I for one am very happy that Zotinca is on the list. I have been watching him for 2 years now, and have not seen him do anything spectacular. He can't even make a good throw-in. I hope another team picks him up, but I don't know why they would. What does he bring to the table other than being cheap and a horrible player? What am I missing here?
Well, he's a right back who is solid defensively. He also gets forward well, can put in a decent cross and even shoot a bit. Thats important in Gansler's system. He's not world class, but he does his job well. I think he is an ideal right back for the team. Thats why I want him to stay.
I guess I haven't ever seen Zotinca's "solid" play defensively. It probably doesn't help that whenever I watch him, I see him alongside Garcia, Conrad, or Shavar Thomas who are much better players than he is. I think we will have to agree to disagree on Zotinca.
A_Bomb -- Here's some comparison for you. Think back to when Nick was trying to play either right or left back. He sucked. His defense was good, but he doesn't go forward well and his passes to the attacking players are not good at all. He gets lost when he has to make a run forward -- especially with the ball at his feet. Compare that with Zotinca. Take just one play. After he makes a run foward with the ball, me makes that pass to Arnaud for the second goal against LA in the Division Championship. Garcia doesn't make that pass. Graham probably doesn't make that pass either. Burciaga makes a similar pass, but in the air and not on the ground like that one. Overall I think the list includes players that Curt and Bob think the two new teams won't want or we could afford to leave unprotected.
He can be a frustrating player. I've been on his ass all year for his yellow card record. However, neither Conrad or Shavar can play any of the positions that Alex does, and Nick most agree is muuuch better in the center than on the outside. I think we all remember the games when Nick was on the outside. He was a black hole when he tried to move forward with the ball. He was trying to do too much. Zotinca could play RM, DM (with some help) or RB. If we can upgrade at those positions, great, but I'd still like him on our team as an option off the bench in case someone (or everyone like this year) goes down.
Why was Preki made available? Does KC think no one will take him or are they prepared to lose him because he's a year or two from retirement?
Pretty much everyone on this board believes that Preki will retire before he leaves KC again. If he's drafted he'll most likely retire, which is probably what will end up happening anyways.
I have no idea. But, I think with the Metrostars leaving Walker unprotected means either RSL or Chivas will take him and we'll be trading Tony to the Metrostars. Just a hunch. No link, no story.
I agree about Alex being a veratile player. Watched him play for the Comets and now the Wizards. He does seem to give it his all. As far as the throwins go, almost everyone has trouble getting the ball in cleanly. Alex may be overlooked because of his yellow cards for silly fouls. I know he was unavailable for 1 game because of cautions points. Was that the only one?
I agree. Walker to Chivas already seems to be a done deal. That leaves room for Tony to go back to NY next season. Can't get a confirmation on Tony leaving from any of my sources in the organization though. But it definitely smells like that's what is going down. I am hearing that Tony has been trying to get the organization to talk contract with him since February (Read: Before the season), and they haven't yet (supposedly they were going to talk contract this morning... but it looks like they may have just told him they weren't planning on re-signing him.) Also, and we all already knew this, Tony was extremely upset about not starting this weekend. It was almost like he felt that the organization had betrayed him and everything he's done. chad
He looked it too, after the game when he came up to greet the cauldron. He kissed the badge as he walked away, too. What a guy. As much as i hate to see him leave, i can understand why, even if only for salary cap issues. === The question becomes, then, assuming we trade Meola to NY......who (or what) do we get in return?
Yeah, not sure if it would be a trade though. He may just leave because he's out of contract (granted, the contract is with the league, not the team)... Most likely we would get draft picks for it.
I guess we have to look at it as freeing up $250k from the salary cap. Which in MLS is a ton. Maybe we can get a more reliable 3rd striker.
Klein should be the RB and Stephenson the right mid. Klein is big and fast enough to play the position. He would keep every opposing left mid thinking defense first. Stephenson might be able to play. Three games doesn't make a season, but he looked like he could handle it.
Hopefully we'll have cover at right fullback then! The only guy on the Metros roster who I can recall playing on the right is...Eddie Gaven! errrr...
MLSNET.com has a mock draft up right now. They picked us to lose Matt Taylor and Gomez. http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20041118&content_id=19398&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp
I think you lose Zotinca to Chivas. Thomas Rongen wanted to sign him for DCU when he was coach. Otherwise, I have no problem with who Gansler and Johnson chose to protect vs. expose. The expansion teams aren't going to chose the 10 best players each they can. They are looking mostly for cheap and young players. Bo would get picked over Meola. Jewksbury would get picked over Preki. These expansion teams have extra allocations and discoveries. If they draft guys like Galvan Rey and Meola and Preki and Agoos and Joe Max Moore then they can't use their allocations on MLS Max salary players. Given than RSL just got Kreis (and I assume he'll be paid close to the MLS max--certainly not a bargain salary of $70K or so), then it makes it even more imparative than they not select expensive players.