Maybe this should go somewhere else, but the article made me think of it. Should the Fire be looking to acquire a "veteran defender" this offseason? Don't get me wrong; CJ, Curtin, and Whitfield are three talented guys, but losing Boca is a serious blow to our back line. OK, we've got Gray, but drafting a rookie is a risk, especially because Boca's departure will create a hole that none of the aforementioned players will be able to fill. Keeping new blood coming in is a great thing, but a little short-term (like this year) thinking coulnd't hurt. Maybe there is another Carlos in the draft to be picked up, but will he be left by the time Sarachans number is called? Is there a defender out there that we could pick up that doesn't really hurt our cap space? Foreign (another Kubik) or domestic? Personally, I have always liked Bonseau and Milton Reyes. They are scarcely a replacement for Boca, but they are players who have (somewhat) proven themselves in the past, who could step up with a talented squad like the Fire. This is mostly me just thinking out loud, but...
(* gettingreadytorunandhide *) How about Lalas? We aren't going to get anyone to fill the hole that Bocanegra leaves, so the key is just solidifying things. He had a great year in 2002, and was kind of screwed by the whole Hung Bo thing. I think he is out of contract, and can probably be had on the cheap. With Curtin, he may be a little redundant, but he would be a great personality to have around.
Not the worst choice. He's still one of the most intelligent "on-field" players I've ever seen. His big liability is speed. If you're other defenders can cover for him, he wouldn't be a bad pickup. But I wouldn't plan on getting more than 20-25 games out of him - if that much.
[Establishes sufficient head start] I'm not really against that. [/Takes off running] In fact, as I 'spitballed' on that first post, he was one of the guys I had in mind.
Well, these two are quite opposite, Bonseau is more of a center back, Reyes is better out on the side and likes to make fast runs down the side. He also only speaks Spanish and hasn't played in a year. If we're talking about replacing Boca, one needs to talk about whether to replace him in the 352 or 442.
True, and while I'm not crazy about the guy either, if we can get a veteran of his experience as an unofficial player/coach (coaching as he plays) for a low price, I would not be against him sporting a Fire uniform. His lack of speed is a liability, but so is the lack of speed in our defense as a whole (which is another problem altogether)...Lalas obviously won't help, but as was said by someone else, he has tremendous field vision and experience. But there is still roster availability to consider.
Very valid points. I wasn't thinking about replacing Boca (as finding a player of his calibur would prove extremly difficult and expensive). But Bonseu and Reyes are simply two defenders who I have been impressed by in the past. Bonseau could fill the center spot that Boca seems likely to abandon, and Reyes could take up an outside spot that would allow more flexibility with Whitfield (whose play can be streaky). Regarding the formation: Dave's done well so far, and I can't pretend to know how to BEST use the multitude of talent on this squad.
I think Reyes is married to an American. Plus, he's played here for 2 years now. I bet he speaks SOME English. If Nowak wants to go 3-5-2 in DC, Reyes might be available. I don't think Bonseu is, though. Bradley traded Steve Jolley for him.
I wish we could get Tenywa back but he's a forign player and Bob'll never trade him away. Heck he didn't want to let him go in the first place.
I'll bet he still doesn't, as I met him late last year. He's not comfortable around strangers with it, and DC people tell me he still prefers Spanish.
Last I heard, Hamlett was fluent in Spanish, and I think we could all chip in and buy Dave a Spanish --> English dictionary. Language aside, anyone think he would fit into the Fire lineup well? Or think he's got talent at all (curious if my personal evaluations are off or not)?
I like him, he's great on the right side for DCU when he hooks up with Olsen and the two of them are able to get down the field quickly. Put him on the right with Mapp and it'd be great. His injuries worry me, but I would trust the staff that got Chris Armas back like they did.
Folks, I think you are as likely to get Reyes as T-bone- in other words, forget it. In both cases the other team would stick too high a price on the trade. I think, given your successes in developing players, you will either use your 1st round pick and/or trade for lower profile defender. Each team probably has one or two; if you asked DCU for instance, they would steer the conversation towards Prideaux or Stokes, maybe Nelsen knowing that he's probably gone after the next year. But with any team, you won't be getting a direct replacement for such a quality player as Boca. Rather you'd be getting someone who could in time become a decent MLS defender (if he's not one already) rather than a current or potential Nats regular- unless Wilt and Sarachan want to really shake up your team. But that seems unlikely.
Speaking of Defenders and just talk, I liked that kid Jose Burciaga before he went down (acl I think) last year. Wouldn't mind watching him develop in a Fire uniform. I think he is stil P-40 and I doubt KC would like to give him up.
True, that's why I mentioned him working well with Olsen before mentioning Mapp. He's a hell of a defender, that's why they shouldn't give him up.