He signed with Chicago late this season, but if I recall it was for one game. Don't know if he's wisened up by way of his travails, or if the coaches that will look at him are going to be aware of his past rep but he's just too talented of a player for a team to pass up. It's just a matter of having him play again and seeing if he can mesh with his teammates. Getting along with them will certainly help his cause.
As far as talent is concerned, Carrieri would be a find. However, what's the coach going to do when he finds out that Chris is a "locker-room cancer?" I mean, this is a guy who picked a fight with Richard (middle-name: Mellow) Mulrooney. If Carrieri has learned how to play on a team, he might work for someone.
That's it right there... he could live up to his potential, or he could end up like a Ryan Leaf, a lot of talent but never got anywhere. He can't come and play as if he's hot stuff. Also he can't blame the kid from Redlands for sidetracking his career--he knows he can play, he needs to learn that he needs to get along with his teammates and take criticism from the coaches. Someone needs a lot of patience and resolve to deal with him if he returns to the top flight. Cheers!
For all intents and purposes, Carrieri seems to have turned things around personality wise. He's gotten married, and he seems to have been humbled by the MLS cut. However, the year spent away from MLS really hurt his form. When the Fire called him up, it wasn't as though the guy hadn't been playing and was rusty, he just looked flat-out bad. He might be worth a gamble, but would he be willing to come back and play for significantly less money than he had been earning when he was cut? Or will he simply retire and find work elsewhere? Maybe Carrieri was a bad example, but he still never dominated MLS, even when he showed signs of progress. But it's not as though there aren't other examples of guys who just could never turn it on in MLS: Chris Gbandi, Ali Curtis, and our very own Luchi Gonzalez to name a few.
Well there was no question we had to retool our offense, and now we have more roster room to do it. Im curious to see if we have more of a Canadian connection at forward with the addition of an SI and more TI slots.
Speaking of Luchi, he's been playing some Copa Liberadores. Perhaps he's improved and ready to return to MLS? Kinnear might like him better then Yallop did. I have a feeling he'd be better then anyone we could draft this year.....and with Landon most likely leaving, he could fill in at center mid as well.
Luchi seems to be enjoying himself down there (Peru isn't it?) I recall a 90 Minutes article a while back in which he talked about how much he was enjoying the country, the food, the people, etc. If he's making a good living (and playing in the the Copa Libertadores) I don't see why he'd want to play for a medium-level salary in MLS. He's one of the lucky ones who made the trek to Sweden, and has since moved on to a higher level of football. Other MLS castouts (Eric Denton, Steve Shak, etc.) haven't been so lucky.
I didn't know that about Countess. And I agree with you, I'd have taken Henry Ring for a keeper. He's good and reasonably cheap. Adin Brown might have been a good choice there too. I wonder how expensive Garlick is? He's getting on in years, but he's still good. thanks! LONG LIVE THE QUAKES!! - Mark
Speaking Luchi: Florida product LUCHI GONZALEZ scored his first two goals of the Peruvian Torneo Clausura as Sporting Cristal fell, 4-3, to Alianza Atletico. Gonzalez entered the game with 20 minutes left while Cristal was down, 2-0. The 24-year-old, who was the 2001 consensus collegiate player of the year at SMU, spent 2002 with the San Jose Earthquakes. He arrived in Peru in 2004 after a stint Sweden. The loss to Alianza shrinks Sporting Cristal's league lead to one point ahead of Universitario. In 16 Torneo Clausura games, Gonzalez has started three games and come off the bench nine times.
Just a few points: No one chose Adin Brown because of his health troubles. He's been consistently injured the past three seasons, last year suffering a string of concussions that nearly ended his career. For the cost, it probably would have been too great a gamble for either new club. I don't know how expensive Garlick is (although I think I remember something about the $100,000 range), but he was beaten out for his starting spot by Jeff Cassar last season. For the price, he'd be too expensive of a backup to waste an expansion pick on. Don't completely believe what I said about Countess. Rather than "known to be" I probably should have said "rumored to be." My mistake.
I took your comments with a wee grain of salt. As for Garlick, he's a team leader and good in the clubhouse. Depending on who I know I can get and what my constraints are (LD and other have been well over the salary cap) I *might* have picked Garlick for team leadership skills. Heck, I might try to talk him into being a coach. He's got a ton of experience and a good attitude. (As long as you don't crap on him in public, like Hankinsson did.) And he's still a good keeper. But yeah, he could be on the expensive side. It's really hard of us fans to know these things. LONG LIVE THE QUAKES!! - Mark
I have to disagree with that part Mark. When he was at Colorado and Cannon got the starting position over him, he turned into a pouting cancer in the locker room and on the field and demanded a trade. I'd go with "Wrong Way" Conway before I took Garlick, at least he has team spirit, even from the bench.
Hey, Garlick was a good team guy in Colorado until the coach inexplicably benched him for Cannon. Now I do think that Joe is the better player, but Garlick was having a terrific season. The Crapids were winning with him. There was no reason to bench him, even for the Mighty Joe. And his teammates were teed that he got benched too. And I did qualify my comment about his quality in the locker room. You'd have to have a chat with the guy before you drafted him, but his veteran experience could be a real plus for a team that will have a lot of rookies. GO QUAKES!! - Mark
Ha ha! I meant if I were in RSL's shoes or conceivably CD Chivas's. Though . . . no never mind. GO QUAKES!! - Mark