2004 Lhusoc (r)

Discussion in 'US Open Cup' started by chn71, Oct 15, 2003.

  1. JBG - Bribe Taker

    Mar 17, 2000
    Mt. Pleasant, SC
    Club:
    Charleston
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Also, circa 2000, Wilson had just recently gotten out of Clemson where he played his entire career (and youth development) as a forward. He's just now coming into his own as a defender. As for who'd take him, from reading the DCU board, if given a choice, they'd kick Stokes to the curb in a skinny minute and welcome him aboard pronto.
     
  2. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, but if you're Mac Cozier, are you going to go for that setup?
     
  3. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    2 seasons with the Revs? Really? Try 9 games.

    Yari Allnut born 2/17/1970
    1996 KCW 1 GP 0 GS 45 Mins
    2001 NER 9 GP 8 GS 707 Mins.

    752 Minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist.

    I will grant that Yari Allnut was MLS calibre in 1996, but that the money was better for him in the A-League. But this is 2004.
     
  4. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    But then John Wilson 1) gets regular minutes in Charleston and 2) likely gets paid quite a bit more than David Stokes.

    That's the nature of the beast. The better A-League players are going to be better than the developmental players at the end of every MLS bench. Sometimes it's money. Sometime it's mental. Sometimes it's personal preference. Sometime's it's just luck. KC drafted Wilson as a forward out of college and as a defender the second time around. I remember talking to him during the party after MLS Cup 2000 and he told me he was going to the A-League in 2001 because the money was so much better.

    I don't think anyone has said that there aren't Brian Chings and John Wolyniecs, but they're the exception and not the rule.

    The truly interesting A-League players are the ones we don't really know - yet. It's the 18-22 year old kids who are still learning the pro game. The ones who need minutes and experience. Kerry Zavagnin was on his way out when he spent a year with the Lehigh Valley Steam in 1999. But that year of 32 games at his natural position allowed him the ability to become comfortable as a professional and recapture the confidence needed to play at an MLS level. Now he's a lock for the USNT through WCQ next year. The A-League made Zavagnin who he is. Not the two years out of position with the MetroStars.

    Trust me. I'm a big fan of the A-League. But by and large the better players are in MLS. That doesn't mean that A-League teams suck. Quite the contrary. We've seen plenty of examples over the years that A-League teams can hold their own on their day.

    But to posit that this year's results in the LHUSOC are anything more than statistics catching up with reality, then I'll have to disagree. Upsets aren't evenly spread. We're more likely to see 8 MLS teams in the Quarterfinals next year than we are to see 4 USL teams at that stage.

    Let's congratulate, heck celebrate, the A-League teams who have done well. But let's not overstate what those teams are.
     
  5. drew_VT_6

    drew_VT_6 Member

    Feb 22, 2000
    Orange County, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree with you. I do not by any means nor have I ever claimed that the A-League is better. I just think there are more MLS ready players in the A-League than you seem to think. This year's Rhinos roster in particular has 13 guys that could make significant contributions to the right MLS team and 6-7 guys that are just as good if not better than guys who start most of the games for their MLS teams now. I don't know as much about the Western A-League teams but there are a couple of players on each Eastern Conference team (ok may not on Puerto Rico) that if given as many chances as say, Galvan Rey, Santino Quaranta, or Chris Albright would be far more productive.

    By the way John Wilson plays for Rochester.
     
  6. Dave Brull

    Dave Brull Member

    Mar 9, 2001
    Mayfield Hts, Ohio
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was using Cozier more as an example than as a point. I don't know honestly. There maybe some A-League vets out there willing to work within a reserve system. I was simply saying that having these types of players in the reserve system may be beneficial to the young players. Whether the vets would go for it or not is unknown to me.
     
  7. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So was I - he was just the first veteran name that popped into my head.

    I can't see bringing veteran guys in specifically for your reserve team, especially if it's only going to be a few extra guys mixed with the developmental guys you already have and a couple guys who don't get many minutes on the Saturday.

    I would think the veteran presence you're looking for is going to come from the actual veterans on the senior squad, who will still train against these guys three times a week or more. You shouldn't need to import any to be a part of the reserve program, since it'll be interlocked so tightly with the senior squad.
     

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