front office has always been pretty strong in recognizing up and coming talent or talent out there that is being underutilized for the money being paid. Year in year out - I am impressed with the DCU front office.
Here is the latest roster assuming that all draft picks make the team and Gallarado takes Gomez's spot: Depth Chart (28 available spots - 26 taken) G - Zach Wells, Jose Carvallo, James Thorpe* RB - Bryan Namoff, Brandon Owens* CB - Gonzalo Martinez^, Tony Schmitz* CB - Devon McTavish, Greg Vanney/Gonzalo Peralta^ LB - Marc Burch, Stephen de Roux RM - Ben Olsen, Domenic Mediate DM - Clyde Simms, Jeff Carroll*, Andrew Jacobson* AM - Marcelo Gallardo^, Rod Dyachenko, Dan Stratford^* LM - Fred^, Ryan Cordeiro* F - Jaime Moreno, Franco Niell^ F - Luciano Emilio^, Guy-Roland Kpene^, Jerson Monteiro* Senior Roster (18 available spots - 18 taken) 1 - Perkins 2 - Carvallo 3 - Namoff 4 - Martinez 5 - McTavish 6 - Vanney/Peralta (assume that one of them will be signed) 7 - Burch 8 - deRoux (turns 25 this year - no longer eligible for dev. roster) 9 - Olsen 10 - Mediate 11 - Simms 12 - Gallardo 13 - Dyachenko (turns 25 this year - no longer eligible for dev. roster) 14 - Fred 15 - Moreno 16 - Neill 17 - Emilio 18 - Kpene Non-roster camp players: Justin Moose, Jamil Walker * - Developmental Roster (10 available spots - 8 taken) 1 - Thorpe 2 - Owens 3 - Schmitz 4 - Caroll 5 - Jacobson 6 - Stratford 7 - Cordeiro 8 - Monteiro 9 - open 10 - open ^ - Internationals (8 available spots - 7 or 8 taken) 1 - Martinez 2 - Gallardo 3 - Fred 4 - Emilio 5 - Neill 6 - Kpene 7 - Stratford 8 - Peralta (assuming he is signed - not Vanney or someone else)
I know there's no longer a distinction between Junior Internationals and a limit on Sr Internationals (now just Internationals) - But do "International" players on the Developmental Squad (like Stratford) still count now as full Internationals or not? - btw - Who is Stratford And I've seen deRoux listed as an International (born in Jamaica, but I'm not sure when he moved to PG County, or if he has a Green Card or is close to having one) - If he is an International, that makes that part of the Roster more complicated EDIT: - OK - Hadn't read the Supplemental Draft info in the College Draft thread - Stratford has had a lot of time at Fullham and did very well at WVU being instrumental in wins over UConn and MD playing in the AMid role - Maybe he'll supplant Dyanchenko
As per Goff: Kpene (green card) We still have another International spot. Anyone with a green card is considered a domestic player for roster purposes. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2007/11/its_getting_drafty_in_here.html
I know he and the other draft picks may never sign - that is why I started the post with: Here is the latest roster assuming that all draft picks make the team and Gallarado takes Gomez's spot: I included all of the picks more to show where they would slot in on a depth chart to see DCU's options there, assuming that they make the team.
Good catch - Moreno and Dyachenko had green cards last season but Kpene was still considered a senior youth international for the 2007 season so he must have just recently gotten his green card - given DCU's influx of foregin players, Kpene's status on the senior roster is definately boosted by his new green card.
4-2-3-1 variation ----------------Emilio-------------- Fred----------Gallardo----------Neill -------Simms--------Olsen---------- Burch----Gonzalo----Gonzalo---Nameoff Moreno, McTavish = Super Sub Simms and Olsen as double D-Mid will strengthen defense, and may more effectively support the front attaccking lines. Also, allows Burch and Nameoff overlapping and sends in killer crosses. We might find some wing plays we were missing with Neill on right wing-forward postion.
I dunno bro, i dont like just 1 forward, and from what i read Niell is an out and out forward, He seems to be a decent finisher. I think your lineup looks fine, but niell needs to be up front, and most likely benny will be on that wing. And personally i dont believe Niell will start, out and out. But will be slowly but gradually integrated into the starting line up. Moreno will start in the beginning of the season. If he can keep up his fitness.
