Alain Rochat's been traded to DC United for a couple of Superdraft picks: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/...+Rochat+United+draft+picks/8488685/story.html For a team that says it's serious about making the playoffs, this is an idiotic move. Rochat's form hasn't been as strong as past years, but he's still a reliable defender most days. And there is absolutely no one coming back the other way the WC can use this year. Unless they have someone lined up through the transfer window, the back line just got a whole lot thinner for the rest of the year. And this just at a time when there was starting (finally) to be some consistency. Like I say, idiotic. The only way this even begins to make sense is if they know now that Rochat would not resign next year--kind of like the Red Bulls knew the score with Dane Richards when they traded him here. Or maybe Rochat called Rennie on some of the foolish moves he's made of late--although I can't see Rochat being being an attitude problem. Stupid. Plain stupid, imo.
jordan harvey at left back used to be a HUGE drop-off from rochat... but not anymore- and the Caps now have $190 000 to play with whomever the Caps have coming in will be an upgrade- i hope its a goal poacher as we create a lot more chances this year, but lack the killing touch-- some1 like di vaio in montreal is needed rochat was a quality professional, but it was the right time to move on
The main issue for me is not at left back, where I agree Harvey looked a bit better this year, and Rochat was inconsistent. It's mainly Rochat's versatility that I'll miss. The WC are an injury and an international call-up away from disaster at CB, which is a distinct possibility, given Andy O'Brien having played nearly every second of every game this year, and Leveron's chances of being called up for the Gold Cup in July. That would leave only Rusin in the middle, and they'd be forced to bring in an academy player to fill in. Could cost the season, as I think the Caps will be touch-and-go to make the playoffs anyway. Rochat could have filled in. Never mind a goal poacher--they've got two of those already in Hertzog and Heineman; Rennie just needs to play them (just like he needed to finally give Teibert some minutes). They better bring in a serious CB with the cap space this frees up. Problem is, though, Rochat was a Canadian. Do they have the roster spots to bring in another foreigner? I can't think of a comparable Canadian. I still say foolish move and bad timing. I hope they prove me wrong, but I'm not so sure.
Any body still think moving Rochat was a good idea? 'Cause a mid-thirties player who's played every minute is never prone to pulling a hammy, right? Of course not. And Davidson stays in Vancouver. Of course. Why move such a solid defensive player--who ALWAYS tracks the runner, never gives the ball away--when you can move a talentless slacker like Rochat, right? Absolutely. And Kalzura is CLEARLY ready for the big time. Rusin's not fighting concussion, is he? Mitchell's not really in Edmonton, is he? You bet, I agree, Martin, we're deep at the back. Abso-f#$%*-lutely. And as always, the subs come roughly 10 mins too late to make a difference in the game. Why would you pull Davidson out when he might give away the ball--or a penalty, this time--just once more, to make things interesting. Why give Kobayashi the chance to prove that he's a far better player than the coach thinks, but just needs to be deployed correctly (or sooner)? This was a winnable game (and we would have won it if Rochat had been around to take over for O'Brien, and Harvey placed out wide left). So were the next two games. Winnable. Now, flip a coin. So here's a bold prediction: The Rochat move and the Seattle game were the turning points of the season. It'll be a downhill slide after this. No playoffs this year. My suggestion: Get rid of whoever called the shot on this. If it was Rennie, bye bye. Lenarduzzi? See ya. Get someone with some sense. One or both of them had to have signed off on it anyhow, so I say send em both packing. Hate to say I told you so, but I did. And yeah, I'm bitter. But not nearly as much as those poor suckers must be who braved the death-trap bridges on the I-5 to take in this little debacle. Not nearly as bitter as the likes of Camilo and others, who busted a gut for this team--along with Rochat. The message to them is loud and clear: work your tails off boys. If you're lucky, you too may receive a much-coveted kick in the groin for your troubles. Wow. Even TFC must be wincing.
