All this info comes from our friend 3rd. Full Roster (18) Ronnie O'Brien - (SI1) midfielder, Irish Int, Working on Green Card, new 2+2 year deal for 05. Simo Valakari - (SI2) Finnish holding midfielder. 05 final year on deal and will be 32. Toni Nhleko - (SI3) South African forward. 25 in 05. Ed Johnson - US International, two MLS option years 05 & 06. Cory Gibbs - YS Allocation, US Int center or left back. Carey Talley - versatile defender/midfielder. Eric Quill - left side midfield/forward. Scott Garlick - American Goalkeeper, currently 2nd choice. Steve Jolley - American Defender. Brad Davis - Left footed midfielder. Under contract for 05? Oscar Pareja - Green Card holder, Colombian midfielder, 37 in 05. Chris Gbandi - Liberian Int, US citizen. left back. Under contract for 05. Bobby Rhine - Forward, re-signed prior to 2003 season. Philip Salyer - Defender from Maryland and Werder Bremen, can play both sides. Jeff Cassar - GK, American. currently 1st choice. Milton Reyes - Honduran right back, green card. Under contract for 05. David Wagenfuhr - left back, could be on dev in 05. Ty Maurin - Left mid, can be dev in 05. Developmental Roster (10) Including P40 Ramon Nunez - (YI1) Junior International out of SMU, working on US Citizenship. Clarence Goodson - (P40) Center back. One more P-40 season? Open Spot - technically currently held by David Wagenfuhr Open Spot - after the graduation of Eddie Johnson Open Spot - after retirement of Jordan Stone Open Spot - after trade of Jason Thompson Open Spot - after rosters expand for Reserves Open Spot - after rosters expand for Reserves Open Spot - after rosters expand for Reserves Open Spot - after rosters expand for Reserves
My guess with the way how things might work, the following are moved via trade: Gbandi Eric "I know I am useless" Quill Garlick Toni There is a chance Garlick could stay, but I would say he needs to take a pay cut especially if Dallas drafts a P-40 keeper. Quill was brought in for some reason, but has proved to be more worthless than Emily Heskey is for England or Berni Voget formerly manager of the Scotland NT. However maybe last year was just a down yr(kinda doubt it), but might want to wait and what is out there and if Clarke has some better options. Toni needs to prove he can go 90 minutes or I say cut him and bring Chris Caririe in and free up that extra SI spot. Gbandi, should have some trade value, lets see what we can get. Moved from full roster to Dev: David Wagenfuhr and Ty Maurin should be moved back to the dev. roster unless Dallas goes the P-40 route like Chicago did a season or two ago. I don't see it happening though unless there are some real studs coming out who can start in a year or two.
There is an SI4, but no one currently is in the spot. It's not seperate from the 18. When there is one I will add him. I can add a blank if you like.
Toni better be gone. We have no hope of competing next season without at least 2 impact new additions to the squad - a forward and a central midfielder. That means SI's. And that's just on the offensive side of the ball. On defense, we are in desperate straights after the moronic protection of Quill over Behnke. Maybe Goodsen will do a lot of developing by next season, but last year, he was nowhere close to being ready. Goodsen starting 10 games next season in Gibb's absence is a terrifying thought. If we wind up wasting an SI on a central defender to cover for our colossal failure in judgment here, I'll scream. As far as trading Garlick, Quill, and Toni, forget it. Who would give anything for them, knowing that they can probably get them for nothing when we dump them. I wouldn't get rid of Gbandi yet either. At least he's got athleticism. There's always the chance that a different coach might be able to get more out of him in the future.
Who goes (or maybe goes): Nhleko - He has shown flashes of belonging as an SI in MLS, but after 1.5 years he shouldn't still be a question mark. Time to cut bait. Find an upgrade (likely). Try to trade first (unlikely), but cut as a last resort. Quill - He has a bag. Try to trade for a draft pick (possible), but cut if necessary. Maurin - Maybe too soon to know, but didn't do much in scrimmages to make me think he is the left wing of the future. Try to trade and/or cut if an upgrade is available in the draft. Letting him play on the reserves for a year probably wouldn't hurt. Davis - A tough decision. By the time he grows into a central midfield role you would hope Nunez would be ready. Can he rediscover his form on the left? I'd try to trade for somebody who would fill a hole in the starting line-up, but if not would keep and see if he can be comeback player of the year in 2005. Gbandi - Can he turn into a productive player? I'd bet not, but I bet FCD could find a manager who would think otherwise. So, I'd try to trade for a high-ish round draft pick or a serviceable player. Otherwise keep him and let him battle it out with Wagenfuhr for the starting job in 2005. Garlick - Superfluous with Cassar. Trade or cut. My acquire list would be for a strike partner for EJ, a successor to EJ, a starting left winger, and a starting central midfielder who can groom Nunez. If I can find a youngish dynamic left winger with an allocation, I'd use a discovery or a trade to find a serviceable defensive midfielder to pair with Valakari in the middle; attacking from the wings or bringing Nunez off the bench for a more robust attack. The draft could be used to find the successor to EJ, the dmid of the future, the right-back of the future, and the goalkeeper of the future.
If HSG takes the plunge and begins to invest in its product, then all bets are off. But the only sensible approach is to look 2-3 seasons down the line and anticipate who might still be 1.)here 2.)starting and starring Everyone else is a disposable spare. Guys that should get big time scrutiny are Wagenfur, Davis, Salyer, and Nunez. The only obvious keepers in my book are: ROB, Gibbs, and EJ (assuming he sticks around) ok for the value, but looking to upgrade: Reyes, Cassar, Simo Everyone else, thanks for the memories.... unless we cannot sign anyone better
Could we please just get rid of Reyes. I dont care for who. In fact, just drop him if no one will take him. He is possibly the most aweful marker I have ever seen.
