United pursuing former MLS All-Star (K. Wright, Wash Times 5/13)

I have always said that Petke should get a callup for the Nats.

Actually good for all of these guys.

 

From any other source than where it was written I would be intrigued:

"D.C. United coach Ray Hudson said he is interested in pursuing former Major League Soccer All-Star Dante Washington."


I would prefer a second source to be sure.

 

Nah, but if Marco sits a game and the words"Bobby Convey is overrated" are spoken by Ray then we will know for sure he does.


Another quote from the article "We were talking to him, we just couldn't quite get the figures sorted out [last season]," Hudson said. "He certainly could be an interesting proposition now, for sure. Things have got to start to change a little bit. We might have to make a sacrifice to potentially get that sort of player."


So who is the sacrifice?????

 

Well, you can be sure it will be the wrong one.

 

Possible Canidates:

Namoff
Curtis
Prideaux (via trade)
Quaranta (via trade)

 

does anyone know anything about that team in terms of its needs? i am sure they would want a quality attacker to replace their leading scorer. i can't see us parting with tino, still too young and too much potential.

or would the sacrifice be more we'd have to unload a salary to make room for dante's?

btw--how does he compare to the richmond strikers?

 

someone explain this to me: how do we have six players getting called up for the game against wales but we cannot win an mls game or score one goal a game? this is absolutely pathetic.

 

One explanation I heard is we do not have an MLS game that weekend so our players are more available.
San Jose also does not play that weekend so Donovan, Mulrooney, Goose (???), maybe more should also be called in.

 

1. It's cool all those guys are getting callups. There is a hidden message there--the team isn't playing like crap, it's just playing like crap in the attacking third of the field. Arena calls up MLS-ers b/c of how he's impressed with their performance so it says something about how he things those guys are performing.

2. "Sacrifice"? I think the issue here is this: to add a player who isn't a TI or P-40, we've got to cut a veteran. That likely won't be Namoff or Alegria or a trade involving Prideaux. That's b/c that would leave use thin at those roles.

Instead, we never start more than 2 strikers and sometimes only 1. Yet we have Stewart, Stoichkov, Quaranta, Eskandarian and Curtis. A far argument can be made that they haven't had enough PT to build chemistry and establish cohesion on the field. Even if we move Stewart to midfield, adding Dante Washington to the mix still adds to forward congestion.

Plus, there is the issue of cap room. I have no idea how much cap room we have or would need. But cutting someone making minimum (say: Alegria) doesn't save us cap room b/c the player you'd sign would make at least MLS minimum so all you're doing is trading bodies. I doubt cutting Curtis saves much cap room (I'd guess he's close to league minimum or at least no much above it).

To add Dante we need to create roster space and probably create cap room. Not much cap room but I doubt we get enough by cutting Curtis or Namoff or Alegria (who are probably the 3 spots on the roster). So in that sense it means there is a sacrifice that has to be made.

I think the likely candidate is either Curtis (if we don't need the cap space) or Quintanilla.

 

Joe, please tell me you jest in suggesting that DC get rid of Quintanilla.

You were here from the fallout from the RDA trade right?

DCU bent over backwards to kiss the Salvadorian community's butt and bring in another player, I don't think they are going to piss them off and cut that same player anytime soon.

Can DC not get roster relief for Reyes? Meaning all we would need to do is fit Dante under the cap and not worry about roster spot?

 

Joe, 4 of these guys should be performing in that attacking third so why are they getting callups?? Of course, Ben and Bobby can be the outside backs from how they play for United.

 

As to the nature of the USMNT callups, I'm sure that DCU has the weekend off helps a little. But I don't think that has been the primary factor in these decisions. Afterall, didn't Dallas have last weekend off, the Mexico match was in Houston--would have been a prime time to call in Suarez, Kreis or even Countess in (even if just for camp and not the game roster).

Arena catches a lot of DCU games. All of those players that he's listed has shown good things this season. Eliminate Rimando's first match and that group of 6 has played well. Basically, I don't think you can make a strong argument than there is any player in that group that should NOT have been invited. It's just that a group of 6 stands out (and will undoubtedly lead to claims on the USMNT board of Arena's favoritism for "his" players from DCU).

Additionally, I can see Arena thinking that Wales is a good side and he'll have a short camp. So better to try and bring in large groups of players from the same team (rather than 1 or 2 from each side).

At this point, you have to figure he has about half of his roster for the Confed Cup set in his mind and he's looking to decide who else gets invited to camp (without turning it into a circus). So you've got to figure that if he goes with a 3-man backline, that Petke and Califf are probably fighting for 1 spot for instance (with probably Bocanegra, Pope and Berhalter as 3 likely starters).

 

1. Diceson may be able to offer more accurate info on this but my understanding is that DCU does NOT have roster relief on Reyes until we have all our roster-exempt spots filled. In other words, the league was balking at giving us another senior roster spot when we haven't filled our 6 non-roster spots. But you can see why Hudson wouldn't fill them--if a good P-40 player signs with MLS, they'd have to go by lottery so we want to keep that option open.

