http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20040714&content_id=8208&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp read it, discuss it, form your own team , here is mine coach Ray Hudson Nick Rimando, Milton Reyes,Ezra hendrickson,Mike Petke,Evan Whitfield,Diego Gutierez,Brian Kemler,Chris Brown,Sasha Victorine,Jeff Cunningham,Jamil Walker
Bradley makes a good point about how quickly MLS expansion teams can compete. Unlike a lot of other leagues, MLS actually tips the scales in favor of the new franchise in a lot of ways. All of this accounts to some degree for the seeming anomoly that was 1998. Throw in the fact (as Jeff Bradley does) that the Fire had the advantage of also getting perhaps the best SI (maybe the best player) the league has ever seen and it may account - to some degree - why an expansion team won the championship that year. Looking back at the rosters from "98, only Chicago and LA looked like they had teams that looked like they could actually compete in MLS today. And it's a wonder when you look at the DC roster that Arena took that team within a hair of winning the championship. BTW, I'd be amazed to see these guys ever get into the expansion draft: Brian Kamler, Matt Reis, Kelly Gray (!), Ramiro Corralles, or Evan Whitfield I'd also be a little surprised to see Sasha Victorine, Diego Guttierez, Eric Quill, or Tyrone Marshall in there.
Note to Marc Connoly: Check your MLS history, Ray Hudson was not the first coach of the Fusion. He wasn't even the second. The Fusion's first coach was Argentine Cacho Cordoba who had been Dave Dir's lieutenant in Dallas, who lasted about a half a season. He was replaced by Brazilian Ivo Wortman, who lasted from mid-way through the 98 campaign to a few games into the 2000 season, when he was canned and replaced by Hudson.
I wouldn't. Brian Kamler - old, average Matt Reis - backup Kelly Gray - disappointment Ramiro Corralles - average, pricey Evan Whitfield - mediocre Sasha Victorine - average, not really a starter Diego Guttierez - very expensive, 32. Eric Quill - mediocre, Tyrone Marshall in there - old, mediocre [/QUOTE] These are exactly the kind of guys who teams will want to keep, but end up not being able to justify protecting.
I'd suspect that, if they end up in the expansion draft, and they're smart, Chivas aren't going to be able to draft by ethnicitiy. They'll have to draft simply by who the best player available is. If they don't, teams will easily be able to shield their rosters by protecting Latin players, and just letting Chivas pass on the non-Spanish speaking guys they've left unprotected. There will be plenty of time after the draft for Chivas to wheel and deal for a team that's primarily Spanish-speaking - so Ramiro Corrales (et al.) will be a major target, regardless of whether he's in the draft or not.
I kid you not. BTW, Kamler: Not overly expensive, very useful Reis: Inexpensive, starting-caliber [Will not be left unprotected. Period.] Kelly Gray: Downright cheap has potential Romiro Coralles: very underrated Whitfield: OK, a punk. But not expensive and versatile. Gutierez you may have a point. Maybe I haven't seen aneough of Quill and Victorine to realize how "mediocre" they are. Don't know what Marshall makes - I suppose that would be the deciding factor. Jeff Bradley did, BTW, leave out Joselito Vaca. He can't stay TI forever, and he's been quite mediocre.
You realize Bradley didn't write that, right? If the story doesn't have 11 bullet points, then its not Jeff Bradley.
Remember that KC has already left him avialable for the one and only expansion draft to date. Other than Diego's ability to fill in most anywhere and sheer cruelty, KC may not have a reason to protect him this time either.
Then you live in an alternate universe. That's the team that won CONCACAF Champions Cup, and beat Vasco da Gama. And looked good doing it. Second best regular season record; LA was first. 2002 World Cup team starting backline featured 3 players from this team, and one off the bench. About the only mystery is why the Bruce kept playing Presthus over Garlick. Full roster: Jaime Moreno Roy Lassiter Marco Etcheverry John Harkes Ben Olsen Tony Sanneh Richie Williams Carlos Llamosa Jeff Agoos Eddie Pope Tom Presthus Scott Garlick Brian Kamler Geoff Aunger Mike Slivinski Clint Peay Mario Gori Carey Talley Judah Cooks Mark Simpson Curt Onalfo A.J. Wood Danny Care Lyle Yorks
Thanks for the lesson in history and for informing me of my place in the universe. My point is that subsequent history proved that other than Pope, Moreno, Etcheverry, and Sanneh, none of these guys were really star quality outside of the DC team context.
