March 1st roster compliance deadline

[Coach_Barry]

I haven't read/hear anything certain, but I am guessing that the roster will look like this come next week

>Domestic Players
# 2 Clint Dempsey
# Leandro de Oliveira
# 8 Joe Franchino
#21 Shalrie Joseph
# 6 Jay Heaps
# 3 Daniel Hernandez
#22 Marshall Leonard
#11 Pat Noonan
#15 Michael Parkhurst
#14 Steve Ralston
#16 James Riley
# 1 Matt Reis
#20 Taylor Twellman
#12 Doug Warren

>Senior Internationals (age 25 or older) limit 4
# 7 Jose Carlos Cancela Duran
# 4 Avery John

>Youth Internationals (younger than age 25) limit 3
#25 Andy Dorman - 24
#32 Khano Smith - 24
(Lochhead on Dev Roster)

**Developmental Roster** limit 10 (P-40/Generation adidas or age 24 and younger)
# Kyle Brown
# Jani Galik
# Pat Haggerty - 23
#31 Jeff Larentowicz - 23
#30 Ryan Latham - 24
#19 Tony Lochhead - 24
# John Queeley
# Willie Sims (Generation adidas)
#34 TJ Tomasso - 23
# Matt Wieland
# Adam Williamson
# Danny Wynn

That puts us 2 over on the DV roster, but IIRC there are 2 draftees (can't remember their names) who will be finishing school and (I assume) will not be signed and on the roster until very late in the year or possibly next season.

If Nicol finds the guy that might become available that we traded our #13 pick for, then someone will need to go. Maybe that allocation is an insurance policy for the next FIFA transfer window when at least one of our players heads to Europe.

P.S. Any idea what numbers the new guys will be wearing. I haven't had time to scrutinize the pics from Bermuda.

[Soccer Doc]

I'm betting Lochhead makes the regular roster rather than de Oliviera.
I also think Avery John is history when/if we sign someone with the Allocation.

[BrianLBI]

I thought we established that de Oliveira didn't have a green card. :confused:

[Soccer Doc]

I thought we established that de Oliveira didn't have a green card. :confused:

Last word was----he does :D

[patfan1]

Last word was----he does :D
Did I miss that? Didn't PM even say he didn't have one?

[Ultra Peanut]

If Nicol finds the guy that might become available that we traded our #13 pick for, then someone will need to go.

Nice knowing ya, Avery.

[NateP]

I'm betting Lochhead makes the regular roster rather than de Oliviera.

I don't think so. Before last night neither had seen a minute of 1st team action, and I'm not sure that Lochhead would've started last night if Khano &/or Leonard were fit. So we have a 3rd round pick and a 1st round pick who haven't played a minute in MLS, my bet is the 1st rounder gets the full roster spot. That's not to say the Lochhead won't be the better player this year and earn a promotion for the 2007 season...just that all things being equal I expect deO (I love that btw for whoever coined it) to get that slot.


I also think Avery John is history when/if we sign someone with the Allocation.

After saying all of that above it wouldn't shock me in the least if Avery is gone by the 3/1 cut date and Lochhead gets the full spot as you suggested. He has only seen garbage time in our scrimages, Franchino beat him out at left back (no surprise - despite what some of think of their relative worth), Heaps & DH are ahead of him to play next to Parkhurst in the middle, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Lochhead is already ahead of him too. If he makes the 3/1 cut he definately seems to be the first one in line to leave if we can use the partial allocation...or find anyone else to add via discovery or free transfer.

[NFLPatriot]

I thought we established that de Oliveira didn't have a green card. :confused:

Craig Tornberg said he does have one at Meet the Coach (http://revsnet.matchnight.com/default.cfm?page=ARTICLE&show=467). He will not count as a YI.

If a player is cut before opening day, but after March 1st, there is a salary cap penalty imposed on the team. So to make room for an allocation signing, it would have to be done by Wednesday to avoid the penalty.

The fact that Avery John didn't play against LDA despite DH not being 100% tells me he may not be here after March 1st.

[NFLPatriot]

Any idea what numbers the new guys will be wearing? I haven't had time to scrutinize the pics from Bermuda.

Kyle Brown is wearing 17. That's the only one I've seen so far.

[Ultra Peanut]

The fact that Avery John didn't play against LDA despite DH not being 100% tells me he may not be here after March 1st.

