Off-Season Player Rumors & Movement 2011-12

Not sure I agree with that perspective. SKC and Seattle are pretty deep and more proven. I think we will field a strong team this season and we will play well, but I think our roster turnover will hurt us a bit relative to teams that maintained a more consistent team.

 

Eh not so much. If its so overstated then challenge it and give me some teams with rosters that you think are deeper. There are only 2 problems with the Union's roster...lack of GK depth and no identifiable superstar (which to many isn't a problem whatsoever).

I can understand Seattle but SKC? Ehhhh can't get with that one. The Union are VERY deep but the quality of guys 12-18 may not be the same as Seattle's but when looking at the whole roster I think it's a tough argument against the Union.

 

I think you just proved a point against yourself. You play every year to win the championship. You may have 1 great year and win one but them rebuilding the next ten years isn't putting your sights on that championship everyyear. If you stay competative every year you have a shot at getting those lucky late runs through the playoffs.

On another note I hope we go all out for the USOC this year. It ill be our first piece of hardware. Second we get into the CCL and with this team being built for the future if the kinks aren't worked out this year they should be for next in time for the CCL and hopefullly makes us competative in that.

 

I wonder if MacMath gets a long-term injury (hipothetically) would Nowak bring in a veteran in the summer?

 

I think it's fair to say we definitely have one of the deepest midfields, but do you think that tells the entire story? At the moment, we do not yet have a bona fide MLS goal-scorer. We've got a couple of guys who I hope will demonstrate that this season, but as of right now it is conjecture and hope. There are other teams with depth charts a bit more talent deep at forward and in the back than we currently are. In terms of just starters, there are other teams who can roll out starting midfields as complete or better than ours.

New York is both deeper in defense and at forward. They can bring on Agudelo and Cooper as subs; plus, a midfield of Lindpere, Tainio, Richards, and McCarty that is quite techincal and I'd be hard pressed to argue that we have a better starting IV. LA is especially deeper at forward, and can roll out a deeper I-V defense than we (they proved it all last season). Houston's midfield is as deep as ours, I'd argue--they certainly outplayed us when it counted. FCD is probably a bit deeper on defense. As you alluded to, Seattle I think has arguably the most complete team in the league.

 

http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/news/2012/02/union-waive-midfielder-khalfan

Khalfan waived.

 

I was really looking forward to seeing him, guess the team didn't think he was worth an int spot.

 

smart move, he wasnt worth an international spot

 

neither is Hernandez

 

No less brilliant than giving away Nakazawa+ for an International spot that we're not going to use.

 

What? He is rated as the u-18 academy player of the year by the united states soccer development academy.

He has already scored a goal for the u in a friendly and is a young player with alot of potential, so since he isn't ready to start tomorrow and score 12 goals a year he isn't worth the roster spot?

 

Who's to say he doesn't get a green card and not need an international spot eventually.

 

No one said that.
They said he wasn't worth an INTERNATIONAL spot. And he's not.
If they're signing him as homegrown, but using an international spot, that clearly means he's either very close to getting citizenship... or we have an extra spot to throw away.

 

But does it matter? We still have an extra spot anyway, and if the team sees enough in him to use a international slot on a player that isn't ready yet to play that says alot about his potential or at least what the team perceives to be.

 

Maybe, maybe not. The thing is that he has a whole lot more potential than Khalfan so he has the potential to be worth the slot. With a young player you might take the risk to see if he grows into the player you hope he can be (sometimes sooner rather than later). If he blows up and becomes the next Andy Najar (who may have taken up an international slot when he first started. I can't remember if he had a green card) or shows the potential of someone like Diego Fagundez (who I know took up an international slot last year) then it is clearly worth it. You just don't know with an 18 year old, while you should know with a 23 year old player like Khalfan.

 

up until today, i would have said not worth it for exactly that reason. He wouldn't have been worth a roster spot that only lasts one year if he wasn't going to be ready to go right now. However, if we can pick up a decent name to take the spot for one season, and lock him down in a permanent spot, then im all for it.

 

I could see them using the one year int spot for a backup goalkeeper or, dare I suggest, some defensive depth - particularly at center break. Someone like that would only be needed for one year anyway.

But then again, why any of us even try to predict what the Union are going to do with their roster is beyond me.

 

I'm gonna get this out there right now. I'd be pissed if they went out and wasted an INT spot on a backup freaking goal keeper.

Trading Naka for the spot made sense when the roster was full because I would imagine that Hernandez shouldn't be that far away from getting his green card. However, I will scratch my head if the Union don't fill up that (now) extra international slot before the end of the season, we will have essentially traded away Nakazawa and a 2nd round pick for pretty much nothing.

 

Seems like it might make sense to keep an international slot open for a possible midseason reinforcement. Being able to bring in an international player midway through the season (once you know what your team's biggest weaknesses are, or when injuries may have created new weaknesses) can be pretty useful.

 

how dare you suggest such a thing... that's preposterous

 

Doesn't get any deeper than Garfan and Albright.

 

I'm actually not worried, I think Okugo or Gomez would be fine at CB, and Gaddis and Garfan aren't too shabby as backups at FB. Albright can reprise Juan Diego Gonzalez Alzate's role from the past 2 years as the team mascot.

He was the one that dressed up as the Bimbo Bear, right?

 

The News-journal also reported we signed Sheanon Williams. Did we give him a contract extension?