Well, with Martinez, Carvallo, and Niell signed, as well as Peralta and Gallardo rumored, the team's makeup sure has changed. At GK, there should be good competition between Wells and Carvallo. In defense, Martinez sounds like a top notch signing. I also hope Peralta is signed. It'll create competition for starting spots and the depth we'll need. If we do get Peralta, McTavish isn't going to go to the bench easily. It wouldn't suprise me if he started over Burch. I also like drafting Owens in the Supp. draft. I hope he signs because he has the tools to become an MLS starter. In Midfield I think DC are still thin. We've got Olsen, Sims, Fred, and (I Hope) Gallardo. After that it's Mediate, Dyachenko, Carroll, DeRoux (ugh) and draftees. We'll need some youngsters to become dependable depth. I'm hoping (against hope after our last few drafts) that one of the 4 mids we drafted will actually contribute as a sub/part time starter. It'd be huge if even one of them pans out. At forward, we have Moreno, Emilio, Neill, and Kpene. Overall, it sounds pretty good to me. We've made a lot of new signings, but I don't imagine they'll just be handed starting positions. I think they'll have to earn them. If we get Peralta and Gallardo, I don't know that I could ask much more from an MLS squad in terms of depth and quality. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
A final thought, looking at this list, if any of the draftees decline a dev contract (as I imagine at least one will...likely Jacobson, possibly Stratford?), there's going to be a fierce fight for the last senior roster spots, especially if Moose and Walker come to camp. I'd think DeRoux, Dyachenko, Mediate and Kpene would be in the most danger, with DeRoux the most endangered. Damn it'd be nice if MLS would expand the senior roster 1 or 2 spots. Your thoughts?
As part of the new CBA and with more and more internal competitions on the horizon, I would hope that an expanded roster senior roster to 20 would be on the agenda along with a general raising of developmental salaries. In terms of rookies wanting senior contracts, Jacobson is the only one who has much of an argument since he was projected as a 1st rounder which Soehn and Company admitted after they chose him. DC tends to be thrifty with senior roster spots and rookies - just ask Jay Needham (3rd round pick last year who most folks thought could go in the 1st or 2nd round), Brad North (last year's 2nd rounder who went about the same spot that Jacobson did although most pundits thought that he was drafted too early - since he was recently waived, the pundits were right) and especially Justin Moose (2006 1st rounder who got a developmental contract which is very rare for a 1st rounder - if they are not Gen Adidas players, they usually get a senior roster contract). As a 2nd round Supplemental pick, Stratford really has no shot at a senior contract heading into the season - as I mentioned, DCU likes to have rookies earn their senior contract as well as the fact that DC rarely has open many senior roster spots - couple those facts with where Stratford was selected (i.e. the Supplemental Draft - where I can only recall one MLS player [Hohlbein - KC] ever getting drafted and earning a senior contract prior to his first season) and it seems as if he will have to do what McTavish and Kpene have done before him and earn a senior contract with his play during the season.
don't forget if we trade Gomez we will likely get a plug and playu senior roster guy like Terry Cooke or Sturgis.
I mention Stratford only because he has an EU passport and, as a result, leverage if he has a spectacular camp. But I assume you know that. As for the rest Zman, thanks for the recap of the past few years' drafts, but I don't quite understand why you felt the need to tell me things I already know. If you were offering it as evidence in an argument, that's one thing. But if so, I'm not clear what the argument was. DC doesn't give draft picks senior contracts? Moose, Needham, and North didn't get them, but other draft picks have before. Given the lack of midfield depth on DC, I'd say Jacobson has a real shot at earning a senior contract. Personally, I'm curious to see whether Jacobson impresses enough to get a senior contract offer. Honestly, I don't really see why the team would spend a senior slot on DeRoux instead. He's just not proven worth it. I'm also curious to see whether the Vanney and Gomez trades materialize. If they do and they're for a senior roster player (rather than draft picks, a GA player, or allocation $) that makes the roster situation even tighter, as DCAustinite says.
Wow, I started this post but boy, is it out of date. In just a week! What's that famous quote- 'All South Americans are belong to us!' LOL (check the Soccer Insider if you don't get it)
Considering Mediate was already given a senior contract at the end of the season, I'd say he's pretty safe. Dyachenko is safe. Suggesting otherwise is ridiculous. I'd say Kpene is safe as well. With our lack of depth on the wing, especially on the left, deRoux is safe. Moose is likely gone.
