MLS Flavors of the Week, 2015 Edition [R]

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by ussoccer97531, Jan 13, 2015.

  1. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #1 ussoccer97531, Jan 13, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2015
    The season is under two months away and things are started to take shape.

    No longer on radar of thread eligible players:

    Landon Donovan- retirement from soccer
    Carlos Bocanegra- retirement from soccer
    Jay DeMerit- retirement from soccer
    DaMarcus Beasley- retirement from USMNT

    No longer playing in MLS thread eligible players:

    DeAndre Yedlin- Transfer from Seattle Sounders to Tottenham
    AJ Soares- Transfer from New England Revolution to Hellas Verona(unconfirmed)
    Omar Salgado- Transfer from Vancouver to Tigres UANL via New York City FC

    Newly thread eligible players:

    Jozy Altidore- from Sunderland AFC to Toronto FC
    Mix Diskerud- from Free to New York City SC(previously at Rosenborg BK)
    Brek Shea- from Stoke City FC to Orlando City SC

    Notable moves within MLS for thread eligible players:

    Zac MacMath-Loan from Philadelphia Union to Colorado Rapids
    Ryan Meara- Loan from New York Red Bulls to New York City FC
    Marco Delgad0- Drafted by Toronto FC in Dispersal Draft(previously at now defunct Chivas USA)
    Matt Dunn- Drafted by New York City FC in Dispersal Draft(previously at now defunct Chivas USA)
    Dan Kennedy- Drafted by FC Dallas in Dispersal Draft(previously at now defunct Chivas USA)
    Thomas McNamara- Drafted by DC United in Dispersal Draft and then entered into expansion draft where New York City FC acquires him (previously at now defunct Chivas USA)
    Tally Hall- Traded by Houston Dynamo to Orlando City SC
    Michael Harrington- Traded by Portland Timbers to Colorado Rapids
    Nat Borchers- Traded by Real Salt Lake to Portland Timbers
    Amobi Okugo- Traded by Philadelphia Union to Orlando City SC
    CJ Sapong- Traded by Sporting Kansas City to Philadelphia Union
    Josh Williams- Traded by Colorado Rapids to New York City FC
    George John- Drafted by New York City FC in Expansion Draft(previously at FC Dallas)
    Patrick Mullins- Drafted by New York City FC in Expansion Draft(previously at New England Revolution)

    Please tell me if I missed anything important thats happened between the end of the 2014 season and the beginning of the 2015 season, and I'll add it to the first or second post.
     
  2. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    #2 ussoccer97531, Jan 13, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2015
    Notable Non-thread eligible player moves in offseason:

    Frank Lampard- Free to New York City FC. Will arrive once Summer Transfer Window opens(previously at Manchester City).
    David Villa- Free to New York City FC(previously at Atletico Madrid).
    Kaka- Free to Orlando City SC(previously at AC Milan).
    Steven Gerrard- Free to Los Angeles Galaxy. Will arrive once Summer Transfer Window opens(previously at Liverpool FC).
    Jermain Defoe- Transfer from Toronto FC to Sunderland AFC(part of swap deal between two clubs that also includes Jozy Altidore)
    Kennedy Igboananike- Transfer from AIK to Chicago Fire
    Aurelien Collin- Traded by Sporting Kansas City to Orlando City SC
    Adam Larsen Kwarsey- Transfer from Stromgodset IF to Portland Timbers
    Jamison Olave- Traded by New York Red Bulls to Real Salt Lake
    Bryan Rochez- Transfer from Real Espana to Orlando City SC
    David Accam- Transfer from Helsingborg to Chicago Fire
    Carlos Salcedo- Transfer from Real Salt Lake to Chivas Guadalajara
    Erick Torres- Transfer from Chivas Guadalajara to Houston Dynamo. Will arrive at conclusion of six month loan back to Chivas Guadalajara.

    Other notable things to know:

    Expansion- New York City FC and Orlando City SC will be joining MLS.
    Chivas USA- No longer an MLS franchise. They have folded.
    MLS Super Draft- Takes place on Thursday January 15th.
    New TV Rights Deal- ESPN and Fox Sports have the English language rights. Univision Deportes has the Spanish language rights.
    Managerial Changes- Mark Watson has been fired by San Jose Eartquakes and has been replaced by Dominic Kinnear who comes over from Houston Dynamo where he held the same position. Houston Dynamo hires Owen Coyle to replace outgoing Dominic Kinnear. Mike Petke fired by New York Red Bulls. Club hired Jesse Marsch to replace him.
    New CBA- In the works. Needs to get done before season starts otherwise there will be a lock out.
    Season start date- March 6th.

    Please tell me if I missed anything important thats happened between the end of the 2014 season and the beginning of the 2015 season, and I'll add it to the first post.
     
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  3. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    San Jose Earthquakes set to begin 2015 in their new soccer-specific stadium.
    LAFC awarded expansion franchise beginning 2017 (to replace the defuct CUSA).
    DC United have cleared a major hurdle toward finally building their own soccer-specific stadium.
     
  4. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    Hmm, looks like I can't edit the post. Anyway, hope I gave everyone an overview of the offseason that hasn't been following.

    The draft is tomorrow. Should be interesting to see what happens.
     
  5. COMtnGuy

    COMtnGuy Member+

    Apr 5, 2012
    Higher than you
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We have almost our entire A squad USMNT now in MLS. It Finally dawned on me reading through your post.
     
  6. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    #6 Marko72, Jan 15, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2015
    Indeed. I think that it was at some point this past season, and most surely by now that Altidore and Mix just completed their MLS moves, that the "MLS USMNT" finally became indisputably stronger that the "YA USMNT" for probably the first time since the 1998 season (and arguably ever).

