I'm very happy and pleasantly surprised at how Nowak has the team playing. We're mostly dominating midfield, we're working hard, organized and creating chances and attacking. The youngsters are getting minutes and showing promise or even (be still my beating heart) actually contributing. That said, we don't have a finisher. In time, I think Eskandarian will justify his #1 selection and will be a fine player. Maybe that will even be by the second half or end of this season. Freddy will get better. Moreno has game. Etc, etc. etc. And we still don't have a finisher. So, I'm assuming that while our team improves, the youngsters get better and we get more confident and cohesive we will still struggle to score goals and will need to rely on "goals by committee" approach. So our next step is to acquire a finisher. Not easily done b/c we're capped out. So my purpose for this thread is not to debate other team issues (start Warren over Rimando, Petke is a wanker, Freddy is really 21, Convey is blind, yada yada). It's this: if you agree we need to acquire a finisher if we're going to be more than a team that plays hard and owns play but loses a lot of matches we shouldn't this year, we can't wait 1 or 2 years for Adu or Eskandarian to develop. We need to acquire a finisher. So this thread is for: who do we acquire and who do we give up? Here are a couple of candidates/options I"ll suggest: --Kreis from Dallas (yep, it's a gamble) and we give up Petke and Quaranta in a complicated deal. Petke goes to NE for cap space and a pick (which goes to Dallas). Quaranta then goes to Dallas. So the entire package ends up--we get Adu and Kreis (and cap space from NE), we give up Quaranta, Petke and an allocation, Dallas gets Quaranta, an allocation and a pick, NE gets Petke but gives up cap space and a pick of some sort. Dallas moves a player they aren't using and doesn't appear to fit in making big money (and Kreis was ready to come to DC). We get a guy who--frankly--isn't that great of a player but he finds a way to score. NE gets a proven central defender. I know it's a hopelessly complicated deal. But given our cap situation and Kreis' salary, we can't do the deal unless we give up major cap numbers. Stewart already said "no" to Dallas, I doubt they'd go for Kovalenko. Even if Jambon and others say Convey the truth is that it would probably be just the equivalent of an allocation if Convey goes to Europe. --Buddle from Columbus. Again a gamble b/c he's hurt a lot. We'd likely give up Kovalenko and a forward in this deal (Cerritos, maybe Martins). Not likely b/c Buddle should have a bright future. But as they continue to implode they need more size on the frontline (Scott and Testo ain't it and Cunningham isn't a good target man or close-in presence). As attractive as this deal is, if Buddle isn't healthy than it doesn't help us this year (which means it's a bad deal). Remember, the issue isn't "dealing for potential" but "who can score goals for us in 2004?". Why would Columbus do this deal? Their midfield is a mess and Kovalenko is a big upgrade for them--especially if they're trying to install a higher workrate and more effort. They need someone (Cerritos or Martins) who can provide more of a presence upfront to be paired with Scott, Cunningham or Testo. And if they continue to implode (as I think they will), no-one on their roster is safe. Any other candidates from anyone else?
Simple. We cut or trade Cerritos once Q1, Q2, and Martins are healthy. His salary alone would allow to look at some good forwards. Or, assuming that Bobby leaves in the summer (which is looking more likely after his recent games), we use the cap space and the allocation to go after a SI during the early or late summer break when all the European leagues are done.
DC is playing 3 at the back and is thin there. The attacking force (forwards and attacking minded mids) has an abundence of players, 3 of which are coming off of injuries. Cut and dry folks.
we need a solid defender. we need someone who can actually score. we have any number of forwards to cut to make that happen.
Cerritos counts for somewhere between $140-170K on the cap. That's a lot of money and it isn't impossible to get a good finisher for that amount. But I doubt we're going to get a good SI for that amount. Cutting other guys coming off of IR: Quintanilla ($54K), Martins ($34K), Quaranta ($85-95K) might help. But remember we're already at the cap and have one roster spot unoccupied. To cut Cerritos and Quaranta to add one player means we're going with TWO roster spots open. If we're going to add a max salary player we need to clear max salary space. The challenge with Convey going is if the Etcheverry allocation hasn't been delivered, than the Convey allocation may go to Dallas. Absent an allocation, we'd just have discoveries available right?
i think any trade bait we have is one or more of our forwards. the only ones safe are moreno and adu. q1 and esky would bring the most in a trade i would think, but cerritos would give us the most cap room i think we probably trade them for cap space and sign somebody over the summer. Nowak hasn't appeared very concerned with the forward scoring issue so i tend to think he has a plan in mind (unlike Uncle Ray who was always "waiting" for help from across the pond) which probably includes getting a forward from overseas on a free transfer.
FYIW, Martins is due back by beginning of June according to the interview with him on the DC United show in the hispanic station on Saturday morning at 10am.
Well, I'm not for such a drastic maneuver. My thoughts on what the team needs to do to get better...(and I should mention that others rarely agree. indeed, they frequently consider me off my rocker)...I think the team should bench Moreno and use him as a sub. Use Eski as the finisher. If he's ever going to be a good player, it's going to be as a pure finisher. Let him sink or swim. As for the other moves, cut Cerritos as soon as we have another healthy forward. Ruiz was on 40k? Ronald's 140k should easily be enough to find a decent young forward. Eventually, let Adu and Jaime compete for the supporting role. Have Eski, the forward we bring in, Thiago, and Quaranta compete for the poacher/target spot. True, Petke hasn't been playing well and probably doesn't merit his high salary at this point, but that's an issue for next season. Or so I think.
oh, for the days of Roy Lassiter... couldn't dribble around my dog, but he could finish like nobody's business. i bet we could pick him up in trade for a box of Krispy Kremes.
If Roy's game that he had against us in the Open Cup last year is any indication of what his form is like, then I'd say a box of Krispee Kremes is a steep, steep price for him. Dante Washington, his partner up front for VB in that game, would make more sense, I guess.
Just a reminder, we'd have to get someone to take Cerritos before we could trade him. I'm not sure we'd get many takers at his cap #.
Considering the difficulty some teams are having with scoring, I don't think that it would be impossible. I could see Columbus or KC taking him.