I know everyone gets antsy when trades are made and we don't do anything, but is there any reason to be concerned? Forwards: Luchi: As I understand it can also be played at RW, a need as far as I am concerned. Also, I think it has been mentioned that the only reason why he didn't play more at SJ was because SJ was so deep at his position(s). Dante: Will he stay or go? I think he's more valuable to us if he stays, but if we get picks for him and can get another young forward, I'll take it. Cunny: Say what you want about the guy, IMHO, he's one of the premier strikers in the league. Yes he doesn't pass, yes he doesn't score everytime he touches the ball, but name one good striker that does all of these things all the time, there isn't one. Anyone ever stopped to think about why he doesn't pass? One reason is because BMB is back 40 yards behind him because he plays so much defense. I think it's time for this guy to get his props. Buddle: Very promising, will he bounce back from a broken foot? I hope so. Only one way to find out, get him tons of time in the pre-season. McBride: I make no secret of the fact that while he is a great national team player, his play for Crew at times has been somewhat sketchy. He plays defense, midfield and forward, many times at the same time. Verdict: I told you once, I'll say it again, it's the soul brothers up front, Buddle and Cunny have the most bang for the buck, they'll have the chicks in CCS saying give me some flava. Buddle clears plenty of room for Cunny, at some point both will score ten a piece, Cunny's moves, and his ability to PASS to the open player, Buddle is the perfect player to team up with him. Midfield: Dunc: Starting DM, if he stays out of trouble with no yellow cards or any broken noses, then he'll be one of the most important people on the field. He'll need to help our defense. Is there anyone on the field that has a more dangerous shot from thirty out? More importantly he's the only one willing to take the shot from there. Mais: Quietly one of the best players on the field at times. However unless he gets a job on the wing, it'll be Dunc and KMart in the center of the park. JW Perez: Will have to accept a role behind future US #10 Kyle Martino. Could be a good spark to come in on the hour should Martino not be effective. Garcia: A revelation on the left, if he doesn't get hurt I think he could challenge for the league MVP. Got all the moves, great first touch, blazing speed, good passing, crossing. He and Martino would be leading my scouting squad, any Guats or US youngsters available? West: Make or break year, we need to either draft or acquire a RW to challenge for the position. He is getting capped though, which is why they're the coaches, and I'm sitting on the internet. Martino: Anyone else notice that he wears the same number as Zidane? Hmmm. Anyway, this is his year, will be Crew #10, future US #10 next to JOB, he may have a tough year, that's fine with me, it puts him in position to be ruthless in 2004. I think he'll take some bumps while it's cold, by the time summer is here, he'll be one of the best young midfielders in the league. Jeff Matteo: Depending on who we draft, could or could not make the team. Verdict: Dunc and Martino have already been penciled in for starting central positions, Garcia has to start on the left, that leaves the right. It'll either be Luchi, Mais, or West, or possibly a different player every game, we've seen that before. Defense: Mike Clark: Unless we draft or trade for someone will probably start in the center of defense. Lack of speed was exposed a few times last year, could be a cause for concern. Torres: Started like a big timer, ended in less than acceptable fashion. Who knows what's going to happen here. Maybe the offseason restored some of his ability. McCarty: If Clark starts in center, then Chad will be on the right, or vice versa. Last year was the first back from a year long absence. I think he puts himself back in the national team picture this year, and has a massive year. Lest we not forget that he's only 25, young for a defender. I don't think we've seen anything near his potential, I think he has a huge year if he can stay out of card trouble. Then again, doesn't every defense tough guy take his cards? Dunseth: Had a good if not great year for us, a DEFINATE starter in the center of the park either next to McCarty or Clark. He'll be our lynch pin, where he faulters Crew as a whole will faulter. Denton: Probably the leftsided starter, had a good year last year. Leitch: Provides good depth for our defense, had a good rookie season at RB, if McCarty or Clark get into discipline trouble, he'll be the one called upon. With a touch more expirience I think he could really be a good player. Verdict: Denton and McCarty put themselves on the Nats map this year, Denton will be on the left, and Clark will probably end up playing RB. Torres and Leitch will get a lot of time too. Keepers: Presthus: Unlucky, plain and simple, but when you are giving up the kind of goals that he was giving up, you have to make the change. He's a competitor, probably in the gym as we speak, will definately push to earn back his spot. Busch: Revelation he was, what he lacks in physical size he makes up for and then some with mental superiority. Good reflexes, does well orchestrating the defense, in all likelihood the starter. verdict: Busch will have to work just as hard this season as he did last season, Presthus will definately be breathing down his neck. Both are fan favorites, which makes for a hard situation, Busch proved he's a #1 keeper though, until something different is shown, it's his job. coach: Andrulis: Makes questionable personnel decisions, in fact would probably disagree with about 50% of my statements above. I think he's on the hotseat, another slow start like last season, especially if it comes at home will enforce that. Add to that the number of games that were lost in the 80th minute and beyond, doesn't look good. Add to that that we got put out of the playoffs by a team that went down to ten men twice, I'm getting a headache. Greg is a good guy, but with this much talent, if we're not in the MLS finals you really have to start wondering.
