OFFICIAL - Union: 2012 Roster Thread

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4450571

After decent games by both players against Aston Villa, Philly loans midfielders Greg Jordan and Jimmy McLaughlin to Harrisburg City for the rest of the season.

Great move. I've been hoping to see some of the kids loaned out for time. Hopefully Pfeffer and Hernandez can get some time from a loan.

I believe so, but considering HCI's season ends in September, we'd have to cut some players once they get back.

Hackworth publicly criticized Torres. Roger is definitely in the doghouse.

http://uniontally.blogspot.com/2012/07/where-unions-youngsters-rank.html

Dills - we need to add defender Aubrey Perry (formerly of the Columbus Crew) to the reserve team's trialist/guest player list. Philly likely had him on their draft short-list radar given his Hackworth ties but the Crew took him in the 2nd round of this year's SuperDraft prior to Philly's selections of Jordan and Gaddis. Time will tell if this game was a one-shot deal or the former US U17, University of South Florida and Bradenton Academy speedy RB is with the team trying to earn a roster spot - may know by the team's next reserve game (August 5 @ Montreal) - may have to see if he posts anything here:

http://twitter.com/A3perry




If he is signed, we may see Gaddis playing more LB. We can also move Patrick Kanyuka to the former trialists group.

Updated salary numbers are in:
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/164665155.html

Soumare is making $240K salary and $280K guaranteed comp which is reasonable by MLS standards given his resume and the fact that Califf got $275K for both salary and guaranteed comp - good to see that he was not above DP $ and had to be bought down via allocation $.

That seems like a really low number for Soumare.
Is it possible that they're showing that as a partial-season number, and that his full-season salary next year would be much greater?

Another new guest player (sub in today's 5-1 reserve game loss in Montreal) - assume it is Will Beauge - canadian forward with otaawa (pdl).

http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/news/2012/08/union-acquire-danny-cruz

We are in the process of updating the original post in the thread but here is the Cruz - Pajoy trade link - still have yet to see a clarification for the international roster spot traded. I have to assume that it is the LA spot (Nakazawa trade) that expires at the end of the season (as DCU needed the spot to get Pajoy on to its roster now) as opposed to a Philly roster spot which could carry into next season and perhaps beyond.

Players signed in mid-season tend to have a full annual salary listed in the mid-season salaries release from the MLS Players Union - Adu was in the same boat last season when he signed.

I think that we can add ex-Univerisity of Maryland and NYRB home grown player, Matt Kassel, to the current trialist list based on his sightings in pre-game warm-ups for the RSL and Columbus games as well as recent tweets. On a side note, he uses the same player agency (James Grant Sports Management) as Carroll, McInerney and Cruz.

Matt Kassel (M) (10/30/89) [Pittsburgh - USL PRO]

It looks like he was at Thursday's training session in which some fans were able to participate and warm up with the non-starters in the NE game (he looks like the 3rd Union player from the left after Lopez and Jordan - Martinez is front of him).


Here are recent Union-related tweets:

Matt Kassel ‏@MattKassel - 9/1
NYC for fantasy football draft then jersey shore tonight then college park tomorrow then back to Philly monday..epic next couple days #legoo

Matt Kassel ‏@MattKassel - 8/31
Can't wait for @MarylandMSoccer to beat UCLA tonight so @amobisays and @chandala can take @ZacMacMath and I for an expensive hibachi dinner!

Matt Kassel ‏@MattKassel - 8/28
Just enjoyed a nice quiet sushi dinner with @Gfarfan88 @wowski10 @zacmacmath and mfarfan #silenceplease

Matt Kassel ‏@MattKassel - 8/28
@Dannycruz5 I mean I'm just curious..you can tell me at sushi dinner tonight if you're too embarrassed to let twitter know #dirty

We'll still get Drogba.

We can add ex-Union Ryan Richter - D/M (Charleston - USL PRO) to the players currently training with the team. He was warming up (even had his former #23 shorts) with the non-gameday roster players prior to Thursday's DCU game. He used to play forward at LaSalle so maybe he wanted to enter the goal scoring competition in the team's practices.

In terms of the other trainees, Matt Kassel was there but the Harrisburg City Islanders (Nick Noble and Lucky Mkosana) were not there.

I'm sure Gomez won't be around next year (something I dissagree with but Hack is the coach) and doesn't fit his game plan so get Cooper for the same money. Pajoy wasn't a bad deal at that money. especially when one sees Mwanga, yikes!

Plus you have to save some allocation money for the future Danny Cruz $350k/year multi year contract.

I think we can all agree there's a ton of trimmable salary. Can't wait to get Party Rock off the roster.

Valdes and Caroll are definitely worth it. I like Gomez and hope he will stick around, because anyone who can score goals with some consistency from midfield will help us. But, his form has not been great since coming back from injury and he looks out of sorts under Hackworth. Soumare should be cut and replaced with two relatively inexpensive defenders as depth options. Adu really needs to be able to go 90 if he's here next year. Cooper is a solid veteran and would seem to be a good strike partner for McInerney.

Why? He was clearly acquired for the long term, and NOT this season. He's been rehabbing from injury, and he's younger then Valdes. What's the reasoning behind this?

Cooper could be a solid pickup as a wing option, as that is where he prefers to play. He is a proven goal scorer in MLS when played correctly (his Portland experience aside), and would give us a physical presence.

I like Gomez as well, but his track record is that of a journeyman who changes teams every year for whatever reason. For all we know Hackworth could want him back, but maybe the player wants to move on to a new opportunity. Perhaps it could be the opposite. We'll just have to wait until after the season to find out unfortunately.

Soumare is chewing up a lot of cap space and does not even see the 18. He arrived injured, coming off an unremarkable stint overseas - one in which his club was relegated. He'll have gone a year when the 2013 season starts having only played two competitive games. MLS roster rules make it hard to justify having someone with a salary as large as his riding the bench. We were told he was healthy before he played in June; he turned in a disastrous performance, and was never heard from again until he announced he was having yet another surgery. While I can only speculate, it looks to me that the knee injury has basically ended his career at this point. At the very least, he will not be able to perform anywhere close to where he did for Chicago.

The FO screwed up big time when they acquired him. Luckily for us, Okugo emerged as a stud at CB, so the damage was mitigated somewhat.

Gomez has jumped around from club to club, but he seemed like a lock under Nowak. Much less so under Hackworth. I would like him to stay but would not be surprised if he goes.

Cooper would be great for getting on the end of those lofted services from Adu or Torres. He is a monster in the air.

I mean, this is all speculation. Also, why would the team play him and risk further injury if we aren't making the playoffs? It makes more sense that the team figured there was no point rushing him back. Also, the entire defense shit the bed in the Chicago game. You can't all blame it on him.