 4 players "reserves" (not the same as developmental roster players) since they will not likely be in the team's starting line-up; whereas, the other 5 internationals (Crayton, Jakovic, Gomez, Fred, Emilio) are slated to be starters. If we want to bring in a new foreign player in mid-season, it is not like we will have to cut/trade a starter to do so - one of those 4 reserves would likely be sacrificed assuming big salary cap $ are not needed to bring in the new player.

You are right, Thorpe is a goner given his current predicament.

 

Can't help but feel bad for the guys from last year (Dom, Thorpe, even Zaher) who made it this far and didn't get in. :/

 

I still haven't read anywhere that Mediate was waived. I still think there's a chance that we will only carry two keepers, and then Mediate would have the opportunity to win that last senior slot.

Don't know though, everyone seems to be convinced that he was released.

 

yeah, I think the deal is we have 3 guys still going for one spot.
Platter, Thorpe, and Mediate are all vying for that last senior roster spot.

 

In that case, I really hope Mediate gets it... guy deserves a break (ooh, bad pun) after all he's been through.

 

Dom got cut like last week and I'll be darned if I can find the post about it. I think it was from Goff. He's not on the United roster either.

I thought the only place we had to fill was the keeper slot between Platter and Thorpe.

 

Per Goff:

 

Per the Examiner:

http://www.dcexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/ThePitch/20090304-DC-United-looking-well-sorted-40710692.html

 

Wow, color me shocked. I didn't see that coming at all. If I were a betting man, I would have bet against it. I think what this boils down to for Kocic is that he sees a real opportunity to win the starting job here in the relative short term future, so he took the chance to stay around. I hope he turns out to be as good as the coaching staff initially projected him to be.

 

^^Good call. I would have predicted him to go abroad and earn more $$$.

Maybe hes looking forward to the summer and us possibly not renewing Crayton?