http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20041124&content_id=19598&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp I guess you've all heard the news, but I'm wondering how it will effect us. the changes: - 28 players (instead of 24). still 18 regular roster players, but now 10 developmental spots (24 years old or younger) - 4 Senior Internations (foreigners 25 or older) - 3 Youth Internationals (foreigners 24 or younger). these are tradable, so if Chivas USA needs more, teams will get a little compensation for them from Rongen's team.
Developmental: 1. Devin Barclay 2. Ritch 3. Sutton 4. Szetela 5. - 10. OPEN Senior Roster: 1 Buddle 2 Cunningham 3 Denton 4 Elliott 5 Hejduk 6 Fraser 7 Herdsman 8 Lagos 9 Maisonneuve 10 Martino 11 Oughton 12 Paule 13 Wingert 14 Sanneh 15 Busch 16 Jordan 17 Testo 18 Washington ----------------------------------- Marshall As you can see, we have one too many players on the senior roster, with the graduation of Marshall. Now this could easily be solved by Mais retiring or any number of other things. But with 6 developmental spots (don't count against salary cap) open, I think the club will go after young, cheap, P-40 talent, even if it means trading a veteran for him. Especially if we get our allocation in the offseason, we will need to move some guys from the roster just to create a roster spot. We only have 1 SI, Duncan Oughton, so there are three available openings in that category. I don't belive we have any YI's, so I could see the club trading those to Chivas or someone else that needs the spots.
I think the Crew have at least three regular roster spots to play with. Maisonneuve should retire. Jordan is expendable: Good young goalkeepers really do grow on trees here, and it seems to me a waste of a senior roster spot to keep a backup these days. Use a developmental player instead. One of Denton and Lagos can certainly go, too. I don't like the idea of trading international slots to Chivas, but that's mostly because the idea of Chivas USA still burns my ass. If the Crew aren't going to sign international players, then they might as well get some draft picks or at least a couple of magic beans for those empty slots. Any chance Chivas would use a Crew slot to bring back Silvio Rudman? MLS needs more chain-smoking players.