Official 2012 US Draft Voting/Discussion Thread

And I think voters should hold off until each of the 12 teams has had a chance to describe how they view their lineups, subs, etc.

 

---------------------------CJ Sapong-------------------------------

----Danny Cruz/Wells Thompson--------------------Michael Farfan----

---------------Jermaine Jones---------Maurice Edu-------------------

--------------------------Logan Pause-------------------------------

--Zach Loyd-----Jay Demerit-----Michael Parkhurst-----AJ Delagarza--

-------------------------Sean Johnson-------------------------------

Bench: Joe Cannon, Bobby Burling, Ramiro Corrales, Jared Jeffrey, Wells Thopmson/Danny Cruz, Sammy Ochoa, Chandler Hoffman


Haven't decided on the definitive starting XI just yet. But I'll be going with the varied 4-3-3 that Manchester United used to great success from 06-09.



Goalkeeper: Sean Johnson, Joe Cannon - Very happy with my selections here. I get one of the United States finest young GKs being backed up by one of the most storied GKs in MLS history. Both start for their clubs, and Johnson is in the national team picture. Will go to the Olympics barring an injury in 2012. Extremely happy and confident in both guys. Possibly my best netminder due I've ever had in this draft.


Central Defense: Jay Demerit, Michael Parkhurst, Bobby Burling - Something I've always valued in this draft is a strong core, starting at the back. Like with the GKs, Demerit and Parkhurst may be my best 1-2 punch I've ever assembled. Jay's pedigree speaks for itself, hoping for a healthy 2012 from him, his performances on field will do the rest. Looks a good bet to be captain of my team. Parkhurst has finally gotten into the full national team picture after impressive camp cupcake performances. He's in the squad for the Italy game, delighted for him. These two are backed up by Bobby Burling. Big physical MLS defender. Has been very solid in the past and had a good 2011. Was taken by Montreal in the expansion draft and with the injury to Rivas and his prior MLS experience, looks to be the opening day starter.

Outside Defense: Zach Loyd, AJ Delagarza, Ramiro Corrales - Trend possibly developing, but I consider this group my best RB/LB combo I've ever had and that's saying something after 7 drafts. These two were starters for the national team last month along with Parkhurst. In fact, within the last 12 months, all 4 of my starting defenders have started for the national team several times. I like that. Loyd and AJ give me a perfect blend of youthfulness yet experience. They will get up to support the attack but will get their job done defensively. Very excited by them and their prospects for the year. They are backed up by MLS original Ramiro Corrales who will start for San Jose in 2012. Great experience and a terrific player, glad to finally have him in my team. Strong crop.

Central midfield: Jermaine Jones, Mo Edu, Logan Pause, Jared Jeffrey - Contains my first picks in the draft. Wealth of talent and experience and they need no introduction. Again, possibly one of the strongest groups I've ever had in this position. Both are potential national team starters and will see plenty of national team action this year. I'm still in favor of both getting new clubs this summer, Jones is a fantastic player who brings the bite that every midfield needs. IMO viewed by too many as a pure DM, Jones' on-field vision is his main job in my line-up as is winning the ball and setting the tone for games. Edu will bring more of the passing flair while maintaining defensive grit, both these guys ensure that my team keeps ticking when piling pressure on but with the ability to get back and defend. Pause is the Fire's captain and will primarily sit deep allowing Jones/Edu to be more free and get forward. Jeffrey should hopefully make the Olympic team and seems on course to do so. I'll be very interested to see his progress and he's my wildcard. What I like about that is my 'Wildcard' is on target for the Olympic squad, compared to other teams, that's a pretty solid wildcard. Would love to see him also get more club minutes or a move.

Wide Midfield: Michael Farfan, Danny Cruz, Wells Thompson - Young crop for me here. I love what I've seen from Farfan over the last year and look forward to another year of the same. I think he's insanely talented and Novak gives him the attacking freedom to excel. His passing vision is terrific, he cuts inside very well, has a great shot on him and a terrific footballing brain, which I view as essential. You can tell from the way he plays that he watched this sport religiously as a kid and replicated what he saw in the streets, he's adventurous and is the kind of winger I've always wanted in this draft. Can play on either wing too, versatility!! Cruz is more of a different winger. Pure athlete, pace, and a bit of trickery. Moved to DC this season and will battle for minutes but should get them, and will be supplying crosses to a new DP and the MVP, nice. Thompson, while not the most popular guy, gets the job done. Good season last year for Colorado and hopefully more of the same.

