The Offseason Thread: What does FCD have to do to bounce back in 2013/Someone please beat Houston[R]

I like Keel. He played well for NYRB last year when he got the chance early in the year before being dropped because the big name players got healthy. There's no guarantee Ugo will remain healthy and it looks like they want to move him to RB anyway where he won't have to fight for headers near as much. That leaves John, Hedges and Pertuz. Most people seem to project Woodberry as an outside back, though he could obviously play CB in a pinch. Still, Keel comes at a cheap price and would make a great addition as a 3rd or 4th CB imho.

 

Because you have no idea if Ugo is going to come back, and if he does, how long does that last?

People shoudn't freak over the Keel signing... Just because they picked him up, doesn't mean he makes the 2013 roster... They very well could draft a CB...

I think the crazy, negative reaction to the Keel pickup is really indicative of the fan bases' clear displeasure of where this thing appears to be headed... If people are going to wail over the signing of what is really nothing more than a bench player... oh, I hope the club has something(s) real up their sleeve - or stuff gonna hit the fan...

 

I don't sense a negative reaction.

I sense mass indifference........................

If you had asked me prior to the re-entry draft which position we should target, I may have named every other position on the field before I got to central defender.

I don't have a problem with the Keel pickup. He's a decent player at a low price. Good bench fodder. It's just kind of...................blah.

 

Pertuz back to Colombia?

http://www.futbolred.com/liga-posto...afara-a-una-firma-del-dim-de-bolillo/12461502

 

That explains the Keel pickup........................

 

Also of note..............

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/12/18/fcd-notebook-pertuz-return-hits-snag-homegrowns

While one player looks to be on the way out, Clavijo informed reporters that FCD is looking not only to sign Maryland defender London Woodberry to a Homegrown deal, but that they’ve got South Carolina forward Bradlee Baladez in their sights as well.

“We have instructed the league to make a commitment to two players, Bradlee Baladez and London Woodberry,” said Clavijo. “They are players we would like to see the league sign and hopefully we will have an answer soon. We have definitely informed the league that we would like to pursue those two.”

 

I like the Baladez interest. Seems he may be the banger they've needed and a backup to Blas. If they go 4-4-2 they need a real backup to Blas instead of just another forward where they style changes completely and there is no one to holdup the ball. I'm still wondering how they would do a 4-4-2 if de Guzman re-signs.

 

I would think that if that were the case (now that we know for sure that Schellas is doing his 4-4-2), deGuzman starts at DM and Luccin is his backup. Peter could also be another bench player for the backline, too...

 

Everyone who has watched deGuzman for a while says he is best in a 3 or 5 man midfield. I believe he would excel as the number 8 with a destroyer type behind him (Luccin?) and Ferreira in front.

 

I'm only going by Schellas' conversion to a 4-4-2. Whether he excels in a 3- or 5-man midfield is irrelevant at this point. He would be the CDM and Luccin would be his backup in a 4-4-2, IMHO.

 

I guess I'm bringing it up because a lot of those players are really good in one system but not the other. Ferreira is great i the 4-3-3 / 4-5-1. A lot of forwards are better when there are two instead of one.

 

I think what's key is to put our best player and in the best formation/position to succeed.
So put David Ferreira where you think he'll be in the best position to influence proceedings, and go from there.

A 4-4-2 diamond with Ferreira as the playmaker, might work nicely. Shea and Jackson bombing down the wings. Perez and Pipico up top. Seems pretty potent to me.........................

 

I need help interpreting this article.

http://www.saprissa.cr/noticias.php?idNoticia=162

Does it say that Moises Hernandez is now going to be loaned to Saprissa in Costa Rica?

 

Wow life on these boards. Yes, Big D soccer has an article on it also.
http://www.bigdsoccer.com/2013/1/2/3826818/moises-hernandez-fc-dallas-saprissa

 

Good for him, hopefully the plan is get him one more year of seasoning abroad and then let Jair go, and Moises can challenge for the starting spot...or sell him to a central american league with the resume of two top clubs down there. Hopefully they are forming strong relationships too for future loans of this sort.

