2017-18 MLS Offseason Roster Moves

I would give Orlando the #1 spot as of today. The had a lot of room to grow, but added a lot of quality pieces including three proven MLS commodities in Sasha, Merem and Rosell. Plus Sane who was good enough in a much higher league, which helps round out a defense in great need of upgrades. The only quality play they lost was Larin, but Larin and Dwyer was never going to work.

Atlanta has done well added Barco an Nagbe, but lost both Carmona and Asad. They are probably a little better at RB swapping out Walkes/Mears for the Argentine, but not as deep. How much better have the actually gotten this off-season personnel wise? I guess it depends on how well Nagbe does in new role and how good Barco really is as a 19 year old. Otherwise, I think they will improve mainly from playing together and having a better schedule set-up.

 

Crew have brought in a lot of young talent this offseason while losing Kamara and Meram. Zardes seems to be off to a good start so far but if a couple of our young foreign players pan out we'll be in the thick of things again.

 

Not that there was any real question since there are pictures of him signing a contract:

NEWS: City acquires defender Lamine Sané from SV Werder Bremen. #VamosOrlando

Details 📝 https://t.co/jQoHjQA3S4 pic.twitter.com/z541Y7TZut

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) February 20, 2018

Also, I'd say that when an agent posts a picture in a TFC hat with his client on board of an Air Canada flight you can safely say this deal is pretty much done as well.

965894223160594432 is not a valid tweet id

 

Seattle making a center back signing?

Kim Kee Hee left Shanghai today and will soon join @seattlesounders Good Luck and Best Wishes! pic.twitter.com/PItCVU9uMu

— Shanghai Shenhua FC (@shanghaishenhua) February 20, 2018

Also, glad to see that the agent finally realized he should delete that tweet until his client actually signs a contract.

 

Was pretty much obvious, but it's actually official now.

IT'S OFFICIAL! ✍️ @MLS veteran Brad Evans has joined #SportingKC as a free agent. Welcome to the club, @brad_evans3! #ForGloryForCity

➡️ https://t.co/VcGcDLp1Uz pic.twitter.com/jS162EZsnV

— Sporting Kansas City (@SportingKC) February 20, 2018

 

Guess you can come home again.....again.

NEWS | Sounders sign midfielder/forward Lamar Neagle and goalkeeper Calle Brown.

➡️: https://t.co/176oxbLCCD pic.twitter.com/3SIKILuvJ7

— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) February 20, 2018

 

So the Rapids are continuing their move towards becoming a British club by signing Joe Mason on loan today. They also announced that the small local fish n' chip chain, GB's (4 locations in the metro area, owned by British ex-pats) will have a window in the stadium starting with tonight's game.

So you can go to the stadium, stand on the terraces, have a meat pie, watch guys like Smith, Price, and Mason, and root for "boring, boring, Colorado".

 

Well, not the MLS side.

NEWS: Toronto FC II sign Ghanaian international @GideonWaja

📰: https://t.co/QdVJ651qoy#TFCLive // #TFCII pic.twitter.com/cRm6hTsouY

— Toronto FC II (@TorontoFCII) February 20, 2018

 

Can you sing: "How Rapid is Huddersfield on a Rocky Mountain High" to the tune of "Tipperary"?

 

So Wynalda is right about the friendly with FAI? I knew it!

 

Does that mean "Who ate all the pies?" will become a standard supporters group chant when the Rapids come to town this season?

 

@Ismitje, we have a Steward Ceus sighting in Colorado! He just signed for the Switchbacks

http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/877831

 

I think you will be right on the talent upgrade though it may not result in as many trophies. VDW, Auro and Hasler at RB are a big improvement over Beita, Hasler and Alseth. Same with the LB/LWB positions and Midfield.

 

Loons acquire Brazilian holding midfielder Luiz Fernando on loan from Fluminense:

https://www.mnufc.com/post/2018/02/22/loons-land-luiz-fernando

At 22, I guess we finally joined the Get a Young South American on Your Roster Parade...

 

So who won the offseason? I think Atlanta, TFC, and LAFC make the best cases.

 

It probably says something that the news this offseason that got the most wide-ranging support from Colorado fans was the addition of GB's at the stadium...

 

Orlando.

 

LAFC has 18 players, including draftees.. Probably a wee bit early to say they won the off season.

 

Orlando hands down for me on paper.

Atlanta added two really strong players in Barco and Nagbe, but lost two good players in Asad and Carmona.

I think Atlanta will be better this year, but on large part to a more cohesive team and better schedule.

 

If they stay healthy ... it should be Orlando. Though it seems like a 2-3 year window before everything collapses.

 

There's no place like home.

Sam Vines is officially the sixth homegrown player in #Rapids96 history.

📝: https://t.co/oARhm0lsVv pic.twitter.com/XXXOQpIxxK

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) February 23, 2018

 

In addition to the HG signing, news came out that Aigner and Boateng will miss the second leg of the CCL as they both flew home (Germany and Ghana respectively) for their green card interviews. This is important as unlike other clubs (like Seattle) the Rapids historically have never prioritized getting green cards before, yet Aigner has been with the club barely 6 months and Boateng just over a year. It shows a shift in the Front Office under the new management.

 

Not really something new, but TFC FO is very good at finding players not getting mins but have good resume and on pretty good price

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/ager...er-tim-bezbatchenko-bill-manning-greg-vanney/

 

TFC. From strength to strength. I think Atlanta had a good off-season, but I don't think they actually addressed their biggest needs along the backline. In their latest preseason game they started Larentowicz at CB and Sal Zizzo at RB. Uh........oh.

Orlando.......................great off-season. Addressed their needs wonderfully. No excuses not to make the playoffs this year.

Sneaky, quiet, good off-season? FC Dallas. Retained all of the players that mattered. Filled their holes. Added dynamic winger, dynamic left back, quality & experienced CB, opened up roles for promising homegrowns in Cannon and Pomykal.

FCD has to be the most confusing team to predict for the 2018 season. Could miss the playoffs. Could win the West. I don't know. To me the West looks wide opened compared to the East. You can make a case for a bunch of teams winning the West.

Its just hard to believe that the team that had the best regular season record from the start of 2015 to the all-star break in 2017...............................was as horrific as we saw in the second half of 2017.