Forward: CJ Sapong, Sammy Ochoa, Chandler Hoffman - Right, I'm not a d-bag and can admit my own faults, this is my teams' weakness. Granted, a weakness that contains the MLS rookie of the year and one of the county's more dynamic attackers is not too shabby. Sapong got a taste of the national team last month and I'm hoping that experience pays off by having an even better second season in 2012. I dont see any reason why he cant hit 10 goals, especially with service from Convey and Zusi in Kansas City, who on a sidenote are my darkhorse pick to win the Championship this season. Ochoa hasn't inspired my confidence in him by reportedly not being in the greatest shape, but I'm not fretting. I'm not buying the EJ hype, and an over-weight Ochoa still scored 2 goals last season in barely any minutes to show us what he's capable of. He'll be fine. Hoffman is the wildcard. I'm just not convinced by McInerney etc. in Philly and am thinking that he can get minutes. He has a pure nose for goal in the box and has the potential to net a few this season depending on playing time. I think he could be the 2012 surprise.

 

I see the team Giffenbone and I selected playing in a 3-5-2 like this:


-------------Casey-----Wondolowski----------
------------------Arnaud---------------------
Ashe----------Jewsbury---------------Franklin
--------------------Lahoud-------------------
---------Ihemelu----Onyewu----Wynne-------
-------------------Friedel--------------------

Bench: Pickens (GK), Thorrington (CM, DM), Barnes (CB, LB), Tierney (LM, CM, LB), Finlay (RM, STR), Schuler (STR), Grella (STR).

Other Positional Options: Arnaud (STR), Wondo (RM, LM, ACM), Ashe (LB), Jewsbury (DM, CB), Lahoud (RM, RB), Franklin (RB), Wynne (RB). So, this squad is highly flexible and could play 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 with ease. Every position has 1 or 2 backups.

Strengths:

1) Goalkeeping, obviously. Friedel is the best keeper in US history and starts for the best club any US player ever has. Pickens is a high-quality MLS starter and arguably the best #2 keeper of any team. 'Nuff said.
2) Defense. We have 4 starting-quality CBs who are atheltic and mobile, to share the 3 starting positions. The wing midfelders are experienced outside backs who can get up and down the field quickly and will provide excellent width and support for our back three. Lahoud is another very mobile player in midfield to help screen the back-3.
3a) Midfield pressure. With athletic guys like Franklin and Ashe running the wings and pulling our opponents apart, our 3 CMs (DM, CM, and ACM) can apply suffocating pressure to opposing central midfields, generally outnumbering the opponents and starving the other team's forwards for service. Our 5-man midfield will be a handful for the other teams to deal with, coordinated by a rotation of 3 savvy veterans in Arnaud, Jewsbury, and Thorrington.
3b) And our midfield can score, too. Franklin is a surprisingly good assister and scorer (4 goals, 9 assists over the last two seasons) given how much he has played RB in the past, Jewsbury can score and assist (7 goals, 8 assists in 2011) as a hard-working 2-way CM, Arnaud is a proven MLS scorer (43 goals, 35 assists career), and Tierney is also productive (3 goals, 8 assists over the last two seasons).
4) Proven, high-scoring strikers. Wondo and Casey are arguably the most productive pair of strikers of any team. Schuler and Finlay are speedy, high-scoring finishers off the bench for a change of pace. Grella provides some prime-age striker depth.
5) Set-Pieces. Casey and Onyewu are as dangerous a pair of scoring threats in the air as any team has. Tierney is an excellent free-kick server.
6) Roster full of proven 1st team players. 15 of our 18 players were/are regular starters for their teams. Only three of our guys might be considered "gambles", yet two of those were the Hermann Trophy runner-ups in 2011 (Schuler, Finlay). Better yet, Schuler may start for Hammarby, the team where Charlie Davies got his break.

Weaknesses:
Lack of a creative ACM off the bench, if Arnaud goes down or needs a rest.

In a nutshell: We are going to win a lot of 1-0 and 2-0 games. Defense wins championships.

