Full Roster (18) 1. Rimando GK 2. Warren GK 3. Reyes D/M 4. Petke D 5. Prideaux D 6. Nelsen D/M 7. Bennie M 8. Convey M 9. Etch M 10. Dema M 11. Stewart M/F 12. Q1 F 13. Curtis F 14. Q2 F 15. Namoff D/M 16. Ivanov D (reported as signed) 17. Woodworth M 18. Swann D 19. Behonick GK ----------------- 20. Harkes? M 21. Stoitchkov? F Roster-Exempt (6) 1. Esky -P40 F 2. Stokes -P40 D 3. Carroll -P40 M 4. Alegria -DP M If Ivanov, Hristo, and Harkes come, 3 guys will need to be cut. Unless, of course, Behonick, Woodworth, or Swann sign DP contracts? But we only have 2 Dev slots, so at least one guy will be cut. Behonick is gone unless he signs on as Dev. As many as 25 guys who amount to (w/versatility): 3 GK's 8 Defenders w/Nelsen and Ivanov (2 rookies) 12 Midfielders w/Harkes (2 rookies) 6 Forwards w/Hristo 8 defenders for 3 spots smells a lot like a trade.
Yeppers the defender list sure looks like a trade. I think though that Namoff and the AU GK are Richmond-bound, Namoff probably for good (though maybe, just maybe he could be part of a deal), the GK till Rimando gets one of his Nats call-ups.
I smell cuts more than trades. Who says Swann will hang around and I think very few of us expect Namoff to be here this year. That leaves Reyes, Petke, Prideaux, Nelsen, Ivanov and Stokes with Nelsen away for part of the middle of the season and Ivanov possibly away if he works his way into Bulgaria's squad. Given that Nelsen and Ivanov may move into a DMid role, I don't think we can afford to move any of those guys. I could see Swann and other later picks being developmental players for cover.
GK's - Nick Rimando - Doug Warren - Michael Behonick Defenders - Ryan Nelsen - Mike Petke - Brandon Prideaux - Milton Reyes - John Swann - David Stokes - Ivanov Midfielders - Marco Etcheverry - Bobby Convey - Brian Carroll - Haydon Woodworth - Ben Olsen - Brian Namoff - Chino Alegria - Dema Kovalenko - Earnie Stewart Forwards - Alecko Eskandarian - Santino Quaranta - Eliseo Quintanilla - Ali Curtis This is my interpretation of their positions and this is our current roster. I believe its been reported that Ivanov has signed, right? Other possibilities include: - John Harkes - Hristo Stoichkov - Defense - I hope that Petke is the one on the way out if we trade defenders which is likely. I saw John Swann play in those games last year on ESPN and I recall him doing well. We'll see what happens with him. I'm still not convinced I want to see Nellie at Dmid. And finally, I'm praying that Brandon doesn't get traded. Perhaps we can workout a Petke trade with Cbus for Dante. - Midfield - I'm afraid Ray will do away with Namoff, when IMO, when injuries come which is pretty likely, I wouldn't mind seeing a defensive midfield duo of Namoff and Carroll. Namoff, if anything, is at the very least a good squad player. I still don't understand why Ray wants to get rid of him. Like most other DC posters, I think Chino will be here for this year but perhaps not the one after that. I know absolutely nothing about Woodworth. - Forward - I hope we keep Ali. He's definitely bang for the buck with his salary and its crazy if we give him up. He also brings another dimension to our game. I'm willing to give Eliseo another year. I'm still not totally satisfied with our current forwards. I want a pure finisher and we don't have one. This would be made easier if we hadn't resigned Etch.
Just to chime in on Woodworth, he showed well at the combine and appears to be in the Olsen mold of a tireless battler, Ray's type of player. Not a bad choice at all. I'm surprised Ray didn't go for Pause in leu of Woodworth. Pause seemed like the real deal at the U-23 camp and at the combine. What happed to Testo. He was great at the U-23 camp last month.
I'm a Messiah College alum and fan and have been watching Hayden Woodworth the past 4 years. That wasn't just the excitement and adrenaline of playing for the scouts at the combine. Woodworth is a tireless battler similar to Olsen. Despite being very skilled and talented, he still was always the hardest worker on the field, always showing a lot of grit and determination. He's the best two-way midfielder I've ever seen at the D-III level--a tenacious ball winner, great in possession/tough to dispossess, and has excellent vision and distribution in attack. Of course, he's now going to have to do at a much higher level of play and only time will tell if he will be able to make a go of it with an MLS team. If it doesn't work out, it certainly won't be due to lack of effort, commitmment, and maximizing his potential. He's a humble guy and a great teammate.
