Piece by piece analysis of our roster.

[Doctor Woo]

4 Marc Burch Patience. He looked good when he started, hell of a leg. Lousy at center back. Needs solid central defenders to cover for him.
7 Fred Keep him. Where else can we get a back up at attacking mid? He didn't blossom in the role, but he still can do it. Maybe alternate him with Gallardo next year, every other game?
24 Jeff Carroll Cheap. Keep him. He maybe might could develop.
21 Pat Carroll Who? Advantage - lives with mom and dad so will accept developmental salary indefinitely.
22 Ryan Cordeiro Doesn't embarrass himself too much.
27 Louis Crayton Keeper of the future. Hold on to him.
30 Francis Doe Now I see why he got cut by the Bulls. He can't score.
15 Rod Dyachenko до свидания
11 Luciano Emilio Keep him, but he needs help badly.
10 Marcelo Gallardo Stuck with him, but after next year, good riddance. Even if he is better next year, he's too damned fragile
12 Ivan Guerrero Good pick up. Our starting left for the indefinite future.
16 Greg Janicki A keeper for next year. Solid back-up possibilities in central defense.
17 Thabiso Khumalo A fourth forward at best but a viable option.
5 Quavas Kirk Goodbye. He's much too raw for the money.
8 Ibrahim Koroma Who?
23 Gonzalo Martinez Goodbye.
18 Devon McTavish Not terrible in D-mid, needs experienced help in center back.
6 Domenic Mediate While he played not bad, cheap and experienced. Keeper.
13 Ryan Miller Who?
99 Jaime Moreno He can stay until he needs a walker but can no longer be the only one at his position we can rely on. Too old.
26 Bryan Namoff Above reproach, but can't play the entire back line himself.
14 Ben Olsen We love you, but get healthy or hang it up.
2 Gonzalo Peralta Adios. Tu cuestas demaciado dinero.
25 Santino Quaranta The prodigal sonny. He'll want more money soon, but being in recovery is a bitch. One year isn't enough to prove it to me.
19 Clyde Simms Still has my confidence.
28 Craig Thompson A character guy, keep him.
40 James Thorpe Someone has to play keeper on reserves.
3 Joe Vide So far so good.
1 Zach Wells So, who is going to rent Benji's basement next year?
20 Mike Zaher Needs more time to see if he's a keeper.

Keep for sure: Crayton, Santino, Benji, Clyde, Namoff, Luci, Gallardo (unfortunately), Jaime, Thompson, Vide, Boyzzz, Guerrero, Fred.

Gone for sure: Doe, Dyachenko, Peralta, Martinez (I wouldn't have said that last week), Wells (may he never be heard from again), Kirk.

The rest: expansion bait or make them earn it next year.

Which keepers would I think of trading: Gallardo (anything to get from under that contract), Clyde (for a really good dmid, no less), Fred (but his stock is down), Luci (very good but not at his salary). The rest would either not get anything of value or I'd trade my mother first.

[Rjbatzler]

I'll use your format... Also does anyone have a link to a place where all of the contract status are (if that actually exists)