 

[LINEUP-4-3-3]Beasley, Altidore, Corona, Evans, Adu, Gerzicich, Dunivant, Bocanegra, Gibbs, S. Williams, Hartman[/LINEUP-4-3-3]

Bench: Perk, Harden, Sarkodie, Zemanski, Nguyen, Boggs, Wooten

Strengths

-I think my starting lineup is strong, with a balance of defense and offense. My defense is on the older side, with Dunivant, Bocanegra, and Gibbs over thirty. However, that gives me the experience in the back to effectively play a 4-3-3. The composure at the back will keep my team's shape on counter attacks or be able to shut down opposing counters.

My midfield isn't as strong as a lot of other teams, but I think I got a darkhorse in Bryan Gerzicich, who'll sit just above my back line and fill in for Dunivant or Williams as they push up. Evans would be a solid pivot between my defense and offense and provide an outlet for my back four. Adu adds a dynamic to my attack that's unpredictable and that's something I like. He hasn't really coordinated an attack on his own professionally yet, but that's why he has a wealth of options around him to distribute to.

Quite frankly, I'm excited about my attacking three. My wingers in Beasley and Corona doesn't get much better for a 4-3-3 and they create havoc for a good many fullbacks. Altidore is a dangerous presence in the box and his hold up play will provide plenty of runs from the flanks and midfield. Goals will be scored and service into Altidore isn't a concern with Beasley, Corona, Adu, Dunivant, and Williams.

-Tactically, my team is a threat down the middle with Altidore, Adu, and Evans, but also a threat from the flanks with Beasley, Corona, Dunivant, and Williams. Defensively, Hartman, along with Boca and Gibbs, provides a lot of stability and ability to start the attack from the back. I have a good mix of size and speed, along with the experience and talent to run a 4-3-3. We can counter or keep possession and every player is surrounded by solid ball handlers and plenty of outlets.

-Set plays are just another weapon for my team. With Bocanegra, Gibbs, Altidore, and Evans being big bodies in the box, this team is going to be dangerous in the box. Adu will quality on the dead ball and Dunivant can fill in as well.

- My bench is exciting and adds different dynamics to my team. Boggs, especially, isn't a winger in the sense of Corona and Beasley and his off the ball runs could prove a handful for defenses. Wooten is inexperienced but a big body who can crash the box. Nguyen adds a playmaker off the bench who can fill various attacking positions. Zemanski is another deep player who can cover the defense but also add to the attack when the time is right. Harden has experience in central defense in a 4-3-3 with TFC and Sarkodie is an exciting fullback for Houston and the U-23s.

Weaknesses

-There are plenty of midfields in this draft who can crush mine and just overwhelm my defense. If Gerzicich and Evans aren't on their A-game, we are dooooooooomed. The experience in the back will keep the game close, but we're losing 1-0 or 2-1 plenty of times if my midfield form drops.

-I'm not happy with my defensive depth, although Harden and Sarkodie are adequate. I probably should have opted for a defender/midfielder instead of Zemanski, just for more flexibility off my bench.

-Adu. If he's on it like during the Gold Cup, we can blow out teams. If not, ugh. He's got plenty of options and his attack can be versatile, but I'm relying on him to dictate the flow of my team. It'll either be beautiful or I'm warming up Nguyen in the first twenty minutes of the game.

In a nutshell: We'll be hard to score on, even if our midfield is dominated, and we're extremely versatile in the attack. However, as previous posters have said in other threads, a lot does rest on Adu. I think he can manage it and he has a lot of options on the ball, but he is still inexperienced in running a professional offense. I don't see us getting blown out, we'll lose our share of 1-0 or 2-1 games, but we'll win plenty of games by the same margin. That's about as much as can be asked for when there's no team with an obvious weakness. I think we could've made the rosters 20 players instead of 18 players and there still would have been some good players not selected.

 

I'd say forward starts out as the strength of FC Coulibaly and midfield as being a bit unsettled.

At forward we have Buddle and Boyd, giving us size, power and a nose for goal up top. We will not hesitate to play lots of crosses and a fair amount of long ball with those two up top. We feel that Buddle and Boyd will enable us to be dangerous in the attack even on days when our midfield is being outplayed. We also drafted four other players who could potentially log some time at forward--Taylor, Wenger, Garza and George.

