So what's up with Eliseo now that Ernie and Alecko have been added and with Santino coming back? Will he be with the United or did he sign a one-year deal?
The roster is getting very crowded, look for several loans this year to A League and D3 teams to get games in for bench players. The P 40 players will have a hard time seeing the field with the exception of Esky.
He's looking like the odd man out at this point. I thought he did some nice things last year, but I don't think he is a starter given the revamped roster. He'll get some time as a 2nd half sub or an injury replacement, plus the obligatory start on Hispanic Heritage Night vs. the Galaxy.................
He'll see some PT this year either when there is an injury or when some players are gone for National team or Youth National team duty. The other P-40 players will get some chances to start as well, although not regularly I think.
i don't assume that Eskandarian will just step in ahead of Q2 in the depth chart. he'll be in the mix, esp. with the longer season.
I think Quintanilla is one of those players who will have to fight for a roster spot, could see significant playing time, little PT, no PT or get cut. He's versatile and will work hard. But I think what happens to him depends in great deal as to : (a) what happens with our outside mids (if Convey moves inside--don't think he will, if Kovalenko stays inside--I think he will, if Olsen says healthy--I think he will, how Alegria does--I think Quintanilla is ahead of him) and (b) other invitees (Harkes, the 4 non-roster invitees, Dalglish?) and (c) injuries (like McKinley--does he retire or not?). Right now, Quintanilla has a roster spot. As I recall, I think (if you count Stoichkov, Ivanov and Harkes) we have exactly 18 players. But if we add another, Quintanilla could be in jeopardy.
I really don't believe DC united will ever trade/cut this kid. They know the consequences and aren't willing or wanting to go through that again. DC united will do everything in it's power to keep him on board
I love Quintanilla. He works hard, he can play in a couple of positions. He seems to have brought respectable Salvadorans back to the games. I thought he did some nice things last year. I would think that Curtis would be in greater jeopardy than Q2. Q2 can fill in up front, but also on wing, providing decent quality depth. I've gotta believe that fits in better with Ray's approach.
That's interesting... I actually wish Hudson would try Curtis out as a wing. Don't know if he'd get many minutes there for DC, but I think he could be sort of a poor man's Trevor Sinclair. Probably a better chance of that than him turning into a starting lineup-quality striker...
I don't think that he's made the impact that RDA made here in the earlier years. Diaz-Arce came over as a National hero and became a great player for DCU. I think by now the whole "will they/won't they support DCU?" is pretty much a thing of the past. I hope these last few years were a wake up call for DCU and they concentrate on putting a winner on the field and forget about placating a small demographic. That said, I like Q2 and I hope he lives up to his potential for us.
I don't know what everyone see's in this guy - I assume its the homer thing, kinda like what goes on with Alegria. Eliseo is Agoos/Etcheverry slow, makes terrible decisions with the ball, and takes forever to do so. Unless I am really missing something, I see him as a very limited player that is a late game sub at best.
I thought Qunitanilla showed promise last season, and am among those that think some people are relegating him to the bench far too early. Part of his problem last year was that with all the injuries, he was being asked to be the main man up top, something not (at least yet) in his portfolio. Meanwhile, how anyone can give up on someone who doesn't turn 20 until next month is beyond me. Esky, you better produce on day 1.
I agree. We are treating this guy like he's been around for years and has consistently not done well. He is very young and will get better. I don't know if he'll every be a strong MLS player, but give him a chance. With the El Salvador factor I'm pretty sure he isn't going anywhere.
With regard to his youth and potential: Eliseo's lack of speed, size, and quickness seem like they'll prevent him from ever becoming very good. I mean, it's not like he passes like Etch and Valderama used to. Also, while Eliseo came to United claiming to be 19, he really looks more like 25. I'm not saying he is 25, just that he looks fully developed physically, which is to say it appears he will always be short, slow, and stout.
I think this whole El Salvador factor is crap. And I'm almost positive it's a thing of the past. DCU has to focus on putting a winning team on the field and everything will take care of itself. With Jaime gone and Marco probably a year away from retiring, will DCU cater to me because my country is no longer represented? I seriously doubt it. And I wouldn't expect them to. Let Q2 show his worth on the field, and if he doesn't live up to standards, can his ass.
I really didn't like him much as a player, but then he played pretty damn well in the Center Midfield position against Aguila in November. I could see him as a possible sub for Etcheverry, Dema, or possibly others depending on the situation.