i agree with all of what you said except starting Buddle and Cunny together up front. I'd like to see McBride and Buddle up top and Cunny traded for Defensive help. The backline right to left should be (whoever we get for cunny) McCarty Dunseth Denton Actually I could do without Denton at left back too, but I think he gives you a different element than some lb's in the league cause he presses forward into attack nicely. Clark and Leitch should be our guys who come on in when our stalwarts get suspened or need a day off. Torres should be gone. In Midfield I also am not willing to turn over right wing to Lucchhi or however the hell his name is really spelled. He had no virtually no pt at all last year. As of now that looks like West's job to lose if Andrulis sticks with a 4-4-2. But Surely we will see times where it looks more like a 433 as buddle takes the Wests spot and plays morte forward and the rest of the midfield shifts. Duncan at D-mid in my opinion will be the key to the team this year. I think Offensively we will be more than fine. Dunc has to be a goddamn bulldog back there. It's his time too have a bust out year. If he doesn't we have too much pressure on a defense of which I'd say right now Dunseth is the only game in game out consistent player. Forwards. We can go round and round on that. I've said my piece and I'm in the minority on this board. Keppers. Thanks Tom but bye. We're not bad off right now. NE has to be the team to beat still. We couldn't get ************ done against them in the playoffs, until we do, they are our main obstacle. NYNJ probably looks most improved on paper now, but we'll see what they can do in real life. Basically it comes down to, in my opinion, whether Greg can get the boys a scheme to believe in going against NE. That is our main threat in the east. On paper we look better than them. It just seems to me maybe we choked last year. And Greg has got to get them past that.
You want to trade one of the best forwards in the league? No way we can do that. Without Cunny we'll score ten goals all season. If the only way to strengthen the D is to trade Cunny, I'll play with what we have. As far as lucchi, he'll compete with west, who knows, he may be better whether he played or not. I agree though with Andrulis as coach it's West's job to lose.
That's crazy. If Buddle is the Golden Child that most people think he is and Martino is the next great playmaker everyone says he is we score more than 10 Goals a season without Cunny. If those two can't produce without Cunny we might as well just throw in the towell since they are the ones everyone wants to build the team around.
Here's the reason why that will never work, while cunny has the ability to make some moves in the absence of help from another forward, unfortunately buddle isn't that type of player. If buddle is the lone forward up top, teams will be able to mark him out. Bottom line, with McBride forty behind cunny you have a chance, McBride forty behind Buddle wont work. OR you could do like I say, play Buddle and Cunny and have two dangerous forwards that are a perfect complement.