It will take a bit of time to sort out our starting midfield. Our plan is to play a Y formation, with a defensive mid, a two-way pivot player, and two attacking mids. We drafted Wenger with the intention of starting him at defensive mid, but have alternatives in Cronin, Farfan and LaBrocca. At the pivot, we could go with LaBrocca, Fabian Johnson or Lletget or perhaps even Wenger if he turns out to be better suited for that role. The candidates for attacking mid include Johnson, Lletget, Wenger, Taylor, Garza and in a pinch Farfan.

The defense features two national team-caliber fullbacks in Cherundolo and Lichaj. Cherundolo in particular will be called upon to range forward and play lots of crosses into the forwards. Marshall and Soares should work well together in the middle of the defense. It is not widely known that Soares played a good chunk of his rookie season on a bum ankle and he should be even better this year after having it cleaned up. Farfan provides depth at all the defensive positions and Hedges is a promising young reserve at centerback. The versatile Wenger could also help on defense if injuries or other problems mount there. One of our draft strategies was to get lots of versatile players. That way we have many options at every position. An eighteen man roster is quite small for a year-long league and you really need players like Farfan and Wenger who can play virtually everywhere.

Both of our goalies--MacMath and Clark--are being promoted this season. MacMath will be the new starter with the Union and Clark is moving up with his club to the Tippeligaen. We feel confident that both will be up to the challenge.

 

[LINEUP-4-3-3] Agudelo, Braun, Pontius, Torres, Okugo, Diskerud, Pearce, Brunner, Moor, Alston, Kennedy[/LINEUP-4-3-3]
Bench: Lamar Neagle, Clyde Simms, Luis Silva, Jason Hernandez, Omar Gonzalez, Conor Doyle, David Yelldell

Strengths Balance
Weaknesses Balance

I see my team as one of the most balanced in the draft (see above). I'd contend that all eleven of my starters are solid, and that they fit together nicely. This gives me a leg up on some other teams whose deficiencies are a bigger cause for concern.

What I don't have is anything to lift me to the front of the pack, so I wouldn't recommend voting for my team right now. The hope is that things will look better as the year progresses, but that's admittedly a distant prospect. I wouldn't say it's impossible, though. The Olympics are a big opportunity for a few of my guys.

 

How I would play this team


Bench:
Rich Balchan: CM, LB
Bobby Wood: AM, FW
Eric Alexander: AM, CM
Jorge Villafana: LB, LM
Danny O'Rourke: CD, CM
Patrick Ianni: CD, CM
Josh Saunders: GK

Profile:
Strengths:
- Speed, skill, finishing in attack
- Wide attack with good overlapping fullbacks
- GK
- Experienced defensive bite and quick distribution in central midfield
- Versatile depth on the bench
Weaknesses:
- Central defense
- Creativity and attack through central midfield
- Maintaining possession a likely issue
Playing style:
- Organized lines, keeping space tight
- Balanced press, would not bunker but would not play high line
- Look to force turnovers and attack in transition with speed to get behind defenses

 

[LINEUP-4-4-2]Steven Lenhart, Robbie Findley, Colin Clark, Jon Spector, Jeff Larentowicz, Shea Salinas, Justin Morrow, Clarence Goodson,Geoff Cameron, Steve Beitashour, Nick Rimando[/LINEUP-4-4-2]

Positions and positional options that I'm counting on (some of these guys can play more positions, but I'm not counting on them to play the positions I don't list them for):
Steven Lenhart - CF
Robbie Findley - SS, RM, LM
Colin Clark - LM, RM
Jonathan Spector - CM, CB
Jeff Larentowicz - CM
Shea Salinas - RM, LM
Justin Morrow - LB, LM, CB
Clarence Goodson - CB
Geoff Cameron - CB, CM
Steven Beitashour - RB
Nick Rimando - GK

Bench:
Alan Gordon - CF
Colin Rolfe - SS
Anthony Ampaipitakwong - CAM, RM, LM
Brad Ring - CM, CB, RB
Marc Burch - LB, LM
Hunter Freeman - RB, LB
Jon Busch - GK

Goalkeeper: Rimando and Busch are a very strong pair of goalkeepers. Some of the best in MLS.

