Metros Sign Some Crappy Polish Player

Have to save this before MLSNet changes it.

So where did Metro get the third Discovery slot?

 

Are we going to have another 2,537,912,456 long thread discussing the "shenanigans" of this acquisition?

Just curious.

 

I believe a trade for future draft picks, in exchange for the discovery pick, occurred between Metros and San Jose on the last day of the deadline.

Updated - from MLSnet:

Metros Deal for Discovery Player

SECAUCUS, NJ (Thursday, August 21, 2003) - The MetroStars acquired a Discovery Player to be named later from the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for a third round pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, late last night at the MLS trade deadline. The player will be identified pending ongoing negotiations.

In the process, MetroStars forward Jaime Moreno has been placed on the season ending injured list due to a herniated disc in his lower back, opening a roster spot on the “Red and Black.” Moreno was acquired by the Metros on December 23, 2002, in a trade with D.C. United, along with Eddie Pope and Richie Williams, in exchange for defender Mike Petke, a 2003 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick (number five overall), and an allocation. The Bolivian international played 11 games (seven starts) for the Metros, scoring two goals. Moreno originally injured his back on April 26, in a 1-0 win at the Columbus Crew.

 

Yeah, and we should. Why the hell should we put up with these shenanigans? It undermines the league's credibility, and frankly, not one of them is worth it. Remember, Landon ended up in San Jose because the Clash/Quakes wouldn't trade their allocation to LA for anything, and it didn't kill the kid. You sign with the league, you come to play in the league. You don't sign with New York. You want to play in MLS? Fine. Subject yourself to the standard rules and procedures.

 

tom sawyer

 

Thank god this thing is finally done

Watching the MLS try to float this one by was like watching a blind one-handed paralytic with the DT's pull off a card trick.

 

I wonder if Berhalter talked to this guy about the qualities of American soccer and MLS (even though Gregg has never played in MLS), and got his ear at some point.

Of course, he may have had nothing to do with it at all.

 

The rule was actually modified after the Razov-Wolff thing a few years ago. Now, you get a roster spot, but no cap relief when a guy is put on the IR with a season-ending injury.

That's how DC got Martins, who is signed to a short-term contract for only this season from what I heard. This guy wanted a longer-term deal, forcing the creation of a "discovery player to be named whenever the Metros need it" rule so that they could get a discovery player from San Jose a month after the trading deadline.

 

He'll probably turn out like that CRAPPY Scottish player the Rapids drafted 3 years ago.

 

Juskowiak was a decent player… five years ago. If he makes it in the MLS it won’t mean good things for your league.

 

Not a problem. Nothing we do will ever "mean good things" to Europeans -- except producing goal keepers.

 

I thought I might get a paranoid reaction like this. I have nothing but good wishes for MLS and soccer in America. I would love to see it gain in popularity. It’s not going to happen by signing a player who’s been dropped by a German division 2 team. I hope he gets played of the pitch. That would be much better for the credibility of MLS than if he becomes a top player in the league.

 

So what about the so-called "salary cap" that applies to all teams except metro? I LOVED how metromopes' fans lawyered and justified and warped their perception of the rules to fit their arguments with the Johnny Walker "Weighted Lottery." How will those mouth breathers explain the suddenly available salary cap space to sign this player? Looking at the team roster, how were the metromopes under the salary cap BEFORE the season?

Go ahead metromope fans, JUSTIFY AWAY! Know that you and the league are full of sh!te. Better yet, just take your league-sanctioned handouts and shut up.


Cheers!

 

I agree with Aloisius. I would like for Juskowiak to do well (as I'm Polish), but this is a guy who is way past his prime. Once he was a decent striker in the Bundesliga, but those years are long behind him. If he does come in and score a bunch of goals, then the only reasonable assumption is that the defenses he is facing are very weak (since you can't assume that he became so much better over the last 6 months).

 

You know, every time a foreigner comes to MLS past his prime, people wring their hands over how it will refelct on the league. Some come here and are quality, productive players, some come and absolutely suck donkey balls. It says more about the player and his motivations than the overall quality of the league, IMHO. For every Hristo, there is a Sasa Curcic.

The cold hard facts are that MLS really is a step down in quality from the top leagues in Europe. It should be no surprise that some players come here after not cutting it anymore in Europe and produce. It's not some mark of shame. By and large, such players still have skill and still think the game well -- it's the other things they lack (fitness, speed, athleticism). They are given roles that minimize their deficiencies and maximize their attributes. Call it the Valderamma effect. MLS players, on the whole, are as fit and fast and athletic as players anywhere in the world. In MLS, you can add value to a team if your skill and gamethought are still there, whereas in other leagues you need the total package to contribute.

If this guy comes in and contributes, it won't be some mark against MLS -- it will merely be confirmation of a fact few would dispute: that MLS isn't as good the top leagues in the world. Big f'ing deal.

 

John Spencer ain't here cause he likes Denver better than Chelsea.

And is this Polish guy the reason why those Polish skinheads showed up at Giants stadium last game? Or was it just a random racist gang sighting?

 

I can actually buy that they are compliant on the cap because players like this generally get low numbers for the partial season before getting more money the next year. That was the MO Hudson was working under last year and this year when he tried to bring a big name in, so it probably applies here.

 

Am I missing something? Why would a team (San Jose) trade one of their discovery slots for a 3rd-round pick--a pick more than a year up the road, at that? That doesn't seem to make sense.

Is this one of those deals where San Jose was ordered to give NY/NJ their discovery slot? Just like the other 9 teams were ordered not be be "interested" in Jonny Walker, so that the Stars could get Walker without using an allocation?

For a goalie who played for the top Chilean team last year, the Stars had to give up... nothing? For a striker who played in Bundesliga last year, they give up ... a 3rd round draft choice in 2005? Welcome To The New Soccer Ration.

 

Not sure of all the facts, but I beleive San Jose made the trade because
1-they couldnt sign anyone themselves due to cap limit
2-the discovery pick would have been wasted otherwise

 

Tim Howard is nothing?