i hear your frustration, but i dont think that the playoffs are out of sight for the Caps-- but some of rennie's decisions this year have cost us critical points-- i still dont disagree with trading rochat, but i totally disagree with the naive decision to do it 2 days before a HUGE game in seattle-- why not keep rochat until its over and the caps have time to prepare the defence for the next game?? its not like we got a quick player turn-around because we got draft picks- my guess is that there was some kind of confrontation between rochat and rennie this past week and the coach had the final word- thats the only thing that makes sense to me so the decision to move rochat baffled me from the timing point of view and once again, rennie shows his naivity and stubbornness-- why they had to rush the trade before a big game bewildered me at the time, but i do agree that we needed to upgrade so i look forward to whomever does come in-- i assume it will be a quality player somewhere around the 70 minute mark, it was clear that the caps needed an infusion of 2 players to take the heat off of the defence- daigo and manneh were clear options to try and press the seattle defence when OB went down with a hamstring pull (and how long will he be out? - my guess is 2-3 weeks), if i were rennie, i would have moved teibert to the left back position as he is quicker and calmer than klazura against the speedy seattle forwards, and brought in either manneh, hertzog or daigo to try and put some pressure on seattle's defence- klazura was over his head on the night and looked completely overtaken by the huge crowd-- his foolish from behind tackle that led to the penalty goal was as silly as it gets- very amateurist and i do not see him as a possible short or long-term solution to the caps defence-- nice guy, lots of determination, but is he really an MLS quality player?? probably has to do with the salary cap and his low salary i still believe that the caps are on the cusp of becoming a good team, but rennie has to be much wiser with his decisions, needs to think about alternatives to davidson as a DMF and give manneh more time on the field- now what will he do with OB gone unless rusin is ready to start next week??
I watched the game on TV, and it sounded every bit like a game in Europe. Kudos to you guys down there for getting 50,000 + out for the game. Crowds like that on nationally televised games can only be good for soccer in North America.
the caps management and owners could learn some things about how to promote a derby game-- seattle thinks BIG, the caps think small
Totally agree on the Rochat situation. The timing was absolutely ludicrous by the Caps management, and there really is no excuse for that. It's not as if we got some huge return that would only come around once, they got a 2nd round pick two years from now. I will say though that I don't necessarily disagree with them moving Rochat. While he has been one of my favourite players since the MLS era of the Caps it was clear to me that he was part of the problem this year so far. It was becoming hard to watch the ball come to him in the attacking half and he would without fail try to play some overly ambitious through ball that was ALWAYS over hit and would run through to the keeper or in to touch. He gave it away more than anyone on this team and his defending had been mediocre. This is still no excuse for the timing of this though. Why not wait until you have a replacement lined up? surely it is in the plans to bring in some defensive depth. Klazura is not an MLS player, there's no way around that. As for the rest of the team, I have said this time and again but Davidson has to go. He is an offensive black hole for us and isn't even good at what he is supposed to specialize in which is protecting the back four and picking up midfield runs. It is so blatantly clear that the Caps get overrun in the midfield every night, you simply cannot use a 3-man midfield with Davidson as one of the three. Koffie and Reo have put in some valiant efforts but they just can't do it just the two of them. for me that has to be the priority in the transfer window is to get another box to box midfielder to play with Gersh and Reo. A few more things I noticed: Is Reo afraid to score? it seems whenever he is in a prime offensive position he dribbles his way out of it tries to find a way to put in a cross rather have a hit. Matt Watson is not MLS calibre. He dwells on the ball far too long and offers nothing more than some hard running and over aggressive defending. Same goes for Klazura, has absolutely no idea what to do in the defensive end of the pitch and just chases the ball around. Teibert, Camilo, Miller front line may be the way to go. I really like what i have seen from these three when they have been together up top. I would maybe try Daigo in the midfield during the next home game to play with Reo and Gersh, giving them more service would do wonders I think. Manneh has a bright future. This kids just reeks of quality, not only is he fast but has quick feet and a tight dribble so he isn't just kick and chase (Mattocks), he thinks the game very well and has some playmaking creativity but also isn't afraid to go himself and have a hit on goal. Really looking forward to watching him develop. A new keeper would be nice. Cannon is a good shot stopper but has no presence in the box and on set pieces. Knighton is a very commanding presence in the box and on set pieces but isnt much of a shot stopper. Not the biggest need by any means as I would be comfortable rolling with Knighton for the year, but something to think about. Lastly, Leveron is the real deal. This guy has some serious potential to be special and he knows it. This looks to be an absolute steal of a signing for WFC for the short and long term if they can convince this guy to stick around. The Caps have an extremely bright future if they can retain there young players. Koffie, Teibert, Leveron, Manneh, Hurtado, Salgado even Mattocks. Look forward to more discussion. Black_Jack
excellent analysis- and u r right that rennie has upgraded the team from 2012-- NRC and leveron are 2 prime examples; daigo has been a BIG disappointment so far, but i would like to see him given a chance more in the MF; and the caps 2 draft picks-- manneh and hurtado- do a have a future and were solid picks; and rennie can take his bows for helping both harvey and teibert improve their play; and finally restoring knighton as the #1 goalie was long overdue definitely, JMD and watson- 2 favorite rennie selections- should both be on the bench and manneh should be given more playing time- he is ready for it; no way is klazura ever going to be a starter- he lacks pace against speedy opposing players and doesnt add enough on wide forward play i still think we have 2 glaring needs- 1. a better quality MF to replace JMD; 2. a goal poacher and let rennie have until the end of the season to improve his coaching decisions which have cost the caps at least 5 points this season-- he really lacks the belief that the caps have enough attacking power to have more control of an away game and makes poor decisions and late subs that allow an opposing team to have far too much control of the second half for large periods of time and he needs to be more honest about the reason behind the quick trading of rochat 2 days before a big game and being thin on the backline due to injuries- his explanation that the deal for 2 future draft picks in the second round would be lost just lacks common sense for any cap supporter to believe- we are not stupid and naive to believe that story!