Outside Defense: Morrow, Beitashour, Freeman, Burch. At LB Morrow starts for now because of his pace, but Freeman and Burch are strong possibilities depending on how all their seasons go. Morrow won't get beaten for pace, and should be able to get up and down the field well. Freeman and Burch provide experienced alternatives. Burch also provides good service. At RB Beitashour has the position pretty secure. He's comfortable on the ball and is a great crosser. Also has the pace to keep up with just about anyone. Freeman offers depth at RB as well.

Central Defense: Goodson, Cameron. These two are the clear starting CBs. Goodson offers a threat on set pieces and a great deal of international and club experience. Cameron is a solid all-around player who is strong and comfortable on the ball and is a pretty good passer as well as goalscoring threat. My CB depth is one of my weaknesses because as my first choice replacement option I'm counting on Spector to move back to CB and Ampai or Ring to take his spot in midfield. My second choice would be to just swap Ring into CB directly, as he sometimes plays there for SJ. Morrow is also seeing a lot of time at CB for SJ, so he's another option back there.

Outside Midfield: Clark, Salinas. The two starters at LM and RM. Behind them is some positional shuffling. I'm counting on Morrow and Burch to possibly fill in at LM and Ampai and Findley to be options on either side. Clark and Salinas are both fast players who I want to get down the touchline and put some service in the box.

Central Midfield: Spector, Larentowicz, Ring, Ampaipitakwong. Spector is a very experienced player who has shown that he can play CM at the Premier League and Championship level. He's a strong defensive player who can also get forward with some effect. Larentowicz is another strong defensive presence who also offers a threat from distance. Ring is in the mold of Larentowicz and is a good tackler and defender in midfield. Ampai offers a change with good passing and an attacking mindset as a CAM. Cameron offers backup here if necessary.

Forward: Lenhart, Findley, Gordon, Rolfe. Lenhart and Findley start for now, with Findley playing underneath Lenhart. Findley could see himself out wide if Gordon or Rolfe have good seasons. I'm planning on playing a CF with a SS, but I'm not opposing to playing ugly with two CFs. As it stands though, Gordon backs up Lenhart at CF and Rolfe backs up Findley at SS.

Strategies and tactics:
I'm pretty much going with an empty bucket. Spector and Larentowicz are both more defensive-minded. Instead of being an strong attacking force I'm counting on my CMs to distribute from deep to the wings or the strikers. Spector is more likely to be the one that goes forward when they do so, and has shown a knack for scoring some goals coming late into the box. Larentowicz will mostly play deep in midfield, but when he does go forward I'm counting on him being able to latch onto a ball laid back to him for a strike at goal.

Ampai offers an option at CAM for something different, but my first choice is to make the center of midfield difficult to break down and instead use the wings to get the ball forward. Because of this I chose four players with pace for the outside positions. I know Salinas and Clark aren't the best players, but they are wide players by trade and there aren't many Americans around who are. I'm counting on them using their pace to get behind opponents and put service into the box for Lenhart, Findley, and late-arriving Spector. Combined with the pace of Morrow and Beitashour, I'm counting on not being beaten for pace on the wings. All four players should be able to get up and down the wings quickly, combining and even switching places on occasion. I know Salinas has been groomed a bit as a defender, so this should help him cover for Beitashour, who could probably play RM himself. Morrow doesn't offer the best service, but Beitashour has shown that he is a great threat crossing the ball. He likes to cross from inside his own half as well, which is a good surprise element to have.

Not overly concerned with playing pretty. We'll pack it in defense-first and launch the ball forward if necessary. That's one of the options I was looking for with the long-distance service of Beitashour, the target men, and the pacy players playing off of them.

Primary attacking strategies:

• Crosses into Lenhart (or Gordon) from Clark, Salinas, and especially Beitashour. The two Stevens have shown a knack for combining well.
• Pace. Clark, Findley, Salinas, Morrow, Beitashour. I'm going for the ability to dump the ball up the field and have one of my players with pace get on the end of it. Even Lenhart has some pretty good speed.
• Set piece threats: Lenhart, Goodson, Cameron, Spector, and Gordon if he's on the field.
• Larentowicz's cannon shot. In open play coming late to the top of the box and on free kicks.
• Ball forward to Lenhart to hold up and distribute to Findley, Salinas, Clark, or back to Spector or Larentowicz for a shot. Lenhart also wins a lot of fouls in this position, setting up good opportunities for Larentowicz free kicks.
• Not opposed to playing Gordon and Lenhart together if it comes down to it. I can bunker and launch stuff forward and see what happens. As an added bonus, I have the pace on the wings to breakaway if we get a chance while bunkering.
• Salinas and Clark will do a lot of swapping sides.