    In terms of key US players, the YAs have Guzan, Yedlin, Fabian, Brooks, Cameron, Howard (if he returns), and I suppose you might say Johannsson.

    All the rest belong to MLS.
     
    COMtnGuy repped this.
  7. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Question: Portland uncharacteristically had some issues in defensive midfield last season. What are Nick Besler's prospects for playtime this upcoming there?
     
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  8. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Will Johnson is still rehabbing. It's Ben Zemanski and Chara in midfield. Can Nick Besler beat out Zemanski over the season?
     
  9. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    I don't watch college soccer, but from what I've read, he's probably the most ready player coming out of college soccer this season. Saw some reports that he had the best combine of anyone. Seems to be a CM who plays the #6 and #8. If there was one American player coming from college soccer to MLS this season that I think could breakout right away to become a USMNT prospect, its probably him. To be fair though, I haven't seen him play. Really haven't seen most of these guys play. Just going off of extensive research.
     
  10. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    Polster to Chicago, Hallisey to SKC and Catic to Philly are three others I think could play relatively soon from a thread eligible perspective.
     
  11. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    After this draft, notable thread eligible players who I think could have gained some competition at their position are McInerney, Koval, Hagglund, Dean, Redding, Ellis, O'Neill, Cochran, Villafana
     
  12. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
    Add some others like Chandler, Greg Garza, Morales, and Danny Williams, and a lot of our top defensive players still figure to be based abroad. Most of our better young attackers are abroad, as well.
     
  13. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You just mean Rubin, right?
     
  14. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Those guys are all fringe-ish, 2nd XI guys. (Garza's being played as a first XI guy in friendlies, but I think those days are numbered.) Things could always change, but I wouldn't bet on any of them having a strong upwards trajectory.

    Where the YAs might make some noise is in the category of the prospects. Most of the big names that are age-level-eligible are in European academies or somewhere between reserves and the senior sides. But the usual disclaimers about prospects always apply.
     
  15. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    That's my big question, and I'm hoping somebody has seen more of Besler than I have that could answer, or is intimately familiar with Portland, and I know a couple of guys on here are. Of the more highly touted college guys this year (and I only watch a little NCAA soccer), he's the one that's stepping into a situation where it looks like he might've been drafted for positional need this season.
     
  16. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Green, Gyau, and Zelalem. And Hyndman. And Pelosi. But they're all still prospects.

    Not long ago, guys like Renken and Lletget were big attacking prospects in academies abroad as well...
     
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  17. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Gyau isn't young, really. No one knows where Pelosi is at the moment. He is far out the picture for Liverpool, though. He also will be 21 at the end of the season, he's not that young.

    Hyndman, sure. Green as well, though he isn't exactly blowing anyone away. There are attackers in the same age group in MLS I would take over Green.

    I think our best attackers will come from the states. Players getting opportunities and having the ability to take advantage of them like Rubin are outliars.
     
  18. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    #18 Marko72, Jan 15, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2015
    Pelosi's been out with a broken leg, IIRC, and obviously you wonder what's going to happen when he's healthy again. He was highly thought of until then, but stuff like that can get you shuffled right to the bottom of the pile really quickly with a club like Liverpool. Gyau got injured in a friendly with the USMNT a couple months, remember, but he's slated to be back soon, and we'll have to see where he is at that point.

    Zelalem is thought of glowingly at Arsenal. That might well be the single biggest recruiting coup we've ever had, though we'll always have to wait until the chickens hatch to count them.

    Of our young attackers right now, the one who looks closest to being USMNT-ready is Rubin, but as you'd said, guys like that are always going to be outliers.

    MLS has their share of promising prospects as well (my own MLS club's got a good one in Thompson), but this is one area that I'd still give the edge to the YAs. But prospects, schmospects. It don't mean a thing until they've accomplished something, and over time we will see an improvement in the prospects that are coming out of the academies in MLS, and more and more of the high draft picks will be those guys who slipped through the cracks as teens and came out of college ready to contribute.
     
  19. USAMEX10

    USAMEX10 Member+

    Sep 24, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Ridiculously early prediction for fun: Rookie of the year will be Shelton. Idk if HGs like Saucedo or Fernandez are eligible since they signed last year but didn't get any minutes (I don't think they could play yet)
     
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  20. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    My rookie of the year pick is between Rochez, Besler and Davis.

    I'm going to go with Besler as ROY because I think its the safest option. The other two are players I think could be in contention if they get minutes and adapt to MLS quickly.
     
  21. Hararea

    Hararea Member+

    Jan 21, 2005
    Perhaps "young" isn't the right term, but here's the full list of American mids and forwards who played more than 50% of the season in MLS last year and are younger than Gyau:

    Trapp
    Dillon Serna (53%)
    Luis Gil (50.1%)

    It's obviously a very small group. None of these guys is as young as Pelosi, let alone Green.
     
  22. Susaeta

    Susaeta BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 3, 2009
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Good. Portland got the guy they wanted, and Will Johnson was having a down year even before being injured. He has a good shot of at least playing the role Zemanski role - the guy who comes in at 60 minutes to spell one of the two central midfielders.
     
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  23. USAMEX10

    USAMEX10 Member+

    Sep 24, 2010
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Volesky, Polstar, Roldan, and Hallisey Are my other sleeper picks For ROY
     
  24. Dave Marino-Nachison

    Jun 9, 1999
    That almost never happens in drafts! ;)
     
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  25. Susaeta

    Susaeta BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 3, 2009
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The entire draft mechanism is still so foreign to me, but I get the joke here. For the past couple years, Portland took a shot on "maybe" players, or simply passed. This is the first time in a while I have heard anyone in the organization leave the draft really happy with the guy they got. Not since Nagbe (although obviously that was an entirely different level of excitement).
     

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