and 1 last thing-- rennie needs to let go of his belief that mattocks will ever be a starter and score goals on a regular basis- trade him before all value for a better return player is lost
Rennie has already let go of his belief Mattocks is a starter. Mattocks isn't starting anymore. And likely won't unless there is an injury.
Some good points made above. It would be nice to get a precise breakdown of the salary cap to see what's going on. Rochat made $190,000 which would make good sense to move him, although the timing is a head scratcher. JMD makes only $78,000, despite that, unless he is somehow being misused he probably needs to move on. MR seems to put a bargain player at a very important spot. I think that it would of been well worth putting a "coached" Barry Robson in that position. As for Mattocks, I read in a Jamaican newspaper that his coach singled him out and was not pleased with him. I am starting to get worried that if he hasn't progressed under the highly esteemed Caleb Porter, Martin Rennie and the Jamaican Head Coach that he might not be who everyone thought he would be. He is also not in the starting 11 against Honduras tonight.
it wont happen anytime soon- but i would like to see leveron play as the DMF- i think his role would expand and add a great addition to the MF; JMD days have to be numbered as his play in the past 6-7 weeks is deterioating, an example being his clumsy tackle from behind that should have cost us a penalty kick; the pace of a team like seattle is just too much for him to handle
I'm not as worried about Mattocks as everyone else seems to be. If he has another slump year, then I'll be concerned. But its not that unusual, I think, for young players to go through a sophomore slump in any professional sport. Many do recover if they can adapt their games to the pros. And it's also not uncommon for football strikers to go through ups and downs. Camilo wasn't hitting 30-yard crackers into the top corner early in the season either. Like I say, if he has the same problems again throughout next year, I'd be more worried. I still wouldn't move him, though. I would expect the WC to give him a serious workout regimen for this off-season. I think he'd benefit from some added muscle--much like Salgado. Easier to be a target man when you're harder to move. Mattocks also looked like he lost a step this year; didn't seem as flat-out fast as last year. I don't know much about strength conditioning, but maybe some added strength could improve his speed--or at least maintain it if he bulks up. In terms of evolving his game, some added playing time in the off-season, in a different league, may help. So far, Mattocks' experience has been very limited--college soccer and MLS. A broader experience of the game may open his eyes a bit. A loan deal for at least part of the off-season may address one or all the issues I listed above.
Here's an interesting take on Martin Rennie: http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/06/11/the-vancouver-whitecaps-and-martin-rennie-remain-a-mystery/ I think Berrisford has a point. I'm thinking maybe Rennie needs an older, more experienced hand within the organization to mentor him when things get too intense. Someone who would act as a general manager of soccer operations, and give Rennie a hand with trades, transfers, and be a general sounding board and giver of advice when needed. Not sure who would fit that bill, but someone like that may ground Rennie and the coaching staff a bit, consequently giving the whole team a bit more consistent direction (?)