4 Marc Burch- I really liked what I saw last year and he is still young. However it seems like all he can do is drive it with his left foot. With some good coaching he could be a solid left back of left mid. Why he's been playing CB is an absolute mystery to me.
7 Fred- I like Fred a lot, but he really couldn't find the back of the net. I would try to trade him first since he is costly, but he certainly has a lot of skill and I wouln't mind keeping him.
24 Jeff Carroll- Keep him on the developmental roster I guess.
21 Pat Carroll- Sure, developmental spot, he's only 23.
22 Ryan Cordeiro- I thought he was really impressive and could be a key player in our future. He contributed as a rookie and he's young. This is the type of player we need.
27 Louis Crayton- He's got heart and he's pretty good, he's a keeper (pun intended :D)
30 Francis Doe- I like Doe, better than Kpene of the bench and he'll be 23 next year.
15 Rod Dyachenko- PLEASE DC, WE'VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH
11 Luciano Emilio- One of our best players, we will need him, but he does need guys around him.
10 Marcelo Gallardo- Can we try to loan him? Honestly I've had enough of him, too old, to injury prone.
12 Ivan Guerrero- Good player, we should definately keep him.
16 Greg Janicki- Don't know much about him, apparantley people are impressed.
17 Thabiso Khumalo- He's OK but I don't think we need him and Doe if we want to add a good foward in the offseason. But I like Boyzzzz
5 Quavas Kirk- He's only 20, a good skill coach could make him a player.
8 Ibrahim Koroma- Uh, hasn't played yet so there's no way of knowing.
23 Gonzalo Martinez- I liked Martinez and have no idea why he played LB and Burch played CB, BUT I think it might be time for the team to move on, he's costly. Then again, who else will play CB... Bottom line, keep him unless we can find a good CB.
18 Devon McTavish- He's solid minus the occasional brainfart. Keeper.
6 Domenic Mediate- How long term is his injury? If it's not a problem I'd like to keep him, he was pretty good in the games we saw him.
13 Ryan Miller- Never saw him, never heard of him. If the team likes him, keep him, if not, use his spot for another developmental player.
99 Jaime Moreno- I'm not sure whether he'll retire or not. He is skilled and smart, but he is slowing down and it might be time to call it quits. However it would be nice to have an experienced player like that on the team.
26 Bryan Namoff- A peice of the puzzle. Above average right back, definately a keeper.
14 Ben Olsen- I'd be suprised if he didn't retire after this season.
2 Gonzalo Peralta- Not worth the money. Let him go.
25 Santino Quaranta- He really showed himself, and with his bad days behind him, he is a good player and he could emerge as a leader we need. Did I mention he's only 24.
19 Clyde Simms- Clyde's decent. Keep him unless we can get something really good for him (like a SSS maybe)
28 Craig Thompson- Great addition. He's young, he's solid, he's the type of guy we need. Comparisons have been drawn to Josh Gros.
40 James Thorpe- Whatever, reserve GK. He was better than Carvallo :rolleyes:
3 Joe Vide- Good depth or he could fight Simms for a starting spot.
1 Zach Wells- I think he wants out. With all the crap he's taken, he's not horrible, you have to understand the situation he was thrown into.
20 Mike Zaher- Wait and see what he'll develop into.

Keep for sure: Crayton, Santino, Clyde, Namoff, Emilio, Cordiero, Jaime, Thompson, Vide, Boyzzz, Guerrero, Fred, Burch.

Gone for sure: Dyachenko, Olsen (I think, is there really any chance he has anything left in the tank???), Peralta

The rest: Try to keep them unless you can get some value for them, leave them for expansion, Developmental players, w.e.

[AlecW81]

As I said in another thread, Kirk costs us next to nothing.

He hasn't looked particularly menacing, but he's only 20.

[La Barra Blonde]

As I said in another thread, Kirk costs us next to nothing.

He hasn't looked particularly menacing, but he's only 20.

Fastest goal in the MLS? Geez you people are harsh. :rolleyes:

[Vasco]