At what point did Cunny and Buddle become the perfect compliment to eachother? They played what a total of maybe 10 games up top together in their whole career? At the point they were playing well together last year the whole team was playing well together. Before that point McBride was on a tear right after the world cup, and he looked great up top with Cunny. As far as Mcbride playing 40 yards behind Cunny. I actually don't see that too often in the games when the crew is moving forward into attack, and my view isn't too different from yours. The main thing here is to be grounded it some sort of reality about this team. If McBride is here this season (unless something realy unforeseen happens, he will be) Andrulis will start him, there has been no reason to think otherwise. Being grounded in that reality I say if the Dante trade does not go through trade Cunny for defensive help or a stud right wing cause he has the most trade value. If Dante goes then Cunny is most likely gonna stay along with Buddle and Cunny. And of those three everyone here knows that McBride would be the definate starter up front for this team. There is nothing wrong with making your own lineup and thinking what Andrulis should do, but in the case of sitting McBride I just don't see him doing it, and besides the fact that I agree with that decision I just think you get a much more realistic look at our team for next seaon if you have him pencilled in up top.
Presthus isn't going to be "breathing down" anybody's neck. The guy has proven that, in the long run, he's not reliable. He blew up in DC and they got rid of him. He blew up in CBus and they replaced him. Are you seriously suggesting he have another shot, with all the GK talent backed up in this country? Presthus is a known commodity, and he can "work hard" until the cows come home, there's just nothing else there. He has no other "level" he can take his game to. He isn't going to magically become someone else.h Why then would we pay the guy to sit? Is he a guy for the future? It just makes no sense. This is MLS, and you don't pay veteran backups perfectly good money. If you did, we'd still have Mark Dougherty.
I don't know guys... Given what we have, and I know there isn't anyway BMB sits, but given what we have I think buddle and cunny provide the best attacking option for us. I think some of us might be blinded by the fact that yes BMB is a great player....when he has ten other allstars on the field. As far as the presthus/busch thing goes, are you willing to gamble the entire season on busch? Because if you cut Presthus in essence that is exactly what you've done. Hey I wish john the best just like every other fan, but isn't there a slight possibility that he might not be quite as sharp as he was last season? I can see it now, cut Presthus, Busch gets hurt or doesn't do well in the first month of the season, welcome you new starting keeper, T.J. Hannig. In the absence of cap trouble, there is no reason to cut Presthus or Perez for that matter. We don't need money, if it were the case that we did, then you can cut anyone you want.
The forward pairings are debatable. I disagree with you, but thats life. And I'm grumpy cause this is my first day back at work in a week. Is the Busch/Presthus situation that much different than the Presthus Dougherty situation last year. We don't need money neccessarily but if we can have our bench players making 75,000 less than Perez or Presthus and contribute just as much than we can use that money to upgrade other positions.
Presthus and Perez have agreed to take salary cuts this season. I don't know the exact dollar amount. I believe JW's are deep in exchange for a longer contract. I'm not so certain that we will have Jeff for next season. Dooley is still trying to negotiate for him. Not that we don't have enough scoring boots on our team. Lucci, Martino, Mais, Garcia, Buddle, McB, Perez and Washington should all be able to make some of the shots that Jeff makes.
First off, Why the hell would we give Perez a longer contract. If true, ya gotta wonder what the hell they are thinking. Secondly neither Mais nor Martino were actually scoring dynamos last season. And Lucci doesn't have a single MLS goal, so lets not put them in that category with the other guys.
Martino has the potential to score. Mais had a broken bone in his foot last season. That should be healed by the start of new season. We know he can score. Lucci certainly has the potential too. He barely got any PT with the EarthQuakes. Greg will use him, and I think he will shine for us. Just MHO. The Perez deal is not in ink, yet. Why give him the contract? Because he is able to score, and he will work well (playing styles) with Lucci, Garcia, and others. We've lost Harkes & Bob in the mid. We are waiting to see if Mais can come back to 100% after foot and ankle issues. If Martino has a great year, we will probably lose him too. If we let Perez go, we may find ourselves short of offensive mids that can play a good short passing, ground game and score too. We wouldn't have hoisted that Open Cup trophy without his 2 goals. He is valuable to the team.