O.K, updating this one more time. I've seen Alecko and Warren play a couple of times and Stokes once, but not the other new guys, so this is even more of a WAG then usual. GK 1. Rimando 2. Warren 3. Behonick Central Defender/Sweeper/Libero 1. Nelsen 2. Petke 3. Prideaux 4. Stokes 2-4 Fullback/Man Marker (3-5-2) 1. Petke (R/L) 2. Reyes (R/L) 3. Prideaux (L) 4. Nelsen (R/L) 5. Namoff (R/L) 6. Stokes (R/L) 7. Swann (?) Outside back (4-4-2) 1. Reyes (R) 2. Namoff (R/L) 3. Stokes (R/L) 4. Prideaux (L) Defensive Midfielder/Ball winner/Destroyer 1. Nelsen 2. Reyes 3. Namoff 4. Carroll Wide Midfielder/Winger 1. Olsen (R/L) 2. Stewart (R/L) 3. Convey (L) 4. Reyes (R) 5. Quaranta (R/L) 6. Kovalenko (R) 7. Alegria (L/R) 8. Quintanilla (L) 9. Namoff (R/L) 10. Woodworth (?) "Two-way" Central Midfielders 1. Stewart 2. Kovalenko 3. Convey 4. Etcheverry 5. Alegria 6. Namoff "Playmaking" Midfielder 1. Etcheverry 2. Stewart 3. Kovalenko 4. Convey (possibly #3 rather than Dema) 5. Quintanilla Forwards 1. Stewart 2. Eskandarian -. Quaranta 4. Kovalenko 5. Quintanilla 6. Curtis 7. Olsen Target Forwards 1. Eskandarian 2. Quaranta? A couple of thoughts. Picking up Stokes and Swann seems like overkill if Ivanov is really a done deal (even if Swann doesn't stick around for long). Also, if I were Hudsper, I would seriously consider holding both the allocation card and the cap room. The chess game isn't over yet -- the axe has yet to fall for teams like the SoS, Earthquakes and Dallas, and some interesting talent could become available for cheap through waivers or cap-driven trades (just how many d-mids does Bradley need, anyways?). And while Hudsper appears to have filled the holes in the roster well given what was available, we could still use some proven vets at d-mid and forward. BTW, Goff's coverage in today's Post mentions that Hudsper plans to bring in an A-League goaltender to compete for a roster spot.
Obviously Hayden Woodworth will not be the main cog of a team's system anymore, so a wide midfield spot might be his future if he is able to make the team. But by way of background . . . at Messiah College, Hayden Woodworth played central midfielder for 4 years. Sometimes he played in a more advanced/attacking position, sometimes deeper almost like a d-mid depending on the other players on the field at the time or on the squad that year. But he was always playing in the center, not on the wings. I'm sure he'll adjust and work hard at whatever position he's asked to play.
I have a funny feeling that with the expansion of the developmental slots and the tenuous situation of some A-League teams, using those slots for late draft picks and letting them play for Richmond or Virginia Beach while keeping them on our roster will be more attractive.
The reason I think we'd see him on the wings is this. I think that in youth soccer in the U.S., the fullback and wing positions get neglected. The most skilled players are always put in the center. I'm not talking about olympic development, but just recreational and club in general. That is parhaps part of the reason you see a lack of fullbacks on the USMNT. However, when you come up to this level, skill is needed in every position. So by Woodworth having played in the middle. I think that he will likely have the skills to play outside at this level, especially considering the stiff competition to play central midfield on the roster. Just my reasoning. Also because he's a Ben Olsen type player and works very very hard all day.
And that makes sense. I wasn't trying to say where he should or will be used. Just thought I'd give some background since most people hadn't heard of him before the Combine.
As far as the head count, I may be wrong but think Alegria loses his roster-exempt status this year. See http://www.mlsnet.com/content/02/mls0205guidelines.html
1. Yes, there will be cuts, but not in the way you've figured. There is an 18 man roster (for veterans and college seniors). Then you've got 6 (SIX) slots for P-40 and developmental players. I would think that ALL of our draft picks are candidates for those 6 slots (b/c Behonick and Swann and Woodworth are likely shots for the developmental slots. Out of that bunch, only Woodworth has an outside chance of winning one of the "18" official roster spots. But Stokes, Eskandarian, Carroll, Warren--they're all P-40 players who don't count on the cap or 18 man roster even if they were to start!). 2. As Hudson has repeatedly said, Harkes is a "possible" and even then, the LAST piece. Which means....we'll probably invite an A-league GK to camp, we've got the 4 non-roster invitees from overseas (can't remember what countries the Goff article said they were from, Brazil was one). There will also be waivers for rosters and cap compliance. And then, if there is an appropriate spot (and cap room), Harkes will get an invite. He's being viewed as a strong will and leader who's nice to have on the team and a sub midfielder (outside and holding spot). 3. Basically, there is competition at a couple of levels. --at GK for reserve. From Goff's article, it sounds like we picked Warren assuming he'd have lots of commitments this year and we prefer to let him grow playing for the Olympic team. So Behonick is probably slotted for development. And there is an unknown A-league invitee for GK. I think if Behonick doesn't impress (and he was supposed to be terrible at the Combine), than we go A-league this year. --to start. Several starting spots are up for grabs. Quaranta has the inside edge on Eskandarian--but Eskandarian will get a chance to beat him out. Petke has the edge over Prideaux--but that will also be a battle. Nelsen and Kovalenko will be the defacto D/holding mids but Carroll and I bet one of our non-roster invitees will get time as well. If we get a waiver pickup or a cap dump trade (ie: a Mulrooney), that may also shape the starting position battle. --the final "18" man roster spots. Remember, doesn't matter if Stokes, Carroll or Eskandarian start, they don't officially count on the "18" roster. You've got a couple of returnees from last year (Alegria, Namoff, Quintanilla, Curtis) battling for the last 4-5 spots with any non-roster invitees, any non-p-40 draftees who don't want developmental slots (which pay crap), anyone we get on a cap dump or waiver pickup, plus Harkes. Figure that: Quaranta, Stoichkov, Stewart, Etcheverry, Kovalenko, Olsen, Nelsen, Convey, Prideaux, Ivanov, Reyes, Petke, Rimando are the 13 locks on the roster (ie: won't get cut, can't be developmental). So that leaves a max of 5 spots on the 18 that other vets or non P-40's are competing for. --than there is competition for the 6 developmental slots. Warren, Stokes, Carroll, Eskandarian hold 4 of them right away. Behonick, Swann, Woodworth are at least 3 bodies fighting for 2 spots.