4 Marc Burch- Sophmore slump we hope, keep him around for another year and lets see.
7 Fred- Fred is talented, we saw that last year, the hamstring problems i believe hampered him this year. Hope he has a three year contract.
24 Jeff Carroll- Developmental lets see.
21 Pat Carroll- developmenatal lets see
22 Ryan Cordeiro- Developmental lets see
27 Louis Crayton- looked real good before the bottom dropped out with this team, he is a keeper. Glad he stays a little closer to home no a days
30 Francis Doe- midseason pickup, lets see what he can do next year
15 Rod Dyachenko- Time to find a team in the USL
11 Luciano Emilio- Our best players, Cannot do it alone though
10 Marcelo Gallardo- Fragile. Would hope someone would want him somewhere. If not lets hope he is healthy next year.
12 Ivan Guerrero- Shown some signs, mid season pickup, lets see what he can do next year
16 Greg Janicki- don't know anything about him
17 Thabiso Khumalo- Like what we have seen so far, See if he can find the next
5 Quavas Kirk- He's only 20, doesn't count against the cap, lets see what he can do
8 Ibrahim Koroma- have no idea, hasn't played
23 Gonzalo Martinez- Hasn't shown alot, servicable, let him go, unless we can find someone better, which I believe we can.
18 Devon McTavish- Servicable, he gets one more year
6 Domenic Mediate- Good guy, broken leg hurt him, the concussion of course hurts him. minimum salary, worth a look in training camp
13 Ryan Miller- has anyone seen him play
99 Jaime Moreno- MLS King, has shown he still has it this year, need to manage his minutes better, hopefully he can play with bolivia more when our schedule is a little lighter next year.
26 Bryan Namoff- Good player he is a keeper
14 Ben Olsen- the heart and soul of this team, benny will be back and better than ever next year
2 Gonzalo Peralta- good bye
25 Santino Quaranta- done well for himself, been hurt though. worth another year to see if his talent is still there and his demons exercised
19 Clyde Simms- workhorse, not the best, want him to see him on this team next
28 Craig Thompson- haven't seen a lot of him, worth a look in training camp
40 James Thorpe- ???? lets see, one more year to see if he can move up on the chart
3 Joe Vide- decent, helps bench strength
1 Zach Wells- please find another team to play for. he played so bad at times this year, but had a horrible defense in front of him, got no respect. rather see him on someones else's bench next year
20 Mike Zaher- young Development player, lets see if he develops

Long and short, the 5 picked up from south america, didn't really come and play as billed.
Zack was horrible, time to say thank you for your service, bye.
Losing Christian was a bigger loss than anyone ever figured it would be.
Losing Benny all year, showed just how much he is the heart and soul of the team

This team needs a play maker, maybe next year it can be Fred

[Doctor Woo]

This team needs a play maker, maybe next year it can be Fred

That might be the alternative we need. We will in all probability be stuck with Gallardo. An acquaintance of mine from France rolled his eyes when he heard we had him, and now I see why. If Fred is what we look to have for the foreseeable future, if Gallardo sneezes crooked and misses a game, give the team to Fred and make Gallardo earn his place back.

[griffin1108]

I would jettison Fred. Can't score consistently. He is not a backup to Gallardo, otherwise he would have been there this year instead of Moreno, Dyachenko & Tino. He really isn't a wide player, his defense is suspect and he's pushing 30. Too old and too expensive.

Crayton is not the future. He's OK, its just that after Wells anyone would have looked good. I'm not sold on him yet, he reminds me of Rimando -- at least one brain fart per game, but athletic and good with his feet.

DCU is stuck with Gallardo, the team will live or die with his availability and attitude next season.

Of all the young 'uns -- only Vide and Cordeiro are viable keepers. Thompson is "meh", small, can't score although he's a "solid citizen."

The point is, as has been made by others, this roster isn't that good. Of the defenders, only Namoff and McTavish are worth what they are paid. Burch is another "meh", good peg (if the other team lets him wind up), but his defensive work is excrable. Peralta and Martinez "buh-bye". The midfield, Gallardo, Simms, Quaranta, Guerrero and Vide. After that, its a rummage sale.

Forwards, Emilio is class for MLS, Moreno is class, period. Doe is looking more like Kpene every day. Boyzz is OK, but he wasn't in the third division for nothing.

[Doctor Woo]

(snip)... excrable...

Congratulations, first time I have heard that word actually used.

[Q*bert Jones III]

Gonzalos stay.

Emilio, I love you and all, but if you can't score goals you can't be striker.

[Count]

I'd still keep Martinez. He's been bad as of late, but over the course of the season he has been easily the best defender on the team.

The Boswell for Wells trade was the death of this team.

I will agree that he is too pricey from what we're getting.

[PJohnson]

I like the glimpse we got of Greg Janicki against Cruz Azul. He's got good size at 6-3 and 190 pounds. More athletic than Bobby Boswell. And looked like he was thinking out there. All he needs is experience. I hope he starts the three remaining CCL matches.

