The unintentional humor in this is off the charts. De La Hoya doesn’t care a lick about the Dynamo except for not having to put any cash out of his pocket to fund the team Win ownership shows love we show love! #HoldItDown #DejaloTodo pic.twitter.com/RnKvqOjOAQ— Bandera Negra (@BanderaNegraHTX) February 29, 2020
My gameday experience by Nigel Brooks (posted on the Dynamo Fans For Change Facebook group) So I really hadn't intended to go to the game yesterday, but a friend had two extra seats and I was offered one of them. After being dropped off at the stadium by my personal chauffeur (Mrs. Brooks) I decided to check out the tailgating area in lot C and do some glad handing. Arriving at the TA tailgate, I was advised that I had just missed Ms. Widder, but I was fortunate enough to see one of the most insightful and soccer savvy individuals I knew (Rey Reynaldo Axel Gallegos Iruegas), after passing the time in polite conversation, I headed to the club entrance section. Apparently the "under no circumstances admit this person" list had not been updated because I got in with no problem at all. i walked around the stadium and had nice conversations with Glenn Davis Calen Carr, Victor Araiza and Chris Canetti. Although my seat was in 105, I decided to walk down to 103 to observed what was happening on the pitch whereupon an apparently new security person stopped me and told me that I was only authorized in section 105. Rather than cause a fuss I walked to the next section and entered there, thereby defeating whatever security measure was in effect for that section. For most if not all of the match I observed it from the top of the stairs in section 105 and it was here that I noted that apparently the "under no circumstances admit this person" list had been updated. As I was standing observing the match, a security person walked up to me and asked to see my ticket, showing it to her, she spoke into her mike giving the seat number and location. Now perhaps this was a coincidence and of no importance, but I can't help thinking that the surveillance system using facial identification alerted the CRO to my presence. So what was it like? It was kinda like seeing that cheating ex on the street. There are still some fond memories, but deep down inside you know she's never going to change. Next time I go I'll be in disguise
A subtle thing I think Jordan botched (and he often does) is a lot of the backs have doubled as left side deputies before but not right. Even Figueroa. Where the right side has limited versatility/depth. Conventional choice would be Valentin, though I saw a mixed bag Saturday. I could see the team moving Lundkvist across and then one of the many left-capables out that side, but he sucks on the right (and isn't much better left unless he's crossing). Cabrera has played some right side games. And that about taps conventional ideas. A more creative solution would be push Boniek back, or maybe Ceren. Issue being on paper we lack mid depth, although if you treated Memo or Mac or Quintero as doubling as mids -- and started them instead -- maybe you re-find some depth. You could throw Figueroa out right but he's a lefty. And you then need a better CB than Fuenmayor to fill in there. They probably ought to IR him for the season and do a trade. I don't know if MLS encourages such NFL-style cynicism, where you use the season ending IR not just for true year-long injuries but because they are hurt for long enough and you need an alternative sufficiently bad let's just swap them for the year and shut down the original roster player. So we limp through 2-3 months of RB patchwork, get him back, what good does that do? I say see if someone wants Pena or Salazar for a RB.
Glad you feel validated for your belief in his performance I don't dislike the guy - he hustles, he makes some good plays. However, he isn't dominant like Figueroa / have recovery speed when he does make a mistake and definitely made a blunder on the goal by Pavon. We don't need average, we need the best. Now if he starts putting in goals on corner kicks (3 or 4 games winners) I am willing to overlook some of the deficiencies.
I saw him play Philly last year on TV and he got skinned for a goal / maybe even a card? - did not look good as advertised. very small sample size to rate tho
I was mad when they traded him - with a little more coaching I think this guy had the potential as an outside back to maybe even get a look w the national team.
Going to be coming up on a year since we've signed him soon and it's felt like he has never played a game..
I agree! He also was a threat on dead balls. I recall one header he put home where he reacted very fast to a redirected headed ball his way across the 6 and we won on the road iirc. The man could also play both outside left and right back, and at D-mid.
For some reason the catchphrase of the malevolent dentist/councilman from Parks and Rec comes to mind, "You just got Jammed." Except swap in Jordan somehow. Who does their job so bad they can literally mirror the crappiness across the formation. Bad LB, matching bad RB. Like worse than flipping a coin. It is telling that Valentin, a journeyman brought in basically as U20 coach's pet, who was a mixed bag Saturday at best, earned relative rave reviews. He is better than what we have had. Whether you stop there, another question. But there is a pretty consistent theme here where when the coach meets someone in an airport and intervenes, chain-migrates Hondurans, or brings in a personal favor, it turns out better than the GM's everyday work. That sends a pretty clear message. I assume the GM has been tasked with keeping down expenses as his primary role because if you judged him for his roster work......
