Along with the announcement of who the new P-40 signings are we learn of those who have "graduated" from P-40. Magee & Clark have moved on. What is the criteria for that? I can see Clark with the minutes he played this year. I think he had more minutes than anyone on the team. It was such an advantage to have players of this quality and the roster exemption. Does not Magee still qualify? He is still only 19.
Maybe they graduated to make room for little Bradley? I don't know if there are limits on how many P-40 players you can carry on the roster.
. "Rounding out the class of 2004 is U.S. U-17 player Michael Bradley, who is the son of MetroStars head coach Bob Bradley." and they said no1 would ever be able to replace Kenny Arena.
From what I have heard, mini-Bradley isn't yet ready to compete at the "upperweight divisions" either. I recall reading that he struggled with the pace and power of bigger players at the Youth National level. Some wondered if he would ever have the size and strength to be a professional. I wonder how that will translate when he is playing against even larger/more physically mature players.
I think he is a great addition. I heard that intra-squad scrimmages were horribly unfair and generally worthless because one team always had Kenny...
OK. Lots of funny stuff but what do you think of Magee not being P-40? He did score 7 goals but not that many minutes and most do not think he is that good. I think he has room and time to grow. Why is he not P-40?
It's a weird thing that decides when a player has "graduated" and nobody outside MLS is really aware of where the rules lie. A lot of people say around 1000 minutes played in the season, and doing some homework, that seems to be around the limit. With that in mind, when you say "not that many minutes," you do realize that he played 300 fewer minutes than Clint Mathis and nearly 350 more than Woly, that there are 7 players with more minutes than Magee, one of them (Pope) with only 15 more minutes. Magee also played in more games then _anyone_ on the team, I don't understand how anyone, Magee, MLS or Bob Bradley can make the claim that he is not a fully fledged member of the Metrostars and deserves to be treated as one. The kid has paid his dues by a long shot and is past carrying the luggage for the rest of the team.
Think Cronin will still be around by the time we pick? He'd be the perfect backup keeper we're looking for.
it's Bull$h*t to me...DJ countess and Eddie Johnson are still p40????...i know MLS is very 'flexibile' with its own interpretations of its rules, but hopefully the roster spots magee and clark take dont keep us from anything..
If we get 2 more P40's to replace them, it might actually HELP us that their status was changed: they're both great values at their respective salaries, and we'd get 2 more roster-protected players (a keeper and a defender, let's say). That would leave a big chunk of change (bigger than what we already have) to spend on at least 2 high-salary players: a striker and a winger, perhaps. But that means trading up in the draft. Maybe Bob'll pull what he did last year and trade some 2005 and 2006 picks (plus Lisi, let's say) for some picks in 2004. Bottom line: we'd better get at least one high-quality p-40 out of this. Cronin would be my first target.
From what I have heard, mini-Bradley isn't yet ready to compete at the "upperweight divisions" either. I recall reading that he struggled with the pace and power of bigger players at the Youth National level. Some wondered if he would ever have the size and strength to be a professional. this is y we'll pick him. who could be better to replace Kenny than a kid who can't compete w/any1? I think he is a great addition. I heard that intra-squad scrimmages were horribly unfair and generally worthless because one team always had Kenny... Thank you all for your largely-uninformed and third-hand speculation on a 16 year old player who has spent the last year coming off of a major injury. And of course, we all know the best thing we as supporters can do for our young players - be they Michael Bradley or Kenny Arena - is to run them down, boo them, and generally consider them nothing but products of nepotism. Metro Faithful: We Eat Our Young.
We should put this on a freaking macro. As far as I'm concerned the jury's still out on Kenny Arena. In fact I'll go so far as to bet the kid has a future as a defender in the league, despite last season's comedy show. As for Bradley - he did look physically overwhelmed against Brazil in December, but so did everyone else on that team (including Szetela). But while his physicality was lacking, his speed of thought was very, very impressive. No doubt he has an advanced soccer mind (and a good first touch), that with proper training can be turned into an above average MLS mind. Whether or not his physicality ever catches up is moot at this point, as the whole reason for Pro-40 to exist is to give kids with potential a pro environment in which to develop. If we get Bradley I'll be happy. I'll also be happy if we keep Arena.
mmmm.....veal..... mine was mostly a jest. I shouldn't have knocked mini-Bradley. I typically only get mad at a player after seeing him once or twice.
Lets keep bradley, arena and also try to add charlie stilitano's illegitamite third son and Nick's teenager as well. There's no nepotism in soccer in our area.
Come on! Bradley wasn't strong enough to feature as one of the best players of his age group (U17) and the fact he is coming off an injury makes it even more questionable that he should be enrolled in P40 at this moment. If he is truly a gifted player, send him to Bradenton until he adds to his 130 lb frame. Wouldn't he fit in nicely in the residential program for a year? Then if he shows great promise - maybe bring him into the league. P40 players shouldn't be this big a reach if you ask me. The 16 and 17 year old players in MLS should be guys who really stand out at their age groups - Adu, Quaranta (at the time anyway), Magee, Convey, etc. Maybe when we get full-fledged Reserve teams I could understand taking players at the same point on the developmental curve as Bradley. But until then, I don't quite see what he has to gain.
I don't know how long you've been paying attention, but outside of DC, the vast majority of P-40 players are kids that haven't "featured as one of the best players of his age group." The reason why is that when they are already at the top of their age group, odds are other leagues will also want them, and the league will have to shell out tons of bucks to sign them. P-40 is more often a crap shoot than a sure thing. Of note, when looking at league rosters to see who still had P-40 players (it's just wrong that Magee "graduated" while Johnson and Countess keep their freebie status), I saw that DC currently has the full limit of 4. Stokes, Carroll, Eskandarian and Devin Barclay. I believe the league policy is that no team can have more than 4 P-40's on a roster, which means one of those 4 will be up for grabs when Adu comes along. Smart money would be to dump Barclay, but with them against the wall, we might be able to get Eskandarian or maybe Stokes on the cheap.
Hate to correct someone who just defended my point (lucidly and well, I might add), but league policy is that each team has 6 spots for either Pro-40 or developmental players. Not all six have to be filled, and there're no rules as to how many (if any) of the six have to be either Pro-40 or developmental. So DC could very well add Adu and one of the other Pro-40 guys in this draft and still be well within the rules (assuming they cut Trevor Perea, their one developmental player). I still think the Metros are going to wind up with Eskandarian one way or another, though.
Does anyone know what happens if a P-40 player is not drafted? Is he loaned out to the A-League or something? Go to college on MLS' dime and enter the next draft? This damn near happened to Jacob LeBlanc last year when you guys took him in the last round. Trust me, Bradley is better then LeBlanc.....
i hav no problem w/Bradley Jr. the last guy on the bench pretty much never gets in so he wont have too much of a chance to suck. I've never seen him play so i was just messin around. but c'mon, you see a guy that's just signed by ur team..he's 5'8 and 130 lbs and just happens to be the coach's son. u say "ah crap!" although Bradley Jr. isnt with Metro yet, and might not be.
http://www.cybersoccernews.com/mls/mlsnews/040109p-40signings.shtml From what i seen at the youth WC GK Steve Cronin and midfielder Ned Grababoy would be good additions to our team as P-40 if we could get them. I am not clear on what is the draft order and where do we come in. Is this the draft that will be on FSW or this players fall in different category, if anyone can elaborate, thank you !