Defenders from the A-League?

[LowEnd]

Somewhere in the "News and Rumors" thread someone mentioned either doing some trading for a higher draft choice to get a defender, or picking up someone from the A-League.

I know it's not ideal to get the person who's organizing your back line from the minor leagues, but Namoff did his time there and came up strong. And I remember looking at the A-League stats last year, seeing that Montreal only allowed 15 goals all year. The only game I saw them play (go figure) was the final, and the only player name I could remember was Gervais (no, not Ricky)...though I think he was a left back.

Does anyone know much about A-League Defenders? Any Centerbacks worth giving a trial to?

[Clint Eastwood]

Somewhere in the "News and Rumors" thread someone mentioned either doing some trading for a higher draft choice to get a defender, or picking up someone from the A-League.

I know it's not ideal to get the person who's organizing your back line from the minor leagues, but Namoff did his time there and came up strong. And I remember looking at the A-League stats last year, seeing that Montreal only allowed 15 goals all year. The only game I saw them play (go figure) was the final, and the only player name I could remember was Gervais (no, not Ricky)...though I think he was a left back.

Does anyone know much about A-League Defenders? Any Centerbacks worth giving a trial to?

Since I live in a suburb of Syracuse, I attended a lot of the A-league team last year (now folded). I can tell there are very few defenders in the league worth anything. Some of them look OK because the attacking can be so pathetic. Now if we're looking for a cheap goalkeeper, it would be a fantastic place to find one. Why did LA just sign a central american goalkeeper as an international, when you can get the same quality in the minor leagues here?

[Th4119]

Why did LA just sign a central american goalkeeper as an international, when you can get the same quality in the minor leagues here?

Maybe they are trying to suck.

[Liverpool_SC]

We don't play a 442, but if we did, I would definitely consider trialling left back John Wilson of Rochester (I believe). He got a few cups of coffee in MLS (even scoring a goal on his first touch in a brief sub appearance for the RevolutioN) and was also on the champion Charleston Battery in 2003.

He is an exclusively left-footed player with a decent pedigree (Clemson) as an attacking player, so he is fairly smooth on the ball, very quick/athletic and sufficiently physical.

He probably makes too much money as a senior, all-star caliber USL First Division player to be tempted to trial in MLS - but I would love to see how well he could do at a higher level.

But he wouldn't work out well in a 352.

[elconejito]

i bet there a bunch of guys in the A-League who we could trial and maybe sign who would be serviceable defenders, but I dont think there is a Nelsen replacement waiting there.

[Dave Brull]

Somewhere in the "News and Rumors" thread someone mentioned either doing some trading for a higher draft choice to get a defender, or picking up someone from the A-League.

I know it's not ideal to get the person who's organizing your back line from the minor leagues, but Namoff did his time there and came up strong. And I remember looking at the A-League stats last year, seeing that Montreal only allowed 15 goals all year. The only game I saw them play (go figure) was the final, and the only player name I could remember was Gervais (no, not Ricky)...though I think he was a left back.

Does anyone know much about A-League Defenders? Any Centerbacks worth giving a trial to?

You are thinking of Gabriel Gervais. Played college ball for Syracuse and then went to Rochester before going home to Montreal.

Whether he could stick in MLS, well, he would take a SI spot, being Canadian. And most A-Leaguer's are there for a reason, especially after playing there for 3-4 years.

[Diceson]

People are forgetting that you can't just go out and tap a player on the shoulder and offer him a trial. If an A-Leaguer is under contract, their home club is probably going to want a loan fee for the trial. If that player is offered an MLS contract, then the league is going to have to buy his contract from the A-League team, just like the rest of world. These are two seperate leagues, and neither one is going to do the other favors for the benenfit of the player.

[Atouk]

If an A-Leaguer is under contract, their home club is probably going to want a loan fee for the trial.Are many A-League players on multi-year contracts? I would have guessed most are signed on a year-to-year basis, if only because many of the clubs seem to be exist on a year-to-year basis. Are multi-year deals common at that level?

[Liverpool_SC]

People are forgetting that you can't just go out and tap a player on the shoulder and offer him a trial. If an A-Leaguer is under contract, their home club is probably going to want a loan fee for the trial. If that player is offered an MLS contract, then the league is going to have to buy his contract from the A-League team, just like the rest of world. These are two seperate leagues, and neither one is going to do the other favors for the benenfit of the player.

I realize that, but aren't most A-League (excuse me, USL First Division) players on one year contracts? It seems like lots of senior players like Ezra Hendrickson, Dante Washington, etc either have a lot of latitude or they have written contract options that allow them to try-out/sign with MLS teams if an offer comes?

Even after the old loan agreement between USL and MLS went away, players like Chris Bagley were afforded opportunities to tag on with MLS teams.