2. I think people are over-simplifying just a bit when it comes to DCU. We aren't scoring goals so therefore our attack stinks so therefore none of our attackers should be invited to camp? I know no-one actually said those words but I think that is what is being implied.
--Olsen is a guy that can make contributions but is still recovering from injury and inaction. I put him in the same category as Mathis (though Ben has better work and conditioning habits) in that Arena I believe has concluded that he needs to bring both of them into camp so they can play their way into the competitive form he wants. Given that Olsen has been impressive in other USMNT matches (except for Argentina) this year, does anyone really think it's a mistake to call him in?
--Convey, well again, he's been impressive in most of his USMNT play (including his stint against Mexico). If my theory is correct (that Arena has decided to make him into this team's version of what DMB was in 2001--a second half attacking sub who came on with fresh legs, technical ability, and a willingness to take people on and create chances) than Convey won't start a lot of games this year but he'll play in all of them. Again, I have a hard time deciding he shouldn't be invited.
--Quaranta: I believe he has yet to play a full game this season yet he's earned 1 PK (and should have earned another against Dallas) and had a deft touch leading to El Diablo's assist against Colorado. And Arena has said repeatedly he admires his game and wants to call him in. This is probably the opportune time (b/c after this matches are played for keeps--not friendlies).
--Stewart: a veteran who plays well for Arena and is versitile. Given that it will be a short week and a small camp (ie: not likely to have 25 invitees), having players like Cobi Jones, Landon Donovan and Earnie Stewart who can easily and willingly play multple positions is vital.

I know it sounds weird that a team with 3 goals would have 4 attackers in camp. But remember, except for the last match, people have bunkered against us and we've finished poorly. Our possession has been good.

3. I can't claim to have my finger on the pulse of the Salvadoran community in DC. But I think RDA and Eleseo are 2 different situations. Also, I think Hudson (with his comments about a "sacrifice") is preparing people for a possible roster move that may involve a little bit of public pain. Maybe I'm wrong and it's Alegria or Namoff. Or the team will sign Geddes or another developmental player and then get the roster exemption. But I bet we need a little cap room and right now, a roster spot. And that would mean cutting someone. While Quintanilla had a fine preseason, if we add a forward, I think that pushes another forward back into midfield.

Look at it this way: Ivanov frees up Nelsen for midfield. Convey is in midfield at the moment. Quaranta or Stewart may end up in midfield. Barclay will be healthy soon. That's a lot of midfielders. So that's why I think it will be Curtis (if we don't need cap room) or Quintanilla if we do. No inside info on this, just an educated guess.

 

I am implying that if we cannot score goals, then our attacking players are not playing well at this time. If so, why are they being called into a Nats camp. Now, the argument that Bruce is familiar with them and we are available works for me. The argument that they are being called in on their current form does not work for me.

 

Dante Washington:

http://www.mlsnet.com/bios/dante_washington.html

I don't know if he's the answer to our forward problems, don't know a whole lot about him, but it seems to me he should be given a shot. He's 5'11" 190 which means he has some size and strength that we're SERIOUSLY lacking on this team. His size also seems to indicate we can play balls to him as a target forward. His stats indicate about a goal every 2 games, which is quite good and way better than anyone else on this team is doing. He's from Columbia, MD which is local. Article says he's leading the A league in goals.

Would like to see him given a shot. That said, we've got to improve our midfield play if we're going to score goals.

 

ugh. I don't even want to think about what might happen if we move Q2.

 

I couldn't read the article due to a web issue but I disagree that Quaranta's performance is what's getting him into camp. The 2 plays you mentioned are really the only bright spots to his play so far this season. He needs to have more than 2 to be called into a Nats camp IMO based on performance. The real reason is the second part of your reasoning. Arena likes his game and wants to get him into a camp, end of story. Tino's got a lot of potential and I think this could be a defining year for him even though he's only 18. Also just because Arena likes his game isn't the last word. Arena is a very good judge of talent but he also gave Albright a bunch of caps before deciding he couldn't cut it.

 

Its been said on these boards before by many other sources but Dante Washington is a class act. He busts his but (you won't see him jogging back, head down and get caught in an off-side position with a quick possession change), he does the hard work inside (fighting for 50-50 balls, winning posession, chasing balls, running off the ball). He's a great teammate who has always had a good rep in the locker room.

What he allows us to do is to have more of a vertical game (and spread the field out) with long balls (that actually have someone who can win them now). It will create room in midfield. He'll also do a fine job playing balls back to overlapping attackers and give guys like Quaranta and Stewart opportunities to play facing the goal and with the ball at their feet.

I don't mean to make this guy out into a saint or an American version of Pele. But I have never heard anyone criticize him as a person or teammate, from college (Radford), youth soccer (he was on the practice side of U19 players Bora kept for the US WC94 to scrimmage against for 2 months), indoor soccer (Washington Warthogs), and MLS (Dallas and Columbus). His game has some limitations but he's the kind of guy everyone likes having as a teammate.

 

Remember the wonderful 200 season? The one in which we gave up all sorts of god-awful goals to begin our now yearly stay in th basement? Our defense that year imploded. However, Pope, Goos, Llamosa, and Wee One were not only regular callups but played very well for Arena.

The bottom line for Arena is that not only can he recognise talent but he also has a clue on how to use it in the right positions and with the right support.

 

His limitations and the limitations of our current crop of forwards balance each other out nicely. We need a bull in front of goal that can play with his back to net. Esky's a good year away from being an effective striker in MLS. Are there any other options?

Yabo

 

I'll buy that for Convey and Stewart. Olsen and Quaranta are getting called up because they are not busy that weekend not because they are among the top 18 players.

 

Joe, I listed Quaranta and Prideaux as trades because of the cap space issue you bring up. Trades in which either were sent for picks and the cap space that comes with losing them would free up cap space if Washington was looking to get money in their range. Also losing either would be considered a sacrifce on the part of the team.

I think you might be right about Quintanilla since I figure his salary slot would fit somewhat close to what Washington might take in a "hometown discount". I doubt Curtis would fit into a salary slot that could accomidate Dante by himself. Though Curtis would be cut out of an oppotrunity for playing time so both Quintanilla and Curtis could be sacrficed for Dante.