Who is leaving early?, 2012-13 edition

An annual favorite.

Let's try and keep this thread about actual news and serious rumors and not "I think this guy should leave early."

Apparently Cal State Bakersfield's redshirt junior Gyasi Zardes is on trial in Germany right now, according to some Twitter feeds. That's an NCAA no-no during the academic year so it's safe to say he won't be back. Plus he's already basically said he's leaving after this season.

Here is a picture from Twitter of Zardes at Freiburg with fellow Americans Caleb Stanko (who plays for Freiburg in the German second division) and Philadelphia's Amobi Okugo, who is training there.

https://twitter.com/amobisays/status/274892798686281728/photo/1

Today, the Timbers, whom you may have heard hired a coach from some college in the Midwest, completed a trade with the Red Bulls that was noteworthy among these parts because part of the trade saw New York send the homegrown rights to sophomore Bryan Gallego, who happened to play at same random Midwest college, to Portland.

While that doesn't mean Gallego is definitely leaving early, it would certainly seem like a pretty good indicator that the chances of him leaving are high.

http://www.soccerbyives.net/2012/12/timbers-and-red-bulls-complete-complex-trade.html

It will be interesting to see if Portland trades for the HG rights of any other players who happened to play at that same college in the Midwest.

How can an MLS team trade the rights to a Homegrown player? Doing so seems to negate the ostensible purpose of a Homegrown deal. MLS rules are baffling.

As you may have read, I believe that not one of the Akron Super-Sophomores (in order: Trapp, Yedlin, Gallego) is ready for MLS. Shows you what I know, as it now appears all three will be turning pro. Are they jumping a bit early because Porter is leaving?

It's similar to NHL draft rights being traded; In the NHL, you're draft-eligible at a certain age and the team that drafts you has your NHL rights in perpetuity unless they trade or release you while the player goes to college/junior hockey or plays in Europe. (At some point the NHL teams have to fish or cut bait, however.)

Even in sports where draft rights aren't help in perpetuity like the NFL and NBA, the draft rights to players can be traded.

It's not that surprising that MLS teams have that. And, I don't see too many HG players actually getting traded as the allure of playing "at home" is part of what will get them to sign. But, the ability to trade a HG players rights also helps the player if for some reason he doesn't want to be traded.

Perhaps.

But, there is more to a decision to leave than being ready. Sometimes you go when the offers are there because there's no assurance that they'll be there in a year. Just ask Chris Gbandi.

Plus, even if a player isn't ready to contribute, there's the argument that leaving is better for his development because he'll get more in training and reserve games, such as the are, by going against better players.

I'm curious to see where Caleb plans on playing Gallego. I saw where he traded CB Eric Brunner yesterday. I know at Akron Porter was able to win with small CBs but I think he's in for a rude awakening if he tries that exclusively in MLS without a bigger CB next to the smaller one. It could be the trades of Brunner and Gallego are a coincidence. We'll see.

Andrew Farrell - Louisville

Source?

Plus, even if a player isn't ready to contribute, there's the argument that leaving is better for his development because he'll get more in training and reserve games, such as the are, by going against better players.

*Sandon, you represent the popular opinion. I disagree! I believe more development comes from playing actual, competitive matches. At an elite NCAA program, the drilling will be the same as MLS. That is a wash. I have witnessed some of these MLS reserve matches. These are competed unevenly (sometimes half-heartedly), and are typically dangerously under-officiated, exposing players to injury. Theoretically, you should be correct, but I think the reality is different.

I'm curious to see where Caleb plans on playing Gallego. I saw where he traded CB Eric Brunner yesterday. I know at Akron Porter was able to win with small CBs but I think he's in for a rude awakening if he tries that exclusively in MLS without a bigger CB next to the smaller one. It could be the trades of Brunner and Gallego are a coincidence. We'll see.

*I love Bryan, but how is Gallego an upgrade over Brunner? If anything, I would keep them as a tandem, using your model of bruiser with cruiser. Did I miss that Brunner is washed up?

Yeah, but look who you're playing so many of those games again? Let'st face it, much of Akron's schedule isn't really that taxing.

And there's little question the training will be more competitive for these guys than they currently have.

Houston, which knows a thing or two about good CBs, seemed more than happy to snatch him up.

I have attended a handful of MLS reserve matches. Each one was poorly played, poorly officiated (often 2 officials without linesmen), and exceedingly, often criminally physical. Each match quickly deteriorated into a hack fest. Maybe my personal experiences are exceptional, but probably not.

I am the dinosaur who still believes NCAA is the best place for player development.

And what does this post have anything to do with this threads topic?

Allow me to catch you up.

Sandon claims that players should take the first chance to go pro because, even on the second squad, they would develop quicker. I disagree. I take the minority opinion that players should stay in the minor leagues (NCAA) until the right time. Drawing analogy to Baseball, development is an often-fragile process. There is indeed such thing of going pro too early.

uh huh, but this has nothing to do with this thread. Who's coming out?

Anderson Cooper came out.

Trapp, Yedlin, and Gallego are coming out. (Uh, not in the Anderson Cooper way, I don't think.) As a long-suffering Akron Zips fan, I am not remotely pleased about this.

How are my comments not applicable to the discussion? Are you actually reading these posts?

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I'm sure at some point based on statistics they'll be a few that will be coming out in both ways.

You guys make this same joke every year!
Akron is loosing 8 of starting 11, and the coach, to the pros. I am not in a joking mood.

I do? It wasn't me. Anderson Cooper is new to the team. I should say new to the first team.

Who is the eighth player? I got seniors Meves, Barson, Caldwell and Schmitt plus the aforementioned Yedlin, Gallego and Trapp.

I was pretty sure we were going to have one but then he up and married Susan Sarandon's daughter.

Freshman Dillon Serna. Of all the defections Akron will endure, this one is a really bad idea. He is brilliant but frail. If he can barely survive the rigors of the MAC, how will he fare in the MLS? (We would have beaten Creighton in regulation had he not got injured, again.)
https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soc...61?desktop=true

Kyle Martino? nah. No way.

What gives you that impression? Especially his comment at :23.

He actually said patsy with a bit of a lisp.

pansy?

pretty sure thats what I saw... uh.. er.. heard....