Primary defensive strategies:

• Empty bucket. Spector and Larentowicz hold together a strong spine ahead of Goodson and Cameron. Larentowicz especially will sit just ahead of the CBs most of the time. Ideally this strong CM pairing would force opponents out wide where the pace of my wings will prevent opponents from getting in behind.
• Pace. When it comes to the flanks, you can never be too fast. Preventing opposing players from getting behind for shots or service into the box is very important.
• Goodson's strength in the air.

Strengths:

• Pace on the wings
• The defensive strength of my central midfield and center backs
• Positional versatility
• Overall, a defense featuring size, strength, passing, speed, and a threat going forward.

Weaknesses:

• A lot of versatile players, but lacking concrete depth in certain positions. I have a lot of players that can fill in at CB and outside mid, but they don't play those positions naturally.
• Attack from central midfield. Only Ampai is known as an attacking player, the other three are primarily holding or defensive midfielders.
• None of my strikers are really killer finishers. Lenhart had a good year last year, but like Gordon he's best in the air. Findley is an inconsistent finisher, and Rolfe was just drafted.
• Overall, not the strongest attack. A lot depends on if Clark and Salinas can have success on the wings.

Overall, I don't expect to score a lot, but I don't expect to concede a lot either. My team is pretty much a solid MLS team with Goodson, Findley, and Spector added in. Nothing fancy or impressive, but I went with a solid, professional group in their prime. Only one MLS draftee, no hot unknown prospects, no ancients.

 

This is one of the teams I'll consider voting for, and while I really like this summary, I feel it leaves out a key weakness.

- Dependence on unproven players

In spite of having minimal first team experience, Potts and Gyau are starters here, and the only depth at forward is a teenager who doesn't even score goals at the reserve level.

 

These guys have two of the other teams that I like, although I don't know how much to knock them for their goalkeeping.

Perkins and Hesmer are decent, but I don't agree that they're above the MLS average, and that's obviously a far cry from some of the high-end talent around.

But it's MacMath and Clark who really scare me. Inexperienced keepers make costly mistakes, and that's even been the case with high-end talents like Bill Hamid and Sean Johnson, let alone a Chris Seitz. I suspect that they've shot themselves in the foot.

 

This is yet another team I'm thinking about, although I'm not sold on the Gerzicich pick, so I have even more questions about this midfield. I'm also concerned about the aging central defense.

On the plus side, Wooten's reserve-level production has been amazing, so I have to wonder if he could push this team over the top.

 

The final team that's on my radar at the moment is KC-IA Connection, mainly because of their midfield. Bradley and Feilhaber should dominate the center, and Gaven on the wing is another strong performer. I also like the potential of Bunbury and McInerney at forward, even though they're not proven yet.

 

I'm hoping to have a bit of a breakdown tonight. The good thing about our forwards is that we do have Cunningham who seems to have found his scoring boots in Guatemala.

 

I think this points out nicely a key part of any draft strategy. Obviously, our team leaned strongly in the other direction. We have four players in our starting lineup (Boyd, Wenger, MacMath and Lletget) that we are counting on to have break-through seasons. We have more upside and obviously more downside. We took a mixed approach on how to deal with those risks. We chose lots of very versatile players. We chose a couple experienced players (Cronin and Farfan) as key bench players. But we also doubled down on young high upside players with most of our bench draft picks. In the end the success/failure of our team will ride on whether we identified enough young players who will have that break-through season.

 

Yep. That is fair. My strategy in the draft was not who has the best team now, but to look back a year from now and see where players like Gyau and Potts are. I think both will be getting first team minutes, but that is a gamble on my part. In terms of forward depth, I would shift Donovan high and bring in one of our midfielders behind him - I particularly like the way Alexander is playing at the moment. Villafana is pretty good cover at left back.

