http://dcunited.theoffside.com/ Bill Hamid close to signing contract, N'Silu possibly on way out. Never heard of this website, but saw this rumor in the Soccer Insider comments.
Dropping N'Silu makes sense. Getting a goalkeeper does not. If it does happen, Kocic gets promoted to the senior roster.
Assuming the rumor is true (N'Silu seems to have played himself into Soehn's doghouse and perhaps back to Europe's lower divisions - if Harabugira gets the last open roster spot, then Kocic could be the easy choice to get the N'Silu roster spot given his role in USOC and the departure of Crayton - i.e. Wicks being the only senior roster goalie on the team), Hamid would come in as a Generation Adidas signing so he is roster-protected for a while. Assuming that he will have some demand in Europe down the road, DCU wants to get him on the books now and reap the $ later on a transfer fee (or give DCU a goalie for the future in a few years).
The N'Silu move is just speculation on my part to make the roster numbers work, but I'm pretty confident in the signing of Hamid.
How certain is it that Hamid would come in as Gen. Adidas? I mean, that's great for us if it happens, but I'm surprised the other teams wouldn't raise a stink over it -- not only do we ge exclusive rights to negotiate with the guy as a United Academy player, but then we get to slap him with the Adidas tag so we can make him a competitive offer but don't have to take the cap hit? Does it work this way with all Academy signings? If not, who decides which players are Gen. Adidas?
You know, it would make a lot of sense for the league to let clubs protect the players they develop this way... but when have MLS rules made sense?
There's been an ongoing controversy about the Red Bulls and the alleged MLS rule against them signing an academy kid. A team CAN sign academy players as Gen Ad, but there's a limit. I think it used to be one every two years, but now it's one a year. But in a different Metrowhining, MLS has supposedly run through its Gen Ad budget for the year. In short, it is definitely legal. That doesn't mean it will happen.
he seemed to think it was still on as of Sunday, but I more than accept the possibility that you're right. What we NEED is another Forward, but hey. What do I know?