She makes Alex look almost fully grown. Unfortunately MLS has never made him look anything more than a teenager. I don’t know how he pulls it off.
Well, I'd think that all but the league's bottom feeders would have at least 5-6 starters they see as a solid "core." If we only have 5-6 true MLS quality starters, that means we have marginal talent, injury prone players or gaping holes at 5-6 starting positions. That's a lot of spaces to upgrade in one off season. A year ago, we went into the off season seeing right back as our one position where we really needed an upgrade. Room had had a solid year. Vito and Williams looked very capable at pairing with Mensah at CB. Valenzuela had come back from injury and was playing well. Pedro had become a solid, if unspectacular, wide midfielder, now that we had Lucas. Maybe we were thin at the other wide midfield spot, but Etienne had scored in an MLS Cup, and Diaz still felt like a young player who could develop. Add, Nagbe, Artur and Zardes into the mix, not to mention a kid like Morris, and we had what felt like one helluva "core." Signing Molino - on paper - made us look that much more impressive. So sure, we have a core to build around, but it's substantially smaller than it was a year ago, and older, too.
By the end of today, #Crew96 and other MLS teams who didn't make the playoffs must submit a list of players who will and won't have their options exercised.With that in mind, expect an announcement of which players will and won't be coming back possibly as early as tomorrow.— Jacob Myers (@_jcmyers) November 30, 2021
Do we even know how many guys have options? I guess I mean that declining an option is not the only way to move on. But an option declined + no hint of negotiations is gonna signal the player will not be back.
According to Pat Murphy, it seems Room will be back for another season. I was told by a #Crew96 source Eloy Room is coming back. https://t.co/f3OU42IOGE— Patrick Murphy (@_Pat_Murphy) November 30, 2021
Yes, seven: https://mlsplayers.org/news/free-agency-list-released Incidentally, for all the rumoring about Room, he shows up neither on the Options nor the Out of Contract lists, so it seems he's been under contract for 2022 all along.
Thanks for refreshing my memory. I knew it was in this thread simewhere, but too lazy to look. 7 options. For me: Pick up/Yes: Williams, Etienne, Hairston Meh: Francis, Abdul-Salaam No: BWP, Hurtado Outside of BWP, I doubt the options for these guys are that costly. So the cap impact (either way) should be minimal. OOC: Afful, Bush. I'd keep either at a reduced price. Significant reduction only for Bush.
This seems like an unwise choice unless they can get a commitment that he won't miss any more matches due to international travel anymore, cough cough cough. If you won't do EVERYTHING you need to do to be there for your team and you miss matches due to said choices, go be someone else's problem. If that player has a medical reason they cannot get a vaccine, find some way to make sure the press know this so that they don't make comments to the contrary. Michael Arace is very down on Room for this very reason and I don't disagree with him. Of course, the league could just step it up like the other major leagues and make a call league wide for mandatory vaccinations... ESPECIALLY with the number of players that go overseas for matches.
Afful has stayed his welcome. Time to jettison him. Bush is the one to keep, he's our number one backup IIRC. I don't see why we would get rid of him. Hurtado can be dropped in the nearest pit of quicksand for all I'm concerned, that was a waste and a half. Abdul-Salaam filled in when needed, plus he's a good answer to a trivia question to be able to ask about the guy who hit both posts and missed in the PK shootout a few years ago. LEGEN-wait for it-DARY. Francis is a serviceable backup on the left, if we have someone else to slot in there BESIDES Santos then go for it, but Santos is not the only option to rely on. Sadly, the legend, BWP, has to go. We've had some legendary goal scorers at the end of their careers and I would bet many of them will be forgotten. Who ever thinks about us having had Conor Casey?
I agree, but he appears to be under contract. So that would mean a trade/sale/loan for next year to get him off the books. On the other hand, Curaçao doesn't seem to have any matches lined up yet for 2022, and if they end up scheduling some friendlies, the Crew could refuse to release Room any earlier than required by FIFA regs. I'm unsure if they'd be required to release him at all if matches are scheduled outside of international fixture dates. I have no idea how or if matches in Canada will affect things in '22.
This is a list of Free Agent eligible players. Room is not eligible because he does not have 5 years of MLS Service, which is why he is not on this list. Milton Valenzuela also said he was out of contract but wanting to resign with the club but he is not on the list due to being 23. While the published list is a good chunk of the overall picture it does not capture all option and expiring deals in MLS, I have no idea why MLSPA does not publish the entire list, though I understand why MLS does not (They don't publish important information willingly).
Teams are not required to release players outside of the scheduled FIFA window. Not even if the Federation says pretty please with sugar on it.
And a number of teams have been figuring out ways to not release players within the window to avoid travel. Usually "injuries".
No surprises for me: https://www.columbuscrew.com/news/columbus-crew-announces-end-of-2021-roster-decisions Defender Jonathan Mensah, along with midfielders Artur, Sebastian Berhalter, Perry Kitchen, Alex Matan, Kevin Molino, Aidan Morris, Darlington Nagbe and Lucas Zelarayan were already under contract for the 2022 season Out: Goalkeeper Evan Bush, and defenders Harrison Afful and Grant Lillard are out of contract. The Crew declined the contract options of goalkeeper Eric Dick; defenders Waylon Francis, Saad Abdul-Salaam and Vito Wormgoor; and forwards Erik Hurtado and Bradley Wright-Phillips. Midfielder Liam Fraser has returned to Toronto FC following his season-long loan with the Crew. In: The Crew exercised the options of defenders Aboubacar Keita, Steven Moreira and Josh Williams; midfielders Luis Diaz, Derrick Etienne Jr., Marlon Hairston and Isaiah Parente; and forwards Miguel Berry and Gyasi Zardes. Maybe: Goalkeeper Eloy Room, defender Milton Valenzuela and midfielder Pedro Santos, all have expiring 2021 contracts with the Club extending offers to the trio to remain in Black & Gold ahead of 2022.