Dispatch 8/29: Harkes on the mend

i spoke with him yesterday at training. he is very eager to get back but doesnt want to push things again. he said he had a set back last friday. he is hoping to be 100% by next week.

 

The Crew hasn't been idle for two weeks, though. Most of them played an
exhibition Saturday against A-League affiliate Cincinnati and midfielders
Freddy Garcia and Jeff Matteo were loaned to Kansas City on Monday for its
exhibition at Rochester.


Can someone explain to me why the hell Garcia and Matteo were lent to KC for their exhibition with Rochester. This, I don't understand.
1. I haven't watched a ton of wizards games this year, but they don't seem to be on the attack very often when I have, it's just counter attacks freeing Armstrong and Simultenklov, or Preki free kicks that get them goals. It seems our system is quite a bit different.
2. With all the bad blood that came up in the last meeting between those two teams, why would you allow two of your newest signings to go into that mess. especially when Preki and other Wizards didn't go. They made their bed, let them lie in it.
3. They had to wear KC colors, granted they weren't in Crew colors very long on the pitch, but wouldn't you want these guys gettin familliar with your own squad before lending them out.

 

The reason is probably because they are both owned by Lamar (who is currently backing an Oklahoma expansion team). So Greg wants them to get some playing time, so he ships them over to KC for a day trip. I don't think its such a big deal unless they get hurt while on loan.

As for Lamar backing OK, he's just supporting the groups lobbying for a team, not that he's backing a new team on his on wallet.

 

The only problem with these guys, the reason they aren't playing for the Crew, is lack of field time, getting up to pace, getting match fit, blah, blah, blah.

If they can get 90 minutes with somebody, ANYBODY, IMO that's a good thing. The alternative is for them to spend some more time sitiing around. Would that make you happier? Or putting them into the Crew lineup when they're not ready? Come on.

As for Harkes, it's nice to see he's not still bitching about his contract. Granted he's been hurt, but the bottom line is that he has not been able to contribute. So far this season, even at his reduced salary, he's been grossly overpaid.

Maybe that's cold, but this is a business, and old guys get hurt easier and are slower to heal. Just the facts.

 

Okay, so I'm alone here...i'd still rather see them stick with our squad and work out with our squad...they had the chance to get 90 mins in teh scrimmage against riverhawks. I just don't like lending them out, especuially for that scrimmage when there was bad blood between those two teams due to the open cup match.
Oh, and I wonder how Freddy did with the "language barrier" in KC?
I have a friend who was actually at the game and he said that Freddy saw good time though and was really active, but thats all he could give me, as a sypnosis. He didn't even know that was a crew boy till i mailed him today and asked about it.

 

Are you sure they didn't play against the riverhawks as well?

 

I know at least garcia played against the riverhawks cause he scored, which is why i don't understand shipping them out there with kc.