Hmmm.
After seeing what had gone on before us, I was pretty sure we were going to go after Alston and Frei, since they were both on the table, but instead we've landed Wallace and Pontius. I wonder what that 5-minute time out was for. Were we listening to offers for the #7 pick or did we do a deal for Pontius? Pure speculation here, but I wonder if we were talking to LA about a trade for Gonzalez.
Whatever the case, until we hear otherwise, I'll just start typing this response and hope no trades are announced before I hit "publish post."
Rodney Wallace
Depth on the left flank and can play either midfield or at the back, though he's a bit of a project there. Still, even if he's raw, I think he can compete with Burch for minutes. (Horrible thought--good God, I hope this isn't a prelude to seeing more of Burch in the middle!) Regardless, we've made a solid move to address the depth issue in defense and added speed and a wide attacking threat all in one fell swoop.
One thing I keep seeing (from folks who follow college soccer more than I do) is that Alston was the best fullback available now, but that Wallace has the potential to be the strongest in the long term. Fingers crossed!
Chris Pontius
I was a little surprised that we went outside of GenAd at this point, but Pontius could be an interesting prospect in that he's one of the handful of players that those in the know feel could step onto the field immediately in MLS. That's good news because I see him as a sort of offensive version of McTavish. He can play up top and on the right side of midfield and defense.
I think the most important thing here is that from everything I've read, Pontius is a soccer player first. What do I mean by that. Well, he's a decent athlete, but he's got a solid skill set and is adaptable, two things that will make him a valuable pro in the long term, and able to slot in multiple spots to pick up minutes in the short term.
So what do you think? Did we miss out by passing on Hall, Alston, and Frei? What do you think of Wallace and Pontius? Any personal anecdotes, opinions, et al you want to share with the class?
[Update: I almost forgot to add the most important information of all. Both Wallace and Pontius have signed with the league already, so no Euro-walkabouts for those two!]
Two defenders two forwards and one keeper. I'm okay with Wallace. With Guerrero and Burch we will have three players who can play left fullback so we should be good on depth. Adams has potental. Pontius was highly rated and could be trade bait or a good back-up target forward. The goalie is an unknown but is probably there to challenge Thorpe and maybe Wells over time. Using the last pick on Barlage (another forward) does not compute. Some good defenders were still out there and it would not have hurt to have a few more in camp. Whatever the position - he just did not sem to be the best player still on the board.
ReplyDeleteProbably good players, but horrible decisions. They didn't address the central defense issue - our biggest problem - at all, either through the draft or by trading. This means they're looking overseas, which is never a good idea in this league.
ReplyDeleteThree names to pick ahead of Barklage: Calum Angus - Johanne Marshall - Marcus Tracy (it's close to a throwaway pick so why not?).
ReplyDelete@Dave - Agreed about the central defender, though I always figured that if we wanted somebody domestic who was going to be able to start right away (which we obviously need), it was going to come via trade. Hopefully that door hasn't quite slammed shut, though I do wonder what we have to dangle as trade bait.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous - Totally with you on the last pick. Why not grab a defender. This goes along with what Dave was saying. We have a big gaping hole at center back. If we're going to take a flyer on somebody, it ought to be there.
Final thoughts post should be coming up shortly.
Well if you know anything about Angus he is out-of-shape and a bad leader. I don't know about the other guys, but Angus is a bad pick for sure. Why do you think he fell out of the draft completely? The combine showed these things that I have mentioned. Seems as though you don't really know what you're talking about.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't know what they're talking about? I don't think I was ever advocating going after Angus. Seems to me his international status and uninspiring athleticism would make him a long shot at best. But is he more of a long shot than Barklage? Than any of the numerous trialists we're sure to have in during pre-season camp?
Also, how can you be certain he'll be a bad pick? I agree that he's not the most likely prospect, but McTavish and Boswell, amongst others, fell out of the SuperDraft (and into the defunct Supplemental Draft) as well, and they're solid MLS defenders.