Greunbaum wasn't able to hang on to the starting spot at CLB this season. hw wasn't good enough and lost his job to Hesmer. Ned Grabavoy would be my pick, one more ex-scum player for Frank to mold into a decent player.
I'd rather get Danny Califf to be the captain, can Aab be entered in the draft please?. When he stepped in in 05 he transformed a decent defense into a superb one. I'd take Cochrane over Waibel, just because I think we'll pick up Craig down the line anyway. If you want a player with potential trade-on value it'd be Wells or Ashe.
I would make Pat my # priority. You build from the GK out with strength down the middle of the lineup. Goalkeepers are crucial. An experienced, proven, keeper who is also a team leader is an awesome advantage when building a team from scratch. Pat has been in the league for 5 years and has won 3 MLS cups. He made crucial game winning saves in each of the cup victories. He was voted goalkeeper of the year by his peers. He has held the lowest goals against record in the league. Goalkeepers play longer that outfield players if the keep themselves in top shape. Pat trains like a real Pro and he leads by example. With contract bonuses piling up I don't think Houston can afford him next year and that is the only reason his name is on the list. He is at the age where his contract can be negotiated down if handled correctly. I like Ryan but Pat would be my choice. We need guys who have played a lot of minutes in MLS last year because they are proven players who were trusted by their Coaches. There are kids we can get in the Superdraft including a young keeper that can learn from Pat but this draft is about getting a core group of guys that can play or be traded for guys that are not on the list. This would be my picks although I don't know all of their salary information. Chivas USA Zotinca, Alex Chicago Fire Gutierrez, Diego Colorado Rapids Casey, Conor or Petke, Mike Columbus Crew Grabavoy, Ned FC Dallas Thompson, Abe D.C. United Carroll, Brian Houston Dynamo Onstad, Pat or Cochrane, Ryan Kansas City Wizards Burciaga, Jose Los Angeles Galaxy Martino, Kyle or Xavier, Abel New England Revolution Dorman, Andy or John, Avery New York Red Bulls Wolyniec, John
I say go with Cochrane. Everyone knows were pulling Jorge Campos out of retirement to play goal anyway.
I can't believe I'm gonna disagree with wee man, but here goes. Yallop and Doyle have to be thinking about what their team is going to look like in 2010, 2011 when the stadium opens. I'm convinced Wolff wants a winner by then and that's why he pressed MLS to let him play now..[/QUOTE] No problem and your opinion might be the right one, but I think next season is far more important than many folks seem to realize. Nobody really knows how many S.J. fans are pissed at MLS. We all know that it will take time to build a contending team but having an expansion team with bad results may make it easy for the "I am not coming back" folks. Signing Frank offsets that gamble but we have to come out of the gate as strong as possible next year. We can build on that over the next 3 seasons but the better we start out the quicker we will get there. You have to learn from the mistakes of others and there are some real examples of mistakes out there. It is getting harder and harder for expansion teams and proven players (in this league) are a premium as a base.
As much as I'd like to see former Quakes come back, I'd go for Wells or Ashe. Of those three, I'd most like to see us take Cochrane. He's a servicable starting CB in MLS. Weibel would be good for the veteran leadership, but as someone else mentioned, if we really want him he may be available through trade. Pat is still a terrific keeper (the best in the league maybe), and yes, keepers play much longer. But, keeper's skills don't tend to taper off, they reach an age when their reflexes and such just drop off a cliff. Think of David Seaman. One day he's Arsenal and England's #1, and it seemed that overnight he was flapping around chasing after balls he should have had, looking rather pathetic. I'll pass on the 40 year old keeper even if he is, at this moment, at the top of his game.
I liked your list a lot. The only other name I would toss in there would be Tedula from the Galaxy. Xavier is solid, and I really like Martino. But, I think Tudela really proved himself the last few months of the season.
Ryan Cochrane. All other things equal, Cochrane was a Santa Clara Bronco, so lets bring him back home. Oh, and lets take Steve Cronin from LA and Jamil Walker from DCU while we are at it.
Can anyone who is thinking Waibel can/will be acquired through a trade suggest what you think you could possibly send to Houston to get him? This is an honestly curious question -- not meant to cause any trouble. I'll suggest an answer -- allocation, allocation, allocation. I can't think of much else you might have. Dom has never seemed to highly value Superdraft picks -- and that doesn't seem like a good thing for an expansion franchise to trade away. Good luck on starting to build your team tomorrow. I look forward to a future of San Jose and Houston regularly battling for Western Conference supremacy -- leaving Friscoites and Galaxy in their wake.
Oh... Come on, that's easy!!!! (a partial allocation probably makes the most sense, but...) I actually don't understand why other boards aren't discussing this (as far as I can tell), but if I were a fan of another team, I'd be looking at that list of players and trying to figure out who I wanted. Let's say you're Houston, and you think that Cunliffe or Doe have potential to help your team (off the bench, you know, after Daglish is gone, and if Ching, Jaqua, or Ngwenya are either injured or with the USMNT). Then, you say, "Hey Frank, how 'bout you draft Doe, and trade him to us for Waibel?" (And you probably add: and in addition, you promise not to take ___?Ashe?____<--or fill in another player or two you really want to protect.) That's an easy way for SJE to get, for example: Waibel and Cochrane. And for Houston to come out okay too. (You know, because you guys are in a position to slowly work a player with potential into the fold.)
Well, I did think about that idea. I just didn't see anybody we would want on the other unprotected lists. Your idea of Dom having and eye for another striker though makes sense -- and who knows who that could be. I mean -- Nate Jacqua? I never wanted him until he got here. Dom can get production out of wide variety of players. Would not surprise me if he sees quality where I don't.
Rather silly to think a team would give up an allocation for a player exposed in the expansion draft. At best it would be a straight up tarde for a player we selected from another team, or a draft pick. I love Waibel, but he is limited and doesn'r really have an upside other than being a crowd favourite. I' ve revised my list after some thinking, I'd take Wells. I originally said burpo as keeper but I found out since that he's 35 years old. I'd rather have Wells, hell he might even become a player we trade for Cochrane and Waibel if by some quirk of fate Pat couldn't make it on opening day. And replace Cocrane on my list with Petke, which means Gargan has to go making room for either Kirovski or Nico Hernandez, or maybe Kelly Gray.
From the list of Houston players exposed to the draft, I would chose Corey Ashe. I'm in agreement with others that building the Quakes will be a multi year process. Therefore it would be better to chose youth, and stay well under the salary cap until we figure out which gaps we need to fill. Corey Ashe from what little I saw of him this season seems to have a lot of potential.
I wish we could get all 3 as there would be a cohesive sort of unit, but that won't happen. Cochrane knows the area and is still young enough to become a leader of the team so maybe Ryan?
Ryan Cochrane wearing Quakes NASL red jersey in the Quakes throw back night in the 2004 season. Interestingly, Nike wasn't the Quakes sponsor in their NASL days.