Didn't MLS increase the amount of developmental slots? I think there's now various levels, for example Namoff would earn more as a second-year developmental player than Behonick if he signed a DP contract. I think teams can now have something like 4-6 developmental players. I would think guys like Swann, Woodworth, and Behonick will not make the team unless it's as a DP. That means Stoitchkov, Ivanov, and Harkes gives us the 18 man roster limit.
Quibbling with JoeW is a risky proposition, but I believe he erred on his identification of the P-40 selections. DCU's P-40 selections: Alecko, Stokes, Carroll DCU's College seniors selected: Warren, Woodworth, Behonick, Swann Unless the seniors signed a developmental contract, they will count against the 18 man limit. Question: Since these seniors have already signed with MLS, isn't their status (i.e., developmental player or not) already determined? Chino is a junior international and doesn't count against the cap or 18 man roster. GM
He can still be signed to a Devlopmental contract for this year as I understand it. He's 22 yrs. old and turns 23 in October, so he still qualifies age-wise. So, his status (senoir or developmental) depends on if he signs a Devlopmental contrat for this year or not.
I don't think he can count as a Junior International because his 23rd birthday falls during this calendar year, making him a Transitional International and included in the 18-senior player limit. His DOB is Oct. 5, 1980. So I think the only way to keep him from counting against the 18-senior player limit is to sign him to a Devlopmental Player contract. That would be good for the team, but for him that would mean playing for peanuts.
Right. I'm glad we have people on here who can base their judgements on what they've actually seen. My judgements for Woodworth are based on what I've heard from others on here.
I notice that you didn't know whether to put left, right or both sides down for Woodworth. Well, Hayden Woodworth is a left-footed player. I didn't pick-up on that myself as he always looked equally adept with both feet playing. Hayden played as a two-way central mid at Messiah and Messiah's style of play was possession-oriented (while still very much attack-minded) with greater emphasis on quick short passing than long chips ahead. And in that situation, it was hard to really pick up on him having a favored foot. But once I heard that, I could notice that his shots were more likely to be left-footed. I'm sure if one watched his play more as a scout than a fan, they would have picked-up on it more than I did.
This news, along with the info on his work rate, means he might've been an outstanding pick. I was pissed that DC weren't choosing cover for Convey and Olsen when we had the chance to take some quality players...if Woodworth is a solid player, it looks like Hudsper did.
I had been wondering about subs for the wings also, especially left wing, but the draft just didn't seem deep at all in wings. Hayden might be the answer; an answer aimed directly at Alegria's spot for playing time.
I also like the pick of Woodworth. At that spot in the draft, he was probably the most skilled player. But also, he's versatile I hear, so he can cover for Dema, Convey and Olsen. PLus his small school status and low name recognition prior to the combine might make him amenable to a developmental contract, with which I doubt too many people would have a problem. As for those developmental spots, Warren is full roster. Agreed that Esky, Stokes and Carroll will take 3 of the 6. The other 3 are available to be had between Woodworth, Swann, Behonick, Namoff and Alegira. Any might make the full roster, but none is safe. I like the overall talent pool that Ray has assembled. I just hope he can mold the defense into a solid unit by the start of the season. I am left with a bit of an empty feeling looking at our attacking players though. It may take some time for them to all get on the same page. -Tron
Thx for all of the great information -- as you guessed, I had no idea where to slot him. It sounds like Woodworth is pretty versatile and could have some real upside if he adjusts to the speed of play at this level. Even if he doesn't mature significantly, he could provide cheap cover on either side of the field, particularly if DC loses Namoff or Alegria. I like Hudsper's approach to the late picks -- a tough, smart defender from a program that the coaching staff knows well (IU), a local goalkeeper that they've seen before in training, and an "under the radar" midfielder from a small but successful program who showed very well against his peers at the combine. The guys taken late the draft are always a wild card and often don't stick, but at least Hudsper went with guys that they had actually seen or had been coached by people they trusted, rather then just picking based on reputation alone (as many teams are forced to do due to the limited scouting resources).