WTF? Yes, I'm serious. http://www.chicago-fire.com/pressbox/pressrelease/releasetext.asp?prID=1172 http://www.mlsnet.com/content/02/mls1226trade.html http://www.dcunited.com/index.cfm?section=main&cont_id=153466
Ken..I didn't mean to imply that you weren't telling the truth. I checked mlsnet and it wasn't there (it is now), so I wasn't sure if this was another "rumor." I have no idea what to think of the trade, since I haven't seen Mapp play. But from all accounts of his talents that I've been given, I'd say United got the short end of the deal. Time will tell...
Sorry, just wanted to get the info out there. I knew it wouldn't be long before a bunch of links were uncovered. I read it in a press release from the team, and didn't want to waste the bandwidth putting the release up. The Fire cleared cap space (most likely) and traded an underachiever for a guy whose upside is still open to development. Sorry to see Dema go, though. I like him. But he had, what, one goal last year?
Dema had 1 goal, 8 assists, and 1 (rather spirited) appearance in the MLS all-star game. Mapp played a total of 28 minutes in 3 matches, and plays the same position as DMB. In the long run, this trade may tilt in Chicago's favor, but for now, as a DC fan, I'm pretty happy - though over on the DC board there are plenty of folks who disagree with me.
you are dead on ed the trade DEFINITELY works for United, in that it will have them playing better from the get go... dema's confidence was a bit down due to his failed loan... i would imagine that hudson is exactly what he needs, someone to boost his confidence into the stratosphere i will dearly miss dema, but we were hurting in the cap department i believe we still need to make some moves just for that, but at least we should have more room to work there is a decent chance that mapp could become someone good, but at the time being.. he simply isn't and dema is a known quantity
Every player is going to have a not so good season. Wouldn't bet against Dema having a great year next year especially with Hudson as his coach.
The main problem with Dema this last season, it seems to me, is that he was forced to play all over the place. He's an inside right offensive midfielder, but Bradley had him up front and at wing and even as a d-mid here and there. Dema is a great player, and if Hudson lets him play his natural position, he'll be dangerous. He is also due for a killer season, and I think he will really enjoy the DC fans.
right offensive midfielder? Doesn't DC already have one named Ben Olsen? I just don't see where Dema fits into the DC midfield unless you move Olsen to the left and play Convey in the middle with Marco.
Admittedly, I haven't paid enough attention to what DC's midfield has looked like recently. Asside from Etcheverry scoring a free kick against the Fire early on to end his season long scoring slump, and the highlight of Convey losing the ball to set up Mathis' injury time winner, my only memories of DCU's 2002 season were the two 0-0 sleepers I endured at Cardinal Stadium. Of course, none of that has anything to do with Ben Olsen, but I had thought Olsen was an outside mid. Am I wrong about this? I also think of Convey as an outside left, and that Quaranta is up front. I do hope for DC's sake that they aren't planning on using Dema as a striker. I also don't know what kind of lineup Hudson likes to use. If he's a 3-5-2 man, there's loads of room for Kovalenko. If he prefers a 4-4-2, maybe not. Now that Pope and Williams are gone, who knows what's gonna happen--except Roy. (And probably several BS posters.)
I guess this is the perfect example to look before you post. The DCU forum has links to some comments from Hudson about next year's lineup. It's a 3-5-2 that reflects some of the ideas on this thread. Convey seems to be the D-mid. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26154
Here's the thing i don't get. we had to trade away some draft picks last season in order to fill out our roster. dc has four first round picks. do i need to go any further? probably. we traded dema, an all-star, and one of our few consistantly non-injured players last season, for basically a rookie who got 23 minutes on one of the worst teams in the league last year. was it honestly too much for us to ask dc to hand over a draft pick, too? i mean, dc has made two trades recently, and their roster is already looking better than last year. i think they can make do with one less rookie sitting the bench.
Unless Sarachan peforms some major development miracles, Mapp won't contribute for a while. He was like a dear in the headlights for DCU last year. Hudson criticized him in the Post after his first appearance in a friendly. The guy was really tentative out there.
This from the "from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs" school of negotiation. And here I thought communism was dead. Negotiation is about mutual benefit and relative position of power. DC had the upper hand - they don't 'need' Dema, however, the Fire obviously need to get under the cap.
This also sets the Fire up to be a very young and exciting (and damn fast!) team if Big Dave has the same player development skeels as Bradley. Mapp Capano Grey in addition to: Curtin Bocanegra Wolff Beasley
and most of our goals in the Champion's Cup, including one in the final match in Naperville against Moreilla that I thought was goal of the year stuff. Took a ball mid-air at about 35 yards out, laid himself out sideways and just blasted it past the poor Mexican keeper. His jock strap is still on the plastic of Naperville, under a couple inches of snow.