That's a silly way to look at it and I hope its not the way DCU looks at it. I assume you are from Bolivia based on this post. I also know there isn't a huge Bolivian population here, at least not compared to the Salvadoran population. I don't mind if the team takes that into account when they make their team. I wouldn't expecte them to bring back Diaz Arce just because he is Salvadoran, but giving a kid an extra look because he might draw additional fans or get the team additional looks in the media here and abroad is not a bad business decision. It is a very prudent one in fact. Just like the way they brought in lots of local and/or ACC guys in this draft. If the guys suck they'll get rid of them, but they might actually be a better draw than someone with the same talent that is from Oklahoma for example. DCU has to focus on a winning team AND drawing fans. They certainly don't have to do this as much as they did it in the early days, but to ignore it as a factor would be a mistake. I certainly follow Everton, Blackburn, Tottenham, and Sunderland (even when Reyna is hurt) a lot more than I follow any other EPL team. That doesn't make me a bad fan...
I don't understand what you find silly. To take up a roster spot simply to placate a certain demographic which may or may not be a detriment to the team is silly. All players should make the team on their merit. Or you could as easily make the case for DCU going after a Korean player or an African-American...etc. DCU can find much better ways to market themselves and fill seats than try to appease a fan base that has turned their backs on the team. BTW, the DC area has the largest Bolivian population in the US. Though certainly not as large as the Salvadoran community, it is formidable nontheless.
Not sure MLS has the luxury of ignoring demographics, and I don't see anything wrong with acknowledging it. That's why Stoich and Nowak went to Chicago, Hernandez to L.A., etc. In between Diaz-Arce's stints, I was all for having Rongen/Payne go down to the Mt. Pleasant lots and sign up a Salvadoran amateur and hand over A.J.-the-defender's roster slot. You can't tell me Liverpool would be less likely to trade Michael Owen because he's local--and Everton ditto with Rooney. Giving us a Salvadoran or Chicago a Polish player helps boost the level of passion that MLS needs more of, unless you count Herndon Youth F.C. 49's march around the RFK field as passionate sport. The placating-the-Salvadorans issue is a bit dear to me now, as I just finished a book by Wm Stanley called the "The Protection Racket State" that makes a great case for El Salvador's odd sense of national identity based partly on being ignored by the Spanish who set up shop in Colombia, Guatamala, etc. And hey, I'm Irish and I hooted when Ronnie O'Brien tripped over a divot here last September. AND, we should all be forever indebted to Eliseo for scoring "the goal" in San Jose that got us out of our scoring freeze and headed for a playoff run. That alone should guarantee him a roster spot for a year. Plus, he seemed to work pretty well with Bobby--Q2 fed him a most perfect (and selfless) ball for his home Dallas goal. It's not like the kid can't play. Come on, 60 minutes against The Fire, a start against the Galaxy, and we'll play the rest by ear.
I'm not anti-Eliseo or anti-Salvadoran. I'm just pro-DC United putting the best team on the field. Period If Q2 is the best man for the job,I'm all for it.
Its silly to think of it as placating or appeasing any demographic. Its called marketing. I know the Bolivian population here is large. I definitely love the restaurants we see all around the area. The only way it could be a bad idea is if its clear he can't compete on the field. If he can't they should get rid of him, but he's young and that's far from the situation. I'm more pro "the league surviving" and pro "the league doing well" and pro "lots of fans coming to games" than I am worrying if the 18th roster spot is held by this guy or someone else who hasn't yet proven themselves. There are lots of some african Americans on the team. Pope left and now Stokes is here. I don't think there are currently any others, but there have been in the past. Even that is getting a little off-topic because African American soccer fans aren't likely pro african-american players as Salvadorans are about their countrymen. As far as Korean American's it's a MUCH smarter marketing move to put the Korean National team player in LA than anywhere else. You gotta understand that this can and should be *A* factor in making roster moves. Again, i'll go back to the local talent issue. Its not a coincedence that so many ACC and local players were taken by DCU in this draft
I thought MLS had signed a one-year loan with an option to buy. I don't know if MLS has decided to purchase his contract or not. If they haven't already made the decision, they might want to pass. They've got enough forwards now. Ali Curtis isn't a bad back-up.
I'm wondering where Eliseo fits into the roster. The absolute only place I see him is in a five man midfield as the attacking center midfield with two supporting midfielder behind him. I think this suits him best as I think he likes getting open for the ball and he's a good set up man. I definitely do not see him as a forward in any way.
Well Q2 looks to be deep into the bench regardless of where he might play on the field. Possibly he might even get cut. But I am more optimistic than that. I see a 19 year old with less than half a season of MLS experience and i know that most rookies take their first year to get up to speed thought-wise in MLS. Thus I have hopes that he will be effective when he plays for us this year even though he is little and slow.