re: mattocks-- i doubt any substantial footlball organization would take darren on a loan-- i would think the NASL or US Pro is the best he could do-- he doesn't need more speed-- he needs more ball skills which can be developed, and soccer smarts and a willingness to learn, 2 aspects i dont see darren being able to cope with- his ego is just TOO BIG i still think the best for the caps is a trade or sale to another MLS team who think they can capture 'lightening in the bottle' with him, something most of us thought was possible... but i no longer do cut bait before it is too late to get anything in return- his market is dropping every week re: berrisford article: spot on- wonderful insight into the caps confusing, yet still hopeful, season re: rennie taking on a more seasoned assistant coach-- wont happen- martin is just too stubborn to see his need for it re: TFC putting ex-cap player terry dunfield on waivers-- a wonderful professional but his day has come- the mls has made enough progress skill-wise that terry is no longer capable of being a viable player in the league-- more NASL league at this point of his career
Mattocks is a dud. Beyond his speed he has nothing else to offer. You won't see him get far other than a bit player here and there. There is no stardom in his future. Caps need to dump him to another club who thinks they can get something out of him. Get what we can for this failure and move on. His attitude sucks as he thinks he is unlucky. It isn't luck, it is his lack of skills and soccer awareness and his refusal to understand his weaknesses. In his mind, he is a superstar (remember his 20 goals in 2013 prediction?). He got by growing up because he was fast. He got selected all the time due to that. He never had to develop anything else. Problem with fans is, when he scores one goal, people think he is the superstar and just needs more time. Kind of like Hassli scoring twice in about 25 - 30 matches. Because the goals "looked good" the so called knowledgeable people wanted him around as a starter. His career has died and he is barely worthy of the bench at his current club. Same thing will happen to Mattocks at some point.
i can not believe i am saying this-- I AGREE TOTALLY WITH YOU-- cut bait with mattocks and still hope to get something back-- work on manneh and hurtado, 2 worthy rookies to develop-- enough time and patience have been used on darren
Gonna have to disagree to an extent here. Have we not learned our lesson after the Kenny Miller situation? Miller was poor last year and everyone wanted him shipped out, now hes been the Caps best player when healthy this year. Mattocks is still a young player, and last year people were talking about how good he could be and how he is the face of this franchise and now suddenly because he hits a bit of a dry spell you guys are claiming hes a dud and will be a bit part player the rest of his career? Sorry but your overreacting. Now maybe the Caps aren't the right team for Mattocks to realize his potential, but there is clearly potential in him to be a 10-15 goal scorer in this league. Also the notion that he has nothing to offer but speed, while I do disagree with that I will also say this. Why does it matter? I find people get so caught up these days with what players CAN'T do. If he produces why does it matter if he doesn't have the best pair of feet on him or he's not the best header of the ball, he's young and can improve. Now to the point about other relevant skills, he's extremely athletic whether thats speed or leaping or anything. He has a pretty good right peg on him, he has shown he can hit them from distance or on the volley. Contrary to popular belief he is actually a pretty good passer of the ball, when he decides to pass he is very good at cutting it back and laying it off for teammates at the top of the box or in the 18. Now don't get me wrong here I'm not saying he's a blue chip superstar that Caps need to get back into the 11 and sign for as long as they can. Just the fact that you guys are turning on such a young player so quickly is laughable. If Manneh and Hurtado don't finish the year with 5 goals each off the bench are you then going to trying to get them shipped out of town? Mattocks has the potential and even though he hasn't scored this year he hasn't looked that bad really, always in the thick of the action. So in conclusion, hang on to him for now and let him develop throw him the odd start to rest Miller or Camilo and try and get his confidence back up, and then next year depending on when Miller returns give him a starting spot if he has earned it. Black_Jack
well, if the Caps do decide to keep mattocks, then i think some time with an NASL team, like edmonton, has to be considered-- certainly, the other 2 rookies- manneh and hurtado- have earned more time than darren and should be part of the bench and darren has 1 goal this year and has scored exactly 1 goal- last year- with his head- so much for his athletic jumping ability! when he zigs into a running position, the team thinks he he is going to zag ; and when he zags, the team thinks he is going to zig-- and the passes are rarely completed- can soccer intelligence be taught or is it a natural instinct that an attacker either has or does not have?? i just dont see darren being on the same page with any team-- he is very weak reading of the flow of the game and lacks a connection with his teammates anyways, it would be nice to think your patience with mattocks will yield results-- i would love to eat crow if he suddenly becomes a valuable addition to the attack in the second half of the season but at the very least, the caps should send him to an NASL team and try and build his confidence and scoring touch
Darren is a highly skilled and very smart player. He just needs the opportunity to make something happen. He has not been used enough to get into the proper form. If he is a full time starter I think he could lead the league in goals.