[Hedbal]

Congratulations, first time I have heard that word actually used.

But it's spelled incorrectly!

Random thought: Should we really be surprised that Gallardo is fragile, given that his nickname is "the doll?"

[CrimsonChin00]

I really like the idea of putting Peralta up front. Janicki: well keep him. Koroma: If Tommy says he needs work and hasent put him on the field yet, then give him up. Zaher: Keep him, speed and intensity. Vide: Hes a keeper, intense player. Olsen: player/coach.

[The Artist]

Player turnover is big in MLS but I don't think it's usually a good idea to dump every player who has failed to perform. Some guys benefit from multiple years in the same system.

If we get a new coach then that's a different story.

Here at least, is what I think we can count on:

GK - This is a position where I think the payoff for trying out some younger American keepers could be huge. We should be able to improve our team here while actually lowering our payroll. We are going to be in the CCL again so we should probably keep Wells or Crayton as an experienced backup.

DEF - Namoff obviously stays on the right. McTavish should stay in the mix at CB especially since he can also play midfield if needed. Peralta and Martinez have to go, I think, due to the salary they are eating up. Burch is a luxury on the left. If we acquire a solid CB tandem then we can afford to keep Burch on the left. If our defense is again a weak point then we need a true defender at that left back spot.

DMID - Simms hasn't improved as much as hoped but is still a keeper. Vide seems a good rotation player. I don't see any reason to spend more money here.

AMID - Gallardo is staying regardless, though I personally remain hopeful. Rod obviously should not be the backup. I would use a first round draft pick here or find someone out of Central America.

Wings - I'm not cold-hearted enough to say cut Ben if he can't make a full comeback. Much like with Etcheverry (and to a lesser extent Moreno) I'll suffer through the declining years as payment for the good years. I don't have a problem with Fred per se, but if we are really building this team around Gallardo I think we need speed all over the field running into space and Fred tends to run laterally. Guerrero is a bit sloppy with the ball but he seems a keeper. Mediate shows enough to stay on the bench. Kirk is cheap and seems to be improving glacially. Still you see how things finally clicked for Wynne in Toronto and you want to roll the dice with Quavas. Santino doesn't seem to have a proper position at this level, but he can play a couple positions adequately and he is capable of the rare moment of brilliance so keep him. I think if we can exchange Fred for an impact player here with speed and defense this could be the one move that makes the biggest impact on the team.

FOR- If we had sold Emilio earlier I would have been fine with it. Now with his injuries, lower production, and higher salary I'd say he's going to be here next year no matter what. The problem is I don't see how Emilio, Moreno, and Gallardo can work together and it would be cruel to get rid of Jamie when he's had the best season of the three and is clearly dedicated to the team. This could be the major roadblock. I'm not sure we can just get rid of any of the three, nor can we trade or sell any of them. But Emilio needs someone to create chances for him, largely by upsetting the defense and taking shots from outside. Moreno almost never shoots from outside the box. Moreno thrives in a one-touch environment, but Emilio's touch and passing are sketchy at best. Gallardo has great vision, but neither Jamie nor Emilio can outrun even slow defenders. Add in the fact that neither Emilio nor Jamie are serious threats on set pieces and crosses and we have a major problem. It's possible a threat on the wings will open up space for these two to excel (Guerrero hinted at this when he first played for us) but I'd really like to find an Alejandro Moreno type player within MLS to challenge for a starting spot.

Summary - We absolutely have to find more speed on the wing and a pair of tall, organized center backs. Luckily these are positions one can fill with American players. Second tier priorities should be finding a cheap American keeper, a backup at A-mid, and a forward who better complements Gallardo. Peralta and Martinez need to go to create salary room. Fred is probably our only tradeable asset.

[pr0ner]

As I said in another thread, Kirk costs us next to nothing.

He hasn't looked particularly menacing, but he's only 20.

And as I said in another thread, Kirk loses Generation adidas status after this year.

