2021 offseason discussion

One thing we do poorly is market Houston to Mexican National teamers. From my press days, I know that most of the players love coming to Texas especially Houston. Shopping, fine dining, 2 airports with daily flights home, and some of them even have relatives locally. Also, Liga MX frequently sends players to the Medical Center for surgeries so they’re familiar with the city. Not to mention the *cough* groupie scene *cough* is legit here in town.

 

Not to mention that they frequently play games here at NRG. I've heard at least one Mexican pundit, though I forget who, opine that they get a friendlier reception from El Tri fans here than in Mexico City.

I don't think that we'll ever compete with LA as a destination for Mexican talent, but yeah, we should be doing better. Main issue though is that we can't splash the cash to land the Mexican players, who command a premium both due to having a very strong domestic league and being extremely marketable for MLS.

 

Just need Boniek now.

Biggest question with Figueroa is whether they run him out there every game or make efforts to get one of the younger players on the field more often. I’m willing to bet he’s still the starter though.

Figueroa looks legitimately great for about the first ten games or so before he starts fading.

 

It's hard to blame him, lot of miles on those legs. If we can use him sparingly, like games where we know he matches up well it could be a huge difference but I agree with you, he'll be a starter.

 

I am sure we could afford many MX players but the problem is that the ones who would be no-doubt helpful would either not be interested or expect to be paid, and the ones we could afford would likely have Landin performance risk. Think Alberth Elis. The ones that you didn’t have to guess “what does it mean he sits in Monterrey” would expect to be paid.

My beef is it’s kind of obnoxious to.wave Ninfa’s or Lopez in front of my face when you intend to start the season fielding Chipotle. TM says his contract runs through the end of 2022 so either buy him or shut it. We should know better because they already pulled this crap before. If you see it coming it’s really lame to stoke enthusiasm by acting like you’re busy.

 

It sets up as Parker and Figueroa backed by Fuenmayor and a draft pick. It’s a nice theory we can rotate him for rest.

 

My concern on age is several of the players — new and old — had already tailed off last year so you are easily setting yourself up for a 2015 or 2018 scenario where the team just gets too old. Our bet seems to be that some of them revert to “FCD form” but strikes me as the sort of thing that maybe pans out on one “Alex” and generally the rest will play exactly like 2020 or worse. You can’t do a roster on optimism.

Even Quintero is like the guy we wanted 3 years ago and made a second pass at age 45.

We have become where FCD dumps players when they get too old.

 

@Varus - You're correct, I didn't see that he signed a contract extension earlier this year.

 

Salcedo and his Tigres boys just got done going toe to toe with FC Hollywood in the Club World Cup Grand Final. Big let down on the TIgres players faces. Perhaps a change in scenery is what a player like Salcedo would desire at this moment in his life.

Correct.
The Mexican players, all internationals really, love to go to our Galleria specifically, where they can purchase high end items for their significant others with ease and return home bering tremendous gifts.

 

well, i guess that makes us the second worst dumpster fire in town, but at least they are using some of the money they will save to hire a second character coach

 

There is this from our head Coach on the MLS scene in Texas. A rising tide lifts all boats type of concept from him and his staff.

https://www.houstondynamofc.com/pos...e-can-help-texas-being-best-houston-we-can-be

From that article that I liked the most. The need to still grow the following of the sport here in Texas.

“For us, maybe we do it a little bit different, but at the end of the day we also have to win championships. That's what keeps fans coming along. I think that for me, from a coaching standpoint, otherwise I talk about things that don't fall under what I do, I think we just have to win games.” Ramos said. “There is more obligation to that. Fortunately for me, I have grown up in this country and I have always had the obligation to sell the game. I want the players to also feel that responsibility, because we are not there yet.”

There is also this new podcast called Striker Texas and some men that want to go long on all levels of the beautiful game here in Texas, so good on them!

 

http://www.podcastarena.com/soccermatters/

Walker pretty much confirms that they have no USL plans in the future and will go into the MLS Reserve league. Further states that the reserve league is slated to launch in 2022.

Outright says that they are going to "scramble" this year and maybe sounds like they are trying to work something out internally with Austin and Dallas to do something like friendlies? I frankly didn't know that was permissible.

 

Of course!