I said it last year, and I'll say it again - I'd like to see Kpene given a chance on the wing - especially in an offensive sub capacity. He has pace and some excellent 1v1 moves which would be an asset in that role, and his lack of finishing ability wouldn't be such a negative. I'm not sure he'd pick up the defensive responsibilities well enough to be a full-time option out there, but he could be a great guy to bring in when down a goal.
Don't know why but the other day that youth player (winger?) we got from the Fulham (?) system popped into my head. Was that Yinka Casal? (No, I didn't remember his name--had to look it up.) What ever happened to him?
DCU, I agree with a lot of what you say. Good competition between Wells & Carvallo. Yup. -Defense- The competition for starting spots & depth we get with the Martinez & Peralta as you pointed out is just what we want. I’d also highlight that Martinez strengthens us with his big game experience and reputed speed. I think these qualities are exactly what the D needed. I stated in my original post, I think we’re going to have revolving ‘starters’ based on performance and resting guys so I’m not entirely sure anyone ‘wins’ the starting spot. Namoff & Martinez will probably have the most starts so I suppose I fundamentally agree that Peralta, McTavish and Burch are in the most competition for playing time. Btw, Martinez has scored a few goals over the years so there’s perhaps some modicum of offensive upside there as well as I think there is with Burch. Question? Is Vanney still possibly with us or is he out of the picture now? -Midfield- Also agree with you here, we’re still a bit thin. Simms, Olsen, Fred and Gallardo are the starters. DeRoux & Dyachenko will get their chances. Moose needs to do something soon or his days are numbered. Carroll probably has a little more rope than Moose. With injuries, card accumulation and tired legs there’ll be times when we don’t have all four starters and I wish I felt better about what’s behind them. I’m also a bit concerned about how much we can rely on Simms. As I said before, this is a very big year for him. I can also see Moreno & Gallardo both playing attacking midfielders at the same time – I think these two have the greatest skills on the team for bringing the ball forward under control and making clutch distribution passes. In my original post, I said I thought this was our greatest weakness. With the acquisition of Gallardo we now have someone besides Moreno - we desperately needed this. I predict Gallardo is going to make a lot of people around him look really good this year. He’ll start a lot of sequences that lead to goals and will have many assists. -Forward- I think a lot of folks are going to be pleasantly surprised with Niell. I think he’s going to have more than 10 goals in MLS play. With a Gallardo / Moreno tandem providing precision feeds he & Emilio are gonna light it up. IMNSHO. We had 56 goals last year, 52 in 2006 and 58 in 2005 (in MLS), tops in the league all three years. I can see us hitting 60 this year if it doesn’t take us too long to get everyone on the same page. The year might start with Moreno up top with Emilio but then I think he’ll move back to an AM position with Gallardo as Niell acclimates. Also, Moreno will get more rest this year. I’d also very like to see Kpene get his shots – and he will. I sure hope we see him progress! Perhaps my favorite goal last year was his spectacular feed to Emilio through a crowded field. He showed some real vision of that play. With all the new faces it might take a little while for everyone to gel but over the course of the year I think can expect to become more and more cohesive defensively & more and more dangerous offensively. If we don’t have any major injuries I think we’re going to be very, very good come October. I think the one area I disagree with you DCU is that these guys are going to start. I think Gallardo starts from day 1, Martinez day 1 or 2 & Niell day 2 or 3 (ie- within about a month or two). Peralta will rotate in regularly w/in a few weeks of the start of the season if not immediately. Carvallo? Depends on Wells.
Most likely I think we’ll see a 4-4-2 --------------Emilio-------Niell/Moreno -------------------Gallardo Fred------------------------------------Olsen/Moreno -------------------Simms Burch-----McTavish/Peralta-----Martinez----Namoff ------------------- Wells BUT, I really like a 3-5-2 putting Gallardo & Moreno in the center together– unfortunately, with our lack of depth at midfield I’m not sure how well suited it is for us. Could Burch move up to mid? ---------------Emilio-------Niell ------------ Gallardo------- Moreno Fred------------------------------------Olsen (Burch?) ---------------------Simms ----McT/Peralta-----Martinez----Namoff ----------------------Wells
Moreno on the wing probably wouldn't work out. Even Niell (with his speed) would be better, but neither would suffice at this position. The second formation is very dangerous...for us. Normally, in a 3-5-2 you should have two dmids...unless you have a world class dmid and a world class left and right back. Even in a normal 352, the two dmids need to be top notch. I like the first formation better, except with Moreno interchanging holding forward roles with Niell. I believe that Moreno would make a nice playmaker as well.