GK (best available to least likely to help nxt yr and future) Walker-7 Garlick Ring Jordan-6 Perkins Brown Meola Countess Conway-5 Vallow Popik-4 Wells just my opinion, what do you think??
lots of players at GK and DEF DEF Nelson-8 (does look to stay) Stewart-7 Pierce Franchino Zaide-6 Akwari De laTorre Agoos Denton Broome Salyer Hart Zotinga DiGiamarino-5 Hendrikson MID a bit thinner but certainly 1 great and 3 or more very good players Williams-7 Brenes Vaca Gomez-6 Eklund Trembly Pareja Buete Kamler Lagos Perez-5 Saragosa Roner Preki Powell Maisonneuve-4
FWD- Thin but 3 good guys and some young comers Nhelko-7 J. Walker M. Taylor-6 Selowane Washington Simutenkov Testo-5.5 J. Max Moore T. Martins Quintanilla Brown-4 Scott Torres G. Rey
Ring is better than Walker. They played identical minuted this season, Ring made more saves, gave up fewer shots and had more shut outs. Ring also had a worse team in front of him as he faced more shots. I don't see why people think Walker is all that. Probably just because he played in South America and no one could actually see how he played. I'd put Ring at the top of the list, then Meola, then Walker or Perkins, then Garlick.
I think this team could give Most MLS clubs a good game, ( )=sub Garlick (Ring) Stewart Nelson Pierce Zaide (Akwari/Salyer) Trembly Williams Brenes Lagos (Ecklund/Gomez/Buete) J. Walker Nhelko (Washington/Quintanilla)
Good point id take Ring over Walker -see above with Nelson i meant DoesN'T look to stay-oops as far as Meola, Lagos Preki Quintanilla Mias Vaca DiGi Roner Powell etc. and other Older or recently Injured guys I'd need to look at the most recent tape and see in person if possible what kind of shape they are in. I also think that all else being even, Id take the younger guy with the exception of a Pereja or Ecklund for a few good years and leadership. If I'm a GM Williams, Stewart, Jamil Walker, Brenes, Ring and Pierce are TAKEN Post Haste I'd also try to develop a younger team that could grow together fortified by some Superdraft talent and additions in subsequent years I think Salt Lake has gotten a nice jump on the process by gettin a guy with something to prove, lots left in the tank (to play on a home grass field), tons of class/leadership and a Scorer's touch in Jason Kries to quote the ads "BRILLIANT" I like SL already.
Are you grading the players on talent? Potential? Affordability? Leadership/Professionalism? Trade-value? Other? Without knowing what you're looking at it makes it hard to know whether I agree with your ratings or not. For instance, Jamil Walker hardly looks to be a top-tier forward as you suggest, but he's cheap and is young enough to have "potential" even if it's a 50/50 proposition. He seems more like a middle-of-the-pack forward to me. Likewise, Jon Conway may not be a top-tier keeper, but he's got plenty of "experience" as a back-up (FWIW), did fairly well when called upon this year, is known as a team-player and strong addition to the locker-room, has the raw tools (height, athleticism, desire, etc.). Again, seems a little under-rated on your list considering he's ranked below DJ Countess, who is at risk of playing in the USL at the rate he's going.
For forwards, Nhleko never impressed this year. But Walker or Taylor comming of the bench would be good. For mids, I'm tired of waiting for Any Williams to be consistant and I guess Chicago is too. All promises no delivery. Gomez, Brenes, and Vaca are good. Also Roner we pretty strong last year, but injured too much this year. Def: Definatly Stewert, Franchino, and Pierce could start right away. Saylor is an investment in the future.
If a team drafts nelson or stewart and they go to europe that team gets the allocation and not DC right. So wouldn't it be worth drafting them just to get the allocations?
