I think the days of a keeper being a max salary guy are begining to dwindle if they haven't already. This year, more than any, several backups got their chance and preformed very well. Let's put it this way, Tony probably had a floor he wouldn't accept and the Wizards were lower. Nick (70k)+ Kerry (60k)+ Jimmy (50k?)+ Zotinca (30k?)+ Burciaga Jr (28k?) = 1 Tony Meola from a defensive perspective. I guarantee you that core of 5 defenders stopped more goals and shots than Tony got recorded to his benefit. Additionally they generated offense and more workmanship benefiting the game. Don't get me wrong I still feel a good keeper is vital to a teams results, but in comparison to what we need, a $100k (Cassar/Garlick, Ring, Perkins, Oshoniyi etc...) keeper that may let in a couple extra goals is worth keeping that defensive core together with new contracts. You then can even add say a solid 70k established left midfielder to get a few more goals and possesion/threat time against the opponent. I hate to see Tony go but the benefits of his superior skill set with a max salary wage verses Bo and his salary just isn't there to justify in a cap situation. There's a value deficit there and we need that to keep some other people with the team plus add some significant midfield talent. With the loss of Meola, we essentially enable probably three guys to renew contracts, plus add another new talent to the field, plus get a trade value, and still maintain only a marginal drop in Keeper talent. Cap Days... sure does make it interesting... Good Luck Tony... This is purely a business decision... No one wants to see you go but we also understand that it has to happen sometimes.
i think that it is really, really sad that we are losing tony meola.what is coach thinking? i think that once tony got hurt and he was benched for awhile. they thought that this was the good time to get rid of tony. cuz maybe they thought that he would never be able to play the way he used to. but who really knows, just tony and the coaches. i just really think that they have made the biggest mistake ever. and as for the garcia, zavagnin, burciaga , i think that they shouldn't let them go. we need everyone on our starting line up. i can't think of anyone that we can let go or trade. oh ! one guy i have no problem losing is bo. i saw we let bo go and keep tony. i just don't wanna see tony meola go .
So... Who do we get from the MetroStars? Jonny Walker? Is it a three way trade? Meola to Metros, Walker to Chivas, allocation? to KC?
I'm sorry, you don't have my vote on that. Tony has been my favorite keeper since probably 93, but you gotta look at what is best for the team. True, Tony is a fantastic indivdual and a great player, but for his salary that he will make, we can keep our entire defense and possibly bring in a new playmaking midfielder. Do not fire Gansler
The biggest problem is that there are 12 teams in the league and about 2,79533234578392929285 good goalkeepers in the US. Obviously Meola is going to be better than most of those, but once you figure in salary, age, and the talent level of the other goalkeepers available, Tony will have to probably take a paycut to be as valuable to the Wizards.
You're talking about firing a coach that took us to MLS Cup without last years MVP, Simutenkov, and Klein for half of the season. Not to mention the fact that with those guys we were picked to finish near the bottom of our conference before the season started. I like Meola and it's going to suck to see him go but like some others have said there are tons of good keepers around that will be cheaper.
Sounds good to me. I am not sure that Chivas would believe that Walker is worth an allocation. By the same thought process, if you were MetroStars FO would you believe that Tony was worth the price of an allocation? Probably not. When I first posted this thread, I was under the impression that the arrangement had already been made and that the details were only being fine tuned. Obviously, from Tony's comments in the Star, he is politicing to stay. Why else would he comment upon the fact that his family will stay living in KC?
Amen. I am constantly amazed with urgings to fire Gansler who is coming off his greatest year of pure coaching. US Open Champ, tied for the Shield and a tough "tainted" loss of the MLS Cup. All of this with a patched-up lineup. Those that suggest the firing must be of the belief that we suffer because of the loss Preki, Klein, Igor or Tony this year. Yeah, right!
