Our current roster

Warren is too good to be a developmental player. I expect him to be given a full roster spot. If his option were to play for a 24k contract, he would have gone to Europe. I'm fairly certain that he could have secured a contract in Europe for substantially more than that. So I would be shocked if he were a developmental player.

This would bring your full roster to complete. I now see Woodstock, Swann and Behonick competing for those two final Developmental spots. If Swann's injury prevents him from securing a spot, I would expect Woodstock and Behonick to make it.

The trialists are wildcards, but I think if they stood a good chance of making the full roster we would have heard more about them. I do not see a foreigner coming to MLS to play for developmental wages. I also do not see United bringing a TI unless they are good enough to make the full roster.

So, I think Woodstock stands a decent chance of sticking.

-Tron

 

I think you got the age limits for TI's and Dev. Players mixed up. Transitional Internationals have an age limit of 24 during the given season or U-25. Developmental Players have an age limit of 23 during the given season or U-24.

 

Erik Ozimek in Camp!

I heard from a good friend who was at the D.C. United scrimmage yesterday that Erik Ozimek, former Maryland & Davidson College standout was in uniform and a starter in yesterday's scrimmage. New to the area and to the board. Any Infornmation anybody might have about Erik, would be helpful. You guy's are getting this newbie hooked and I am about to change my long allegiance from Columbus to D.C. Thanks in advance. Go D.C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Re: Erik Ozimek in Camp!

It's good to hear that you're learning something from these boards!

Welcome to DC United and BigSoccer

 

i can see harkes coming in for backup. the question is which spot will he take? warren will be on a regular roster spot as the #2 goalkeeper. i think i read somewhere the team cannot call up someone from the reserve squad unless they are going into a game with less than sixteen regulars. if that is the case, then he must take a regular spot. so, if harkes comes in, someone must be waived or traded. my guess is alegria. alegria is extra with the likes of kovolenko, quintinilla, and carroll on the squad. he will be a senior international next year and would a team waste a spot on a senior international as a bench player that does not see many minutes.
i find it interesting that alegria is working on his visa permit. i would think that if he were in serious contention for a spot, then the team would have been all over this six months ago. i admit i know nothing of the system or how long it normally takes. however, if i were hudson, then i would insist that every player be in camp throughout the entire pre-season.
the other possibilities would be namoff and curtis. they still might be in trouble because of all the invitees at the moment. the only problem is that i get the feeling that these invitees think that they will get alot of money, but the team can only afford to pay them minimum. as i remember, that was the problem with bringing in some of the invitees from last season - the brazilians.

regular (18)
rimando, warren, ivanov, reyes, petke, namoff, prideaux, nelsen, olsen, convey, etcheverry, kovolenko, harkes, stoichkov, quintinilla, quaranta, stewert, curtis

reserve (6)
carroll, stokes, barclay, eskandarian, bohenike, (swann or woodworth)

 

Is this true? Can someone confirm this? Where does the term "reserve squad" come from? You seem to be saying that being a developmental player also makes you a reserve player. Which would mean that Eskandarian actually doesn't have a straight-up shot at being a starter or even getting playing time, and that just doesn't seem to make sense along side the reports about pre-season.

Moreover, I can't find anything in the MLS rules & regulations that suggests limitations on the eligibility of developmental/roster-protected players to be selected to dress for a match. From http://www.mlsnet.com/about/regulations/ . . .

Of course that's a year old as the number of roster protected spots is now 6, but according to that the active roster includes the developmental/roster-protected players. And it seems to suggest that any player on the active roster can be selected to dress for a game.

 

There were limits on the number of games P-40's could play a couple of years ago. Likewise, there were limits on the number of games that a player who signed a Reserve Squad contract, P-40 or otherwise, last year. I'm sure there's still some sort of stipulation that if a P-40 player plays in a certain amount of games in a year he will be graduated. I don't know if there are any stipulations on non P-40 Reserve Squad players - those players are just trying to break into the squad and using the Reserve Squad as an opportunity. I don't believe the team is limited on who it can call up for any individual game - 16 for the road, 18 for home games. There is no doubt that any of the players on the team on opening day will be available to play - Eskandarian can start.

 

Thanks, Diceson.

I guess that means that if a P-40/Developmental player just excels right out of the gate and keeps deserving to be a starter, that once he approaches a certain amount of games played, the club gets stuck having to make a decision about whether to (a)stop playing him so much or (b) cut somebody else from the senior roster and sign him to a senior roster contract (& bigger salary).

Which I guess makes sense. Why should a player be roster-exempt if he's playing all the time? And why shouldn't a player get more than the league minimum if he's a major contributor?

 

If you look at some of the P-40 players from last year, Kyle Martino,Columbus or Kelly Gray, Chicago, you will see that they have graduated from the P-40 status. This was tied to the playing time that they had last season. I believe that if a player has proven that they can be a starter and no longer need the P-40 protection they will graduate from the program, in the next or off season. A player that has been in the league for a few years but has not earned enought time is Nick Downing, NE. He, I believe is still under the P-40 banner. Not sure of the exact number of games or amount of playing time required but the graduation is based on performance or length of the original P-40 contract

 

so if you take curtis and alegria off our roster per the washingtonpost.com article linked in another thread, what does that do it.

what about the namoff/french guy issue?

 

I think that Harkes is a workable upgrade for Visa-Boy Chino. At least we know that Harkes is free to leave and enter the country.

That leaves one regular roster spot open. The French guy, or any other new guy, can take up that spot.

And with those moves, there is no need to cut Namoff or Curtis.

I know that Namoff and Curtis are the #17 and #18 guys on the roster, but I can't help pulling for these guys.

 

Sandon Mibut pointed out on another thread that Swann is not eligible for developmental status based on his age.

Sandon would seem to be right. That changes the complection of the competition for developmental and senior roster spots.

 

Sandon may be right about the developmental spots, but then again, the rules are a bit fluid, so who knows how it will all shake out. My bet is that all 4 P-40 players make it (obviously) and the final two spots will be between Behonick, Woodworth, and Swann. I'm guessing that a 3rd keeper may be necessary if the A-League call-up agreement isn't revived. So it's basically Woodstock or Swann if we go with a 3rd keeper.

Warren will make the full roster IMHO. Namoff, Curtis, and Alegria are all fighting for full roster spots as well. I'm guessing that the french guy will not make it, as Hudson's comments sound like he's already made up his mind barring a dramatic change in performance.

-Tron

 

Probably the law of "tough noogies" applies. Seriously, I have no idea and it probably depends on what team it happens to.

But word has it that Warren would have to go on the senior roster, so add him in there and scratch Alegria, Swann, Curtis or Namoff. Scratch another if they add Harkes or one of the foreigners.

 

Actually, come to think of it, MLS would be too embarassed to not bend the rules if Rimando and Warren were hurt. We might need to use an emergency goal keeper for part of one game, but I'm sure that something would be allowed to let us pick up a 3rd goalkeeper. MLS might force a trade or something to do it though.

-Tron

 

I remember reading somewhere that MLS has told clubs to keep three keepers on the roster this year.

Sachin

 

Gomez is a US Citizen. His father is Honduran, but Jose was born here in the US. He is 23, but was born in 1979, so I don't know how that affects this age thing you're talking about.