We won't lose Martino for at least 2-3 years. MLS just does not seem eager to sell young american stars right now and nobody will be beating down the door for Martino if he has one great year next year. He will be here for at least a few more years. Say he is here for even 2 more years, that then would leve Perez somewhere in his Middle 30's as our attacking mid if he steps into the role we eventually see Martino holding down. It's great to keep on mentioning the 2 goals he had in the Open Cup semi. Everyone remembers that, trust me. But to keep someone around as a thank you, or as sentimental value just would show tyhis team is going in the wrong direction.
I guess I'm too old to have that cut-throat mentality that you guys seem to think is necessary to win a championship. Maissoneuve, by the cut-throat mentality, would have been gone long ago because of his injury problems, yet how important was he to our success this year? Jeff Cunningham would have been traded several years ago because of his lack of PT. He came in the next year to challenge for the scoring title that and the following year. Dante Washington would not have even been on the squad after his stint at Dallas. Mike Clark would have been dropped before this most recent season becuase of his poor play down the stretch the previous year and the concerns over his lack of speed and his age. Ask Ruiz what he thought of Mike Clark this past year. Warzycha would have been let go as far back as three or four years ago (and I was part of the chorus) yet consistently showed up to preseason camp in the best shape of anyone on the team. He was singled out by Martino as being someone he really appreciated having been a teammate with. McBride would have been traded years ago because of his lack of scoring numbers. While arguments can be made pro and con for each of these individuals, and I've been on both sides when taking the entire list into consideration, I cannot see how we could have taken a supposedly unsentimental approach to these players, by essentially getting rid of them all when they weren't producing at the levels we expected, and have come out a better team. Wholesale change just isn't what it's cracked up to be, especially in a game like soccer where knowing your mates' tendencies and having a strong rapport count for so much. NE went from worst to nearly first, but the wholesale influx of star players had very little to do with it, while the workman-like play of quite a few journeymen and one rookie did. Without Perez, if Martino rips an ACL, who steps in? Well, depending on the opponent, we could push Oughten up into the attacking mid like we did against SJ, but who wants to do that as a longer term tactical move? It gives us very little speed in springing the attack and means we have to rely on Torres, Leitch, or Denton to move up and hold down Oughten's usual spot, or else switch back to a 3-5-2, in which case we're in an even better situation to use Perez. Lucci may be able to handle the spot, but he is someone with MLS playing experience measured in minutes, and is not a given quantity yet. So, if Martino goes out, Perez would be, in my opinion, a smart straight-up sub for him. It certainly changes the way we attack, but it isn't always a step backwards. I can also see scenarios where we decide to switch back to a 3-5-2 lineup and just have both Perez and Martino on the field at the same time. It didn't work well last year, but that doesn't preclude Andrulis finding a way to make it work next year. Martino was wasted when played wide right, but perhaps Perez could work out there or even (hold your shorts folks) up top. Hey, it worked for Andy Williams, and with the possible callups we're looking at it just could happen. No one questioned Perez' ability or worth to the team the year before last, and if we can keep a player of his quality on the roster for the price a long-term contract at a much reduced salary, I say go for it. He obviously likes Columbus and was one injury away from getting substantial playing time this past season. He did contribute, as LUD has noted, and did so without any primadonna histrionics while sitting on the sidelines.