He takes up a roster spot and salary cap space if we sign him for next year.

[onefineesq]

I really like the idea of putting Peralta up front. Janicki: well keep him. Koroma: If Tommy says he needs work and hasent put him on the field yet, then give him up. Zaher: Keep him, speed and intensity. Vide: Hes a keeper, intense player. Olsen: player/coach. Or conversely, actually PLAY the kid in the CCL and see what he has in a competitive game before dumping the guy. We're not advancing anyway, so it would be another black mark on this staff to BOTH sign a guy who isn't ready in your estimation but then not give him a chance to prove you wrong in games that are nearly meaningless now except for evaluation.

[griffin1108]

Vancouver is in the USL-1 championship so I looked at the season stats for the three DCU discards on its roster:

Addlery: 4 goals 1 assist 27 GP 1400 min
Moose: 1 goal 3 assists 21 GP 1272 min
Nolly: GAA 1.043 9 shutouts 23 GP

The Nolly numbers are the most interesting. Did he get better or have a better defense in front of him? Or is USL-1 that much worse? (Don't think so given Montreal's and Puerto Rico's work in the CCL and the fact that Charleston got to the USOC final.)

[bigredfutbol]

Gonzalos stay.

Emilio, I love you and all, but if you can't score goals you can't be striker.

How many goals does he need to score in order to keep him? As sophomore slumps go, I've seen worse.

[La Barra Blonde]

Or conversely, actually PLAY the kid in the CCL and see what he has in a competitive game before dumping the guy. We're not advancing anyway, so it would be another black mark on this staff to BOTH sign a guy who isn't ready in your estimation but then not give him a chance to prove you wrong in games that are nearly meaningless now except for evaluation.

Uh, the kid had a little knee surgery and is hobbling around on crutches right now. Kinda hard to put him on the field. :D

[AlecW81]

re: Koroma:

Isn't he just 19?

I seem to recall the team saying he was signed as a long-term project as well.

4 Marc Burch D : He really doesn't seem to have developed any defensive instincts. If he'll stick around for cheap, I can see trying him at DM and LM, but I'm not sold on him in the back, maybe if we played a 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 and he was a wing-back.
*Trade-bait*

7 Fred M : His finishing is really, really, really abysmal. Defensive liability. Yet he shows lots of heart, tenacity, and hustle. Gets in the right spots, makes good passes. Maybe he'll accept a lower contract. Otherwise I'd prefer another 2-way winger in his spot. *Re-negotiate or trade*

24 Jeff Carroll M-D : Didn't play enough with the 1st team.
No opinion.

21 Pat Carroll D : Didn't play enough with the 1st team.
No opinion.

22 Ryan Cordeiro M : I thought he looked his best playing LM. Give him the starting spot at LM for the rest of the CCL, and maybe the last match or 2 in MLS if we're out of it.
*He's a keeper*

27 Louis Crayton G : Very acrobatic. Good shot-stopper. Good with his feet (minus that recent mis-touch). Plays too many long-balls. We don't have the right players up top to receive these passes. Go short to the outside backs and mids.
*He's a keeper*

30 Francis Doe F : *Dead weight*

15 Rod Dyachenko M : *Dead Weight*

11 Luciano Emilio F : His contract is guaranteed, so unless we can trade him for something valuable, we have no choice but to hope he get's better service next year, and more opportunities to poach. *Sell if possible*

10 Marcelo Gallardo M : Guaranteed contract. If he can get/stay healthy, he'll be a big impact player next year. *Keeper*

12 Ivan Guerrero M-D : Great, versatile player. He's on the wrong side of 30 though (33 I believe), but hopefully he can be a positive role-model for our younger defenders and outside mids. *Keeper*

16 Greg Janicki D : Really liked what I saw in the Cruz Azul match. If we can sign him after the expansion draft, we should. *Sign*

17 Thabiso Khumalo F : He's looked threatening, has good pace, above-average soccer IQ, could be a great #2-3 striker with versatility. *Sign*

