Will DC Improve?

First, MLS seems to have adopted a strategy of asking for more than the market price for their players (especially marque players). Thus, guys like Brian McBride, DMB, Clint Mathis all had offers on the table and MLS held out for more money--the foreign teams eventually went elsewhere. This allows MLS to say to the players "we're willing to let you go overseas" but then not have the public get depressed b/c the best players are all leaving.

Second, having said that, until big money gets into MLS (and that happens only AFTER we see SSS built so franchices are profitable), will it be a case where we can pay a Quaranta more than he'd get in England (or at least pay close enough in salary that being more accessible to the national team evens out the decision in favor of staying).

If you're depressed, just remember how you feel right now is how all the football fans in Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, France, Holland, Greece, Poland, Russia, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Central/South America feel every offseason and transfer season. If you're any good, you'll get an offer from Serie-A, La Liga, Bundesliga or the Premiership. Brazil at one point even had legislators floating possible laws prohibiting the sale of Brazilian players to foreign clubs. If you think it's bad here now, it's far, far worse in those other places.

 

Just to segue into this, but I don't see MLS players buying into this logic. I know that's what MLS hopes but I'd think that most americans with Nats team hopes will be getting increasingly leery of resigning with MLS when they know that a big payday awaits them if they just let their contract run out.

 

The way I see it the ones who want to go will find a way (Mathis, Tino, Olsen, Wolff) Those that don't really want to go (Pope, McBride) will stay. I don't think MLS's efforts will do more than delay the inevitable.

 

I think you have McBride on the wrong list. I thought he wanted to stay at Preston and would like to go back to England.

 

DC would benefit on many levels if Pope were to get a European contract. We can probably get better value for the $ on defense than Eddie's max salary. Consider that we would have more cap room for strikers, 2002 performers, and midfielders.

Garcia is a good example of a solid defender not making the max, yet who would mostly fill Eddie's shoes.

GM

 

Will DC get better? I'd like to think there is only one direction they can take from here - there is no 11th place is there? - but 35 years as a Saints fan tells me things could get always get worse.

But the discussion here seems to be more about whether our young stars will go to Europe. With the exception of Rimando, the players mentioned either haven't shown much in the MLS (besides "potential") or are coming off of injuries, so I don't think we'll lose them this year if we give them a decent salary. You could add Olsen to that list, too.

As far as whether we will get better, I think the answer is "BELIEVE!"

(If we are having this discussion at the end of next season, the answer will be "BELIEVE!"

 

McBride is a gut feeling. As I said the ones who really want to go will find a way. Didn't McBride just sign a contract with MLS a year or two ago? Besides he is too close to 30 for a European team to spend big money on bringing him over, IMHO.

 

McBride does want to go. He views this as his last chance to get a big contract. There was even talk of a "trade" (JMM and money to MLS for McBride) but Everton stumbled at the amount of money MLS was speaking for).

 

Not saying I am right or have proof to the contrary, I just don't think he really wants to go. I could be wrong it is just my gut feeling. I would expect him to be making more noise if he really wanted to go.

 

First and foremost: give Hudson the boot POW!!!
and second : play the pint-size Eliseo Qunitanilla . His quick-moving , opportunist style would solve DC's goalscoring . Play Mapp , to see if this kid , whom by the way , was drafted ahead of Kyle and Capone , can really play . 3rd: Tino stays healthy. 4th : Buy some more ant-depressant pills for 2003 , just in case!

 

Here is the depressing reality, IMHO.We are not going to get rid of the majority of the players, who deserve to go.Why is that ?? First, there is a great competition, right now, among the soccer players in Europe, because of a deep recession in europeean soccer leagues.There are cuts everywhere! So,neither the american young guns nor the international veterans will not find a market in Europe. On the contrary,the "other" markets will be "crowded " by the europeans as well.Secondly, the "big names" will accept a substantial paycut in order to hang on. To stay with a paycut is much better than, the alternative of having no employment at all.I hope, DCU management knows this and will be able to get fair deals, to open more salary room for other players.Forth, the only good part, we will be able to sign 2-3 strong internationals players,in the first place a strong striker and second a midfield coordinator.

I am convinced, we are not gonna get rid of Ech.The midfield will be a headike, for Ray.How is he gonna start in the midfield?? Let's assume he will get an international midfield coordinator.Than,he will have Olsen on the right,Convey on the left and Ech and the international player in the center.I do not think it will work out this way !! The alternative is worse, Ech and Convey in the center and the others on the wings.No,no I think,if Ech will stay,Ray will give up on another foreign midfielder coordinator.IMHO, that will be a big mistake.It is true we need a strong striker.But, also, we need a midfielder coordinator able to run 90 min.Otherwise,our midfield will colapse the same way it did this past season.

If, we do not get rid of ,at least, 8 bad players we will be in the same place next year, no question about that,IMHO.

 

I expected nothing less from you Sormun.

I think you have some good points about Etch and Moreno. I'm pretty confident that Williams is gone and that Hudson will either bring in someone from outside the league, or already has his replacement lined up (Jim Rooney?). I have this totally unsubstantiated hope that Simon Elliott may be able to be obtained for the right price, but I have nothing but a hunch on my part. And Elliott would be exactly what we need.

I do not expect Etch and Moreno both to be back, but it is probably better than a 50% Chance that one will return.

I do expect Hudson to bring in a finisher, I just hope he brings in two! Most successful teams have 3 starting-caliber finishing forwards. Santino is one, but we desperately need two more. I could tolerate Curtis as our 4th forward, but nothing higher until he learns more of the game.

I expect Convey to be kept in the center and Olsen to be wide right, so we're still up in the air with 3 midfield positions, as you mention. I'm a big Justin Mapp fan, but it would be silly to expect him to be the starter in what is little more than his rookie season (he trained and played very little of last season).

I do think we'll improve, because I think that Hudson will take away the injury-riddled players and replace them with some durable players. I have confidence that our defense is stabilized and that Rimando, Reyes, Pope, Prideaux and Nelsen will all return. If all are present, we could play Reyes as one of the two Dmids IMHO. But, we'll need some draft picks to come through on the back line for depth.

To me, it will all come down to finishing, health, and as Sormun points out, who Hudson puts into the midfield with Convey and Olsen.

Grimandi? IMHO he'd be a good Dmid. Elliott (if we could possibly acquire him) would be perfect for us (and Nelsen would love it as well).

-Tron