I don't think that any of us posting here has a clue how long the MLS Rookie Of The Year will be with our club. I hope you are right that he will be staying with us, AND I hope he has many more outstanding seasons. As for Perez, if he had gotten more PT, I could mention more valuable moments of his. I do have a friend that tallied how many minutes he(Perez) participated in for 2002, and what his impact was. According to him (no, not P14) he had a large, positive impact. That is why The Crew were willing to offer him a 3 year contract. And I still say that with the loss of Harkes, Bob, and Mais being an unknown at the moment (and as Swims points out, who knows about the future health of Martino, Garcia, ...), it is wise to hold onto a mid that we know will play well with Lucci & Garcia. Pelusa's style is what our club is trying to nurture on the team. He's a good mentor, and now an inexpensive investment too. If that Green Card comes soon, why release him? You know someone better & cheaper that has his talent and will play in Columbus? Perhaps McKinley Tennyson will grace us with his presence
IMO, this team is posed to have the best year they have ever had. For the first time since 1999, the team will be stable. In 2000, the team lost Stern John, and Thomas Dooley. Clark, Mais, McBride, and Yeagely were hurt for most of the season and the Crew had to lean on defenders like Mario Gori and Ansil Elcock. In 2001, the Crew tried to change their scheme and revamp their defense with Bonsue and Clark coming back. They didn't respond until a change of coaches and a new formation was installed. Then last year, the team once again changed everything in the back and this time in midfield as well, with two changes in formation. The result of last year is the team got younger and more talented. However it was also followed by a lot of disoriantation throughout the ranks as the coach and players tried to find their roles on the team. This year, everyone knows their roles. The only thing that is missing, is for it all to come together consistently. To make a lot of changes would hinder this team, more than help it. It's not complacency of the Open Cup trophy that makes me believe this, it's stability. Andrulis is in the second year of a 2 year contract and deserves his chance to make it happen. If he doesn't he should be gone in 2004 with the talent on this team.
LUD, Jay Heaps was a MLS ROY once upon a time. Just because someone is an ROY doesn't mean that they will suddenly become wanted all over Europe etc. And with MLS's stance on players this past year it seems like he would be moving later rather than sooner. If wrong I'll still be here to admit it. Seriously, what do you know about Lucci that nobody here does and that all the teams that passed on him in the waiver draft don't know either. This guy was passed up by numerous teams who are in a worse spot than us and yet you find a way to get him into nearly every post. I'm fascinated. If he's 1/8 as good as the hype you are giving him then I guess we'll be fine. As for Pelusa's "cheap" deal. Cheap compared to what? Anything I guess is cheap compared to what he's making before but still, unless I see the #'s its hard to believe that we will be gettin a SI (even one that spent most last season on the bench ) on the cheap being as though two years back he was a top player.
Is anyone going to seriously argue that Mike Duhaney or Jay Heaps ever had the talent and upside of Kyle Martino? Anyone?
Nobody is saying that Martino doesn't have upside but to act like his sale is imminent is just a bit naive in my opinion. He has 1 national team cap which he played about 10 minutes, he has a ways to go before MLS will sell him.
I admit that I don't hear or read everything, but I have never heard even a HINT that Martino was heading elsewhere. And frankly, given his position, he'd have to prove a LOT more to somebody to get a shot. Other than Reyna, the last thing most foreign sides seem to want is an American playmaker. He's young, he's very raw and he's pretty small. I really don't think Gazidis' phone is ringing off the hook. I'd be curious about this. What criteria was used here? I know you like the guy, and more power to you, but "a large positive impact" isn't exactly a meaty kind of an evaluation. MLSnet say he played 1256 minutes, scored one goal and had 4 assists. What else you got? Also, he was 8th on the team in minutes played. Appeared in 20 games. Started 13. You can hardly claim that he didn't get his share of PT. Harkes played very little last season. Bobby Rifle played even less. Neither one was a factor down the stretch or in the playoffs or the Open Cup. Their "loss" will have virtually no impact on the club. Do you have some reason to suspect that Martino and/or Garcia have injury problems? I know of none. If your point is that they, like anybody else, COULD get hurt sometime, that's very true, but it's true of every player on every team in every sport. There's really no reason to make a point of it in this case. Mais is not injury prone. He had a bad injury, Pete Edwards fixed him up. It's not a chronic problem. The only question is whether he comes all the way back or whether he needs to be replaced or recast in the lineup. On what, exactly, do you base this statement? I have NO idea what this means at all. We know this because....? Finally, a non-subjective assessment. Ths is your strong suit, honey - don't wait so late in the hand to play it. Indeed. If he is: a) Willing to work for peanuts b) Not costing us an SI slot c) Happy to sit on the bench all season Then absolutely, he is an asset worth retaining. If you're suggesting that Key and Pelusa have similar skill sets, you are doing a great injustice to Perez. Tennyson is a huge, fast forward who couldn't hold down a job in a third rate league because, in their words, he was "terrible with the ball at his feet"