He's also the one player we're absolutely certain will be gone for the World Cup--fond as Arena seems to be of Dempsey, et al., it's still too early to declare any of our US guys dead set locks. Given his WC commitment, his fall from the starting lineup (even when healthy), and his occupancy of an SI slot, he seems the most expendable. Mariner didn't exactly come right out and say it, but at MTC, I came away with the distinct impression we shouldn't get too attached to the guy.

[peabrainedidiot]

I'm betting Lochhead makes the regular roster rather than de Oliviera.
I also think Avery John is history when/if we sign someone with the Allocation.
thinking a little further into the season when locheed and de Oliviera get fit and into the flow, I think this could be a death sentence for Cancela too .unfortunately. it's a lot of $$ and clearly he's out of favor.
also, #25 Andy Dorman - 24
#32 Khano Smith - 24
if either of these guys have a future here, they are on the cusp of being counted as SIs

[Ultra Peanut]

thinking a little further into the season when locheed and de Oliviera get fit and into the flow, I think this could be a death sentence for Cancela too .unfortunately. it's a lot of $$ and clearly he's out of favor.
also, #25 Andy Dorman - 24
#32 Khano Smith - 24
if either of these guys have a future here, they are on the cusp of being counted as SIs

They've got a whole year before turning 25, though, so their SI status isn't worth worrying about.

Pepe is going nowhere. He'll be too valuable should we lose midfield power for the WC.

[rkane1226]

Pepe is going nowhere. He'll be too valuable should we lose midfield power for the WC.

I wish he would be traded. I like him too much to want him just sitting on the bench waiting for an injury or WC callup.

[peabrainedidiot]

Pepe is going nowhere. He'll be too valuable should we lose midfield power for the WC.
I'm so down with pepe! I still think he adds more than DH does

[Soccer Doc]

I wish he would be traded. I like him too much to want him just sitting on the bench waiting for an injury or WC callup.

There is no way any team can win a Championship with 11-13 starting players. This team needs and has a regular roster of players almost all of which can start and produce. Pepe is a tactical option and if he plays less than half the time but helps the team win a Championship then he's done his job.

[REV-OKe]

i like having good players on the bench. i like haveing the controversy over DH & pepe & dempsey. its healthy.

best of all, every outcome ends positive.

depth is good for all.

if pepe was on the bench a few years ago, gorter might have shed 20 lbs in preeason just thinking about it. or swaped places.

[RevsRule]

i like having good players on the bench. i like haveing the controversy over DH & pepe & dempsey. its healthy.

best of all, every outcome ends positive.

depth is good for all.

if pepe was on the bench a few years ago, gorter might have shed 20 lbs in preeason just thinking about it. or swaped places.

And Pepe would still get screwed. He should be playing now.

[Sattva]

And Pepe would still get screwed. He should be playing now.

How is being part of a winning team, getting well paid and playing the role that the coach feels will best utalize your skills in support of the TEAMS goal of winning games , getting screwed? To me soccer is a TEAM SPORT and no player should ever be held above the needs of the TEAM.

I know people, including myself, would like to see more of Pepe but IMO (and according to what Coach Nicol says) he's relatively weak as a defender and is better utalized as a role player than as a regular starter.

[Dan B]

... depth is good for all. ...I agree. I think this is what hurt us the most last year. There really wasn't enough depth at any of the attacking positions.

Even though Dempsey was the third forward, you can't really call that depth, as he was a starter elsewhere on the field. An injured and exhausted (from illness & travel) Ralston had to play far too many games on the wing, and there were defenders playing the left mid spot for most of last year. In the defense, we were an injury away (Parkhurst) from a forced formation switch (to a 4-4-2).

It's tough at this point to know if we have what we need for the season. We again have a defender playing left mid (Lochhead), an untested backup forward (deOlivera) and injuries to a number of starters. I think we will be missing 2-3 players during the build up to and during the WC as well.

I sure wish MLS had decided to go with an "MLS lite" during the WC.

I too think that Avery John will be the odd man out when the roster settles, IF there needs to be an SI or a regular roster spot made available. He just didn't play enough last year, and won't be available for a considerable amount of this year, just when we need him.

As far as getting back to the CCC, I think there is only 1 chance, and that is if we win MLS Cup. I don't have any confidence that we can win enough games during the middle of the season without our WC bound players.

[Jon Martin]

I sure wish MLS had decided to go with an "MLS lite" during the WC.
How true. This is a comment that will be heard increasingly frequently and angrily as we draw closer to June.