Thorton Out At Benfica.

[SABuffalo786]

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113314&page=1&pp=15



If he does come home, should we be interested? He's a proven MLS vet, and he can't be any worse than Doug and Nick. I'm not totally convinced about Perkins. Yeah, he had one good game, but so did Clint Baumstark.

[galperin]

I guess it might be worth a look.

[owendylan]

He was one of the top MLS keepers. What would we have to give up to get him? Do we have enough cap space to pay him? Only if we get rid of Rimando and probably another player, maybe 2, is that worth the price? Maybe, but outside of the LA game are there any other goals Thorton would have stopped that our current guys didn't?

[sch2383]

We don't have the cap space (or the lockerroom space) for Thorton.

[DutchFootballRulez]

We don't have Schoolboy Goalkeeping space for Rimando either..

[JoeW]

I'm not arguing for Thornton. But here are two considerations to keep in mind.

1. We may not have cap-space for big Zach right now. But I believe he didn't make that much more than Rimando does at present. So...if we wanted to acquire Thornton, cutting Rimando would probably be the answer. I suspect that Chicago still has his rights so we'd need to acquire them--and I doubt they'd be interested in a GK.

2. Nowak has played with Thornton. That could be either the driver to acquire him or the kiss of death for doing so (ie: I'm sure Nowak has an opinion of thornton and that opinion would probably drive how interested we are).

I actually happen to think Thornton wouldn't be a bad acquisition. He was always known as a good organizer. I shudder when I think of our defense without Nelsen--without his organizational abilities we look mediocre. So Thornton would help there. He's also clearly a strong presence in the air. But that said, I don't have him down as one of the top 2-3 MLS keepers.

Ultimately though, this team can be successful with the current keepers. Maybe not with how they're currently playing, but Warren, Rimando and I assume Perkins have the talent to be good MLS keepers--they just need to play like it (or at least one of them does). What this team needs is a finisher. So for me, the talk of acquiring Thornton is like the talk of signing Anderton from the Premiership--wasted effort on what doesn't really ail this team. Until this team gets a finisher, every game will be close, we'll lose some matches we shouldn't and we'll struggle to put teams away. And, the hard work, possession, and creativity will not be rewarded. Signing a decent finisher has to be the top priority of Nowak and Kasper. Anything else is a diversion or even a roadblock to getting the finisher (b/c we'd use up valuable cap space or resources we could use to acquire such a player on a GK or D-mid or outside mid or backline help).

[btousley]

He was one of the top MLS keepers. What would we have to give up to get him?

Stokes and Rimando?

[Sundevil9]

We don't have the cap space (or the lockerroom space) for Thorton.

Does addidas make GK jerseys big enough?

[Footer Phooter]

Does addidas make GK jerseys big enough?

Who cares, we'll just get him a mumu, or maybe a Redskins Lineman jersey.

[JoeW]

Stokes and Rimando?

Given our cap situation, Carroll, Stokes and Eskandarian are almost untouchable. That's b/c they're P-40 this year and don't count on the cap. We currently have one roster spot we can't fill b/c of the cap. Dealing Stokes (unless we got another P-40 player) would mean we'd be playing with even few guys we can call on. Sure we could sign a development player (like Perea) and in time he might contribute.

It's more likely we'd have to deal someone making decent money--like one of our players making $100K or better. Plus, Chicago is not in the market for a GK. They have Ring and Countess (who is P-40). I don't think it would take a lot to get Thornton. But we'd have to cut a lot to afford him (like cut Rimando outright and probably deal a player like Quaranta for Thornton's rights since we're out of draft picks).

[Atouk]

I don't think it would take a lot to get Thornton. But we'd have to cut a lot to afford him (like cut Rimando outright and probably deal a player like Quaranta for Thornton's rights since we're out of draft picks).You don't think Quaranta would be "a lot" for a guy that Chicago wouldn't want? I think it would take less than that, assuming Chicago's options would be to make room in their own roster/cap for him or let him go.

Or you saying we'd have to pay Thornton something equalling the salaries of both Rimando and Quaranta to get him?

[TOTC]

Who cares, we'll just get him a mumu, or maybe a Redskins Lineman jersey.

Or an oversized JNCO throwback jersey -- hip-hop style.

Time to make the donuts ....

[JoeW]

You don't think Quaranta would be "a lot" for a guy that Chicago wouldn't want? I think it would take less than that, assuming Chicago's options would be to make room in their own roster/cap for him or let him go.

Or you saying we'd have to pay Thornton something equalling the salaries of both Rimando and Quaranta to get him?

I have no idea what Thornton would sign for. It's possible he could be had for a bargain (just like Stewart signed for less in MLS than he was making in Holland b/c his options were limited). Maybe Thornton would sign for $80K (less than Rimando) or the same as Rimando. But I thought Thornton made a little more than Rimando made (can't remember the chicago conversations to be honest so this is just my impression--though I think it's accurate b/c Thornton has played more years in MLS and escalator clauses in each year tend to add up).

The challenge is this: we have to create cap room to sign Thornton. How do we create that cap room? You could trade a player (and create cap room that way). But what player making $140K do we have chicago would want? Petke? Kovalenko? Convey? Olsen? Cerritos? Stewart? I honestly don't think Chicago can afford to take on a player that much. I think they'd prefer a draft choice (but we can't give that). Given Mapp and Beasley, Gros is not a good fit for them.

We can't afford to give up a P-40 player. Given Jaqua I think they'd have no interest in Martins. Unless we traded a starter (Carroll or Olsen or someone like that), it comes down to Quintanilla or Quaranta. And Quaranta might even be too expensive for their cap situation. But I think Chicago would prefer a skilled midfielder who can contribute now and wouldn't be too expensive. So that would be Quaranta or Quintanilla.

If we then added Thornton (by trading one of the Q's) we'd have to drop a GK and create cap space. So we'd cut Rimando. It's not that someone in the league wouldn't be interested in him, it's that no-one would have the cap space to sign him for what he makes so we couldn't trade him to anyone.

[geordienation]

Not enough pies

[vivaelbolivar]

Haha the big man can't compete in Portugal **************

[scarshins]

Those losers/bast**ds probably didn't give him a chance. Take the money, Zach, flip them the bird, and report to RFK stadium please.

[um_chili]

I'm intrigued, but it's a risk. Nick was solid for us until the injury last year, and since his layoff has been unable to get into form. Fat Zach is a hell of a goalie at his peak, but how long has it been since his last competitive game (in which he ate four goals)? Long-ass time. I don't exactly see him coming in after that long layoff and performing at his best--but it could happen.

As for the "this team needs strikers" objection, well that's true, but I think we need a goalkeeper more. We've scored at least one goal in our last few games, always with the run of play. If we'd had a GK capable of stopping some of the ********e goals that our keepers let in against the Metros or LA (game 1 or 2), or capable of making some outstanding saves in the other games, our record would look quite different. Point is, our finishing needs improvement, but the GK situation is desperate.

[rtiemens]

How about Kurt Kuykendall . . .



just kidding

[prk166]

Haha the big man can't compete in Portugal **************

Well, there's always Austria or Slovenia. :)

[Cantankerous]

How about Kurt Kuykendall . . .


just kidding
Careful, you're showing your age...