In-Season Player Rumors & Movement 2012

I seriously fear we're getting Le Toux back. FO knows the fans want it and his price will be much reduced from what contract he would have been deserving at the same point last year. However, it's pretty clear he doesn't have the skillset to play as PART of a team. He either is the whole show or nothing. We got lucky to sign him in his big boom year for 2010, but he's clearly been shit ever since.

 

I loved him for what he brought to the team and what he did for the team, but you are right. He is a one trick pony and when he has to drop into a more supporting type role he has struggled everywhere he has gone.

And I'm seriously tired of the hoof the ball forward and hope a fast guy can get on the end of it mind set. If we don't score that way typically we don't score at all. We need guys that can win the ball in the air, play with their back to the net, take on a man and not loose possession and then score

 

I liked LeToux when he was here, but I don't think he fits with the direction of the team.

We will need an experienced proven striker (DP type) that can be a model for Hoffman/McInerney/Martinez.

 

What's the direction of the team? Cause from what I can tell, we seem to be playing the same style of play since year 1, only difference is that we went from a few quality players in year 1 which got mix results to adding a strong veteran presence in year 2 that got significant results and now to unproven, foreign players mixed with young "potential" talent in year 3 that resulted in no results. So what again is the direction of the team?

Bringing in Le Toux (again) for a fair price makes sense if it is one of many moves the FO makes in making this team better. I would say the same about Ruiz. The real question is at what price do they pay for any player? In a salary cap league, you need depth and quality at prices that make sense. So far, our FO has scored about a zero in both categories? Is that our direction?

 

I'd take that if it meant one of the three scores 15 or so a season.

 

What about offering Adu to New England for Benny Feilhaber? He's not Stu Holden, but he has been a good player for New England this season when he has played. Not sure how he would mesh with the rest of the Locker room though. Of course then we'd need to find a winger and a striker for the front line..................... unless Martinez finally starts to come around, or maybe Roger Torres starts to grow into the player we all hope he can become.

As for the Union re-signing LeToux this offseason? If Hack wants to go with a 4-3-3 atacking alignment, I'm not sure he'd really fit that formation. In Vancouver, and Seattle in 2009 he was played out wide and in the midfield and he struggled. In NY he struggles to make the field, or have an impact on games when he does play. When he played in MF and on the wing with the Union the results were......meh. When he played up top all alone and was able to run onto through balls and balls over the top he was a capable finisher. When you open a bottle of wine, you don't put it back in the fridge to drink it one to two years later...............

It'd be a great PR move, and would spur ticket sales, but it would also open an old wound from this past off-season/early-season that I'm sure none of us want to re-visit.

 

Personally, I would keep Adu if we go out and get the forwards needed. As for Le Toux, I could care less from a personal standpoint. I just want this team to add quality and depth, who ever that is!

We are more likely to find a serviceable box to box midfielder who can play that role then moving Adu there. Although, one could argue that moving Adu to the withdrawn forward role and let the Garfans take the flanks makes more sense. The key then is to still sign a true forward like Ruiz or Cooper AND a midfielder that can dominant the offensive side of the pitch.

To be honest, we are asking for quite a lot and I highly doubt even with the money available that they can bring all of these players in and still have depth. We need to see who on this current roster can really play and start there. Unfortunately, I don't see that happen with the lineups Hack continues to run out.

Edit: I should point out that this only works if the U play a 4-1-3-2. If we go the "4-3-3" (which to be honest, we have yet to play even though Rigby would tell us otherwise), it just wouldn't work and its back to the drawing board.

 

alright folks. Le Toux was good while he was here, and a favorite of mine, however the ship sailed and it would be awkward if he came back. Most relationships do not work a second time around because of the bitter taste the first go around. If he is dirt cheap I can understand the move, but please FO dont pay any real money.
Who will wear #9? AWKWARD

 

the direction of the team has gone very young and possession based.

Year 1: Expansion team. See what you have at start (Myrie/Stahl/etc) and then by mid-season try to build a frame for success (LeToux, Harvey, Califf). Draft a TON of young players (Okugo, McInerney, Mwanga all in top 8 in draft) to build for future. Medium success.

Year 2: Enhance what has a good base (sign Valdez to play with Califf, Harvey, and Williams), fix what you can (Seitz: Out; Mondragon: in. McMath drafted so ) and see if the guys from year 1 can repeat success. Union overachieved.

Year 3: FO/Coach got cocky and thought team was better than it was. Tried to do complete overhaul and win this year (if Pajoy, Gomez, Martinez, and Lopez were 1/2 as good as advertised; we'd be a MUCH better team. Fact is ALL have pretty much fizzled out). Coach fired. New regime stresses youth [coach has youth background] and we struggle scoring but are the youngest team in the league and have many very good role players, but not one is a star. Verdict: Nowak made a big mistake. Hackworth is trying to pick up the pieces and do what he can to fix it. Realized it's kind of a mess and will now use offseason to reform team in his ideal. Team is very good defensively, just can't score.