 

It looks like Dallas may be signing Peru's 27 year old goalie - Raul Fernandez - contract with Nice (France).

http://depor.pe/futbol-peruano/902400/noticia-raul-fernandez-nuevo-portero-fc-dallas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raúl_Fernández_Valverde

 

Clavijo has revealed his top secret draft strategy!!!!

http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/01/fc-dallas-draft-strategy-keeps-all-options-open

“I think unfortunately with the No .7 pick there’s a lot of players that may be there and may not be there,” Technical Director Fernando Clavijo said. “It’s hard to say, to be honest, any kind of direction in the plan we’re going to go, because we don’t know what everyone else is going to do.”

Is there a plan?

 

I think FCD might be best served by picking up Washinton CB Tucker-Gangnes, a "George John 2.0" type from the looks of it. Some bio material, first up in my google search

http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/tuckergangnes_dylan00.html

He was talked up on combine reports here and there. Nail down that CB position by making it 3 deep.

Blas Perez is terrific. Ferreira is terrific but teams are likely to start ganging up on him early to snuff out attcks so a second good mid should be the next priority. Benitez, Castillo and Jackson are all wild cards who should be replaced eventually. Shea is a special case, just because of his injury for starters.

 

It depends how the club is feeling about:

A) The return of Ugo Ihemelu. (last news I saw was pessimistic)
B) How good they think homegrown London Woodberry is.

If they become confident that Ihemelu will return and they really like Woodberry (he may have been a 1st round draft pick if FCD didn't sign him)..........................then they may stand pat with CBs. Hedges and John are obviously the starters.

FCD could use depth almost everywhere on the field.

 

Villar and Marcelin waived.

http://www.fcdallas.com/news/2013/01/fc-dallas-waives-ricardo-villar-and-james-marcelin

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............I'm on board with Marcelin being moved.

Villar was a good backup to Ferreira, and I believe he was on a pretty small contract. 80k or so? I would have been OK with him sticking around.

Man there have been a lot of moves this off-season, and there are probably going to be more to come.

If my counting is correct we're down to 17 players who were on the roster last year. 16 if you take out Acosta, who was added late as a homegrown.

But our starting XI doesn't look too different does it? Luccin in for deGuzman, and that's about it.
From where I'm sitting I don't see how we're better right now than last year. Or am I alone in that thinking? We may have a better forward option for the rotation with Pipico, but that's to be determined.........................

 

If everyone is healthy, we should be much better to start the season. But can we stay healthy, that's the question?!? It still seems like we need another decent signing in the midfield or up front, but that's just my opinion. I'm a bit iffy right now, but I'm positive things will come together before March 2nd.

 

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...aftee-hollingshead-doesnt-rule-out-pro-career

"We decided through a lot of prayer and figuring out what to do, we decided we're not going to play pro and we're going to move to Sacramento and help my brother plant a church," Hollingshead told MLSsoccer.com before his trip to Haiti.

............................

"To be honest, if the church planted in an MLS city, I would absolutely want to play pro," Hollingshead said. "It has nothing to do with my love for soccer and how much I enjoy the game. It has to do with the fact that I would rather be in Sacramento. They are two of my favorite things, but planting the church is greater in my desire."

I'm so glad we wasted the #20 pick in the draft.

 

Not going to lie, I had Villar penciled in as starting in the opener. He's has a decent motor, and he can play that connecting role much better than Jacobson does. I guess SH didn't want to have to count on him being healthy. Maybe they'll pick up a new guy who has more of a Dax-style game, but I also would be surprised if AJ wasn't our starter going forward. Don't get me wrong, I like Jacobson, but I don't think he fits the bill in terms of what's needed from a box-to-box linking midfielder.

 

He's OK.

I was looking at our depth chart on Big D Soccer and we are sooooooooooooooooooooooo thin right now at some positions. Who's baking up Ferreira? Who's backing up Benitez? We're fairly thin on the wings (Shea, Castillo, Jackson).......and what if Shea does leave? Our backup players at many positions are youngsters or guys out-of-position. Why again did we cut Leyva? I mean, at least he provided some midfield depth at little cost.

Clavijo still has A LOT of work to do.