I see that and I agree. However, I'm convinced that the failure of an academy system comes at the U-14 level. At that age, a good academy has a set purpose and I'm not sure ours does, beyond "the pro-player pathway." At that age, the academies need to be bringing as many kids with potential as posisble, and training all of them in how to be effective outside backs and box to box mids. If they get tall in the next couple years, convert some to CBs or keepers. If you discount homegrowns such as Salloi and Busio ( and i do), the number of impactful attackers we've produced for SKC is, uhm, I wanna say 0 but there's probably someone. But we could crank out outside backs if we just converted all of these "best players on their top clubs" who have very little chance of making it as an attacker, but could have really good careers as outside backs. There is no reason SKC couldn't be to outside backs and 8s what Penn State used to be to linebackers. Our problem is that we're thinking we can fill spots throughout the roster, and no academy, outside those of the mega-giants of the world, has that kind of talent coming in (and at those clubs, their star academy kids usually end up playing elsewhere).
A new rumor. #Calciomercato | Sorpasso del #KansasCity per Federico #Barba del #Benevento: contatti tra club per trovare l'intesa https://t.co/HGe9phYCqk— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) July 25, 2022
I think SKC should pass on this guy. From what I have read, he started as a promising young defender and had some initial success and played for some good clubs. But his latest performances show him going on loans, not being picked up or options taken. Currently playing on loan to Serie B club Benevento. To me, he looks like another Voloder. SKC needs a beast and leader on the back line and they just don’t have one.
Interesting.....Benevento has bounced between Serie A and Serie B for the past few years. Similar level to what Busio would have played in at Venezia. He also played in LaLiga. The Calciomercato site says that it is a 3 year contract and that negotiations are heating up between club and player. At 28 he's in his prime. Highlights make him look like a "different" CB than what SKC has looked for in the past. He's not always passing sideways or backwards and he's not slow.
How many times have we hear this out of PV… Peter Vermes says they are working to get something done ahead of the transfer window on Thursday, but isn't sure if it will get done in time. #SportingKC— Daniel Sperry (@sperrydaniel94) August 2, 2022
I'm not confident the team has enough salary budget or spare allocation money to make a move that really can bolster the team. Frankly, I'm still shocked Thommy worked out as he did. I know I'm very much about banging on the "we need a serious 6" drum, but in this case I'm not sure it's that important. I think after this season we'll free up a ton of funding as some CB contracts expire, among others. And I think that's the environment where we need to really chuck some cash into a serious center mid to shield the back line. For now, possibly a winger? We don't really have any winger depth of note on the team, and the last thing this team needs is for Russell's wheels to fall off. Finding someone to spell him and Daniel for the rest of the season, with an eye towards the very likely loss of Salloi after October, would be a good move.
The problem with a new wing is that I'm thinking next season we really do need a new 6. Right now for 2023, we can think we have three very solid mids, in Thommy, Walter and Kinda. They are all pretty much the same guy, but Kinda or thommy can be pushed wide for the departure of Salloi. As midfield depth, Duke and Felipe also both play the same role. and Duke can do a job on the wing. All told, that means our two 8 spots have 5 nice options, Walter, Thommy, Kinda, Duke, Hernandez. Our two wing spots, if Salloi leaves (and, let's be honest, he isn't raising his stakes these days) have 5 options, JFR, Tzonis, Kinda, Agade, Thommy. Meanwhile, at 6? I had hoped coming in to this season that Uri would give us a solid 15 games. He will not. And is so fragile he can't be counted on even as a backup, can he? We have zero options. this assumes we don't resign Salloi, and I think we might. All that said, there's another f'ing expansion draft this year. Maybe keep our powder dry until winter on a 6, but make that our very much number one priority for early January. And make a new keeper priority number 2.
1 reminder about this window is that any salary is prorated and much less of a cap hit this year. That said, any other addition at this point should be looking towards 2023. This year is done, but if you can get a guy in this summer who can contribute next year and give him a few extra months to integrate, that shouldn't hurt for 2023 (as I then start thinking about Mauri's signing last year).
As I said on page 1 of this now 25 page long thread of prolonged misery, the ONLY signings this team should pursue is the replacement of the entire backline. Followed by a No.6. I now amend my original opinion to include replacement of head coach.
50K for Gutierrez's MLS priority. https://www.sportingkc.com/news/spo...neral-allocation-money-in-trade-with-colorado
MLS really is the weirdest league on the planet. I loved FG. Total class on the ball. With his injury history I can see why we didn't re-sign him, but will always remember his time here fondly.
An actual 6 would make our defenders look a lot better. Nobody defends well when the attack is always getting free runs at the back line, esp when at least one and usually two of htose are pushed into the attack half a field away.
Agreed. The back line would be much better with a talented and quick 6 so the center backs could stay closer to home. I would tense up every time I saw Fontas cross the center line knowing there was no recovery with a quick counter attack.
Agreed. If you include the 6 and make it back 5, I think we need a new starter at each position. I was saying that over the offseason and nothing I have seen from the new (or returning) players has changed my mind. Last year's success was lipstick on a pig. The lipstick was Salloi's MVP caliber season and JFK's record goal scoring (for JFK in MLS). 31 goals from those two. This year, the pig has no lipstick.
Let's also look at the fact that a (even semi) competent offense also takes pressure off the defense. And to fix it next year we're relying on 2 returning DPs who we don't know how they'll come back from knee surgeries.
This year has no pig, either. Assuming, as Buzz so kills the mood by noting that we're counting on a lot from knee surgeries, that Pulido and Kinda come back faster, stronger than before, I'd be okay with a total focus on defense, if the 6 is considered defense. The way i see it: 1. A legit top echelon for MLS 6. (absolute need) 2. Starting keeper. (need) 3. Fontas replacement, starting level CB (need) 4. Salloi replacement (want) 5. Right or left back (want)
I would like to see a 2023 version of Nielsen Sinovic Besler Collin/Opara Zusi Naga Score 1 goal. Lock it down.
There are deals going on all around the league but not much happening at SKC, other than getting a bit of cash. What happened to the days when SKC used to trade for good reclamation projects like Nags, Benny, and Opara. I know they have also have made some terrible trades internal to the MLS like Justin Mapp, Brad Evans, Bernardo Anor, etc... but those were bench choices. Is there nothing worthwhile to trade for out there, or does SKC just have nothing worthwhile to trade?
Technically Mapp and Evans were free agent signings, where SKC has always failed. Honestly for $250K I would have gone after Musovski who was just traded to RSL. As for SKC not having anything worthwhile, trades aren't player for player really any more, they're player for _AM, and Vermes has never really been one to want to trade _AM away. He's usually been one to keep it for use with his own team. As for trades themselves, SKC has not acquired a player via trade within the league that I can find since they acquired Feilhaber as an injury replacement in the 2019 season, any players from within the league they've acquired via free agency.
And right as I talk about KC not acquiring players via trade.... 1555010104201777154 is not a valid tweet id
I was hoping for defensive help. PV sticks to bringing back guys who didn’t make it here in the first place or guys who got worse after they left. (Except Sinovic of course).