Youngsters in MLS (1997 or later)

Both Almiron and Villalba lose Young DP status next year. To keep their roster flexible you would think that Atlanta is shopping Almiron around. Sell at a profit and you get allocation money and then the hit is non-existent. They have to replace Almiron but for the money they spent they could get a similar young talent given Tata's connections.

 

Atlanta went 120 minutes without a goal, they were complaining about their bench depth, I thought we should add some context to what ended up happening, but its a moot point, the season is over.

As for next season, I don't personally see him taking over for Asad (if Asad doesn't return). If he does return, obviously he's not taking over because this is a coach who wouldn't even put him in the 18 for a playoff game. What we think should happen and what we think will happen are often different. If Asad (or Almiron) don't return, I think he could have a bench role, Gressel will probably start. A bench role would be fine, as long as he is given the chance to outplay those guys, and overtake them. If they bring back the same team though, I don't know why anyone should expect he'll play all that much more than this season. What I don't like is how Martino seems to almost never rotate his team based on form.

 

Yep, this is a big issue. A lot of people have noticed this.

 

Who do we think are some of the next players that might sign contracts?

Just a quick run down some names here, tell me who I might be missing and who's the most likely to be a HG signing over the offseason.

Atlanta: Garces, Asensio, Jones, McGann, Crain
Chicago Fire: Lindley, Pineda, Slonina, Las
Columbus Crew: Probably no one, maybe Kowalczyk, Rivas, Sarver
DC United: Williamson, Jones, Vaughn, Martinez, Amaya, Nyeman
Montreal: Don't care
New England: Angking
NYCFC: Shaver, Reyna, Scally
NYRB: Marin, Gloster, Mines, Murphy, Saunders
Orlando: Pereira, Seals
Philly: Real, McKenzie, Pellegrino, Shakes
Toronto: Don't care

Colorado: Vines, Hundley, Bencomo
FCD: Terwege, Munjoma, Servania, Cappis, Padilla, Richards, Almaguer, Toledo, Roberts, Collodi, Burns, Gomez, Hinajosa, Rayo, Redzic, Letayf, Sealy, toomanytonameneedauslteam
Houston: Waste of time discussing, and there is no quality in their academy anyway
LAG: Arteaga, Mendez, Bailey Llanez, Sepulveda, Cano, Ceja,
Minnesota: N/A
Portland: Hanson, Watts, Villegas
RSL: Herrera, Iloski, Soto, Booth, Ochoa, Arriaga
SJ: Marcinkowski, Nuphaus, Anaya, Fuentes,
Seattle: Rogers, Morris, Brisco, Fowler, Gonzalez, Ocampo-Chavez, Atencio
SKC: They've signed the players they needed to, start playing them now
Vancouver: Don't care

 

RSL really likes Amar Sejdic at Maryland, who is about 2 months too old to be thread-eligible. I'd also add Tanner Dieterich.

I would predict Herrera and Booth to sign this winter, maybe Soto by midseason if he impresses with the Monarchs.

 

Comprehensive list, but I believe you missed Borges, Joe Gallardo (I believe he will be?), Akinola, and of course, Alvarez.

 

Alvarez is on a USL deal, thats why I didn't name him, and he doesn't play for us right now, so I care less. Isn't Gallardo also on a USL contract? Didn't list Akinola because I believe he's not contracted to an academy anymore. Good call on Borges though.

 

Gallardo is on a USL contract and based on his 2017 season doesn't seem to be anywhere near an MLS deal.

Guys from your list like Rogers and Gonzalez (Seattle), Hanson (Portland), and Real (Philly) are on USL deals right now too.

A few highly speculative additions:

I'm not sure how good Sam Fowler is, but if Seattle signs a GK it is easy to see them go after Trey Muse, who is starting for Indiana and has conceded four goals in 17 games so far.

Some other options could be Handwalla Bwana (Seattle) or Blake Bodily (Portland) both at Washington. Unsure of Bwana's citizenship.

Los Dos gave a considerable amount of USL minutes to Jorge Hernandez '00 this year.

These guys have played a lot as freshman, which is a good sign though hardly proof they are ready and willing to go pro: David Loera (NC State / Orlando), Jacob Montes (Georgetown / Portland), Dawson McCartney (Dartmouth / Philly), Omir Fernandez (WF / NYRB)

 

Made a mistake about Rogers, Hanson and Real. Forget they were on USL contracts. Gonzalez, I actually did not know that. Completely agree about Muse, thats my mistake, forgot he was a Seattle homegrown.

 

In reality, this list is maybe like 25 names with a chance this offseason, but I thought I might as well list as some who could be possibilities, as we don't know who are among those 20. Does anyone know how many last offseason we had? Maybe subtract a year from the age requirements (96's and later)?

I'd think Lindley, Pineda, Williamson, Herrera, Borges and Marcinkowski are likely from the NCAA's, or they go from outside MLS, which is fine by me if its not a bad league. Muse, Iloski, Servania and Terwege are all players I'd like to see get one, but MLS teams are so picky with these contracts, so I'm not sure all four of those freshmen get them. Rogers, Hanson and Real seem to have decent chances, and from the amateur ranks, I think Booth, Soto, Garces, Gloster, Shaver, Arteaga, Llanez, Cappis, Richards, Padilla, Toledo, Reyna, Scally are where the names will come from.