No way buddy. You have to consider the 2000 Fire team. You had Sotitchkov, Nowak, Kubik Podbrozny, Wynalda, Armas, Wolff, and Razov!!! You have a World footballer of the year and World Cup golden Boot winner in Stotichkov, you have Nowak who was german Budelsiga player of the year in 1994 and youhave Lubos Kubik Chezch national team stalwart for 10 years in the back Jerzey Podbrozny Poland First divisons leading scoere for 5 years in a row.Ante Razov who is closing in on the MLS alltime leading socring title. We also had Josh Wolff, one the best strikers on the US national team. We also had Eric Wynalda, the alltime leading US national team goal scorer. Fire 2000 squad Hristo Stotichkov: Golden boot winner World Cup and World Player of the year 1994 Peter Nowak: Bundesliga player of the Year in 1994 and the leading assist man in the league Lubos Kubik: Czech National team player for 10 years and captian Appread in 2 Wolrd Cups and 3 European Championships Jerzey Podbrozny: Leading scorer Poland first division for 5 years Eric Wynalda : All time leading scorer US national team Josh Wolff: Striker US national team Chris Armas: Starting Midfielder US NAtional team I dont know how much crack you have been doing but DC United never EVER came close to that type of international experience and class. What the hell has Bolivia ever done on the World CUp stage. Now Etecheverrry in his time was an awesome player, but best team ever in MLS?? Forget about it!!! Its the Chicago Fire!!! and our second best winningest record in all time MLS History proves it!! We caught up to DC and LA and we were around 2 years less than you guys. I am not saying this as a Fire fan, if this squad was DC Uniteds team and we had your squad from back then I woudl be saying the same thing. The Fire squad from 2000 Was the Sheeeeeeeytah Da Bomb!! Nobody came close!
And yet MLSnet.com shows the Kansas City Wizards as the champions that year, I find it amazing Meola and company didn't just spend the game genuflecting at that collection of talent they faced. Tony
Robert Wagmans take on the expansion makes it sound like MLS took a big chance with Salt lake City http://soccertimes.com/wagman/2004/jul14.htm
LOL, thats true they won by a shiiiiit goal. If it were best out of three You know that would never have happened again. But the ball is round and upsets happen. But you can bow down and kiss my ring whenever you feel like it!
And this might be a valid point IF they had won the supporters' shield. But they did not even win that. The most you could probably say is that they are tied as the best team in MLS history.
I agree that Gray has been disappointing, but he's clearly got the raw tools, and they're giving him a lot of minutes. I think he's in their long-term plans. IMO, $70K isn't pricey for a versatile left-sided workhorse who holds possession well. The Quakes do have good talent on the left, but Corrales would still be a significant loss. With Ekelund, Dayak, and Agoos getting old, I think they'll find space to keep him. Not sure what this one means ... apart from injuries, hasn't he been a fixture in LA's starting line-up? (In any case, the Galaxy have far more than 12 good players/prospects -- they'll be forced to make some tough decisions.) Other names where I disagree with Connolly ... Cunningham -- am I overlooking something? Petke -- with Nelsen likely headed to Europe, DC can't afford to let him go
Probably, but is he more in their long-term plans than Clanton or Griffin? I don't know, but I don't think it's going to be an easy decision. I bet they would too, but I don't think it's ridiculous he goes. He's probably as good as he's ever going to be, and the've got Jamil Walker and Arturo Alvarez available to play left wing, and Dunivant at left back. Yeah, that was inaccurate on my part. My bad. But if you have to choose between him and Saragosa, or him and Grabavoy, who is it? My point wasn't really that all the players who Connolly listed will be in the draft - I'm sure any list I made up would be rather far off the mark from what actually ends up happening. Nevertheless, I don't think any of his selections are that absurd - the teams he listed, are probably of about the same quality as an expansion team would be able to assemble, which was really the point of the article. (I agree, Cunningham and Petke won't be in it - but, I thought Nelsen would be gone after last year too)
... but Corrales meshes with his teammates much better than any of the left mid alternatives. None of those guys provide comparable defensive cover for Dunivant's overlapping, nor do they hold possession very well -- with an attacker like Mullan on the right, it's nice to have more of a holding player like Corrales on the left. In addition, with Ekelund fading, Corrales's ability to play centrally is valuable. At the risk of being too elaborate, I expect the Galaxy to protect: 3 fwds (Kirovski, Ruiz, and Ngwenya/Moreno) 5 mids (Gonzalez, Grabavoy, Herzog, Saragosa, and Victorine) 3 def (Califf, Albright, and ???) 1 gk (Hartman) This would leave Cobi and Vagenas as the prominent unprotected midfielders. Cobi hasn't done much since 2002, and assuming that Saragosa sticks around, Vagenas is on his way out. Fair enough ... I wasn't questioning the big point, just interested in discussing some of the players.
I guess the Supporters Shield the Wizards won that year doesn't count either. KC was the higher seed in MLS Cup 2000. They wore their home uniforms. And the "********e" goal just shows your ignorance. That's what KC did all season. Once or twice is lucky. KC had 17 shutouts in the regular season and 5 more in 7 playoff games. They scored early, then took the air out of the ball. Chicago was an impressive team, and staged and impressive assault, but they didn't score. Not because they were unlucky, but because they faced the best purely defensive team in MLS history.