let the guy go play in the United Arab Emirites, I'm sure he'll find the living there wonderful. There are a lot of players worth more than the 250 max salary that MLS says they make, Etcheverry aint one of them! Let him walk and make the trade. Sign the kid out of Virginia and throw him up front with Q and United will be getting goals at a much more staggering rate than last year. We can get rid of Etch,Pope,Moreno,Williams and improve as a team with the top pick, Q, Convey and a healthy Ben Olsen...time to move on and let go of the past and it starts with letting El Dinosaur walk!!!
Then I guess this is 3 or 4 Maybe there aren't enough.....MLS needs to wake up and let the guy go, we are moving MLS into a new era, it is kind of like when they realized that to be taken seriously they had to let that actor Andy Shue take a walk. That was a novel idea to draw intrest among fans that watched him on tv, they realized that they had to move forward. Etch is a thing of the past and we are reaching the point in MLS where we are moving forward once again and can't give old washed up players contracts that don't make sense, it would be much wiser to spend that big money to keep young americans home in MLS...........
Re: Then I guess this is 3 or 4 Etcheverry is getting a one-year contract. What young American could we "keep" here that we'll otherwise lose if we sign Etch to a one-year deal? Are Olsen, Quaranta, Convey, or Rimando going to Europe this year if we sign Etcheverry? No? I thought not.
lets help you out Lets try and help you out: You said Etcheverry is getting a one-year contract. What young American could we "keep" here that we'll otherwise lose if we sign Etch to a one-year deal? Are Olsen, Quaranta, Convey, or Rimando going to Europe this year if we sign Etcheverry? No? I thought not. Lets break it down for you, if you had a half million dollars in your wallet and you spend 200k of it now, where would the other 300k go????? would it disappear or would you have it for later? Remember MLS pays the salaries, Diinosaur's is just under our cap. So nobody said it has to be a player from United they spend the money on to keep here, maybe they use that 300 in some sort of transfer who knows. The bottomline is that he is not the kind of guy that MLS needs to be busting the max salary for, he doesn't even warrant 250k.
Re: lets help you out After the season, it would disappear. In MLS, you have a salary cap for the year and you don't get any extra the following year if you don't spend it all. So, the question for DC United is how do we best spend that $1.7M this year. Since we're already clearing two maximum salaries, and we have only two allocations with which to acquire such players (assuming the Mutts trade goes through), what would be the point of getting rid of all three max-salary guys? Because of his age (he's probably going into his last year), Etch can't be traded for much, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have one year of class left in him. That's exactly why you keep him. He's more valuable on the field than as trade bait. This isn't an MLS board, it's a DC United board. If you think MLS should pay some other American the max instead of Etcheverry, that's great, but it's not terribly relevant here. The fact is that United is not going to lose any young American talent in 2003 because of what we choose to pay Etcheverry. And given that we're moving two maximum salary players, we will have the flexibility to take on an big American player, if one is offered. And with this being Etcheverry's last year, the reality is, if Olsen, Convey, or Quaranta have a break-out year and are in demand abroad after next season, then we'll have the money from Etcheverry's salary to try to re-sign them.
Pennyfan: I'm not one to flame fellow BigSoccer.com posters (even 17 post newbies like yourself), but you've come mighty close on this one. Please respect the fact that there are an awful lot of people here who admire and respect Marco for what he has done, and is still capable of doing here, both on and off the field. This respect has not come lightly. Many of us have followed DCU since '96 and owe him and many other players an enormous debt of gratitude. I resent your off-hand remarks about Etch's future. These are tough times for a lot of die-hard United fans. The choices are painful with the salary cap being what is and our abysmal record of the last two seasons. You don't need me to tell you that your opinion is as valid as any other on these boards. But, please show at least a modicum of respect for the players, especially the ones who have built this league despite all it's many faults.
And I'm sure there are other fans such as myself who support other team in the league who have great respect and feelings for Marco and want the best for him and his team. He's highly respected and valued and not just in DC.
Marco, if you read this, I'm with you. I'll not forget that you played on one foot during 2001. In 2002 I remember your MVP performance at the all-star game. I remember your performance vs Spurs. I remember your trying to serve Jaime a goal on a platter, more than once. I remember your pk goal being stolen from you by the thereafter suspended Noelle Kenney. If you want to play for us you'll be welcome in many of our hearts. Those that have dissed you this past few days will learn the error of their ways. Passions run deep, as you well know. I know that you wouldn't have it any other way. So please consider all these rants, both negative and positive, as expressions of our undying support for the team. Last time I looked, you're still the captain. [May I suggest that you recommend Nellie to be captain in your absence? He's got the fire, enthusiasm and will to win that is infectious.] Feliz Pascua, as I learned to say in Chile, y un prospero ano nuevo. I love you, man [but don't worry, I'm not a bud lite drinker]. GM
Pennyfan, a week back I may have partially agreed with you. But now that the trades have gone through and its all worked out, I want Marco here. His skills have diminished but he can still help. He isn't worth that salary if he was new to DC but over the years he has earned it as he could have played overseas for more money, and has made so many sacrafices for United. I know you've heard this story about all his contributions a million times and its annoying how he plays hard ball when getting a new deal, but he truly deserves this money and this will surely be his last season. I think this season will be a better one for DC.
Have Etch's skills really diminished? I don't think so. I think what has diminished is his speed and endurance, and to some extent his hunger. This part of getting old. He is still one of the most talented players in the league, just a bit under the bar as far as physical ability goes. If he is used properly, he can still be a great asset to the team. I understand he is also recovering from some knee problems (?), but I doubt his toe will ever be the same. Perhaps he will be in better shape in 2003.
I think his being in shape will be directly linked to the quality of forwards we have next year. You could see him get frustrated and lose interest as his passes were fumbled by our so-called strikers. Hopefully he will stay focused, cut down on arguing with the refs, and give what he can. He's past being a savior, but he can add to the mix. Still, as I've said many times before, is "adding to the mix" worth max salary? I don't think so, but it's a done deal now and the rest depends on what the team does with the picks, allocations and cap room.