 

Its unclear to me if Cappis can sign a homegrown deal with Dallas.
He's clearly from Houston's homegrown territory.
Alternatively, Dallas wouldn't have brought him on board unless they thought they could sign him.....................................

I think FCD's primary goal for next season should be incorporating their existing homegrowns rather than signing a new bunch (unless there's an obvious elite talent). Especially if they don't start their own USLPro team.

I don't have a good feeling right now for who might be FCD's next homegrown signings. Servania is probably the best bet out of the NCAAs. There is a guy not on your list that they might sign. That's former USYNTer Ben Hale (a '98), who's having a good season in goal for Furman. [Reportedly. I haven't seen a second of it.] One of their keepers (probably Seitz) will leave, meaning the team will be looking for keeping depth.

As we know, FCD has been signing youngsters pretty early. Who is the outstanding player so far this season on their U16s? From what I've seen, USYNTer Beni Redzic is looking REALLY good so far. He's one for us to keep an eye on long-term for sure. He's a 2002. There are so many new faces on the U19s that I don't have a good feeling for the talent on that team that's MLS ready, other than say Padilla. But if FCD signs Padilla, he'd be in a helluva young forward logjam. They already are gonna gave to figure out what to do with Ferreira, Reynolds, and Adonijah Reid next season.

 

I would like NYRB to sign Gloster. I think Kemar Lawrence is not long for MLS.

 

Servania wasn't as productive down the stretch for Wake.

Really good player with a good future, but unless FCD have a plan to sign and loan then it wouldn't make much sense to sign him. Servania is less likely to help Dallas at this point than Jacori Hayes who Servania basically replaced at Wake.

 

My prediction for what RSL will do: Herrera, Booth, Sejdic.

My opinion of what they should do: Herrera, Booth, Dieterich.

 

Hale probably faces the obstacle of Avilez. Hard to justify signing a young keeper (a '98) when you just signed a '99 you presumably rate higher. That's why Romero left LAG. They had signed Lopez, a '99, his path to the first team became nearly non-existent, given the clubs actions so he went to go play in Mexico.

 

I'm not sure Avilez is rated higher...............................
Then again, I've seen neither play all that much recently. Who the hell knows?
Ben Hale fell off the radar because he was out all of 2016 while recovering from an ACL injury.

FCD did attempt to grab Richard Sanchez back from Mexico, only for Chicago to inexplicably sign him instead.

I still don't understand why Chicago let Sean Johnson leave. They have 4 keepers on their roster right now, and none of them are as good as Sean Johnson.

 

You might be right, but what sense is it to sign a 20 year old keeper (thats what Hale will be by next season) when you have a 19 year old keeper (the age Avilez will be) who would likely fill the same role. I don't think either is looking at more than a 3rd keeper role next season, and even if they could be #2, is the team really going to have a 2nd and 3rd keeper as a 20 and 19 year old?

If we are talking about Donnarumma compared to a similar aged keeper, its a different story because they will be filling very different roles, but similarly talented keepers of the same age who are probably not more than depth players on the roster? Not very likely, IMO, especially for MLS teams that really don't sign as many youngsters to pro contracts as teams in other countries. I would think that they give Avilez the next two/three seasons to evaluate where he is, and if he has not progressed, they'll get rid of him. If at that point Hale has progressed to the point where they feel he's worth a contract, they sign him. I think if FCD is to sign a keeper, its someone like Collodi who's way younger and probably isn't competing for any first team roster spot for another few seasons. Thats probably still a season away though before FCD is having that as a real discussion. Either way, Collodi does seem highly rated within FCD and US Soccer. I personally have not been impressed, but they've watched more of him than me.

 

Tanner Dieterich to me is a player that you sign after they have graduated.

Not even starting at CB for Clemson, but starting at DM. He isn't good enough to have a significantly impact in MLS right now. I doubt he would turn down eligibility for USL.

He did enroll early, so he might be able to graduate after next season.

 

Speak of the devil: Jorge Hernandez named LA Galaxy Academy Player of the Year

 

Herrera not taking off spring semester last year to prepare for the U20 WC is enough for me to believe he will finish college. RSL is really doing a good job with HGP brand right now, it would be a good investment to try to sign Herrera even if you have to give him a little more than he's worth. I don't remember RSL having a really stand out RB this season either, Acosta even filled in there occasionally so maybe it's better to get Herrera than pay real money for a new RB.

I think Borges signs this offseason.

 

RSL is an interesting team to watch this off-season.
For all the positive vibes about youth players, etc...................they missed the playoffs. They were even worse than FCD. So are they going to "stick with it" or sign a bunch of mediocre Colombian veterans? We shall see.

 

I think they looked like a team on the rise though. Glad was missing early on, Acosta emerged late, Savarino didn't join until May.

 

RSL were kind of the opposite of Dallas, started very slow but finished strong. Had one the better records in MLS the 2nd half of the season.

 

Agree.

I think the team will have the the same core post All-Star break. They will dump Movsisyan and add a piece to the attack, but that will be the major move.

They dropped tons of points early whenever Glad and crew were playing at the U20 and then Glad missed the next few weeks with an injury.

Post Glad and Savarino, RSL was quality.

 

We would have finished ahead of FCD if they'd actually lost the point for playing an ineligible player.

Also, it hasn't been announced but the word is that Tony Beltran, starting RB, has torn his ACL. He'll miss most of next season.

Could be good and bad for Herrera. He'll likely be able to compete for minutes from Opening Day, but it means we may try to sign somebody else as well.