Most of the lingering hopes I had for our Chilean National Team Player! went out the window when the consensus from preseason was he was being outplayed by Zarek Valentin who is considered a rote average MLS journeyman level right-back. Swift recovery wishes to him, but I think both we and he should be eyeing the exit.
another Jordan discount signing of a South American “national team player” that sounded much more impressive than it was
One reason I am encouraging season end IR is he is hurt and will probably miss 3 months or more between rest and then getting any muscle back on the leg. I did the same injury in college and it took me half a year to get back fit and even-legged. And then like I said more cynically, it didn't work, I don't know why he and Lundkvist were brought back, and I am sure Tab thinks the same thing. IR him and his quarter-million salary and bring in someone we actually can use. I expect something cheaper and make-do, work within the roster, minor league, or a trade within the league. And we'll just carry the player and his contract. We are not ruthless like we used to be. Nor are we willing to spend like the Texans, whose waiver wire games I assume in sum cost added payroll.
I think for worker's comp reasons he has to be kept "around" until rehab is over but this is what the IR is for (I think football teams have the choice to release people with injury settlements but the contracts aren't guaranteed and you'd probably get blackballed if you didn't accept). He's here, he pulls a paycheck, he gets better, but it goes off roster and off cap. And then this summer or next winter we tear up the contract or decline the option or whatever.
Sticking a player on IR in MLS does not give you salary cap relief, only roster relief. You can always move a guy to the IR later in the season if it looks like he might not recover. First week of the season is way too early to make that decision. I'd also pro-offer that how long it took you to recover as an amateur is completely different from how long it would take a pro receiving pro level treatment and rehab. Even then, every player recovers at a different pace. I've seen pros take nearly 12 months to recover from a torn ACL, for example, and I've seen one playing 6 months after a torn ACL.
Meh. He got 4 starts and a 5th sub appearance after that. And we have people placed up on pedestals for cup winning runs who didn't show up until August and then the team goes zoom and takes off. eg Dalglish. To me it was telling that of the summer acquisitions, only Ramirez did well, and Hansen/ Bizama/ Salazar all span wheels and either sat or platooned. This was our Big Signing that summer starting maybe half the time at a need position. This is why I didn't understand Bizama or Lundkvist coming back, is we kicked the tires and should have known better.
It'll be coming up on a year since we've signed him once he is theoretically fit to play again and that means the entire first year under contract he will have made a handful of appearances.
1. Though you are right about the general rule, you get one exception. "Clubs are only able to receive Salary Budget relief (paid out of the club's own pocket) for a season-ending injury under the following parameters: The injured player must be earning at least $100,000 per annum. The injured player must have suffered the season-ending injury prior to the close of the Primary Transfer Window and the new player must be acquired as of such date. The replacement player may earn up to $250,000 but not more than the player who suffered the season-ending injury. A credit in the amount of the replacement player’s charge will be applied to the player who suffered the Season-Ending Injury. The club shall reimburse the League an amount equal to such credit. Clubs will only be allowed to sign one such replacement player per MLS League Season." 2. I mean, there are articles about replacing Josef Martinez's slot along similar lines in Atlanta after his ACL. And our buy out would be a relative pittance. 3. Spring soccer in college is like 90% energy regular season soccer, which is more intense than amateur youth club or adult. We would be practicing, running, weigh lifting most weekdays. It's not 2 a days like preseason, but it's not 2 practices a week either. It's high school practice tempo at college level quality. I repeat, it took me from a November injury to like the next summer to not feel like I was peg legging it. It was 3 months in a cast. And he had the surgery. I get what you're saying about pro training and differential outcomes, but he will probably be out til June or July, even as a fast healer/pro training. And are you really eagerly awaiting his return? 4. And that's setting aside, the acquisition has not worked and maybe we should be looking for an excuse or way out anyway. It's not like this is the Texans tripping and falling into Hyde and Duke and Taiwan Jones after Miller gets hurt, thinking to themselves, wow, if I can keep that group plus Miller.......this is more like the Landin discussions.....where is the exit.....ahhh, here it is.......
No - while the stuff did happen, it was probably unrelated to any trolling I might have engaged in with FO people. Plus - I'd packed my FanOfTheYear2011 Award in my pocket just in case
I mean, the guy was with the team for 2 months last season and we've seen time and time again not just in this league but world over that mid-season acquisitions often are ineffective as they need time to settle and then the season is over. So while I don't have a lot of confidence in Matt Jordan, I think it is a pretty big leap to conclude that after 2 months and 5 appearances, the guy is a bust. Personally, the games I saw the guy play last year I generally felt he had potential to be good in this league. In terms of replacing him right now, who do you really think the Dynamo are going to get at this point in time for under $250k? We'd be talking Kevin Garcia, an RGV signing, something like that. The odds of the Dynamo upgrading are less than zero. Given that, and given they already have dead bodies around like Garcia or another RGV signing, I'm perfectly content to see if the guy can play in 3 months.