Official: Jaqua's back, first match could be 7/22 against DCU

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

We could have Coraccio for more time, and he might develop. Or, we could cut him to make room for another player like Jaqua, right?

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

We don't have to cut Caraccio and besides, even if we did, his contract is guaranteed now (I think). Anyway, point is that we have about $150,000 to play with and I imagine that Jaqua will command about what he did before he left for Austria which is about $120,000.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

But that was for a full season, shouldn´t his contract be proportional?

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

And if so, would it still count as 120,000 against the cap?? meaning we could give 150,000 to a good international for half a season.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

Probably...at least one would think. Point is, even if it's not, we wouldn't have to cut Caraccio to make room for him. If it is proportional, then we'd still have a little extra money under the cap but I believe we'd be at our 18 senior player limit so it's a moot point.

It's a little odd that there were quite a few people who bagged on the guy last year and now he will have the weight of being the forward savior that we've all been looking for. I still don't like the fact that we don't have a MLS ready speedy forward but Jaqua would give us more options up top and he did play in midfield last year too with some success so he's another option there if/when Stuie is gone. I'm not sure I like the fact that a deal is already essentially agreed to with Seattle to send him there for the start of next season as it will probably be for less than what he is worth but if that was the only way he'd come back to MLS, I guess it's worth it.

Let's hope he's fit. He hasn't played a game for a while and if this does come through, we'll need him ASAP for the fixtures that are coming up.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

Man, I really hope this isn't the only forward we're persuing, like putting all our eggs in one basket.
I suprised no other team in europe has offered him a contract after his good season in Austria.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

I'm all for this. Glad to see a familiar name. I have no problem with letting him go to Seattle. We would've had to let someone go due to the expansion draft. I certainly hope the "looking" is still going on for other components.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

For me that's been the key hindrance up front this season - a complete lack of viable alternatives.

I can't say I'm a big fan of Ching or Jaqua, or Ngwenya for that matter (gosh, I'm hard to please ), but so many games were won last season simply because we had different options available on the bench to change things up in the final quarter. Kinnear tended to use his substitutes well.

This season it's been a different story and he's taking a lot of criticism for not going to the bench. I was sitting at the Dallas game last week wondering what he was going to do to make us more of a threat again after Dallas had equalised. All I could come up with was - we're already as strong as we can be.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

Really? I haven't read that many posts or any pointing to Jaqua as our savior at forward. He and Ching together are a wash. Two target forwards. He seemed to pair better with Joe. If Jaqua is our savior then our FO are really grasping for any type of life preserver.

Right now we are what, tied for the last playoff spot (if the playoffs were today)? The western conference is the suxor right now and we need to make up some serious ground by getting full points.

Well I guess having Jaqua is better than a kick in the nuts... barely.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

I read somewhere that he had a few European options, including a concrete offer for an extension from his team, but wanted to come back to the states for "personal reasons." After the grumbling that he liked the Dynamo but not Houston, and leaving Europe for personal reasons, it sounds to me like he's just a guy who wants to be close to home. I certainly don't fault him for that, not everybody is built to strike out into the world.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

tell that to Forest Gump.

If Nate signs, atleast Glenn Davis will be pleased lol j/k glenn

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

I'm not all that stoked about getting Jaqua back, to be honest. While he might be a good fill in for Ching when he is out, he is certainly not the answer and will no doubt be utilizing valuable $$ that could be used elsewhere. Granted we need something - anything - up front to change it up a little...I just would have preferred some news about someone with a little more manoeverability about them who can run more than 10 yards without tripping over their own feet. If I remember correctly, Jaqua's top talents included bumping into people, falling over and "being tall"?

Looking around every day at what is going on with other teams, i just can't help feeling that we are beginning to get left behind - even in the rumors department - you rarely hear of anyone decent even rumored to be looking at H-town...outside of LA Freakshow, it seems to be the East making the major moves, and they are certainly ahead in the overall standings. And we target a guy in Jaqua, who doesnt even want to be in Houston. *shakes head*

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

That's an excellent point. Nate is a Seattle guy by birth and I read some where that he wants to return there. He would be the one player that we could allot to lose in the expansion draft. If he doesn't price himself out of the market and if he contractually would be our "designated expansion hit", it might be worth the money. If we actually get anything out of him on the field, that's a bonus.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

I'm not convinced that Jaqua is the right piece, as many have mentioned he's not the speedy guy we need to pair with Ching. But I'm going to be optomistic and hope that two target forwards works out OK. It's better than converting midfielders who get caught offsides six times a game. He's great in the air and he can finish. If Davis and Mullan stay healthy and play on the wings, he'll get some good service. Maybe he'll pair better with Caraccio than Ching does. Who knows. He's a talented soccer player and his addition can only help.

Let him go to Seattle after our threepeat. That's what he wants. Worry about next season, next season. We'll let a few guys go and pick a few guys up in any case.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

Because there haven't been any. My point was that there's been this anticipation for months about adding a forward to our team to make our attack more dynamic and the forward that ended up filling that role is Jaqua. He has the weight of being that forward we've all been waiting to add...even if some people are disappointed that he's the one we ended up adding.

FWIW, I don't think it's a bad pickup. Say what you want but 6 goals in 15 MLS games (and a few more in SL if I remember correctly) ain't too shabby. As much as we need goals right now, if he gets 6 the rest of the season, I'll be happy...no matter how fluky or easy people claim they are. I mean, if he played for us the first 15 games this year and performed at the same rate he did last year, he'd be our leading scorer right now.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

Regarding the Sounders expansion draft, hasn't there been talk that Waibel would go to Seattle since he's from that area and, if i'm not mistaken, started his career with the old Sounders?

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

.....there has? That'd be news. I think Sir Waibel and Fear have settled nicely here and I would love it when he retires for him to stick around a la Paul Dalglish and coach a bit, maybe do some announcing (IIRC, he did the US v Mex game earlier this year, right?). 3 years at Rice has certainly been good for everyone, as has his trips to the Med Center

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

I'd really love for Waibel to stay in Houston, so i'm glad to hear that it's not a widespread thought. I don't know much, but i'm with those who see benefit in having Jaqua as a Dynamo for the rest of this season and then letting him head up to the Pacific Northwest.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

You're right, and he was in the right spot to pick up those lucky goals. There's never anyone around this year to pick up rebounds or missed shots.

Maybe somebody has talked about this, but what, if anything, do we get from Seattle when he goes up there next year?

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

Not taking anyone we really would rather not lose to expansion.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

We'll get something but at this point, I haven't heard anything as to what we'd get.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

That could be it too. Although, I might rather trade him and then leave a player exposed in the draft.

 

Re: Jaqua offered Dynamo contract

Have to agree, and most goals he scored were clutch goals and helped (along side of Ngwenya ) us into the playoffs.
Even if the salary allocation of 150,000 is used on him. He is a known quality and knows how we play. In my books, He would be a better short term choice until we get that elusive DP.