5 Quavas Kirk F : If his GA status is truly expiring, his value is limited. However, if he'll sign a developmental contract laced with a few performance-based incentives, he could have a fair amount of upside.
*Negligible*

8 Ibrahim Koroma D : Young (19), has experience with his national team. We haven't seen him yet, hopefully they'll run him out in the CCL (Koroma and Janicki at CB?). Should be cheap, should have lots of potential.
*Keeper*

23 Gonzalo Martinez D : Constantly caught out of position, yet nothing has come from his forays up into the attack. *Sell/Trade*

18 Devon McTavish D-M : I still think he was at his best at RM. I'd like to have him as Ben's main backup at RM next year, as well as depth at CDM. Find another solution for CB.
*Keeper*

6 Domenic Mediate M : Concussion issues, his persistance to regain a spot in the league is extremely commendable, but I think it's time to cut ties.
*Sell/Trade/Cut*

13 Ryan Miller M-D : Didn't see much from him. Bring him in for training in the spring to let him earn a spot, if he can't, look to USL for a replacement.
*Sell/Trade/Cut*

99 Jaime Moreno F : I love Jaime. He does so many vital things for this team, but the more we continue to rely on him, the more hamstrung we are when he's hurt. Ideally we can get him to take a pay-cut, and accept a position in a rotation where he plays every other match, or is the first offensive sub off the bench.
*Keeper*

26 Bryan Namoff D : I've really been disappointed by Namoff this year. He's been inconsistent, and has gotten burned on more than a few occasions. He's been a solid contributer to United for a few years, but he could be trade-bait.
*Trade/Keep*

14 Ben Olsen M : As Benny goes, so does United. A healthy Ben Olsen, and we're competing with Columbus for the Shield. Ben needs to do nothing but swim this fall and winter. Don't even touch a ball or jog till camp opens up. Keep the strain on those ankles to a minimum. *Keeper*

2 Gonzalo Peralta D : He's a decent organizer, and has good size, but doesn't get in the right places to defend crosses/corners, or to score on our set-pieces and corners. The only way I'd keep him around is if he'll take a pay-cut.
*Trade/Sell/Cut*

25 Santino Quaranta M : Tino has proven that he's willing to work at his fitness, and has been willing to play anywhere Soehn has put him. His best role would be as a withdrawn forward, as he just doesn't have the right instincts to play a CAM role. He also doesn't have the right combination of endurance and burst speed to play RM, and isn't the best defender in the World. That said, he's still a keeper, especially at his current contract-rate.
*Keeper*

19 Clyde Simms M-D : He's regressed a bit this year, but he's also had to help out his defense more than ever before. Short of bringing in Shalrie Joseph, there's no reason to consider letting Clyde go. *Keeper*

28 Craig Thompson M : He's looked adequate, but I prefer what Cordeiro brings to the midfield. Thompson did look pretty good at RB against Cruz Azul, so perhaps we should work at converting him to a true RB.
*Keeper*

40 James Thorpe GK : Haven't seen him with the 1st team, but I see no reason to trade or cut him.
*Keeper*

3 Joe Vide M : He's looked pretty good in his few appearances, and if he won't cost much, I see no reason not to keep him.
*Keeper*

1 Zach Wells GK : Goodbye. Period. *Trade/Cut*

20 Mike Zaher D : Looked good against Cruz Azul.
*Keeper*

What does United need the most?

1. A true classic forward. Edson Buddle would be great, and I bet LA will be looking to clear some Cap-Space.

2. A true classic winger. That is, a 2-way player, with an engine that never runs out of gas, solid defensive ability, above-average crossing ability, and a strike-rate better than Fred's.

3. A solid sweeper at CB. Maybe it's Janicki, maybe it's Koroma, maybe it's some unknown player toiling in Southeast Carjackistan.

Bottom-line: We'll be having another busy off-season with sweeping changes throughout the roster. Hopefully this will also include a positive announcement regarding a new stadium inside the beltway, a new coaching staff from top-to-bottom, and a new training staff.