These are actually some of the guys who deserve the least scrutiny. Wagenfuhr will probably be on the expanded developmental roster next year, Nunez definitely will. Salyer may not be better than any of our other outside backs, but he's so much cheaper, and can play either position, and has some degree of potential - he ought to stay. Davis is basically the same deal - he's one year off being one of our best players, and is relatively cheap; there's no reason to consider moving him, unless somebody wants to trade for him, but we'd likely be selling low, which is never a good idea.
I think that we actually agree here. I meant scrutiny in the sense that they are the guys who MUST develop if this team is to ever crawl out of the gutter. Given that at the present moment, we are not MLS championship material, the team should put thier young butts out on the field this season. Time to sink or swim boys. As for AbelineCosmos comment on Reyes, this comment typifies the horrific tactical misunderstanding that exists between a Euro and Latin style of defensive tactics. As an outside back, your job is to exploit the width in the attack and penetrate down the flanks at will to increase your numbers when in attack and in defense. The midfield should cover your run every time. If you are the ballside back when defending, then you stay home to mark or pressure. I read post after post this year of people like AbelineC. that just did not get how the modern world uses an outside fullback. I think that if you were to make a switch in defensive tactics, or switch the orchestra conductor you would be pleasantly amazed at what a player like Reyes would give you. If you are expecting Reyes to revert to Cro-Magnum man defensive tactics of marking players on the opposite side of the field from where the ball is, and to just simply stay home and boot the ball up the field at the first chance, no. He is not the one.
Even Gbandi would have looked a lot better had someone covered for his runs. Could have had Gbandi on the left and Reyes on the right alternating runs. I would like to know if there was a scheme and it wasn't executed or there was no scheme. If no scheme, then the same problem will occur again in 2005. Also before blaming just Reyes or adding just Gbandi, jog your memory and recall Salyer getting toasted by Gros of DC and Talley getting burnt by speedsters. Something was wrong with coverage as four different guys couldn't have all been doing the wrong thing.
The other problem with Gbandi was that his runs almost never resulted in anything; from a score to even a scoring chance. He rarely put in the deadly cross or the defensive unlocking through ball. We saw more dangerous wingback play from Reyes in his few starts than we did in all of Gbandi's starts.
[Davis ... he can be comeback player of the year in 2005] I hope so! That would be awesome. *chants Keep BD#10
This has nothing to do with tactics. If you make a run someone should cover you. You are right about this. Reyes does make some fantastic runs down the side. The point is when Reyes is "marking" someone he doesnt stay with him, he looses the player and that free person sticks the ball in the back of our net or he is taken one on one turned around and exploited. It has nothing to to with styles of play. I didnt say anything about him being out of position. When you mark someone you mark someone he cant or doesnt do this. He can make runs down the flank all day long for all I care, it is when he is playing defence that is the problem. As for Gbandi he is ok, but has serious issues with the tackle. Far too many times is he caught sliding after someone. A slide tackle should be used as a last resort, but I have seen him many times try and two foot someone when he didnt need to. Someone with a decent amount of ball skills will beat this far too often. He needs to work on standing the guy up, when he slides he leaves the rest of the defence laible for him since he is on the ground and the guy is past him.
Right on both counts. Except I'd throw the same accusation about Gbandi as you said about Reyes in that it's not the lack of cover when making runs that is the problem. Most of the time he was in the right area (ie: he was the furthest back on his side) but he still was way out of position to stop the guy. Reyes imho was not as glaringy bad in this regard & combined with his clearly superior attacking play he is by far the better option.
No way. Is it possible tomove Reyes to left-mid and leave him there? Have him be our solution at left-mid? He has superior offensive skills to anyone we had play at that position last year. I know we have Brad Davis, so there is competition for the one spot. Big deal. save an SI lsot for forward and one for center-mid. That would save us burning big money to fill the black hole at left mid and I think Reyes is more than up to the job. If we put Reyes at left-mid - we just need to find a competent, stay at home left back to play behind Reyes. So that means no Gbandi. And Gbandi excepted, competent defenders are a dime a dozen in MLS. Heck, if we can trade Kreis for future considerations I would trade Gbandi to a team to be named later and future considerations.
You're right, the thought crossed my mind to move him to mid. But the lack of a replacement posses a big problem. Could Davis possibly play this spot. O'brien and Reyna both have played back for their clubs, and are in somewhat of a simialr position. He has good passing ability, which is something we lacked out of the back.
My problem with Reyes isn't style or that he makes too many runs forward. My problem with Reyes is that he's a defender that doesn't defend very well. He rolls the dice far too often when he's defending. And that's the same criticism that I have of Chris Gbandi.
But at least Reyes does provide some kind of threat on the offensive side and Gbandi can't even do that well. So, its either Reyes and a little bit of offensive push or Gbandi and none.....with the full knowledge that neither defend particularly well. Personally, I'm not a big fan of spending resources on outside backs in MLS. Reyes seems adequate to me.....but I wouldn't want to see him on the left wing.. I don't think he has the passing ability that I want to see from our midfield. We all saw what GAM can do with solid service from the left wing in that Panama game. IMO, a really solid left footed midfielder is a bigger need then someone for the central attacking spot.
Well maybe he should not be a defender... perhaps he should play another position...hmmmm then again I'm pretty sure that CC would have thought of that... with that being said why is Reyes a defender? The perplexity of plain logic boggles my mind.