Reasons TO trade Jaime: Still has trade value; disappears for long stretches; not a target forward and we could get a large target forward for him, perhaps; does not often score on run of play; not the strongest shot...; we have other creative playmakers and Jaime is not going to replace them in the midfield. Reasons NOT to trade Jaime: Heart and soul of team; creative genious; playmaker. IF we could get Bornstein from Chivas, Ching from Houston, or Cooper from Dallas, would you take any of them for Jaime? Or keep him. Discuss.
Interesting idea, but the poll choices aren't the best. Trade for Ching? There's absolutely no way that this trade would ever happen from Houston's end. None. I know you said "if", but still.
Ching woudl be a crap trade for Jaime. Two totally different players. Without good crossing Ching is shit. DC doesn't have good crossing, mediocre at best.
After what Jaime has done for this club there's no way he's traded, period. And I'd venture to say that when Jaime retires we should definately get an allocation. He is arguably the best player to ever grace an MLS pitch (aside from El Diablo, of course).
No frickin' way we trade Jaime! We lost him once to the Metroturds, and I'm glad we got him back. Without Jaime, Christian doesn't have the effectivness he's had. Those 2 work together. I just couldn;t stand the site of seeing him in another kit. He'll retire with the Black&Red (just like Marco!)
It's interesting that the early polling indicates there are those who would make trades but they are not posting comments as to why they'd make the move.... I disagree with the notion of holding Jaime for emotional reasons, but that's just me. United needs to be in the business of winning championships, and the team has not advanced to the championship match for two straight years. Jaime is NOT getting younger. His best game in the last half of the season is when he was brought on as a sub, which is an interesting barometer of his frame of mind or physical condition. We should have traded Etch YEARS before he took the hint to retire. We're approaching that moment for Jaime in my humble opinion. I would trade him for either Cooper or Bornstein and possibly Ching. But then, I wrote the poll....
Ching makes a lot of bad crosses look good. The tying goal in MLS Cup was a delfection that he adjusted to and the defender did not. Where is Edson Buddle in this poll?
Incorrect. He retired in a Bolivar Uniform. The Biggest team in Bolivia. Although also there he was a bench warmer and showed he too there couldnt compete anymore. I feel they kept him as a form of respect, and when his contract was up he decided to give playing in bolivia a shot. Maybe he wanted to retire in the team that first got him really noticed as as superstar?? Regardless, i would have loved it for him to have retired in black and red. But they are my 2 teams so its all good. But back to jaime, i feel when his contract is up thats when he should retire. When is that? And also it would be just wrong to trade him again like they did to the metrostars. And the bolivian crowd just might turn their back on DC United all together... unless you are a true die hard fan.
So here's the gig. Soccer, like all team sports, IS emotional. Making a decision to keep someone who has been the heart and soul is a reasonable decision. IF we use Jaime like we should have more this year -- as a spark, as the crafty veteran, allowing him to play within mental/physical limits -- he can/should be at least as good as last year. The decision to keep him will be wise. He will mentor and score. We will avoid (and I'm sorry to say it 'cause I love the man in a futbolistic way) "Marco syndrome". IF we try to use him like we did this year, we will get a slightly lesser version of what we got this year -- that is, a slower, more checked out legend. We will accelerate the decline of a fine career and do no justice (my opinion) to what Jaime has contributed to the team. Jaime right now is a fine player capable of playing about 60 percent of the season (either 60% of 90 minute games or much better, 100% of 90 minute games, playing about 30-60 minutes). If he and coaches agree on this, he will go out in style. DCU will have the ability to make a strong transition when the time comes. Then, a seat in the Barra. I have an extra set of earplugs...
Etch hung on WAAAY too long with us and that blind loyalty was one of the contributing factors to the down years from 2000-2003. He was starting only because of past glories at the end, and it hurt the team. We need to avoid that with Jaime. Ease him into a bench role or learn to sub him after 60 minutes.
Shouldn't this thread be about our other starting forward? If we have/need to trade anyone, it should be him.
No way. If we trade Jaime God will punish us in a severe and unforgiving way. I think it is reasonable that Jaime doesn't play 90 minutes every game-I was one of the folks that would have liked to see Piotr sub him out earlier-but let's have him finish his carrer here, if he wants.
I think you hit the key note when you wrote, "If he and the coaches agree on this," because in no way would the present coaching staff ("Fatigue is not acceptable!") go along with this, even if Jaime passed the captain's band to Gomez. This, in spite of how much sense it makes... With another coach, perhaps this could occur.
This is a good point, but I'd argue that he's an expensive bench warmer. And some players take to that role better than others.
I don't think you have to trade every player that begins the twilight of his career. It would make much more sense to ease into a reduction of the amount of time that he's on the field in order to make him more effective. If that means using him as a supersub or as a 60 minute starter, then so be it. I suspect he will be able to play longer (more years) if we start that process next season. The key is to treat him like a vintage roadster. Don't overuse him early in the season, let him ease into fitness Don't push him in "bad elements" like an icy downpour, 100+ degree heat, etc. Don't put too many miles on in a short period of time, if we have three games in a week, take at least one game off If he gets a niggling injury, let him heal Most importantly, using the depth of the squad will have the twin benefits of preserving Jaime as well as developing some of our reserves into starting-caliber players. ...but we've been over this before.
When the emotion is taken out of the equation, I don't have a problem trading Jaime. He is still a good player but has shown that his effectiveness fades toward the end of the last two seasons. You can argue either way on whether it is Nowak's fault or not, but it is still a fact and it won't get any better in the next couple years. From the options in the poll, Bornstein isn't adequate compensation straight-up; Ching would require something more than Jaime; but Cooper might be something to consider. If DCU does deal with Dallas, my druthers would be Ruiz. He, Gomez and a big Brazilian forward would be and interesting combo for DCU.
If this is how Jamie should be used, what size cut in salary do you think DCU should require? A team can not realistically pay a part-time player 200+ K. Since Jaime was pondering his future at the end of the season, what size cut in salary or being traded will cause him to hang'um up.
Excellent post, hopefully PN will get "it" this year! As far as taking the emotion out of the equation, by that reasoning every single player should be traded. #1 on the list would be TP who despite getting so much playing time did not get us a MLS Cup. Most people argue that he is BIG & strong, which has always being the reasoning by most American coaches for playing those type of players at all positions on the soccer field throughout all levels of competition despite those type of players lacking superior soccer talent.
