The team meets at RFK just next week, and the off season becomes preseason. I'll kick it off with the first depth chart. Forward: Mullins, Ortiz, Kamara LM: Nyarko, Neagle, Rolfe RM: Sam, DeLeon, Ortiz AM: Acosta, Buscher, Rolfe CM: Vincent, Jeffrey, Harkes DM: Sarvas, Vincent, Durkin LB: Kemp, Odoi-Atsem LCB: Birnbaum, Opare RCB: Boswell, Robinson, Rimstad RB: Franklin, Odoi-Atsem, DeLeon GK: Hamid, Worra, Horton, Klenofsky Just like when pointy ball teams release their first depth charts, it schews toward veteran starters, and expects some young players to move up . Rolfe is a big question mark. If he can play, great, but if not there is room on the roster for a versatile attacker like him. Best to find out early in preseason. If Rolfe has to retire, Williamson has a ready made role immediately. If you're a decent free agent left back, show up in Tampa. If Corey Ashe is still out there and wants to play for 100k, they should do that. I still feel the center of defense is the team's weak spot. My hope is Robinson is ready and called upon if needed. A free agent vet here for would ease my mind some, especially if Opare isn't to be trusted and Boswell can't hang.
I hope this season we see 3 bold transitions in the starting lineup. Franklin to Odoi Atsem. Sarvas to Harkes. And Boswell to Opare. I don't mind projecting those 3 veterans as starters at the beginning of the season. But at some point it's inevitable that they miss some time due to injury or suspension. I hope those 3 younger options step in and make it hard for Olsen to pull them out of the lineup. Younger players can't grow by watching from the bench. At some point you need to take a leap of faith and give youth a chance. Look at Pulisic. There's no shortage of options at Dortmund on the wings, like Schurrle or Kagawa. But their coach is fearless and unapologetic in playing Pulisic. Turns out young players expand their potential by getting playing time. Weird concept.
Admittedly never seen Harkes play, but everything i've read on him says he is more of a center mid than d mid, and would take that role between Acosta and Sarvas. Now whether or not Vincent could overtake Sarvas would be another point
I think if Sarvas starts, it's at DM. That center mid role is too much running for him, unless it's as a sub. Vincent could win that DM. To me, neither is ideal but this season feels like a dress rehearsal for all the young guys to learn from the vets, then overtake them at Buzzard Point.
Surgery for Hamid on the same right knee as last year. Not good. I'm afraid we're seeing a career derailed by persistent chronic injury. This is the second meniscus surgery within 1 year and the third or fourth meniscus injury to that knee. I hope he makes a full recovery, but I'm fearful we will see more Travis Worra or Charlie Horton than we expected.
Fortunately, he's still a young guy, but I share your fears. Chronic knee issues are pretty bad news.
Bobby Orr/Joe Namath -- sometimes part of your body can't withstand the rigors of the sport you play at a high level. I hope Hamid recovers, but 2 surgeries on the same knee in a year is not good.
but fairly common where major knee surgeries are concerned - whether it's "not good" or just semi-normal depends on what was done the second time and why - if it was just clearing out stuff from the first surgery, probably no big deal at all; if it was something new ..... could go either way. I hope he's fine but it lessens interest in him overseas - for purely selfish reasons I want him to stay here
Another quote from Olsen in regards to pre-season plans: "[DeLeon] will primarily be working on both defensive flanks" #DCU— Uncle Steve (@streffsoccer) January 24, 2017
DeLeon played ok at RB in a handful of games, and he contributed to giving up two goals in the playoff against Montreal that led to our elimination. Ben is going to try him in every spot until he convinces himself of what many of us have seen a long time ago. Nick has heart, but he doesn't have the skills to play at this level. And for whatever reason, DC staff is not able to help him improve. He has had every opportunity. Keep him on the bench since he can get minutes if someone goes down injured and we're thin - but he should be spending quality time riding pine this year.
Updated visual tracker - only players under contract. Put NDL at LB based on prior report and to make it nice and even
Still see us as a bit thin in the midfield -- or put differently, not quite strong enough. Agree with other posters that it would be dynamite to see Buscher and Acosta on the field at the same time, but I think we'd need someone much stronger in the Marcelo spot. Liking the fact that we have some strength/quality to come off the bench. Still a bit less than deep-in-the-playoffs ready on the backline, but I'm open to being positively surprised...
I agree. I don't think we're thin in terms of depth. Harkes (possibly) and Vincent and Buescher as the backups are pretty good. It's the top line starters that I'm more worried about in the midfield. I think we'll see Buescher and Acosta on the field at some point this year, but not regularly. DeLeon of course could be depth at 3-5 positions. I hope he isn't starting though. Coming off the bench, DeLeon is one of the better utility bench guys in the league. LeToux and Neagle as our backup wingers is pretty solid. I don't know all the MLS teams depth charts, but I 'd venture to say that those might be the best backup winger pair in the league. And Ortiz might also be viable there. Will have to see on that. Worra is a pretty solid backup as well. A big drop from Hamid, but he's a solid backup.
If Mullins goes down, those other two guys are pretty much unknowns. That is my biggest concern. Otherwise we seem more solid going into the season than we have in years.
That doesn't invalidate the concern - Mullins was far from a known quality. Most of us know without Mullins goals will be hard to come by. We didn't address this need in the offseason. Perhaps some more mid season MLS dumpster diving will save us yet again. james
I agree, except for this. He does have the skills. As a two-way mid with an 85% pass completion ratio, he can't properly weight a pass in the 18. As a player who as a rookie had 8 goals, he now sends every shot into the stands - good, clear opportunities. That's not a lack of skill, or the league figuring him out, that's a mental block. Crack it, and he'll be something special again. I'm tired of waiting, too, but he's only 26, and probably has 6 more years of terrorizing the enemy in him.
Only if needed. This would indicate the faith in both Kamara (who was surprisingly injured a lot last season) and Ortiz (who the F.O. Has been following ever since our last Concacaf CC exit). There's also Neagle (one of our highest scorers last season) and now Le Toux to fight for minutes. DCU still has a lot of salary cap wiggle room, per the Black and Red podcast that had Sebastian Salazar on it, to manuever around if the forward production needs reinforcements.
I have absolutely no clue whether Kamara and Ortiz are good enough for MLS. Sure, they scored goals in other leagues - so did Danny Alsopp. Mullins had already proven himself (somewhat) in MLS. I also have no idea whether Harkes and Odoi-Atsem will be good enough, but those are not going to keep me up nights.
A recent Goff post about the team said we had very little cap space once we sign a backup left back. I'd say they addressed it far better than last season. Last year we knew we were screwed at forward going into the season. This year we might end up struggling. But I think it's no more likely than any other team in mls.
Looks like Kemp is coming back to camp. BB made the 23 for Serbia. Bruce Arena names @StevenBirnbaum to 23-man roster for #USAvSRB friendly. @Tkemp02 will head to #DCUPreseason camp in FL.#DCU #USMNT https://t.co/rFsu4Z1DAO— D.C. United (@dcunited) January 27, 2017