Cheers.

 

My Personal min-summaries for each team:

Susaeta/Barcasox

Like: Central midfield depth, terrific keeper talent and depth, star quality of Donovan.

Don't Like: Only 2 reliable scorers. 2 unproven starters in Potts and Gyau.

Table Position: 1 to 4.


Harper916

Like: Central midfield depth, solid keeper pair, star quality of Dempsey.

Don't Like: 4 risky starters in Zizzo, Opara, Morales, and Davies, striker depth after Davies and (option of) Dempsey.

Table Position: 1 to 6.


Joe Cleats

Like: Classic front 3, solid back 4.

Don't Like: Gerzicich and Adu among biggest gambles at CM, weak CM depth, below average keepers.

Table Position: 5 to 11 (hard to read this team right now)


KC-IA Connection (Buzz & IASocFan)

Like: Nicely balanced mids and mid depth, striker depth, solid back-4 and keepers.

Don't Like: McInerny not a starter, defensive depth.

Table Position: 1 to 4.


FC Coulibaly (Max Opt & MI-Socfan)

Like: Starting back-4, Buddle, Cronin late pick.

Don't Like: 3 starters are gambles and 5 subs are gambles, defensive depth.

Table Position: 8 to 11.


ATLGunner

Like: Solid starting back-4 plus DM.

Don't Like: Zero defensive depth, weak keepers, unbalanced confusion in midfield.

Table Position: 12th.


Chris E

Like: Striker depth, solid keeper pair, central midfield and central defense very deep.

Don't Like: Thin on starting-quality flank players and flank depth, medioce outside backs, Holden's uncertainty.

Table Position: 4 to 10


Sean

Like: CM/DM depth and talent, CBs.

Don't Like: Lacking strong, or even above-average, scorers.

Table Position: 4 to 10


Balerion/Kyle

Like: Balanced/logical XI, attacking speed.

Don't Like: Below average keepers and no DM depth.

Table Position: 3 to 8


Hararea

Like: Balanced XI, central midfield and central defense depth.

Don't Like: Outside backs depth, no obvious leader, depending on 3 rather young starters in front 6, especially Agudelo and Okugo.

Table Position: 3 to 9


Mr. Martin/Giffenbone

Like: Balanced XI with proven starters and bench, excellent keepers and defenders, two top scorers.

Don't Like: No star ACM nor a good sub ACM, Onyewu injured during draft and out 2 months.

Table Position: 1 to 6


Neuwerld

Like: Balanced XI and balanced depth, a coherent overall team.

Don't Like: Clark, Salenas, and Morrow are borderline starters.

Table Position: 3 to 7

 

Wow, terrific rundown!

As I mentioned earlier, I think Harper has a strong team, although I'd add Whitbread (injuries) and Convey (inconsistency) to the list of risky starters. Either one could be anywhere from worthless to outstanding.

Now that you mention it, my entire front six is young, including all of the subs except Simms. Oddly, Pontius is among my oldest starters in these positions but also among the least experienced.

Fwiw, you've noted that I have a deep central defense, and I'd point out that Jason Hernandez gives me cover at outside back, as well. Hernandez has played a lot on the right, and if Pearce gets hurt, Alston can shift to the left.

My other alternative is to shift Drew Moor from the middle into a wide fullback role, which is something he has done a lot. He spent a large portion of 2011 at left back and won the Rapids' Defender of the Year award again.

 

I am quickly seeing that my views on evaluating players is quite different then most on big soccer. I do not have nearly as high of an opinion on mls players as others do.


As for our team(FC Coulibaly)

We are the only team with 4 field players called up on the original roster for the Italy game.

A roster that many considered an "a" team roster meaning that 4 of our players are considered in the 30(expanding this pass the 21 called in) best the US has to offer.

2 of those 4 are at the weakest position the US has. We have 2 of the top 3 strikers that the US has to offer. We have far and away the best striker combo of any team.

We have a very solid back 4 that features 2 proven rock solid veterans and 2 young guys with loads of talent.

We have Fabian Johnson who seems to have passed Shea as the top lm/lw for the US. While we are not playing him where he plays for his club, he was fantastic in the Slovenia game and we expect to see much more of the same.

Labrocca gives us a solid mls player in the middle of the midfield.

