Marcus Hahnemann is available

From the radio interview I heard, it appears that Hahnemann wants to play in England for another team. What with the World Cup coming up next year and with Hahnemann being a likely candidate to backup Tim Howard, I don't blame him.

It would be sweet to have him come in for the rest of the season, start for us and tutor Kocic and Wicks for next season. A strong upgrade at keeper could be enough to win us another MLS Cup Championship. All the same, I doubt if Hahneman will want to come back just yet.

 

This is purely speculation on my part, but if he did come back to the States, he would most likely want to play for Seattle. Good luck to him to unseat Keller, but he hinted that he would like to move back to Seattle when his playing days were done in an interview I watched when Reading were still in the Premier League.

 

The way's he playing, I think Keller may have a couple years left in him.

 

No way he goes to Seattle or comes home for that matter but if he did he would immediately become a top 3 GK is this league it not #1. Someone would have to come up with DP money for a goalie and only Seattle has shown the questionable judgment to do that. The money is still way too good in Europe for a proven guy like Hahnemann to consider coming back.

 

Keller doesn't cost DP money. Hahnemann would, at the very least, be less expensive than him.

 

United needs an overpriced keeper like a hole in the head...

Can anyone name a star/imported keeper that actually won a cup?

Spend the money on solidifying the team we have.

 

Here, here or hear, hear.

But we do need to develop one.

 

Absolutely!

 

Marcus is not done in England. Despite what folks have said on this board, many managers in England believe a keeper like Marcus can carry their team on his back to a title (in the Championship). So he will sign for more money than DC can possibly offer him.

If, and that is a big if, he came to MLS this summer, then if I was DC I would do everything possible to get him. He would give us a proven defensive leader, be the best goalkeeper in the league short of Keller, and prove a good influence on Kocic.

If Kocic is going to develop into a good keeper he needs something more than what he is getting currently in DC. Marcus would the undisputed #1 and that means we could loan Kocic out for experience or he would just get better by playing with Marcus in training.

Defense is our weakness right now and Marcus has proven that he can excel over the years playing behind shaky defenses. He would be a great addition to the squad.

 

Actually, yeah. In 2000, Tony Meola had the season of a lifetime and single-handedly won the MLS Cup for KC. Say what you will about him now, but he was nothing short of stellar that season. I remember that MLS Cup final vividly because Meola was unstoppable with ten saves on the day. KC was outplayed up and down the field by Chicago, but Meola saved the day time and time again. Meola was also "crowned" MLS MVP for that season.

So, while I will agree that it is hard to validate spending big money on a keeper, there is precedent to say that a keeper can make all the difference and win the Cup for a team.

Something to think about.

 

Keller has certainly paid off for Seattle. I would say a "star" keeper is a great idea for an expansion side, lets their defense more comfortably figure out how to play together, they know they have cover if they happen to make a mistake.
Or say, us, with a very young defense (Namoff excluded )

 

With a standout keeper DC would be a tough team to beat, I agree. Hahnemann would be great. That said, it is unlikely mostly considering Marcus' desire to be in South Africa.

I guess what makes me sad is that we don't seem to have made our keepers better over the years, with the exception of Perkins who really did seem to blossom.

Crayton has the physical tools IMHO -- speed, athleticism, etc. Is there no way to work with him more on judgment and positioning? Keepers do become more "solid" over time which is what we are asking for from Crayton.

Someone who's a goalie please tell me -- are these mental skills unlearnable after a certain point, or should Simpson be "fixing" Crayton's weak spots? I think he'd like to stay and love his passion.

Improving someone already on our squad does seem a whole lot more likely than finding (and finding $$$ for) a big-name keeper.

 

I hate to say it, but I question Simpson's ability to "make a keeper better" sometimes. I almost wish from time to time to see him move up to the primary assistant coach slot and bring in an established keeper coach.

but I have no idea what I'm talking about, it's just a feeling I get. And any of you who've dated me know I have no idea how to interpret feelings

 

At 31, the Crayton you see is pretty much the Crayton you are going to get. I'm doubtful that Simpson could "coach him up" at this stage of his career. Kocic, and Wicks to a lesser degree, should be very amenable to coaching. Take Kocic in particular: In his first outing he showed energy but wasn't able to snag crosses. In his second outing he was dead perfect on crosses, but had some communications issues. Who knows, in his third outing he might have the communication problem solved and could be on his way to being a quite acceptable keeper. By the time Crayton's contract is up (July?) the coaching staff should be able to decide whether to resign him; go with Kocic and Wicks; or look for a "big-time" (and big-salaried) keeper.

 

I hear what you are saying, but I'm just curious. Since great keepers often get great well after 30, some learning clearly must be going on.

Maybe you need to have been a great keeper to get people over the hump.

My concern is that anyone we "develop" who is young is gone in a flash, and is unlikely to return to the US. Our best option therefore seems to lie in getting someone with good skills who hasn't caught on elsewhere and try to make them great. This would suggest investing in the coach, actually.

Could Crayton be that guy? I don't know. I do know that if we invest time and dinero in Kocic and he seems even halfway good by MLS standards he'll probably be poached by a Euro-team.

 

And that's the predicament of a selling league, right? We can't compete financially with the bigger leagues, so all we can do is enjoy these players as they start their careers and begin to show some of the skills that make them attractive to larger leagues.

 

Of course the benefit to DC United is less than most teams in selling leagues since any transfer received is split with the league.

 

Other leagues don't also have to share parts of transfer fees with their shareholders?

 

Yup. I love watching young players come in and it's great to see them improve and contribute. The only overseas league matches I try to watch are those that involve MLS exports just to see how they're doing.