2016 Regular Season Player Movement and Rumors

I'll see what I can find out.

-kk

 

Again, the Union cannot settle. At this point accepting and paying the fees is not allowed by the USSF. MLS will handle this for the Union and I'd expect the PU to file a brief against paying the fee as well. This isn't about this $25k. Its about potentially hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars that would either come out of or added on top of fees paid by and to MLS. There is also a separate concept of training compensation that could severely restrict the movement of US players by adding separate and very steep payments directly to youth clubs every time a player moves clubs before the age of 23. The Union paying would set a very bad precedent and likely be blocked by the PU and USSF anyway.

Another thing to consider, Bedoya played for a Pay to Play club at a time when those clubs justified fees using successes like Bedoya to recruit. These same clubs now face competition from youth clubs funded by fully professional teams who's aim is developing real pro players. These are teams that are free or much lower cost and for whom developing a pro and national team player isn't a happy accident, but a real goal. Its hard to recruit and keep up that business model when MLS teams are throwing more money at programs than they can without charging full freight. That means Bedoya's team is trying to collect a payment under a model that didn't exist and wasn't even an issue when it had him in its program. Its really crazy when you think about it. Its like a famous guitarist's first music teacher claiming a fee every time his band releases a new album. It's ridiculous.

Clarkie is a treasure!

 

Yeah, the first one was after Lindros' ill-fated concussion return against NJ in the playoffs. Lindros had an expired contract, was an RFA, and the Flyers hadn't offered either an acceptable contract offer nor made any real attempt to trade him because the team held all the cards and the family made a comment about not making a trade. It was really classic Clarke. At some point during the season he went on TV between periods and called one of the Flyers beat writers an a$s hole on live TV.

His treatment of Nielsen was pretty detestable too. May he RIP.

Bertuzzi was the hero in that first mess. Abut, not so much.

 

But they are suing the Sounders for a taste of the dough they got from Spurs. The solidarity payment was not an issue in the States until recently. I can't remember all the details, but MLS is essentially telling the youth clubs to kick rocks and I think US Soccer feels caught in the middle and hasn't been helpful to the youth clubs in resolving the issue. My guess is Bedoya's club filed suit against the Union b/c they're the only US club Ale has played for.

It's a complicated argument. On the one hand, US youth soccer has been pay to play so they haven't really invested much (you could also say they've already pocketed profits from fees the families payed). On the other hand, collecting that fee after developing a professional player or two should decrease costs to future players and increase access to more players.

 

But why? If you have great coaching, a history of developing top players, and win games, you'll attract players who want to play there to continue to feed the beast. It also makes it possible for a club to attract sponsors and other money to defray costs.

I think the issues boils down to MLS youth setups draw players and coaches away and have more at their disposal to create great facilities and pay top coaches. It makes it harder for these clubs to compete for top coaches and more expensive to develop an environment that completes with a no cost academy. These clubs owned the game fore decades. MLS taking this serious turned their model upside down and now they have to play catchup. This is a desperate attempt to claw something back IMO.

 

Oh, I was coming at it from a more grassroots perspective, that's my default. I feel the sport and decent coaching should be widely accessible. Ironically, it was shitty coaches in the 80s and 90s whose only credentials were their foreign accents that fostered the current pay-to-play system.

You're absolutely right given our market-driven approach to most things. In that case, the youth clubs are trying to have their cake and eat it too. While they could lower fees, it's not likely they would.

And what you said.

 

PSP reporting that Barnetta is deciding whether to stay with the Union or return home:

Tranquillo Barnetta's hometown newspaper: He's deciding 'tween re-signing w @PhilaUnion & returning to hometown club https://t.co/kgNPPrLo0J

— Philly Soccer Page (@phillysoccerpg) September 15, 2016

 

I honestly can't tell if they're trying to repel outside interest by playing him there, OR if he's really a world-class number 8 trying to engineer a move back home.*

*imagine as much of that in red as you need

 

I think what really makes him consider heading home is when he gets bodyslammed in the midfield, pops up and looks to the ref with a "WTF?!" gesture, and only gets a "whad'ya want me to do?" shrug in return.

 

Who and why is Kevin Kratz?

 

"After spending three seasons with Bayer 04 Leverkusen's reserve team early in his career, Kratz joined Alemannia Aachen in the 2. Bundesliga. After Aachen was relegated from the 2. Bundesliga at the end of the 2011–12 season, he transferred to Eintracht Braunschweig.[2] With his new club, Kratz won promotion to the Bundesliga in 2013. After the 2013–14 Bundesliga season, Kratz transferred to SV Sandhausen.[3]"

Judging by his goals scored he is either a DM or holding mid. Or Kai Herdling.

 

Another guy for Curtin to not use as the third substitute.

 

Kevin Kratz - utility midfielder but seems to be more of a DM and CM option who can also play RM and AM. Could be part of the Earnie Stewart buddy system (Yaro/Rosenberry, Bedoya/Davies) given Kratz's ime at Bayer Leverkusen while Barnetta was there. No transfer fee so fits the Union budget.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Kratz
http://www.transfermarkt.com/kevin-kratz/profil/spieler/42974
http://us.soccerway.com/players/kevin-kratz/54802/
http://www.fussballdaten.de/spieler/kratzkevin/
http://www.ligainsider.de/kevin-kratz_2621/
http://www.futhead.com/16/players/5380/kevin-kratz/
https://sortitoutsi.net/football-manager-2015/player/35008898/kevin-kratz
http://fifa-player-ratings.pointafter.com/l/3478/Kevin-Kratz

 

Football Manager makes him out to be a really solid signing. He's more of a CAM in the game, and he has a ridiculous corner stat and a very good free kick stat.

 

Somebody got a green card? Thought we had all the international spots full.

 

Feels a little Herdling-esque but at this point you have to give Earnie the benefit of the doubt

 

Believe that they loaned out Anderson to Bethlehem for the rest of the year with no right to recall him. If I read the rules right that would open up his international slot.

 

Exactly what I was thinking. Looks like a more aggressive, less technical, but higher player Nogueira. Nice to have another set piece option. If we lose Barnetta, we'll need another besides Alberg. Two deep at every position...

 

Someone mentioned on Twitter that he just trialed at MN United and they passed. Not sure what to make of that. Either they didn't rate him or they didn't like his price tag.