And most A-Leaguer's are there for a reason, especially after playing there for 3-4 years.

This is true - but there are plenty of top-rated A-Leaguers (currently and in the past) who have made a conscious decision to play A-League, where they can make more money as the start of the team, rather than sign on as a low-tier MLS player. Former players like this include Ted Chronopolous, Alex Pineda Chacon and Eric Wynalda (back in the day).

In addition to the competitive A-League salaries, other advantages are lower costs-of-living, the ability to accrue additional money playing indoor soccer, greater playing time and being big fish in a smaller soccer pond (many of the players supplement income by running "elite" camps in their home towns.

I imagine there are more than a few A-League veterens like John Wilson, Scott Schweitzer, Paul Conway (a few years ago), etc who may have started out at lower salary levels - but have now basically priced themselves out of the lower roster spots on MLS squads.

There are also some pretty good A-league players who are hindered by their international status. For instance, a player like Nigel Henry, Jon Barry Nusam or numerous Canadian players who may indeed be good enough for MLS, but take up an SI spot. As a result, they play where there is an opening.

[Diceson]

I don't know for a fact that it is common, but as far as I've seen most of the A-Leaguers have similar contracts as MLSers, some one-year, some multi-year with options. I imagine the good players, those with the potential to move up to the next level, are going to be tied up with multi-year contracts - at least that's what I'd do if I were an A-League GM, assuming the organization had the money. As far as I know, our resident board expert on the A-League, Mark Bushman, could give more info on these matters.

I know that Hendrickson and Charleston(?) came to an agreement once that club was approached by MLS. I don't remember the exact details, but I think it came down to Charleston couldn't afford him.

The key point is that there is always a cost, just like all over the world, to bring a player in. Sometimes, such as with "Gaucho" a team must wait, sometimes a couple of years! It might be as easy as waiting until a league finishes its season and signing a player on free transfer - Nelsen, Thiago Martin (signed 2003 from Pittsburgh in the A-League). Or a loan-to-buy like LA did with Alan Gordon. Or a straight transfer, where the league pays in the form of a discovery option dollars or allocation money.

Don't get me wrong, I don't know what the exact rules are, and I doubt anyone really does except for someone like DK whose job is to understand these things. The one thing that's been pounded into me by Arena, Rongen, Hudson, and now Nowak is that everything has a cost.

[Mikey mouse]

The players contracts in USL D1 are written individually giving the players a lot of latitude. Some players have multi year contracts but they have "outs" so to speak. Players can look for second jobs (coaching, clinics, hell even bagging at the local grocery store if they want)

EZ situation here was unique in the fact that Dallas somehow retained his rights so when he went to DC, we didn't get anything. (to be honest he didn't play too well here anyhow)

Wolde Harris came with a six week contract. He wanted to stay in shape before going overseas.

Charleston seems very generous with re-negotiating player contracts, one player (Rick Titus) want to move back closer to his daughter, so the club let him go.

Mikey

[Liverpool_SC]

The players contracts in USL D1 are written individually giving the players a lot of latitude. Some players have multi year contracts but they have "outs" so to speak. Players can look for second jobs (coaching, clinics, hell even bagging at the local grocery store if they want)

EZ situation here was unique in the fact that Dallas somehow retained his rights so when he went to DC, we didn't get anything. (to be honest he didn't play too well here anyhow)

Wolde Harris came with a six week contract. He wanted to stay in shape before going overseas.

Charleston seems very generous with re-negotiating player contracts, one player (Rick Titus) want to move back closer to his daughter, so the club let him go.

Mikey

Thanks for the input on this trhead, Mikey. This makes a lot of sense.

[ghsdpu]

Dustin Branan from the Minnesota Thunder.

[Liverpool_SC]

The players contracts in USL D1 are written individually giving the players a lot of latitude. Some players have multi year contracts but they have "outs" so to speak. Players can look for second jobs (coaching, clinics, hell even bagging at the local grocery store if they want)

EZ situation here was unique in the fact that Dallas somehow retained his rights so when he went to DC, we didn't get anything. (to be honest he didn't play too well here anyhow)

Wolde Harris came with a six week contract. He wanted to stay in shape before going overseas.

Charleston seems very generous with re-negotiating player contracts, one player (Rick Titus) want to move back closer to his daughter, so the club let him go.

Mikey

Thanks for the input on this trhead, Mikey. This makes a lot of sense.

[Daniel from Montréal]

I believe Gervais has completed one year on a 3-year contract. There'd be a loan or transfer fee involved if he were to join another team. Most players are on 1-year contracts but more established clubs and players are on multi-year deals. The Impact has most of its stars on 3-year deals and rookies on one year with an option.