Both Nelsen and Stewart would be leaving on free transfers which usually (not always) doesn't qualify for an allocation. Of course, this is MLS where the rules can change on a whim. I don't think either player would garner an allocation if undrafted. I'd be willing to bet that if either player is drafted just for a potential allocation, then MLS will definitely say no to an allocation. It could be worth drafting Nelsen if you thought you could sign him but any offer from England is going to be much better than what RSL or Chivas could give Nelsen. Nelsen didn't agree to an offer rumored to be around $200K (I think) so how much better of an offer could RSL/Chivas provide? Wouldn't it be better to draft the best player still remaining? RSL or Chivas could even try a draft-and-trade to get something in the late rounds.
Thoughts for an expansion GM with cojones: 1. In 2004, MLS replacement GK's generally performed about as well as regular starters. 2. Replacement GK's also tended to make roughly $100K less than established starters. 3. There are a bunch of replacement GK's available in today's draft. Why not select a few of these guys and let them fight it out for your starting job? At least one of them is bound to be a solid starter, and you'd also have a fair bit of money left over to strengthen your outfield players.
nice thoughts all, good points I think at keeper a bargain could be had on a experienced starter/backup and a solid A-league or college keeper as a backup at Def i think 3 starters could come from this draft with 2-3 more players coming from college or A-league at Mid i think can get some experience (playing for 2-3 more years) and long a few young long term conerstones and some quality Superdraft additions (look at this year and last who emerged and contibuted quickly) Forward is the thinnest and hardest to get from Superdraft also. Id take the best available in the Expan. draft, and hope it develops well (on the young side). Then I'd go after a proven A-league scorer, and then get a few solid college guys to supplement the roster, all the while working on a trade for a (Razov?) mid aged fwd type, maybe a return from overseas type (Mathis?) I'm excited and intrigued and I'll be taking off of work, drinking + ordering pizza , and watching this very interestedly on - ESPN2 at 4:00 Eastern Friday Nov.19th -
Not bad talent here, but the really tale will be told once we see who everyone is going to sign beyond the draft. Chivas has already announce two senior Mexican League stars and REal already has Kreis. With the roster expansion and more SI's allowed, expect everyone to upgrade a bit. I think there will be a big push to enhance the product next year, before the World Cup year, in hopes of attracting investors to San Jose and two expansion teams, Club America and one other.
1. Both expansion teams have more allocations and discoveries than they have cap room. They'd be crazy to draft Stewart (even if he was staying--which he isn't) b/c of cap reasons. 2. RSL's GM probably spoke for both teams. He's not looking to get his starting from this draft or get key role players. He's looking to get a few players who'll be able to play either as starters or key reserves. Cap issues are probably pre-eminent with both teams b/c they don't want to be precluded from using all of their allocations.
From today's SLC Trib... "If we can get an attacking midfielder out of the draft, that would be an extra point for us," Ellinger said. That has Andy Williams written all over it, no?
Player rank#10-1 team draft result GK Walker-rank7 ny pb2 Garlick Ring off Jordan-6 off Perkins dc pb2 Brown Meola Countess SLR 2 Conway-rankpts5 sj pb2 Vallow colo pb2 Popik-4 Wells ny pb1 DEF Nelson-rank8 (doesNT look to stay) dc pb 1 Stewart-7 CHIV 10 Pierce SLR 8 Franchino ne pb1 Zaide-6 CHIV 7 Akwari SLR 5 De laTorre CHIV 5 Agoos Denton off Broome laglx pb1 Salyer dal pb1 Hart sj pb2 Zotinga kc pb1 DiGiamarino-5 Hendrikson CHIV 3 Behnke SLR 7 Whitfield chi pb 1 Llamosa ne pb2 Ara SLR 9 MID Williams-rank7 slr1 Brenes SLR 3 Vaca Gomez-6 CHIV 4 Eklund Trembly colo pb1 Pareja Buete chi pb 2 Kamler SLR 4 Lagos off Perez-5 CHIV 3 Saragosa Roner Preki Powell Maisonneuve-4 off FWD Nhelko-7 J. Walker CHIV 8 M. Taylor-6 CHIV 6 Selowane off Washington off Simutenkov kc pb2 Testo-5.5 clb pb1 J. Max Moore T. Martins CHIV 9 Quintanilla off Torres-4 CHIV 1 Brown SLR 6 Scott SLR 10 G. Rey