Team in offseason needs a seasoned mature goal scorer. Pay the DP money and get someone from EPL/La Liga/etc. I can guarantee that at least one of Martinez/Hoffman/McInerney/Hoppenot (too much talent in each of them for all to fail) will turn out to be an All-Star if partnered with someone who can play.

Next year will be a rough start and then the team gels 1/3 of way through season. Finishes top 2 in East and gets back on track.

 

Bless you.

Interesting.......win/win for me since I like both and think either helps.

TARGET STRIKER.
Learn it. Live it. Love it.
*all other decisions come into focus from that point forward..................

 

Ha, I told you all so! Believe!

 

I fear that neither Hoffman, Josue Martinez nor Jack Mac is the answer up top. Jack still deserves a shot but this season his game has deteriorated into a prickly, chippy mess. I don't think Hoffman or Martinez has looked anything like a consistent goalscorer. Hoffman has mostly been a deer-in-headlights in his few run-outs, and the DCU match really epitomized Martinez: can't get on a ball, can't find the net when the ball comes to him. Hoppenot's game is limited but I still like him as an energy-boosting late sub.

 

Hoffman has looked off, but half the time he was being played out of position. So a rookie trying to find his way and being played out of position is probably a pretty hard thing to deal with.

 

Get ouf my head! I was thinking about this. Will they have any sort of scouting outside the USA and even then we are talking just college right?

 

College scouting is great and all.........except we traded away our 1st round pick this season.......... and not for nothing, all three of these guys have been on staff since the first season and are largely responsible for the players that we have drafted.

It's very alarming how much worse our attack has gotten since the Pajoy trade. Without our main catalyst last night, M Farfan, our attack was worse then usual. I can't remember the last time we took a shot on goal that actually FORCED a Keeper to make a save.

 

Mac had a pretty wicked shot from distance that forced a tough save.

 

Mac shoot from distance????? I must have dosed off when that happened............ I don't recall him getting a shot on goal.

 

I see the player acquisitions under the Hackworth regime being much more MLS-based players as opposed to the Nowak/Gutierrez mode of bring in newcomers from foreign leagues. They are more known quantities and are easier to scout. To throw out a few names of potential #1 forwards as well as others who might be looking for a bigger role than they presently have with their current teams:

1. Sebastien Le Toux (NY) - 28 yrs, $169K comp: declining role in NY coupled with good PR and help with losing renewals created off the field by reacquiring him makes him a likely off-season high priority target.

2. Kenny Cooper (NY) - 28 yrs, $293K comp: Backe seems to yo-yo him in his line-up and NY surely will face a salary budget crunch with all of the high-priced players now on that team.

3. Omar Cummings (COL) - 30 yrs, $96K comp: speedster not always a starter now with Pareja coaching - given the Rapids season to date, have to expect changes to be made.

4. Coner Casey (COL) - 31 yrs, $400K comp: target forward in the same boat as Cummings.

5. Domenic Oduro (CHI) - 27 yrs, $109K - now a speedy sub for the Fire after acquisitions of MacDonald and Rolfe - not a traditional #1 striker but was a big scorer in 2011.

6. Eric Hassli (TOR) - 31 yrs., $790K comp: big DP was acquired when Koevermans got hurt but will they want to keep both of them next season.

7. Kris Boyd (POR) - 29 yrs, $1.515M comp: DP target forward not starting anymore after coaching change by Timbers - question is whether 2013 coach Caleb Porter wants him. Boyd's $ will scare off Philly unless Timbers picked up a lot of them.

8. Hamdi Salihi (DCU) - 28 yrs, $487K: another DP who is not starting much but still plays for Albanian national team.


Some forwards who would not be #1 types but might be considered to add to the young mix here:

1. Justin Braun (RSL) - 25 yrs, $105K: tall striker who was scoring on a regular basis for Chivas but has seemed to hit a career skid which has seen him moved to Montreal and then RSL this season.

2. Cam Weaver (HOU) - 29 yrs, $106K: another tall striker who seems to produce in a limited role with the Dynamo.

3. Emilio Renteria (CLM): 28 yrs, $134K: the Venezuelan forward was bumped down the pecking order after the mid-season acquisitions of Higuan and Arrieta.

 

i like your list but you should add:
"some forwards who would not be #2 types BUT areon the downside of there career, and will most likely rarely start"
and this is who the FO and Novak Jr will get via trading 2014 picks not allocation $$$.

 

I like the Nowak Jr. I've said it and will wait for it to happen at the end of next year when Hack takes off the mask to reveal evil Piotr.

 

The Goats make up that list:

1. Juan Pablo Angel (CHIV) - 36 yr, $600K comp
2. Alejandro Moreno (CHIV - Union alumni) - 33 yr, $195K comp

On an alumni note, Nick Zimmerman (Carolina - NASL) from the 2010 Union team is the 2nd leading scorer in the league with 15 goals. Since ex-Union Ryan Richter is training with the team, perhaps Zimmerman gets a look in the off-season.