In Lletget we get one young talented player. Yes he has not quite broken through at West ham yet, but there are very few mls players I would take over him.

the Wenger pick in hindsight is a mistake. There is just to much uncertainty with where he will play and wanting to finish his degree at duke.

However our bench gives lots of versatility and allows us to do a lot of different things.

Our weakness is goalkeeper. We are banking on Macmath showing his loads of potential, but its a gamble. Steve Clarke was a throw away pick on a guy I played soccer with and know as a friend.





The team other then ours that I like is Sean's. His team will not give up many goals at all and I think Jermaine Jones showed the ability vs. Venezuela and Panama to get the ball forward and spearhead the attack for his team. Sapong, Cruz, and Farfan will not overwhelm anyone but they can get the job done and are very solid.

 

I agree with your assessments except for the below average keepers.

Hartman posted the lowest GAA among keepers who played more than 30 games last season. He also posted the second highest amount of shutouts with 13, behind Rimando with 14. His win percentage and his save percentage may not have been outstanding, but he's a keeper who routinely keeps his team in games. Perk, I'll admit, is unproven but I think his upside is high. I dropped the ball on Saunders, who had an outstanding season last year, but I think Perk will be more than adequate to fill in should something happen to Saunders (God forbid).

In the end, I like KC/IA's team the most. Their midfield is dangerous and controlling, their defense is solid, Tally Hall in goal, and two exciting players up top in McInerny and Teal. Their bench is also a good mix of experience and talent. Once that team gets on the same page, they are dangerous.

The other team I like is ChrisE's team. His midfield is the prime example I was thinking about when I said there are teams who will just decimate mine. He got Amarikwa, who I really wanted on my bench, and Sturgis, who I regret not selecting when I should have.

 

Oh, I think Hartman is still a sound MLS keeper, right up there with a number of other MLS keepers. But Perk pulls your keeper pairing down to below average. In this 12-team imaginary League, you only have to have the 8th best pairing to be "below average". Below average doesn't mean they stink. And you got a bit unlucky with the misunderstanding about Saunders.

Every team has weaknesses, just like mine at ACM and my unlucky injury a week ago to my most accomplished field player.

 

Ah, I understand now. And, yes, not doing the research on Saunders leaves me kicking myself. I consider him the steal in this draft.

 

Hey, you may end up with lots of BS posters agreeing with you and prefering your squad. It's a terrific collection of youth players, many of whom may become fine 1st team pros in the next few years.

Boyd's inclusion among the top 3 US strikers is open to debate. Morales was called up to the A-team some months ago, but nobody is saying he's among the top 3 US players at any position this year. Boyd's a great prospect and I am certain he belongs on the Olympic team, even after the overage guys are added. But he's still a professional newbie who has zero 1st team starts for his club. He's a prospect.

Buddle, Cherundolo, and Johnson are fine selections. No doubt.

I like your back-4 and praised them. LaBrocca's a guy I was interested in drafting, too.

Lletget is a teenager who still plays for a Championship teams' reserve side. I think he is a wonderful prospect, but he is totally unproven as a professional 1st team player. And he's a CM who you guys are penciling in as a starting RM. I think by midseason Farfan will be starting in his place, yet even he is only a part-time starter for Philly.

Wenger wasn't a mistake on his own. He's an investment in a promising rookie who might become a contributor by the end of 2012. But his position is up in the air, and you'll be starting Cronin very quickly instead. Cronin was a great choice and I liked that pick a lot. Might have saved your midfield.

But combine Wenger's uncertainity and inexperience with that of Lletget and Boyd and you have some legitimate question marks in your XI. Then add the additional selections of more uncertain young prospects like Taylor, Garza, George, and Hedges, none of whom have won 1st team spots as professionals yet, and you've built up a big reservoir of the unknown with a dollop of hope.

I actually like MacMath and think he will have a solid MLS season. And I'm sure Clarke is a great person and a capable keeper. But as a pairing, your keepers are below average in 2012 compared to the other teams.

Your team has a lot of talent, absolutely. Raw, unproven talent. Probably would be fun to watch, and frustrating, too. And could be a very good team by 2014. But in my opinion, which might be a minority view, your team as a whole is very raw and will get worn down by more experienced squads over the course of a year.