This is a solid analysis. Beckham and Donovan want to leave and that's based totally on independent factors not in Bruce's control. He built a good team to perform this year while he still has them, and we have solid young players all across the backline. I have some confidence that as we lose older veterans Bruce will continue to bring in balanced slate of youth and experience and there's an awful lot of things he can do with the budget money we'll have if Donovan and Beckham leave. So let's leave next year for next year, and enjoy the playoffs for a change.
Let's see if not going after a replacement for Eskandarian or a second half left-side sub for Lewis hurts the team in the playoffs. I think we can win with what we have, but there should be less lineup changes and more consistency heading into the playoffs. Hopefully the ultimate goal hasn't been achieved and the mark is incomplete for now.
Congrats to Arena for getting the Coach of the Year award. He also deserves a lot of credit for bringing in players to shore up the defense. The drafting of Gonzalez and De La Garza and the addition of Ricketts were great moves. The acquisitions of Berhalter and Dunivant helped keep things together. D-mids Miglioranzi and Kovalenko were OK, but overpriced for their contributions. Birchall may prove to be a quality defensive midfielder, but we needed to bring in more of an offensive spark in 09. In 2010, Arena needs to shift the attention to the offense. Hopefully Arena continues to draft well and continues to use the international market. Attackers in midfield and at forward should be the focus. Hopefully Arena puts more emphasis on the first half of the season when Beckham is gone. A young replacement that can man the middle of the midfield and eventually back up Beckham should be sought. A youthful and speedy winger is another necessity. A couple of strikers that can finish would complete the acquisitions.
thought u guys would get a kick out of this from big Apple Soccer http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/columns/lewis.php?article_id=23233
That's the way I remember it. Young talent was traded away starting with Yallop and Gullit. Even still who was it that turned out well. Robbie Findley comes to mind. Anyone else? Is anyone arguing our midfield and defense is worse of now than it was two years ago, or even before wholesale trades were made? Bruce came in and corrected these errors and I'd say he greatly improved this team so much so that we're even better than we would have been if we stuck with Ty Harden.
In my opinion Kyle Veris - was big and with time would have been a great defender ala Gonzo Nathan Sturgis - Showed signs of high football IQ Findley - Starting to show his potential at RSL
Ugo could have been useful. I hate that we let Kyle Beckerman get away. Neither of these was Arena's fault. The picture!! Bruce!! Very scary dudes.
If we had held on to Ugo and committed to developing Kyle Veris, we might not have drafted Gonzo or given him all the playing time he got, and almost certainly would not have traded up to get AJ. On the whole, that has worked out in our favor. Of the ones who got away, the kid I thought had the most potential if he had been properly developed was Nathan Sturgis - his calmness on the ball was something special. But the fact that he has bounced around and not really come into his own maybe shows that my evaluations are not all that good!