Heaps was ROY when MLS was not as strong or revered as it is now. At the end of the MLS season, I read & heard that there inquiries on Martino from other clubs. Not a surprise. Since there is no recent word on this, I gather the inquiries didn't go anywhere for whatever reason. Also, Jeff was in Germany playing for Dooley for quite awhile before anyone on these boards knew that he was there and being considered for purchase. I happened to hear it from Lapper, but there were no reports in the print or electronic media about it until it was old news. Why would you think that you know where Kyle is, or what his offers are? After all the discussion on the Lucci thread, I would hope I know nothing more than you all. And I haven't stuck him into all my posts--I think you're confusing me with the Broccoli Girls. I think it was all said there. San Jose didn't give him a chance because they had plenty of good, already proven & expensive talent. He's a very talented young player that plays quick & technical soccer. A good match for what Greg wants our team to do, and for playing with Perez, Garcia... The "numerous" (which I had to chuckle at since MLS only has 10 teams in all) other teams that passed on him are trying to unload players to meet their salary caps. Not much of ANYONE was picked-up during the waiver draft. I think many other teams are looking to fill voids in their D. At the time we had to worry that Garcia, Jeff & McBride might leave us. Lucci was a good pick-up. People are always whining about bringing the ave age of the team down--McBride & Mais are no younger than Yeags. Lucci should be a good replacement for any offense who gets injured, retires, gets called-up, or can't perform. He's a "cheap deal" for a proven, seasoned, healthy, professional soccer player. Over the years he has done well for us, and as someone pointed out above, with no hissy-fits when told to hit the bench. He has helped Garcia blossom on our team. As I said earlier, if his Green Card does indeed come through as promised, he's a great investment. If it doesn't, then that can change matters. Hmmmmm. I've never heard you so bent out of shape over a thread before, Hang. You must really dislike Perez & Lucci, or you're peeved at me. Or perhaps your eggnog doesn't have enough rum in it this year???
Bill- the Tennyson/Perez thing was a joke. Nothing more. No comparison of skills. I will Boo him if he steps on the field for LA. Good substitute for Caliguri. I at least had some respect for Paul!
One of the highlights of the Open Cup match was seeing the Hoosier Daddy warming up with the Gals. At one point he was maybe 30 feet away from Lefty and I. We booed loudly. I'm sure neither he nor anybody else knew we were booing him specifically, but we claim that we threw out his ceremonial first boo.
Actually I don't like eggnog, but I'm coming down with a cold right as new years eve approaches so that may be why I am so "peeved"...anything that destroys my taste for Gin like a cold will leave me in a bad mood. You mention MLS is so revered now, yest after the world cup so far our only sale has been Diallo to a Saudi club. They hardly are so revered in Europe that a player who wasn't even a starter all of last seaosn (Martino) would be getting mucho bucks from Europe that would make the tightwads at MLS HQ sell him. You mention Cunbny....he was traing with a 3rd division club. This is the leading scorer over the past two years in the league witha 3rd division club in Germany. MLS has a long way to go before its so revered that a ROY is imminently sold. I don't give a damn about Lucci, he hasn't done anything to make me care yet. It just seems that you had him pencilled in as a starter or a key contributer next year. And after a full year on the bench I would find it hard to believe that he will have such an impact. I hope I am wrong. If I am you'll see me admit it to you at the stadium next year, or maybe the carribean during the champions cup. Perez, like has beens aid numerous times. If he gets the green card, if he takes an enormous cut (wasn't it estimated he was near max last year?) if he is willing to sit the bench and mentor that is fine. But if he takes up an SI slot, sits the bench and makes even close to half of what he made last year it would seem to me to be a bad investment, I would write more but I'm gonna look for the "dayquil" now. ugh.