#1 an USL team will cost money and #2 if it’s local it may poach some fans from the Dynamo

 

There is nothing to this. According to my sources, @HoustonDynamo is currently focused on securing a forward, not a midfielder.

Will keep everyone posted as more news develops.

— Lester Grötsch🇩🇪🇪🇺🇨🇭🇨🇷 (@LesterDeportes) February 23, 2021

Looking for another forward? We sure must have a lot of forwards on this roster that Ramos just doesn't like. Urruti, Ramirez, Lassiter, Pasher, Bajamich, Picault, Lemoine. Who am I missing?

 

To me the "two 8s and a 6" description of our system during the early offseason was very telling. When you're asking why no 10 signing, did he suggest there is such a role in our system?

To me it's "well, duh," and to you as well. This team begs for a gifted creative focus. But if your concept is of more modestly impactful 8s merely supporting rather than setting up forwards, then maybe that's why they think Corona suffices and then buy 3 layers of forwards. They are not to just score but also apparently set themselves up. Haven't we already learned the lesson on our inability to break down an organized defense?

 

I touched on this a few months ago but was reminded of it by the U23 qualifying prelim roster. There was a time when this was the team that traded for Davis and Clark type players, young prospects underused by their clubs who prefer expensive veterans. Who then come into their own when handed the reins here.

Efrain Alvarez specifically came to mind. He's still basically a sub for LAG but is very talented. Instead of trading for 30 year old has beens why not go find the U20s slipping through the cracks. Even Holden was in this mode in a way.....underrated by Sunderland.

And not just Alvarez. It just struck me that prelim roster has several such players worth a chance.

Who knows, maybe the transition to a transfer/selling model has changed the dynamic, that you might keep around a player who is not going to start but might have sale value. Where before a bench player who didn't immediately impress was either not being transferred or worthless. But I think there is far more value in finding players at the front end of their careers than stockpiling players whose best year was 2-3 seasons ago on the hope the career curve flips back up.

 

I have said about 20 times the appearance is we are more concerned with acquiring players to play an entertaining way than we are concerned with balance or winning. Irony being a more organized team taking fewer system risks might be more competitive fort he offseason which is the sort of thing that actually sells tickets here. They instead seem to prefer a model where a few strikers are in the neighborhood of 10 goals a piece, play entertaining offense, but we generally lose. Fans respond as empty seats.

I unfortunately think the current team premise was established in contrast to Kinnear's more boring but effective approach. I think we pendulum swung to all out offense. I think with a low payroll and weak defense that's a guaranteed loser. We may entertain but not as much or as effectively as better payroll sides. Our weak defense is then exposed by their better paid offense. The system choice ensures an open contest with goals, and while a handful of snobs may approve of more open offense, I think most of us focus on results. You want results in this system pay up and get a defense while you're at it. IMO at our payroll we should be about organization and team defense.

 

If the league is going in the direction of the reserve league again then there is little value in USL to us. It's redundant -- we will have plenty of schedule against similar caliber reserve teams to test the kids. It worked for Wondo.

Back then we basically used USL as a transitional year for that player headed off the roster.

I think you would only need an affiliate or an in house USL redundancy if, whatever the reserve-enhanced roster number ends up being, you still have way more academicians than you can sign. If the number was 30 and you had senior rosterees plus academicians you wanted that kept adding up past 30. At that point USL is a second roster space for players willing to accept a USL check.

I don't think we need it. Do we have a senior roster including reservists where we even like the signed academy kids that much? We question whether the academy produces enough.

It's an FCD or NYRB problem. They're the ones selling academicians and with players in bulk where unless the number is like 35 or 40 they might not fit them all.

 

Most active MLS teams this off-season by total players signed

1. Houston -10
T2. Atlanta - 8
T2. Miami - 8
T2. Montreal - 8

Least Active:
1. TFC - 1
T2. Rapids - 2
T2. NYCFC - 2
T2. Timbers - 2https://t.co/6Ghkcwe5tv

— MLS Buzz (@MLS_Buzz) February 24, 2021

 

No surprise there. Sadly McCue seems like he is on the way out without seeing a single minute. Injury issues have really hurt his chances.

Let's see who else gets dealt.

 

injuries? looks fairly useless. awkward and immobile.

since RGV is still the affiliate (and wilmer is headed there), i take it as loan in lieu of release to send him out of system.