According to MLS Confidential, "One factor holding up the multi-player deal that will send Jaime Moreno to the MetroStars is the reluctance of D.C. United defender Eddie Pope to be traded. A source says without Pope the deal could collapse, although D.C. must do something to get under the salary cap." As bad as this is for the people working so hard to make the trade happen, this is good news. It's good to hear that Eddie doesn't want to become a Metroscum.
I got it as an email from Soccer America. I don't know if Soccer America has it on their site. I can check though. The whole articles says this: 1. TRADE HANGUPS: One factor holding up the multi-player deal that will send Jaime Moreno to the MetroStars is the reluctance of D.C. United defender Eddie Pope to be traded. A source says without Pope the deal could collapse, although D.C. must do something to get under the salary cap. And the clock is ticking: Under league rules, teams must be cap-compliant by Jan. 3. Originally, a rather simple deal called for Moreno to be sent to the Metros for a draft pick and/or an allocation. It has since swelled to envelop former Metro midfielder Richie Williams, and Metro defenders Mike Petke and Steve Jolley. Another factor is discussions are being conducted by both teams regarding Central American players. The Metros are studying videos of Honduran midfielder Amado Guevara, 26, who is out of contract with Costa Rican club Saprissa. Guevara pulled the strings in midfield and took the penalties for the Honduran team that missed out on the World Cup by finishing fourth in the six-team group despite posting road wins such as the 3-2 defeat of the U.S. at RFK Stadium. According to a source, Guevara earns about $250,000 with Saprissa, which is lodging a strong bid to re-sign him. D.C. United is pondering the abilities of Honduran midfielder Emil Martinez, who is only 20 but drew favorable notices for his performances at the Central American & Caribbean Games in El Salvador. Martinez has one more year on a contract with Marathon in his native country.
Please disreguard my this thread, I've just read that reposting of MLS Confidential is not allowed. Oh well.
Here's a rant: MLS confidential is a poorly written piece of poop. They get a whiff of something, either a rumor that's nowhere near being acted on or, in our case, a trade that's been talked about in more credible media (like Goff), and then they focus on it without seeing the bigger picture of what they are talking about. In this case, they talk about DCU needing to get under the cap and,..."although D.C. must do something to get under the salary cap. And the clock is ticking: Under league rules, teams must be cap-compliant by Jan. 3." Well, yes, this is obvious not only for DCU but- and more pointedly- for most of the other teams in the league. To me this piece of poop is implying that DCU MUST GET THIS DEAL DONE in order to get cap compliant when really there are several options out there for DCU. As they say, DC and the metros have talked about several deals and that both teams are also looking abroad though, again there, they just focus on two possible foreign players when the reality is that Hudson,, at least, is looking at more than Emil Martinez. I wonder if they realize that Hudson is even in Italy, or will they report that next week in another breathless "Confidential" message. Idiots. They just don't get the larger picture. /rant.
if eddie really wants to stay he can solve this by taking less money. the only reason we still have etch is because he's been willing to take pay cuts. somebody needs to sit eddie down and tell him that defenders making the maximum salary aren't going to stay in one place very long.
If he hasn't already gotten this talk already, I'd be shocked. If this sinks the deal, I sure hope Ray and Co. have a plan B....
Turns out that this MLS Confidential tidbit was a piece of poop. Steven Goff of the Washington Post reports that the trade was delayed because of Etcheverry's contract signing, not Pope's reluctance to leave. Official announcement pending I suppose.
like not picking up the option for an aging, ineffective maximum-salary midfielder? And I'm sorry, but MAE's salary cuts don't matter unless he goes below $260K
Sometime in February, they will report that Hudson is in Argentina hoping to pick up a player cheap due to the economy and all.... Either that or they will report that DCU might waive Roy Lassiter.
Looks like Ursula's little rant was right on... "note to self - MLS Confidential is poop" glad that's cleared up
You were kidding, right? According to the new Post piece: "He, Pope and Etcheverry are 'maximum-salary' players, meaning approximately $270,000 of their half-million-dollar salaries counts toward the $1.7 million salary cap." Even if you're right, I think I'd take $500,000 and work in a different town every year than $150,000 to get to stay here in D.C. If Eddie is really making a half-million, no reasonable cut would help us. And he'd be crazy, absolutely nuts, to cut down to any amount that might actually help us, because that'd mean turning away two-thirds of his current salary.
First, Pope (in the recent Post article) sounded very interested and excited to play with Bradley again. Second, we're victims of being successful. Guys like Etcheverry, Pope and Moreno commanded really big salaries (I didn't realize Pope was half a million). So when they fall, you either waive them, trade them or salary cuts make no cap difference. I love all 3 of them and they'll have a special place in my heart and memories (geez--I'm getting all gushy here). But I've said it before...your maximum salary players need to: --play 80% of your games (b/c you build the team around them). All 3 of those guys flunk that test (except for Etcheverry last year and Moreno 2 years before that). --Be among the top 3-4 players in the league based upon performance (Pope has been been though he wasn't our best defender last year).
hey, i wasn't saying he was going to, i'm saying that if he wants to stay in the same place, he'll need to take less money. if he wants the money, he's going to get traded around like, uh, something that gets traded around quite a bit. until he goes to europe.
something all the critics of Pope's games played stats seem not to consider... Eddie is largely done with the Nats for the next 2 years. Until the run-up to WC qualifying national team games are big tryouts...Pope doesn't need to try out. So if that's a consideration it seems to me that national team duty is a precedent that is no longer valid...
He will play in one, or the other (my guess is the confederation's cup) and that will probably be it for the MLS season