Tony is not going to NY he is going to NJ If he goes why he would want to waste his time with the NJ metroscrubs is beyond me.....Well maybe the "president" of the NEW JERSEY I REPEAT NEW JERSEY NOT NEW YORK THE NEW JERSEY metroscrubs will make a stupid comment forcing Tony to smack nick up a bit in front of every one would be nice.... I hope Tony goes to DC United or some where else.. The Metroscrubs deserve more losing seasons a higher rent at giants stadium and real bad season to finally fold that ABORTION called a "first Division" team... I like tony he should go else where NJ is a mess and that wont change... But if tony wants to finish last in a third rate team then thats his decision to make.... I'm sure KC will continue on the right track on and off the field..
Just a word, Tony would be soundly run out of town by the fanbase here in DC if he came here. I would personally lead the charge.
You are absolutely correct. The MetroStars play in NJ not NY. .. in GIANTS STADIUM...now would that be the NJ Giants? I think not. Tony has never mentioned going to NJ, only NY....must have meant Rochester! Can't wait to wait those New Jersey Giants play Sunday!!
ok, so people say that when we trade Meola it'll be in a 3-team trade(KC, Chivas, Metro) and we'll get Chivas USA's allocation. They get 5 allocations for being an expansion team right? So, any ideas on who we'd use that allocation on? I think are only to holes are at d-mid (if Zavagnin leaves for Europe) and a-mid (if Stephanson doesn't continue his playoff form). If we keep Zavagnin and Stephenson plays good we should just save it. And anyway, when will this trade take place?
Do you really think that Stephanson is the answer for the midfield? I do think so, at best he will be a servicable(sp??) player. Question I have for everyone. Will we send Tony to NY for one year and then get him back a year later? After we discover that the player we thought could do the job, can't. If we do get an allocation does anyone have any confidence in the FO bringing in a good player?
I know what you mean. The weather is better in California, but the Carson City Galaxy already have a hot keeper. As for FC Frisco - a nice, new stadium, true, but the summer weather there is worse than KC. Maybe Tony is just biding time, hoping for a transfer to the Bridgeview Fire when they open their new ground. That would beat playing in the Swamp, home to the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Well, what makes you think the Metros would trade him back to us? And why do you think Oshoniyi do the job? Also if Oshoniyi can't do it, I bet Hesmer will, he was drafted 17th overall, pretty high for a 'keeper. Now you bring up the point on the FO being bad with allocations. I just hope they don't bring in another Vuk Rasovic type player. Anyway what was the story with him? Why didn't he ever get a shot? Anyway according to another thread Zavagnin is off to the EPL, we should use the allocation to replace him, but with whom?
Vuk wasn't an allocation. Actually the Wizards front office - past and present - has a pretty decent track record with allocations. The thing is that we don't seem to get as many as other teams to. Last I checked we're still waiting on our Mo Johnston allocation.
Dude it was a joke, so you don't remember what happened with Preki when he left here? OH btw Matt Taylor was the 4th pick overall and look were he is now.
He may not have been an allocation but he still was a waste of an SI spot. We have had what 4 allocations in 9 years? We will forever be waiting on it to Mr. Mead.
Well, some players are busts and others aren't. Also I remember many being disgusted with Taylor being picked 4th overall, saying he'd still have been available in the 2nd or 3rd rounds. Plus Matt Taylor was stuck behind two good forwards.
Yeah, Hesmer was 17th overall, in a five round draft with only 10 teams, 17th while a high pick in most leagues, isn't exactly a pick of the litter pick for MLS. Not saying he's not good, but that's not a pretty high pick considering I think at least 1 maybe 2 keepers went before him. On Vuk, he got his chance, played 45 minutes, stunk it up, and was replaced at half time, he was too slow to hang with forwards in this league. He was a pure central defender, and at the time we had Jimmy there and Shavar. We basically brought Vuk in because we didn't know how good Shavar would do. Bad thing for Vuk, Shavar did play well, leaving him on the bench. Then when Shavar got hurt, and didn't play well, Garcia was moved into the CD spot. This was because even Shavar was exposed as being a little slow to defend some of the best strikers in the league. If a much younger Shavar couldn't hang with the likes of Ruiz, Twellman, and Donovan, how could we expect a 30 something Vuk to do it. Like Spoon said, a waste of an SI spot.