Post-match: Still Streaking - MLS MATCHDAY 22 CREW @ ARCA UNITED SAT JULY 30TH 700PM (CHARLOTTE FC)

Curious, can't seem to find any info that he is under contract beyond this year. Say this knowing MLS contracts are a black hole of knowledge.

 

The list of players with option years or expiring contracts came out a month ago from the MLSPA. His name wasn’t on the list. Which means his contract is guaranteed.

 

I was saying that maybe Porter should have put on a CB instead of Sands because Charlotte was throwing everything at the crew.

Putting on Sands would not have solved and did not solve the defensive problems. The issues with defending the wing have always been the result of poor transitional marking and pressure against wide players, allowing either runs in behind or space for crosses. For some reason, Etienne and Diaz will sometimes remain upfield while Cucho would track back, but he does not do much.Typically, the fullbacks will be forced into pressing the wide player or letting the cross come in. When they press, typically Nagbe does not cover the overlapping run or will not press the crossee, allowing either a good cross or a run in behind. If you compare the Montreal goals and the Charlotte goals, you will see similar defensive breakdowns throughout the game, which adds pressure and increases mental and physical exhaustion.

This has been infuriating to watch. End Rant

Also, here's the MLSPA list confirming that Nagbe is under contract because by definition he would be a Free Agent if his contract was up. Luis Diaz publicly commented that his contract is up, but he would not qualify as a FA. https://mlsplayers.org/news/2023-free-agent-list-release

 

I find the 2016 season (coming off the 2015 MLS Cup appearance) much more disappointing than this year's team.

That whole season, with the 'For Coumbus' kits, and the Kamara / Pipa spat, was a bummer.

 

2021 was the first year of his large deal. I can't seem to find any reference to how long of a deal it is. Most MLS deals are 3 years for vets of his level. I'd be very surprised if he is not under a guaranteed deal for 2023. I will concede that I don't know for sure.

I'd be very happy to move on from both Porter and Nagbe (and his giant salary) in the next few weeks.

 

I find it shady they never publicly announced he signed a new contract.

 

Found it, thanks. Love the mlssoccer.com article the says "Transparency is good. The full list of potential free agents (including those with a club option for 2023) can be found here."

What a bunch of BS. Transparency would be making contract information available outside the MLSPA data dumps.

 

Agree completely. We tacked a cool million onto his take home pay and there isn't a column inch to be found about it.

 

For all the laxity in NCAA sub rules, I think they still have that rule on the books.

 

We tied ARCA United

ARCA is 4th tier stock car racing

Columbus is squarely in the IndyCar heartland

4th tier IndyCar is called USF2000

Therefore, I dub the Crew...USF2000 SC

 

Which is the exact renegotiation I’m talking about , extend him and get thst cap number low enough to be bought down . I believe someone said 1.6 is the limit

 

The number changes every year - it's calculated to 12.5% of the salary budget (maximum budget charge) + $1 million

 

See, I think that slightly lessens the burden on 2023 but creates a bigger problem for 2024 and beyond. I am at the point I don't want him starting for us right now. I really don't want him being an every game starter in 2 more years. And at the $1M salary mark, that's what he needs to be, a 25+ game starter.

And that's just from the club side of things. You can't force a guy on a guaranteed contract to sign another deal. He might do it, especially for guaranteed money, but what incentive does he have to do it. He's not going to do a 2 year $1M deal when he's guaranteed $1.8 for 2023. If you start adding on years you're getting diminishing returns from a guy who's already on the decline.

 

"We didn't tie the game, we just ran out of time,’” Bronico said post-game.

Sure what it looked like to me.

 

2006 was painful. Sigi was cleaning house and gave us such gems as Joel Kitamarike, Ivan Becerra, and Jacob Thomas. Not a shock we got the spoon.

 

I remember playing rec soccer in the 2nd grade. We’d think the best kid on the field was the one who could kick the hardest. Jacob Thomas was essentially that kid as an adult. He had a wrecking ball for a leg but lacked pretty much anything regarding skill outside of that. (From what I remember).

 

i get that and it’s all a guess right now but let’s say his contract ends in 2023 and he has one more year. When the number is announced and if he is still past the threshold and we can’t buy him down out of a DP spot. I would try to add one year/ extend him at 1M or whatever number that brings his overall number down for 2023 ( shuffling numbers) so that he could be brought down under DP level.

If we are stuck with Nagbe as a DP:

we can’t make a splash signing at winger like we need . A player of LZ/ Cucho caliber .

we need to max out DPs , use all the u22 initiative spots, and get as many good players as we can buying down a few contracts.

obviously just spending money guarantees nothing. But there is a salary cap so it’s imperative that your 3 DPs are guys who score goals and carry the team. Because it doesn’t matter how much you pay them they don’t count against the cap. We have rich owners who won’t blink spending money. Bez has hit well on both DPs he went out and got. The rest of his acquisitions have been mostly bad.


It’s absolutely mind boggling that we made Nagbe a DP and the longer he remains one the longer we will be forced to sign budget attacking players. It’s good that Ettiene & Diaz have improved but we have so very lil attacking talent that a injury or two for any substantial time ( like Molino ) absolutely puts us in a bind.


The Molino deal is far worse than the Nagbe deal . Everyone in MLS offers him a 1 year deal but we decided to give him ( it appears next year is guaranteed ) a 3 year deal !

we took our previous best winger and made him a LB and ran him into the ground because we lack depth at just about every position.


Everytime I think about our roster it makes me feel sorry for Porter but he is part of the problem so again I say fire them both

 

Nagbe is not the problem.

 

He was a huge part of not tracking that tying goal but Porter won’t throw him under the bus like he did Yaw Yeboah

 

He’s not part of the solution either.

 

He's been on the field an awful lot during a pretty bad season. No one is saying it's all his fault. To say that the way he plays the game isn't at least part of the problem seems disingenuous.

He's a DP central midfielder who shows up defensively when he feels like it, doesn't make forward passes, doesn't score, doesn't assist. He's absolutely part of the problem.

 

Molino being under contract next year is a bigger problem than Nagbe’s contract. Maybe next off season ownership will see fit to buy him out? Maybe???

 

The problem with either buying out Nagbe or Molino is that Bez has to directly ask Jimmy for $1-$2 million. Basically admitting he made a mistake of equal size. This after erroring on Matan.

That's a very hard thing to do.

 

One thing I always seen as a bit of a red flag regarding Nagbe was his decision to not be a part of the National team at such a relatively young age. For a guy to be in his 20’s to retire from the NT showed a lack of that fire and motivation to be the best. Now that he’s in his 30’s, you absolutely have to have that fire, constantly pushing yourself to stay sharp. I remember a quote from Robin Frasure while he was here something to the effect of “running though walls” to stay in shape. Any top athlete in any sport that continues to be the top of their profession at an advanced age pushes themselves. I don’t see that in Nagbe.